Question

    Of all the components of a good night's sleep, dreams seem to be least within our control. In dreams, a window opens into a world where logic is suspended and dead people speak. A century ago, Freud formulated his revolutionary theory that dreams were the disguised shadows of our unconscious desires and fears; by the late 1970s, neurologists had switched to thinking of them as just ''mental noise''-the random byproducts of the neural-repair work that goes on during sleep. Now researchers suspect that dreams are part of the mind's emotional thermostat(恒温器), regulating moods while the brain is ''off-line''. And one leading authority says that these intensely powerful mental events can be not only harnessed but actually brought under conscious control, to help us sleep and feel better, ''It's your dream'', says Rosalind Cartwright, chair of psychology at Chicago's Medical Center, ''If you don't like it, change it''.

Evidence from brain imaging supports this view. The brain is as active during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep-when most vivid dreams occur-as it is when fully awake, says Dr. Eric Nofzinger at the University of Pittsburgh. But not all parts of the brain are equally involved; the limbic system (the ''emotional brain'') is especially active, while the prefrontal cortex (the center of intellect and reasoning) is relatively quiet. ''We wake up from dreams happy or depressed, and those feelings can stay with us all day'', says Stanford sleep researcher Dr. William Dement.

The link between dreams and emotions shows up among the patients in Cartwright's clinic. Most people seem to have more bad dreams early in the night, progressing toward happier ones before awakening, suggesting that they are working through negative feelings generated during the day. Because our conscious mind is occupied with daily life we don't always think about the emotional significance of the day's events-until, it appears, we begin to dream.

And this process need not be left to the unconscious. Cartwright believes one can exercise conscious control over recurring bad dreams. As soon as you awaken, identify what is upsetting about the dream. Visualize how you would like it to end instead; the next time occurs, try to wake up just enough to control its course. With much practice people can learn to, literally, do it in their sleep.

At the end of the day, there’s probably little reason to pay attention to our dreams at all unless they keep us from sleeping of ''we wake up in a panic'', Cartwright says. Terrorism, economic uncertainties and general feelings of insecurity have increased people’s anxiety. Those suffering from persistent nightmares should seek help from a therapist. For the rest of us, the brain has its ways of working through bad feelings. Sleep-or rather dream-on it and you'll feel better in the morning.

1.Researchers have come to believe that dreams__________.

A.reflect our innermost desires and fears B.are a random outcome of neural repairs

C.can be modified in their courses D.are vulnerable to emotional changes

2.By referring to the limbic system, the author intends to show __________.

A.its difference from the prefrontal cortex B.its function in our dreams

C.the mechanism of REM sleep D.the relation of dreams to emotions

3.The negative feelings generated during the day tend to __________.

A.emerge in dreams early at night B.develop into happy dreams

C.worsen in our unconscious mind D.persist till the time we fall asleep

4.Cartwright seems to suggest that __________.

A.dreams should be left to their natural progression

B.dreaming may not entirely belong to the unconscious

C.visualizing bad dreams helps bring them under control

D.waking up in time is essential to the ridding of bad dreams

Answer

1.C

2.D

3.A

4.B

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。文章主要讲述了梦和情绪的关系，强调梦是可以控制和改变的，并非完全出于无意识。

1.细节理解题。根据一二段的''If you don't like it, change it''. Evidence from brain imaging supports this view.(如果你不喜欢它，就改变它。来自大脑成像的证据支持这一观点)可知，研究人员相信，梦是可以被改变的。C. can be modified in their courses(梦在它们的进程中是可以被改变的)符合以上说法，故选C项。

2.推理判断题。根据第二段的the limbic system (the ''emotional brain'') is especially active, while the prefrontal cortex (the center of intellect and reasoning) is relatively quiet. ''We wake up from dreams happy or depressed, and those feelings can stay with us all day'', says Stanford sleep researcher Dr. William Dement.(边缘系统“情感大脑”特别活跃，而前额叶皮层相对安静。我们从快乐或沮丧的梦醒过来，这样的情绪会整天伴随着我们)和第三段的The link between dreams and emotions shows up among the patients in Cartwright's clinic.(梦和情绪之间的联系在Cartwright诊所的病人之间表现出来了)可推测，作者列举limbic system 的目的是为了证明梦和情绪的关系。D. the relation of dreams to emotions(梦和情绪的关系)符合以上说法，故选D项。

3.细节理解题。根据倒数第三段的Most people seem to have more bad dreams early in the night, progressing toward happier ones before awakening, suggesting that they are working through negative feelings generated during the day.(大多人似乎在夜晚的早些时候会做更多的噩梦，在醒来之前会逐渐做一些更快乐的梦，这表明他们现在白天产生的消极情绪在起作用。)可知，白天产生的消极情绪容易造成夜晚早些时候的噩梦。A. emerge in dreams early at night(出现在夜晚早些时候的梦里)符合以上说法，故选A项。

4.细节理解题。根据倒数第二段的And this process need not be left to the unconscious. Cartwright believes one can exercise conscious control over recurring bad dreams.(这个过程不需要留给无意识。卡特奈特认为，人可以有意识地控制反复出现的噩梦)可知，卡特纳特认为梦并非完全属于无意识。B. dreaming may not entirely belong to the unconscious(梦可能并非完全属于无意识)符合以上说法，故选B项。