Paying a higher price than usual for a ticket to see a film in 3D is the annoyance of many a cinema-goer’s life.
But there may be a benefit to doing so, as a study has found that 3D films exercise the brain and improve short-term functioning in a similar way to brain-training tests.
The research found that people who watched a movie in 3D improved cognitive (认知) skills, compared to those who watched it in 2D.
The research was led by neuroscientist(神经学家) Dr Patrick Fagan from Goldsmiths University in London. More than 100 people took part in the experiment, where participants watched Disney film Big Hero 6 in either standard format or RealD 3D.
They also carried out a brain-training-style test before and after seeing a section from the film. The test covered memory, reaction times and cognitive function and the results were compared later.
According to the research, which was carried out in partnership with science group Thrill Laboratory, participants experienced a 23 percent increase in cognitive processing, as well as an 11 percent increase in reaction times.
Dr Fagan said that the results showed enough of an improvement in brain function to suggest that 3D could play a part in improving brain power in the future.
“These findings are more significant than you might think,” he said. “It is a fact that people are living longer and there is a noticeable decline in cognitive brain function in old age which can worsen future quality of life. There has never been a better time to look at ways to improve brain function. The initial results of this study show that 3D films may potentially play a role in slowing this decline.”
A second part of the experiment involved those watching the film being fitted with headsets that scanned brain activity and this too showed heightened (加强的) activity when watching 3D. According to the results, participants were seven percent more engaged with what they were watching, adding to argument that 3D movies are more like watching real-life—something Professor Brendan Walker from Thrill Laboratory agreed with.
“As Professor Brendan Walker’s test concluded, 3D films are more attractive and heighten the senses — this, in turn, makes the brain run at quicker speeds,” Dr Fagan said.
1.According to the research, people watching a movie in 3D ________.
A. have a good exercise for their brain
B. lose their short memory of its plots
C. are willing to pay a high price for tickets
D. react the same way as those watching it in 2D
2.What can be learned from the research?
A. Watching 2D films limits brain function.
B. 3D would be a contributing factor in improving brain power.
C. The test was carried out after the whole film was viewed.
D. The participants took the brain-training-style test once.
3.Paragraph 8 is mainly about ________.
A. the application of 3D
B. the disadvantages of 2D films
C. the change in brain function
D. the significance of the study
4.The text is most likely to appear in ________.
A. a sports newspaper
B. a biology textbook
C. a science magazine
D. a film review
Every year in America, high-school students who want to go to college take a national examination called the Scholastic Aptitude Test, or SAT in a shortened way. Their score is an important factor in determining which colleges will admit them or whether any will be admitted at all. The Scholastic Aptitude Test measures one’s mathematical ability and use of the English language. Traditionally, the English part involved grammatical questions and paragraphs that test reading comprehension.
But the SAT folks have added a single question, to be answered in an essay, hand-written on the spot. That’s an interesting way to test writing ability, but content aside, have you ever seen young people’s handwriting lately? Or anyone’s for that matter, in this age of computer keyboards? Students write numbers and sign their names on bank checks. They scribble class notes in what can generously be described as the written word.
Yet today’s kids are asked to write, thoughtfully and clearly, for several minutes on this SAT Test. Good luck to the text scorers who must work out difficultly the scrawl (潦草的字迹) of young people who’ve been typing on computers since the age of three! Teachers insist that good handwriting can not only help one’s score on the SAT, but also, later on in life, impress potential employers. And don’t forget, we all have to turn to handwriting from time to time, as computers go down when power goes out.
Then how to improve the handwriting? Well, with a few simple steps you can improve your hand writing.
Position the pen. You should hold the pen between the forefinger and the thumb, then rest it near the first knuckle (指节) of the middle finger. The rest of your fingers should be curled (卷曲) under your hand and your hand should remain relaxed.
Evaluate your writing. Make changes to your letters till you like how they look.
Take your time. Speed is bound to make your writing messy-looking.
Practice. Practice it a lot; it’s not enough to do it once and hope for the best. It has to be something you work at to make great improvements.
1.The underlined word “scribble” in Paragraph 2 probably means ________.
A. write quickly and roughly
B. type simply and correctly
C. paint clearly and neatly
D. describe properly and well
2.According to Paragraph 3, students with good handwriting skill ________.
A. can pass the SAT
B. can develop good characters
C. can impress their classmates
D. can get more job opportunities
3.Which of the following should you avoid when improving your handwriting?
A. Practicing writing a lot.
B. Writing as fast as you can.
C. Relaxing your hand when holding the pen.
D. Changing your letters till you like how they look.
4.The text is to present the fact that ________.
A. writing seems to be very important in the SAT
B. those who will go to college have to take the SAT
C. students should practice handwriting more often
D. kids don’t know how to write in the computer age
I walked to Mrs. Windsor’s house and waited outside. She was working with another student, and I was not supposed to bother them by ringing the bell. I stood against the wall and daydreamed what I’d rather be doing. I had been tutored enough to read, understand, and even write some musical compositions, but I just didn’t have a gift for it. Mrs. Windsor had offered to give me the lessons for free, so I felt my duty to try.
The door opened and Wendy Barton came out. I walked in, sat down on the piano bench and began to sort through my sheet music. Today Mrs. Windsor introduced her niece Pasha to teach me. With a smile, Pasha sat beside me on the piano bench, opened my sheet music to the beginning page and asked me to play. I arranged my fingers on the keys. Then I frowned(皱眉) and concentrated to make the notes on the page match the finger movements. I had to admit I was a rather mechanical (呆板的) pianist.
After about a page or two, Pasha gently put her hand on top of mine as if to calm my fingers. There was a long pause. “What are you hearing in the music?” I looked at her rather strangely and admitted I didn’t know what she meant. “Like a story. Here, let me try and you listen,” Pasha advised.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, letting her fingers dance lightly over the keys. Then, she began to play. “See, it begins here beside some kind of river. Hear the water flowing beside you?”
Her fingers rose and fell gently on the keys. “Now the princess appears and she’s picking flowers from the water’s edge.” A happy piece of music filled the air in time to Pasha’s dancing fingers. “Oh, but she slips!” The music changed. “And our princess is being carried off by the fast-flowing stream. Quickly, the princess’ horse sees her plight (困境) and races to the river’s edge where he swims out to let her catch hold of him. Luckily, they make it to the bank.” Pasha said.
I played many pieces of music that afternoon, finding the stories in the music and learning that sometimes it takes a friend to pull you out of the river onto dry land again.
1.By describing herself as a mechanical pianist, the author meant ________.
A. she could remember the notes in a short time
B. she was playing the piano without emotion
C. her fingers couldn’t move freely
D. it had been a long time since she played last time
2.Which of the following can best describe Pasha?
A. Creative.B. Honest.C. Humorous.D. Brave.
3.Pasha’s magic of playing the piano lies in that she ________.
A. imagined herself as a princess
B. knew its original background story
C. had a strong desire to make a friend
D. combined the music with a story
4.Which of the following is the best title for the text?
A. A Friend Forever
B. Never Give up
C. A Piano Lesson
D. My Favorite Piece of Music
请从下列人物中选择你最喜欢的一位，用英语写一篇80词的短文
Thomas Edison | Helen Keller | William Shakespeare |
inventor creative; diligent; full of wisdom | ordinary but great woman disabled; optimistic; eager to learn | writer talented; imaginative; man of all ages |
“Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration” | “If I had the power of sight for three days, ....” | “Life is a stage and we are all actually actors and actresses.” |
要求根据所给信息做适当发挥，且需包括以下三部分内容：
1. 对该人物的简单介绍；
2. 喜欢该人物的理由；
3. 从该人物身上得到的启示。
Among the three great persons, I like __________ most. ________________________
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阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（不多于3个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。
Many teachers believe that the responsibilities for learning lie with the student. ___1.___ a long reading assignment is given, instructors expect students to be familiar with ___2.__(inform) in the reading even if they do not discuss it in class or take an examination. The ideal student is considered to be one who is motivated to learn for the sake of learning, not the one interested only in getting high grades. Sometimes homework is returned ___3.___ brief written comments but without a grade. Even if a grade is not given, the student is __4.__(responsibility) for learning the material assigned. When research ___5.___(assign), the professor expects the student to take it actively and to complete it with minimum guidance. It is the student's responsibility to find books, magazines, and articles in the library. Professors do not have the time to explain __6.___ a university library works; they expect students, __7.___(especial) graduate students, to be able to exhaust the reference origins in the library. Professors will help students who need it, but prefer that their students should not be too dependent on them. In the United States, professors have many other duties __8.__ teaching, such as administrative or research work. Therefore, the time __9.__ a professor can spend with a student outside of class ___10._(limit). If a student has problems with classroom work, the student should either approach a professor during office hours or make an appointment.
阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项(A、B、C、D)中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。
A Person Who Has Influenced My Life
There is always a time in one’s life when a hero comes along. Someone who has inspired you can really help you learn what life is about.
I ____ it as if it was yesterday. I was fifteen years old that year. It was around eight o’clock one evening when my mother ____ a phone call from her brother-in-law, who told us my aunt was in hospital and that the doctor ____ them she would need an operation immediately. My family became very ____ about my aunt’s situation.
While my aunt was in the hospital with special ____, my cousin Mark, who is mentally disabled, spent time with my family. Mark was seventeen at the time, and had been born with severe mental disorders, which ____ a wide range of social and physical problems for him throughout everyday life. He never had any true friend ___ no one could relate to him. I must ____ that at the beginning I was filled with uncertainty as to how much of a ___ my cousin would bring on my family. Now looking back it saddens me to see the ___ I once showed.
Over the two weeks when Mark lived with my family, I probably ____ more about life and its meanings. Thinking back, I took ____ in daily life for granted, believing it would always be there. I never even thought about being able to do things like walking, brushing my teeth, or going to the bathroom on my own. Now I see how ____ I am to be able to do these things independently.
Mark was seventeen, but learned on a nine-year-old ____. Although his learning ability was slower than most, he could still learn. He explored ____ to do most of the things everyone else did. ____ he did pretty well and succeeded in almost everything he tried to do. He ____ his illness and showed an ambition to love life. To him, having a successful life means achieving goals on his own terms and at his own ____.
Mark is my hero, for his disability has forever ____ my viewpoint on life. It seems like a well-deserved life when you’re fifteen, and it is amazing how in a period of time your point of view can change so ____.
1.A. acceptB. rememberC. imagineD. discover
2.A. madeB. missedC. receivedD. used
3.A. promisedB. informedC. showedD. begged
4.A. curiousB. sureC. disappointedD. worried
5.A. careB. actionC. purposeD. interest
6.A. createdB. facedC. foundD. influenced
7.A. unlessB. althoughC. untilD. because
8.A. believeB. regretC. admitD. decide
9.A. puzzleB. failureC. burdenD. conflict
10.A. weaknessB. ignoranceC. reliefD. mercy
11.A. understoodB. dreamedC. questionedD. required
12.A. anythingB. somethingC. nothingD. everything
13.A. powerfulB. braveC. luckyD. successful
14.A. varietyB. levelC. jobD. balance
15.A. possibilitiesB. functionsC. achievementsD. difficulties
16.A. TypicallyB. OccasionallyC. AccidentallyD. Actually
17.A. challengedB. preventedC. treatedD. reported
18.A. businessB. costC. paceD. request
19.A. representedB. changedC. formedD. supported
20.A. easilyB. normallyC. properlyD. completely
