Question

Some colors people see late at night could cause signs of clinical(临床的) depression(沮丧). That was the finding of a study that builds on earlier study findings. They show that individuals(个人) who live or work in low levels of light overnight(整夜) can develop clinical depression. Doctors use the word “clinical depression” to describe severe form of depression. Signs may include loss of interest or pleasure in most activities, low energy levels and thoughts of death or suicide.

In the new study, American investigators designed an experiment that exposed hamsters(仓鼠) to different colors. The researchers chose hamsters because they are nocturnal, which means they sleep during the day and are active at night.

The animals were separated into four groups. One group of hamsters was kept in the dark during their night-time period. Another group was placed in front of a blue light, a third group slept in front of a white light, while a fourth was put in front of a red light.

After four weeks, the researchers noted how much sugary water the hamsters drank. They found that the most depressed animals drank the least amount of water.

Randy Nelson heads the Department of Neuroscience at Ohio State University. He says animals that slept in blue and white light appeared to be the most depressed. “What we saw is that these animals didn’t show any sleep uneasiness(不安) at all but they did mess up biological clock genes and they did show depressive sign while if they were in the dim(微弱) red light, they did not.”

Randy Nelson notes that photosensitive(感光) cells in the eyes have little to do with eyesight. He says these cells send signals to the area of the brain that controls what has been called the natural sleep-wake cycle.

He says there’s a lot of blue in white light. This explains why the blue light and white light hamsters appear to be more depressed than the hamsters seeing red light or darkness.

1.Researchers use hamsters in the experiment because __________.

A. they are similar to humans in dealing with colors

B. they are easy to observe and study

C. they are sensitive to colors like human beings

D. they are active at night and sleep during the day

2.What sign shows that the hamsters are being depressed?

A. They drink less sugary water.

B. They don’t sleep well.

C. Their eyesight becomes worse.

D. Their energy level becomes low.

3.__________ tends to cause hamsters to be depressed.

A. Dim light     B. Red light

C. Blue light    D. Darkness

4.What can help people who work late at night to avoid being depressed?

A. Not being exposed to dim red light when using computers.

B. Equipping their computer screens to put it more in the reddish light.

C. Living or working in low levels of light overnight.

D. Going to see doctors of clinical depression regularly for help.

Answer

1.D

2.A

3.C

4.B

【解析】

试题分析：文章主要介绍的是一项科学研究。人们在深夜看到的一些颜色能够引起临床沮丧的症状。研究发现，整夜在较暗的环境中生活或工作的人可能会表现出临床沮丧。相关症状包括对活动失去兴趣和乐趣，精神不振和产生死亡或自杀念头等。

1.The researchers chose hamsters because they are nocturnal, which means they sleep during the day and are active at night.”可知，研究人员选用仓鼠的原因是，它们白天睡觉，晚上变得活跃，故选D。

2.They found that the most depressed animals drank the least amount of water.”可知，最沮丧的仓鼠，它们喝的糖水也是最少的，说明仓鼠喝的糖水量能够说明它们的沮丧程度，故选A。

3.He says animals that slept in blue and white light appeared to be the most depressed.”可知，处于蓝光或白光下的仓鼠似乎最沮丧，说明蓝光和白光容易使仓鼠感到沮丧，故选C。

4.while if they were in the dim(微弱) red light, they did not”和最后一段“the blue light and white light hamsters appear to be more depressed than the hamsters seeing red light or darkness”可知，蓝色光和白色光比红色光更能引起沮丧，因此，为了避免感到沮丧，应该让自己处于红色光中，故选B。

考点：科学类短文阅读