Artwork is lovely to look at, but did you know that seeing a real work of art instead of a photo of it makes people more emotional?
Neuroscientists(神经科学家) have recently carried out a study at the Mauritshuis museum. The museum is home to Girl with a Pearl Earring by Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer, which was painted in 1665.
The researchers used eye-tracking equipment(设备) and a brain scanner called EEG, which could record someone's brain activity to notice how people reacted to several paintings. First, the volunteers were asked to look at the real paintings on display, and then at reproductions of the artworks in the museum library.
The study found that their emotional response was 10 times stronger when they looked at the real paintings. The most active part of the brain while they were looking at the artworks was the area that controls people's personal identity and consciousness(意识).
The team found that the group reacted especially strongly to Girl with a Pearl Earring. Results showed the volunteers experienced something called a “sustained attentional loop(持续注意循环)”—but they only had it while looking at that particular(特定的) painting. The volunteers' attention was first attracted to the girl's eyes, then to her mouth, and then to her pearl earring. This eye movement repeated in a loop, which meant that people looked at the painting for longer.
The director of the museum, Martine Gosselink, said that the study shows how important it is to go and see art in real life, whether it's painting, photography or dance. She added, “It really helps to develop your brain.” The researchers said it would be interesting to do the same study on other famous paintings, such as the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci.
(
C
)37. An EEG is
.
A. a painting style
B. a famous art museum
C. brain-scanning equipment
D. a scientist who studies the brain
(
D
)38. What are Paragraphs 4 and 5 mainly about?
A. The steps of the research.
B. The reasons for the research.
C. The problems with the study.
D. The findings of the study.
(
A
)39. Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A. The study is based on the difference between real paintings and their reproductions.
B. The emotional response is weaker when people are seeing real artworks.
C. The study is only valuable to research on famous paintings.
D. The researchers have continued the study on the Mona Lisa.
(
C
)40. What's the main purpose of the passage?
A. To encourage us to go to the Mauritshuis museum.
B. To teach us how to enjoy real artworks.
C. To explain the power of real art.
D. To introduce the art value of Girl with a Pearl Earring.
