Imagine this situation. You pass a group of people. The people are talking to each other. You cannot hear what they are saying. But suddenly they start laughing. What would you think? Would you think they were laughing at something funny that one of them said? Or -- be honest with yourself -- would you think they were laughing at you? Yes, you. Being laughed at is a common fear. But a major study published in two thousand and nine found that this fear is not the same around the world. It differs from culture to culture. People in Finland were the least likely to believe that people laughing in their presence were making fun of them. Less than ten percent of Finns in the study said they would think that, compared to eighty percent of people in Thailand. Some people in the study said they felt unsure of themselves in social situations but hid their feelings of insecurity. Others said they avoided social situations where they had been laughed at before. The study found that people in Turkmenistan and Cambodia were more likely to be in the first group. They would hide their feelings of insecurity if they were around other people's laughter. But people in Iraq, Egypt and Jordan were more likely to try to avoid such situations if they felt they had been laughed at before. Shy people often avoid situations that would force them into close contact with other people. They worry that something they say or do will make other people laugh at them. But some people worry much more than others. They may have a disorder called gelotophobia. Gelos is a Greek word. It means laughter. Phobia means fear. This fear of laughter can be truly sad for those who live with it. It can affect how they lead their lives. In the study, a team from the University of Zurich led more than ninety researchers from around the world. They wanted to understand the difference between normal shyness and true gelotophobia. Another purpose of the study was to compare the levels of fear of being laughed at in different cultures. The researchers surveyed... The passage is likely to occur in _ . A) an advertisement B) a science magazine C) a science fiction D) a storybook
B
(Question)
Children who spend more time outdoors may have a lower risk of becoming nearsighted, new research suggests. In the study, researchers looked at about 1,900 schoolchildren. The scientists found that the kids who had been instructed to spend more time outdoors over three years were 23 percent less likely to develop nearsightedness during this time than those who had not been instructed to spend more time outdoors. Moreover, among the kids who did become nearsighted during the study, the degree to which their eyesight worsened was slightly smaller among those who spent more time outdoors. The researchers selected six schools and required the children, whose average age was 7 at the start of the study, to attend one additional 60-minute class of outdoor activities during each school day for three years. The parents of these children were also encouraged to engage their children in outdoor activities after school, especially during weekends and holidays. The other half of the children, from another six schools, continued their usual activity patterns. Afterthree years, 30.4 percent of the kids in the intervention group had become nearsighted, compared with 38.5 percent of the kids in the other group. It is not clear exactly why spending more time outside would benefit children's eyesight, the researchers said. However, some research has suggested that the higher levels of light intensity found outdoors may increase the release of the chemical dopamine of the eye. In turn, dopamine is known to restrain the type of growth in the eye that is associated with nearsightedness. Based on the new results, the researchers recommend that children spend more time outdoors because of the potential benefits to their eyesight. However, it's important to protect kids' skin and eyes from UV light, which can be damaging. What did the children in the intervention group do during each school day? A) Attend an extra class of outdoor activities. B) Continue to do their usual activities. C) Spend one hour in doing eye exercises. D) Participate in outdoor activities with parents.
(Answer)
A
Joanne was stuck in a traffic jam in central Birmingham at 5:30 and at 6:30 she was expected to be chairing a meeting of the tennis club. At last, the traffic was moving. She swung quickly racing to her house. As she opened the door , she nearly tripped over Sheba. "Hey, Sheba," she said, "I've got no time for you now, but I'll take you out as soon as I get back from tennis club." Then she noticed Sheba seemed to be coughing or choking. Obviously, she could hardly breathe. Immediately, Joanne realized she would have to take her to the vet . When she got there, the vet was just about to close for the day. Seeing the state of Sheba, Dr. Sterne brought her quickly into his office. "Listen, doctor, I'm really in a rush to get to a meeting, can I leave her with you, and go and get changed? I'll be back in ten minutes to pick her up, and then I'll take her on to the meeting with me. Is that OK?" "Sure." said the doctor. Joanne made the quick trip back to her house in a couple of minutes. As she was once more entering the hallway, the phone by the door began to ring. "This is Dr. Sterne," said an anxious voice. "I want you to get out of that house immediately, "said the doctor's voice. "I'm coming round right away, and the police will be there any time now. Wait outside!" At that moment, a police car screeched to a stop outside the house. Two policemen got out and ran into the house. Joanne was by now completely confused and very frightened. Then the doctor arrived. "Where's Sheba? Is she OK?" shouted Joanne. "She's fine, Joanne. I took out the thing which was choking her, and she's OK now. " Just then, the two policemen reappeared from the house, half-carrying a white--faced man, who could hardly walk. There was blood all over him. "My God, " said Joanne, "how did he get in there? And how did you know he was there?" "I think he must be a burglar." said the doctor. "I knew he was there because when I finally removed what was stuck in Sheba's throat:it turned out to be three human fingers." From the passage, we can infer that _ . . A) Sheba fought against the burglar B) the police found the burglar had broken in C) Joanne had planned to take her dog to the meeting D) the doctor performed a difficult operation on the dog
A