A Charlotte N.C. man was charged with first-degree murder of a 79-year-old woman whom police said he scared to death. Can the guy be held responsible for the woman’s death? Prosecutors (公诉人) said that he can under the state’s murder rule, which allows someone to be charged with murder if he or she causes another person’s death while committing or fleeing from a severe crime—even if he or she doesn’t kill someone on purpose.
But, medically speaking, can someone actually be frightened to death? We asked Martin Samuels, chairman of the neurology department at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
Absolutely, no question about it.
The body has a natural protective method called the fight-or-flight response, which was originally described by Walter Cannon，chairman of Harvard University’s physiology department from 1906 to 1942. If, in the wild, an animal is faced with a life-threatening situation, the automatic nervous system responds by increasing heart rate, increasing blood flow to the muscles, and slowing digestion, among other things. All of this increases the chances of succeeding in a fight or running away from an aggressive beast. This process certainly would be of help to early humans. However, in the modern world there is obvious decline of the fight-or-flight response.
The autonomic nervous system uses the chemical messenger to send signals to various parts of the body to activate the fight-or-flight response. This chemical is poisonous in large amounts; it damages the organs such as the heart, lungs, liver and kidneys. It is believed that almost all sudden deaths are caused by damage to the heart. There is almost no other organ that would fail so fast as to cause sudden death.
By the way, any strong positive or negative emotions such as happiness or sadness can cause the same result. There are people who have died in excitement or in religious passion. There was a case of a golfer who hit a hole in one, turned to his partner and said, “I can die now”, and then he dropped dead.
1.What is Martin Samuels’ attitude to the possibility of being frightened to death?
A. Approval. B. Disapproval. C. Doubtful. D. Indifferent.
2.What can we learn about the fight-or-flight response according to the passage?
A. The fight-or-flight response was raised and proved by Martin Samuels.
B. It is a natural protective method that can’t be found in all creatures but humans.
C. The ancient humans had a better fight-or-flight response than modern ones.
D. The fight-or-flight response is beneficial to both our actions and organs.
3.What activity can we infer is less likely to damage the organs?
A. Winning an unexpected fortune.
B. Missing a dead family member.
C. Watching a horror movie.
D. Listening to a sweet song.
4.The purpose of the passage is ______.
A. to explain why people will die of a heart attack
B. to offer some advice on protecting us from heart failure
C. to compare different kinds of feelings to cause a death
D. to show strong emotions can cause a sudden death
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Bugs Bunny’s Hoping Carrot Hunt In this game you are Bugs Bunny. And your goal is to reach the finish line. A carrot truck has spilled its loads! Gather as many carrots as you can, and when you get the big carrot, you’ll be able to jump even higher! Instructions: Use the mouse to move Bugs left and right, and click to jump a gap while gathering carrots. Category: Action |
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Mushroom Madness You are in charge of protecting several farms. It’s up to you to make sure the mushrooms there reach maturity before the animals in the forest get their hands on them. Use your swatter(苍蝇拍) to fight off anything that comes near them; use heavier weapons if necessary. Instructions: Slap any creature that comes near your mushrooms. Use the mouse to control the swatter. If you see a “power up”, click to use it. Collect coins to buy upgrades after each level. Category: Action |
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Rudolph’s Kick and Fly Santa’s little helpers have worked all year preparing for Christmas. When Santa finally leaves to deliver his presents, the elves head down to the snowfields with Rudolph, the reindeer, to play their favorite game: Kick and Fly! Instructions: 1. Use the mouse to aim, and click to launch an elf. 2. While in the air, click again to catch, and to gain extra height. 3. The goal is to collect as many Christmas decorations as possible, and get 10 points for each one. Tips: If you’re heading towards an obstacle, be sure to avoid it! Category: Action
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Click Flick Your mission is to save chicks falling from the sky. Use your trampoline(蹦床) to bounce them up and direct them into a nest. But hurry—if you don’t, many chicks will fall and lose their lives. There will be falling bombs, worms, nuts and eggs and you can get extra points by collecting the worms and nuts. Save the amount of chicks shown to unlock the next level! Instructions: Move the chicks left and right using keys or the mouse. Category: Adventure |
1.If a player wants to become stronger to drive animals away, he should try to _____.
A. find a “power up” or use heavier weapons
B. collect falling bombs as quickly as possible
C. click the elf while it’s in the air
D. get the big carrot while running
2.If a player has collected some worms and nuts, he _____.
A. is playing Mushroom Madness
B. will lose the game quite soon
C. will get 10 points for each one
D. will get extra points and get ahead
3.Which of the following statements about the games is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Bugs Bunny needs to be fast to win the game.
B. All four games are in the same category.
C. Players can only use the mouse to control the targets.
D. The number of elves decides whether a player wins.
4.In which game are there obstacles you must avoid?
A. Bugs Bunny’s Hopping Carrot Hunt. B. Mushroom Madness.
C. Rudolph’s Kick and Fly. D. Click Flick.
A funny thing happened on the way to the communication revolution: we stopped talking to one another.
I was walking in the park with a friend recently, and his cell phone rang, interrupting our conversation. There we were, walking and talking on a beautiful sunny day and suddenly, I became invisible, absent from the conversation.
The telephone used to connect you to the absent. Now it makes people sitting next to you feel absent. Why is it that the more connected we get, the more disconnected I feel? Every advance in communication technology is a tragedy to the closeness of human interaction. With email and instant messaging over the Internet, we can now communicate without seeing or talking to one another. With voice-mail, you can conduct entire conversations without ever reaching anyone. If my mom has a question, I just leave the answer on her machine.
As almost every contact we can imagine between human beings gets automated, the emotional distance index goes up. You can’t even call a person to get the phone number of another person any more. Directory assistance is almost always fully automated.
I am not against modern technology. I own a cell phone, an ATM card, a voice-mail system, and an email account. Giving them up isn’t wise. They’re a great help to us. It's some of their possible consequences that make me feel uneasy.
More and more, I find myself hiding behind email to do a job meant for conversations or being relieved with voice-mail picking up because I don't really have time to talk. The industry devoted to helping me keep in touch is making me lonelier.
1.Which of the following would be the best title of the passage?
A. The Advance of Modern Technology
B. The Consequences of Communication Technology
C. The Story of Communication Revolution
D. The Automation of Modern Communication
2.Which is NOT TURE according to the passage?
A. The author has decided not to use his phone when he is with his friend.
B. Modern technology makes it hard for people to have a face-to-face talk.
C. The limited use of communication device brings much inconvenience to the author.
D. The industry intended to keep people in touch is taking them away from each other.
3.The writer feels that the use of modern communication is ______.
A. satisfying B. encouraging
C. disappointing D. embarrassing
4.The passage implies that ______.
A. modern technology is bridging the people
B. modern technology is separating the people
C. modern technology is developing too fast
D. modern technology is interrupting people
My childhood and adolescence were a joyous outpouring of energy, an endless pursuit for expression, skill, and experience. was only a background to the great delight of lessons in music, dance, and dramatics.
Then one night at a high school dance, a remark, not intended for my , injured my youthful happiness: “That girl, what a pity she is blind.” Blind! A(n) word that implied everything dark, blank and helpless. I turned and called out, “Please don’t feel sorry for me, I’m having lots of fun.” the fun was not to last.
In college years, I began to struggle with the problem of earning a living. Part-time teaching of piano and occasional giving concerts proved only sources of economic support. In terms of time and effort involved, the financial return was . Self-doubt and dark moods sparked within me. to my misery was the repeated experience of knowing my sisters and friends dating excitedly. How I was to my piano, I could dissolve my frustration, accompanied by Chopin, Brahms, and Beethoven.
Then one day, I met a girl, an army nurse, whose faith was to change my life. As our acquaintance into friendship, she sensed my . She said, “Stop knocking on closed doors. I know your opportunity will come. You’re trying too hard. Why don’t you relax? And have you ever tried ?” The idea was strange to me. I had always believed that if you wanted , you had to go and get it for yourself. Yet, my sincerity and hard work had yielded poor returns, so I was to try anything else. Self-consciously, I performed the daily practice of prayer. I said, “God, show me the for which You sent me to this world.
In the years to follow, the answers began to arrive, satisfying my most optimistic expectation. One of the answers was Enchanted Hills, where my friend and I had the privilege of seeing blind children come alive in God’s out-of-doors. are the sources of pleasure and comfort I have found in friendship, and most important of all, I closer to God and, through Him, to immortality (永生).
1.A. School B. Society C. Family D. College
2.A. mind B. direction C. eyes D. ears
3.A. rude B. ugly C. dirty D. strange
4.A. quickly B. slowly C. gently D. quietly
5.A. Thus B. And C. But D. Though
6.A. adequate B. partial C. full D. rich
7.A. discouraging B. uninspiring C. encouraging D. convincing
8.A. Referring B. Contributing C. Adapting D. Adding
9.A. grateful B. excited C. proud D. sensitive
10.A. who B. which C. what D. where
11.A. jumped B. ran C. grew D. became
12.A. joy B. depression C. pleasure D. pity
13.A. practicing B. nursing C. praying D. volunteering
14.A. anything B. everything C. nothing D. something
15.A. able B. willing C. eager D. devoted
16.A. destination B. purpose C. meaning D. answer
17.A. with B. off C. beyond D. from
18.A. doctor B. teacher C. nurse D. prayer
19.A. Other B. Others C. Another D. Either
20.A. draw B. arrive C. drag D. pull
Our daughter doesn’t know what to ______ at the university; she can’t make up her mind about her future.
A. take in B. take over C. take up D. take on
______ from endless homework on weekends, the students now find their own activities, such as taking a ride together to watch the sunrise.
A. Freed B. Freeing C. To free D. having freed
