Research suggests that a newly-identified gene known as insomniacs(失眠癥患者) may play a role in keeping us asleep. By cloning and testing this gene in about 21,000 fruit flies, Rockefeller University researchers say they have discovered an entirely new mechanism (機制) by which sleep is controlled.
By studying these flies, the researchers discovered that mutations(變異) in the insomniac gene were associated with a great reduction in sleep. While a typical fruit fly slept for an average of 927 minutes a day, the mutant flies slept for just 317. They also slept for shorter periods of time, and slept and woke more frequently.
“The results showed a great loss of both the time that the flies’ sleep lasted and their ability to remain asleep after they slept,” says researcher Nicholas Stavropoulos.
The researchers also examined the link between sleep and lifespan, finding that flies with mutations to the insomniac gene lived only about two-thirds as long as unchanged flies. But when the scientists removed insomniac only in neurons（神經細胞）---allowing it to remain in the rest of the flies’ bodies---this difference disappeared; the resulting animals slept poorly but lived just as long.
“This suggests that reduced sleep can be ‘uncoupled’(分開) from reduced lifespan, supporting the idea that some interruptions of sleep do not affect overall health, at least as far as lifespan is concerned,” Stavropoulos says.
Although flies and humans would appear to have little in common when it comes to lifestyle, scientists say that the mechanisms of sleep and wakefulness are likely to be quite similar.
“Sleep is a fundamental behavior in all animals, and it is poorly understood from a scientific standpoint, says Stavropoulos. This work could prove useful in understanding and treating sleep disorders”
【小題1】The text is mainly about____.
| A．the progress in cloning fruit flies |
| B．the methods of cloning fruit flies |
| C．the link between gene and lifespan |
| D．the influence of a gene on the ability to sleep |
| A．slept about 5 hours a day |
| B．had problems waking up |
| C．didn’t seem sleepy at all |
| D．could not fall asleep |
| A．sleep and health go hand in hand |
| B．sleep can be controlled by humans |
| C．research into sleep is very fruitful |
| D．the findings are useful in medical treatment |
【小題1】D
【小題2】A
【小題3】D
解析試題分析：本文敘述了通過對果蠅的科學研究發現基因影響睡眠的能力，而一般情況下果蠅睡眠平均每天927分鐘,變異果蠅睡了只有317分鐘，他們睡眠的時間更短了,睡著了,醒來時卻更頻繁。蒼蠅和人類在生活方式上似乎沒有什么共同點,但是睡眠和清醒的情況也可能非常相似。這個研究發現可能對于治療睡眠障礙有一定的幫助。
【小題1】主旨大意題。根據By studying these flies, the researchers discovered that mutations(變異) in the insomniac gene were associated with a great reduction in sleep.可知基因影響睡眠的能力，故選D。
【小題2】細節理解題。根據the mutant flies slept for just 317，變異果蠅一天睡眠的時間大約5個小時，故選A。
【小題3】推理判斷題。根據This work could prove useful in understanding and treating sleep disorders，可知這個發現可能在醫學治療方面有用，故選D。
考點：考查科普類短文閱讀。
閱讀快車系列答案科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
Motherhood may make women smarter and may help prevent dementia(癡呆) in old age by bathing the brain in protective hormones(荷爾蒙) , U.S. researchers reported on Thursday.
Tests on rats show that those who raise two or more litters of pups do considerably better in tests of memory and skills than rats who have no babies, and their brains show changes that suggest they may beprotected against diseases such as Alzheimer’s(早老癡呆癥). University of Richmond psychology professor Craig Kinsley believes his findings will translate into humans.
“Our research shows that the hormones of pregnancy(懷孕) are protecting the brain, including estrogen(雌激素),which we know has many neuroprotective (保護神經的) effects,” Kinsley said. “It’s rat data but humans are mammals just like these animals are mammals,” he added in a telephone interview. “They go through pregnancy and hormonal changes.”Kinsley said he hoped public health officials and researchers will look to see if having had children protects a woman from Alzheimer’s and other forms of age-related brain decline.
“When people think about pregnancy, they think about what happens to babies and the mother from the neck down,”said Kinsley, who presented his findings to the annual meeting of the Society of Neuroscience in Orlando, Florida.“They do not realize that hormones are washing on the brain. If you look at female animals who have never gone through pregnancy, they act differently toward young. But if she goes through pregnancy, she will sacrifice her life for her infant—that is a great change in her behavior that showed in genetic alterations(改變) to the brain.”
【小題1】How do scientists know “Motherhood may make women smarter”?
| A．Some researchers have told them. |
| B．Many women say so. |
| C．They know it by experimenting on rats. |
| D．They know it through their own experience. |
| A．Estrogen. |
| B．The hormones of pregnancy. |
| C．More exercise. |
| D．Taking care of children. |
| A．Do You Want to Be Smarter? |
| B．Motherhood Makes Women Smarter |
| C．Mysterious Hormones |
| D．An Important Study |
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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
Dogs can know the meaning of a human perspective, say researchers.
Dogs are more capable of understanding situations from a human's point of view than has previously been recognized, according to researchers.
They found dogs were four times more likely to steal food they had been forbidden, when lights were turned off so humans in the room could not see.
This suggested the dogs were able to alter their behavior when they knew their owners' perspective had changed.
The study, published in Animal Cognition, conducted tests on eighty-four dogs.
The experiments had been trying to find whether dogs could make their behavior suitable to react to the changed circumstances of their human owners. It wanted to see if dogs had a "flexible understanding" that could show they understood the viewpoint of a human.
It found that when the lights were turned off, dogs in a room with their human owners were much more likely to disobey and steal forbidden food.
The study says it is "unlikely that the dogs simply forgot that the human was in the room" when there was no light. Instead it seems as though the dogs were able to differentiate between when the human was unable or able to see them.
Juliane Kaminski carried out the research into how dogs are influenced by human circumstances.
Dr Juliane Kaminski, from the University of Portsmouth's psychology department, said the study was "incredible because it implies dogs understand the human can't see them, meaning they might understand the human perspective".
Previous studies have suggested that although humans might think that they can recognize different expressions on their dogs' faces, this is often inaccurate and a projection of human emotions.
“Humans constantly attribute(歸屬) certain qualities and emotions to other living things. We know that our own dog is clever or sensitive, but that's us thinking, not them,” said Dr Kaminski.
“These results suggest humans might be right, where dogs are concerned, but we still can't be completely sure if the results mean dogs have a truly flexible understanding of the mind and others' minds. It has always been assumed only humans had this ability.
【小題1】According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
| A．The researchers made the test on dogs in eighty-four countries. |
| B．Dogs always obey and don’t steal forbidden food. |
| C．Dogs may adapt their behavior in response to the changed circumstances. |
| D．The research is carried out to find out how dogs are influenced by light. |
| A．Dogs---Our Loyal Companions Understand Us Most. |
| B．Dogs Are Our Best Friends. |
| C．Dogs Can Understand Us In a Way, Researchers Say. |
| D．Dogs Have Certain Qualities and Emotions of Human Beings, Researchers Say. |
| A．Textbooks. | B．Advertisements. | C．Instructions. | D．Magazines. |
| A．an argumentative writing | B．a feature story |
| C．a dog show review | D．a research result |
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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
Scholars and researchers have tried to discover what personality characteristics go along with success in different cultural experiences. Their findings have often been unclear or incomplete. But three typical characteristics stand out in their reports: patience, a sense of humor, and the awareness of being unclear.
Patience, of course, is the ability to keep calm when things do not go as one wants them to, or as one hopes they would, or even as one was sure they would. Impatience sometimes brings improvements in relations with other people, but usually it does not.
A person with a sense of humor is less likely to take things too seriously and more ready to see the humor in his own reaction than a humorless person. The value of a sense of humor really needs to be paid more attention to.
“The awareness of being unclear” is a more difficult concept to understand than patience and a sense of humor. Foreigners often find themselves in situations that are unclear as they are newcomers. That is, they do not know what is happening in a certain situation. Perhaps they do not understand the local language well enough, or they do not know how some system or organization works, or they can’t be sure of different people’s roles in what is going on. “It’s like that I just got here from the moon,” a Chinese graduate student who newly arrived in the United States said. “Things are just so different here.”
【小題1】The passage mainly tells us ______.
| A．about some uneasy traveling experiences in foreign countries |
| B．about the three main ways to communicate with foreigners |
| C．about some typical characteristics in different cultural experiences |
| D．how to show your characters to foreigners |
| A．The ability to keep cool. | B．The sense of humor. |
| C．Patience. | D．The awareness of being unclear. |
| A．not knowing what is happening in a situation |
| B．not understanding the local language well enough |
| C．being aware that the situation is unclear |
| D．not knowing how some system or organization works |
| A．he is not used to the culture of America |
| B．he went to the United States to study the moon |
| C．he is a person with a sense of humor |
| D．he has just returned from the moon |
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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
High-tech machines have made life easier for millions around the world. However, some people still prefer low-tech ways of doing things. Here’s an example of why this is happening. You can microwave a frozen hamburger in 60 seconds. However, it won’t taste as good as one you cook on the stove. And if you’re in that much of a hurry, you probably won’t take time to toast the bun. High-tech cooking saves time, but it doesn’t make for better-tasting meals.
Most people get their news from high-tech sources like television or the Internet. This has many advantages. For example, electronic news is more up to date than newspapers or magazines. It’s also more exciting to see live and videotaped news events than photographs. However, newspapers and magazines have some important advantages. They give more background and details. They also let you read the parts that are important to you and skip the rest.
Other high-tech timesavers have similar disadvantages. For examples, most people use the phone or e-mail to stay in touch with friends and family members who live in other places. But when you use the Internet or the phone, you don’t always think carefully about what you are saying, and sometimes you forget the important things you want to communicate. Similarly, when you word-process a homework assignment instead of handwriting it, you can check your spelling electronically and put in fancy headings. However, some students are so busy with the computer that they don’t pay enough attention to the actual words they are writing.
【小題1】Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The writer likes high-tech cooking. |
| B．Low-tech cooking produces better-tasting meals. |
| C．High-tech news programs always keep you reading what is important to you. |
| D．Handwritten homework is better than word-processed homework. |
| A．Better late than never. | B．Easy come, easy go. |
| C．Every coin has two sides. | D．Learn to walk before you run. |
| A．High-tech vs. low-tech |
| B．Advantages vs. disadvantages. |
| C．Newspapers and magazines vs. television and the Internet. |
| D．Word-processing vs. handwriting. |
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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
Antidepressant（抗憂郁）drugs such as Prozac were viewed in the early 1900's as wonder pills that would remove depressive blues for good. But in the past five years, growing scientific evidence has shown these drugs work for only a minority of people. And now a research journal says that these antidepressants can make many patients' depression worse. This alarming suggestion centres on the very chemical that is targeted by antidepressants-serotonin（血清素）. Drugs such as Prozac are known as selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors（or SSRIs）. Their aim is to increase the level of this “feel-good” chemical in the brain.
But the new research, published in the journal Frontiers In Evolutionary Psychology, points out that serotonin is like a chemical Swiss Army knife, performing a very wide range of jobs in the brain and body. And when we start changing serotonin levels purposely, it may cause a wide range of unwanted effects. These can include digestive problems and even early deaths in older people, according to the study's lead researcher Paul Andrews. “ We need to be much more cautious about use of these drugs,” says Andrews, an assistant professor of evolutionary psychology at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada.
Previous research has suggested that the drugs provide little benefit for most people with mild depression, and actively help only a few of the most severely depressed. Famous psychologist Irving Kirsch has found that for many patients, SSRIs are no more effective than a placebo pill. A research in 2010 on Danish children found a small, but significant, increase in the risk of heart problems among babies whose mothers had used SSRIs in early pregnancy. The key to understanding these side-effects is serotonin, says Andrews. Serotonin is also the reason why patients can often end up feeling still more depressed after they have finished a course of SSRI drugs. He argues that SSRI antidepressants disturb the brain, leaving the patient an even greater depression than before.
“After long use, when a patient stops taking SSRIs, the brain will lower its levels of serotonin production,” he says, adding that it also changes the way receptors in the brain respond to serotonin, making the brain less sensitive to the chemical. These changes are believed to be temporary, but studies indicate that the effects may continue for up to two years.
Most disturbingly of all, Andrews' review features three recent studies which, he says , show that elderly antidepressant users are more likely to die earlier than non-users, even after taking other important variables into account. One study, published in the British Medical Journal last year, found patients given SSRIs were more than 4 per cent more likely to die in the next year than those not on the drugs.
“Serotonin is an ancient chemical,” says Andrews. “It is regulating many different processes, and when you disturb these things, you can expect that it is going to cause some harm.”
Stafford Lightman, professor of medicine at the University of Bristol, and a leading UK expert in brain chemicals and hormones, says Andrews’ review highlights some important problems, yet it should also be taken with a pinch of salt. “This report is doing the opposite of what drug companies do,” he says. “Drug companies selectively present all the positives in their research, while this search selectively presents all the negatives that can be found. Nevertheless, Andrews' study is useful in that it is always worth pointing out that there is a downside to any medicine. ” Professor Lightman adds that there is still a great deal we don't know about SSRIs-not least what they actually do in our brains.
When it comes to understanding why the drugs work only for a limited part of patients, U.S. scientists think they might now have the answer. They think that in many depressed patients, it’s not only the lack of feel-good serotonin causing their depression, but also a failure in the area of the brain that produces new cells throughout our lives. This area, the hippocampus, is also responsible for regulating mood and memory. Research suggests that in patients whose hippocampus has lost the ability to produce new cells, SSRIs do not bring any benefit.
【小題1】According to paragraph 2, serotonin, like a chemical Swiss Army knife, can .
| A．make many patients' depression worse |
| B．cause a wide range of unwanted effects |
| C．affect human body and brain in various ways |
| D．provide little benefit for most depressed people |
| A．drug companies don't know the negative effect of antidepressants |
| B．Andrews focused on different things from the drug companies |
| C．scientists have found what SSRIs do in the brain |
| D．Andrews' research has no medical value |
| A．They are used to increase the “feel-good” medical in the brain. |
| B．They can work even when the hippocampus can't produce new cells. |
| C．They create a risk of heart problems in pregnant women. |
| D．They are responsible for controlling mood and memory. |
| A．The aim of drug companies |
| B．The function of SSRIs |
| C．The side-effects of antidepressants |
| D．The cause of depression |
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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
A portable lung which could help those with breathing problems lead a normal life is being developed by scientists.
The Swansea University scientists say it could take many years before the device(裝置) , the size of a spectacle box (眼鏡盒) , is available . Lung patients , who have seen how it would work , have welcomed the research.
Its research suggests that one person in every seven in the UK is affected by lung disease---- this equates to approximately 8 million people. As of 6 March 2009, 217 people were on the waiting list for a lung transplant（移植） according to figures by NHS Blood and Transplant .
Now scientists in Swansea are developing a portable artificial lung which could transform (改觀) the lives of patients . Researchers claim that in the long term the device could offer an alternative to lung transplant , giving hope to those who suffer from conditions such as emphysema(肺氣腫) and cystic fibrosis.
The device mimics the function of a lung---by getting oxygen into and carbon dioxide out of the blood stream . Professor Bill Johns came up with the idea after his son died of Cystic Fibrosis . It is important that we make something that will help people , who instead of being confined (局限) to a wheelchair with an oxygen bottle , can actually walk around and do things for themselves , he said.
Although the research has been welcomed by leading charities(慈善) , caution has also been voiced over the length of time it will take before a portable lung will become available .
“We have to stress that this is several years away from being used , even in a trial stage,” said Chris Mulholland , head of the British Lung Foundation.
Patient Elizabeth Spence from Swansea has been refused the double lung transplant she needs but remains hopeful that one day the new device could save her . “ My body will reject the lungs , so this possibly could be an answer--- another way of getting new lungs without actually having the transplant,” she said.
【小題1】Which of the following about the portable lung would the author agree?
| A．It can help a lot in lung transplants |
| B．It was once on display |
| C．It works differently from the normal one in the body |
| D．It’s just like an oxygen bottle. |
| A．support | B．money | C．time | D．trial |
| A．Negative. | B．Doubtful. | C．Curious. | D．Objective. |
| A．Science. | B．Culture. | C．Economy. | D．Education. |
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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
Rene Descartes’ explanation of pain has long been acknowledged in medicine. He proposed that pain is a purely physical phenomenon – that tissue injury makes specific nerves send a signal to the brain, causing the mind to notice pain. The phenomenon, he said, is like pulling on a rope to ring a bell in the brain. It is hard to overstate how deeply fixed this account has become. In medicine, doctors see pain in Descartes’ terms— as a physical process, a sign of tissue injury.
The limitations of this explanation, however, have been apparent for some time, since people with obvious injuries sometimes report feeling no pain at all. Later, researchers proposed that Descartes’ model be replaced with what they called the gate control theory of pain. They argued that before pain signals reach the brain, they must first go through a gating mechanism in the spinal cord(脊髓). In some cases, this imaginary gate could simply stop pain signals from getting to the brain.
Their most amazing suggestion was that what controlled the gate was not just signals from sensory nerves but also emotions and other “output” from the brain. They were saying that pulling on the rope need not make the bell ring. The bell itself—the mind— could stop it. This theory led to a great deal of research into how such factors as mood, gender, and beliefs influence the experience of pain. In a British study, for example, researchers measured pain threshold and tolerance levels in 53 ballet dancers and 53 university students by using a common measurement: after immersing your hand in body-temperature water for two minutes to establish a baseline condition, you put your hand in a bowl of ice water and start a clock running. You mark the time when it begins to hurt: that is your pain threshold. Then you mark the time when it hurts too much to keep your hand in the water: that is your pain tolerance. The test is always stopped at 120 seconds, to prevent injury.
The results were striking. On average female students reported pain at 16 seconds and pulled their hands out of the ice water at 37 seconds. Female dancers were almost three times as long on both counts. Men in both groups had a higher threshold and tolerance for pain, but the difference between male dancers and male nondancers was nearly as large. What explains that difference? Probably it has something to do with the psychology of ballet dancers—a group known for self-discipline, physical fitness, and competitiveness, as well as by a high rate of chronic(慢性) injury. Their driven personalities and competitive culture evidently accustom them to pain. Other studies along these lines have shown that outgoing people have greater pain tolerance and that, with training, one can reduce one’s sensitivity to pain.
There is also striking evidence that very simple kinds of mental suggestion can have powerful effects on pain. In one study of 500 patients undergoing dental procedures, those who were given a placebo(安慰劑) injection and promised that it would relieve their pain had the least discomfort— not only less than the patients who got a placebo and were told nothing but also less than the patients who got actual drug without any promise that it would work.
Today it is abundantly evident that the brain is actively involved in the experience of pain and is no more bell on a string. Today every medical textbook teaches the gate control theory as fact. There’s a problem with it, though. It explains people who have injuries but feel no pain, but it doesn’t explain the reverse, which is far more common— the millions of people who experience chronic pain, such as back pain, with no signs of injury whatsoever. So where does the pain come from? The rope and clapper are gone, but the bell is still ringing.
【小題1】The primary purpose of the passage is to .
| A．describe how modern research has updated an old explanation |
| B．support a traditional view with new data |
| C．promote a particular attitude towards physical experience |
| D．suggest a creative treatment for a medical condition |
| A．The brain can shut pain off at will. |
| B．The brain plays no part in the body’s experience of pain. |
| C．Pain can be caused in many different ways. |
| D．Pain is an automatic response to bodily injury. |
| A．offered an extremely new and original explanation |
| B．was just opposite to people’s everyday experiences |
| C．was grounded in an ridiculous logic |
| D．was so sensible it should have been proposed centuries before |
| A．costly, because it troubles millions of people |
| B．puzzling, because it sometimes has no obvious cause |
| C．disappointing, because it does not improve with treatment |
| D．worrying, because it lies beyond the reach of medicine |
| A．scientific judgments are difficult to understand |
| B．theoretical investigations are generally useless |
| C．researchers still have a long way to go before the puzzle is made clear |
| D．there is always something puzzling at the heart of science |
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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
You’ve bought what you need. The grocery cashier asks, “Will that be paper or plastic? You reply “Plastic, please.”
This seems like a simple question and there are plenty of reasons we choose plastic: easier to carry, lighter than paper bags, possibly less damaging to the environment, less expensive to the shop owners, able to be used as trash bag, and so on. There are different opinions on plastic and paper. Now let’s follow the travels of 3 plastic bags. It begins at the grocery store with the customer’s choice.
Plastic Bag 1: As the waste engineer come by and pick up the trash, the first plastic bag falls out. It sits on a small street for a couple of hours until a car comes along and takes it down to the road. Then a gust of wind blows it across the road, then another car, then another gust of wind finally makes its way to the beach. Water fills the plastic bag and makes it look like a jellyfish. A seal(海豹) swims by, thinking it looks very interesting, and swallowed it. The plastic bag may stay in the seal’s stomach for months, maybe years. You see, our lovely animals have been living thousands of years in a world where everything can be eaten.
Plastic Bag 2: This bag does make its way to landfill(垃圾場). Before they have a chance to cover up the thousands of pounds of daily waste, a strong wind comes up and blows these plastic bags out of the landfill. Once the wind stops, workers will be sent to collect thousands of bags around. But they can’t possibly get them all. So our little bag continues his adventure getting caught in trees, eaten by birds or making its way to our lakes or rivers.
Plastic Bag 3: The last bag also blows away but is caught in a landfill where it sits for many years, as all the trash is wrapped in a big plastic bag, making natural degradation(降解) impossible. Although workers do much work to make sure water and air system won’t be polluted, some do. Guess what, plastic bags are made from petrol, a harmful waste material, which in one way or another makes its way to the environment.
Another problem with putting plastic bags in out trash is that our landfills for most cities may be filled in about 20 years. More importantly, since we are running out of land to build homes, you might have the pleasure of one day living on top of your plastic bags!
One of the best suggestions is not to use a bag at all or bring your own cloth bags. If you must, please choose paper bags, which, though not suggested, can be eaten by animals. And there are more opportunities recycle paper bags. It does take a little extra effort. But please have a thought about the little seal next time you say, “Plastic please.”
【小題1】According to the passage, what is NOT the reason for a customer to choose plastic bags?
| A．He can use plastic bags to carry trash later. |
| B．He finds paper bags heavier than plastic bags. |
| C．He finds plastic bags more convenient to carry. |
| D．He can save money for plastic bags are cheaper. |
| A．seals like eating plastic bags around them. |
| B．seals really have a good stomach. |
| C．seals are potential victims of plastic bags. |
| D．seals are not able to differ plastic from food. |
| A．still does harm to the environment |
| B．can hardly be harmful to the environment |
| C．is much safer than Plastic Bag2 |
| D．will end up being eaten by seals or some fish |
| A．Suggestions on reducing harm of plastic bags. |
| B．Disadvantages of using too many plastic bags. |
| C．Persuading people into using paper bags. |
| D．Other potential victims of plastic bags. |
| A．Excited | B．Serious | C．Ironical | D．Casual |
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