began finding infants" skills are more than they are supposed to be.
_________
Speaking of music, babies can"t seem to resist it. Not only are their ears turned to the beats, babies
can actually dance to the music.
To test babies" dancing ability, the researchers played recordings of classical music, rhythmic beats
and speech to infants, and recorded the results. They also invited professional dancers to analyze how
well the babies matched their movements to the music. The babies moved their arms, hands, legs feet
and heads in response to the music, much more than to the speech. The finding suggests this dancing
ability is innate(与生俱来的) in humans, though the researchers aren"t sure why it becomes weaker
later in their life.
Learning Quickly while Sleeping
Babies can learn even while asleep, according to a 2011 study. In experiments with 26 sleeping
infants, each just 1 to 2 days old, scientists played a musical tone followed by a puff of air to their eyes
200 times over the course of a half-hour. 124 electrodes(电极) stuck on the head and face of each
baby recorded brain activity during the experiments. The babies rapidly learned to foretell a puff of air
upon hearing the tone, showing a four-time increase on average in the chances of tightening their eyelids
in response to the sound by the end of the experiments.
As newborns spend most of their time asleep, this newfound ability might be crucial to rapidly
adapting to the world around them and help to ensure their survival, researchers said.
Judging Characters Well
Judging another person helpful or harmful is crucial when choosing friends. And that ability starts
early. Kiley Hamlin of Yale University showed both 6-and 10-month-olds a puppet(木偶) show, in
which one character helped another climb a hill. In another scene a third character pushed the climber
down. The little ones then got to choose which character they preferred. For both age groups, most
babies chose the helper character. This character-judging ability could be baby"s first step in the
formation of morals, Hamlin thought.
B. Babies" Amazing Abilities
C. Learning to Dance Quickly
D. Born to Dance
B. the dancing ability
C. the response
D. the baby
B. babies can respond to the world around them
C. babies can tighten their eyelids in response to the sound
D. babies can communicate with others while asleep
B. babies love to see a puppet show
C. babies were born to help others
D. babes have learned to help others
educational tool in their hands.
The University of Illinois in the United States has a project called SAWBO-Scientific Animations
Without Borders. It produces educational videos that can be downloaded to cell phones. The goal is to
help people in developing countries improve their lives.
One video shows farmers how to make a natural insecticide from neem seeds to prevent insect
damage to crops. The process starts with sorting and drying the neem fruits. Then let the fruit dry in the
sun for about three or four days, until they become brown. Using a mortar(碾槌) and stick, the fruits are
slightly pounded to remove the shells from the fruits without breaking the seed inside.
The videos use computer animation(动画). Some of the animated characters are a little funny
looking-like a farmer with a long nose. But the subjects are serious, including a health video on preventing cholera(霍乱). Team member Francisco Seufferheld says the information in the videos is meant to be
quickly understood. He says, "The information is digested in such a way that in two minutes, we can
transmit a complex idea."
The researchers tested the seven-minute video on seven mobile phones. They wanted to see if
people would share the video using Bluetooth wireless technology. With Bluetooth, files can be passed
to a nearby phone even if neither phone is connected to the Internet. As a result, in one month, the video
had spread to one hundred eighteen people in fifty different villages. "This is just incredible impact," said
Francisco Seufferheld.
The team has made a few videos so far. These are available in a total of eighty languages, dialects and
accents. Professor Barry Pittendrigh says there are plans for more videos later this year.
B. A valuable educational project for farmers
C. United States support for developing countries
D. A new type of scientist -farmer relationship
B. do some research on mobile phones
C. develop farmers" practical skills
D. help farmers prevent insect damage to corps
B. can be passed to farmers using Bluetooth technology
C. can be used to sort and dry the neem fruits
D. is easy for farmers to understand
B. beat
C. picked
D. cut
We might like to think we"re not influenced by other people, but a new study into the group-buying
mechanisms(机制) - like those used on coupon(优惠券) sites such as Groupon and LivingSocial-reveals
that telling buyers who come later to the offer how many have already signed up increases the number
of purchasers.
Researchers at the University of Toronto"s Rotman School of Management wanted to understand
why group buying sites that have entered the market recently have enjoyed greater success than those
operating a decade ago, such as Mercata and MobShop.
Earlier attempts typically left potential buyers waiting for days before confirming whether or not they
had got the offer they had signed up for.
"We think one of the reasons group-buying has been successful recently is because of the short tim
e horizon," says Rotman Professor Ming Hu, who co-wrote the study with Professor Mengze Shi and
PhD student Jiahua Wu. "It allows for a herding effect."
Another reason is the use of an information structure that discloses to later arrivals how many have
already signed onto the deal.
Researchers looked at two ways of designing the purchasing mechanism for a group buy: a
simultaneous mechanism, where no one knows how many buyers have come before them, and a
sequential(连续的) mechanism, where a second group of buyers has the advantage of knowing the
size of the first group.
The researchers" analytical(分析的) model shows the most successful mechanism is the sequential
one because it eliminates uncertainty for those coming later to the deal, and improves the confidence of
those who sign on early, as they"re able to track the numbers of those who come after them.
"That boosts confidence," says Professor Hu, who teaches operations management. Deals for
"luxury" services, versus everyday items, work better in a group buy scenario(方案) because they offer
consumers a greater benefit.
B. a simultaneous mechanism is where a group of buyers has the advantage of knowing how many
people have signed up.
C. a sequential mechanism allows a herding effect which boosts the confidence of the buyers.
D. researchers at the University of Toronto"s Rotman School of Management carried out an experiment
about why group buying sites entered the market successfully, such as Mercata and MobShop.
B. to remove or get rid of something
C. to deliberately not include something in what you are doing or considering
D. to make something known to somebody
B. Secret for group-buying mechanism-herding effect.
C. Comparison between a simultaneous mechanism and a sequential mechanism.
D. What others do influences our decisions.
called a magician, who claims to have supernatural powers.
Magic words. To work most magic, the magician sings or speaks special words in a certain order.
These words are called incantations or spells. Some spells form prayers to demons(魔鬼), spirits, or
other supernatural forces. Many societies believe the magic will not work unless the magician recites the
spells perfectly. Other magic words have no meaning, though they supposedly possess power when
spoken by a magician.
Magic actions accompany the words spoken in performing much magic. Many of these movements
act out the desired effect of the magic. For example, a magician trying to make rain fall may sprinkle(洒)
water on the ground. The magician"s combined words and actions form a ceremony.
Magic objects include certain plants, stones, and other things with supposed supernatural powers. Any such object may be called a fetish(物神). But this term often refers to an object-for example, a carving
or a dried snake-honored by a tribe for its magic powers. Many tribes believe fetishes have magic power
because spirits live in these objects.
Many people carry magic objects called amulets(护身符)to protect themselves from harm. Many
amulets are stones or rings engraved(雕刻) with magic symbols.
The magician. In some societies, nearly everyone knows how to work some magic. In other
societies, only experts practice magic.Magicians may be called medicine men, medicine women,shamans,
sorcerers, or witch doctors. In many societies, magicians must inherit their powers. In others, any person
may become a magician by studying the magical arts.
Many societies believe magicians must observe certain rules and taboos (forbidden actions) for their
spells to work. For example, they may be required not to eat various foods or to avoid sexual activity for
a certain period before the ceremony.
B.They have power if magician recites the right spells.
C.They have no effect at all.
D.They can be used whenever they want.
B.magic objects
C.stones or rings engraved with magic symbols
D.medicine
B.Because it is carved with magic symbols.
C.Because people think spirits live in it.
D.Because it can help them with many things
that today"s children are significantly more anxious than children in the 1950s. In fact, the analysis showed, normal children aged 9 to 17 exhibit a higher level of anxiety today than children who were treated for
mental illness 50 years ago.
Why are America"s kids so stressed? The report cites two main causes: increasing physical isolation
(隔离) brought on by high divorce rates and less involvement in community, among other things and a
growing perception that the world is a more dangerous place.
Considering that we_can"t_turn_the_clock_back,_adults can still do plenty to help the next generation.
At the top of the list is nurturing(培育) a better appreciation of the limits of individualism. No child is
an island. Strengthening social ties helps build communities and protect individuals against stress.
To help kids build stronger connections with others, you can pull the plug on TVs and computers. Your
family will thank you later. They will have more time for facetoface relationships, and they will get more
sleep.
Limit the amount of virtual(虚拟的) violence your children are exposed to. It"s not just video games
and movies; children see a lot of murder and crime on the local news.
Keep your expectations for your children reasonable. Many highly successful people never attended
Harvard or Yale.
Make exercise part of your daily routine. It will help you cope with your own anxieties and provide a
good model for your kids. Sometimes anxiety is unavoidable. But it doesn"t have to ruin your life.
B.were considered less individualistic
C.were less isolated physically
D.were probably less selfcentered
B.The social reality children are facing cannot be forgotten.
C.It"s impossible to slow down the pace of change.
D.Lessons learned from the past should not be forgotten
B.confusing
C.surprising
D.questionable
B.TV and computer play an important role in isolating children from the real world.
C.Exercise does not help to lessen children"s anxiety.
D.Sometimes local news about crime and murder also affects children a little
At school
The school day begins at 8:30. Then students assemble in their homeroom classes for the day"s studies. Each homeroom has an average of 40-45 students. Students stay in their homeroom classrooms for most
of the school day. Only for physical education, laboratory classes, or other subjects requiring special
facilities(设备) do students move to different parts of the school. Between classes and at lunchtime,
classrooms can be noisy, lively places. Some schools may have a cafeteria(自助餐厅), but most do not.
In most schools, students bring a box lunch from home, prepared by the mother in the early morning hours.
Japanese students spend 240 days a year at school, 60 days more than American students. Students in high schools take three years" each of the following subjects mathematics, social studies, Japanese, science, and English. Other subjects include physical education, music, art, and moral(道德的) studies. All the
students in one grade level study the same subjects. Given the number of required subjects, electives(选修科目) are few.
Afterschool Activities
Club activities take place after school every day.Students can join only one club, and they rarely change clubs from year to year, so the clubs are relatively stable. Clubs are made up of sports clubs ( baseball,
soccer, judo, kendo, etc.) and culture clubs(English, broadcasting, science, etc.). New students usually
are encouraged to select a club shortly after the school year begins in April. Clubs meet for two hours after school each day and many clubs continue to meet during school vacations.
B.in school cafeterias
C.at home
D.in homeroom classrooms
B.200
C.240
D.300
B.never
C.seldom
D.often
B.students must stay in homeroom classrooms for physical education
C.there are few subjects for students to choose except the required ones
D.there will not be any club activities during school vacations
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