① Imagine you’re an alien sent to Earth to document the behaviour of the mammals inhabiting the planet. You stumble into a movie theatre that’s showing the latest Hollywood horror film.
② Several dozen humans are gathered together in a dark, undecorated room. They’re all staring at a rectangular area on which patterns of light change rapidly.
③ They are clearly in a state of high arousal. Their heart rate is elevated, they occasionally glance around nervously, and they sometimes jump collectively in their seats, and emit high-pitched warning calls.
④ Eventually, the lights come up and the rectangular screen goes black. The humans stand up and leave the room, chatting and laughing, and showing signs of pleasure.
⑤ Why do these humans voluntarily expose themselves to what appears to be a deeply unpleasant experience? And why do they react so strongly to those patterns of light on a screen?
⑥ I am fascinated with the paradox of horror—the strange fact that many people seek out scary entertainment.
⑦ I think the answer to the puzzle lies in human nature.
⑧ My research suggests that we humans evolved to find pleasure in situations that allow us to experience negative emotions in a safe context. You can see these elements of horror in children’s games. Take hide-and-seek for example, which is a simulation of a predator-prey interaction. The kid hides and the adult pretends to be a predator, searching for the child while howling like a dangerous beast.
⑨ This simulation gives the child crucial information about how to avoid becoming prey, and children tend to find that kind of activity deeply satisfying, presumably because it gives them a safe experience of a potentially catastrophic scenario.
⑩ They find it pleasurable, and pleasure is evolution’s way of motivating us toward adaptive behaviour.
⑪Horror is pleasurable to many people because it lets us play with negative emotions and develop coping strategies. We learn what it feels like to be truly afraid, and we learn how to handle negative emotion.
⑫How, then, does horror work? My research suggests that horror works by exploiting an ancient set of biological defence mechanisms—an evolved fear system, which we share with other animals. But humans are uniquely imaginative, and we use our evolved imagination to travel into virtual worlds that are full of danger.
⑬There are good reasons for watching a horror film, even if you’re not a loyal horror fan. If you make it through the film in one piece, you’ll probably experience a strong sense of mastery, a sense that you were able to make it through an appalling experience. Anyway, watching a horror film makes you better at handling your own fear, and who knows when that will become critically relevant?
1.1. The alien finds the audience in the movie theatre clearly in a state of ___________.
A total mindfulness
B extreme excitement
C spiritual elevation
D intense curiosity
解析：选B。B 细节理解题。文章前两段假设情境,引入外星人看到地球上的人类在电影院里观看恐怖片的场景。第三段描述影院里观众的状态,其中①句明确指出“观众显然处于高度兴奋的状态”,②句展开说明“他们心跳加速,紧张张望,集体惊跳,发出尖叫”,这些都是高度兴奋的表现。B项正确,该项extreme excitement 直接对应文中的 high arousal。
2.2. Why do many people seek out scary entertainment, according to the author’s research?
A They gain experience in overcoming horror in real life.
B They find joy in going through simulated horrible experiences.
C They have learned from hide-and-seek as kids the thrill involved.
D They have evolved to gain pleasure in escaping life-threatening situations.
解析：选B。B 细节理解题。第六段作者表明自己对“许多人寻求恐怖娱乐这一奇怪现象”很感兴趣,第七段概述有关这一问题的答案,第八段通过研究详述答案。其中第八段①句介绍研究结果“人类通过进化,在安全的情境下体验负面情绪时,可以从中获得愉悦”,随后各句以捉迷藏为例,说明人们愿意在模拟的恐怖体验中(即貌似危险实则安全的环境下)寻找乐趣,这便是人们寻求恐怖娱乐的原因。B项与之相契,选项中的 find joy in...simulatedhorrible experiences 对应文中的 find pleasure in. .. experience negative emotions in a safe context.
3.3. What do children learn from hide-and-seek?
A How to avoid falling prey to an attacker.
B How to simulate a predator-prey interaction.
C How to keep themselves from catastrophic errors.
D How to turn a dangerous scenario into a safe one.
解析：选A。A 细节理解题。第八段后半部分引出捉迷藏游戏,第九段介绍该游戏带给孩子们的益处:为孩子提供了有关如何避免成为猎物的重要信息,使孩子获得满足。A项正确,选项中的 How to avoid falling prey 对应第九段中的 how to avoid becoming prey.
4.4. Why is horror gratifying to many people?
A It reminds them of an ancient set of biological defence mechanisms.
B It triggers their imagination to travel into dangerous virtual worlds.
C It allows them to learn what fear feels like and how to tackle it.
D It activates their evolved fear system and their unique fantasy.
解析：选C。C 细节理解题。第十一段①句解释“恐怖”让人感觉愉悦/满足的原因“能让人们体验负面情绪并培养应对策略”,②句展开说明“让人们体会到真正的恐惧是什么感觉,并学会如何处理负面情绪”。C项与文意相契。
5.5. What will one experience if they watch a horror film through without being hurt?
A A strong sense of clear relevance.
B A profound sense of good fortune.
C A profound sense of intense relief.
D A strong sense of being in control.
解析：选D。D 细节理解题。末段②句指出,如果你能安然无恙地看完一部恐怖片,你可能会体验到一种强烈的掌控感(即自己能挺过一段可怕经历的感觉)。D项与文意相契,该项Astrongsense ofbeingin control对应末段②)句 a strong sense of mastery.
