12．Loneliness has been linked to depression（抑郁）and other health problems．Now，a study says it can also spread．A friend of a lonely person was fifty-two percent more likely to develop feelings of loneliness．And a friend of that friend was twenty-five percent more likely to do the same．
Earlier findings showed that happiness，obesity（肥胖） and the ability to stop smoking can also spread like infections within social groups．The findings all come from a major health study in the American town of Framingham，Massachusetts．
The study began in 1948to investigate the causes of heart disease．Since then，more tests have been added，including measures of loneliness and depression．
The new findings involved more than five thousand people in the second generation of the Framingham Heart Study．The researchers examined friendship histories and reports of loneliness．The results established a pattern that spread as people reported fewer close friends．
For example，loneliness can affect relationships between next-door neighbors．The loneliness spreads as neighbors who were close friends now spend less time together．The study also found that loneliness spreads more easily among women than men．
The average person is said to experience feelings of loneliness about forty-eight days a year．The study found that having a lonely friend can add about seventeen days．But every additional friend can decrease loneliness by two and a half days．
Lonely people become less and less trusting of others．This makes it more and more difficult for them to make friends-and more likely that society will reject（排斥）them．
John Cacioppo at the University of Chicago led the study．He says it is important to recognize and deal with loneliness．He says people who have been pushed to the edges of society should receive help to repair their social networks．
59．As an average person，if you make 2more friends，how many days a year might you suffer from loneliness？B
A.48days． B.43days． C.65days． D.17days．
60．What can we infer （推断）from the passage about lonely people？C
A．They can overcome loneliness themselves．
B．They will decrease loneliness day by day．
C．They need help to get back to normal social life．
D．They can help others to repair their social networks．
61．What's the best way to help lonely people according to this passage？B
A．Bring them together． B．Make friends with them．
C．Help them stop smoking． D．Help them loose weight．
62．Which of the following would be the best title for the passage？A
A．Loneliness And Social Net Work B．Social Networks And Friendship
C．Loneliness And Diet D．Help A Lonely Person．
分析 孤独与抑郁和其他健康问题有关，现在一项研究表明它也可以传播．研究表明，一般人一年有48感到孤独，但是每增加一个朋友都可以减少两天半的孤独感，因此多交朋友可以减少人们的孤独．
解答 59．B 细节理解题．根据倒数第三段第一句The average person is said to experience feelings of loneliness about forty-eight days a year．一般人一年大约体验四十八天孤独感，和第三句But every additional friend can decrease loneliness by two and a half days．但是每增加一个朋友都可以减少两天半的孤独感．可知增加两位普通朋友可让一个人孤独的时间减少5天．故选B．
60．C 推理判断题．根据倒数第二段Lonely people become less and less trusting of others．This makes it more and more difficult for them to make friends-and more likely that society will reject（排斥）them．孤独的人会逐渐失去对人的信任．这使得他们交朋友越来越难，社会也好像更排斥他们．和最后一段的…people who have been pushed to the edges of society should receive help to repair their social networks．被推到社会边缘的人们应该获取帮助来修复他们的社交网络．可知，孤独的人需要帮助才能恢复正常的社会生活．因此可推知答案为C项．
3．B 推理判断题．根据倒数第三段最后一句But every additional friend can decrease loneliness by two and a half days．可知，每增加一个朋友都可以减少两天半的孤独感，所以帮助孤独者最好的方法是与他们交朋友．故选B．
4．A 主旨大意题．第一段点明了本文的主题：孤独影响朋友、邻里等社会关系．故选A．
点评 本文是科教类阅读，主要考查细节理解题和推理判断题．在做细节理解题时，首先根据题目要求迅速在文章里找出相应的段落、句子或短语．认真比较选项和文中细节的区别，在做推理判断题时不要以个人的主观想象代替文章的事实，要根据文章事实进行合乎逻辑的推理判断．
阅读快车系列答案