A new study has found that it may be possible to train people to be more intelligent, increasing the brainpower they had at birth.
Until now,it has been widely assumed that the kind of mental ability that allows us to solve new problems without having any relevant previous experience—what psychologists call fluid intelligence—is innate and cannot be taught(though people can raise their grades on tests of it by practicing).
But in the new study,researchers describe a method for improving this skill,along with experiments to prove it works.
The key, researchers found, was carefully structured training in working memory—the kind that allows memorization of a telephone number just long enough to dial it.This type of memory is closely related to fluid intelligence,so the researchers reasoned that improving it might lead to improvements in fluid intelligence.
First they measured fluid intelligence of volunteers using standard tests.Then they trained each in a complicated memory task—the child’s card game,in which they had to recall a card they saw and heard.During the course, they needed to ignore irrelevant items, monitor ongoing performance,manage two tasks at the same time and connect related items to one another in space and time.
The four groups experienced a half-hour of training daily for 8, 12, 17 and 19 days, respectively.To make sure they were not just improving their test-taking skills,the researchers compared them with control groups that took the tests without the training.
The results, published Monday in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,were striking.Improvement in the trained groups was a lot greater.Moreover,the longer they trained, the higher their scores were.All performers,from the weakest to the strongest,showed significant improvement.
“Our results show you can increase your intelligence with proper training.” said Dr Jaeggi, a co-author of the paper.“No one knows how long the gains will last after training stops,” he added, “and the experiment’s design did not allow the researchers to determine whether more training would continue to produce further gains.”The researchers thought the key to improving the intelligence was ______________.
A.memorizing telephone numbers | B.improving working memory |
C.training in concentration | D.recalling a card |
The following aspects of the training help increase intelligence EXCEPT___________.
A.ignoring irrelevant items |
B.monitoring ongoing performance |
C.managing two tasks at the same time |
D.using previous experience |
When the experiment was conducted, the researchers______________.
A.trained the four groups for the same period of time |
B.only made comparisons between the four groups |
C.compared the four groups with control groups |
D.trained the four groups together |
By writing the article,the writer intends to ______________.
A.inform the readers of a new study |
B.call on people to be trained to increase intelligence |
C.prove one’s born brainpower can be improved |
D.tell people the improved intelligence will last forever |
A ten-year-old boy from Howell, Michigan America is being hailed (赞扬…为) a hero due to his persistence (坚持) that led to saving the life of an elderly neighbor. The chain of events unfolded late in the evening on Sunday, January 26th, 2014 when Danny Dipietro was being driven home from hockey practice by his dad.
That’s when the young boy noticed an open garage and a figure that he believed was a dog outside an apartment near his house. Given the extremely cold weather, the young boy got a feeling that something was not right. But instead of dismissing (不予理会) it like most kids at his age would have, he insisted that his mother, Dawn, go to examine what was going on. Dawn tried to convince (使相信) Danny that no one would leave a dog out in such cold weather, but he refused to take no for an answer.
Dawn finally gave in and decided to take a walk to the area with the family dog and see if there was any truth to Danny’s premonition (预感). Sure enough, as she got closer to the apartment she noticed a garage that was wide open and a bent figure, waving madly. Upon getting there, she realized that it was not a dog that the young boy had seen, but Kathleen St. Onge, one of her neighbors. The 80-year-old had slipped on some ice in her garage and had been lying there for two hours, unable to get up.
Dawn rushed home to get her husband for help and called 911. The two then returned with some blankets to cover Ms. St. Onge, while they waited for the ambulance to arrive. Though still in hospital, the elderly woman is recovering well and grateful to Danny for his premonition.Why didn’t Dawn want to have a look at first?
A.Because it was too cold outside. |
B.Because she thought Danny lied. |
C.Because she didn’t think people would leave a dog out on such a cold day. |
D.Because she was busy with her work. |
When Danny Dipietro’s mother found the elderly woman, the elderly woman _______.
A.had lain in the garage for two hours |
B.was trapped in her garage with her dog |
C.was looking for her dog around the garage |
D.was lying on the ice outside the garage dead |
Which of the following is TRUE?
A.Danny likes playing hockey with his father. |
B.Ms. St. Onge is grateful for Danny’s premonition. |
C.Danny loves animals especially dogs very much. |
D.Ms. St. Onge is an old woman who lives alone. |
There was once a captain who loved money so much that he cheated his sailors at the end of every voyage and took their wages (工资).
On the last day of one voyage, the ship was in a small port. It was winter time, and the sea was very cold, so the captain said to his sailors, “If one of you stays in the water during the whole night, I will give him my ship. But if he comes out before the sun appears, I shall get his wages.”
The sailors (船员) had heard about the captain’s cheating, so they didn’t trust him. But then one of them, who thought that he was cleverer than the captain, said that he would do it. He got into the water, and, though it was very cold, he stayed in it. When it was nearly morning, some fishermen lit a fire on the shore about half a mile away.
“You are cheating,” the captain said to the sailor. “The fire’s warming you.”
“But it’s half a mile away!” said the sailor.
“A fire’s fire,” answered the captain. “I have won.”
The sailor came out of the water, and said, “Perhaps you think that you are clever because you have won my wages, but you can’t cook a chicken.”
“I can,” answered the captain.
“If you cook this chicken,” said the sailor, “I shall work for you without wages for seven years, but if you can’t, you will give me your ship.”
The captain agreed, took the chicken and said, “Where’s the fire?”
“There it is,” answered the sailor. “On the shore.”
“But it’s half a mile away,” said the captain angrily.
“‘A fire’s fire,’ you said,” answered the sailor. “If it is enough to warm me in the water, it is enough to cook your chicken.”The captain got the sailors’ wages ________.
A.to buy a chicken for himself |
B.and kept the money for future use |
C.by cheating them |
D.and said he would return the money soon |
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A.All the sailors refused to get into the water because it was too cold. |
B.The captain knew that the fire the fishermen made was enough to warm the sailor in the water. |
C.The captain succeeded in cheating the sailor. |
D.It was the sailor who was cleverer. |
The captain insisted that the fire was warming the sailor because he ________.
A.didn’t want to lose the bet (打赌) |
B.didn’t believe the sailor’s success |
C.wanted to keep his promise |
D.wanted to show his cleverness |
Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE? ________
A.The sailors didn’t trust the captain. |
B.In order to help the sailor in the water, the fishermen made a fire. |
C.The captain failed to cheat the sailor this time. |
D.The sailor didn’t get out of the water before the sun appeared. |
Will it matter if you don’t take your breakfast? A short time ago, a test was given in the United States. People of different ages, from 12 to 83, were asked to have a test. During the test, these people were given all kinds of breakfast, and sometimes they got no breakfast at all. Scientists wanted to see how well their bodies worked when they had eaten different kinds of breakfast.
The results show that if a person eats a right breakfast, he or she will work better than if he or she has no breakfast. If a student has fruit, eggs, bread and milk before going to school, he or she will learn more quickly and listen more carefully in class. The result is opposite to what some people think. Having no breakfast will not help you lose weight. This is because people become so hungry at noon that they eat too much for lunch. They will gain weight instead of losing it. You will lose more weight if you reduce your other meals.During the test, the people were given ________.
A.no breakfast at all |
B.very rich breakfast |
C.different foods or sometimes none |
D.little food for breakfast |
The results show that ________.
A.breakfast has little to do with a person’s work |
B.breakfast has great effect (影响) on work and studies |
C.a person will work better if he only has fruit and milk |
D.girl students should have less for breakfast |
According to the passage, some people think that if you don’t have breakfast, you will __________.
A.be healthier | B.work better |
C.lose weight | D.fail the test |
The word “reduce” in the last sentence means _________ .
A.减少 | B.增加 | C.放弃 | D.享用 |
Obama, Lady Gaga and Steve Jobs—what do they have in common? They are, of course, all Americans. And according to a survey by social networking site baidu. com, they all best illustrate(举例说明) the word “cool”.
But just what does it mean to say someone is “cool”? Most would answer that it is something to do with being independent-minded and not following the crowd.
Yale University art professor Robert Farris Thompson says that the term “cool” goes back to 15th century West African philosophy. “Cool” relates to ideas of grace under pressure.
“In Africa, ” he writes, “coolness is a positive quality which combines calmness, silence, and life.”
The modern idea of “cool” developed largely in the US in the period after World War II. “Post-war ‘cool’ was in part an expression of war-weariness (厌战情绪), . . . it went against the strict social rules of the time,” write sociologists Dick Pountain and David Robins in Cool Rules:Anatomy of an Attitude.
But it was the American actor James Dean who became the symbol for “cool” in the hugely successful 1955 movie Rebel without a Cause. Dean plays a tough guy who disobeys his parents and the authorities. He always gets the girl, smokes cigarettes, wears a leather jacket and beats up bullies. In the movie, Dean showed what “cool” would mean to American young people for the next 60 years.
Today the focus of “cool” has changed to athletics (体育运动) stars. Often in movies about schools, students gain popularity on the athletics field more than in the classroom. This can be seen quite clearly in movies like Varsity Blues and John Tucker Must Die.
But many teenagers also think being smart is cool. Chess and other thinking games have been becoming more popular in schools.
“Call it the Harry Potterization of America—a time when being smart is the new cool,” writes journalist Joe Sunnen.If you were considered“cool”in Africa in the 15th century, you_____.
A.thought and acted differently from the majority |
B.had a calm and quiet attitude towards life |
C.didn’t observe rules and authorities |
D.had all kinds of “bad” manners |
The heroes in Varsity Blues and John Tucker Must Die are likely to be those who ________.
A.do very well in their studies |
B.are very skilled at sports |
C.are good at chess and other thinking games. |
D.have supernatural powers like Harry Potter |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the article?
A.It is generally considered “cool” to be independent-minded and not to follow the crowd. |
B.“Cool” was used as early as the 15th century. |
C.Disobeying one’s parents and the authorities is considered “cool” among American young people nowadays. |
D.Getting the first place in an exam can also be considered “cool”. |
What does the article mainly talk about?
A.The origin of the word “cool”. |
B.The kinds of people who are “cool”. |
C.The changing meaning of the word “cool”. |
D.How to be a “ cool” person. |
Children in the United States eat too much pizza that some researchers now argue the food should join the ranks of sugary drinks and fast food for the harm they do to health.
In a new study, the researchers found that pizza is a large source of calories, saturated fat(饱和脂肪)and salt in children’s diets.Children should not eat more than two slices of pizza for a meal,and should pair that with salad, rather than with another high-calorie food,the researchers concluded.
“Parents should aim to control pizza consumption(消费), particularly as a snack where it was shown to have a very adverse impact on children, and they should put their pizza dollars toward healthier brands.”Said Lisa Powel, director of the Illinois Prevention Research Center.
Pizza has become a matter of focus in recent years for researchers who look at the meals children eat, rather than the nutrients within them.Studies have found pizza is among the greatest sources of calories for children.
“Since pizza remains a common part of children’s diet, we need to make ‘healthy’ pizza.”Powel said.To make pizza healthier, food producers should reduce its saturated fat and salt, and increase its whole grain content,” she said.
Whether or not pizza is harmful enough to be picked out as an unhealthy food, the study attracts attention to a larger issue with the modern American lifestyle, said Alexis Tindall, who was not involved in the flow research. “Many foods are eaten too frequently and in large sizes,” said Tindall.To solve the problem, people don’t have to give up eating pizza, but instead, they can eat smaller and healthier pizza,”she said.
“Make it at home, instead of ordering it out where you don’t have any control over how it’s made.” Tindall said. “When we make it at home, we can choose healthier ingredients,increase the vegetables, reduce fat, and put in less cheese.Pizza doesn’t have to be just pepperoni(意大利辣香肠)and cheese.”According to the research, children shouldn’t eat .
A.more than two slices of pizza in a day |
B.two slices of pizza for a meal |
C.pizza along with salad |
D.more pizza with French fries |
Powel suggests healthier pizza should be made .
A.with more ingredients | B.with less salt |
C.in smaller sizes | D.at home |
The last sentence of the passage implies that pepperoni and cheese .
A.are necessary ingredients of pizza |
B.are not the only healthy ingredients of pizza |
C.should all be replaced with healthier ingredient. |
D.should be reduced by adding healthier ingredients. |
What is the best title for the passage?
A.Pizza—a real junk food! |
B.How to prepare better meals for your kids? |
C.Discover the harm of eating pizza |
D.Bring in healthier pizza for Americans |