阅读表达 阅读下面的短文，根据短文内容回答问题。
Some people seem to have extraordinary (非凡的) memories. Zheng Aiqiang, a “memory athlete” on TV show Super Brain (《最强大脑》), can remember 2,660 numbers in just one hour!
You would think people like this have special brains. But according to a recent study by researchers from the United States and the Netherlands (荷兰), the brain structure (结构) of ordinary(普通的) people and 23 of the world’s leading memory athletes shows no difference.
That’s because good memories can be trained. New research in the journal Neuron (《神经元》) suggests that you can become a super memorizer with just six weeks of hard training, reported The Guardian.
Researchers found that a technique (技巧) called loci, invented by the ancient Greeks, can greatly help improve memory.
By using loci, you are using your imagination to improve the brain’s memory networks. You can link (关联) something you need to remember with a place that you know very well. For example, to remember a list of numbers, imagine yourself walking through your house. Each thing is linked to a number. For example, zero could be the handle (把手) on the door and five could be the painting on the wall.
“Not everyone can become a (memory) champion. But everyone using the technique can improve a lot from the level they’re at,” said Boris Konrad, one of the researchers in the study.
回答下面5个问题，每题答案不超过7个词。
1.How many numbers can Zheng Aiqiang remember in just one hour?
_____________________________________________
2.Are the brain structure of ordinary people and 23 of the world’s leading memory athletes different or similar?
______________________________________________
3.When using loci to remember something, what do you link something with ?
_______________________________________________
4.How long does it take an ordinary person to train hard to be a super memorizer?
_______________________________________________
5.Who was loci invented by?
_______________________________________________
Do you have trouble trying to create the next big idea? Sometimes the answer isn’t to just force an idea out of your mind. Instead, you might want to try sitting back, relaxing and letting your mind wander（走神）. Yes, you heard that correctly. If you are in need of a new idea, try daydreaming.
Researchers from the University of California, Santa Barbara, found an association（联系）between daydreaming and creative problem-solving. Their study includes having participants（参与者）first do an “unusual-use task”. They had to try to come up with as many different ways to use an object as they could.
Then, the participants chose to do one of the following four things before doing the “unusual-use task” again: Complete a difficult task ; complete an easy task; take a 12 –minute break; or skip（跳过）12-minute break and move right on to the task exercise again.
Surprisingly, the group that performed(执行) best was the one that completed the easy task. Many participants reported that they were daydreaming while performing the easy task. So the researchers believed that this daydreaming might have helped unlock their creativity.
But how could daydreaming help the brain come up with creative ways? The answer is something known as “unconscious thought”. Even when you are not actively working to solve a problem, it is still in the back of your mind. Your brain is still thinking about the problem, but in a much more subtle（不易察觉的）way.
When you daydream, your mind is allowed to think in ways it normally would not. Because it is free of control, it can create completely new and out-of-the-box ideas.
Great ideas never come easily, but that does not mean you always have to work hard to get them. Feel free to do what you want and let your mind wander.
1.What could you do to create great ideas according to the passage?
A.Work hard. B.Let your mind wander. C.Have a nice sleep. D.Read more books.
2.The “unusual-use task” included having participants______________________.
A.complete an easy task B.complete a very difficult task
C.take a 12-minute break D.come up with different ways to use an object
3.Why did the participants who completed the easy task perform best?
A.Because they were more creative than the others.
B.Because they were more knowledgeable than the others
C.Because they were better at solving problems than the others
D.Because they had the time to daydream, which might have helped unlock their creativity.
4.What does the underlined phrase “unconscious thought” in Paragraph 5 mean?
A.Your brain is thinking about a problem outside of your awareness（意识）
B.Your brain knows what you’re thinking and doing.
C.Your brain has a purpose of its own that cannot be known.
D.Your brain refuses to receive any information from the outside world.
5.What is the main idea of the passage?
A.Brainstorming is important to creative ideas.
B.The more we exercise our brains, the more ideas we will have.
C.Daydreaming is a way to improve creativity.
D.Problem-solving skills are important in our lives.
Different countries have different greeting customs. Read this article to know more about the greeting customs in different cultures, and make sure you greet people in the right way next time you visit one of these countries.
France
French people greet each other with a handshake, but close friends kiss each other on both cheeks when they meet. They do this gesture when meeting and before leaving.
South Korea
In South Korea, it is a sign of respect for people to bow when greeting each other. In Korea, a bow is followed by a handshake. When shaking someone’s hand, it is polite to support the right forearm (前臂) with the left hand. However, South Korean women do not shake hands with Western men; instead, they bow slightly.
Brazil
Kissing women on the cheek is a common way of greeting. In a formal situation, a handshake is often done to show respect. Men should shake hands before and after meeting, and once they have become familiar with each other, a light hug is often given to each other.
Ghana
In a social situation, it’s polite to greet everyone in the room. A handshake is used in greeting, and one palm (手掌) must directly touch the other palm. It’s considered disrespectful to touch the back of the hand.
The Philippines
There are several ways of greeting people in the Philippines. An elderly person places his or her right hand on the forehead (前额) of a child to “bless” the latter. This is called “mano”. Relatives and family members greet each other with a kiss on the cheek. Friends greet each other with a polite nod or a handshake.
1.Mike kisses a French boy Jim on the cheek, they may __________.
A.meet for the first time
B.be close friends
C.be in a social situation
D.be in a formal situation
2.The underlined word “gesture” here means “__________” in Chinese.
A.动作 B.礼节 C.准备 D.尊重
3.In Brazil, it is very common to __________ between good friends.
A.shake hands B.kiss on the cheek
C.bow to each other D.give a light hug
4.Which of the following is NOT true about the Philippines?
A.Friends greet each other with a polite nod or a handshake.
B.An old man blesses a child by putting his right hand on the child’s forehead.
C.It’s impolite to touch the back of the hand when shaking hands.
D.In the Philippines family members can greet each other with a kiss.
5.The best title for the passage is “__________”.
A.Greeting customs in different cultures
B.How to behave politely
C.All the ways to greet people
D.Friends should greet politely
Inventions make the world better, smarter and – in some cases – a little more fun.
| The folding(可折叠的) bike helmet: People refuse to wear a helmet because it’s thick and heavy. Morpher is a bike helmet made from plastics. It is just as strong as the traditional ones, but flexible(灵活的) enough to fold almost totally flat. Also it is much easier to carry. |
| Shoes that tie themselves After we see the movie Back to the Future, almost everyone wants a pair of self-tying shoes. Now, thanks to Nike, the shoe dream comes true. When you press a button, the shoes themselves tighten and loosen around your feet. |
| The smart alarm clock-Hello Sense An alarm clock, called Hello Sense, can improve your sleep. It can control the temperature, light and even air quality in your bedroom to help you have a perfect sleep environment. And it can record your sleep cycles. |
| Sweet potatoes that could save lives The lack of vitamin A puts children at risk of blindness, malaria(疟疾) and many other diseases. In sub-Saharan Africa, plant scientists are helping them grow a kind of new sweet potatoes. These potatoes can help them fight viruses. |
1.The folding bike helmet is _______.
A.thick and heavy B.made from metal
C.not as strong as a traditional one D.flexible enough to fold almost flat
2.Which company makes self-tying shoes?
A.Adidas. B.Nike. C.Kappa. D.Lining.
3.The smart alarm clock can NOT _______.
A.improve our sleep B.control our weight
C.record our sleep cycles D.control the temperature in the bedroom
4.If someone has a poor eyesight, he may be in the lack of _______.
A.vitamin D B.vitamin E C.vitamin A D.vitamin K
5.You can find the passage in a _______.
A.newspaper B.storybook C.guidebook D.cookery book
Dad and I were always passionate（热情的）about our feelings, and when I reached my teen years, our ________ really heated up. Our biggest fight was about my chosen ________.
“People like us aren’t writers!” Dad would shout.
“Maybe people like you aren’t writers,” I would shout ________, “but people like me are!”
I grew up in a nice house with a lawn and lots of rooms. All I had to do was get good grades and stay out of trouble. Dad spent his youth living in an old building and ________ money to support his family. But he drew a curtain（门帘，幕） over his ________, never speaking of his growing-up days. No one knew what he had _______. But not knowing Dad’s past, I could never know what drove him to want so much safety for me.
As I insisted on writing, Mom told me Dad read and re-read everything I got published, although he ______ mentioned my work to me. Instead, he continually tried to drive me into a career he considered _______ -nursing or teaching.
But in the last days of his life, Dad ________. It was as if he suddenly realized that he should make the truth known. He talked about everything—how it felt to carry heavy baskets of coal upstairs and ________ one bathroom with five other families, and how worried he was that his family wouldn’t have enough warm clothes for winter. Dad told me _______ he’d wanted to protect me from poor life, so I’d never have to go ________ what he had. When he said sorry for trying to break off my wings, I told him that he was the very one who’d given me the chance to ________. Dad smiled and tried to nod.
On the last day of his life, as Mom and I sat holding his hands, he signaled(示意) to the nurse to come close. “You know my daughter,” he said with great _____. “I just want you to know—she’s a ________.”
It was the proudest moment of my life.
1.A.discussions B.fights C.movements D.conversations
2.A.school B.career C.subject D.topic
3.A.out B.in C.around D.back
4.A.saving B.raising C.wasting D.making
5.A.future B.past C.present D.dream
6.A.chosen B.provided C.experienced D.achieved
7.A.sometimes B.never C.always D.often
8.A.safe B.easy C.special D.challenging
9.A.stayed up B.opened up C.put up D.picked up
10.A.deal B.clean C.share D.build
11.A.what B.how C.when D.where
12.A.over B.into C.for D.through
13.A.read B.live C.fly D.change
14.A.pains B.hope C.pride D.sadness
15.A.nurse B.teacher C.writer D.doctor
—Could you please tell me_________? —I’m not sure. Perhaps in a couple of days.
A.when he is coming back B.how many days he will stay there
C.how long will he be back D.how soon will he come back
