But where is the "mind"? Is it in the brain? Or perhaps in the nervous system? After all, can we say that the mind is in any particular place? It is not a thing, like a leg, or even the brain. It is a function, an activity. Aristotle, twenty-three hundred years ago, observed that the mind was to the body what cutting was to the ax. When the ax is not in use, there is no cutting. So with the mind. "Mind," said Charles H. Woolbert, "is what the body is doing. "

　　If this activity is necessary for thinking, it is also necessary for carrying thought from one person to another. Observe how people go about the business of ordinary conversation. If you have never done this painstakingly, you have a surprise in store, for good conversationalists are almost constantly in motion. Their heads are continually nodding and shaking sometimes so vigorously that you wonder how their necks can stand the strain.

　　Even the legs and feet are active. As for the hands and arms, they are seldom still for more than a few seconds at a time.

　　These people, remember, are not making speeches. They are merely common folk trying to make others understand what they have in mind. They are not conscious of movement. Their speech is not studied. They are just human creatures in a human environment, trying to adapt themselves to a social situation. Yet they converse, not only with oral language, but with visible actions that involve practically every muscle in the body.

　　In short, because people really think all over, a speaker must talk all over if he succeeds in making people think.

　　六級閱讀練習題目：

　　21. The best title for the passage would be_______.

　　A. Bodily Communication B. Spoken Language

　　C. Bodily Actions D. Conversation

　　22. Which of the following statements would the author agree with?

　　A. Thinking is a social phenomenon.

　　B. Thinking is solely a brain function.

　　C. Thinking is a function of the nervous system.

　　D. Thinking is the sum total of bodily activity.

　　23. In communication, it is essential not only to employ speech, but also_______.

　　A. to speak directly to the other person

　　B. to employ a variety of bodily movements

　　C. to be certain that the other person is listening

　　D. to pay great attention to the other person's behavior

　　24. It can be inferred from the passage that the basic function of bodily activity in speech is to_______.

　　A. make the listener feel emotional

　　B. strengthen the speaker's understanding

　　C. strengthen or intensify the speaker's implied meaning to the listener

　　D. convey the speaker's implied meaning to the listener

　　25. Which of the following is TRUE?

　　A. The brain is compared to a telephone exchange.

　　B. The mind is an activity of the nervous system.

　　C. Some people remain still while talking to others.

　　D. Many people move their bodies on purpose while talking.

　　六級閱讀練習題答案：

　　21. A 22. D 23. B 24. C 25. A

　　六級閱讀練習題2：

　　Laziness is a sin(罪), everyone knows that. We have probably all had lectures pointing out that laziness is immoral, that it is wasteful, and that lazy people will never amount to anything in life. But laziness can be more harmful than that, and it is often caused by more complex reasons rather than simple wish to avoid work. Some people who appear to be lazy are suffering from much more serious problems. They may be so distrustful of their fellow workers that they are unable to join in any group task for fear of ridicule or of having their idea stolen. These people who seem lazy may be ruined by a fear of failure that prevents fruitful work. Or other sorts of fantasies (幻想) may prevent work; some people are so busy planning, sometimes planning great deals of fantastic achievements that they are unable to deal with whatever "lesser" work is on hand. Still other people are not avoiding work; strictly speaking, they are merely procrastinating rescheduling their day.

　　Laziness can actually be helpful. Like procrastinators, some people may look lazy when they are really thinking, planning, researching. We should all remember that great scientific discoveries occurred by chance. Newton wasn't working in the orchard when the apple hit him and he devised the theory of gravity. All of us would like to have someone "lazy" build the car or stove we buy, particularly if that "laziness" were caused by the worker's taking time to

　　check each step of his work and to do his job right. And sometimes, being "lazy"—that is,, taking time off for a rest—is good for the overworked students or executives. Taking a rest can be particularly helpful to the athlete who is trying too hard or the doctor who's simply working himself overtime too many evenings at the clinic. So be careful when you're tempted to call someone lazy. That person may be thinking, resting, or planning his or her next work.

　　六級閱讀練習題目：

　　26. The main idea of this passage is that_______.

　　A. laziness is a moral sin

　　B. there are advantages and disadvantages in being lazy

　　C. laziness is the sign of deep-seated emotion problems

　　D. lazy people do more careful work

　　27. The passage states that_______.

　　A. laziness is a disease

　　B. laziness is more beneficial than harmful

　　C. a good definition of laziness is emotional illness

　　D. some people appear lazy because they are insecure

　　28. Which of the following conclusions does the passage support?

　　A. Most of the time laziness is a virtue.

　　B. Most assembly workers are lazy.

　　C. The word laziness is sometimes applied incorrectly.

　　D. Most insecure people are lazy.

　　29. As used in this passage, the word "devised"(Para. 2) means_______.

　　A. understood B. wrote

　　C. made D. proved

　　30. Being lazy may be good for_______.

　　A. doctors B. athletes

　　C. executives D. those who overwork themselves

　　六級閱讀練習題答案：

　　26. B 27. D 28. C 29. C 30. D