Passage One
“Humans should not try to avoid stress any more than they would shun food, love or exercise.” Said Dr. Hans Selye, the first physician to document the effects of stress on the body. While here’s on question that continuous stress is harmful, several studies suggest that challenging situations in which you’re able to rise to the occasion can be good for you.
In a 2001 study of 158 hospital nurses, those who faced considerable work demands but coped with the challenge were more likely to say they were in good health than those who felt they stress that you can manage also boost immune (免疫的) function. In a study at the Academic Center for Dentistry in Amsterdam, researchers put volunteers through two stressful experiences. In the first, a timed task that required memorizing a list followed by a short test, subjects through a gory (血淋淋的) video on surgical procedures. Those who did well on the memory test had an increase in levels of immunoglobulin A, an antibody that’s the body’s first line of defense against germs. The video-watchers experienced a downturn in the antibody.
Stress prompts the body to produce certain stress hormones. In short bursts these hormones have a positive effect, including improved memory function. “They can help nerve cells handle information and put it into storage,” says Dr. Bruce McEwen of Rockefeller University in New York. But in the long run these hormones can have a harmful effect on the body and brain.
“Sustained stress is not good for you,” says Richard Morimoto, a researcher at Northwestern University in Illinois studying the effects of stress on longevity, “It’s the occasional burst of stress or brief exposure to stress that could be protective.”
1. The passage is mainly about ________.
A) the benefits of manageable stress
B) how to cope with stress effectively
C) how to avoid stressful
D) the effect of stress harmonies on memory
2. The word “shun” (Line 1, Para. 1) most probably means ________.
A) cut down on
B) stay away from
C) run out of
D) put up with
3. We can conclude from the study of the 158 nurses in 2001 that ________.
A) people under stress tend to have a poor memory
B) people who can’t get their job done experience more stress
C) doing challenging work may be good for one’s health
D) stress will weaken the body’s defense against germs
4. In the experiment described in Paragraph 3, the video-watchers experienced a downturn in the antibody because ________.
A) the video was not enjoyable at all
B) the outcome was beyond their control
C) they knew little about surgical procedures
D) they felt no pressure while watching the video
5. Dr. Bruce McEwen of Rockefeller University believes that ________.
A) a person’s memory is determined by the level of hormones in his body
B) stress hormones have lasting positive effects on the brain
C) short bursts of stress hormones enhance memory function
D) a person’s memory improves with continued experience of stress
Passage Two
There are two factors which determine an individual's intelligence. The first is the sort of brain he is born with. Human brains differ considerably , some being more capable than others. But no matter how good a brain he has to begin with, an individual will have a low order of intelligence unless he has opportunities to learn. So the second factor is what happens to the individual— the sort of environment in which he is brought up. If an individual is handicapped(不利) environmentally, it is likely that his brain will fail to develop and he will never attain the level of intelligence of which he is capable.
The importance of environment in determining an individual's intelligence can be demonstrated by the case history of the identical twins, Peter and Mark. Being identical, the twins had identical brains at birth, and their growth processes were the same. When the twins were three months old, their parents died, and they were placed in separate foster(抚养) homes. Peter was raised by parents of low intelligence in an isolated community with poor educational opportunities. Mark was reared in the home of well-to-do parents who had been to college. He was read to as a child, sent to good schools, and given every opportunity to be stimulated intellectually. This environmental difference continued until the twins were in their late teens, when they were given tests to measure their intelligence. Mark's I. Q. was 125, twenty-five points higher than the average and fully forty points higher than his identical brother. Given equal opportunities, the twins, having identical brains, would have tested at roughly the same level.
6. This selection can best be titled____________.
A. Measuring Your Intelligence B. Intelligence and Environment
C. The Case of Peter and Mark D. How the Brain Influences Intelligence
7. The best statement of the main idea of this passage is that _______.
A. human brains differ considerably
B. the brain a person is born with is important in determining his intelligence
C. environment is crucial in determining a person's intelligence
D. persons having identical brains will have roughly the same intelligence
8. According to the passage, the average I. Q. is_______.
A. 85 B. 100
C. 110 D. 125
9. The case history of the twins appears to support the conclusion that_______.
A. individuals with identical brains seldom test at the same level
B. an individual's intelligence is determined only by his environment
C. lack of opportunity blocks the growth of intelligence
D. changes of environment produce changes in the structure of the brain
10. This passage suggests that an individual's I. Q. _______.
A. can be predicted at birth B. stays the same throughout his life
C. can be increased by education D. is determined by his childhood
【参考答案】
A B C B C B C B C C
