We still don’t understand the influence of the mind’s power over the body, nor do we understand why there should be such power. All we can say for certain is that the mind does have power over the body in very many different ways.

If a man is told that he is at the North Pole and he believes what he is told, he’ll show physical signs which suggest that his body is reacting as though he were at the North Pole. He’ll go pale and shiver. When the film Lawrence of Arabia was shown, cinema managers around the world reported that the sales of ice cream rocketed. The endless desert scenes had made the moviegoers feel uncomfortably hot.

Hypnotists use the power of the mind over the body in order to use their influence. The hypnotist must only convince the patient that something is true, and the patient will act accordingly. If he convinces the patient that his arms are as heavy as lead, then the patient will be unable to lift his arms. If he convinces the patient that a piece of ice is a hot iron and he then touches the patient’s skin with the ice, a blister(水泡)will develop. The body will react to the suggestion and not to the reality, and signs of a real burn will appear.

39. From the passage, we can imagine that people watching a film about the North Pole would probably want __________.

A. an ice cream  B. a cold shower

C. a hot drink  D. a hot iron

40. A hypnotist is supposed to be able to control __________.

A. patients’ bodies  B. people’s minds

C. patients’ diseases  D. people’s movements

41. The phrase “the reality” refers to __________.

A. a real burn  B. a hot iron

C. the touch of ice  D. the body’s reaction

42. A good title for this passage would be __________.

A. Mind and Body  B. Physical Signs

C. Research on Mind  D. The Power of the Mind

C

Science is a major topic in our culture. Since it touches almost every field of our life, educated people need at least some knowledge with its structure and operation. They should also have an understanding of the scientific subculture in which scientists live and the kinds of people they are. An understanding of general characteristics of science as well as specific scientific ideas is easier to obtain if one knows something about the things that excite and discourage the scientist.

This book is written for the person whose knowledge with science is not complete; for the person who has been presented with science as a musty(发霉的)storehouse of dried facts; for the person who sees the chief objective of science as the production of tricks; and for the person who views the scientists as some sort of magician. The book can be used to add to a course in any science, to come with any course that attempts to give an understanding of the modern world, or simply to provide a better understanding of science. We hope this book will lead readers to a broader view on scientific attitudes and a more realistic view of what science is, who scientists are, and what they do. It will give them an idea and understanding of the relationship between science and our culture and an appreciation of the roles science may play in our culture. Besides, readers may learn to appreciate the relationship between scientific views and some of the values and philosophies(哲学)that are deep in our culture.

We have tried to present in this book a correct and up-to-date picture of the scientific world and the people who populate it. That population has in recent years come to include more and more women. This increasing role of women is not just the only event but, rather, part of the trend obvious in all parts of society, as more women enter traditionally male-controlled fields and make influential contributions.

We have also tried to make the book entertaining as well as informative. Our method is usually informal. We feel, as do many other scientists, that we shouldn’t take ourselves too seriously. As the reader may observe, we see science as a delightful pastime rather than as a cruel and unpleasant way to earn a living.

43. According to the passage, ‘scientific subculture’ means __________.