Can we forget bad memories? Someone might tell you that time is the only “cure”. But this might be not true.
Researchers at Canada’s McGill University have tested a pill that can help you erase bad memories. They tested it on 60 people and found it to be successful.
All 60 people had experienced painful romantic relationships and wanted to forget them. In the study, they were asked to write about these bad memories. Then, they took a pill that is usually used to treat high blood pressure. They then recalled their bad memories by reading what they wrote earlier. In the end, they talked about their feelings, saying that they were finally able to forget their bad experiences.
Dr Alain Brunet, who led the study, believes that the pill can ease the pain that bad memories bring. People can take it after bad things happen to them.
How did the pill do this? In fact, your memories change all the time. They’re like text files (文件) on your computer. Every time you recall and “open” the files, you might happen to make some changes and “save” them. Researchers believe that the pill can stop proteins (蛋白质) in the brain from “re-saving” these memories. This means some details of the memory are lost.
However, there are some ethical (伦理的) worries about this treatment. Some people might use it to forget things that they should be learning from, such as when they committed (犯) a crime. People are discussing which kinds of memories should be forgotten with this pill.
1. The study found that the pill can help people ________.| A．recall happy memories | B．remember things more easily |
| C．forget bad experiences | D．control their blood pressure |
| A．have painful experiences | B．write down their bad memories |
| C．have high blood pressure | D．recall what they wrote down before |
| A．拯救 | B．保存 | C．节省 | D．储蓄 |
| A．how our memories change over time | B．how the research group created the pill |
| C．how the pill helps us forget bad memories | D．how the pill stops bad things from happening |
| A．The writer doesn’t think the pill is good. | B．The pill might come with some problems. |
| C．Many people want to forget bad memories. | D．The pill can stop criminals from committing crimes. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Hobbies are a good way to enjoy yourself. But if you don’t have a lot of free time, it can be not easy to find one that fits your tastes and fits into your busy life. Of course, readers ask why they should take up a hobby at all.
One way to find the right hobby is to think about what you enjoyed when you were a young child.
Something to keep in mind is that an activity may not interest you after you’ve tried it.
根据短文内容，从下面五个选项中选出能填入文中空缺处的最佳选项，使文章意思通顺，内容完整。
| A．Do you regret (后悔) giving up those music lessons when you were ten? |
| B．Only then is the time to pay for the full course. |
| C．Lots of people give up hobbies within a few months of starting them. |
| D．If you are interested when a classmate talks about her arts class, ask if you can join her. |
| E．After a busy day at school, all they want to do is to sit in front of the TV or to go online. |
Does this situation seem familiar to you? Your English is progressing well, the grammar is now familiar, the reading comprehension is no problem, and you are speaking quite fluently.
First of all, remember that you are not alone. Listening is probably the most difficult job for almost all learners of English as a foreign language.
Once you have begun to listen on a regular basis, you might still be frustrated (受阻) by limited understanding.
Here is some of the advice I give my students:
• Accept the fact that you are not going to understand everything.
• Stay relaxed when you do not understand, and try listening to the material for more times.
• Do not translate everything into your native language.
•
• Listen to something you enjoy.
I remember the problems I had in understanding spoken German when I first went to Germany. In the beginning, when I didn’t understand a word, I insisted on translating it in my mind.
| A．What should you do? |
| B．But listening is a problem for most of the beginners! |
| C．However, after several weeks, I got used to the grammar rules. |
| D．The most important thing is to listen as often as possible. |
| E．This method usually resulted in confusion. |
| F．Listen for the general idea of the conversation. |
| G．But you can’t follow a native English speaker at all! |
【推荐3】If you want to be a better reader, what should you know about the speed of reading? Some people read very quickly, while others read very slowly. But which one is better? The quick reader may be a good reader when he reads a story—book for fun. But he may not be able to slow down to read instructions (说明书) carefully. The slow reader may be a good reader. But he may spend too much time reading a story for fun. So the reader who reads everything quickly or the one who reads everything slowly isn’t really a good reader. Here are four things to remember about the speed of reading.
Knowing why you are reading will help you to know whether to read quickly or slowly.
Some things should be read slowly throughout. Examples are instructions for making or doing something. Math books, science books and story books are full of important information. You must read these things slowly to understand and remember every important idea.
Some things should be read quickly throughout. Examples are stories for enjoyment, letters from friends, and some news from newspapers.
In some of your reading, you must change your speed.You will need to read some pages quickly and then slow down and do more careful reading when you come to important ideas.
1. Which of the following is TRUE?| A．Reading instructions must be careful. |
| B．A slow reader is a good reader. |
| C．You must not change your speed. |
| D．Reading everything quickly is a good reader. |
| A．穿过 | B．开始 | C．结束 | D．始终 |
| A．Letters from friends. |
| B．Important information from storybooks. |
| C．News from newspapers. |
| D．Picture books for fun. |
| A．read it at any speed you like | B．read it slowly for important ideas |
| C．change your speed from time to time | D．read it quickly for enjoyment |
| A．How to Read Quickly? | B．Reading Slowly Is Better. |
| C．How to Be a Good Reader? | D．Reading Is a Good Hobby. |
Most children are taught the virtue (美德) of honesty from stories. The well-known story of Pinocchio teaches the importance of telling the truth. Every time Pinocchio lies, his nose grows longer and longer. Another story is about the boy who “cried wolf.”In the end, he loses all his sheep and the trust of his fellow villagers because he tells lies many times. These types of stories show children that “honesty is the best policy (为人之道).” Still, if this is the case, then why do so many people lie? The fact is that people lie for many reasons.
One reason people lie is to minimize (减少) a mistake. While it is true that everyone does something wrong from time to time, some people do not have the courage to admit their errors (错误) because they are afraid they will be blamed (受责备). For example, students might lie to their teachers about unfinished homework. They might say that they left the work at home when, in fact, they did not do the work at all. These students do not want to get in trouble or seem irresponsible, so they make up an excuse—a lie—to save face.
Another reason for lying has to do with self-protection. Parents, particularly those with young children, may teach their children to use this type of “protective” lie in certain circumstances (状况). What should children do if a stranger calls while the parents are out? Many parents teach their children to explain that their mother and father are too busy to come to the phone at that time. In this situation, protective lying can mean greater safety.
People lie for many reasons, both good and bad. Lying to keep the peace or to stay safe can have positive results. However, lying to stay out of trouble can lead to more trouble in the end. Understanding the motives behind the impulse (冲动) to lie might minimize this habit of lying.
1. What does the underlined word “this” refer to in the passage?| A．Honesty is the best policy. |
| B．The well-known story of Pinocchio. |
| C．The story of the boy who “cried wolf'”. |
| A．Because they like making up an excuse. |
| B．Because they have left the homework at home. |
| C．Because they are afraid to be blamed at school. |
A． | B． | C． |
| A．The Types of Lies | B．The Truth behind Lying | C．The Habit of Lying |
The Amazon rainforest is in South America. It covers 5.5 million square kilometers. That’s about half the size of China! The Amazon River runs through the rainforest. It’s the world’s second longest river. The Amazon covers much of Brazil. The green color on the country’s national flag stands for the rainforest.
However, the Amazon rainforest may become grassland in a few years according to a latest study. The Amazon is the world’s biggest rainforest. Climate (气候) change and human activities make it “sick”. The rainforest feels too “tired” to get better. The trees may die and the rainforest may turn into a hot.
The Amazon is one of the world’s wettest places. But since 2005, three droughts have hit the rainforest. They were caused by climate change. The trees don’t have enough water to grow. What’s worse, as the trees become dry.
On top of this, people cut down rainforest trees for wood. They burn the forest to make farmland. They clear trees to find minerals (矿藏). All these activities have caused about 17 percent of the rain forest to disappear.
1. China is nearly twice as large as the Amazon rainforest in size.2. People can see green rainforest on the national flag of Brazil.
3. The latest study shows that the Amazon rainforest will speed up climate change.
4. The trees in the Amazon rainforest become dry because of the lack of rain.
5. There are two main causes for the land loss of the Amazon rainforest.
The temperature in the wetlands is usually neither too high nor too low. There is a lot of rain and sunshine, too. They are really good places for wildlife. Offering food and home for some special kinds of animals and birds is not the only reason why we need to protect wetlands. Wetlands are important because they also prevent flood. But some people want to change the wetlands to make more space for farms and buildings. This means there will be less and less space for wildlife.
Luckily, more and more people are beginning to realize the importance of wetlands and wildlife. Every year, on February 2, people hold many activities to tell more about wetlands.
1. The Chinese Yellow Sea Wetlands are in the of China.
| A．east | B．south | C．west | D．north |
| A．hot | B．pleasant | C．cold | D．dry |
| A．April 22 | B．June 25 | C．February 2 | D．March 22 |
| A．China’s wetlands have all entered the world’s list |
| B．Wetlands—home for wildlife and humans |
| C．Special animals in the Chinese Yellow Sea Wetlands |
| D．Wetlands—valuable resources（珍贵资源）of land on the earth |
【推荐1】When two people meet, there are a lot of ways of greeting. The ways of greeting are not always the same in different countries.
In America, two people usually greet each other with a handshake. It is a way to show respect to the other person. Athletes from opposite teams shake hands before a game for the same reason. However, most Americans don’t shake hands when they meet people they have already known well. When American friends meet each other, they might only wave, or maybe just nod their heads.
In New Zealand, there is a special way of greeting called “Hongi”. In the greeting two people press their noses and foreheads together and close their eyes. This is an old tradition that comes from the Maori who were the first people to live in New Zealand. Even today, many New Zealanders still press their foreheads when they meet.
In Japan, people bow to each other every time they meet. Even family members bow to each other. People decide how low to bow depending on how respected the other person is.
Today, new ways of greeting are created all the time. People can do this with a quick “hi”, a handshake, or even a simple smile. The important thing is that the people they are greeting understand them.
1. How low does one Japanese bow to the other?| A．It depends on how respected the other person is. | B．It depends on how old the other person is. |
| C．It depends on how successful the other person is. | D．It depends on how tall the other person is. |
| A．showing love | B．showing respect | C．thanking each other | D．introducing each other |
| A．it’s impolite to press one’s nose in New Zealand |
| B．Hongi is a kind of traditional food in New Zealand |
| C．the Maori used to be an old village in New Zealand |
| D．Hongi is an old tradition in New Zealand |
| A．Different Ways of Greeting | B．How To Be a Polite Person |
| C．How To Show Respect To Others | D．Ways of Saying Hello in Different Languages |
In Australia, the 18th birthday is a very important event for young Australians because it means they can do almost anything they want. They can vote, learn to drive a car, get married, join the army and even buy their own houses. However, even if they can do all these things, most Australians have to wait until their 21st birthday to really celebrate becoming an adult. This is the traditional adult age not only in Australia, but also in the USA and the UK. It is their first year of true independence (独立). Traditionally, people were given a key to their houses by their parents when they turned 21, meaning they could come and go as they like.
Even though 21 is the traditional adult age in many English-speaking countries, the law nowadays is different in each country. In the UK, you can join the army at 16 and even get married at 16 if your parents allow. Young people in the UK can learn to drive a car at 17 as in Australia, although they have to wait until they are 18 to vote.
In China, there is a different age for each of the stages of becoming an adult. You can vote and learn to drive a car when you are 18, but if you want to get married, women have to wait until they are 20 and men until they are 22. Chinese people celebrate important birthdays every 10 years--so when young people turn 20, they can expect a big party!
No matter what age you are, becoming an adult is really about learning how to be independent and responsible（负责任的）. Once you are finally able to take care of yourself and make your own decisions, then you can say that you are truly all grown-ups.
1. Which of the following are truly adults according to the passage?| A．Independent grown-ups. | B．Married people. |
| C．People who can drive. | D．People in the army. |
| A．17. | B．18. | C．20. | D．21. |
| A．The age people become adults depends on whether they can vote or not. |
| B．The age people become adults depends on their own independence and responsibility. |
| C．The age people become adults depends on if they are eighteen years old. |
| D．The age people become adults depends on when they get the key to their houses. |
| A．Because the law decides it. |
| B．Because they can leave when they want. |
| C．Because they can come home when they want. |
| D．Because it is a tradition. |
| A．They are free to decide when to celebrate their own birthdays. |
| B．They are free to look after themselves well. |
| C．They are free to make their own decisions. |
| D．They are free to make time move faster. |
【推荐3】Come and see the India elephants and the new tigers from America. The bears are waiting to meet you, and the monkeys from China are waiting to throw things to you. The lovely dogs from Australia are waiting to laugh at you. The giraffes from Brazil are waiting to look down on (俯瞰) you.
| Tickets Open time Children: over 12 $ 1.00 Monday-Friday: 9:00a.m-4:00p.m. Under12 Free Saturday-Sunday: 10:00a. m.-5:00p.m. Grown-up: (成人) $2.00 Keep the zoo clean! Don’t touch, give good food or go near the animals! |
根据短文内容，选择最佳答案。
1. How many kinds of animals are talked about in the passage?
| A．four. | B．five. | C．six. | D．seven. |
| A．$4.00. | B．$2.00. | C．$3.00. | D．$10.00. |
| A．8:30a.m Monday | B．9:30a.m. Friday |
| C．6:00p.m. Sunday | D．9:00a.m. Saturday |
| A．fat | B．long | C．strong | D．tall |
| A．to give some food to the fish |
| B．to touch the monkey on the head |
| C．to throw things everywhere |
| D．to keep the zoo clean |
