Unit 5 Meeting your ancestors课时作业

Language points

Ⅰ.阅读理解(共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分)

　　阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。

　　A

　　We all want to believe that laughter is good for what makes us ill, but the science backing that up is thin.Most studies have been small and have relied on self­reported assessments.

　　However, a few studies relying on lab testing do show some benefits."A big laugh leads to the release (释放) of endorphins (chemicals that can make you feel happier) from the brain，" says Michael Miller from the University of Maryland Medical Center.

　　A 2005 study by Miller measured the blood flow of 20 volunteers before and after watching a funny movie and a sad movie.After the sad movie, blood flow was more restricted in 14 of the 20 viewers.But after the movie that made them laugh, average blood flow increased by 22 percent.

　　Financial backing for laughter and humor research is weak - so weak that when Mary Bennett, director of the Western Kentucky University School of Nursing, wanted to look into the effect of laughter on the immune (免疫) system, she found herself asking other researchers for equipment from their labs."It's really hard to get taken seriously when you say you study laughter，"she says.

　　But her study of 33 healthy women, published in 2003, showed that those who laughed at a humorous movie had higher levels of natural killer cell activity, which increased their ability to fight off disease.However, the effect was seen only in the subjects who laughed out loud, not in those who quietly watched the comedy.

　　But most of the research on laughter and health depends on personal feelings or opinions rather than scientific facts.One study of 70 depressed elderly women found that laughter yoga was just as effective as exercise in improving mood, as measured by self­satisfaction reports by subjects.

　　When Bennett is asked whether laughter cures or prevents any disease, her quick answer is a simple "No." Still, she adds, "I think it's a useful add­on to real medicine.If you're receiving medicinal treatment, anything you can do to help you stay healthy through something unpleasant will help."

语篇解读：笑一笑，十年少。不过这一说法缺乏科学证据，目前针对笑的研究还很有限。

　　1.What does the 2005 study show?

A．Funny movies may cause blood problems.