choose the ONE that best fits into the passage. Then mark the corresponding
letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.
Putting feelings into words makes sadness and anger less intense, U.S. brain researchers said on Wednesday, in a finding that explains why (62) to a therapist — or even a sympathetic bartender — often makes people feel better.
They said talking about negative feelings (63) a part of the brain () for impulse control. "This region of the brain seems to be (65) in putting on the brakes," said University of California, Los Angeles researcher Matthew Lieberman, whose study appears in the journal Psychological Science. He and colleagues (66) the brains of 30 people — 18 women and 12 men between 18 and 36 — who were shown pictures of faces (67) strong emotions. They were asked to (68) the feelings in words like sad or angry, or to choose between two gender-specific names (69) "Sally or Harry" that matched the face.
(70) they found is that when people (71) a word like angry to an angry-looking face, the (72) in the amygdale (杏仁核) portion of the brain that handles fear, panic and other strong emotions decreased. "This seems to dampen down the response in these basic emotional (73) in the brain — in this case the amygdala," Lieberman said in a telephone interview.
What lights (74) instead is the right ventrolateral (腹外侧的) prefrontal (前头 叶的) cortex, part of the brain that controls impulses. "This is the only region of the entire brain that is more active when you choose an emotion word for the picture (75) when you choose a name for the picture," he said.
He said the same region of the brain has been found in (76) studies to play a role in motor control. "If you are driving along and you see a yellow light, you have to inhibit one response in order to (77) on the brake," he said. "This same region helps to inhibit emotional responses as well."
The researchers did not find significant differences along gender lines, (78) Lieberman said prior studies had hinted at some (79) in the benefits men and women derived from talking about their feelings. "Women may do more of this (80) , but when men are instructed to do it, they may get (81) benefit from it," he said.
Answer Sheet 2