Phobia is intense and continuous fear of a specific object, situation, or activity. Because of this intense and constant fear, the phobic person often leads a restricted life. The fear is out of proportion to the real situation, and the victim is fully aware that the fear is not rational. Some phobic people are able to face bravely their fears. More commonly, however, they avoid the situation or object that causes fear.There are three major types of phobias. Simple phobias are fears of specific objects or situations such as animals, closed spaces, and heights. Simple phobias, especially the fear of animals, may begin in childhood and continue into adulthood. Social phobias, the second type, are fears of appearing stupid or shameful in social situations. The third type, agoraphobia, is the fear of open, public places and situations (such as public vehicles and crowded shopping centers) from which escape is difficult; people with agoraphobia tend increasingly to avoid more situations until eventually they become housebound.42. What do people with simple phobias most likely fear?A. Staying in a big empty room.B. Having dinner at a friend’s home.C. Meeting childhood friends.D. Seeing snakes or spiders.
Phobia is intense and continuous fear of a specific object, situation, or activity. Because of this intense and constant fear, the phobic person often leads a restricted life. The fear is out of proportion to the real situation, and the victim is fully aware that the fear is not rational. Some phobic people are able to face bravely their fears. More commonly, however, they avoid the situation or object that causes fear.
There are three major types of phobias. Simple phobias are fears of specific objects or situations such as animals, closed spaces, and heights. Simple phobias, especially the fear of animals, may begin in childhood and continue into adulthood. Social phobias, the second type, are fears of appearing stupid or shameful in social situations. The third type, agoraphobia, is the fear of open, public places and situations (such as public vehicles and crowded shopping centers) from which escape is difficult; people with agoraphobia tend increasingly to avoid more situations until eventually they become housebound.
42. What do people with simple phobias most likely fear?
A. Staying in a big empty room.
B. Having dinner at a friend’s home.
C. Meeting childhood friends.
D. Seeing snakes or spiders.
题目解答
答案
解析
本题考查对文章中关于恐惧症类型定义的理解和应用。解题思路是先明确简单恐惧症（Simple phobias）的定义，即对特定对象或情境的恐惧，如动物、封闭空间、高处等，然后依次分析每个选项是否符合简单恐惧症的定义。
- 选项A：“Staying in a big empty room”（待在一个大的空房间里），文章中提到广场恐惧症（agoraphobia）是对开阔、公共场所和难以逃脱的情境的恐惧，大的空房间可看作一种开阔、难以逃脱的情境，所以该项属于广场恐惧症，不符合简单恐惧症的定义。
- 选项B：“Having dinner at a friend’s home”（在朋友家吃饭），这是一种社交情境，文章中社交恐惧症（Social phobias）是对在社交场合中显得愚蠢或丢脸的恐惧，在朋友家吃饭属于社交场合，所以该项属于社交恐惧症，不符合简单恐惧症的定义。
- 选项C：“Meeting childhood friends”（与童年朋友见面），同样这也是社交情境，属于社交恐惧症的范畴，不符合简单恐惧症的定义。
- 选项D：“Seeing snakes or spiders”（看到蛇或蜘蛛），蛇和蜘蛛属于动物，根据简单恐惧症的定义，对动物的恐惧属于简单恐惧症，所以该项符合简单恐惧症的定义。