"Mind over matter" is an English saying meaning that we can control our bodies with our minds. Now scientists are finding increasing evidence that our mind can have a great effect on our physical health. Since our mind influences how we feel, it's not true to say if someone is ill just because he feels ill. The influence of the mind on how well we feel is the basis of what is known as the placebo effect. A placebo (which is Latin for "I shall please") is a harmless, inactive substance. Patients are sometimes given placebo pills and begin to feel better because they believe that they have been given real drugs and expect to respond to them. The placebo effect is very strong: research on pain suggests that up to 30% of the effect of most painkillers is a placebo effect. So if it is so powerful, why don't doctors use it today? According to Dr Persaud, they really do. "All these things like seeing a doctor, going to a hospital, and being scanned have a very strong placebo effect," he says. From the passage it can be seen that there will be no placebo effect if a patient . A) is dressed in white B) has a physical exam C) takes placebo pills D) sees a doctor
A
(Question)
When prehistoric man arrived in new parts of the world, something strong happened to the large animals; they suddenly became extinct. Smaller species survived; the large, slow-growing animals were easy game, and were quickly hunted to extinction. Now something similar could be happening in the oceans. That the seas are being over-fished has been known for years and researchers such as Ransom Myers and Boris Worm have shown how fast things are changing. They have looked at half a century of data from fisheries around the world. Their methods do not attempt to estimate the actual biomass (the amount of living biological matter) of fish species in particular parts of the ocean, but rather changes in that biomass over time. According to their latest paper published in Nature, the biomass of large predators (animals that kill and eat other animals) inanes fishery is reduced on average by 80% within 15 years of the start of exploitation. In some long-fished areas, it has halved again since then. Dr. Worm acknowledges that these figures are conservative . One reason for this is that fishing technology has improved. Today's vessels can find their prey using satellites and sonar, which were not available 50 years ago. That means a higher proportion of what is in the sea is being caught, so the real difference between present and past is likely to be worse than the one recorded by changes in catch sizes. In the early days, too, longlines would have been more saturated with fish. Some individuals would therefore not have been caught, since baited hooks would have been available to trap them, leading to an underestimate of fish stocks in the past. Furthermore, in the early days of longline fishing, a lot of fish were lost to sharks after they had been hooked. That is no longer a problem, because there are fewer sharks around noise. Dr. Myers and Dr. Worm argue that their work gives a correct baseline, which future management efforts must take into account. They believe the date support an idea current among marine... The author seems to be mainly concerned with most fisheries' _ . A) management efficiency B) biomass level C) catch-size limits D) technological application.
(Answer)
B
Ques: Success is often measured by the ability to overcome adversity.But,it is often the belief of others that gives us the courage to try. J.K.Rowling,author of the Harry Potter book series,began writing at the age of 6.In her biography,she remembers with great fondness when her good friend Sean,whom she met in secondary school,became the first person to encourage her and help build the confidence that one day she would be a very good writer "He was the first person with whom I really discussed my serious ambition to be a writer.He was also the only person who thought I was bound to be a success at it,which meant much more to me than I ever told him at the time." Despite many setbacks,Rowling persevered in her writing,particularly fantasy stories.But it wasn't until 1990 that she first conceived the idea about Harry Potter.As she recalls,it was on a long train journey from London to Manchester that the idea of Harry Potter simply fell into her head."To my immense frustration ,I didn't have a functioning pen with me,and I was too shy to ask anybody if I could borrow one.I think,now,that this was probably a good thing,because I simply sat and thought,for four (delayed train) hours,and all the details bubbled up in my brain,and this scrawny,blackhaired,bespectacled boy who didn't know he was a wizard became more and more real to me." That same year,her mother passed away after a tenyear battle with multiple sclerosis,which deeply affected her writing.She went on to marry and had a daughter,but separated from her husband shortly afterwards. During this time,Rowling was diagnosed with clinical depression.Unemployed,she completed her first novel in area cafes,where she could get her daughter to fall asleep.After being rejected by 12 publishing houses,the first Harry Potter novel was sold to a small British publishing house. Now with seven books that have sold nearly 400 million copies in 64 languages,J.K.Rowling is the highest earning novelist in history.And it all began with her commitment to... The text mainly tells us _ . A) hardship makes a good novelist B) the courage to try is a special ability C) you can have a wonderful idea everywhere D) encouragement contributes to one's success
Ans: D
I got my first driver's license in 1953 by taking driver education in my first year at Central High School in Charlotte,North Carolina.Four years later when it was time to renew my license I was a married woman.Henry and I were living in Baltimore,Maryland.Two weeks before my 20th birthday,Henry drove me to the motor vehicle office on a hot July afternoon.When I got to the office and showed to the man behind the counter my North Carolina driver's license,ready to renew,the man told me that I was under age by Maryland law since I was not yet 21."Mr. Henry Smith,your husband,will have to sign for you," he said. I argued,pointing to a very large belly of mine,"I am married.I am having a baby.Why should I have to have someone sign for me to drive?"He answered coldly."It's the law,madam." Henry encouraged me to calm down,just go ahead and get the license and be done with it."No,"I said.I refused to have him sign for me.So I left without a Maryland license. I called the North Carolina Motor Vehicle office and renewed my NC license by mail--using my name Susan Brown.And thus it was for the next twelve years.Since Henry was in the army I could drive under my home state license.By the time Henry left the army we were once again living in Maryland,and I had to take the Maryland driver's exam.Since then I just go in and renew every four years--sign the name Susan Brown,have my new picture taken, and walk out with a license to drive. Susan failed to renew her license the first time in Maryland because _ . A) she was forbidden to drive by Maryland law B) she lacked driving experience in Maryland C) she was to give birth to a baby soon D) she insisted on signing for herself
D