Can you believe your eyes? A recent experiment suggests that the answer to that question may depend on your age.
Martin Doherty, a psychologist at the University of Stirling in Scotland, led the team of scientists. In this experiment, Doherty and his team tested the perception(观察力) of some people, using pictures of some orange circles. The researchers showed the same pictures to two groups of people. The first group included 151 children aged 4 to 10, and the second group included 24 adults aged 18 to 25.
The first group of pictures showed two circles alone on a white background. One of the circles was larger than the other, and these people were asked to identify the larger one. Four-year-olds identified the correct circle 79 percent of the time. Adults identified the correct circle 95 percent of the time.
Next, both groups were shown a picture where the orange circles, again of different sizes, were surrounded by gray circles. Here’s where the trick lies in. In some of the pictures, the smaller orange circle was surrounded by even smaller gray circles — making the orange circle appear larger than the other orange circle, which was the real larger one. And the larger orange circle was surrounded by even bigger gray circles — so it appeared to be smaller than the real smaller orange circle.
When young children aged 4 to 6 looked at these tricky pictures, they weren’t fooled — they were still able to find the bigger circle with roughly the same accuracy as before. Older children and adults, on the other hand, did not do as well. Older children often identified the smaller circle as the larger one, and adults got it wrong most of the time.
As children get older, Doherty said, their brains may develop the ability to identify visual context. In other words, they will begin to process the whole picture at once: the tricky gray circles, as well as the orange circle in the middle. As a result, they’re more likely to fall for this kind of visual trick.Doherty and his team of scientists did an experiment to evaluate .
| A．children’s and adults’ eye-sight |
| B．people’s ability to see accurately |
| C．children’s and adults’ brains |
| D．the influence of people’s age |
When asked to find the larger circle, .
| A．children at 6 got it wrong 79 % of the time with no gray ones around |
| B．only adults over 18 got it right 95% of the time with gray ones around |
| C．children at 4 got it right about 79 % of the time with gray ones around |
| D．adults got it right most of the time with gray ones around |
According to the passage, we can know that .
| A．a smaller orange circle appears bigger on a white background |
| B．an orange circle appears bigger than a gray one of the same size |
| C．a circle surrounded by other circles looks bigger than its real size |
| D．a circle surrounded by bigger ones looks smaller than its real size |
Visual context may work when children get older than .
| A．4 | B．6 | C．10 | D．18 |
Why are younger children not fooled?
| A．Because they are smarter than older children and adults. |
| B．Because older people are influenced by their experience. |
| C．Because people’s eyes become weaker as they grow older. |
| D．Because their brain can hardly notice related things together. |
It's time you started eating sensibly. Experts at the first Chinese Students Nutrition and Health Festival in Kunming last week listed eight bad eating habits.
●Watching television while having meals or snacks.
Doing this means you don't pay attention to your food, forget how full you are, and so overeat. It can also cause digestion (消化) diseases. One way to avoid this is only to eat in certain areas of your home.
● Replacing meals with snacks.
Many students think that eating small snacks can help them diet. But it often results in overeating and health problems related to a lack of vegetables, carbohydrates (碳水化合物),proteins and vitamins. Snacking only works if it is well planned and includes healthy foods such as nuts, vegetables, fruit and yogurt.
●Having drinks rather than water.
Fizzy (有气泡的) drinks and fruit juice are usually high in calories and sugar, which can
cause weight problems. Water is important in making your brain cells and every organ in your body work properly. For your body to burn fat, it needs at least eight glasses of pure water a day. Liquids like soda and coffee actually take water away from your body.
●Refusing to drink milk.
Milk is the best natural food—it provides you with protein, which makes your bones strong and teeth healthy.
● Choosing meat and certain vegetables over others.
Different foods provide different kinds of nutrition. If you don't have a balanced diet, this can result in malnutrition (营养失调) and a weaker body.
●Eating in front of the computer and staying there after meals.
Take a walk after eating and it helps your stomach digest the meal.
●Buying from roadside snack bars.
If you shop at these places, be careful—many are not clean enough.
● Eating throat tablets as if they were sweets.
If you eat throat tablets when you have no throat disease, they may affect the bacteria in your mouth and cause real throat problems. ______ can possibly cause digestion problem.
| A．Eating while sitting in front of TV or computer |
| B．Eating throat tablets as if they were sweets. |
| C．Choosing certain kinds of food over others. |
| D．Buying from roadside snack bars. |
Why can't soft drinks be drunk in place of water when you feel thirsty?
| A．They help brain cells work properly. | B．They make your body sick. |
| C．They take water away from your body. | D．They supply energy for your body. |
Which of the following is NOT the habit that will possibly result in a lack of nutrition?
| A．Often eating small snacks. | B．Never drinking milk. |
| C．Always eating the same kinds of food. | D．Staying in front of a computer after the meal. |
We can achieve knowledge either actively or passively（被动地）. We achieve it actively by direct experience, by testing and proving an idea, or by reasoning.
We achieve knowledge passively by being told by someone else. Most of the learning that takes place in the classroom and the kind that happens when we watch TV or read newspapers or magazines is passive. Although we are used to passive learning, it’s not surprising that we depend on it in our everyday communication with friends and co-workers.
Unfortunately, passive learning has a serious problem. It makes us tend to accept what we are told even when it is rumor (谣言).
Did you ever play the game Rumor? It begins when one person writes down a message but doesn’t show it to anyone. Then the person whispers it, word for word, to another person. That person, in turn, whispers it to still another, and so on. Then the last person writes down the message word for word as he or she hears it. Then the two written statements are compared. Typically, the original message has changed.
That’s what happens in daily life. The simple fact that people repeat a story in their own words changes the story. Then, too, most people listen imperfectly. And many enjoy adding their own feelings to a story, trying to improve it, marking it with their own personal style. Yet those who hear it think they know.
This process is also found among scholars and authors: A statement of opinion by one writer may be re-stated as fact by another, who may in turn be quoted by yet another; and this process may continue, unless it occurs to someone to question the facts on which the original writer based his opinion or to challenge the interpretation he placed upon those facts.According to the passage, passive learning may occur when a person is _______.
| A．doing a medical experiment | B．solving a math problem |
| C．watching news on TV | D．doing scientific reasoning |
The underlined word “it” in Paragraph 2 refers to _____.
| A．active learning | B．knowledge | C．communication | D．passive learning |
The author mentions the game Rumor to show that _____.
| A．a message may be changed when being passed on |
| B．a message should be delivered in different ways |
| C．people may have problems with their sense of hearing |
| D．people tend not to believe in what they know as rumor |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．Active learning is less important. |
| B．Passive learning may not be dependable. |
| C．Active learning occurs more frequently. |
| D．Passive learning is not found among scholars. |
Twenty years ago, I drove a taxi for a living. One night I went to pick up a passenger at 2:30 AM. When I arrived to collect, I found the building was dark except for a single light in a ground floor window.
I walked to the door and knocked, "Just a minute," answered a weak, elderly voice.
After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her eighties stood before me. By her side was a small suitcase.
I took the suitcase to the car, and then returned to help the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the car.
She kept thanking me for my kindness. "It's nothing," I told her. "I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated."
"Oh, you're such a good man." She said. When we got into the taxi, she gave me an address, and then asked, "Could you drive through downtown?"
"It's not the shortest way," I answered quickly.
"Oh, I'm in no hurry," she said. "I'm on my way to a hospice(临终医院). I don't have any family left. The doctor says I don't have very long."
I quietly reached over and shut off the meter(计价器).
For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked, the neighborhood where she had lived, and the furniture shop that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.
Sometimes she'd ask me to slow down in front of a particular building and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.
At dawn, she suddenly said, "I'm tired. Let's go now."
We drove in silence to the address she had given me.
"How much do I owe you?" she asked.
"Nothing." I said.
"You have to make a living," she answered. "Oh, there are other passengers," I answered.
Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto earth tightly. Our hug ended with her remark, "You gave an old woman a little moment of joy."The old woman chose to ride through the city in order to ______.
| A．show she was familiar with the city | B．let the driver earn more money |
| C．see some places for the last time | D．reach the destination on time |
The taxi driver did not charge the old woman because he ______.
| A．shut off the meter by mistake | B．had received her payment in advance |
| C．was in a hurry to take other passengers | D．wanted to do her a favor |
What can we learn from the story?
| A．Giving is always a pleasure. | B．An act of kindness can bring people great joy. |
| C．People should respect each other. | D．People should learn to appreciate others' concern. |
People in the United States honor their parents with two special days: Mother’s Day, on the second Sunday in May, and Father’s Day, on the third Sunday in June. These days are set aside to show love and respect for parents. They raise their children and educate them to be responsible(有责任感的) citizens. They give love and care. These two days make us think about the changing roles of mothers and fathers. More mothers now work outside the home. More fathers must help with child care.
These two special days are celebrated in many different ways. On Mother’s Day people wear carnations. A red one symbolizes a living mother. A white one shows that the mother is dead. Many people attend religious services to honor parents. It is also a day when people whose parents are dead visit the cemetery(墓地). On these days families get together at home, as well as in restaurants. They often have outdoor barbecues for Father’s Day. These are days of fun and good feelings and memories.
Another tradition is to give cards and gifts. Children make them in school. Many people make their own presents. These are valued more than the ones bought in stores. It is not the value of the gift that is important, but it is “the thought that counts”. Greeting card stores, florists, candy makers, bakeries, telephone companies, and other stores do a lot of business during these holidays.Which of the following is NOT a reason for children to show love and respect for parents? _________.
| A．Parents bring up children. |
| B．Parents give love and care to children. |
| C．Parents educate children to be good persons. |
| D．Parents pass away before children grow up. |
What do you think “florists” do? _________.
| A．They sell flowers. |
| B．They make and sell bread. |
| C．They offer enough room for having family parties. |
| D．They sell special gifts for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. |
Which do you think is right about “carnation”? _________.
| A．It has only two kinds of colors. |
| B．It refers to the special clothes people wear on Mother’s Day or Father’s Day. |
| C．It’s a kind of flower showing love and best wishes. |
| D．People can wear carnations only on the second Sunday in May. |
Su Hua is studying at Cambridge, UK. She has bought a bicycle and is worried about security（安全）. Her friend, Kate, found this article and sent it to her.
Introduction
A lot of crime is against bicycles. About 150,000 bicycles are stolen every year and most are never found. You can prevent this happening by following a few careful steps.
Basic Security
Do not leave you bicycle in out-of-the-way places. Always lock your bicycle when you leave. Secure it to lampposts（灯柱）or trees. Take off smaller parts and take them with you, for example lights and saddles（车座）。
Locks
Get a good lock. There are many different types in the shops. Buy one that has been tested against attack. Ask for a recommendation from a bike stop.
Marking
Security marking your bike can act as a deterrent to a thief. It can also help the police find your bicycle. It should be clearly written and include you postcode and your house or flat number. This will provide a simple way to identify your bicycle.
Registration
There are a number of companies who will security mark your bicycle for you. They will then put your registration number and personal details on their computer database. Then if your bicycle is found it will be easy to contact you.
Finally
Keep a record of the bicycle yourself: its make, model and registration number. You can even take a photograph of it. This will prove the bicycle belongs to you.Which part gives you information on how to lock up your bicycle when you leave it? ______.
| A．Locks. | B．Marking. |
| C．Registration. | D．Basic Security. |
The underlined phrase “act as a deterrent to a thief” means _______.
| A．help you recognize your bike | B．help the police find you bicycle |
| C．stop someone stealing your bicycle | D．stop you worrying about your like |
The article advises you to keep a record of your bicycle _________.
| A．in the bike shop and your computer | B．in a police station and a security company |
| C．in a security company and your university | D．by yourself and in a security company |
The main purpose of this article is _________.
| A．To tell you what to do if your bicycle is stolen |
| B．to suggest way of keeping your bicycle safe |
| C．to give you advice on where to buy a good lock |
| D．to say why you shouldn’t keep your bicycle in a quiet place |