9．Do you know how it is when you see someone yawn （打哈欠） and you start yawning too？Or how hard it is to be among people laughing and not laugh yourself？Well，apparently it's because we have mirror neurons （神經(jīng)元）in our brains．
Put simply，the existence of mirror neurons suggests that every time we see someone else do something，our brains imitate it，whether or not we actually perform the same action．This explains a great deal about how we learn to smile，talk，walk，dance or play sports．But the idea goes further：mirror neurons not only appear to explain physical actions，they also tell us that there is a biological basis for the way we understand other people．
Mirror neurons can undoubtedly be found all over our brains，but especially in the areas which relate to our ability to use languages，and to understand how other people feel．Researchers have found that mirror neurons relate strongly to language．A group of researchers discovered that if they gave people sentences to listen to （for example："The hand took hold of the ball"），the same mirror neurons were triggered as when the action was actually performed （in this example，actually taking hold of a ball）．
Any problems with mirror neurons may well result in problems with behavior．Much research suggests that people with social and behavioral problems have mirror neurons which are not fully functioning．However，it is not yet known exactly how these discoveries might help find treatments for social disorders．
Research into mirror neurons seems to provide us with ever more information concerning how humans behave and interact．Indeed，it may turn out to be the equivalent （相等物）for neuroscience of what Einstein's theory of relativity was for physics．And the next time you feel the urge to cough in the cinema when someone else does-well，perhaps you'll understand why．
21．Mirror neurons can explainC．
A．why we cry when we are hurt
B．why we cough when we suffer from a cold
C．why we smile when we see someone else smile
D．why we yawn when we see someone else stay up late
22．The underlined word"triggered"in the third paragraph probably means"A"．
A．set off B．cut off
C．built up D．broken up
23．We can learn from the passage that mirror neuronsA．
A．relate to human behavior and interaction
B．control human physical actions and feelings
C．result in bad behavior and social disorders
D．determine our knowledge and language abilities
24．What is the passage mainly about？D
A．Ways to find mirror neurons．
B．Problems of mirror neurons．
C．Existence of mirror neurons．
D．Functions of mirror neurons．
分析 你知道別人打呵欠你也跟著打呵欠，在眾多正在大笑的人群中而你很難不笑嗎？這是你的神經(jīng)元起作用，本文主要講述神經(jīng)元對于人類的行為和人類互動的作用．
解答 21．C 細節(jié)理解題．根據(jù)第二段第一句話the existence of mirror neurons suggests that every time we see someone else do something，our brains imitate （模仿）it，whether or not we actually perform the same action．鏡像神經(jīng)元的存在表明，每當我們看到別人做什么，我們的大腦模仿（模仿），我們是否真正執(zhí)行相同的動作．可知答案為C項．
22．A詞義猜測題．根據(jù)下文的perform和本句的含義可知"如果他們給人們一些句子來聽，那么他們就會發(fā)出同樣的神經(jīng)元和進行一些行為動作一樣．所以劃線部分單詞意為"發(fā)出"和set off近義．
23．A 推理判斷題．根據(jù)最后一段第一句Research into mirror neurons seems to provide us with ever more information concerning how humans behave and interact鏡像神經(jīng)元的研究似乎為我們提供了更多有關人類行為和互動的信息．可知答案選A．
24．D主旨大意題．根據(jù)第一段的疑問句引出神經(jīng)元和下文解釋神經(jīng)元對于人類行為和互動提供更多的信息可以知道本文主要告訴我們mirror neurons的作用，D項能概括文章大意．
點評 在閱讀時要抓住文章的主題和細節(jié)，分析文章結構，根據(jù)上下文內在聯(lián)系，挖掘文章的深層含義，對于暗含在文章中的人物的行為動機，事件中的因果關系及作者未言明的傾向、意圖、態(tài)度、觀點等要進行合乎邏輯的判斷、推理、分析，進一步增強理解能力，抓住材料實質性的東西．
