Comprehension
According to "Why Do Some Brains Enjoy Fear?" what feeling do many people commonly have after a frightening experience, such as touring a haunted house?
a. great joy
b. confidence
c. curiosity
d. amusement
B. Confidence
Which situation most clearly illustrates a person who is having a cognitive problem?
a. Joe trips over a tree root on a hike.
b. Rita can't understand her grammar homework.
c. Francisco is unfairly blamed for breaking a window.
d. Akeisha is upset when her friend moves to another city.
b. Rita can't understand her grammar homework.
Read the following excerpt from “Why Do Some Brains Enjoy Fear?”
One of the main hormones released during scary and thrilling activities is dopamine, and it turns out some individuals may get more of a kick from this dopamine response than others do. Basically, some people’s brains lack what Zald describes as “brakes” on the dopamine release and re-uptake in the brain.
Which of the following best describes Dr. Kerr’s use of words in this excerpt?
a. She uses scientific terms such as dopamine to impress readers with her knowledge.
b. She uses the conversational phrase “get more of a kick from” to show that she is familiar with popular culture.
c. She uses scientific terms such as dopamine for precision but a simple comparison to “brakes” to help readers understand.
d. She uses vivid adjectives such as scary and thrilling to help persuade readers that her topic is of interest to them.
c. She uses scientific terms such as dopamine for precision but a simple comparison to “brakes” to help readers understand.
What is the most likely reason that the author chose Dr. Margee Kerr as the subject of her interview in “Why Do Some Brains Enjoy Fear?”
a. Dr. Kerr is a college professor.
b. Dr. Kerr enjoys sharing her knowledge.
c. Dr. Kerr is on the staff of a haunted house.
d. Dr. Kerr is an expert on the topic of fear.
d. Dr. Kerr is an expert on the topic of fear.
When did Mr. Bull graduate from high school?
a. 2005
b. 2006
c. 2007
d. 2008
b. 2006
In "Why Do Some Brains Enjoy Fear?" why does Dr. Margee Kerr caution against taking young people to a haunted house?
a. There are scarier experiences available to them.
b. Their brain chemistry is different from an adult's.
c. The fright they experience may create lasting memories.
d. Most young people prefer rides such as "Russian Ice Slide".
c. The fright they experience may create lasting memories.
Which is the stimulus in the following situation?
A basketball player trains shooting baskets for years. In a big game, at the end of the second half, a teammate passes the ball to him. The player sees that the clock is running down. Realizing that the game is almost over, he instantly decides to shoot, even though he is nearly at midcourt. He scores, and his team wins the game.
a. the player's training
b. the player's shot
c. the victory
d. the clock
d. the clock
Read the following excerpt from “Why Do Some Brains Enjoy Fear?”
Haunted houses are great at this—they deliver a startle scare by triggering one of our senses with different sounds, air blasts, and even smells. These senses are directly tied to our fear response and activate the physical reaction, but our brain has time to process the fact that these are not “real” threats. Our brain is lightning-fast at processing threat. I’ve seen the process thousands of times from behind the walls in ScareHouse—someone screams and jumps and then immediately starts laughing and smiling.
In this excerpt, why does Dr. Kerr mention that people often start “laughing and smiling” directly after a scare?
a. to show how irrational people can be
b. to show how enjoyable a trip to a haunted house can be
c. to show how quickly the brain can determine a threat is not real
d. to show how efficiently brain chemicals can alter people’s responses to fear
c. to show how quickly the brain can determine a threat is not real
What does the research cited in “Why Do Some Brains Enjoy Fear?” show is the reason that people differ in their reactions to frightening situations, such as haunted houses?
a. different past experiences
b. variations in brain chemistry
c. different amounts of courage
d. variations in blood flow to the brain
b. variations in brain chemistry
When did Mr. Bull graduate from Tennessee Tech?
a. 2009
b. 2010
c. 2011
d. 2013
c. 2011
What is necessary for people to enjoy being frightened, according to "Why Do Some Brains Enjoy Fear?"
a. belief that the danger is real
b. the presence of friends or family
c. belief in the absence of any real danger
d. familiarity with fight or flight feelings
c. belief in the absence of any real danger
Which description best represents dissonance?
a. a large fish that has seventeen legs
b. a sales clerk that behaves rudely
c. a person who can speak several languages
d. an ancient house that makes creaky noises
a. a large fish that has seventeen legs
What is the first word in the text?
a. The
b. A
c. This
d. When
c. This
What claim in “Why Do Some Brains Enjoy Fear?” does Dr. Kerr support by referring to the child who was made to fear ordinary rabbits?
a. Not everyone enjoys being afraid.
b. Scary experiences can be hard to forget.
c. People can be made to fear almost anything.
d. Children can be traumatized by frightening experiences.
c. People can be made to fear almost anything.
When is Mr. Bull's birthday?
a. May 31, 1988
b. March 31, 1987
c. May 30, 1989
d. March 30, 1986
a. May 31, 1988
What is one of the reasons given in "Why Do Some Brains Enjoying Fear?" to explain why people have been scaring themselves and others since prehistoric times?
a. It is profitable.
b. It is a way to enjoy social contact.
c. It helps people identify others they can trust.
d. It prepares children for challenging life experiences.
d. It prepares children for challenging life experiences.
What is dopamine?
a. a drug
b. an element on the Periodic Table
c. a chemical in your brain
d. a ligament in your elbow
c. a chemical in your brain
Which conclusions can be drawn most logically from the information in “Why Do Some Brains Enjoy Fear?” Choose two options.
a. Different cultures have more similarities than differences.
b. Fear is not always negative; it depends on the person and situation.
c. Dislike of frightening situations that thrill others is a form of cowardice.
d. The experiences very young children have can affect them for many years.
e. Thrill-seekers are willing to spend a great deal of money to boost their self-esteem.
f. If an adult has a frightening experience followed by a “natural high,” it loses its power to be scary.
b. Fear is not always negative; it depends on the person and situation.
d. The experiences very young children have can affect them for many years.
Which of the following sentences contains a technical term?
a. Today, technology has redefined how people work and learn.
b. An arpeggio is a series of notes in a chord, played individually.
c. I was down in the dumps until I heard my favorite song on the radio.
d. A computer can provide a virtual design for constructing a building.
b. An arpeggio is a series of notes in a chord, played individually.
In what city is Arsenal Football Club located?
a. Manchester
b. Paris
c. Barcelona
d. London
d. London
Which of the following did the "Russian Ice Slides" described in "Why Do Some Brains Enjoying Fear?" pave the way for?
a. roller coasters
b. haunted houses
c. circus sideshows
d. Halloween celebrations
a. roller coasters
Based on your knowledge of the meaning of the word parts -ion and -ive, choose the most likely definitions for retributive and retribution.
a. retributive: “having the quality of punishment” and retribution: “punishment”
b. retributive: “punishment” and retribution: “having the quality of punishment”
c. retributive: “punishment” and retribution: “to punish”
d. retributive: “to punish” and retribution: “punishment”
a. retributive: “having the quality of punishment” and retribution: “punishment”
Read the following excerpt from “Why Do Some Brains Enjoy Fear?,” in which Dr. Kerr states her views.
One of the most interesting things about studying fear is looking at the social constructions of fear, and learned fears versus those fears that appear to be more innate, or even genetic. When we look across time and across the world, we find that people truly can become afraid of anything.
Based on this passage, choose the idea with which Dr. Kerr is most likely to agree.
a. People’s fears are determined by human nature.
b. Society has an important role in defining what people fear.
c. People are only afraid of the things society teaches them to fear.
d. Freed from society’s pressures, people would probably have no fears.
b. Society has an important role in defining what people fear.
Read the two sentences.
Sentence 1 Whether you feel terrified or ecstatic, chemicals in the brain are at work shaping your mood.
Sentence 2 Dopamine, a chemical in the brain, plays a role in emotional responses ranging from fear to enjoyment.
Which of the following best states the contrast between the two sentences?
a. Sentence 1 uses scientific terms to inform experts. Sentence 2 uses scientific terms to help readers understand.
b. Sentence 1 uses scientific terms to provide precise information. Sentence 2 uses ordinary terms to convey a general idea.
c. Sentence 1 uses ordinary terms to convey a general idea. Sentence 2 uses scientific terms to provide precise information.
d. Sentence 1 uses ordinary terms to convey a general idea. Sentence 2 uses scientific terms to contradict that idea.
c. Sentence 1 uses ordinary terms to convey a general idea. Sentence 2 uses scientific terms to provide precise information.
What is Arsenal Football Club's nickname?
a. The Cannons
b. The Gunners
c. The Bullets
d. The Black Powder Brigade
b. The Gunners