“Placebo” is a Latin word. It means “I shall please.” And, sometimes , it just might .

When scientists want to test a new drug, they usually divide a large number of people into two groups . One group takes the medicine; the other takes a substance known as a placebo . It may contain nothing more than sugar. The people do not know which pill they are taking —the active one or the inactive one. In this kind of experiment, the medicine must perform better than the placebo to prove it is effective.

Yet people who take a placebo sometimes experience improvements in their health . This is known as the “placebo effect”, the effect of something that is not supposed to have any effect .Some doctors even use the placebo effect in their treatments . They might tell patients that a new drug will stop their pain . The patient does not know that the pills are inactive . The patient takes the pills and later tells the doctor that the pain is gone .

Now , research in Sweden suggests that placebo treatments can also reduce the emotional effects of unpleasant experiences . The effects in the brain were similar to those seen when placebos have been used to ease pain . The researchers say that in both cases , expectations of improvement are a major influence on the effectiveness of placebos .

Predrag Petrovic of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm led the study . The findings appeared in the publication Neuron.

An influential study on placebos appeared in nineteen fifty-five . It said treatment with a placebo made patients feel better thirty-five percent of the time . But in two thousand –one , Danish researchers reported that they had examined more than one hundred studies . They found little evidence of healing as a result of placebos .

1．Why is “a placebo” used in the experiment ?

       A．To test which medicine is active and which is inactive .

       B．To compare a new drug to an existing drug .

       C．To prove how active the “placebo effect” is .

       D．To determine the effectiveness of a medicinal drug .

2．According to research in Sweden , the placebo can reduce the patient’s pain mainly because

             .

       A．the pill is very effective                        B．the pill can please them

       C．they expect the improvement greatly     D．they believe in the doctors

3．The figure “nineteen fifty-five” （in Paragraph 6 ） is probably         

       A．the page of a magazine in Stockholm

       B．the number of patients involved in the experiment

       C．they year when the findings were published

       D．the time when Predrage Petrovic and his team tried their experiment

4．What would be the best title for this passage ?

       A．The Placebo Effect                             B．A New Research in Sweden

       C．A New Medicine Was Found                D．Active or Inactive ?

 “Lizzie, there’s a letter for you!” Emily called up the stairs to her sister. Elizabeth looked down. “Is it from Harvard? They refused my application once.” Emily answered, “No, it’s from Yale.” Quickly, Elizabeth walked downstairs. She took the letter and opened it. “Rejected again,” Elizabeth said unhappily. “Who says women can’t be doctors?”

“They are fools not to accept you. You can’t let them stop you, Lizzie,” Emily said.

“I won’t. I’ll apply to (申请) Geneva Medical College,” Elizabeth told her sister. As it turned out, the professors at Geneva Medical College were not fools. They allowed Elizabeth Blackwell to study medicine.

In 1848, a year before Elizabeth would graduate, a typhoid epidemic (伤寒流行病) broke out in New York. Elizabeth wrote to Emily. “There’s an outbreak (爆发) of typhoid, and I am going to help. It is dangerous, so if I should not survive, please do me the honor of studying medicine yourself.”

Emily replied, “Encouraged by your dream and success, I have decided to study in medical school, as well.”

Having survived the disease, Elizabeth tried to set up a private medical practice. “I graduated first in my class but no one believes a woman can be a good doctor,” she said to Emily one day. “All I hear is that doctors should be men, while women should stay home to cook and clean.”

Emily said worriedly, “I will graduate in June with my medical degree. What shall we do?” Elizabeth thought for a while and replied, “There’s a big house in the poor part of our town. We can practice medicine there for people who couldn’t afford care.”

Soon with the help of some friends, Elizabeth and Emily bought the house and opened a hospital for poor women and children. “We’ll have an all-women staff (员工),” Elizabeth said. “And later, we’ll add a medical college for women!” Emily added. At last, Elizabeth realized her dream of being a doctor.

1.The underlined word “Rejected” in the first paragraph can be best replaced by _____.

A．Refused          B．Praised           C．Changed          D．Accepted

2. Hearing Elizabeth’s words about the letter from Yale, Emily felt _____.

A．excited           B．calm             C．satisfied           D．angry

3. In 1848, Elizabeth wrote to Emily to _____.

A．persuade Emily to come to help the sick      B．ask Emily to study medicine if she died

C．warn Emily the danger of typhoid epidemic    D．tell Emily she would graduate from college

4.We can learn from the text that Elizabeth _____.

A．received strong support from her sister      B．refused to go to study at Yale University

C．founded a medical college after graduation    D．was finally accepted by Harvard after her efforts

5.Which of the following can best be used to describe Elizabeth?

A．Humorous.        B．Honest.           C．Determined.       D．Careful.

“Lizzie, there’s a letter for you!” Emily called up the stairs to her sister. Elizabeth looked down. “Is it from Harvard? They refused my application once.” Emily answered, “No, it’s from Yale.” Quickly, Elizabeth walked downstairs. She took the letter and opened it. “Rejected again,” Elizabeth said unhappily. “Who says women can’t be doctors?”
“They are fools not to accept you. You can’t let them stop you, Lizzie,” Emily said.
“I won’t. I’ll apply to (申请) Geneva Medical College,” Elizabeth told her sister. As it turned out, the professors at Geneva Medical College were not fools. They allowed Elizabeth Blackwell to study medicine.
In 1848, a year before Elizabeth would graduate, a typhoid epidemic (伤寒流行病) broke out in New York. Elizabeth wrote to Emily. “There’s an outbreak (爆发) of typhoid, and I am going to help. It is dangerous, so if I should not survive, please do me the honor of studying medicine yourself.”
Emily replied, “Encouraged by your dream and success, I have decided to study in medical school, as well.”
Having survived the disease, Elizabeth tried to set up a private medical practice. “I graduated first in my class but no one believes a woman can be a good doctor,” she said to Emily one day. “All I hear is that doctors should be men, while women should stay home to cook and clean.”
Emily said worriedly, “I will graduate in June with my medical degree. What shall we do?” Elizabeth thought for a while and replied, “There’s a big house in the poor part of our town. We can practice medicine there for people who couldn’t afford care.”
Soon with the help of some friends, Elizabeth and Emily bought the house and opened a hospital for poor women and children. “We’ll have an all-women staff (员工),” Elizabeth said. “And later, we’ll add a medical college for women!” Emily added. At last, Elizabeth realized her dream of being a doctor

1. 1.

   The underlined word “Rejected” in the first paragraph can be best replaced by _____

   1. A.
      Refused
   2. B.
      Praised
   3. C.
      Changed
   4. D.
      Accepted
2. 2.

   Hearing Elizabeth’s words about the letter from Yale, Emily felt _____

   1. A.
      excited
   2. B.
      calm
   3. C.
      satisfied
   4. D.
      angry
3. 3.

   In 1848, Elizabeth wrote to Emily to _____

   1. A.
      persuade Emily to come to help the sick
   2. B.
      ask Emily to study medicine if she died
   3. C.
      warn Emily the danger of typhoid epidemic
   4. D.
      tell Emily she would graduate from college
4. 4.

   We can learn from the text that Elizabeth _____

   1. A.
      received strong support from her sister
   2. B.
      refused to go to study at Yale University
   3. C.
      founded a medical college after graduation
   4. D.
      was finally accepted by Harvard after her efforts
5. 5.

   Which of the following can best be used to describe Elizabeth?

   1. A.
      Humorous
   2. B.
      Honest
   3. C.
      Determined
   4. D.
      Careful

   “Lizzie, there’s a letter for you!” Emily called up the stairs to her sister. Elizabeth looked down. “Is it from Harvard? They refused my application once.” Emily answered, “No, it’s from Yale.” Quickly, Elizabeth walked downstairs. She took the letter and opened it. “Rejected again,” Elizabeth said unhappily. “Who says women can’t be doctors?”

      “They are fools not to accept you. You can’t let them stop you, Lizzie,” Emily said.

     “I won’t. I’ll apply to (申请) Geneva Medical College,” Elizabeth told her sister. As it turned out, the professors at Geneva Medical College were not fools. They allowed Elizabeth Blackwell to study medicine.

      In 1848, a year before Elizabeth would graduate, a typhoid epidemic (伤寒流行病) broke out in New York. Elizabeth wrote to Emily. “There’s an outbreak (爆发) of typhoid, and I am going to help. It is dangerous, so if I should not survive, please do me the honor of studying medicine yourself.”

       Emily replied, “Encouraged by your dream and success, I have decided to study in medical school, as well.”

      Having survived the disease, Elizabeth tried to set up a private medical practice. “I graduated first in my class but no one believes a woman can be a good doctor,” she said to Emily one day. “All I hear is that doctors should be men, while women should stay home to cook and clean.”

      Emily said worriedly, “I will graduate in June with my medical degree. What shall we do?” Elizabeth thought for a while and replied, “There’s a big house in the poor part of our town. We can practice medicine there for people who couldn’t afford care.”

      Soon with the help of some friends, Elizabeth and Emily bought the house and opened a hospital for poor women and children. “We’ll have an all-women staff (员工),” Elizabeth said. “And later, we’ll add a medical college for women!” Emily added. At last, Elizabeth realized her dream of being a doctor.

26. The underlined word “Rejected” in the first paragraph can be best replaced by _____.

A. Refused              B. Praised                     C. Changed            D. Accepted

27. Hearing Elizabeth’s words about the letter from Yale, Emily felt _____.

A. excited                    B. calm                        C. satisfied              D. angry

28. In 1848, Elizabeth wrote to Emily to _____.

A. persuade Emily to come to help the sick   B. ask Emily to study medicine if she died

C. warn Emily the danger of typhoid epidemic  D. tell Emily she would graduate from college

29. We can learn from the text that Elizabeth _____.

A. received strong support from her sister  B. refused to go to study at Yale University

C. founded a medical college after graduation  D. was finally accepted by Harvard after her efforts

30. Which of the following can best be used to describe Elizabeth?

A. Humorous.            B. Honest.  C. Determined.             D. Careful.

When I was fourteen, I earned money in the summer by cutting lawns（草坪）, and within a few weeks I had built up a body of customers. I got to know people by the flowers they planted that I had to remember not to cut down, by the things they lost in the grass or struck in the ground on purpose. I reached the point with most of them when I knew in advance what complaint was about to be spoken, which particular request was most important. And I learned something about the measure of my neighbors by their preferred method of payment: by the job, by the month--- or not at all.
Mr. Ballou fell into the last category, and he always had a reason why. On one day, he had no  change for a fifty, on another he was flat out of checks, on another, he was simply out when I knocked on his door. Still, except for the money apart, he was a nice enough guy, always waving or tipping his hat when he’d see me from a distance. I figured him for a thin retirement check, maybe a work-relayed injury that kept him from doing his own yard work. Sure, I kept track of the total, but I didn’t worry about the amount too much. Grass was grass, and the little that Mr. Ballou’s property comprised didn’t take long to trim (修剪).
Then, one late afternoon in mid-July, the hottest time of the year, I was walking by his house and he opened the door, mentioned me to come inside. The hall was cool, shaded, and it took my eyes a minute to adjust to the dim light. 
“ I owe you,” Mr Ballou, “ but…”
I thought I’d save him the trouble of thinking of a new excuse. “ No problem. Don’t worry about it.”
“ The bank made a mistake in my account,” he continued, ignoring my words. “ It will be cleared up in a day or two . But in the meantime I thought perhaps you could choose one or two volumes for a down payment.
He gestured toward the walls and I saw that books were stacked (堆放) everywhere. It was like a library, except with no order to the arrangement.
“ Take your time,” Mr. Ballou encouraged. “Read, borrow, keep. Find something you like. What do you read?”
“ I don’t know.” And I didn’t. I generally read what was in front of me, what I could get from the paperback stack at the drugstore, what I found at the library, magazines, the back of cereal boxes, comics. The idea of consciously seeking out a special title was new to me, but, I realized, not without appeal--- so I started to look through the piles of books.
“ You actually read all of these?”
“ This isn’t much,” Mr. Ballou said. “ This is nothing, just what I’ve kept, the ones worth looking at a second time.”
“ Pick for me, then.”
He raised his eyebrows, cocked his head, and regarded me as though measuring me for a suit. After a moment, he nodded, searched through a stack, and handed me a dark red hardbound book, fairly thick.
“ The Last of the Just,” I read. “ By Andre Schwarz-Bart. What’s it about?” “ You tell me,” he said. “ Next week.”
I started after supper, sitting outdoors on an uncomfortable kitchen chair. Within a few pages, the yard, the summer, disappeared, and I was plunged into the aching tragedy of the Holocaust, the extraordinary clash of good, represented by one decent man, and evil. Translated from French, the language was elegant, simple, impossible to resist. When the evening light finally failed I moved inside, read all through the night,
To this day, thirty years later, I vividly remember the experience. It was my first voluntary encounter with world literature, and I was stunned (震惊) by the concentrated power a novel could contain. I lacked the vocabulary, however, to translate my feelings into words, so the next week. When Mr. Ballou asked, “ Well?” I only replied, “ It was good?”
“ Keep it, then,” he said. “ Shall I suggest another?”
I nodded, and was presented with the paperback edition of Margaret Mead’s Coming of Age in Samoa ( a very important book on the study of the social and cultural development of peoples--- anthropology (人类学) ).
To make two long stories short, Mr. Ballou never paid me a cent for cutting his grass that year or the next, but for fifteen years I taught anthropology at Dartmouth College. Summer reading was not the innocent entertainment I had assumed it to be, not a light-hearted, instantly forgettable escape in a hammock (吊床) ( though I have since enjoyed many of those, too). A book, if it arrives before you at the right moment, in the proper season, at an internal in the daily business of things, will change the course of all that follows.
【小题1】.The author thought that Mr. Ballou was ______________.