Baby girls make their way directly for dolls as soon as they can crawl, while boys will head for the toy cars, a study has shown. The findings, the first to show differences in very young babies, suggest there is a biological basis to their preferences.
Psychologists Dr Brenda Todd from City University London carried out an experiment involving 90 infants aged nine months to 36 months. The babies were allowed to choose from seven toys. Some were stereotypically boys' toys - a car, a digger, a ball and a blue teddy. The rest were girls’ toys: a pink teddy, a doll and a cooking set. They were placed a meter away from the toys, and could pick whichever toy they liked. Their choice and the amount of time they spent playing with each toy were recorded.
Of the youngest children (nine to 14 months), girls spent significantly longer playing with the doll than boys, and boys spent much more time with the car and ball than the girls did. Among the two-and three-year-olds, girls spent 50 percent of the time playing with the doll while only two boys briefly touched it. The boys spent almost 90 percent of their time playing with cars, which the girls barely touched. There was no link between the parents’ view on which toys were more appropriate for boys or girls, and the children’s choice.
Dr Brenda Todd said: “Children of this age are already exposed to much socialization. Boys may be given ‘toys that go’ while girls get toys they can care for, which may help shape their preference. But these findings agree with the former idea that children show natural interests in particular kinds of toys. There could be a biological basis for their choices. Males through evolution have been adapted to prefer moving objects, probably through hunting instincts(本能), while girls prefer warmer colors such as pink, the color of a newborn baby.”Baby boys and girls have different toy preferences probably because .
| A.baby boys are much more active |
| B.baby girls like bright colors more |
| C.their parents treat them differently |
| D.there is a natural difference between them |
Both baby boys and baby girls like to play with according to the study.
| A.a ball | B.a teddy | C.a car | D.a doll |
What can we infer from Paragraph 3 ?
| A.Nine-month-old baby boys don’t play with dolls at all. |
| B.Two-year-old baby girls sometimes play with cars and balls. |
| C.The older the babies are, the more obvious their preference is. |
| D.Parents should teach their babies to share each other’s toys. |
What conclusion did Dr. Brenda Todd draw from the results of the study?
| A.Adults purposely influence their babies preference. |
| B.Babies’ preference isn’t affected by social surroundings. |
| C.Baby boys preferring to moving toys will be good at hunting. |
| D.Baby girls preferring warmer colors will be warm-hearted. |
We may read this article in a section of a newspaper.
| A.science | B.health | C.education | D.entertainment |
Jack London is a famous American writer. His most widely known book is the Call of the Wild, the story of the adventure of a large dog in the frozen north.
Jack London was born on January 12, 1876, in San Francisco, California. His family was very poor, and Jack had to leave school to make money. He worked hard at many different jobs.
Later, Jack returned to school, but he didn’t stay. He wrote, “Life and pocket book were both too short.” In 1897, he went to Alaska to find gold. Instead, he found ideas there for his book stories. He returned home and started to write. His writings were successful, and he became rich and famous in his twenties.
Jack London was not a happy man, however. In poor health, he took his own life in 1916. He was then only 40 years old. Jack London went to Alaska to __________________.
| A.find ideas for his books | B.find gold | C.write his books and stories | D.find jobs |
Jack London left school because __________________.
| A.he had to work to help his family | B.he had completed his education |
| C.he wanted to become a writer | D.he wanted to find gold. |
From what did Jack London get ideas for his books and stories?
| A.His life in Alaska. | B.His childhood friend. |
| C.A large dog in the north. | D.His pocket book. |
What do we know about Jack London?
| A.He became famous but remained poor all his life. |
| B.Though he was poor, he was always happy. |
| C.He was not famous until he died in 1916. |
| D.He killed himself because of poor health. |
At a meeting, a well-known speaker lifted up a bill of 20 dollars before starting his speech.
Facing 200 people, he asked, “Who wants this 20-dollar bill?” A great many hands were put up. Then he continued to say, “I intended to give it to any one of you, but allow me to do a thing before giving it to you.” Suddenly he crumpled (揉)it into a round mass. Then he asked, “Who wants it? ” Still some hands were lifted up.
He asked again, “Well, how could it be if I do it like this?” he threw the bill onto the ground, stepped on it and twisted it. As he picked it up, the bill had become not only dirty but wrinkled.
“Who still wants it?” Still a few people put up their hands.
“My dear friends, you have had a meaningful class. No matter how I treated this bill, you still want it, because it is worth 20 dollars. On your life road, you may be knocked down(击垮) or even broken into pieces by your determination or unfavorable situations. We may feel ourselves worth nothing, but, my darling, rememb
er that whatever happens in the future, you should never lose your value(价值) in the God’s heart. You’re particular ---- never forget it.”How many times did the speaker ask the people whether they wanted the bill?
| A.Once | B.Twice | C.Three times | D.Four times |
The underlined word “wrinkled” in the third paragraph probably means ________.
| A.broken | B.having small lines or folds in it | C.flat | D.having holes on it |
The speaker did this test in order to _____________.
| A.tell the audience that one should never lose one’s own value |
| B.tell the audience that God values money most |
| C.test if some of the audience were extremely interested in money |
| D.play a trick on the audience |
What would the speaker probably talk about next?
| A.How money can make people crazy. | B.How to avoid being knocked down in one’s life. |
| C.How to keep one’s value of life. | D.How to give a meaningful class |
Green-space facilities are contributing to an important extent to the quality of the urban environment. Fortunately it is no longer necessary that every lecture or every book about this subject has to start with the proof of this idea. At present it is generally accepted, although more as a self-evident statement than on the base of a closely-reasoned scientific proof. The recognition of the importance of green-spaces in the urban environment is a first step on the right way; this does not mean, however, that enough details are known about the functions of greenspaces in towns and about the way in which the inhabitants (居民) are using these spaces.
The theoretical separation of living, working, traffic and recreation which for many years has been used in town-and-country planning, has in my opinion resulted in disproportionate (不成比例的) attention for forms of recreation far from home, whereas (但是)there was relatively little attention for improvement of recreative possibilities in the direct neighborhood of the home. We have come to the conclusion that this is not right, because an important part of the time which we do not pass in sleeping or working, is used for activities at and around home. So it is obivous that recreation in the open air has to begin at the street door of the house. The urban environment has to offer as many recreation activities as possible, and the design of these has to be such that more obligatory (强制性的) activities can also have a recreative aspect.
The very best standard of living is nothing if it is not possible to take a pleasant walk in the district, if the children cannot be allowed to play in the streets, because the risks of traffic are too great, if during shopping you can nowhere find a spot of enjoying for a moment the nice weather, in short, if you only feel yourself at home after the street door of your house is closed after you. According to the author, the importance of greenspaces in the urban environment _______.
| A.is still unknown | B.is being closely studied |
| C.is usually neglected | D.has been fully recognized |
The theoretical separation of living, working, traffic and recreation has led to _______.
| A.the disproportion of recreation facilities in the neighborhood |
| B.all of the recreation facilities far from home |
| C.relatively little attention for recreative possibilities |
| D.the improvement of recreative possibilities in the neighborhood |
The author suggests that the recreative possibilities of greenspaces should be provided _______.
| A.in special areas | B.in the suburbs |
| C.in the neighbourhood of the house | D.in gardens and parks |
The author says “more obligatory activities can also have a recreative aspect” to _______.
| A.suggest that obligatory activities don’t need to serious |
| B.show that recreation activities are very important |
| C.show how recreation activities have spread wildly |
D.sug gest how to offer recreation activities around home |
Why would someone only feel himself at home according to the last paragrap
h?
| A.One lives the very best standard of living. |
| B.There are too many distractions outside his home. |
| C.There are few recreations around his house. |
| D.One needs the street door of his house to be opened always. |
I heard many parents complaining that their teenage children are rebelling. I wish it
were so. At your age you ought to be growing away from your parents. You should be learning to stand on your own two feet. But take a good look at the present rebellion. It seems that teenagers are taking the same way of showing that they disagree with their parents. Instead of striking out boldly on their own, most of them are clutching (紧握) at one another’s hands for reassurance.
They claim they want to dress as they please. But they all wear the same clothes. They set off in new directions in music. But somehow they all end up huddled (聚在一起) round listening to the same record. Their reason for thinking or acting in thus-and-such a way is that the crowd is doing it. They have come out of their cocoon (蚕茧) into a larger cocoon.
It has become harder and harder for a teenager to stand up against the popularity wave and to go his or her own way. Industry has firmly carved out a teenage market. These days every teenager can learn from the advertisements what a teenager should have and be. And many of today’s parents have come to award high marks for the popularity of their children. All this adds up to a great barrier for the teenager who wants to find his or her own path.
But the barrier is worth climbing over. The path is worth following. You may want to listen to classical music instead of going to a party. You may want to collect rocks when everyone else is collecting records. You may have some thoughts that you don’t care to share at once wi
th your classmates. Well, go to it. Find yourself. Be yourself. Popularity will come — with the people who respect you for who you are. That is the only kind of popularity that really counts. In this passage, the author wants to tell _______.
| A.readers to try to be popular with people around |
| B.teenagers to try to pursue their real selves |
| C.parents to try to control and guide their children |
| D.people to try to understand and respect each other |
The author disapproves of rebelling teenagers _______.
| A.growing away from their parents | B.turning to their friends for hel p |
| C.walking a new way on their own | D.following the popularity trend |
The phrase “a larger cocoon” at the end of the second paragraph refers to _______.
| A.the distractive and variable society | B.the popularity wave in the society |
| C.the parental care and love | D.the dazzling music world |
What does the author think of advertisements?
| A.Convincing. | B.Instructive. | C.Influential. | D.Authoritative. |
According to the author, what might happen when a teenager stands up against the popularity wave and follows his/her own path?
| A.He/She gains valuable popularity. | B.He/She loses good friends. |
| C.He/She faces all kinds of criticism. | D.He/She falls behind the time. |
As is known, healthy foods can help save your life. Now, here is a list of healthy foods that can save your memory. It is best that every person knows what he eats, as he takes in, can make or break himself, in terms of health.
Fish is helpful in regaining back the kind of memory that a person once has. Eating fish can help you save the trouble of forgetfulness. Vegetables rich in fiber and other dark and green leafy kinds are very suitable for people who want to avoid mental blocks. These foods contain high units of vitamin E.
Another food that is considered having different effects on preventing this brain deficiency (缺陷) is avocado (鳄梨), which is also rich in vitamins E and C. It is really good to know these healthy foods that can save your memory are always at hand so as to help you in your fight against diseases. Sunflower seeds are regarded as Vitamin C-powered seeds and also give you enough energy.
As for red wine, do not over consume it, as it is said to have to be taken in moderate amounts in order to help the body. Over-drinking can cause illness and like anything else. This is considered as one of the healthy foods that can save your memory; alcohol can otherwise lose it.
It is better to consume colored bread, rice and whole grains for you to get the best out of fiber. These foods can lower the body’s risk of being infected with Alzheimer’s disease(老年痴呆病).
Knowing the healthy foods that can save your memory is living the life that you have longed and desired. Among the others, the best, of course, is exercise. Taking in different kind of exercises, physical activities or sports can keep both your body and mind healthy. If you suffer from loss of memory, you _______.
| A.should eat cucumbers and cabbages | B.can drink as much wine as possible |
C.had better take in fish in your meals |
D.may as well take more Vitamin C |
To prevent mental disease from happening, _______.
| A.people are advised to take avocados | B.it is best to eat vegetables high in fiber |
| C.it is better to have more sunflower seeds | D.red wine is the first and best choice |
Which of the following is the most important for health?
| A.Drinking a proper amount of red wine every day. |
| B.Eating bread made of whole grains. |
| C.Adding Vitamin C-powered seeds to meals. |
| D.Taking moderate exercise every day. |
How many means for health does the author mention in the passage?
| A.Six | B.Seven | C.Eight | D.Nine |
Which of the following is most suitable for the passage?
(①="Para.1" ②="Para.2" ③="Para.3" ④="Para.4" ⑤="Para.5" ⑥=Para.6)
①①
↙↘↙↘
| A.②③④⑤ | B.②③④⑤ ↖↗↖↗ ⑥⑥ ①① ↙↘↙↘ |
| C.②③④⑤ | D.②③ |
↖↗↙↘
⑥④ ⑤
↖↗
⑥