Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.
People who daydream are often thought of in negative terms, such as being lazy or not doing what they should be doing. However, scientists who study the brain have learned many interesting things, especially from studying the brains of daydreamers. In fact, far from being a waste of time, some scientists believe that daydreaming is a healthy and useful activity for all of our brains.
In order to study the brain, scientists use special devices that scan the brain and show pictures of which parts of the brain are active at certain times. By using this technique, they proved that when a person is daydreaming, the device will show a distinct pattern of activity in the brain called the "default" mode of thinking. In the default mode, the top or outside part of the brain is very active. Actually, several regions of the brain are interacting in this mode. Some scientists describe this mode as a time when the brain focuses on itself rather than focusing on the environment around the person. Typically, this occurs when a person is doing simple, tedious work or performing routine actions that don't need much attention, like walking to school or cooking simple foods. People tend to daydream during such activities.
The importance of daydreaming lies in developing both creative and social skills. When the mind is not engaged in dealing with one's immediate situation or problem, then it is free to wonder about things. A time of wandering allows the mind to create things. New inventions may be imagined, or possible solutions to a problem can be planned. For example, solutions for problems in relationships with other people may come to mind. In fact, most daydreams involve situations with others. Perhaps these are daydreams based on memories of the past, or daydreams of what might be in the future. In either case, daydreams help us develop the appropriate skills we can use in real interactions with others.
As neurologist Dr. Marcus Raichle of Washington University explains: "When you don't use a muscle, that muscle really isn't doing much. But when your brain is supposedly doing nothing and daydreaming, it's really doing a tremendous amount." During the so-called "resting state" the brain isn't resting at all!
What does the passage mainly discuss?
A. How is daydreaming different from sleeping?
B. Can daydreams reduce the hours we sleep?
C. Who daydreams more, men or women?
D. Why is daydreaming good for people?
Giải thích:
Bài đọc chủ yếu thảo luận nội dung gì?
A. Mơ mộng khác với ngủ như thế nào?
B. Mơ mộng có thể làm giảm số giờ chúng ta ngủ không?
C. Ai mơ mộng nhiều hơn, đàn ông hay phụ nữ?
D. Tại sao mơ mộng lại tốt cho con người?
Thông tin:
- In fact, far from being a waste of time, some scientists believe that daydreaming is a healthy and useful activity for all of our brains.
- The importance of daydreaming lies in developing both creative and social skills.
Tạm dịch:
- Trên thực tế, không phải là lãng phí thời gian, một số nhà khoa học tin rằng việc mơ mộng là một hoạt động lành mạnh và hữu ích cho bộ não của chúng ta.
- Tầm quan trọng của mơ mộng nằm trong việc phát triển cả kỹ năng sáng tạo và kỹ năng xã hội.
Chọn D.
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word(s) CLOSEST in meaning to the underlined word(s) in each of the following questions.
He has been jobless and often has to ask his parents for money.
In these difficult times, the company may have to _______ up to 100 laborers.
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the following questions.
________ the instructions twice, I still couldn't understand how to use this machine.
Street vendors can _______ a fortune from humble tea stalls with dirt cheap nosh and simple drinks.
Which of the following is closest in meaning to the word "unveiled" in paragraph 3?
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the sentence that is closest in meaning to each of the following questions.
He is very stubborn but flattery usually works like a charm on him.
There is a _______ table, which is a gift from my best friends on my housewarming.