In our daily life, anxiety, curiosity and jealousy are often applied to describe emotions in different situations. But what do these have in common? The common theme is this: they are a state of feeling that results in physical and psychological changes that influence our behavior. Besides adding variety or “color” to our lives, emotions help us respond to important situations and communicate our thoughts to others. In the meanwhile, emotion is also linked to behavior. Some people are more likely to be social and express their emotions, while others are more likely to hide their emotions in public.
What happens when we experience emotions? In brief, emotional responses have four parts: a physical response, an interpretation (演绎) in the mind, feelings, and an effect on behavior. These do not happen in any special order—they happen at the same time and affect each other. Now we will show this process with the most carefully studied of all emotions: fear.
To understand the physical response, imagine you are frightened by an aggressive noisy dog. Your brain sends messages throughout your body by releasing a chemical called adrenaline (肾上腺素), which the body carries to other parts of the body. Then, the bodily reactions begin. Blood flows from your stomach. The blood flow in the face decreases, which makes you become whiter.
The second aspect is interpretation in the mind of events and feelings. This is both conscious and unconscious. In fact, the more you think about the dog, the more frightened you become. Thinking like this sends both your feelings and your physical response to new heights.
The “feeling” aspect of emotion comes from two sources. In one, the brain senses the body’s reaction. The other comes from memories of your body’s reactions in similar situations in the past.
Finally, emotions can also affect behavior. In response to the aggressive dog, this could be the so-called “fight-or-flight” response which appears to be part of our biology. In this, the person either becomes more aggressive or runs away.
8. What can we know about emotions according to the passage?
A.Emotions can take control of different situations in our lives. |
B.Emotions have a close connection with our behavior. |
C.Emotions must do more than just add thoughts to our lives. |
D.Emotions enrich people’s life and make it more challenging. |
9. Why does the writer mention the emotion fear?
A.To explain how carefully fear is studied. |
B.To prove the four parts happen in the fixed order. |
C.To show how the four parts function together. |
D.To suggest that fear is an extreme emotion. |
10. According to the passage, which can best describe a person’s response before a frightening dog?
A.Facial blood flow becomes faster. | B.He becomes totally unconscious. |
C.His past memories affect him. | D.He becomes aggressive at once. |
11. What is the passage mainly about?
A.Emotions and what happens when we experience them. |
B.Emotions and purposes of emotional responses. |
C.Emotions and how they influence our behavior. |
D.Emotions and emotional responses caused by fear. |