Question

Uh­oh, the new year's just begun and already you're finding it hard to keep those resolutions to junk the junk food，get off the couch or kick smoking. There's a biological reason why a lot of our bad habits are so hard to break—they get deep­rooted in our brains.

That's not an excuse to give up. Understanding how unhealthy behaviors become deep­rooted has scientists learning some tricks that may help good habits replace the bad.“Why are bad habits stronger? You're fighting against the power of an immediate reward. We all as creatures give greater value to an immediate reward than something that's delayed，” says Dr Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Just how that bit of happiness turns into a habit involves a pleasure­sensing chemical named dopamine(多巴胺). It trains the brain to want that reward again and again—increasing the connection each time—especially when it gets the right cue(暗示) from your environment.

People tend to overestimate their ability to resist temptations around them, thus destroying attempts to get rid of bad habits. Even scientists who recognize it find it hard to resist.“I don't like popcorn. But every time I go to the cinema, I have to eat it，” Volkow says.“It's fascinating.”

A movement to pay people for behavior changes may make use of that connection, as some companies offer employees immediate payments for adopting better habits. However paying for behavior turns out, researchers say there are some steps that may help counter your brain's hold on bad habits: repeat，repeat，repeat the new behavior—the same routine at the same time of day. Determined to exercise？Doing it at the same time of the morning makes the brain recognize the habit eventually. If you don't do it, you feel awful. Exercise itself raises dopamine levels, so eventually your brain will get a feel­good hit even if your muscles protest. Reward yourself with something you really desire, Volkow stresses. You exercised all week? Stuck to your diet? Buy a book, a great pair of jeans, or try a fancy restaurant.

20．What's the subjective reason for being hard to break bad behaviors?

A．Some behaviors get deep­rooted in our brains.

B．We prefer an immediate reward.

C．We value delayed gifts.

D．We are all creatures of nature.

21．What does the underlined word “connection” in Paragraph 3 refer to?

A．Pleasure and behavior.  　B．Brain and reward.

C．Happiness and dopamine.  　D．Cue and environment.

22．It can be inferred that the higher the dopamine level is，________．

A．the harder it is for you to break the bad habit

B．the less pleasure you will get

C．the stronger bad habits will become

D．the more you'll want to get a reward

23．Why does Volkow eat popcorn even though he doesn't like it?

A．Because he recognizes the importance of him.

B．Because it is needed for normal growth of the body.

C．Because he can't resist the temptation of it.

D．Because it makes him relaxed to eat popcorn while seeing films.

Answer 1

這是一篇科普文。人們?cè)谛履甑絹頃r(shí)常常會(huì)下定某些決心，然而卻發(fā)現(xiàn)很難堅(jiān)持下去。科學(xué)家研究出了一些“技巧”，可以讓好習(xí)慣取代壞習(xí)慣。

20．B　細(xì)節(jié)理解題。此題應(yīng)特別注意題干中the subjective reason(主觀原因)。根據(jù)短文第二段中的“We all as creatures give greater value to an immediate reward than something that's delayed”可知，難以改掉壞習(xí)慣在主觀上的原因是人們更看重即時(shí)的好處。A項(xiàng)有很大的干擾，文章第一段中提到：這些壞習(xí)慣根植于我們的大腦中，這是很難改掉壞習(xí)慣在生物學(xué)上的原因(客觀原因)。

21．A　詞義猜測(cè)題。根據(jù)語境：在快樂的感覺轉(zhuǎn)化為一種習(xí)慣的過程中，一種感知快樂的化學(xué)物質(zhì)多巴胺在起作用，它不斷促使大腦期望得到這種犒賞，并不斷加強(qiáng)快樂感與這種行為之間的聯(lián)系。由此可知，connection指的是“快樂感與行為之間的聯(lián)系”。

22．D　推理判斷題。根據(jù)第三段內(nèi)容可知，多巴胺是一種感知快樂的化學(xué)物質(zhì)，它使大腦不斷期望得到某種犒賞。最后一段中的“Exercise itself raises dopamine levels”能進(jìn)一步證明，多巴胺的水平越高，人們就越想得到某種犒賞。

23．C　細(xì)節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)第四段內(nèi)容可知，人們往往高估自己抵制身邊誘惑的能力，這使他們?yōu)閿[脫壞習(xí)慣而作出的努力毀于一旦。Volkow就是因?yàn)榈挚共涣诉@種誘惑才吃爆米花的。