楊奕威

Around the globe， about 1 in 4 adults says they’re lonely. The consequences of long-term social disconnection can be serious. But social isolation isn’t new or uncommon. What’s critical is how people respond to this feeling when it arises. “Just like thirst is a signal you need hydration， loneliness is a signal that you need human connection，” says Dr. Jeremy Nobel， a primary care physician and author of the new book Project UnLonely.

When there’s not a way to “belong”， finding connection can be tough. “This is where the arts can be very powerful because they act as a catalyst to make it easier，” Nobel says. Drawing a picture may seem like a individual act， but it can be a bridge to connection， a way to express what’s on your mind.

Research shows making art or even viewing the work of other people reduces levels of stress and also increases levels of the feel-good hormones. About 20 years ago， Nobel founded the Foundation for Art&Healing. He often gathered soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan in small groups to engage in artistic expression and mindfulness activities. “So what the arts do is they relax you and put you in a good mood，” Nobel says. One of the goals of Project UnLonely is to encourage people to get started on their own. Here are some tips to get going.

On the one hand， make something. Pick up your grandma’s pie recipe， plant an herb garden， try a textile （紡織的） art. Make something that puts your thoughts and feelings and vision about who you are and what matters into a tangible artifact that then can express those thoughts and feelings to others. On the other hand， find a group that matches your interests. Share your thoughts and feelings with other people who have that interest， and in those interactions you can begin to reveal yourself and share the unique things that matter to you.

（材料出自npr網(wǎng)站，有刪改）

1. The author quotes Dr. Jeremy Nobel’s words in Paragraph 1 to make the text ______.

A. better-known B. better-organized

C. more persuasive D. more interesting

2. What do the underlined words probably mean？

A. Promotion. B. Barrier.

C. Behavior. ? ?D. Connection.

3. The author mentions the Foundation for Art&Healing to show that ______.

A. the benefits of the Foundation for Art&Healing are huge

B. soldiers enjoy themselves well in its activities

C. mindfulness is vital for artistic expression

D. art can reduce stress and increases happiness

4. Why should we make something like planting an herb garden？

A. To get a deeper insight into who we really are.

B. To directly express our thoughts and feelings.

C. To better understand the skills of gardening.

D. To convey our emotions through things.

1. C。解析：文章結(jié)構(gòu)題。材料首段的前三句話表達(dá)了作者對(duì)孤獨(dú)的看法，作者在后面引用Jeremy Nobel博士的話“就像口渴是你需要補(bǔ)水的信號(hào)一樣，孤獨(dú)是你需要人際交往的信號(hào)”，目的是讓自己的話更具有說(shuō)服力，C選項(xiàng)符合材料意思。

2. A。解析：詞義猜測(cè)題。根據(jù)畫線詞所在單句中的“to make it easier”，我們可知此處的代詞“it”指的是“finding connection（找到共鳴）”，因此藝術(shù)應(yīng)該是作為找到共鳴的一種“促進(jìn)因素”，A選項(xiàng)符合材料意思。

3. D。解析：例證題。根據(jù)材料第三段第一句中的“making art or even viewing the work of other people reduces levels of stress and also increases levels of the feel-good hormones”，我們可知這是例子所要證明的信息，即“創(chuàng)作藝術(shù)品，甚至觀看他人的作品能夠減輕壓力，提高讓人感覺(jué)良好的激素水平”，D選項(xiàng)符合材料意思。

4. D。解析：細(xì)節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)題干關(guān)鍵詞“planting an herb garden”定位至材料尾段第二句，再結(jié)合下一句中的“Make something”“into a tangible artifact”“express those thoughts and feelings”，我們可知做類似耕種植物園的事情的原因在于，通過(guò)做一些有形的東西來(lái)傳遞自己的想法和感受，D選項(xiàng)符合材料意思。