Are you ready to scream？
Fear can be fun. Many young people queue up to ride very fast and scary？roller coasters， screaming but enjoying themselves. Other people like to read “goose bumps①” books or watch horror movies② at night， scared to death but feeling excited. Why do people like being scared？
Fear is an ancient way of surviving. Being scared makes animals (including humans) flee③ from danger and save themselves. It is because of fear that we have lived through millions of years of evolution. Those who lacked a strong fear response were more likely to be killed， leaving the more timid and careful to pass their genes④ onto the next generation.
Some kids will go to a scary movie and love it and laugh over it， others will feel anxious and hide their faces and some won’t even set foot in the cinema. Which kind of person you are depends partly on experiences you’ve had and partly on your genes.
When be frightened whatthe brain will reflect begins with nerves that begin at the eyes and ears lead to a part of the brain called the amygdala⑤ When you suddenly see a snake， for example， the amygdala makes you freeze， perspire⑥，have a quickened heartbeat， or run very fast.
However， seeing the snake also uses another part of the brain， the cortex⑦. It analyzes⑧ the situation， and if it finds that the snake is only made of rubber it tells your heart and the rest of your body to calm down. Think of the amygdala as the engine and the cortex as the brake.
Why do some people like to make themselves scared？
One reason is that we can play games with fear， find ways to reduce the scariness by looking away or thinking of something else. To believe we have control over a situation gives us a feeling of power.
And there might be some evolutionary advantage to being able to adjust this system that is there to protect people.
① goose bumps鸡皮疙瘩
② horror movies恐怖电影
③ fleev. 逃走
④ genen. 基因
⑤ amygdalan. 类扁桃体
⑥ perspirev. 出汗，流汗，辛劳，苦干
⑦ cortexn. 皮层
⑧ analyzev. 分析，分解
惊吓的感觉
做好尖叫的准备了吗？
害怕可以是一种乐趣。许多年轻人排队去坐快而令人惊悚的云霄飞车，大声尖叫，但是又自娱其乐。其他一些人喜欢读让人起鸡皮疙瘩的书籍，或者是在晚间观看恐怖电影，怕得要死但却倍感兴奋。为什么人们会喜欢这种被惊吓的感觉呢 ？
害怕是生命存活的一种古老方式。被吓使动物们（包括人类）从危险中逃离，得以自救。正是有了害怕这种感觉，我们才得以历经数百万年的进化。那些缺乏强烈害怕感的生物很可能被杀害，将更多的胆怯和小心通过基因遗传给下一代，一些孩子会看一场另人惊悚的电影，喜欢它，并且笑声不断，其他人会感到焦虑，将脸埋藏，而一些人甚至于连电影院的大门都不会踏进，你属于哪种类型的人部分取决于你所拥有的经历，部分取决于你的基因。
当被一些事情吓到时，大脑中发生的反应起始于眼部和耳部的神经通向大脑半侧一个名为类扁桃体的地方。例如，当你突然碰见一条蛇的时候，类扁桃体让你浑身冰冷，发冷汗，有一阵急速的心跳，或者迅速跑开。
但是，看见蛇时，我们也会是用大脑的另一侧—皮层部分。它会分析当前的形势，而且如果它发现这条蛇仅仅是用橡胶做成的，它就会告诉我们的内心和身体的其他部位，来使其保持平静。可以设想将类扁桃体比喻为一部发动机，而大脑皮层则类似于一种制动装置。
为什么人们喜欢让自己大声尖叫呢？
其中一个原因就是，我们能够与恐惧嬉戏，通过观看四周或者思考其他方面的事情，可以找到减少恐惧感的方法。相信我们对于一种情形握有掌控力可以给我们某种力量。
而或许一些进化的优势可以调节这种系统，进而保护着人们。