She’s not afraid of anything. Snakes? No problem. Walking alone in the dark? Easy. We’re not talking about a superhero here -- SM is a 44-year-old mother.  And she’s fearless because she happens to be missing part of her brain: the amygdala(扁桃腺).

   Shaped like a pair of almonds sitting in the middle of your brain, the amygdala helps control fear and anxiety. A rare condition called Urbach-Wiethe disease left SM without her amygdala, and seems to have completely erased her sense of fear.

   To try to understand how the amygdala works, a team of researchers made their efforts to scare SM. They showed her horror movies and took her to the Waverly Hills Sanatorium Haunted House in Kentucky. She pushed out one of the monsters(巨物) and laughed. SM said she didn’t like snakes, but at a pet store full of poisonous creatures, she kept asking to touch them. When asked to rate her feelings, SM reported feeling surprised or disgusted, but never fearful.

   “She tends to approach everything she should be avoiding,” says Justin Feinstein of the  University of Iowa. This means the amygdala could control deeper urges to approach or avoid danger. Other scientists have a different opinion, though.  “I don’t believe you can make a general statement about what the amygdala does by a single case study,” Elizabeth Phelps said. In 2002, Phelps published a study on a similar patient with amygdala damage who still showed fear.

It may sound like fun to be totally fearless, but we get scared for a good reason. “The nature of fear is survival and the amygdala helps us stay alive by avoiding situations, people, or objects that put our life in danger,” Feinstein said. SM was once followed in a park after dark by a man with a knife, and she simply walked away. “It is quite remarkable that she is still alive,” said Feinstein.

1.SM dares to walk alone in the dark mainly because ____________.

A. she is a superhero

B. she has experienced such conditions a lot

C. she is a mental patient

D. she has no sense of fear

2.Researchers tried their best to frighten SM in order to find ___________.

A. The function of a particular organ

B. SM’s reaction of fear and anxiety

C. The process of removing amygdale

D. A special way to get along with monsters

3.What do we know from the research on SM?

A. It was easy for her to avoid danger.

B. SM never felt fearful but disgusted.

C. SM was frightened by nothing except monsters.

D. SM got along well with the snakes.

4.What is Elizabeth Phelps’ attitude toward the function of the amygdala based on the research on SM?

A. Indifferent    B. Supportive    C. Disapproving     D. Interested

5.What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A. People can remove their amygdala to be fearless.

B. SM will be admired because of her bravery.

C. No one can survive if their amygdala is removed.

D. The sense of fear is crucial to humans.

 

CHOOSE YOUR VIRGINIA

Rock House Museum

Take a journey through history with a visit to the exciting museum and historic sites of Wytheville . The Rock House Museum offers glimpses into daily life in the 19th century . The museum is part of the 50 structures featured in Wytheville’s Historic Walking Tour . 540/233-3330 .

Grand Caverns

Grand Caverns is America’s oldest cave . Beautiful and massive formations . Union troops visited the caverns . Thomas Jefferson visited—you should , too ! Open weekends in March , daily April—October , 9 a.m.—5 p.m. Hour tours leave every 30 minutes . 703/249-5705 .

The News Museum

The News Museum in Arlington is the world’s only interactive（互动）museum of news . Visitors can be reporters or television newscasters , see today’s news as it happens on a block-long video news wall , and be taken behind the scenes to see how news is made . The News museum is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a. m.—5 p. m. You can visit www. News museum .Org .

Kenmore Plantation & Gardens

Kenmore Plantation & Gardens has over two hundred years of history from the Revolutionary War , Civil War and into the 21st century . Home of Betty Washington , George Washington’s only sister , and Patriot Col. Fielding Lewis . Explore this historic building and city block of restored gardens . Tea and ginger cookies served . 540/373-3381 .

Virginia Beach

Virginia Beach offers 11 000 hotel / motel rooms , plus cottages and campgrounds . Enjoy miles of clean beaches and a variety of family attractions . Fine restaurants , various shopping areas , exciting nightlife , and special events are offered throughout the year . 800/822-3224 .

1.What is the author’s purpose in writing this passage ?

A．To attract tourists to Virginia .

B．To encourage people to settle in Virginia .

C．To introduce historic sites in Virginia .

D．To give people a general description of Virginia .

2. In what way is The News Museum different from Rock House Museum ?

A．It is larger .	B．It is more exciting .
C．Visitors can act in it .	D．Visitors can see more in it .

3.If you want to enjoy yourself in the evening , you may go to       .

A．The News Museum	B．Kenmore Plantation & Gardens
C．Grand Caverns	D．Virginia Beach

4.Which of the following places is NOT open in the winter months ?

A．The news Museum .

B．Grand Caverns .

C．Virginia Beach .

D．Kenmore Plantation & Gardens .

5.Which of the following is NOT a fact when tourists are visiting the Virginia Beach ?

A．Tourists can camp in the open air .

B．Tourists can enjoy some special events there .

C．Tourists can not go there in their own cars .

D．Tourists can enjoy themselves on the clean beach .

 

Mark Ramirez, a senior executive at AOL, could work in the comfortable leather chair, if he wanted. No, thanks. He prefers to stand most of the day at a desk raised above stomach level.

   “I’ve got my knees bent. I feel totally alive,” he said. “It feels more natural to stand.”

   In the past few years, standing has become the new sitting for 10 percent of AOL employees at the firm’s Virginia branch. Part of a standing popularity is among accountants, programmers, telemarketers and other office workers across the nation.

   GeekDesk, a California firm that sells desks raised by electric motors, says sales will triple this year.

   Standers give various reasons for taking to their feet: It makes them feel more focused, prevents drowsiness(困倦睡意), and makes them feel like a general even if they just push paper. (Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfels works standing up. So does novelist Philip Roth.)

   But unknown to them, a debate (辩论) is spreading among ergonomics experts（人类工程学家） and public-health researchers about whether all office workers should be encouraged to stand—to save lives.

   Doctors point to surprising new research showing higher rates of diabetes, obesity, heart disease and even mortality among people who sit for long stretches. A study earlier this year in the American Journal of Epidemiology showed that among 123,000 adults followed over 14 years, those who sat more than six hours a day were at least 18 percent more likely to die during the time period studied than those who sat less than three hours a day.

   “Every rock we turn over when it comes to sitting is astonishing,” said Marc Hamilton, a leading researcher on inactivity physiology at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Louisiana. “Sitting is harmful. It’s dangerous. We are on the cusp (尖端) of a major revolution.” He calls sitting “the new smoking”.

    Not so fast, other experts say. Standing too much at work will cause more long-term back injuries. Incidences of varicose veins(静脉曲张) among women will increase. The heart will have to pump more.

    Hedge, the Cornell professor, isn’t a fan of all this standing. “Making people stand all day is dumb,” he said.

    The sensible and most cost-effective strategy（策略）, he said, is to sit in a neutral posture（姿势）, slightly reclined(下弯的), with the keyboard on a tray above the lap. This position promotes positive blood flow. Workers should occasionally walk around, stretch and avoid prolonged periods at the desk. The key, he said, is movement, not standing.

1.Marc Hamilton said “Every rock we turn over when it comes to sitting is astonishing” to show that________.

     A. the result of the study about sitting too long is shocking

     B. we need to remove many rocks

     C. we need to smooth away many difficulties

     D. sitting on a rock is necessary

2. The following are the reasons why some experts are against standing too long except       .

     A. It will cause more long-term back injuries

     B. it will raise the burden of heart

     C. incidences of varicose veins among women will increase

     D. standing too much at work per day is too tiring

3. According to the studies in the passage mentioned,       .

     A. it is better not to stand more than 6 hours

     B. sitting too long can arouse illnesses easily

     C. sitting long is specially harmful to adults

     D. standing much is better than sitting long

4.Which of the following is the best title of the passage?

     A. Standing is not better than sitting

     B. Standing more does no harm to people

     C. Standing will promote the efficiency

     D. More office workers take standing against sitting

 

 

 

Pupils remember more and behave better when 3D images are used in lessons, research suggests. They are quicker to learn and absorb new concepts, and display higher levels of concentration.

Professor Anne Bamford, of the University of the Arts, London, studied the effectiveness of 3D content in 15 schools across seven countries, including the UK. Pupils in 3D classes could remember more than those in the 2D classes after four weeks, improving test scores by an average 17 percent compared with eight percent for 2D lessons. They gave more detailed answers to the tasks and were more likely to think in 3D, using hand gestures and mime (模仿动作) to answer the test questions successfully.

 

 

The teachers commented that the pupils in the 3D groups had deeper understanding, increased attention span, more motivation and higher engagement in the lessons

Children are used to 3D with the rise of computer games that use the technology—90 percent of those in the study had seen a 3D film. Schools would need 3D-enabled projectors（投影仪）, laptops with good picture capabilities, 3D software and glasses for children to introduce animations (动作) into classrooms.

But Danny Nicholson, an educationist, said the technology would be impractical to use in schools and could be too expensive. He said,“While I think the idea of 3D technology is very interesting, I worry that 3D is a bit of an expensive gimmick (小玩意儿). There are a few cases where a true 3D image might help, but most of the time, good 2D models that can be moved , would be just so effective.”

In Colorado, the US, one school district is already in the process of having 1,000 3D projectors fixed in classrooms. And the University of Caledonia, which carries out scientific research into the Lake Tabon Basin, has used 3D presentations with Grade Six pupils. Those who watched the 3D presentations were more engaged and reported a general increase in their interest in science compared with students who watched the 2D version.

1.Teachers think pupils in 3D classes       .

A. are naughtier than those in 2D classes        B. have less motivation

C. find it hard to concentrate                 D. have deeper understanding

2.Danny Nicholson tends to think that       .

A. many pupils prefer 2D models

B. 3D is a bit expensive for some schools

C. true 3D images would not help in classes

D. 3D technology has a bright future in classes

3.What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A. 3D classes will soon be given in one school district in Colorado.

B. Teachers will use the 3D technology through specific training.

C. Many pupils are now more interested in science than before.

D. 3D technology will replace 2D models in the future.

4.What is the text mainly about?

A. 2D models are always more effective than 3D images.

B. The differences between 3D and 2D images.

C. How schools can make full use of 3D technology.

D. Pupils behave better when 3D images are used in classes.

5.Where is the text most probably taken from?

A. A history book.    B. A news story

C. A science magazine.   D. A school report.

 

Some say the Internet will kill off papers. Others say not so fast.

Are newspapers dying?

That’s the heated debate these days. Many say the disappearance of the daily paper is just a matter of time. The future of journalism is in news websites, not newsprint.

However, others say, newspapers have been with us for hundreds of years, and while all news may be online some day, papers can exist for some time.

So who’s right? I’ll outline the arguments on both sides, and then you can decide.

Newspapers Are Dead

Newspapers are in trouble. Circulation is dropping, display and classified ad income is drying up, and the industry has experienced a hard time. Big metro papers like the Rocky Mountain News have stopped operating, and even bigger newspaper companies like the Tribune Co. go bankrupt（破产）.

And where are newspaper readers going? To the Web. A recent study has found that Internet users read online newspapers for an average of 53 minutes per week in 2008. That’s highest level recorded in the eight years when the study has been done.

The study found that 22 percent of users said they stopped their subscription（订阅）to a printed paper or magazine because they could access the same content online.

Some people say the Internet is just a better place to get the news. “On the Web, newspapers are live, and they can supplement（增补）their coverage with audio, video, and the valuable resources of their vast contents,” says Geffrey I. Cole, director of the Center for the Digital Future.

1.How does the author present the topic to be discussed?

A. By presenting others’ prediction

B. By asking a question

C. By providing opposite opinions

D. By talking about the background

2.The purpose of writing the text is to _____.

A. try to draw a general conclusion

B. encourage readers to use their judgment

C. compare the advantages of two media    

D. invite readers to express their opinions freely

3.Some readers no longer buy printed newspapers because they _____.

A. want to save money

B. hope to protect the environment

C. don’t care about news

D. can read online newspapers

4.What’s the advantage of the news website compared with printed newspapers?

A. it provides news vividly      B. the news is more reliable

C. it can reach more readers      D. it is much cheaper in price