2005年1月大学英语六级考试真题试卷 - 阅读4

Passage four
Every fall, like clockwork, Linda Krentz of Beaverton, Oregon, felt her brain go on
strike, “I just couldn’t get going in the morning,” she says. “I’d get depressed and gain
10 pounds every winter and lose them again in the spring.” Then she read about seasonal affective
disorder, a form of depression that occurs in fall and winter, and she saw the light – literally.
Every morning now she turns on a specially constructed light box for half an hour and sits in front
of in to trick her brain into thinking it’s still enjoying those long summer days, It seems to work.

Krentz is not alone. Scientists estimate that 10 million Americans suffer from seasonal
depression and 25 million more develop milder versions. But there’s never been definitive proof
that treatment with very bright lights makes a difference. After all, it’s hard to do a double-blind
test when the subjects can see for themselves light is on. That’s why nobody has
ever separated the real effects of light therapy from placebo(安慰剂)effects.

Until now. in three separate studies published last month, researchers report not only that
light therapy works better than a placebo but that treatment is usually more effective in the early
morning than in the evening. In two of the groups, the placebo problem was resolved by telling patients
they were comparing light boxes to a new anti-depressant device that emits negatively charged ions(离子).
The third used the timing of light therapy as the control.

Why docs light therapy work? No one really knows, “Our research suggests it has something to
do with shifting the body’s internal clock.” Says psychiatrist Dr. Lewey. The body is programmed to
start the day with sunrise, he explains, and this gets later as the days get shorter, But why such subtle
shifts make some people depressed and not others is a mystery.

That hasn’t stopped thousands of winter depressives from trying to heal themselves. Light boxes
for that purpose are available without a doctor’s prescription. That bothers psychologist Michael Terman
of Columbia University. He is worried that the boxes may be tried by patients who suffer from mental
illness that can’t be treated with light. Terman has developed a questionnaire to help determine whether
expert care is needed.

In any event, you should choose a reputable manufacturer. Whatever product you use should emit
only visible light, because ultraviolet light damages the eyes. If you are photosensitive(对光敏感的).
you may develop a rash, Otherwise, the main drawback is having to sit in front of the light for 30 to
60 minutes in the morning. That’s an inconvenience many winter depressives can live with.

26. What is the probable cause of Krentz’s problem ?
A) An unexpected gain in body weight .
B) Unexplained impairment of her nervous system .
C) Weakening of her eyesight with the setting in of winter .
D) Poor adjustment of her body clock to seasonal changes .

27. By saying that Linda Krentz “saw the light (Line 4,Para .1 ), the author means that she “________.”
A) learned how to lose weightB)realized what her problem was
C) came to see the importance of light D) became light-hearted and cheerful

28.What is the CURRENT view concerning the treatment of seasonal depression with bright lights ?
A)Its effect remains to be seen B) realized what her problem was
C) came to see the importance of light D) became light-hearted and cheerful

29. What is psychologist Michael Terman’s major concern?
A) Winter depressives will be addicted to using light boxes .
B) No mental patients would bother to consult psychiatrists
C) Inferior light boxes will emit harmful ultraviolet lights
D) Light therapy could be misused by certain mental patients.

30.Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A) Winter depressives prefer light therapy in spite of its inconvenience .
B) Light therapy increases the patient’s photosensitivity.
C) Eye damage is a side effect of light therapy .
D) Light boxes can be programmed to correspond to shifts in the body clock .