Can' t you stand the sound of heavy breathing or sipping soup? Does the sound of someone chewing gum next to you make your blood boil? You are not alone, but you are not going crazy-there’s a really scientific reason why.
If you shrink back when someone twists their knuckles(指关节), you might want to get checked out for misophonia, a brain abnormality that creates “a hatred of sounds such as eating, chewing, loud breathing, or even pen-clicking,” TIME reports. Actually, it’s just one of the strange habits that prove you’re smarter than everyone else. Although researchers first coined the term misophonia in 2001, doubt has been thrown on it by the medical community. But thanks to recent research, it can be safely drawn that everyday noises can ruin people’s lives. A team at Newcastle University in the U. K. examined MRI brain scans(核磁共振脑扫描) of those with and without misophonia while playing a range of sounds. The sounds were either neutral (like rain or water boiling), unpleasant (a baby crying or a person screaming), or trigger sounds (the sounds of breathing or eating).
The researchers noted significant changes in misophonia sufferers’ brain activity when they heard a “trig- ger sound.” Turns out those with misophonia have a developmental difference in their brains frontal lobe(额叶) that causes their brains to react harshly to those triggers. It also causes them to sweat and their heart rates to increase.
“For many people with misophonia, this will come as welcome news as for the first time we have shown a difference in brain structure and function in sufferers.” said Dr Sukhbinder Kumar. “This study shows the critical brain changes as further evidence to convince a skeptical medical community that this is a real disorder.”
1.What is the best title for the text?
A.Keep off such sounds around you B.Troubled by the sound of chewing
C.Can we make use of these sounds D.Never be afraid of such noise again
2.What can be inferred from the second paragraph?
A.Misophonia can be a sign of intelligence.
B.Misophonia is actually a physical disability.
C.The term misophonia has been widely accepted.
D.Noise pollution has ruined many lives until now.
3.What does Kumar think of the research?
A.Cold. B.Favorable.
C.Doubtful. D.Neutral.
4.Where is the text most probably taken from?
A.A guidebook. B.A review.
C.A magazine. D.An interview.
You can take fish oil. You can invest in a language class. or some hours of exercise every week. There are countless ways to improve your memory and cognitive functioning(认知功能). You know, the brain-training industry is expected to reach $ 8 billion by 2022. But the cheapest, easiest and most time-tested way to sharpen your brain is right in front of your face. That's why moms are always on their kids' cases to turn off the TV and pick up a good book. But there's something astonishing about how it can make it.
The most basic effect occurs in the area associated with language reception. Processing written material - from the letters to the words to the sentences to the stories themselves - takes your attention to interpret the information. Typically, when you read, you have more time to think, judge and even criticize. And the very nature of such an ordinary activity encourages the brain to work harder and better, deepening your understanding of your course and your future career.
And the benefits of reading continue long after you've put down that great book. It is clarified that some of those benefits last for five days. We call that a shadow activity, almost like a muscle memory - that means, even if you are a retired sportsman now, some skills can still be stored in your memory. That means the language part of the brain would get a workout from reading.
What if you are a poor, or even a dyslexic, reader who feels as if you’ll never be able to read enough to get these benefits? A book can fix that problem too! According to a study, one hundred hours of remedial(补救的) reading classes significantly improved the quality of the brains' white matter. where information is processed. So turn off your phone and your computer, set aside a good hour or two - and just read on a regular basis.
1.The text is mainly written to
A.show the power of knowledge B.persuade people to read regularly
C.clarify the benefits of good books D.introduce how to improve memory
2.What does the underlined “such an ordinary activity” in Paragraph 2 refer to?
A.Judging. B.Thinking. C.Learning. D.Reading.
3.What does the third paragraph suggest?
A.Reading has a long-time influence. B.Books are needed if you want to graduate.
C.The retired sportsmen have good memories. D.Reading a lot is beneficial to one' s muscles.
4.For whom is the text mainly intended?
A.Parents. B.Office workers.
C.College students. D.University graduates.
Smooth balls of ice rolled ashore on a beach in Finland and piled up like a huge bunch of turtles' eggs. But where did these “ice eggs” come from?
Amateur photographer Risto Mattila stumbled upon the strange sight while walking with his wife on Hailuoto Island. The temperature remained around minus 1degree Celsius that day, he said, and the wind blew quickly across the beach. “There we found this amazing phenomenon. There was snow and ice eggs along the beach near the water line”.
The “ice eggs” littered an area the length of about one-quarter of a football field and ranged in size from that of an average chicken egg to that of a powerful soccer ball. Mattila took a photo, noting that he had “never seen anything like this during 25 years around here.” Others came upon the ice eggs, too. “I've never seen this before. The whole beach was almost full of these ice balls,” said Tarja Terentjeff, who lives in the nearby town of Oulu. Another local, Sirpa Tero, told CNN she’d seen snowballs line the shoreline before, but not over such a large area.
“Although it happens once in a blue moon, these ice eggs form similarly to sea glass or rounded stones that wash up on the beach.” said BBC Weather expert George Goodfellow. Chunks(块) of ice break off from larger ice sheets in the sea and either slide to shore on the incoming tide or get pushed in by strong spells of wind at the water' s surface, he explained. Waves buffet(冲击) the ice chunks as they travel, slowly eroding their rough edges into smooth curves. Seawater sticks and freezes to the forming eggs, causing them to grow like snowballs do as they roll across the ground, leaving behind nothing but smooth and shiny “eggs” for curious tourists to happen upon.
1.The underlined phrase “stumbled upon” in Paragraph 2 can be best replaced by_ _
A.pulled through B.survived from
C.ran across D.took notes of
2.What can we know from Paragraph 3?
A.It was a very unusual phenomenon. B.Ice eggs gathered in a football field.
C.Only a quarter of the area was stricken. D.The beach was completely ice-covered.
3.According to Goodfellow, how did the “ice eggs” come into being?
A.By means of sea water buffeting the wood chunks.
B.On the basis of the strong force of the cold wind.
C.By way of the special location and cold weather.
D.Through a rare combination of weather and waves.
4.What does the text mainly talk about?
A.An extraordinary trip of “ice eggs”. B.The power of wind and seawater.
C.A strange weather-based occurrence. D.How snowball affected the shoreline.
Escaping the stress of work and social worries and finding yourself in a winter wonderland is a magical feeling. Try to make any of these destinations your target and you'll be happy that you did!
l. Harbin city, China
Come and enjoy one of the most memorable Ice and Snow Festival during winter. Harbin City's snow festival draws a huge crowd because tourists want to feast their eyes of the well-known splendid ice structures.
These structures are the biggest ice structures you will find nowhere in the world and they get more beautiful at night when they are lighted up by diverse colored lights. Plus, you can go ice-skating under the beautiful Chinese lights.
2. Ohrid, Macedonia
Ohrid might be everyone's summer fantasy for sunbathing and swimming but have you thought about the picturesque view of its location in the winter? This peaceful little lakeside town looks charming with snow-covered cobblestones on the narrow walks. There is nothing as good as finding a Macedonian breakfast with some strong local coffee.
3. Svalbard, Norway
Polar bears love this location probably because of its arctic qualities. Here you can find wildlife and several ancient mining towns which collectively make the group of neighboring islands a beautiful sight. However, in winter, a beauty of nature described as the Polar Night takes place here, making it the most-favored destination worldwide. The sun doesn't set and leaves a blue twilight in the sky, coloring the nearby snow-capped mountains.
4. Richmond Park, UK
The Richmond Park is one of the prides on Londoners. In winter, you can see tens of wild deer all over the woody park, either wandering or eating grass at ease. The pouring ice draws visitors who are keen hikers or just want to enjoy a nice winter time doing snowball fight, flying in the sled.
1.In which place can tourists see the world' s biggest ice structures?
A.Harbin. B.Ohrid.
C.Svalbard. D.Richmond Park.
2.What attracts tourists most to visit Svalbard?
A.Polar bears. B.Ancient mines.
C.Arctic wildlife. D.Polar Night.
3.What do the four places have in common?
A.They are all intended for foreigners. B.They all serve as winter destinations.
C.They all offer summertime activities. D.They all have snow-related exhibitions.
单句改错
1.The big sculpture measure about 12 feet by 36 feet.
2.We should have respect to the elderly.
3.Everyone needs a hand when facing with challenges.
4.It’s easy for you to advices, but difficult to take advices from others.
5.He felt lonely after he bury his good friend.
6.In summer it is much hot in Wuhan than in Beijing.
7.It is uncertain what side affect the medicine will bring about.
8.How many buildings have been destroyed when the hurricane ended?
9.I can’t help but to feel concerned.
10.“To have caught in a sandstorm was a terrible experience,” he said.
We can never forget the days we worked together and the days________ we spent together.
A.when; which B.which; when
C.what; that D.on which; when
