In the top 10 of unpleasant sounds, a crying baby ranks very high. It instantly makes a key part of your brain called the amygdale (杏仁孔) active, which, among other things, acts as a sort of radar for emotional threats. So why would babies need to cause this sort of urgent reaction? To get you to respond and fast to ensure their survival.
Babies can’t fend for themselves. They are like chicks in their parents’ nest, depending on others to keep them warm, fed and safe. Like chicks, their cries signal driving necessities such as a need for food or protection from danger. But human babies can also convey a range of other needs with cries.
Human babies are also highly social, and are interested in engaging in a dialogue with their caregivers. So they are equally attentive to their parents’ signals: the messages conveyed by the body language of their caregivers — how the parent smells, touches, holds, rocks, as well as their tone of voice. In relaxed moments with the parent, they soon discover how smiling at an attentive adult tends to cause a positive response in return.
On the other hand, these early attempts at communication between the parent and child can be very hit-and-miss. In the first few weeks, most babies cry for about two hours a day. When the parent and baby aren’t “getting” each other, crying can increase. In particular, long difficulties with breast-feeding can lead to a pattern of “established firmly” crying behavior.
Crying is a signal that can mean many different things. The lessons that are learned from these early experiences are highly significant for individual lives, but collectively they also have a great effect on our culture.
1.According to the first paragraph, what is babies’ purpose of crying?
A. To change their comfortable situation at the present time.
B. To communicate with parents and learn to use body language.
C. To make caregivers fast respond to guarantee their survival.
D. To get something that they want to get as quickly as possible.
2.What does the underlined phrase “fend for” in Para.2 mean?
A. feed B. look after
C. support D. make up
3.Why do human babies pay attention to their parents’ signals?
A. Because they hope to get more from their parents.
B. Because they want to convey messages to their parents.
C. Because they need to learn from their parents how to communicate.
D. Because they are social and interested in talking with their parents.
4.What is the best title of the text?
A. Cry or Don’t Cry? B. Why Do Babies Cry?
C. How to Express Babies’ Feelings? D. Human Babies Are Similar to Chicks’?
Putting more green space around an elementary school may help students develop some mental abilities, a study su
ggests.
Researchers tested students repeatedly over the course of a year on attentiveness and working memory, which is the ability to keep something in mind temporarily for performing a task. The study tracked more than 2,000 students in 36 primary schools in Barcelona, Spain. The pupils were in the second to fourth grade when the study began. Overall, students whose schools are surrounded by more green space improve more pupils from schools with less green space.
“Policy makers should know that more green space around the school is better for cognitive (认知的) development and that they should make sure that kids can see and play in green areas,” one author, Mark Nieuwenhuijsen of the Center for Research in Environmental Epidemiology in Barcelona, said in an email. “Existing urban schools should think about replacing concrete or other hard surfaces with green space, and even a few trees may help,” he suggested.
The researchers used satellite images to group schools according to how much green space appeared on the school ground and within about 55 yards of the school’s surrounding property. Their analysis indicated that differences in socioeconomic factors between schools did not account for the study outcome.
Sally Augustin, a psychologist in La Grange Park, Illinois, who used research on how people react to their surroundings to consult on design of buildings, products and services, said the results make sense to her. Augustin, who did not participate in the new study, said the results fit with previous findings that views of nature help children and adults lower stress and perform mental tasks better.
1.What do we know about the findings of the study?
A. Attentiveness (专注) is the most important quality for students.
B. A good memory enables students to perform a task better.
C. More green space may help the mental development of students.
D. Schools surrounded by more green space are favored by parents.
2.According to Mark Nieuwenhuijsen, policy makers should _______.
A. reduce the noise near the school
B. reduce air pollution from vehicles
C. provide more green space for kids
D. encourage kids to play more sports
3.How are the schools classified by the researchers?
A. By green space. B. By test scores.
C. By size. D. By position.
4.Why is Augustin mentioned in the passage?
A. To introduce another interesting study.
B. To make the findings of the study more convincing.
C. To present new evidence for the study.
D. To show a different viewpoint.
My grandma whom we all called Nanny was a solid, first-generation, Italian immigrant. She came to this country with her family on a tiny ship during World War I when she was only 8 years old. During the trip she survived stormy seas, little food, and an attack by a German U-boat. After getting here, her large family worked hard to build a new life in America. They never had much money but were rich in love.
One day, when I was about 5 or 6 years old, my parents and brothers went on a trip. It was just me and Nanny in the house for the weekend. Nanny seemed so happy to be taking care of me all by herself. She made me a special breakfast that first morning. However, all I could do was complain about how the food was not how Mom always made it. Nanny quietly put down the plate and went into the living room. I followed a minute later and saw that she had tears in her eyes. It was the first time I had ever seen my strong and proud grandmother cry and I was the one who had caused it.
I walked over to Nanny, climbed on her lap, and for the first time in my short life I did something else too. I apologized without being told to and asked Nanny to forgive me. She smiled, rubbed my head, and told me I was a good boy even though I didn’t feel like one then.
That memory just like my Nanny’s love will stay in my heart forever. It is a sign of both strength and wisdom. Asking for forgiveness helps us to learn to grow, and to love.
1.Why did Nanny’s family immigrate to America?
A. Because they suffered starvation in their homeland.
B. Because they wanted to start a rich life in the new land.
C. Because they tried to get away from the terrible climate.
D. Because their country was in war and they needed peace.
2.The boy complained to Nanny that the food _______.
A. wasn’t cooked the way his mom did
B. was served a bit later than usual
C. was prepared in a special way
D. was just to his parents’ taste
3.When seeing Nanny crying in the living room, the author felt _______.
A. surprised B. ashamed
C. shocked D. annoyed
4.What does the author mainly want to tell us?
A. Forgiveness can be beneficial to people asking for it.
B. Hardships can make children more indifferent (漠不关心的).
C. Grandparents are more tolerant than their grandchildren.
D. Family ties can sometimes be misused.
Most people recognize that there are many benefits of learning a foreign language. Scientific studies have even shown that learning a new language helps to keep memories sharp and naturally improves overall brain function.
But do you know that you can speak a new language in as little as 10 days? The Pimsleur Approach to speaking new languages helps users pick up new languages quickly. Even the FBI has purchased the Pimsleur Approach.
Dr. Pimsleur, a specialist in the field of applied linguistics, devoted his life and career to acquiring languages and recognized that effective communication in any language depends on mastery of a relatively limited number of words. And, trying to learn too many words at first can actually slow the language retention (保留) process. However, once this “core (核心) vocabulary” is mastered and used constantly, it speeds up language learning. The Pimsleur Approach aims at teaching you to use the core vocabulary of the language, so you can speak the most in the least amount of time. It’s not how many words you know, but rather, which words you can use.
Each Pimsleur Approach lesson has been scientifically planned to rapidly lock language material into your brain after just one listen. Just sit back, listen and start wiring your brain to pick up a new language today.
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The programs which normally cost $19.95 are now available for just $9.95. Better yet, they are also offering a full 30-day money-back guarantee (so if you find you are not speaking as fast as you want, simply return it for a full refund).
1.The teaching method of the Pimsleur Approach is ______.
A. mastering a number of rules B. reciting many new words
C. reading and translating D. listening and speaking
2.What does the Pimsleur Approach focus on？
A. How many core vocabularies you remember.
B. How effectively you use the core vocabulary.
C. How to learn many words at first.
D. How to improve your language retention.
3.If you learn the Pimsleur Approach lessons now, you _______.
A. are to speak as fast as possible
B. can travel by ship for free
C. may get a $10 discount
D. have to hand in your fees within 30 days
1.西方哲学之父苏格拉底(Socrates)对西方的思想和科学有着深刻的影响。而亚历山大大帝(Alexander the Great) 将希腊文化从欧洲传到了非洲和亚洲，在此后的数个世纪中影响了整个世界。
2.很多人没有充分认识到吸烟对健康造成的伤害。这就是为什么我们选择公益广告--旨在就有关公共福利而教育人们.
3.他提议建一条双轨隧道。人人都钦佩他绝妙的幽默感。
4.他本该知道警察绝不会允许这类事情发生。但是Tazieff 经常冒这样的生命危险。
5.飞机撒播了近一个月的种子。法国政府让人把它包装起来，一部分一部分地搬回法国。
1.A______ great importance to this research, the professor spared no efforts to do the experiment.
2.Guests p______ when they heard a loud explosion and they fled in all directions.
3.It’s a simple recipe, only c______ of beef and vegetables.
4.The marriage c________ took place in the church.
5.Busy as he is, he still comes by and picks me up at his c_________.
6.They were _________(下定了决心) to figure out what was wrong with the machine.
7.How do you deal with _________(坚持不懈的) salesmen who won’t take no for an answer?
8.Fancy ________(讨价还价) with them about it? They might reduce the price.
9.________(简化) the story to make it easier to understand.
10.More than one teacher ________(呼吁) to the society to pay special attention to students’ mental health which is becoming increasingly bad these days.
