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.Why are younger children not fooled?_____________.
A.Because their brain can hardly notice related things together. |
B.Because older people are influenced by their experience. |
C.Because people's eyes become weaker as they grow older. |
D.Because they are smarter than older children and adults. |
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 |
There are classes for the mothers of babies, but there's no helping with your mum and dad growing old.
Old people's wards are hell for old people. Geriatric wards are bedlam and bonkers. A toothless woman screaming when left alone, a cry that reaches the high hospital ceiling. A woman effing and blinding ﹣ the polite curtain will not protect her from the indignity of a happy change. A woman who lives the same moment in repeat, dressed up for going home in a bright red, over the dressing grown, asking for the key to her house, saying over and over: "Am I going home today?"
And though my mum, by the time she was released, knew that her life was charmed compared with the lives of the world's refugees. It seems to me as if the plight (困境) of old people, while not as horrible as the plight of refugees, shares some of the horror. Just as we live in a society that hasn't caught up with technology, the kind of moral choices it gives people, we also live in a world that hasn't kept up with its ageing population. We have the advances in medical science and technology that have kept people alive longer, but not the advances in how to treat our ageing population. Society is lagging behind the old, failing and falling.
There are certain small but piercing similarities between the treatment of the old and the treatment of refugees. The old are often displaced from their homes, moved out against their will; decisions are often made for them that they have no say over. Often, they are treated as fools or halfwits, crowded together in one place, given clothes that don't belong to them, treated as a fallen tribe, incapable of any individuality. Nobody imagined my mother was a secretary of the Scottish peace movement, a primary teacher, a lifelong socialist, a witty woman. Out of hospital, my 85﹣year﹣old mum said: "going into hospital at my age puts years on you. God save from old people's wards. You never think of yourself as old. You look across the ward and think, am I like that?"
(1)The treatment of the old is compared of that of the refugees in order to .
A. |
prove they have a lot in common |
B. |
show the terrible status of the old |
C. |
display their similarities and differences |
D. |
indicate that old people have to leave their home |
(2)What can be inferred from the passage?
A. |
Refugees lead a better life than old male patients. |
B. |
Old people are ill﹣treated due to their loss of individuality. |
C. |
The author's mom is capable of teaching and being a socialist in the meanwhile. |
D. |
The treatment of the ageing population doesn't develop as science advances. |
(3)The author's mom felt that life in the hospital .
A. |
made her much older. |
B. |
created her a mature woman. |
C. |
enable her to look back at life. |
D. |
let her full of gratitude to children. |
(4)The passage mainly discussed .
A. |
the life of refugees and old people. |
B. |
social responsibility to old women. |
C. |
improper treatment of old people. |
D. |
preparing for ageing parents. |
American Airlines
Date of Issue: 233 JAN 10
Ping Luo:
Thank you for choosing American Airlines/American Eagle, a member of the one world TMAlliance. Below is your journey plan for the ticket(s) purchased. Please print and keep possession of this document for use throughout your trip.
Record locator: HPMDLH
You may check in and obtain your boarding pass for U.S. domestic electronic tickets within 24 hours of your flight time online at AA. Come by using www.aa.com/ checkin or at a Self﹣Service Check﹣In machine at the airport. For faster check﹣in at the airport, scan the barcode at any AA Self﹣Service machine.
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e Ticket
Carrier |
Flight number |
Departing |
Arriving |
Booking Code |
|||||
City |
Date & time |
City |
Time |
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American Airlines |
4290 |
NASHVILLE |
SUN, 31 JAN 11:05 AM |
CHICAGO OHARE |
12:40 PM |
Q |
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OPERATED BY AMERICAN EAGLE |
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Ping Luo |
Economy |
Seats 9C |
Food for Purchase |
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American Airline |
4131 |
CHICAGO OHARE |
SUN 31 JAN 2:40 TM |
MADISON |
3:25 PM |
Q |
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OPERATED BY AMERICAN EAGLE |
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Ping Luo |
Economy |
Seats 17C |
Food for Purchase |
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(1)The above document serves as .
A. |
evidence of booked tickets. |
B. |
explanations of check﹣in policies. |
C. |
a reminder of airline regulations. |
D. |
an airline ticket and its confirmation. |
(2)During his journey, Ping Luo will .
A. |
fly non﹣stop to his destination. |
B. |
arrive in Chicago in the late afternoon of the same day. |
C. |
have to stay at CHICAGO OHARE airport for two hours. |
D. |
reach his final destination on the next day. |
(3)According to the document, in order to check in at the airport faster, a passenger may .
A. |
arrive at the airport far ahead of time. |
B. |
choose the seat in advance. |
C. |
use a self﹣service machine. |
D. |
contact the record locator online. |
The adaptation of books to the big screen is nothing new to our society. Books have become well﹣respected tools for creating a better Hollywood. However, films should be just as respected for their ability to create better writers.
The main skill films help writers develop is attention to progress. Most directors and screenwriters know that the majority of people are not willing to sit through a five﹣hour film. Thus, every scene must have a purpose. This is a vital objective to keep in mind when writing a novel or short story. With most writing courses placing emphasis on literary techniques, it is easy to become more invested in diction than with actually moving the plot forward. Films remind the writer that while a novel ought to have some degree of literary complexity, the goal at the end of each chapter, page, or sentence is simple: keep the story moving. Films not only help writers develop a plot, but also help writers develop specific moments within their stories. Although writing a means of expression, not all things are easy to express in writing, especially facial expressions and emotions. Films allow writers to study the bodily and emotional actions that make characters read more realistically and make stories more tempting.
Lastly, sometimes it takes a film to bring about a story idea in the first place. Stop using a horribly specific or extremely uninteresting prompt. A pleasing theme or aesthetic can be enough to inspire a character or setting. As writers, whether fiction or independent, our works often arise from the things we see around us or the things we wish we could see. Nonetheless, our works also arise from the visuals that have been created for us. As literature continues to enter the film industry, perhaps we should make use of film techniques in our literature.
(1)Reminded by films, a writer can move the plot forward by .
A. |
keeping in mind that every word should mean something. |
B. |
providing a description of as many details as possible. |
C. |
paying attention to further enhancing literary complexity. |
D. |
choosing the perfect word to go with his/her thought. |
(2)According to the passage, films help writers develop in many aspects except .
A. |
getting an improved expressiveness |
B. |
focusing on keeping the story moving. |
C. |
complicating their thinking and life. |
D. |
bringing in inspiration for new works. |
(3)The word "prompt" (paragraph 4)probably means .
A. |
a reason to write. |
B. |
a topic to start from. |
C. |
an excuse to put off working. |
D. |
an element to attract relationship. |
(4)Which of the following statements best represents the author's thoughts in this passage?
A. |
book writers are the ones promoting the growth of the film industry. |
B. |
directors and screenwriters are more respected than fiction writers. |
C. |
writers should spend more time on wording rather than on other things. |
D. |
filmmaking technique could help book writers to improve themselves. |
Adults understand what it feels like to be flooded with objects. Why do we often assume that more is morewhen it comes to kids and their belongings? The good news is that I can help my own kids learn earlier than I did how to live more with less.
I found the pre﹣holidays a good time to encourage young children to donate less﹣used things, and it worked. Because of our efforts, our daughter Georgia did decide to donate a large bag of toys to a little girl whose mother was unable to pay for her holiday due to illness. She chose to sell a few larger objects that were less often used when we promised to put the money into her school fund (基金)(our kindergarten is serious about becoming a doctor)
For weeks, I've been thinking of bigger, deeper questions. How do we make it a habit for them? And how do we train ourselves to help them live with, need, and use less? Yesterday, I sat with my son, Shepherd, determined to test my own theory on this. I decided to play with him with only one toy for as long as it would keep his interest. I expected that one toy would keep his attention for about five minutes, ten minutes, max. I chose a red rubber ball﹣simple, universally available. We passed it, he tried to put it in his mouth, he tried bouncing it, rolling it, sitting on it, throwing it. It was totally, completely enough for him. Before I knew it an hour had passed and it was time to move on to lunch.
We both became absorbed in the simplicity of playing together. He had my full attention and I had his. My little experiment to find joy in a single object worked for both of us.
(1)What do the words "more is more" in paragraph l probably mean?
A. |
The more, the better. |
B. |
Enough is enough. |
C. |
More money, more worries. |
D. |
Earn more and spend more. |
(2)What made Georgia agree to sell some of her objects?
A. |
Saving up for her holiday |
B. |
Raising money for a poor girl |
C. |
Adding the money to her fund |
D. |
Giving the money to a sick mother |
(3)Why did the author play the ball with Shepherd?
A. |
To try out an idea |
B. |
To show a parent's love |
C. |
To train his attention |
D. |
To help him start a hobby |
(4)What can be a suitable title for the text?
A. |
Take it or leave it |
B. |
A Lesson from Kids |
C. |
Live More with Less |
D. |
The Pleasure of Giving |
While famous foreign architects are invited to lead the designs of landmark buildings in China such as the new CCTV tower and the National Center for the Performing Arts, many excellent Chinese architects are making great efforts to take the center stage.
Their efforts have been proven fruitful. Wang Shu a 49﹣year﹣old Chinese architect, won the 2012 Pritzker Architecture prize ﹣which is often referred to as the Nobel Prize in architecture﹣on February 28. He is the first Chinese citizen to win this award.
Wang serves as head of the Architecture Department at the China Department at the China Academy of Art(CAA). His office is located at the Xiangshan campus (校园)of the university in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. Many buildings on the campus are his original creations.
The style of the campus is quite different from that of most Chinese universities. Many visitors were amazed by the complex architectural space and abundant building types.The curves(曲线) of the buildings perfectly match the rise and fall of hills, forming a unique view.
Wang collected more than 7 million abandoned bricks of different ages. He asked the workers to use traditional techniques to make the bricks into walls, roofs and corridors. This creation attracted a lot of attention thanks to its mixture of modern and traditional Chinese elements.
Wang's works show a deep understanding of modern architecture and a good knowledge of traditions. Through such a balance, he had created a new type of Chinese architecture, said Tadao Ando, the winner of the 1995 Pritzker Prize.
Wang believes traditions should not be sealed in glass boxes at museums. "That is only evidence that traditions once existed," he said.
"Many Chinese people have a misunderstanding of traditions. They think tradition means old things from the past. In fact, tradition also refers to the things that have been developing and that are still being created ,"he said.
"Today, many Chinese people are learning Western styles and theories rather than focusing on Chinese traditions. Many people tend to talk about traditions without knowing what they really are," said Wang.
The study of traditions should be combined with practice. Otherwise, the recreation of traditions would be artificial and empty, he said.
(1)Wang's winning of the prize means that Chinese architects are .
A. |
following the latest world trend |
B. |
getting international recognition |
C. |
working harder than ever before |
D. |
relying on foreign architects |
(2)What impressed visitors to the CAA Xiangshan campus most?
A. |
Its hilly environment. |
B. |
Its large size. |
C. |
Its unique style. |
D. |
Its diverse functions. |
(3)What made Wang's architectural design a success?
A. |
The mixture of different shapes. |
B. |
The balance of East and West. |
C. |
The use of popular techniques. |
D. |
The harmony of old and new. |
(4)What should we do about Chinese traditions according to Wang?
A. |
Spread them to the world. |
B. |
Preserve them at museums. |
C. |
Teach them in universities. |
D. |
Recreate them in practice. |