Text 2
Do you remember all those years when scientists argued that smoking would
kill
us but the doubters insisted that we didn't know for sure? That the
evidence was inconclusive, the science uncertain? That the antismoking lobby was
out to destroy
our way of
life and the government should stay out of the
way? Lots of Americans bought that nonsense, and over three decades, some 10
million smokers went to early graves.
There are upsetting parallels today, as scientists in one wave after
another try to awaken us to the growing threat of global warming. The latest was
a panel from the National Academy of Sciences, enlisted by the White House, to
tell us that the Earth's atmosphere is definitely warming and that the problem
is largely man-made. The clear message is that we should get moving to protect
ourselves. The president of the National Academy, Bruce Alberts, added this key
point in the preface to the panel's report “Science never has all the answers
But science does provide us with the best available guide to the future, and it
is critical that out nation and the world base important policies on the best
judgments that science can provide concerning the future consequences of present
actions.”
Just as on smoking voices now come from many quarters insisting that the
science about global warming is incomplete, that it's Ok to keep pouring fumes
into the air until we know for sure. this is a dangerous game: by the 100
percent of the evidence is in, it may be too late. With the risks obvious and
growing, a prudent people would take out an insurance policy now.
Fortunately, the White House is starting to pay attention. But it's obvious
that a majority of the president's advisers still don't take global warming
seriously. Instead of a plan of action, they continue to press for more
research-a classic case of “paralysis by analysis”.
To serve as responsible stewards of the planet, we must press forward on
deeper atmospheric and oceanic research But research alone is inadequate. If the
Administration won't take the legislative initiative, Congress should help to
begin
fashioning conservation measures A bill by Democratic Senator Robert Byrd
of West Virginia, which would offer financial incentives for private industry is
a promising start Many see that the country is getting ready to build lots of
new power plants to meet our energy needs. If we are ever going to protect the
atmosphere, it is crucial that those new plants be environmentally sound.
26. An argument made by supporters of smoking was that
A. there was no scientific evidence of the correlation between smoking and
death.
B. the number of early deaths of smokers in the past decades was
insignificant.
C. people had the freedom to choose their own way of life.
D. antismoking people were usually talking nonsense.
27. According to Bruce Alberts, science can serve as
A. a protector.
B. a judge.
C. a critic.
D. a guide.
28. What does the author mean by “paralysis by analysis” (Last line,
paragraph 4)
A. Endless studies kill action.
B. Careful investigation reveals truth.
C. prudent planning hinders.
D. Extensive research helps decision-making.
29. According to the author, what should the Administration do about
A. Offer aid to build cleaner power plants.
B. Raise public awareness of conservation.
C. Press for further scientific research.
D. Take some legislative measures.
30. The author associates the issue of global warming with that of smoking
because
A. they both suffered from the government's negligence.
B. a lesson from the latter is applicable to the former.
C. the outcome of the latter aggravates the former.
D. both of them have turned from bad to worse.
Text 3
Of all the components of a good night's sleep, dreams seem to be least
within our control. In dreams, a window opens into a world where logic is
suspended and dead people speak. A century ago, Freud formulated his
revolutionary theory that dream
s were the disguised shadows of our
unconscious desires and rears, by
the late 1970s. neurologists had switched to thinking of them as just
“mental noise” the random byproducts of the neural-repair work that goes on
during sleep. Now researchers suspect that dreams are part of the mind's
emotional thermostat, regulating moods while the brain is “off-line” And one
leading authority says that these intensely powerful mental events can be not
only harnessed but actually brought under conscious control, to help us sleep
and feel better, “It's your dream” says Rosalind Cartwright, chair of psychology
at Chicago's Medical Center. “If you don't like it , change it.”
Evidence from brain imaging supports this view. The brain is as active
during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep-when most vivid dreams occur-as it is when
fully awake, says Dr, Eric Nofzinger at the University of Pittsburgh. But not
all parts of the brain are equally involved, the limbic system (the “emotional
brain”)is especially active, while the prefrontal cortex (the center of
intellect and reasoning) is relatively quiet. “We wake up from dreams happy of
depressed, and those feelings can stay with us all day” says Stanford sleep
researcher Dr, William Dement.
And this process need not be left to the unconscious. Cartwright believes
one can exercise conscious control over recurring bad dreams As soon as you
awaken, identify what is upsetting about the dream. Visualize how you would like
it to end instead, the next time is occurs, try to wake up just enough to
control its course. With much practice people can learn to, literally, do it in
their sleep.
At the end of the day, there's probably little reason to pay attention to
our dreams at all unless they keep us from sleeping of “we wake u in a panic,”
Cartwright says Terrorism, economic uncertainties and general feelings of
insecurity have increased people's anxiety. Those suffering from persistent
nightmares should seek help from a therapist For the rest of us, the brain has
its ways of working through bad feelings. Sleep-or rather dream-on it and you'll
feel better in the morning.
31. Researchers have come to believe that dreams
A. can be modified in their courses.
B. are susceptible to emotional changes.
C. reflect our innermost desires and fears.
D. are a random outcome of neural repairs.
32. By referring to the limbic system, the author intends to show
A. its function in our dreams.
B. the mechanism of REM sleep.
C. the relation of dreams to emotions.
D. its difference from the prefrontal cortex.
33. The negative feelings generated during the day tend to
A. aggravate in our unconscious mind.
B. develop into happy dreams.
C. persist till the time we fall asleep.
D. show up in dreams early at night.
34.Cartwright seems to suggest that
A. waking up in time is essential to the ridding of bad dreams.
B. visualizing bad dreams helps bring them under con troll.
C. dreams should be left to their natural progression.
D. dreaming may not entirely belong to the unconscious.
35. What advice might Cartwright give to those who sometimes have had
dreams?
A. lead your life as usual.
B. Seek professional help.
C. Exercise conscious control.
D. Avoid anxiety in the daytime.