单选题
At all ages and at all stages of life, fear presents a problem to almost everyone. "We are largely the playthings of our fears," wrote the British author Horace Walpole many years ago. "To one, fear of the dark; to another, of physical pain; to a third, of public ridicule; to a fourth, of poverty; to a fifth, of loneliness — for all of us our particular creature waits in a hidden place." Fear is often a useful emotion. When you become frightened, many physical changes occur within your body. Your heartbeat and responses quicken; your pupils expand to admit more light; large quantities of energy-producing adrenaline(肾上腺素)are poured into your bloodstream. Confronted with a fire or accident, fear can fuel life-saving flight. Similarly, when a danger is psychological rather than physical, fear can force you to take self-protective measures. It is only when fear is disproportional to the danger at hand that it becomes a problem. Some people are simply more vulnerable to fear than others. A visit to the newborn nursery of any large hospital will demonstrate that, from the moment of their births, a few fortunate infants respond calmly to sudden fear-producing situations such as a loudly slammed door. Yet a neighbor in the next bed may cry out with profound fright. From birth, he or she is more prone to learn fearful responses because he or she has inherited a tendency to be more sensitive. Further, psychologists know that our early experiences and relationships strongly shape and determine our later fears. A young man named Bill, for example, grew up with a father who regarded each adversity as a temporary obstacle to be overcome with imagination and courage. Using his father as a model, Bill came to welcome adventure and to trust his own ability to solve problem. Phil's dad, however, spent most of his time trying to protect himself and his family. Afraid to risk the insecurity of a job change, he remained unhappy in one position. He avoided long vacations because "the car might break down". Growing up in such a home, Phil naturally learned to become fearful and tense.
单选题
In the last sentence of Paragraph 1, "our particular creature" refers to______.
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】解析:根据文章第一段最后一句“for all of us our particular creature waits in a hidden place.”可知,每个人都有一个恐惧的事物在阴暗的角落等待着我们。据此判断,答案是A。
单选题
Fear can be a useful emotion to us because it can______.
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】解析:根据文章第二段第四句“Confronted with a fire or accident,fear can fuel life-saving flight.”可知,面对大火和事故,恐惧可以促使你产生保护生命的逃避反应。前三个选择项均属于问题的表层,未触及实质。据此判断,答案是D。
单选题
Fear becomes a problem only when______.
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】解析:根据文章第二段最后一句“It is only when fear is disproportional to the danger at hand that it becomesa problem.”可知,只有当恐惧与所面临的危险严重不成比例的时候,才会给人们造成问题。换而言之,当人们无法承受所面临的危险的时候,恐惧才造成真正的问题。据此判断,答案是C。
单选题
Different responses of newborn infants to a loudly slammed door imply that______.
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】解析:根据文章第三段最后一句“From birth,he or she is more prone to learn fearful responses because heor she has inherited a tendency to be more sensitive.”可知,由于遗传了较为敏感的倾向性,有些婴儿生来就更易于学习面临恐惧的逃避反应。这是本段作者叙述不同的婴儿对突然情景产生不同的恐惧反应的意图所在,也就是说,恐惧反应带有遗传性。据此判断,答案是A。
单选题
Psychologists have found that our later fears are determined largely by our______.
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】解析:根据文章第四段第一句“Further,psychologists know that our early experiences and relationshipsstrongly shape and determine our later fears.”可知,心理学家知道,人们早期的经验和亲友关系强烈地塑造并决定着后来的恐惧状态。前三项均为早期经历的一种形式,有以偏概全之嫌。据此判断,答案是D。