The placebo effect
Placebo is a Latin word. It means “I shall please”. And sometimes it just might. When scientists want to test a new drug, they usually divide a large number of people __1__ two groups. One group takes the medicine, the other takes a substance __2__ as a placebo. It may contain nothing more than sugar. The people do not know which pill they are taking, the active one or the inactive one. In this kind of experiment, the medicine must perform __3__ than the placebo to prove it is effective.
Yet, people who take a placebo, sometimes experience improvements in their health. This is known as “the placebo effect”—the effect of something __4__ is not supposed to have any effect.
Some doctors even use the placebo effect in their treatments. They might tell patients that a new drug will stop their pain. The patient does not know that the pills are __5__. The patient __6__ the pills and later tells the doctor that the pain is gone.
Now research in Sweden suggests that placebo treatments can also __7__ the emotional effects of unpleasant experiences. The effects in the brain were similar to those seem when placebos have been used to ease pain. The researchers say that in both cases expectations of improvement are a major __8__ on the effectiveness of placebos. The new study involved a group of people who looked at unpleasant pictures, __9__ images of dead bodies. Predrag Petrovic of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm led the study. The findings appeared in the publication Neuron.
An influential study on placebos appeared in 1955. It said treatment with a placebo __10__ patients feel better 35% of the time. But in 2001, Danish researchers reported that they had examined more than 100 studies. They found __11__ evidence of healing as a result of placebos.
Some researchers think a good relationship between a doctor and patients can increase the effectiveness of real medicines. In any case, some medical researchers are against the use of __12__. They think it is __13__ to give some people inactive substances when testing new medicines. They say it would be better to __14__ new drugs with existing drugs. That way, a study would show __15__ the new drug is more effective.
1. A. in B. to C. into D. for
2. A. named B. called C. referred D. known
3. A. better B. worse C. more weakly D. more slowly
4. A. which B. that C. what D. whatever
5. A. active B. inactive C. effective D. helpful
6. A. gets B.buys C. takes D. brings
7. A. reduce B.increase C. raise D. enhance
8. A.information B. inspiration C.incident D. Influence
9. A. inasmuch as B.such as C. as if D. as for
10. A. got B. made C. caused D.rendered
11. A. few B. much C. many D. little
12. A. drugs B. cures C.placebos D. medicines
13. A. wrong B. right C. sensible D. reasonable
14. A. take B. produce C.combine D. compare
15. A. if B. how C. when D. where
答案与解析：
1. 分析文章主题：the placebo(安慰剂) effect(影响， 作用，结果，实现)
文章主题词：placebo, effect
2. 直接解题：
Placebo(安慰剂) is a Latin(拉丁文的， 拉丁文) word(单词， 话语， 消息). It means(意味着) “I shall please(喜欢， 愿意， 使高兴)”. And sometimes(有时候) it just(仅仅， 公正的， 正确的) might(可能)(mean “I shall please” ).
1. A. in B. to C. into D. for
When scientists(科学家) want to test(测试) a new drug, they usually(通常) divide (分， 划分)a large number of (许多)people __1__ two groups(组， 群).
1. C. divide...into.../把...分成...
2. A. named(命名， 指定， 名字)B. called(呼叫， 命名， 打电话， 喊声， 打电话) C. referred(谈及，查阅) D. known (知道，知名的)
One group takes the medicine(吃药), the other(另一组) takes a substance(物质) __2__ as a placebo(安慰剂).
2.D.known as.../被称为...
name/call A B / 称A为B
e.g. We call/name him Tom. 我们叫他Tom.
refer to A as B 把A称为B
e.g. He referred to his sister(姐，妹) as a stupid(愚蠢的) girl(女孩).
补充：
take/use drugs/吸毒
It may contain(包含) nothing more than (仅仅)sugar(糖). The people do not know(知道) which(哪个/哪种) pill(药丸) they are taking(服用), the active(起作用的， 积极的) one (pill) or the inactive (不起作用的， 不活跃的)one.
3. A. better (更好地) B. worse (更糟糕地)
C. more weakly(虚弱地， 软弱地) D. more slowly(缓慢地)
In this kind of (这种)experiment(试验), the medicine must perform(表现，表演， 执行) __3__ than the placebo(安慰剂) to prove (证明)it is effective(有效的， 给人留下深刻印象的).
3.A. 该句说“在这种试验中，药物应该比安慰剂表现得更...，以证明自己是有效的”， 因此判断A(更好地)是答案。
Yet(然而，更), people who take a placebo, sometimes(有时) experience(经历，体验到) improvements(改进， 进步) in their health(健康).
4. A. which B. that C. what D. whatever
This is known as (被称为)“the placebo effect”—the effect(效果，作用) of something __4__ is not supposed to (应该)have any effect.
4.B. 空格所在的从句为定语从句。现行词为不定代词(something, some, any, anything, all, little, etc)时引导定语从句的连接词只能为that.
Some doctors even(甚至) use(使用) the placebo effect (安慰剂效应)in(在...的过程中) their treatments(治疗). They might tell(告诉) patients(病人) that a new drug will stop their pain(止痛).