As you dash outdoors in the middle of winter, you might make it halfway down the block before realizing that your ears are freezing because you forgot your hat.
Now, scientists have shown that even though you’ve had an apparent memory lapse(丧失), your brain never forgot what you should have done.
Memory works mainly by association. For example, as you try to remember where you left your keys, you might recall you last had them in the living room, which reminds you that there was an ad for soap on television, which reminds you that you need soap, and so on. And then, as you’re heading out of the door to buy soap, you remember that your keys are on the kitchen counter. Your brain knew where the keys were all along. It just took a round-about way to get there.
Now, scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies are studying associative memory in monkeys to figure out just how this complicated process works.
First, the researchers trained a group of monkeys to remember arbitrary(任意的) pairs of symbols. The researchers showed the monkeys one symbol(cold weather) and then gave them the choice of two other symbols, one of which (a hat) would be associated with the first. A correct choice would earn them a sip of their favorite juice.
Most of the monkeys performed the test perfectly, but one kept making mistakes.
“We wondered what happened in the brain when the monkey made the wrong choice, although it apparently learned the right pairing of symbols,” said study leader Thomas Albright.
Albright and his team observed signals from the nerve cells in the monkey’s inferior temporal cortex (ITC), an area of its brain used for visual pattern recognition and for storing this type of memory.
As the monkey was deciding which symbol to choose, about a quarter of the activity in the ITC was due to the choice behavior.Meanwhile, more than half the activity was in a different group of nerve cells, which scientists believe represent the monkey’s memory of the correct symbol pairing, and surprisingly, these
cells continued to work well even when the monkey chose the wrong symbol.
“In this sense, the cells ‘knew’ more than the monkeys let on in their behavior,” Albright said. “Thus, behavior may vary, but knowledge endures.”What is the main idea of this passage?
A.Your brain remembers what you forget. |
B.Activity is a round-about way to memory. |
C.Monkeys have better memory than us. |
D.Your brain may forget something, but not always. |
The example of the keys and soap is given to explain the relationship between _______.
A.memory and our daily life | B.memory and television ads |
C.memory and association | D.memory lapse and human brain |
The researchers believe the monkey that made the wrong choice ________.
A.had some trouble with its nerve system | B.failed to see the objects well |
C.had the worst memory | D.also knew the correct answer |
The underlined word “endures” may be best replaced by __________.
A.increases | B.remains | C.disappears | D.improves |
I am so worried about global warming. We need stop cutting down all of the trees so that they can absorb the carbon dioxide. I think the Kyoto Protocol(京都议定书) to stop pollution is a great idea ,and I hope our country will decide to follow it, too.
— Eli S.,10,Texa
People should do all they can to help stop pollution, even if it is something as little as recycling your soda can. Every little thing helps. Maybe schools can put recycling bins in classrooms. Students can bring in all of their cans and bottles and see how many the school can collect.
— Lindsey A.,11, Massachusett
The United States should take action to help stop pollution. Since we are one of the richest countries, we should at least spend a little money to help.
— Aaron z,11,Massachusett
It is not good that the United States is not following the Kyoto Protocol. The U.S. is one of the most pollution emitting (污染物排放)countries in the world. Even if the rest of the world agrees to follow those rules, without the U. S. and its big businesses agreeing, global warming will still be a big problem.
—Augustine S.,11,Ohio
The world needs to learn more about global warming problems. If we do not do something soon then some of Earth’s coolest animals will become extinct. People should use solar power instead of things that pollute the atmosphere!
— Jillian J.,10,Pennsylvania
Global warming is very dangerous, and it must be prevented. Even if people think that it cannot be stopped ,we should at least try. Stopping global warming is more important than keeping our businesses going. What about the penguins(企鹅)and the polar bears? We can’t just let them become extinct.
—Samantha R.,11,IllinoisWhy does Lindsey suggest schools put recycling bins in classrooms?
A.To keep the classroom clean | B.To help protect wild animals. |
C.To help protect our earth. | D.To collect waste in classroom. |
Augustine worries that global warming problems will be difficult to solve because.
A.many people think that global warming cannot be stopped |
B.more and more trees are being cut down |
C.American government spends little money stopping pollution |
D.the U.S. refuses to follow the Kyoto Protocol |
Jillian and Samantha believe that.
A.solar power is earth-friendly energy |
B.global warming threatens animals’ survival |
C.America is the richest country in the world |
D.the penguins and the polar bears are dying out |
What do the six children mainly talk about?
A.Environmental problems. | B.The Kyoto Protocol. |
C.Animal protection. | D.The climate change. |
When Colonel Harland Sanders retired at the age of 65, he had little to show for himself, except an old Caddie roadster, a $105 monthly pension check ,and a recipe for chicken.
Knowing he couldn’t live on his pension, he took his chicken recipe in hand, got behind the wheel of his van (货车),and set out to make his fortune. His first plan was to sell his chicken recipe to restaurant owners, who would in turn give him a residual (酬金)for every piece of chicken they sold—5 cents per chicken. The first restaurateur he called on turned him down.
So did the second.
So did the third.
In fact, the first 1,008 sales calls Colonel Sanders made ended in rejection. Still, he continued to call on owners as he traveled across the USA, sleeping in his car to save money. Prospect number 1,009 gave him first “yes”.
After two years of making daily sales he had signed up a total of five restaurants. Still the Colonel pressed on , knowing that he had a great chicken recipe and that someday the idea would catch on .
Of course, you know how the story ends. The idea did catch on. By 1963 the Colonel had 600 restaurants across the country selling his secret recipe of Kentucky Fried Chicken (with ll herbs and spices ).
In 1964 he was bought out by future Kentucky governor John Brown.Even though the sale made him a multi-millionaire, he continued to represent and promote KFC until his death in 1990.Which of the following statements about Colonel Sanders is wrong according to the passage?
A.He received a pension of a little more than $100 every month after he retired. |
B.He couldn’t live on his pension because he had a chicken recipe in hand. |
C.He didn’t succeed in selling his recipe until he tried 1,009 times. |
D.He lived a hard life when he stared the business. |
The underlined phrase“catch on ”in Paragraph 6 probably means.
A.be accepted | B.be grasped | C.be popular | D.be rejected |
The sentence “Of course, you know how the story ends” means.
A.you are sure to know the result of Colonel Sanders’ business |
B.You are sure to know Colonel Sanders had finished his story |
C.It is certain Colonel Sanders ended his business |
D.It is certain Colonel Sanders knew how to end his story |
Colonel Sanders’ story teaches us an important lesson:
A.It’s never too late to make a change in your life . |
B.The early bird catches the worm. |
C.Live and learn. Life can teach you a lot of lessons. |
D.Constant dripping wears away a stone. |
The Field Museum
Hours
Regular hours are 9:00 a.m.—5:00 p.m. , daily. Last admission at 4:00 p.m.
Open every day except Christmas.
Admission
We have several ticket choices for you to choose from. Advance tickets may be purchased at the will- call booth in person at the museum before 4:00 p.m.
Getting Here
The Field Museum is located on Chicago’s Museum Campus; at 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive, just south of Roosevelt Rd.
How to get here : by car or public transit or free trolley.
Parking
Visitor parking in all lots on the Museum Campus is $ 15.00 per day .This includes the Adler lot, the north garage, the Waldron garage and the east museum lot.
Hours for the north garage and Adler lot are 5:00 a.m.—5:00 p.m. Mon—Fri and 6:00a.m. —5:00p.m. weekends; east museum lot9:00 a.m.—3:00p.m. Designated handicapped parking is available in every lot.
When all other lots are full , parking will be made available in the remote south lot for$ 8.00 per day.
From Memorial Day to Labor Day , the parking lot will only accept cash payments , which will need to be paid upon entering the garage.
Please note : These hours and rates are for daytime only and do not apply when special events are scheduled at the museums or Soldier Field.
Getting Here During Chicago Bears Home Games
During bears home games and other major special events at Soldier Field , access to the Museum Campus can be challenging. No museum visitor parking is available on the Museum Campus during bears home games. However, public transit remains a great way to get to the Campus every day of the year. For more information, call the Regional Transportation Authority at (312) 836 — 7000 or visit www. rtachicago.com.
Additional parking is available at the Monroe Street garage , located at 350 East Monroe Street.If you buy advance tickets ,you.
A.call 60605—2496(312)922—9410 to register a ticket |
B.should go and buy tickets all by yourself |
C.can ask others to buy a ticket for you |
D.make an order with the museum in advancee |
Where can you park your car for the least cost?
A.The south lot. | B.The Adler lot. | C.The north lot . | D.The Waldron garage. |
If you park your car at east museum lot ,you should go at .
A. 9:00 a.m.— 5:00 p.m . B. 5:00a.m. .—5:00p.m.
C. 9:00 a.m.— 3:00 p.m .B. 6:00a.m. .—5:00p.m. Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A.The museum is opened all the year around. |
B.You can usually pay your parking in check. |
C.During bears home games visitors can park on the museum Campus for free. |
D.After 4:00 p.m.you are not allowed to enter the museum. |
WASHINGTON, March 14 (Xinhua) —U.S. President Barack Obama confirmed on Saturday at the White House that China can have confidence in the American economy.
“Not just the Chinese government, but every investor can have absolute confidence in the soundness of investments in the United States,” Obama said.
“There is a reason why even in the midst of this economic downfall you have seen actual increases in investment flows here in the U. S.,”he said.
Obama also noted the U. S. will push for stricter regulation of the financial industry “front and center” at the upcoming Group of 20 Summit (峰会) in London ,ending an argument between the Europe and the United States over whether more focus should be placed on financial regulatory reform.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said earlier Friady he is “a little bit worried ”about the safety of Chinese assets (财产) in the United States ,urging the U. S. government to ensure the security of those assets.
China has invested its huge foreign exchangereserves (外汇储备) in low-risk but low-yield assets ,such as U. S.government bonds (政府债券) ,to play it safe . According to the U.S. Treasury, China held 681.9 billion U.S. dollars worth of U.S. government bonds as of November.
“China is indeed the largest creditor of the United States, which is the world’ s biggest economy .We are extremely interested in developments in the U. S. economy.”said Wen, adding that he is expecting the effect of the measures taken by the U.S.government to counter the global financial crisis.
Asked to react to Wen’ s concern, Lawrence Summers, director of the U.S. National Economic Council, noted on Friday that the U.S. will be sound steward (管家)of the money it invests.
“This is a commitment that the president has made very clear—we need to be sound stewards of the money we invest.”said Summers in a speech at the Brookings Institution, a leading think tank in the united states.Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
A.Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao expressed his worry about the huge fund to the United States. |
B.Obama claimed that China can have confidence in the American economy. |
C.Obama said that the U. S. would be “sound stewards of the money we invest.” |
D.The U. S. will push for stricter regulation of the financial industry. |
It can most likely be inferred from the passage that.
A.the U. S. is now having great difficulty improving the economy. |
B.China will have confidence in Obama forever according to Wen’s speech |
C.China held 681.9 billion U.S. dollars worth of U.S.government bonds as of November |
D.China will do its best to help the U.S. overcome the global financial crisis. |
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said earlier Friday he is “a little bit worried”, because.
A.he doesn’t have confidence in America’ s economy at all |
B.China lent a huge fund to the United States |
C.he is concerned about the security of China’s assets in the U. S. |
D.the U.S. refused to ensure the security of China’s assets |
The underlined word “soundness” in the second paragraph can be replaced by “”
A.loudness | B.safety | C.richness | D.friendship |
CCTV anchorman Luo Jing died of cancer on June 5 ,2009 at the age of 48.
In 1983 ,graduating from Beijing Broadcasting Institute, he began his career as a prime time newscaster for CCTV .Over the past decades , as an icon of China’s broadcasting industry,Luo Jing’s modest image and clear voice left unforgettable memories with his audience.
Last year when he was diagnosed as having lymph cancer ,he felt it too awful,for two weeks later he was to run the torch ,He asked doctors to keep the secret in order for him to complete the task of the Olympic torch. Finally, not only did he complete the task, but he participated in a series of voice – over work in the Olympic Games opening ceremony . After that ,he frankly said to the leader the next day,“I have completed the task and I am going to hospital today.”
Broadcast sowing rate of the News Network used to be 180words a minute, but increases to 300 words a minute, which is beyond most people’s ability. What’s more terror is the strict limit of time .Sometimes after a piece of news is broadcast, there is a few seconds left, when staff hand a message press release. The host must strictly control the time to broadcast the unexpected news. As soon as his voice fades , the program turns into the following images without one more second or less. In such high – intensity work environment, with the perfect professional he worked for 26 years without any error.
In life , we seldom mention comedy without tragedy, laughter without tears ,and joy without sorrow.Though the passing of Luo Jings brings us pain, it’s only fitting to remember his smiles with happiness. He’s been taken from us much too soon , but he leaves us what he’s been working for.When did Luo Jing go to hospital?
A.As soon as he ran the torch. |
B.As soon as he was diagnosed with cancer. |
C.As soon as he felt uncomfortable. |
D.After attending the Olympic Games opening ceremony. |
When Luo Jing began his career he wasyears old
A.22 | B. 24 | C.26 | D.28 |
Through the fourth paragraph the writer intends to show.
A.how high broadcast sowing rate of the News Network is |
B.how remarkable the achievement that Luo Jing made was |
C.what gifts a person should have if he wants to make a host |
D.how terrible to become a host of the News Network |
What can be inferred from the passage?
A.Luo Jing was modest. | B.Luo Jing had a clear voice. |
C.Luo Jing had a strong will. | D.Luo Jing hated being pitied. |