Question

9．No one knows why people dream，but some dreams might be connected to the mental processes that help us learn．In a recent study，scientists found a connection between nap-time （午睡時間） dreams and better memory in people who were learning a new skill．
So perhaps one way to learn something new is to practice，practise，practise---and then sleep on it．
"I was surprised by this finding，"Robert Stickgold，a Harvard University scientist who led the study．
In the study，100 college students each spent an hour on a computer，trying to get through a virtual maze （虛擬迷宮）．The maze was difficult，and the study participants had to start in a different place each time they tried---making it even more difficult．
Then，for the first 90 minutes of a five-hour break，half of the participants were required to stay awake while half were told to sleep．Participants who stayed awake were asked to describe their thoughts．Participants who slept were asked to describe any dream they had．
Stickgold and his colleagues wanted to know about NREM，or non-REM sleep．REM stands for"rapid eye movement"，which is what happens during REM sleep．This period of sleep often brings strange dreams to a sleeper，although dreams can happen in both kinds of sleep．Stickgold wanted to know what people were dreaming about when their eyes weren't moving，during NREM sleep．Other studies have found a connection between NREM bring activity and learning ability．
Four of the 50 people who slept said their dreams were about the maze．Later，when these four people tried the computer maze again，they were able to complete it faster．
Stickgold believes the dream itself doesn；t help a person learn---it's the other way around．He suspects that such dreams are caused by the brain processes associated with learning．
All the maze-dreamers had done the task poorly the first time，which makes Stickgold wonder if the NREM dreams show up when a person finds a new task particularly difficult．People who had other dreams，or people didn't sleep，didn't show the same improvement．
 
36．In the first stage of the study，the participants were asked toB
A．design a maze on computer
B．find their way out of a maze
C．decide where to begin a maze
D．remember a location in a maze
37．What happened to the participants during the break？D
A．Half of them were woken up when they started to dream．
B．Half of them were asked to dram about the maze．
C．All of them were asked to describe their thoughts．
D．Half of them were asked to sleep for 90 minutes．
38．What can we learn from the passage？D
A．Everyone will dream about a new skill after learning it．
B．Stickgold was the first to study dreams and learning．
C．During NREM sleep，people usually don't dream．
D．Unusual dreams often occur during REM sleep．
39．In the first stage of the study，the participants were asked toB
A．design a maze on computer
B．find their way out of a maze
C．decide where to begin a maze
D．remember a location in a maze
40．Which of the following statement best summarizes the study's conclusion？A
A．Dreams have a role in learning．
B．Dreams have no basis in reality．
C．Dreams are important for health．
D．Dreams are the best way to study．

Answer 1

分析 本文是一篇科教類閱讀，文章主要講述了一個實驗，實驗要求參與者在電腦上走出一個虛擬的迷宮．此外，研究者對參與者做夢和學習技能的能力進行分析，從而得出結論：做夢在學習方面起著作用．

解答 36．B細節(jié)理解題．根據第四段In the study，100 college students each spent an hour on a computer，trying to get through a virtual maze （虛擬迷宮）．可知在研究中，參與者被要求在電腦上，走出虛擬的迷宮．故選B．
37．D細節(jié)理解題．根據第五段Then，for the first 90 minutes of a five-hour break，half of the participants were required to stay awake while half were told to sleep．可知在休息期間的前90分鐘，一半的參與者被要求醒著，另一半被要求睡覺．故選D．
38．D推理判斷題．根據第六段This period of sleep often brings strange dreams to a sleeper，although dreams can happen in both kinds of sleep．可知在REM睡眠階段，睡覺的人經常夢到奇怪的夢．故選D．
39．B細節(jié)理解題．根據第四段In the study，100 college students each spent an hour on a computer，trying to get through a virtual maze （虛擬迷宮）．可知在研究中，參與者被要求在電腦上，走出虛擬的迷宮．故選B．
40．A推理判斷題．根據第一段可知，研究結果表明做夢在學習方面起著作用．故選A．

點評 本文考察學生的理解推斷能力以及細心程度，只要抓住文章的關鍵詞，采用尋讀的方法查找細節(jié)，就能找到正確答案．