Question

Believe it or not but it is true. There are people who lose the ability to understand or use words due to brain damage. But they become extremely good at something else. They become experts at spotting liars. The condition in which people lose their power to understand or use words due to brain damage are called aphasia(失语症). A study conducted in Massachusetts, U.S., has clearly proved that aphasics make good lie detectors(测谎仪).

In the last 100 years, many doctors studying the brain have mentioned examples of this amazing power of patients suffering from aphasia. Recently, scientists conducted tests to see if all that was said about aphasics was true. They studied the powers of a mixed group of people. Some were normal; others were aphasic. And it was proved clearly that the normal volunteers still got fooled by words. The aphasics were far ahead of them in recognizing false speech. The results of the study were reported in the magazine Nature.

`Fourteen years ago, famous American doctor, Dr. Oliver Sacks, wrote about his experiences with aphasic patients in a book. He remembered a particular incident in a hospital. Patients from the aphasia room were watching TV. Their president, Ronald Reagan, was giving a speech. He was trying to put feelings into each and every word of his speech. But his speech had an opposite effect on the patients. They were not impressed. On the contrary, the whole room shook with their laughter. The aphasics knew that he did not mean a word of what he was saying.

Dr. Sacks saw aphasics as more gifted than normal people. Normal people “get carried away” by words. An aphasic cannot understand words. But he or she can still understand what is being said. He said most of the aphasics had this superior understanding. So, while normal people think of aphasic patients as brain damaged, they actually seem to understand human expressions better.

1.We can know from the first paragraph ___.

A. how aphasics get their special ability    B. that aphasics can tell if you are lying

C. that aphasics are good at telling lies    D. why aphasics are experts at spotting liars

2.The phrase “get carried away” in the last paragraph means ___.

A. get misunderstood    B. get excited    C. get fooled    D. get discouraged

3.Dr. Oliver Sacks thinks that aphasics ___.

A. can be cured totally    B. can not understand what is being said

C. are specially gifted in a way    D. should be treated equally and nicely

4.Which would be the best title of the passage?

A. A great discovery    B. A special way of understanding

C. Why aphasics can’t talk    D. The great lie detectors

Answer

1. B

2. C

3. C

4. D

【解析】

本文是一篇说明文。文章介绍的是失语症的患者虽然不会说话但是能检测人们是否在撒谎。

1.细节理解题。根据文章第一段的句子"But they become extremely good at something else．They become experts at spotting liars．"可知失语症患者能辨别你是否在撒谎。故选B。

2.词义猜测题。根据文章最后一段的句子"But he or she can still understand what is being said．（失语症患者能理解别人说的话），"可知Normal people"get carried away"by words．的意思是：正常人会被语言欺骗。故选A。

3.细节理解题。根据文章最后一段的句子"Dr．Sacks saw aphasics as more gifted than normal people．"可知Dr．Oliver Sacks认为失语症的人有特殊的才能。故选C。

4.主旨大意题。根据文章内容和第一段的句子"A study conducted in Massachusetts，U．S．，has clearly proved that aphasics make good lie detectors（测谎仪）．"可知文章介绍的是失语症的患者虽然不会说话但是能检测人们是否在撒谎。故选B。