As the nights get lounger, those who suffer from the winter blues will be planning ways to escape to the sunshine. But there may be a much simpler way of cheering yourself up... simply shining a bright light into your ear canal. Up to one in four Britons suffer from seasonal affective disorder, with seven per cent of the population having full-blown SAD. It is caused by the brain not receiving enough daylight which is needed to trigger serotonin , a hormone that regulates mood. Symptoms range from mild lethargy to depression and insomnia, but a cure might be in sight. Two clinical trials, run by Valkee - who make a device that can shine light into your ear - and the University of Oulu in Finland, have found that carefully targeted light can help prevent the condition. Juuso Nissila, Valkee's co-founder and chief scientist said: "We presented earlier that the human brain is sensitive to light". "These two clinical trials demonstrate that channeling bright light via ear canal into brain's photosensitive areas effectively prevents and treats seasonal affective disorder." The University of Oulu reported that in their first study, 92 per cent of the patients with seasonal affective disorder achieved full remission after a month of daily eight-to-12 minute doses of light from the Valkee. Time Takala, chief physician at the Oulu Deaconess Institute said: "These two trials show that bright light channeled into the brain via ear canal is an important future method to treat seasonal affective disorder." Valkee launched its bright light headset in August 2010. It is classed as a medical device under EU regulations. The device channels bright light direct to the brain via the ear canal to prevent and cure depression, mood swings and even circadian-rhythm disorders such as jet lag. It costs PS185 and looks like an iPod - only the earphones emit light rather than sound. How many Britons suffer from seasonal affective disorder? A) Approximately a quarter. B) 7%. C) More than one fourth. D) 92%.
A
I believe that my country, Poland, is a perfect example for a place where food is particularly important. When we were little children, we began to understand how much a loaf of bread meant to our parents--to some it might sound silly but for me the custom of kissing bread before you started cutting it was simply amazing. It's not so common nowadays to treat food that way, since you hardly ever bake your own bread. Besides, everyone would call you crazy if you tried to kiss every bread roll before you ate them! But though we no longer make our food from scratch , some customs have been kept--that's why I feel so sorry every time I have to throw any food away--even though I no longer live with my parents and nobody would blame me for this anymore! Many people of our nation are still working as farmers, eating what they grow and harvest and therefore enjoying everything more. It's widely known that you value more anything that needs your effort in the first place. In most homes in Poland, especially those of farmers, the whole family would try and have their meals together--extremely difficult now, but so rewarding ! You can share other members' troubles and successes, give your children some attention, or just sit down for a moment instead of rushing through life aimlessly. Furthermore, your body, and stomach in particular will be very grateful for such a time! In Poland, a wedding, Christmas or even a birthday is celebrated with a great meal. Women in the house get together and cook, sometimes for a few days before the event, and the extremely good or unusual food will be remembered and widely talked about. You cannot over-value the importance of food in the country. What's more, almost everyone in Poland will be as interested in the topic as I am. From the text, we can learn that, in Poland, _ . A) most meals can be interesting topics for a long time B) the whole family often have meals together nowadays C) it's common for women to get together to cook for a few days D) family members can know more. about each other by having meals together
D
Q: In ancient Greek mythology we learn about a young man named Narcissus. He was so beautiful that he fell in love with his own reflection . He became obsessed , but soon realized that what he loved was not real. As a result, he became sad and died. In the place where he had stood appeared a soft yellow flower -a narcissus. This is where the word "narcissism" came from. Unfortunately, narcissism is often used to show disapproval because it is usually used to mean being self-centered and not caring about others. However, part of the reason that narcissism carries these negative meanings is that many people admire themselves in an unhealthy way. But the truth is that good self-love is necessary for our mental health, scientists say. A study published 10 years ago shows that low self-esteem is responsible for many social problems, and it can affect teenagers seriously. When they feel less confident and not as good as their classmates, teenagers are more likely to suffer from depression, commit suicide, get pregnant and bully others, according to the BBC. The other reason that narcissism is considered an ugly thing is because we are taught that we should care more about others than ourselves and that it's better to give than to receive. Thinking about others is the right thing to do, without question. But psychologists say that the love of others is actually based on self-love. If you see yourself as an unpleasant stranger, how can you be capable of making friends with anyone else? After all, you are closer to yourself than anyone else. After years of study, scientists also found that parents play a big part in building a child's self-belief. Only if the parents approve and accept their children, do they feel loved and learn to love themselves. The next time you look in the mirror, try to tell yourself that you are one of a kind. Pick out your best qualities and be proud of yourself. According to the text, low self-esteem _ . A) can make teenagers self-centered B) is the result of putting others before oneself C) has nothing to do with how a person was raised D) can give teenagers mental health problems
A: D
Q: For poets, bird song is a beautiful expression of nature in full bloom. But for scientists, the chirps of birds are far more meaningful than just pretty sounds. Latest studies show the way that young birds learn to sing is similar to that of a human baby learning to speak. "The question we're trying to answer is how a young bird learns its song," says Professor Michale Fee of MIT. Bird's creative, trial-and-error type of learning provides an ideal model for studying similar processes in humans. An example is how a baby's babble turns into the recognizable syllables of mama and papa. Also the part of the brain that is involved in bird song is very similar to that of a human. So birds may have something to teach us about our own brains, Fee said. The study shows that young birds like to create new and imperfect songs. Gradually, the youngsters' songs become less different and more similar to the sound of their parents. Scientists disabled part of a young finch's brain and stopped the learning in midstream. The bird still sings. But never learns the right songs. Fee's team found that the part of the brain involved is called the anterior forebrain pathway. Its neurons produce random bursts that make the young bird make new sounds and compared it with that of their parents. They also find out that once a bird is old enough that part of the brain will be less active. The study does not enable us to really understand the meaning of bird language. But Fee believes it will eventually be applied to human brain diseases, such as Parkinson's disease. According to the scientists,_plays the most significant role in the learning process of young birds. A) the part of brain called anterior forebrain pathway B) the trial-and-error type of learning C) the example of their parents D) the creation of new and imperfect songs
A: A