Question

11．Sadness is unpleasant，and in a society where personal happiness is prized above all else，there is little tolerance for falling in despair．Especially now we've got drugs for getting rid of sad feelings-whether it's after losing a job，the break-up of a relationship or the death of a loved one．So it's no surprise that more and more people are taking them．
But is this really such a good idea？A growing number of voices from the world of mental health research are saying it isn't．They fear that the increasing tendency to treat normal sadness as a disease is playing fast and loose．Sadness，they argue，serves a useful purpose-and if we lose it，we lose out．Yet many psychiatrists insist not．Sadness has a nasty habit of turning into depression they warn．Even when people are sad for good reason，they should take drugs to make themselves feel better．
So who is right？Is sadness something we cannot live without or something horrible never to touch？
There are lots of ideas about why feeling sad should become part of human life．It may be a kind of self-protection，as other primates （灵长类） also show signs of sadness．A losing monkey that doesn't show sadness after it loses a fight may be seen as continuing to challenge the winning monkey-and that could result in death．
In humans sadness has a further function：we may display sadness as a form of communication．By acting sad，we tell other community members that we need support．
Then there is the idea that creativity is connected to dark moods．There are plenty of great artists，writers and musicians who have suffered from depression or disorder．Scientists found that people with signs of depression performed better at a creative task，and negative moods make people think deeply over the unhappy experience，which allows creative processes to come to the front．There is also evidence that too much happiness can be bad for your career．A doctor found that people who scored 8 out of 10 on a happiness test were more successful in income and education than 9s or 10s．The happiest people lose their willingness to make changes to their lives that may benefit them．
53．The underlined word"this"refers toA．
A．taking medicine                                  
B．falling in despair    
C．losing a job                                       
D．feeling sad
54． The author believes sadness isC．
A．a good thing for people's health         
B．something horrible never to touch
C．a necessary function of humans'
D．always to be treated as depression
55．Some animals show their sadness in order toB．
A．cheat their enemy                      
B．protect themselves 
C．comfort the loser                      
D．challenge the winner
56．We can infer from the last paragraph thatB．
A．people with great creativity tend to be happier   
B．unhappy experiences contribute to a greater career
C．too much happiness can be bad for your career
D．the happiest people are the most successful ones．

Answer 1

分析 本文为议论文．当人感到悲伤的时候，是否应该通过服药来拜托，有人支持，有人反对．

解答 53-56 A C B B
53．A 考查代词． 根据第一段内容可知，悲伤的人可以通过吃药来拜托这种情形．紧接着在第二段开头问"这种做法真的有效吗？"故"this"指"吃药这种做法"，故答案为A．
54．C 细节理解题．"There are lots of ideas about why feeling sad should become part of human life"第四段开头告诉我们作者认为悲伤是人一种必要的功能，故答案为C．
55．B 细节理解题．第四段提到悲伤是人的功能，紧接着提到功能之一为自我保护，故答案为B．
56．B 细节理解题．最后一段主题句为"Then there is the idea that creativity is connected to dark moods"，提到悲伤对人来说，也是一种动力，"Scientists found that people with signs of depression performed better at a creative task"科学家也发现悲伤的情绪可以让人更具有创造力，故答案为B．

点评 本篇阅读理解有关sadness的功能性．难度较大，考生需阅读全文然后抓住每段的中心句，并注意细节问题的提炼．