Like the rest of us, scientists have long suspected the healing capacity (修复能力) of a good hug. Unlike the rest of us, they’ve gone about trying to prove it.
“Laboratory studies suggest that things like hugs help us feel safer. They can also make us less sensitive to physical pain and less reactive when we’re faced with threatening experiences,” says Michael Murphy. He is a research professor in the department of psychological sciences at Texas Tech University. “This lab work has shown that hugs and other touch behavior are related to stress. The more stress we have, the more our heart rates and blood pressure go up. At this time, hugs and other forms of personal touch may give off all sorts of feel-good chemicals, so that stress can be reduced.”
“There’s a lot that we still need to learn, and there’s a lot we don’t know,” Murphy says. “However, what seems to be rising up is that hugs, as well as other forms of loving and gentle touch, are really powerful. They remind people that they’ re cared about and that they have someone in their corner.”
We expect touch. When we were born, we were placed in our mothers’ arms almost immediately. In that first year of our life, we spend a lot of time being held by other people. And as we grow up, we seek out hugs and touch as a way of connection. I think what we have lost in the past few years are these really easy opportunities to be reminded of connection.”
While he was at Carnegie Mellon, Murphy was the lead author of a hug-centered 2018 article in the scientific journal PLOS One. In a series of interviews with 404 adults over a two-week period, the researchers found that receiving a hug is associated with the attenuation of negative emotions that occur on days with interpersonal conflicts. That is to say, generally, hugs help to reduce the negative impacts that personal conflicts may cause in our daily lives.
1. What can we infer about hugs from the laboratory studies?| A．They show people’s good social relationships. |
| B．They can cure us of our mental disease. |
| C．They can put much pressure on people. |
| D．They make us feel calm and at ease. |
| A．To recall childhood memories. |
| B．To keep connected with others. |
| C．To solve relationship problems. |
| D．To express their social politeness. |
| A．Expression. | B．Influence. |
| C．Suffering. | D．Reduction. |
| A．The Power of Hugs |
| B．How to Reduce Stress |
| C．How to Care for Others |
| D．The Importance of Interpersonal Relations |
相似题推荐
A friend of mine，recently told me that she hadn't spoken to her son in almost three years. She said that she and her son had had a disagreement about his wife and that she wouldn't speak to him again unless he called first. When I suggested that she be the one to reach out，she said，“ I can't do that. He’s the one who should apologize. ” After a little gentle encouragement，however，she did decide to be the first one to reach out. To her amazement，her son was grateful for her willingness to call and offered an apology of his own. As is usually the case，when someone takes the chance and reaches out，everyone wins.
Whenever we hold on to our anger, we turn“ small stuff”问题）”into really“ big stuff” in our minds. We start to believe that our positions are more important than our happiness. They are not. If you want to be a more peaceful person you must understand that being right is almost never more important than allowing yourself to be happy. The way to be happy is to let go，and reach out. Let other people be right. This doesn't mean that you're wrong. Everything will be fine. You'll experience the peace of letting go，as well as the joy of letting others be right.
You'11 also notice that，as you reach out and let others be “right”，they will become less defensive and more loving toward you. They might even reach back. But，if for some reason they don't， that's okay too. You '11 have the inner satisfaction of knowing that you have done your part to create a more loving world，and certainly you'11 be more peaceful yourself.
1. The underlined word “ rekindle” in Paragraph 1 probably means “ ”.
| A．recover | B．develop |
| C．accept | D．replace |
| A．we can turn small issues into big ones |
| B．our positions are higher than others |
| C．our own opinions matter most |
| D．others will be less defensive |
| A．let go of our own rights |
| B．realize that you are wrong. |
| C．expect others to give in |
| D．apologize to others first. |
| A．People should keep peaceful when facing small stuff. |
| B．Reaching out and apologizing wins one peace and happiness. |
| C．We should tell apart small and big stuff in our daily life. |
| D．It's necessary to enjoy our friendship and family relationship. |
【推荐2】Security guard, truck driver, salesperson—year after year, these jobs appear on lists of the unhappiest careers. Although many factors can make a job unhappy, unusual hours, low pay, nochance for advancement — these three gigs stand out for another reason: a lack of small talk.
Psychologists have long said that connecting with others is central to well-being, but just how much conversation we require is under investigation. In one study, researchers eavesdropped(窃听) on undergraduates for four days, then cataloged each overheard conversation as either small talk (What do you have there? Popcorn?(Yummy!) or serious (So did they get divorced soon after?). They found that the second type related with happiness—the happiest students had roughly twice as many serious talks as the unhappiest ones. Small talk, meanwhile, made up only 10 percent of their conversation, versus almost 30 percent of conversation among the least content students.
However, don't just consider chat worthless yet. Scientists believe that small talk could promote linking. Chatting with strangers could brighten your morning. In a series of experiments, psychologists gave Chicago travelers varying directions about whether to talk with fellow train passengers something they typically avoided. Those told to chat with others reported a more pleasant journey than those told to enjoy your being alone or to do whatever they normally would. None of the chatters reported being rejected. And the results held for introverts(内向者) and extroverts(外向者) alike which makes sense, since acting extroverted has a positive effect on introverts.
Small talk can also help us feel connected to our surroundings. People who smiled at, made eye contact with, and briefly spoke with their Starbucks reported a greater sense of belonging than those who rushed through the business. Similarly, one not yet published paper found that when volunteers broke the silence of the Tate Modern to chat with gallery goers, the visitors felt happier and more connected to the exhibit than those who were not approached.
So go ahead, pry. Chitchat needn’t be idle. And nosiness isn’t all bad.
1. The author attributes the unhappiness felt by security guards, truck drivers and sales people to ________.| A．unusual hours and low pay |
| B．a lack of small talk |
| C．no chance for advancement |
| D．an absence of serious conversation |
| A．Connecting with others is central to our well-being. |
| B．We require 30 minutes of conversation every day to be happy. |
| C．Serious conversation is linked to happiness. |
| D．Small talk cannot help make us feel happy. |
| A．connecting with others is key to our happiness |
| B．unserious conversation could promote bonding |
| C．small talk can help us feel connected to our surroundings |
| D．smiling can help people gain a great sense of belonging |
A．.  | B． | C． | D． |
【推荐3】As workers return to the office, friends meet up and religious services move from online to in person, people are wondering whether they should shake hands or not.
When the COVID-19 pandemic first began, an event planning business in Kansas City began selling “I Shake Hands” stickers(标签). The words were meant to make social situations easier.
“We didn’t want the sticker to say ‘We Don’t Shake Hands’ because that is kind of off-putting(令人气恼的),” said John DeLeon, vice president of operations. DeLeon added that those who did not want to shake hands with others could simply choose not to wear a sticker.
The handshake has been around for centuries. A widely held belief is that it started as a way to show that a person was offering peace and not holding a hidden weapon. But hands have germs(细菌).
Dr. Anthony Fauci is America’s leading infectious disease expert. Last year, he warned, “I don’t think we should ever shake hands again, to be honest with you.”
Dr. Amesh Adalja, another infectious disease expert, does not agree. He thinks people are overthinking the question of whether to shake hands or not. The answer, he says, is simple.
“If you are worried about COVID-l9, the best way to make handshakes safe is to be fully vaccinated (接种疫苗),” Dr. Adalja said.
Diane Gottsman is a national etiquette expert. Etiquette means the rules that make up the correct way to behave in society. Gottsman does not think the handshake will go away because of the pandemic. But she said people should take things slowly. “Don’t be the first to extend your hand, even if you are comfortable,” Gottsman said.
Business Law Southwest advises businesses in New Mexico, Arizona and Texas. At the beginning of the pandemic, it offered to help create new workplace rules—such as a no-handshake policy. But there was not enough interest, said Kristy Donahue, a company spokeswoman. “At the end of the day,” Donahue said, “people long for human interaction and human touch.”
1. What did John DeLeon think of “We Don’t Shake Hands” sticker?| A．It’s funny. | B．It’s important. |
| C．It’s acceptable. | D．It’s unnecessary. |
| A．John DeLeon. | B．Anthony Fauci. |
| C．Amesh Adalja. | D．Diane Gottsman. |
| A．It was widely adopted. | B．It was not well received. |
| C．It was supported by Kristy Donahue. | D．It was put forward by Diane Gottsman. |
| A．Shaking Hands—A Thing of the Past. | B．Shaking Hands—Old Habits Die Hard. |
| C．To Shake Hands or Not to Shake Hands? | D．Why Is It Difficult to Give up Handshaking? |
【推荐1】A growing body of research is revealing associations between birth defects (缺陷) and a father's age, alcohol use and environmental factors, say researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center. They say these defects result from epigenetic changes that can potentially affect multiple generations.
The study, published in the American Journal of Stem Cells, suggest both parents contribute to the health status of their offspring — a common sense conclusion which science is only now beginning to demonstrate, says the study's senior investigator, Joanna Kitlinska, PhD, an associate professor in biochemistry, and molecular and cellular biology.
“We know the nutritional, hormonal and psychological environment provided by the mother permanently influences organ structure, cellular response and gene expression in her offspring,” she says.
“But our study shows the same thing to be true with fathers — his lifestyle, and how old he is, can be reflected in molecules that control gene function,” she says. “In this way, a father can affect not only his immediate offspring, but future generations as well.”
For example, a newborn can be diagnosed with fetal (胎儿的) alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), even though the mother has never consumed alcohol, Kitlinska says. “Up to 75 percent of children with FASD have biological fathers who are alcoholics, suggesting that preconceptual paternal alcohol consumption negatively impacts their offspring.”
Advanced age of a father is correlated with elevated rates of certain diseases, and birth defects in his children. A limited diet during a father’s preadolescence has been linked to reduced risk of cardiovascular death in his children and grandchildren. Paternal obesity is linked to enlarged fat cells, changes in metabolic regulation, diabetes, obesity and development of brain cancer. Psychosocial stress on the father is linked to defective behavioral traits in his offspring. And paternal alcohol use leads to decreased newborn birth weight, marked reduction in overall brain size and impaired cognitive function.
“This new field of inherited paternal epigenetics needs to be organized into clinically applicable recommendations and lifestyle alternations,” Kitlinska says. “And to really understand the epigenetic influences of a child, we need to study the interplay between maternal and paternal effects, as opposed to considering each in isolation.”
1. What’s the message the writer conveys in the passage?| A．Both parents contribute to the health status of their offspring. |
| B．Father’s age and lifestyle are tied to birth defects. |
| C．Father plays a more critical role in birth defects. |
| D．Birth defects can potentially affect multiple generations. |
| A．FASD can only be diagnosed in a newborn whose father is addicted to alcohol. |
| B．A newborn will not contract FASD if his mother has never consumed alcohol. |
| C．A father’s lifestyle can negatively impact his offspring. |
| D．Most children have biological fathers who are alcoholics. |
| A．Having a father with a limited diet. | B．Having a father who is an alcoholic. |
| C．Having an overweight father. | D．Having a father with psychosocial stress. |
| A．The maternal epigenetic influences of a child. |
| B．The ways to avoid negative paternal influence on children. |
| C．The clinical application of the research findings. |
| D．The interaction between maternal and paternal effects. |
【推荐2】Claude Monet spent the winters of 1899, 1900 and 1901 freezing on a balcony of London’s Savoy Hotel, painting a series of famous images of Waterloo Bridge and Charing Cross Bridge.
Now, scientists at Birmingham University have used solar geometry and historical weather data to figure out exactly which balcony Monet was standing on, and what time of day he was likely working.
“We know that Monet, in the mornings, used to work on the sun rising over Waterloo Bridge,” John Thornes says. “By midday, the sun would be shining directly along the Thames, and Monet usually moved on to Charing Cross Bridge, before finishing the day watching the sun set over the Houses of Parliament.”
The sun occupies the same position in the sky today as it did in 1900 and 1901, which helped Thornes figure out the time of day. Monet also included another London landmark, the obelisk (方尖纪念碑) known as Cleopatra’s Needle, in some of his paintings of Charing Cross Bridge. Thornes says that examining the position of the needle relative to the bridge helped him determine that Monet stayed in rooms 610 and 611 at the Savoy during the winter of 1899, and one floor down at 510 and 511 a year later.
“The Savoy Hotel actually advertises theMonet Suite, which they sell to the public,” Thornes says. “And they in fact use the suite farther down from where Monet actually was.”
But the hotel is upgrading, and when it reopens, it will have the correct rooms as the Monet Suite —thanks in part to his research.
Monet’s images of London aren’t just great art. Thornes says they also provide an accurate record of the city’s fogs, which were common in the days before clean-air law was passed in the 1950s.
“That’s one of the things we’re very interested in,” he says, “Maybe, the visibility (能见度) in Monet’s painting will help me to study how the air quality has improved since those days.”
1. What has helped the researchers to determine Monet’s rooms?| A．The hotel’s historical documents. | B．The weather records about London. |
| C．The signatures in some of the paintings. | D．The visibility in Claude Monet’s paintings. |
| A．Waterloo Bridge. | B．Cleopatra’s Needle. |
| C．Charing Cross Bridge. | D．the Houses of Parliament. |
| A．It is open for the public now. |
| B．Claude Monet didn’t stay in it. |
| C．It consists of more than four rooms. |
| D．It should be on the sixth or fifth floor. |
| A．To help the Savoy Hotel redesign the Monet Suite. |
| B．To study the effects of the clean-air law passed in the 1950s. |
| C．To find out when and where Claude Monet worked on some of his paintings. |
| D．To analyze if Claude Monet honestly recorded the air quality in London. |
【推荐3】Dolphins, African gray parrots and some other animals also understand the idea of “zero”, but researchers were surprised to find that honeybees also comprehend this concept, considering the insects’ tiny brains, according to a new study. Honeybees have fewer than 1 million neurons (神经元), compared with the 86 billion neurons in humans—and yet, they grasp a concept that humans, by some measures, don’t start to understand before preschool.
The researchers set up two cards, each of which had a set of symbols on them, like triangles or circles. Then, they trained a group of bees to fly to the card with the lower number of symbols. The bees quickly learned what the humans wanted them to do to get their delicious, sweet rewards. The trained bees were then shown a card that was empty and one that had symbols on it. There was no need for the bees to be trained to fly more often to the empty card —thus showing that they understood that “zero” was a number less than the others.
Although they flew more often to an empty card than to one that had one symbol on it, it became easier for them to distinguish when the symbols on the card increased in number. For example, they more often flew to the empty card when the other card had four symbols than when it had one.
Perhaps these findings will explain the brain mechanism (运行机制) behind what allows us to understand the concept of “nothing”, Adrian Dyer, a researcher said. This understanding, in turn, could help in the development of artificial intelligence (AI) that also understands this concept. “If bees can understand zero with a brain of less than a million neurons, it suggests there are simple, efficient ways to teach AI new tricks,” Dyer said in the statement.
1. What is it that shocked the researchers?| A．Bees can understand zero with tiny brains. |
| B．Many animals also understand the idea of zero. |
| C．Humans can’t understand zero before preschool. |
| D．Humans are the only species to know about “nothing”. |
| A．Fly more often to the card with more symbols on it. |
| B．Fly more often to the card with fewer symbols on it. |
| C．Fly more often to the card without any symbol on it. |
| D．Fly more often to the card with tiny symbols on it. |
| A．With 2 symbols. | B．With 4 symbols. |
| C．With 6 symbols. | D．With 8 symbols. |
| A．To explain how the brain works. |
| B．To understand abstract concepts. |
| C．To gain new skills with simpler ways. |
| D．To express complex emotions with simple words. |
【推荐1】There are hundreds of bacterial(细菌的)species in our stomach. Bacterial diversity is a good thing, a general contributor to and marker of good health. But what does a healthy stomach look like? Studies indicate that the composition varies by many factors.
One of the most important, it turns out, is who you currently live with. Researchers have come to the conclusion: Diet and heritability(遗传力) are known to affect the microbiome(微生物组), but social relationships shape it most—especially when it comes to marriage. The Dutch Project, which studied microbes in 8, 208 individuals belonging to three generations, finds that the heritability of microbes is only 1. 9 percent. They noticed much greater similarity among the unrelated individuals sharing a household than among relatives who do not share households, including twins whose living situations differ in adulthood.
The researchers found that nearly 50 percent of microbial types were significantly affected by cohabitation. In general, the microbiomes of all types of cohabitors (including parents and children) were more similar than those of participants living separately no matter their relatedness. Married couples who report having a close, loving relationship have the most similarity. Evidence of microbial sharing, especially of rare species, shows exchanges through interactions. And that puts highlight on acts of close relationship—including kissing. Scientists have known for decades that social relationships, especially marriage, powerfully affect health. Not only are the microbiomes of cohabiting couples more similar to each other; they also are more similarly diverse. There is a greater richness of species than in unmarried, noncohabiting individuals.
Despite the dominating influence of a close, cohabiting relationship, the microbiome can be different in diet, especially one rich in plant fiber. It can also be influenced by behavior, such as farming and gardening and exercise. Moreover, it’s adaptable to environment—green space and pollutants around you. Living in a rural environment brings increases in bacteria linked to health, and decreases in bacteria that are harmful. Living with pets also has a positive effect on the microbiome, while exposure to air pollution, especially car exhaust, and passive exposure to cigarette smoke have negative effects.
It can also be affected by direct addition of specific species of bacteria, delivered in consumable probiotics(口服益生菌). There are probiotics now marketed for digestive health, others aimed at immune health, and still others for boosting mood. Now that it’s clear that social relations play the largest role in the makeup of the microbiome, can probiotics for singles be far behind?
1. Which group has the most similar microbiomes?| A．Husband and wife. | B．Adult twins. |
| C．Grandfather and grandson. | D．Colleagues. |
| A．Diet has a dominating influence on microbiomes. |
| B．Cohabitation is helpful for us to have a balanced diet. |
| C．Social relations play a similar role as some probiotics. |
| D．The microbiomes in couples are less diverse than singles. |
| A．Who Are the Healthiest People? | B．How Does Social Life Affect Our Health? |
| C．What Will a Healthy Stomach Look Like? | D．How Do Microbiomes Work in Our Body? |
【推荐2】For many years people in Estonia have been leaving their rubbish in the forests. Rainer Nolvak, a businessman and his friends wanted to clean up all the rubbish in Estonia. The rubbish was not just an environmental problem. It was a problem of people’s attitudes. Rainer Nolvak got together with a team of 20 friends and they began to make a plan about how to clean up the rubbish. Soon, over 600 people joined in the group.
They named the project Let’s Do It! Estonia. The Ministry of the environment gave them some support. Many other companies joined in the group. Famous actors and singers also took part. Even the President of Estonia joined in. They sent information about Let’s Do It! Estonia throughout the country.
Technology experts developed a special computer program. Team members went into the forests to find where the rubbish was. They used their mobile phones to mark every place where they found rubbish and send the information to the computer program. Then, the marked rubbish places appeared on the map. Anyone could go on the Internet and see the map.
The team found a surprising result. There were over 10,000 tons of waste in the forests of Estonia. When people saw how much waste was around their own homes, they were shocked. Thousands of people began to help. The team chose May 3, 2008 as the day to clean up the rubbish. On May 3, more than 50,000 people helped to get rid of the rubbish.They moved over 10,000 tons of rubbish in only one day!
This was amazing for the environment in Estonia. But it was also an important step for Estonian society. Rainer Nolvak gave a speech at a conference in the Balkans. He said, “The most important thing we did was to build a team. It changed every one of us. We had to connect to people. We had to see that the rubbish was our problem. At times we are afraid of sharing. When we are together and there are many of us, we are not afraid.”
1. The Project Let’s Do It! Estonia（爱沙尼亚） is to ________.| A．prevent people leaving their rubbish anywhere |
| B．make Estonia a clean place |
| C．change people’ s attitudes towards the environment |
| D．make plans for businessmen |
| A．the special computer program |
| B．how the team found the rubbish |
| C．phones’ important part in marking |
| D．how the rubbish was shown on the Internet |
| A．find out | B．make use of | C．clean up | D．throw away |
| A．It was less successful than expected. |
| B．It got great support from all over the country. |
| C．It got money from famous actors and singers. |
| D．It was set up by the Ministry of the Environment. |
| A．all difficulties are paper tigers |
| B．people should help each other |
| C．there is strength in numbers |
| D．well begun is half done |
【推荐3】English nowadays is widely used in science, business, the media and popular culture. Every time we turn on the news to see what’s going on in East Asia, or Africa, or South America, or elsewhere, local people are being interviewed and telling us about it in English.
Indeed, if one looks at the facts about the amazing reach of the English language, he or she would be surprised. English is used in over 90 countries as an official or semi-official language. English is the working language of many international colleges as well as of most international research scientists. It is believed that over one billion people worldwide are learning English now.
One of the most remarkable sides of the spread of English around the world has been the extent (程度) to which Europeans are accepting it as their language. English is spreading from northern Europe to the south and is now firmly set up as a second language in countries such as Sweden, Norway, Netherlands and Denmark. If one visits any of them, it would seem that almost everyone there can communicate with ease in English.
Recently, a special survey of Europeans’ use of languages has just been published. The report said that English is the most widely known foreign language now, with 43% of Europeans saying they speak it and that Sweden now holds the most of English speakers, with over 89% of the population. What’s more, English is the language rated as the most useful language to know, with over 77% of Europeans who do not speak English as their first language considering it useful.
English has without doubt become the global language.
1. The best title for this passage is “_______”.A．An official language  | B．Global language |
| C．English in Europe | D．A special survey |
| A．English is the first language in Denmark. |
| B．All African people can speak English. |
| C．English is the main working language in the world. |
| D．About 77% of Swedes are English speakers now. |
| A．admitted | B．disagreed |
| C．considered | D．discussed |
| A．half of the people in Europe speak English |
| B．English is the most useful language in Europe |
| C．English is widely used in the world |
| D．English is a well-known foreign language |
