1 . Running is often tiring and a lot of hard work, but nothing beats the feeling you get after finishing a long workout around the track.
But while it’s long been believed that endorphins (内啡肽) —chemicals in the body that cause happiness—are behind the so-called “runner’s high”, a study suggested that there may be more to this phenomenon than we previously knew.
According to a recent study published by a group of scientists from several German universities, a group of chemicals called endocannabinoids (内源性大麻素) may actually be responsible for this familiar great feeling.
To test this theory, the scientists turned to mice. Both mice and humans release high levels of endorphins and endocannabinoids after exercise. After exercising on running wheels, the mice seemed happy and relaxed and displayed no signs of anxiety. But after being given a drug to block their endorphins, the mice’s behavior didn’t seem to change. However, when their endocannabinoids were blocked with a different drug, their runners’ high symptoms seemed to fade.
“The long-held notion of endorphins being responsible for the runner’s high is false. Endorphins are effective pain relievers, but only when it comes to the pain in your body and muscles you feel after working out,” Patrick Lucas Austin wrote on science blog Lifchacker.
Similar studies are yet to be carried out on humans, but it’s already known that exercise is a highly effective way to get rid of stress or anxiety. The UK’s National Health Service even prescribes (开药 方) exercise to patients who are suffering from depression. “Being depressed can leave you feeling low in energy, which might put you off being more active. Regular exercise can improve your mood if you have depression, and its especially useful for people with mild to moderate (中等的) depression,” it wrote on its website.
It seems like nothing can beat that feeling we get after a good workout, even if we don’t fully understand where it comes from. At least if we’re feeling down, we know that all we have to do is to put on our running shoes.
1. What did scientists from German universities recently discover?A.Working out is a highly effective way to treat depression. |
B.The runner’s high could be caused by endocannabinoids. |
C.Endorphins may contribute to one’s high spirits after running. |
D.The level of endorphins and endocannabinoids could affect one’s mood. |
A.To find what reduces the runner’s high symptoms. |
B.To see the specific symptoms of the runner’s high. |
C.To identify what is responsible for the runner’s high. |
D.To test what influences the level of endocannabinoids released. |
A.Effect. | B.Goal. | C.Opinion. | D.Question |
A.They can help ease depression symptoms. |
B.They are the best way to treat depression. |
C.They only work for those with serious depression. |
D.They can help people completely recover from depression. |
2 . Girls are better at reading and writing than boys as early as fourth grade, according to a study, and the gap continues to widen until senior year.
Scientists generally agree that boys and girls are psychologically more alike than they are different. But reading seems to be a(n)
David Reilly, lead author of the study, said the study
Factors explaining the results could include learning
To investigate how
A.distinction | B.exception | C.objection | D.limitation |
A.pattern | B.standard | C.circumstance | D.feature |
A.strategy | B.signal | C.sign | D.evidence |
A.confirmed | B.represented | C.questioned | D.introduced |
A.underestimated | B.overemphasized | C.underrepresented | D.justified |
A.increasing | B.promoting | C.accepting | D.reducing |
A.objectives | B.drills | C.difficulties | D.advantages |
A.contributions | B.differences | C.communications | D.similarities |
A.literacy | B.literary | C.academic | D.cognitive |
A.pulled down | B.settled down | C.turned down | D.broke down |
A.granted | B.measured | C.designed | D.engineered |
A.Likewise | B.Overall | C.However | D.Besides |
A.overtake | B.discourage | C.parallel | D.distinguish |
A.psychological | B.emotional | C.behavioral | D.mental |
A.in line with | B.at the mercy of | C.on account of | D.in favor of |
3 . Public distrust of scientists stems in part from the blurring of boundaries between science and technology, between discovery and manufacture. Most governments, perhaps all governments, justify public expenditure on scientific research in terms of the economic benefits the scientific enterprise has brought in the past and will bring in the future. Politicians remind their voters of the splendid machines “our scientists” have invented, the new drugs to relieve old disorders, and the new surgical equipment and techniques by which previously unmanageable conditions may now be treated and lives saved. At the same time, the politicians demand of scientists that they tailor their research to “economics needs”, and that they award a higher priority to research proposals that are “near the market” and can be translated into the greatest return on investment in the shortest time. Dependent, as they are, on politicians for much of their funding, scientists have little choice but to comply. Like the rest of us, they are members of a society that rates the creation of wealth as the greatest possible good. Many have reservations, but keep them to themselves in what they perceive as a climate hostile to the pursuit of understanding for its own sake and the idea of an inquiring, creative spirit.
In such circumstances no one should be too hard on people who are suspicious of conflicts of interest. When we learn that the distinguished professor assuring us of the safety of a particular product holds a consultancy with the company making it, we cannot be blamed for wondering whether his fee might conceivably cloud his professional judgment. Even if the professor holds no consultancy with any firm, some people may still distrust him because of his association with those who do, or at least wonder about the source of some of his research funding.
This attitude can have damaging effects. It questions the integrity of individuals working in a profession that prizes intellectual honesty as the supreme virtue, and plays into the hands of those who would like to discredit scientists by representing them as corruptible. This makes it easier to dismiss all scientific pronouncements, but especially those made by the scientists who present themselves as “experts”. The scientist most likely to understand the safety of a nuclear reactor, for example, is a nuclear engineer, and a nuclear engineer is most likely to be employed by the nuclear industry. If a nuclear engineer declares that a reactor is unsafe, we believe him, because clearly it is not to his advantage to lie about it. If he tells us it is safe, on the other hand, we distrust him, because he may well be protecting the employer who pays his salary.
1. What is the chief concern of most governments when it comes to scientific research?A.The decline of public expenditure. | B.Quick economic returns. |
C.The budget for a research project. | D.Support from the voters. |
A.They realize they work in an environment hostile to the free pursuit of knowledge. |
B.They know it takes incredible patience to win support from the public. |
C.They think compliance with government policy is in the interests of the public. |
D.They are accustomed to keeping their opinions secrets to themselves. |
A.some of them do not give priority to intellectual honesty |
B.sometimes they hide the source of their research funding |
C.they could be influenced by their association with the project concerned |
D.their pronouncements often turn out to be short-sighted and absurd |
A.Scientists themselves may doubt the value of their research findings. |
B.It may wear out the enthusiasm of scientists for independent research. |
C.It makes things more trivial for scientists to seek research funds. |
D.People will not believe scientists even when they tell the truth. |
4 . Women are still underrepresented in top academic positions. One of the possible explanations for this is the increasing importance of obtaining research funding. Women are often less successful in this than men. Psychology researchers Dr. Romy van der Lee and professor Naomi Ellemers investigated whether this difference also occurs at the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) and examined potential explanations.
The researchers were assigned by NWO to carry out this study as part of the broader evaluation of NWO’s procedures and its gender diversity policy. The aim was to gain more insight into the causes of the differences in awarding rates for male and female applicants for research funding. The analysis addressed an important “talent programme” of NWO, the Veni grant. “Whoever receives this grant has a greater chance of obtaining an important appointment at a university, ” says Naomi Ellemers.
Van der Lee and Ellemers investigated all the applications submitted by male and female researchers over a period of three years: a total of 2823 applications. Under the direction of NWO these applications were assessed by scientific committees consisting of men and women. The results demonstrate that the awarding rates for female applicants (14.9%) are systematically lower than those for male applicants (17.7%). “If we compare the proportion of women among the applicants with the proportion of women among those awarded funding, we see a loss of 4%,” said Ellemers.
The study reveals that women are less positively evaluated for their qualities as researcher than men are, “Interestingly the research proposals of women and men are evaluated equally positively. In other words, the reviewers see no difference in the quality of the proposals that men and women submit,” says Romy van der Lee.
In search for a possible cause for the differences in awarding rates and evaluations, the researchers also investigated the language use in the instructions and forms used to assess the quality of applications. This clearly revealed the occurrence of gendered language. The words that are used to indicate quality are frequently words that were established in previous research as referring mainly to the male gender stereotype (such as challenging and excellent). Romy van der Lee explains: “As a result, it appears that men more easily satisfy the assessment criteria, because these better fit the characteristics stereoty-pically associated with men.”
In response to the results of this research, NWO will devote more attention to the gender awareness of reviewers in its methods and procedures. It will also be investigated which changes to the assessment procedures and criteria can most strongly contribute to more equal chances for men and women to obtain research funding. This will include an examination of the language used by NWO. NWO chair Jos Engelens said, “The research has yielded valuable results and insights. Based on the recommendations made by the researchers we will therefore focus in the coming period on the development of evidence-based measures to reduce the difference in awarding rates.”
1. Van der Lee and Ellemers carried out the research to find out whether _________.A.women are less successful than men in top academic positions |
B.female applicants are at a disadvantage in getting research funding |
C.NOW’s procedures and gender diversity policy enhance fair play |
D.there are equal chances for men and women to be admitted to a university |
A.grant receivers were more likely to get appointments at universities |
B.men applicants for research funding outnumbered women applicants |
C.the research proposals of women are equally treated with those of men |
D.the reviewers have narrow, prejudiced conceptions of women candidates |
A.The words used in the instructions and forms. |
B.The reviewers’ preference to applications. |
C.The methods and procedures for evaluation. |
D.The vague and unclear assessment criteria. |
A.Eliminate possibilities for difference in awarding rates. |
B.Design a language examination for all the reviewers. |
C.Emphasize the importance of gender awareness. |
D.Improve the assessment procedures and criteria. |
Hi, everyone.
Traditionally,
Of course, the events of 2020 haven’t shown a lot of respect for our traditions. In a year of so much tragedy, it can be tough to give thanks when you’re doing your best to get by. And far too many of us will have to gather around a table with an empty chair, if we were able to gather together at all.
One thing, though, we can say about 2020 is that it forced us all to cherish what is most important, what’s most meaningful in our lives. To stop taking things for granted,
Throughout this challenging year, I’ve been moved, again and again, by the sacrifices so many were willing to make on behalf of others. The healthcare professionals who risked their lives to save ours. The workers who have kept our lights on and our shelves stocked, always essential to our economy, but finally
These are exactly the leaders Michelle and I started our Foundation to support. We always thought they
What we learned in 2020 is that these emerging leaders aren’t just building a brighter future, they’re safeguarding our present. In hard times, they are the ones who’ve given me solace. It’s
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, everybody.
—Quoted from Barack Obama’s Christmas speech in 2020
A. celebrated B. ideals C. currently D. enlarged E. formerly F. incomparable G. laid H. referred I. restored J. scale K. seat |
If you only had an afternoon to experience London on a grand
A royal palace was said to have existed at the site under the Danish king of England Canute. The building, however, spoken of by William Fitzstephen as a(n) “
Sir Charles Barry, assisted by A.W.N. Pugin, designed the present buildings in the Gothic Revival style. Construction was begun in 1837, the cornerstone was
The Palace is one of the centers of political life in the United Kingdom; “Westminster” has become a metaphor for the UK Parliament and the British Government. The Elizabeth Tower, in particular, often
现在网络媒体过多关注明星绯闻,而对于科学家等真正对社会做出巨大贡献的人关注和报道不足。请结合实例,谈谈你的看法。
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
8 . How can the train operators possibly justify yet another increase to rail passenger fares? It has become a grimly reliable annual ritual: every January the cost of travelling by train rises, imposing a significant extra burden on those who have no option but to use the rail network to get to work or otherwise. This year’s rise, an average of 2.7 percent, may be a little bit lower than last year’s, but it is still well above the official Consumer Price Index (CPI) measure of inflation(通货膨胀).
Successive governments have permitted such increases on the grounds that the cost of investing in and running the rail network should be borne by those who use it, rather than the general taxpayer. Why, the argument goes, should a car-driving pensioner from Lincolnshire have to subsidise(补贴)the daily commute(通勤)of a rail traveller from Surrey? Equally, there is a sense that the sufferings of commuters in the South East, have received too much attention compared to those who must endure the relatively poor infrastructure of the Midlands and the North.
However, over the past 12 months, those commuters have also experienced some of the worst rail strikes in years. It is all very well train operators boasting about the improvements they are making to the network, but passengers should be able to expect a basic level of service for the substantial sums they are now paying to travel. The responsibility for the latest wave of strikes rests on the unions. However, there is a strong case that those who have been worst affected by industrial action should receive compensation for the disruption they have suffered.
The Government has promised to change the law to introduce a minimum service requirement so that, even when strikes occur, services can continue to operate. This should form part of a wider package of measures to address the long-running problems on Britain’s railways. Yes, more investment is needed, but passengers will not be willing to pay more indefinitely if they must also endure cramped, unreliable services, along with regular chaos when timetables are changed, or planned maintenance is managed incompetently. The threat of nationalisation may have been seen off for now, but it will return with a revenge if the justified anger of passengers is not addressed in short order.
1. The author holds that this year’s increase in rail passengers fares ________.A.creates extra burden on taxpayers. |
B.has kept pace with inflation. |
C.is beyond the expectation of commuters |
D.remains an unreasonable practice. |
A.Compensations are to be given to the commuters affected by the strikes. |
B.A minimum service requirement will be likely to settle the railway problems. |
C.In terms of service, there is a conflict between train operator’s claim and the reality. |
D.Train operators have suffered huge losses owing to the strikes. |
A.the loss of investment. | B.the collapse of operations. |
C.a reduction of revenue(收入) | D.a change of ownership. |
A.Who Are to Blame for the Ever-rising Fares? |
B.Rail Strikes Need to Be Stopped |
C.Enhance Railway Service, Ease Passenger Anger |
D.Ever-rising Fares Are Unreasonable |
A. contribute B. global C. bringing D. originally E. concerned F. seeking G. features H. power I. positions J. engineered K. regularly |
When it comes to innovative countries, we always think of places like the US, the UK and Germany. However, Israel is also a(n)
According to the World Economic Forum’s global Competitiveness Report 2016 - 2017, Israel is the second most innovative nation in the world, just after Switzerland.
Many of us may not be aware, but technologies
So it comes as no surprise that Israel plans to use its innovative strength to
Many Israeli environmental technology companies have already set up facilities in Shandong province,
Founded on very dry land, Israel had been
In fact, such innovations have led to more and more Chinese students
10 . You’re running late for work and you can’t find your keys: What’s really annoying is that in your search, you pick up and move them without realizing. This may be because the brain systems involved in the task are working at different speeds, with the system responsible for perception(感知)unable to keep pace.
So says Grayden Solman and his colleagues at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. To investigate how we search, Solman’s team created a simple computer-based task that involved searching through a pile of colored shapes on a computer screen. Volunteers were instructed to find a specific shapes as quickly as possible, while the computer monitored their actions.“Between 10 and 20 percent of the time, they would miss the object,”says Solman, even though they picked it up.“We thought that was remarkably often.”
To find out why, the team developed a number of further experiments. To check whether volunteers were just forgetting their target, they gave a new group a list of items to memorize before the search task, which they had to recall afterwards.
The idea was to fill each volunteer’s“memory load”,so that they were unable to hold any other information in their short-term memory. Although this was expected to have a negative effect on their performance at the search task, the extra load made no difference to the percentage of mistakes volunteers made.
To check that the volunteers were paying enough attention to the items they were moving, Solman’s team created another task involving a pile of cards marked with shapes that only became visible while the card was being moved. Again, they were surprised to see the same level of error, says Solman. Finally, the team analyzed participants’ mouse movements as they were carrying out a similar search task. They discovered that volunteers’ movements were slower after they had moved and missed their target.
Solman’s team propose that the system in the brain that deals with movement is running too quickly for the visual system to keep up. While you are searching around a messy house to find your keys, you might not be giving your visual system enough time to work out what each object is. Since time can be costly, sacrificing accuracy on occasion for speed might be beneficial overall, Solman thinks.
The slowing of mouse movements suggests that at some level the volunteers were aware that they had missed their target, a theory that is backed up by other studies that show people tend to slow down their actions after they have made a mistake, even if they don’t consciously realize the mistake.
1. What conclusion has Solman drawn from the first task?A.More volunteers are needed to confirm the findings. |
B.It happens very often that people miss what they intend to find. |
C.Computers make negative effects on how people perform at the task. |
D.Targets tend to be forgotten after people search for 10 minutes or more. |
A.Cards marked with shapes may become a source of distraction. |
B.Fewer errors will be made if people are forbidden to move cards. |
C.People may be absent-minded even when they are moving something. |
D.Volunteers prefer to use a mouse to control the objects on the computer screen. |
A.Mistakes will cause people to reduce the speed. |
B.Our visual system can’t keep up with the brain system. |
C.The faster people move, the more mistakes they will make. |
D.People’s actions are independent of the mistakes they make. |
A.Better memory, worse search |
B.Accuracy speaks louder than speed |
C.Hurry up, or you will make mistakes |
D.Slow down your search to find your keys |