单选题 In a world where bad news has become everyday news, people are turning to an ancient technique to deal with stress: meditation. At meditation centers, prayer groups and yoga studios around the United States, more and more are finding peace of mind by being quiet. Some use meditation to help deal with life changes; others, to process the painful reality of political and social unrest around the world of the type that has been experienced more recently. Stress from the September 11 terrorist attacks is probably "about 70 percent" of the reason one Chicago man started meditating and practicing yoga with his new wife. He became so emotionally affected that he realized he needed help in managing his stress. The yoga classes he takes begin and end with meditation. This "quiet time" helps him feel a lot more relaxed and gives him more breath control. The fact is, though, that he is not alone.
Across the country, many are turning to more meditative exercise as they seek both psychological and physiological relief. In addition to helping people work out their stress, these classes bring people together, in the same way that religious Services or other community activities have done in the past. Different schools of meditation teach particular techniques, but they share a common basis-focusing attention on something your mind can return to if you are distracted. This may be the rhythm of breathing, an object such as a candle flame, or a repetitive movement, as in walking or taiji.
Regardless of the specific technique or mode that is followed, meditation has well-documented benefits. Medical research indicates that it causes a sharp decrease in metabolic activity, reduced muscle tension, slower breathing, and a shift from faster brainwaves to slower waves, it also reduces high blood pressure. Practitioners are convinced that meditation is good for health because it relaxes the body.
For ages, meditation has been a core practice of many groups meeting in their communal or religious centers. However, let's not forget that this is the twenty-first century. So, for those people who are too shy or busy to go to the nearest meditation center, there are Internet sites that offer online guided meditation. One has a variety of meditations from various religious traditions. At another, Jesuit priests post meditations and readings from the Scriptures everyday, and at still another, Buddhist and Hindu practitioners include music and visuals to accompany their offerings. These websites 'allow anyone with a computer access to meditation at any time. The fact is that whether online, at yoga classes, or at local spiritual centers, more people are turning to the practice of meditation.

单选题 The increasing popularity of meditation results from people's need for
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】事实细节题。文章第一段第一句引出meditation,指出人们利用冥思应对压力,接着具体介绍了利用冥思的目的,即利用冥思寻求心理和生理上的解脱。这说明,冥思越来越流行的原因是人们需要它应对各种压力。因此[A]为正确答案,[B]、[C]和[D]都是利用冥思的具体目的。
单选题 The Chicago man is introduced to show
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】推理判断题。one chicago man出自文章第一段。前几句介绍了人们利用冥思的目的,接着举了一名芝加哥男子的例子,指出,9•11恐怖袭击产生的压力可能是他开始冥思和瑜伽练习的主要原因,随后具体说明了他的经历。这说明,该例子是为了表示9•11恐怖袭击对人们产生的压力。故[B]正确。 [A]、[C]和[D]是练习瑜伽和冥思的好处。
单选题 Various meditative techniques all requires
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】事实细节题。meditative techniques在文章第二段第三句提到。该句介绍了不同的冥思培训班传授不同的特别技艺,但都有一个基本原理——如果你心烦意乱,那么你集中思想关注某事可以帮你恢复平静,随后列举了注意力集中的方法。这说明,不同的冥思技术都要求注意力集中,故选[D]。[A]是冥思培训班的方式,[B]和[C]是注意力集中的方法,与题目的要求不符,可排除。
单选题 From the passage, we know that meditation
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】事实细节题。由选项可知本题问的是冥思的benefits,定位在文章第三段,第一句指出无论遵循什么具体方法或模式,冥思都有毋庸置疑的好处,第二句引用了医学研究结果来证明其好处。选项[A]是对第二段最后一句的错误理解,颠倒了练太极与冥思的关系;选项[B]对well-documented一词的错误理解;选项[D]夸大了冥思在治疗高血压方面的作用;只有选项[C]正确反映了冥思使较高速脑波转变为较慢速脑波的作用,所以[C]为答案。
单选题 In this new era, meditation is characterized by
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】事实细节题。前面的段落介绍了人们利用冥思的目的以及冥思带来的好处,最后一段提到,现在是21世纪,有许多因特网网站都提供网上指导,这些网站容许任何有电脑、能上网的人随时登录搜寻有关冥思的信息。这说明,冥思在新时代有了新特点,即网络的可用性,故选[B]。