Fear can be fun. Many young people queue up to ride very fast and scary roller coasters, screaming but enjoying themselves. Other people like to read “goose bumps (鸡皮疙瘩)” books or watch horror movies at night, scared to death but feeling excited. Why do people like being scared?

　　Fear is an ancient way of surviving. Being scared makes animals, including humans escape from danger and save themselves. It is because of fear that we have lived through millions of years of evolution. Those who lacked a strong fear response were more likely to be killed, leaving the more fearful and careful to pass their genes onto the next generation.

　　How do scientists explain why shaking over such scary things is fun? “Some kids will go to a scary movie and love it and laugh over it, others will feel anxious and hide their faces and some won’t even set foot in the cinema,” said Ned Kalin, a US scientist. “Which kind of person you are depends partly on experiences you’ve had and partly on your genes.”

　　What happens in the brain when something frightens you? Nerves that begin at the eyes and ears lead to a part of the brain called the amygdale. When you suddenly see a snake, for example, the amygdale makes you freeze, sweat, have a quickened heartbeat, or run very fast. However, seeing the snake also uses another part of the brain, the cortex. It analyzes the situation, and if it finds that the snake is only made of rubber it tells your heart and the rest of your body to calm down. Think of the amygdale as the engine and the cortex as the brake.

　　Back to the first question: Why do some people like to make themselves scared? “One reason is that we can play games with fear, find ways to reduce the scariness by looking away or thinking of something else,” Kalin said. “To believe we have control over a situation gives us a feeling of power.” “Scary movies or novels are good practice to prepare young people for the real thing. Thrills such as roller coaster rides also go to the brain’s pleasure centre.”

　　And there might be some evolutionary advantage to being able to adjust this system that is there to protect people.

　　72. How many questions are answered in the passage?

　　A. 2. 　　　B. 3. 　　　C. 4.　　　 D. 5.

　　73. Some people like to be scared because______.

　　A. they are afraid that the fear genes will be passed onto their children

　　B. it’s a good practice to get prepared for the real frightening situation

　　C. it can help them show their own personalities

　　D. they will feel powerful after getting rid of fear

　　74. Which of the following is true about the people who are not easily scared?

　　A. Their cortex is better at analyzing the situations.

　　B. They are more likely to suffer from potential danger.

　　C. They are born unaffected by anything horrible.

　　D. They lack a strong response towards threat.

　　75. What is the best title of the passage?

　　A. Ready to scream? 　　　　B. How to be scared?

　　C. Willing to shake?　　　　D. Why to be scared?

Nearly two decades has passed , I still remember my favourite professor, James Sehwartz. Whenever he smiles ,it’s as if you’d just been told the funniest joke on earth .Almost all his students are his friends, and almost all his students know his life story.

　　　 When James was a teenager ,his father　 36　 him to a fur factory where he worked . This was during the Great Depression. The　 37 was to get James a job.

　　　 He entered the factory ,and immediately felt as if the　 38　 had closed in around him. The room was dark and hot , the windows covered with dust, and the　 39　 were packed tightly together ,running like trains. The fur hairs were flying , 　40　 a thickened air ,and the workers,

41　 the pieces of fur together , were bent over their needles　 42 the boss marched up and down the rows ,searching for them to go faster .James could hardly　 43 . He stood next to his father ,frozen with fear ,hoping the boss wouldn’t　 44 at him , too.

　　　 During lunch break ,his father took James to the boss and pushed him in front of him,　 45 if there was any work for his son. But　 46 there was barely enough 47 for the adult labours ,for no one would give it up once he takes a job.

　　　 Thus , for James, it was a　 48 . He hated the place. He made a　 49 that he kept to the end of his like: he would never do any work that brought　 50 to someone else ,and he would never allow himself to　 51　 money off the seat of others.

　　　 “What will you do?” his mother , Eva , would ask him.

　　　 “I don’t know,” he　 52 say. He ruled out law ,because he didn’t like 53　 , and he ruled out medicine , because he couldn’t take the　 54 of blood.

　　　 “What will you do?”

55　my best professor I ever had became he thought it was the job not to hurt anybody.

36．A．sent　 　　　　　B．took　　 　　　　C．carried　　 　　　　D．admitted

37．A．situation　 　　　B．condition　　 　　C．idea　 　　　　　　D．way

38．A．lights　　　　　B．doors　　 　　　　C．chances　 　　　　D．walls

39．A．goods　　　 　　　B．workers　　　 　　　　C．machines　　　　 D．vehicles

40．A．creating　 　　　B．sending 　　　　C．taking　　　 　　　　D．disturbing

41．A．collecting 　　　B．pulling　 　　　　C．drawing　 　　　　D．sewing

42．A．as　　 　　　　　B．after　　 　　　　C．if　　 　　　　　　D．though

43．A．breathe　　 　　　B．see 　　　　　　C． walk　　　 　　　　　　　 D．hear

44．A．attack　　　 　　　B．scold　　 　　　　C．rush 　　　　　　D．scream

45．A．doubting　 　　　B．questioning　 　　C．asking　　 　　　　D．demanding

46．A．also　 　　　　　B．still　　　 　　　　　　　 C．yet　 　　　　　　D．even

47．A．time 　　　　　B．work　　 　　　　C．office　　　 　　　　　　D．occupation

48．A．comforting　　　 　B．regretting　　 　　C．blessing　 　　　　D．forgiving

49．A．request　　 　　　B．promise 　　　　C．plan　 　　　　　　D．arrangement

50．A．harm　　　　　B．injury　　 　　　　C．damage　　 　　　　D．inconvenience

51．A．pay　 　　　　　B．save　　 　　　　C．make　　　　　　D．let

52．A．should　　 　　　B．would　 　　　　C．could　　　　　　D． might

53．A．police　　　 　　　B．lawyers 　　　　C．judges　　 　　　　D．government

54．A．sight 　　　　　B．feel　　　 　　　　C．sense 　　　　　　D．scenery

55．A．Generally　　　 B．Luckily 　　　　C．Eventually　　　　 D．Basically

There was a loud scream from the backstage immediately after the concert ended，　　　 ??

A.wasn’t there　　　　 B.was there?　　　 C.didn’t it　　　　 D.did it