You're rushing to work and a man ahead of you collapses on the sidewalk. Do you stop to help? In a study of by-standers, it was found that some people avert their gaze and keep on walking rather than stop and get involved. "There is a tendency to decide that no action is needed." says a psychologist. "The first thoughts that pop into your mind often keep you from offering help. In order to take action, you have to work against them." Here are some common thoughts that might prevent you from helping. * Why should I be the one? I'm probably not the most competent person in this crowd. You might think someone older or with more medical knowledge should offer assistance. * What if he doesn't really need my help? The fear of embarrassment is powerful; no one wants to risk looking foolish in front of others. * No one else looks concerned- this must not be a problem. We can follow the people around us, but most people tend to hold back their emotions in public. "If you spot trouble and find yourself explaining inaction, force yourself to stop and evaluate the situation instead of walking on," says the psychologist. "Then retry to involve other people; you don't have to take on the entire responsibility of being helpful. Sometimes it's just a matter of turning to the person next to you and saying, 'It looks like we should do something.' Or asking someone if an ambulance has been called and, if not, to call for one. Once you take action, most people will follow you." According to a study of by-standers, what will some people do when a man ahead falls down on the sidewalk? A) They will call for help and then walk away. B) They will stop and offer help. C) They will turn away their eyes and go on walking. D) They will laugh at him.
C
(Question)
Rene Descartes' explanation of pain has long been acknowledged in medicine. He proposed that pain is a purely physical phenomenon - that tissue injury makes specific nerves send a signal to the brain, causing the mind to notice pain. The phenomenon, he said, is like pulling on a rope to ring a bell in the brain. It is hard to overstate how deeply fixed this account has become. In medicine, doctors see pain in Descartes' terms-- as a physical process, a sign of tissue injury. The limitations of this explanation, however, have been apparent for some time, since people with obvious injuries sometimes report feeling no pain at all. Later, researchers proposed that Descartes' model be replaced with what they called the gate control theory of pain. They argued that before pain signals reach the brain, they must first go through a gating mechanism in the spinal cord . In some cases, this imaginary gate could simply stop pain signals from getting to the brain. Their most _ suggestion was that what controlled the gate was not just signals from sensory nerves but also emotions and other "output" from the brain. They were saying that pulling on the rope need not make the bell ring. The bell itself--the mind-- could stop it. This theory led to a great deal of research into how such factors as mood, gender, and beliefs influence the experience of pain. In a British study, for example, researchers measured pain threshold and tolerance levels in 53 ballet dancers and 53 university students by using a common measurement: after immersing your hand in body-temperature water for two minutes to establish a baseline condition, you put your hand in a bowl of ice water and start a clock running. You mark the time when it begins to hurt: that is your pain threshold. Then you mark the time when it hurts too much to keep your hand in the water: that is your pain tolerance. The test is always stopped at 120 seconds, to prevent injury. The results were striking. On average female students reported pain at 16 seconds and pulled their... The last sentence of the passage serves mainly to express that _ A) scientific judgments are difficult to understand B) theoretical investigations are generally useless C) researchers still have a long way to go before the puzzle is made clear D) there is always something puzzling at the heart of science
(Answer)
C
A primary school in UK has banned Valentine's Day cards because of concerns that young pupils spend too much time talking about boyfriends and girlfriends. Ashcombe Primary School in WestonSuperMare,Somerset,has told parents that cards declaring love can be"confusing" for children under the age of 11,who are still emotionally and socially developing. In this month's newsletter ,Peter Turner,the head teacher,warned that any cards found in school would be confiscated .He wrote:"We do not wish to see any Valentine's Day cards in school this year. Some children and parents encourage a lot of talk about boyfriends and girlfriends. We believe that such ideas should wait until children are mature enough emotionally and socially to understand the commitment involved in having or being a boyfriend or girlfriend."Mr.Turner said any families wanting to support the Valentine's Day idea should send cards in the post or deliver them to home addresses by hand. His views were _ by Ruth Rice,46,who has twins Harriet and Olivia at the school. She said,"Children at that age shouldn't really be thinking about Valentine's Day,they should be concentrating on their schoolwork."They are at an age when they are impressionable and most parents including myself are with Mr.Turner. "She added that the cards cause" too much competition. If someone gets a card and another doesn't,then someone will be disappointed. However,Rajeev Takyar,40,who has two children Jai,11,and Aryan,five,at the school,said he was "outraged".He said,"There are schools that have banned conkers and snowballs,and now Valentine's Cards."I think banning the cards stops children from having social skills. How are they going to learn about relationships otherwise?It's ridiculous. Alec Suttenwood,father of three children,said of the ban:"It's totally ridiculous. Young children just send the cards to each other as friends and to their parents. It's just a bit of harmless fun. There is no difference between this and Mother's or Father's Day." According to Rajeev Takyar, _ . A) sending Valentine's Day cards helps develop children's social skills B) banning Valentine's Day cards will benefit children C) the cards cause too much competition among children D) children are too young to talk about love
A