While most people consider that laughter is one of the nature’s great treatments for a whole range of mental and physical diseases, it is still a serious scientific subject that researchers are trying to figure out.
“Laughter is social.” says Robert R. Provine, author of the book “Laughter: A Scientific Investigation”, who has been studying laughter for decades. “Almost all people laugh ‘ha-ha-ha’ basically the same way. Whether you speak Mandarin, French or English, everyone will understand laughter. There is a pattern generator(发生器) in our brain that produces this sound.
Laughing is also a good way of communicating. Babies laugh long before they speak. No one teaches them how to laugh. They just do it. People may laugh at a prank(恶作剧) on April Fools’ day. But surprisingly, only 10 to 15 percent of laughter is the result of someone making a joke. Laughter is mostly about social responses rather than reaction to a joke. Deaf people laugh without hearing and people on cell phones laugh without seeing, which shows that laughter isn’t dependent on a single sense but on social interactions.
And laughter is not just a human thing. Chimps tickle(挠痒) each other and even laugh when another chimp pretends to tickle them.
Jaak Panksepp studies rats that laugh when he tickles them. It turns out rats love to be tickled. They return again and again to the hands of researchers tickling them, Panksepp’s video shows.
By studying rats, scientists can figure out what’s going on in the brain during laughter. It has been found that laughter in rats produces a chemical that acts as an antidepressant(抗抑郁药) and anxiety-reducer. Scientists think the same thing probably happens in humans, too. This would give doctors a new chemical target in the brain in their effort to develop drugs that fight depression and anxiety in people.
Even so, laughter itself has not been proved to be the best medicine, experts said. “No study has shown that laughter produces a direct health benefit,” Provine said, “largely because it’s hard to separate laughter from just feeling good.”
1. Why does the writer say “laughter is mostly about social responses rather than reaction to a joke”?
A. because people can communicate with each other by laughing.
B. because laughter is the same sound in all the human’s languages.
C. because laughter is considered a basic language all people can learn.
D. because everyone can understand the meaning of the word laughter.
2.From the last two paragraphs we know that______.
A. laughter has no direct connection with good feelings
B. laughing every day can cure people of many diseases
C. the medical functions of laughter are still under experiment
D. scientists have learned what is happening in a human brain when he laughs
3. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
A. Laughter depends on many senses.
B. Laughter is a social response shared by all creatures.
C. If you speak different languages, you will laugh differently.
D. A new medicine has been developed based on the laughter research.
Chinese International School
Application Form
Before an applicant can be invited to take part in an assessment, an application form should be returned to the Admissions Office, and the application fee of HK$1,000 cannot be returned. For overseas applicants wishing to pay in currencies other than HK dollars, the fee is US$145. Checks are also good for payment to “Chinese International School”.
The application should include:
※ Applicant’ academic report from the last school year.
※ A recent passport-sized photo (attached to the application form).
※ A copy of the applicant’s Hong Kong ID card or a passport showing a valid Hong Kong visa.
※ A company letter confirming the application.
Please note that the application fee is non-returnable. Applicants who would like to re-apply for another academic year are asked to submit a new application and application fee.
Acceptance
Applicants will be informed of their acceptance status in writing by postal mail. Initial(最初的) offers for Reception will be sent out from late March once all assessments have been completed.
Some applicants who have been assessed may be held on a reserve list. Acceptances may also be made on a conditional basis among the applicants on the reserve list.
Applicants who have been assessed but who have not been admitted are welcome to reapply for the next academic year. Please note that such applicants will be asked to submit a new application and application fee.
Confirmation of Acceptance and Enrollment(录取)
Once an applicant has been admitted, the applicant family will be asked to confirm acceptance and hold the student’s place with immediate payment of the required fees for the Nomination Right (HK$ 500), plus the sum of HK$ 7,500 as the first tuition payment.
In addition, enrollment will not be considered complete until the following have been received, normally one month before the start of the new school year:
•Physical examination results
•Tuition (first month)
1.According to the passage, if the applicants reapply for an academic year, ______.
A. the application fee can be reduced to a half
B. applicants on a reserve list needn’t be assessed
C. a new application and application fee are to be required
D. the initial application form should be returned to the Admissions Office
2.How will the applicants possibly be informed of the acceptance status?
A. By fax. B. By regular mail
C. By telephone. D. By e-mail.
3. If an applicant has been admitted, the applicant family ______.
A. will be asked to submit a new application
B. will receive physical Examination results
C. will be asked to only pay the first month fee
D. will be asked to confirm acceptance and pay the fees
4.Which of the following is true?
A. Applicants held on a reserve list will not be admitted.
B. Once applicants are refused, they can’t apply for it again.
C. The applicants should show a Hong Kong visa or a Hong Kong ID card.
D. Applicants don’t have to get a company letter to confirm their application.
Last week I was riding my special motorbike and then stopped at a convenience store. As I was getting my wheelchair off the back, a man watched me from his car and I noticed a wheelchair in his back seat. We spoke for a moment and I asked him about the wheelchair. He answered that it was for his daughter. “Well, do you think she would like to go for a ride on my motorbike with me?” I asked. He seemed shocked that a total stranger would ask him this. He thought about it for a second and said, “OK, as long as I can follow you.”
He introduced me to Amy and he sat her on my back seat. Her father followed me for a few miles and she talked non-stop about what she wanted for Christmas.
As we came back to the convenience store, she said, “This ride is the best Christmas present I could ever receive. I have been in a wheelchair my whole life and didn’t know I could do this.” I told her about some of the other things I do (ski, travel the world by myself, etc.). As her father was taking her off my bike, she turned to him and said, “Oh Daddy, I’m going to be OK. Mr. Bryant does all kinds of things, and I will too.” Her father turned away as a tear of joy rolled down his cheek. He hugged me and said, “I was sitting here praying for a gift for Amy that would encourage her. She often felt that her life was dull compared to other children. God answered my prayer just now. Now I pray that God will bless you for your gift to Amy today.” I believed what he said. Being kind and thoughtful to others, we can be an answer to prayer.
1. How did the father feel at first when the author invited his daughter for a ride?
A. He felt surprised because he didn’t know the author.
B. He was happy because his daughter could gain excitement.
C. He was moved because the author offered to help his daughter.
D. He felt nervous because he was worried about his daughter’s safety.
2. What can we know about the author?
A. He was a disabled man.
B. He worked in a convenience store.
C. He often helped people who were in trouble.
D. He usually drove too fast.
3.According to the passage, the girl _______.
A. used to be a completely healthy person
B. was not allowed to do some fierce sports
C. was unwilling to communicate with a stranger
D. usually felt sad about life due to her disability
4.What did the author’s gift refer to according to the girl’s father?
A. The motorbike. B. The wheelchair.
C. The ride. D. The blessing.
When I was a young teenager, about 14, I was already ready to work. My father was a dairy man and he had been working his entire life. For him, getting up at 5 a.m. and working a couple of hours before I went to school, and then more after school until there was not enough to see, were normal.
My father considered putting good work ethics in me to be very . He began to show me these, not through , but through his actions. He would not a job until it was done. He put his all into everything he did. However, he showed me this not just in working, but in everything. Like when I was in soccer, I wanted to a game once, and he explained to me that I had made a and that even if I just skipped one game, then I did not to play the rest of the games.
So the day I started my first job at the age of 14, I was to show my father that I could do it well, and that I was not going to . My entire was to make my father proud of me. I knew that I did, he would not say it in words, but he would show it. My first job was doing for a company. As most of you know, construction is not an easy job, especially being so . When someone as young as I started working, they would either or get stronger. I got stronger. I worked the I had been taught and I gave that day everything I had. In the end, my boss was . He even called to tell my parents what a good worker I was, and my parents’ eyes . From that day on I have worked every job to my full , because that day defined(界定) my life. It defined how I was going to work, and I will always stick to it in the rest of my life.
1.A. goingB. workingC. learningD. playing
2.A. timeB. chanceC. lightD. strength
3.A. ridiculousB. easyC. absoluteD. important
4.A. factsB. wordsC. practiceD. assessment
5.A. quitB. findC. doD. finish
6.A. mightB. wouldC. couldD. should
7.A. enjoyB. defeatC. skipD. take
8.A. commitmentB. improvement C. devotionD. compromise
9.A. decideB. submitC. resistD. deserve
10.A. preparedB. shockedC. delightedD. interested
11.A. stickB. leaveC. failD. play
12.A. problemB. worldC. trickD. goal
13.A. in caseB. now thatC. even ifD. as though
14.A. regulation B. construction C. communication D. reception
15.A. weakB. poorC. delicateD. young
16.A. breakB. struggleC. pauseD. object
17. A. mannerB. momentC. wayD. method
18.A. impressedB. surprisedC. inspiredD. excited
19.A. staredB. shoneC. liftedD.opened
20.A. occupationB. potentialC. spiritD. skill
These car payments are going to put me ______ again.
A. green with envy B. in the red
C. in the black D. tickled pink
Another group of Qing Tombs sits about 100 kilometres ______ of Beijing．
A. at the west B. the west
C. to west D. west
