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A
It’s been said laughter is the best medicine, but no one has yet to prove it. Now a Japanese scientist is unlocking the secrets of the funny bone, which he believes can cheer up people’s genes.
Genes are usually regarded as immutable(不变的), but in reality more than 90 per cent of them are dormant or less active in producing protein, so some types of stimulation(刺激) can wake them up.
Geneticist Kazuo Murakami’s tentative theory is that laughter is one such stimulant, which can trigger(引发) energy inside a person’s DNA potentially helping cure disease. “If we prove people can switch genes on and off by emotion like laughter, it may be the finding of the century which should be worth the Nobel Prize or even go beyond that,” said Murakami.
Three years ago, Murakami and Yoshimoto Kogyo Co Ltd, a leading entertainment company, jointly carried out their first experiment to let diabetics(糖尿病人)laugh at a comedy show performed by the firm’s top stand-up comedians after listening to a monotonous(单调的) college lecture. The two-day experiment showed that their blood glucose levels—a key gauge(标准) for development of diabetes—became lower after they laughed compared with those after listening to the yawning lecture. His latest experiment with the entertainment firm spotted at least 23 genes that can be activated. Eighteen of them are designed to work for immune response, signal transduction and cell cycle, while functions of the remaining five others are still unknown.
Having a good laugh has long been thought of as therapeutic(治疗学). Laughter has been taught by yoga masters in India, home to a growing number of “laughing clubs” whose members get together just to enjoy a chuckle. With the research still in its early stages, a Japanese medical publisher, under the editorial guidance of Murakami’s research team, began selling DVDs last year instructing patients with diabetes on how to laugh.
The ministry of economy, trade and industry believes that laughter therapy could be put to good use in a project as demand grows for preventive medical care. “If the relation between laughter and health is proved scientifically, it may have a big impact on ways to improve health,” said Hikaru Horiguchi, an official of the ministry.
1. Laughter is said to be the best medicine,_______.
A. and scientists believe it
B. which has been proved in one way or another
C. which seems to prove true
D. because it is the cheapest
2. Which of the following is TRUE about the Japanese geneticist?
A. Murakami has been cooperating with different entertainment companies
B. Murakami insists that laughter has nothing to do with stimulants
C. He is a Nobel Prize winner
D. His latest experiment shows that 23more genes can be activated
3. The underlined word “dormant” in the second paragraph most probably means“______”.
A. unchangeable B. inactive
C. unusual D. potential
4. Which can be the best title of the text?
A. Murakami—a Great Japanese Scientist
B. Laughter—the Best Medicine
C. Cooperation between Scientists and Entertainment Companies
D. Laughter May Have a Big Effect on Ways to Improve Health
B
Ask a lay(外行的) person what a polymer is, and he is most likely to name nylon. Ask a chemist, and he will start talking about long-chain molecules. When two or more atoms join together, they form a molecule. Two atoms of hydrogen and one atom of oxygen, for example, becomes a water molecule. If we add other molecules to it, the result is a long-chain molecule—in other words, a polymer. Every natural material in the world, except metals, is made of polymers. But nylon, the most commonly recognized polymer, is made by human hand. Nylon is a synthetic(人造的) polymer.
Scott Richert, an assistant professor of polymer chemistry at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, looks for new applications of synthetic polymers. In medicine, for example, he expects to see polymers used as a packaging for painkillers that are wrapped around such wounds as a burned arm. Or polymer-wrapped anexthetics could be implanted right next to an aching muscle. The polymer would slowly release the drug through extremely tiny holes over the period of perhaps a year or more.
In 10 years, or even sooner, victims suffering the intractable pain of arthritis, migraine headaches, or some other chronic(慢性的) conditions may enjoy unheard-of relief through Rickert’s polymer drugs.
Meanwhile, since a synthetic polymer film is highly organized and as thin as the wall of a soap bubble, Rickert and other polymer scientists also look to polymers as a way to copy the human brain, the most highly ordered structure in nature. Many consider the computer as the brain’s man-made equivalent(相等的东西). But the capacity of the computer’s memory, though highly organized, doesn’t approach that of the human brain.
The memory of today’s computer is composed of a large number of semiconductors(半导体) made of silicon. To make the computer’s brain more like the human’s, Rickert has the notion(企图,念头) of replacing silicon semiconductors with organic semiconductors made of polymers that is very similar to neuron, the brain’s cells, in structure.
A cell transmits information to the outside world through the membrane(膜) which surrounds it. This usually occurs by the passage of a salt solution—much like table salt dissolved in water—back and forth across the membrane manage information.
More than half a century ago, with the invention of nylon, synthetic polymers burst into the public consciousness. Today, synthetic polymers will deliver long-lasting drugs to our aching organs. Day-after-tomorrow, polymers may serve as computer brains, approaching the memory capacity of the human brain.
1. A polymer is in fact______.
A. a special kind of metal
B. a long-chain molecule
C. a water molecule
D. the unit of atoms
2. Which of the following is NOT true according to the text?
A. Nylon is a man-made polymer, which is commonly recognized.
B. Scott Rickert’s polymer drugs is considered to be effective against some diseases.
C. Nylon was invented over 50 years ago.
D. Scott Rickert used polymers as a packaging of painkillers.
3. From the text, we can infer that______.
A. polymers are promising in many fields of science
B. scientists will soon be able to imitate the way our brain deal with information
C. polymers will become popular in the world
D. the capacity of the computer’s memory is approaching that of the human brain.
4. Where can this text be found?
A. In a web discussion zone
B. In a report on a scientific research
C. In a column of a magazine
D. In a textbook for Chinese primary school students
答案与解析:
A
1. 选C｡细节理解题,亦为语篇理解｡文章第一段已表明,这一说法并未得到科学的证实,但通读全文可以看出,它引起了科学家们极大兴趣来揭密且其研究有了实质性的进展｡A项不符合事实;D项与文章无关｡
2. 选A｡信息判断题｡从文章里可以发现,三年前这位日本遗传学家与一家娱乐公司合作展开研究;后来又与某医学期刊出版商推出具有指导作用的DVD碟｡干扰最大的D项中23 more genes(还有23个基因)不符合文章所描述的事实(至少23个基因)｡
3. 选B｡
4. 选D｡主旨大意题｡综观全文可以看出,作者着重介绍科学家及相关的研究机构努力就“笑”对“健康”的巨大影响的途径进行了有益的探索｡
B
1. 选B｡细节理解题｡根据文章开头部分对polymer含义的描述及其理解｡尤其是……,the result is a long-chain molecule—in other words(换句话说),a polymer这句话,可以做出正确的选择｡
2. 选D｡信息判断题｡从文章第二段可知,尼龙是由手工制造的;第三段说明B项属实;C项的信息在最后一段的第一句中可找到｡只有D项与事实不符｡文章第二段提到了Scott期待看到(并非自己使用)聚合物被用来包装止痛药｡
3. 选A｡推理判断题｡从文章最后一段对聚合物的概述和展望可推理,从而得出此结论｡其它项要么是事实题,要么与事实不相符合｡
4. 选C｡常识推断题｡根据生活所给予的知识,结合文章的体裁和具体的内容可以推断,此类文章常出现在杂志的科技专栏里｡
It’s been said laughter is the best medicine, but no one has yet to prove it. Now a Japanese scientist is unlocking the secrets of the funny bone, which he believes can cheer up people’s genes.
Genes are usually regarded as immutable(不变的), but in reality more than 90 per cent of them are dormant or less active in producing protein, so some types of stimulation(刺激) can wake them up.
Geneticist Kazuo Murakami’s tentative theory is that laughter is one such stimulant, which can trigger(引发) energy inside a person’s DNA potentially helping cure disease. “If we prove people can switch genes on and off by emotion like laughter, it may be the finding of the century which should be worth the Nobel Prize or even go beyond that,” said Murakami.
Three years ago, Murakami and Yoshimoto Kogyo Co Ltd, a leading entertainment company, jointly carried out their first experiment to let diabetics(糖尿病人)laugh at a comedy show performed by the firm’s top stand-up comedians after listening to a monotonous(单调的) college lecture. The two-day experiment showed that their blood glucose levels—a key gauge(标准) for development of diabetes—became lower after they laughed compared with those after listening to the yawning lecture. His latest experiment with the entertainment firm spotted at least 23 genes that can be activated. Eighteen of them are designed to work for immune response, signal transduction and cell cycle, while functions of the remaining five others are still unknown.
Having a good laugh has long been thought of as therapeutic(治疗学). Laughter has been taught by yoga masters in India, home to a growing number of “laughing clubs” whose members get together just to enjoy a chuckle. With the research still in its early stages, a Japanese medical publisher, under the editorial guidance of Murakami’s research team, began selling DVDs last year instructing patients with diabetes on how to laugh.
The ministry of economy, trade and industry believes that laughter therapy could be put to good use in a project as demand grows for preventive medical care. “If the relation between laughter and health is proved scientifically, it may have a big impact on ways to improve health,” said Hikaru Horiguchi, an official of the ministry.
1. Laughter is said to be the best medicine,_______.
A. and scientists believe it
B. which has been proved in one way or another
C. which seems to prove true
D. because it is the cheapest
2. Which of the following is TRUE about the Japanese geneticist?
A. Murakami has been cooperating with different entertainment companies
B. Murakami insists that laughter has nothing to do with stimulants
C. He is a Nobel Prize winner
D. His latest experiment shows that 23more genes can be activated
3. The underlined word “dormant” in the second paragraph most probably means“______”.
A. unchangeable B. inactive
C. unusual D. potential
4. Which can be the best title of the text?
A. Murakami—a Great Japanese Scientist
B. Laughter—the Best Medicine
C. Cooperation between Scientists and Entertainment Companies
D. Laughter May Have a Big Effect on Ways to Improve Health
B
Ask a lay(外行的) person what a polymer is, and he is most likely to name nylon. Ask a chemist, and he will start talking about long-chain molecules. When two or more atoms join together, they form a molecule. Two atoms of hydrogen and one atom of oxygen, for example, becomes a water molecule. If we add other molecules to it, the result is a long-chain molecule—in other words, a polymer. Every natural material in the world, except metals, is made of polymers. But nylon, the most commonly recognized polymer, is made by human hand. Nylon is a synthetic(人造的) polymer.
Scott Richert, an assistant professor of polymer chemistry at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, looks for new applications of synthetic polymers. In medicine, for example, he expects to see polymers used as a packaging for painkillers that are wrapped around such wounds as a burned arm. Or polymer-wrapped anexthetics could be implanted right next to an aching muscle. The polymer would slowly release the drug through extremely tiny holes over the period of perhaps a year or more.
In 10 years, or even sooner, victims suffering the intractable pain of arthritis, migraine headaches, or some other chronic(慢性的) conditions may enjoy unheard-of relief through Rickert’s polymer drugs.
Meanwhile, since a synthetic polymer film is highly organized and as thin as the wall of a soap bubble, Rickert and other polymer scientists also look to polymers as a way to copy the human brain, the most highly ordered structure in nature. Many consider the computer as the brain’s man-made equivalent(相等的东西). But the capacity of the computer’s memory, though highly organized, doesn’t approach that of the human brain.
The memory of today’s computer is composed of a large number of semiconductors(半导体) made of silicon. To make the computer’s brain more like the human’s, Rickert has the notion(企图,念头) of replacing silicon semiconductors with organic semiconductors made of polymers that is very similar to neuron, the brain’s cells, in structure.
A cell transmits information to the outside world through the membrane(膜) which surrounds it. This usually occurs by the passage of a salt solution—much like table salt dissolved in water—back and forth across the membrane manage information.
More than half a century ago, with the invention of nylon, synthetic polymers burst into the public consciousness. Today, synthetic polymers will deliver long-lasting drugs to our aching organs. Day-after-tomorrow, polymers may serve as computer brains, approaching the memory capacity of the human brain.
1. A polymer is in fact______.
A. a special kind of metal
B. a long-chain molecule
C. a water molecule
D. the unit of atoms
2. Which of the following is NOT true according to the text?
A. Nylon is a man-made polymer, which is commonly recognized.
B. Scott Rickert’s polymer drugs is considered to be effective against some diseases.
C. Nylon was invented over 50 years ago.
D. Scott Rickert used polymers as a packaging of painkillers.
3. From the text, we can infer that______.
A. polymers are promising in many fields of science
B. scientists will soon be able to imitate the way our brain deal with information
C. polymers will become popular in the world
D. the capacity of the computer’s memory is approaching that of the human brain.
4. Where can this text be found?
A. In a web discussion zone
B. In a report on a scientific research
C. In a column of a magazine
D. In a textbook for Chinese primary school students
答案与解析:
A
1. 选C｡细节理解题,亦为语篇理解｡文章第一段已表明,这一说法并未得到科学的证实,但通读全文可以看出,它引起了科学家们极大兴趣来揭密且其研究有了实质性的进展｡A项不符合事实;D项与文章无关｡
2. 选A｡信息判断题｡从文章里可以发现,三年前这位日本遗传学家与一家娱乐公司合作展开研究;后来又与某医学期刊出版商推出具有指导作用的DVD碟｡干扰最大的D项中23 more genes(还有23个基因)不符合文章所描述的事实(至少23个基因)｡
3. 选B｡
4. 选D｡主旨大意题｡综观全文可以看出,作者着重介绍科学家及相关的研究机构努力就“笑”对“健康”的巨大影响的途径进行了有益的探索｡
B
1. 选B｡细节理解题｡根据文章开头部分对polymer含义的描述及其理解｡尤其是……,the result is a long-chain molecule—in other words(换句话说),a polymer这句话,可以做出正确的选择｡
2. 选D｡信息判断题｡从文章第二段可知,尼龙是由手工制造的;第三段说明B项属实;C项的信息在最后一段的第一句中可找到｡只有D项与事实不符｡文章第二段提到了Scott期待看到(并非自己使用)聚合物被用来包装止痛药｡
3. 选A｡推理判断题｡从文章最后一段对聚合物的概述和展望可推理,从而得出此结论｡其它项要么是事实题,要么与事实不相符合｡
4. 选C｡常识推断题｡根据生活所给予的知识,结合文章的体裁和具体的内容可以推断,此类文章常出现在杂志的科技专栏里｡