Question

The works of Shakespeare and Wordsworth are “rocket-boosters” to the brain and better therapy than self-help books, researchers will say this week.

Scientists, psychologists and English academics at Liverpool University have found that reading the works of the Bard and other classical writers has a beneficial effect on the mind, catches the reader’s attention and cause moments of self-reflection.

Using scanners, they monitored the brain activity of volunteers as they read works by William Shakespeare, William Wordsworth, T.S Eliot and others.

They then “translated” the texts into more “straightforward”, modern language and again monitored the readers’ brains as they read the words.

Scans showed that the more “challenging” prose （散文）and poetry set off far more electrical activity in the brain than the more pedestrian versions.

Scientists were able to study the brain activity as it responded to each word and record how it “lit up” as the readers encountered unusual words, surprising phrases or difficult sentence structure.

This “lighting up” of the mind lasts longer than the initial electrical spark, shifting the brain to a higher gear, encouraging further reading.

The research also found that reading poetry, in particular, increases activity in the right hemisphere （半球）of the brain, an area concerned with “autobiographical memory”, helping the reader to reflect on and reappraise their own experiences in light of what they have read. The academics said this meant the classics were more useful than self-help books.

Philip Davis, an English professor who has worked on the study with the university’s magnetic resonance centre, will tell a conference this week: “Serious literature acts like a rocket-booster to the brain.

"The research shows the power of literature to shift mental pathways, to create new thoughts, shapes and connections in the young and the elderly alike.”

1.How do classics such as Shakespeare and Wordsworth benefit the readers?

A．They set off far less electrical activity in the brain.

B．They light up the mind shorter than the initial electrical spark.

C．They shift physical pathways in the young and the elderly.

D．They draw readers’ attention and help make self-examination.

2.Why does the author mention” They then” translated”… modern language“？

A．To prove that classics are more useful than ordinary versions.

B．To show self-help books act like rocket-boosters to the brain.

C．To tell serious literature sets off far less electrical activity.

D．To make known ordinary versions set off more electrical activity

3.What can we conclude according to the researchers?

A．Self-help books are more valuable than classics.

B．Serious literature lights up the mind shorter than ordinary versions.

C．The right hemisphere of the brain is related to autobiographical memory.

D．Literature has a beneficial effect only on the mind of the young.

4.Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A．Ordinary Versions Create New Thoughts

B．Modern Language Increases the Brain

C．Classics Help lmprove the Brain Activity

D．Self-help Books, Rocket-boosters

 

Answer 1

【答案】

1.D

2.A

3.C

4.C

【解析】

试题分析：本文介绍了最新研究的成果，作者引述了一些人的观点和研究成果来证明经典的文学对提高大脑的活动非常有益。

1.细节题。从文章reading the works of the Bard and other classical writers has a beneficial effect on the mind, catches the reader’s attention and cause moments of self-reflection. 可知，读这些经典著作有助于自我的反省，故选D

2.细节题。从文章Scans showed that the more “challenging” prose （散文）and poetry set off far more electrical activity in the brain than the more pedestrian versions.可知作者之所以提到以上的话是为了给我们说明经典的书要比普通的书要更加有用，故选A

3.推断题。从文章The research also found that reading poetry, in particular, increases activity in the right hemisphere （半球）of the brain, an area concerned with “autobiographical memory”,可知，大脑的右半球与自传式记忆有关，故选C

4.主旨题。从第一段The works of Shakespeare and Wordsworth are “rocket-boosters” to the brain and better therapy than self-help books, researchers will say this week.及最后一段可知，本文的标题应该为经典的东西能够提高大脑的活动，故选C

考点：科普类说明文

点评：本文文脉清晰，句意中生词有一定的难度。说明文是历年高考很常见的文体，对于科技类的说明文比较难。本文中，把握好一个中心即作者对读经典著作的好处进行了对比介绍。同时，此类文章中推断题要理解作者写作的意图，方可作答。