History is full of cases where dreams have been a pathway to creativity and discovery. A striking example is provided by Dr. Otto Loewi, a pharmacologist (藥理學家) and winner of a Nobel Prize. Loewi had spent years studying the chemical transmission of nerve impulses (脈搏). A tremendous breakthrough in his research came when he dreamed of an experiment three nights in a row. The first two nights he woke up and wrote down the experiment quickly and untidily on paper. But the next morning, he couldn’t tell what the notes meant. On the third night, he got up after having the dream. This time, instead of making notes he went straight to his laboratory and performed the important experiment. Loewi later said that if the experiment had occurred to him while awake he would have rejected it.

　　Loewi’s experiment gives some insight into using dreams to produce creative solutions. Nervous feelings are reduced during dreaming, which may be especially useful in solving problems that require a fresh point of view.

　　Being able to take advantage of dreams for solving is improved if you “set” yourself before retiring. Before you go to bed, try to think intently about a problem you wish to solve. Bury yourself in the problem by stating it clearly and reviewing all relevant information. Then use the suggestions listed in the previous section to catch your dreams. Although this method is not guaranteed to produce a novel solution or a new insight, it is certain to be an adventure. About half of a group of college students using the method for a week recalled a dream that helped them solve a personal problem.

　　44. The main idea of this passage is that _________.

　　A. very little is really known about the meaning of dreams

　　B. it is possible to “catch” one’s dreams by planning before going to sleep

　　C. dreams can be useful in producing creative solutions to one’s problems

　　D. Loewi’s experiment helped in the study of transmission of nerve impulses

　　45. The first paragraph is mainly organized by _________.

　　A. classifying types of experiments

　　B. summarizing the work of one researcher

　　C. comparing and exploring historical cases

　　D. telling in time order about one man’s research

　　46. If Loewi had thought of the experiment while awake, he would have _________.

　　A. asked someone else to do it B. thought it was a bad idea

　　C. tried it out on his own D. thought it was a wise idea

　　47. The author probably thinks that _________.

　　A. nervous feelings may stop someone thinking of useful ideas

　　B. dreaming is of very little value to most people

　　C. Loewi should not have conducted his experiment

　　D. college students should not try out dream experiments

　　答案解析：

　　44.C. 主旨大意題。根據第一段第一句可知。

　　45.D. 篇章結構題。根據第一段的時間連詞可知是以時間為線索展開的記敘文。

　　46.B. 細節理解題。根據第一段最后一句reject一詞可知。

　　高考英語閱讀理解練習題2：

　　Today just as technology changed the face of industry, farms have experienced an “agricultural revolution”. On the farm of today, machines provide almost all the power.

　　One of the most important benefits will be the farm computer. A few forward-looking farmers are already using computers to help them run their farms more efficiently. The computers help them keep more accurate records so they can make better decisions on what crops to plant, how much livestock (家畜) to buy, when to sell their products, and how much profit they can expect. Many computer companies have been developing special computer programs just for farmers. Programs are being written for pig producers, grain farmers, potato farmers, and dairy farmers. In the future, farmers will be able to purchase computer programs made to their needs. Because of the growing importance of computers on the farm, students at agricultural colleges are required to take computer classes in addition to their normal agricultural courses. There can be no doubt that farmers will rely on computers even more in the future. While the old-time farm depended on horse power, and modern farms depend on machine power, farms of the future will depend on computer power.

　　Another technological advance which is still in the experimental stage is the robot, a real “mechanized hired hand” that will be able to move and, in some ways, think like a human being. Agricultural engineers believe that computer-aided robots will make shocking changes in farming before the end of the century. Unlike farmers of the present, farmers of the future will find that many day-to-day tasks will be done for them. Scientists are now developing robots that will be able to shear (修剪) sheep, drive tractors, and harvest fruit. Even complex jobs will be done by robots. For example, in order to milk their cows, farmers must first drive them into the barn, then connect them to the milking machines, watch the machines, and disconnect them when they are finished. In the future, this will all be done by robots. In addition, when the milking is completed, the robots will automatically check to make sure that the milk is pure. The complete change of the farm is far in the future, but engineers expect that some robots will be used before long.

　　48. According to the passage, computers can not help farmers decide _______.

　　A. how much money they can earn from their products

　　B. whether to plant a certain kind of crop

　　C. what livestock to raise

　　D. when to sell their products

　　49. Which of the following statements is true?

　　A. Farmers in the future will depend totally on computers.

　　B. Farmers mainly use machines on their farms at present.

　　C. Both computers and robots have been in use on today’s farms.

　　D. Students at agricultural colleges needn’t take their normal agricultural courses.

　　50.What is the best title for the whole passage?

　　A. Computer, Farmers’ Best Friend

　　B. Farmers in The Future

　　C. The Agricultural Revolution

　　D. Computers and Robots

　　答案解析：

　　48.C. 細節理解題。根據文章第二段第三句中how many live-stock to buy可知表數量。

　　49.B. 細節理解題。根據文章第一段第一句可知。

　　50.C. 主旨大意題。標題中關鍵詞是 agricultural revolution.