【推荐1】Over the years Lisa urged her sister Helen to prepare for her old age. Now they passed sixty. Lisa had a big house, Helen had the clothes on her back.

Lisa had hated being a child and couldn’t wait to grow up and buy herself everything. What Helen wanted was to go outside and play.

When anyone would hire her, Lisa put herself to work. She never touched a penny of her money though her young mouth watered for ice cream and candy. When the dimes (一角硬币) added up to dollars， she lost her taste for sweets. And her bankbook became her most precious possession.

Helen had a boyfriend Harry whose only ambition was to play a horn. That Helen married Harry straight out of high school was not surprising. Two or three times Lisa was halfway persuaded, but to give up a job that paid well for a homemaking job that paid nothing was a risk she was unable to take.

Helen’s married life was nothing for Lisa to envy. She and Harry played in second-rate bands. But Lisa had a big house because her boss offered her his first house at a price so low that it would be like losing money to refuse.

Harry died abroad, in a third-rate hotel, with Helen crying as hard as if he had left her a fortune. He had left her nothing but his horn. Lisa knew she would have to bring her home.

At dinner, Helen began to tell stories. They were rich with places and people, most of them lowly, all of them magnificent. Her face showed the joys and sorrows.

Then Lisa knew why Helen didn’t mention the shining room. Tonight Helen saw only what she had come seeking, a place in her sister’s home and heart.

She said, “That’s enough about me. How have the years used you?” “I didn’t use them,” said Lisa regretfully. “I saved for them but forgot to enjoy them. Now it’s too near the end to try. ”Helen said, “Don’t count the years that are left to us. At our time of life it’s the days that count. You’ve too much catching up to do to waste a minute of a waking hour feeling sorry for yourself.” Lisa smiled.

1. In her life Lisa attached most value to      .

A．further education	B．a job in hand
C．ice cream and candy	D．a chance to get married

2. Why did Lisa lose her taste for sweets?

A．Because she kept working and had no time to buy sweets.

B．Because she worked hard to make dimes add up to dollars.

C．Because she kept saving money and lost the basic desires.

D．Because she had little money to afford sweets.

3. In what way is the story mainly developed?

A．Changing locations.	B．Giving examples.
C．Creating conflicts.	D．Comparing characters.

4. What is probably the best title of the passage?

A．Single or Married?	B．Preparations for Old Age
C．Rich or Poor?	D．A House and a Bank Account

【推荐2】I was about 30 years old and was working as a firefighter in the South Bronx’s Engine Co.82. It was a restful Sunday and between alarms I rushed to the office to read a copy of the New York Times. I read an article on the Book Review section which openly stated what I took to be a calumny (诽谤) -- that William Butler Yeats had gone beyond his Irishness and was forever to be known as a universal poet. As I read it, my blood began to boil.

I grabbed a piece of paper and wrote out a letter of anger to the editor. Yeats had lived his life and written his poetry through the very essence of his Irish sensibility. It was offensive to think Irishness was something to be transcended (超越). I don’t know why I felt it my duty to safeguard the reputation of the world’s greatest poet. I just knew that I had to write that letter.

After my letter got published, I received a letter from The New Yorker asking for an interview. When my article Fireman Smith appeared in that magazine, the editor of a large publishing firm called me, asking if I was interested in writing a book about my life. I had little confidence to write a whole book, though the subject was worthy. I wrote Report From Engine Co.82 in six months, and it sold really well. In the years that followed, I wrote three more best-sellers.

Being a writer had been far from my expectations. How had it happened? I often found myself thinking about it, and my thoughts always came back to that letter to the New York Times. For me, the writing was a natural consequence of the passion I felt and the subjects represented the great values burning within me as I wrote.

Your education and your experience will guide you toward making a right decision, but your passion will enable you to make a difference in whatever you do. That’s what I learned the day I stood up for Ireland’s greatest poet.

1. Why did the author write to the New York Times?

A．To present his love for literature.

B．To spread Irish culture to the world.

C．To protect the reputation of an Irish poet.

D．To express his expectation of being a writer.

2. What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 1 imply?

A．I felt awkward when I read the article.

B．I felt angry at the statement in the article.

C．I became excited when I read about Yeats.

D．I was very proud of Yeats being a universal author.

3. According to the author,what is the key to his success in writing?

A．His skills in arguing.	B．His educational background.
C．His passion for writing.	D．His experience as a firefighter.

4. What’s the best title of the passage?

A．My Journey to Be a Writer.	B．A Letter that Changed My Life.
C．How to Become a Great Author.	D．My Defense of Ireland’s Greatest Poet.

【推荐3】Pitt Crawley was astonished to receive such a pleasant letter from his brother Rawdon Crawley. Jane was delighted, and expected that her husband Pitt would immediately divide his aunt’s inheritance (遗产) into two equal parts and send one to his brother.

The brothers did not meet for some time, however. Since the death of Miss Crawley, Pitt and his wife had been living down at Queen’s Crawley with his father Sir Pitt Crawley.

In fact, when the black-aged invitation to the funeral (葬礼) arrived in Curzon Street, the reactions (反应) were very far from sad.

“We don’t have to go, do we, Becky?” Rawdon said. “Pitt bores me to death, and a carriage there and back will cost too much.”

“Of course we’re going, you silly man!” cried Becky, jumping up in delight. “Your brother is now Sir Pitt, and a Member of Parliament. I want Lady Jane to present me at court next year, and I want Sir Pitt to get you a position of some importance — the Governor of the West Indies, or something like that. We must order our black clothes for the funeral at once.”

“Litter Rawdy comes too, of course,” said her husband.

“Of course not! Why pay for a third seat in the carriage?”

It was a great moment when the two Crawley brothers met again at last. The new Sir Pitt shook his brother warmly by the hand, while Lady Jane took both Becky’s hands, and kissed her.

This mark of kindness brought tears to Becky’s eyes, which was a rare event. When Lady Jane took Becky to her room, Becky at once began work on earning her sister-in-law’s approval.

“What I should like to do first,” Becky said, in a soft little voice, “is to see your dear little children.”

This request pleased Lady Jane very much. She led Becky away to meet her daughter and son, aged four and two, and in no time at all, she and Becky were close friends.

“You must be so sad,” Lady Jane said sympathetically, “to have left your little boy in London.”

“Dear, dear Rawdy!” sighed Becky. “I miss him so much.”

It was fortunate that her husband did not hear this remark. He was very fond of his son. He saw Rawdy every day at home, brought him presents and toys and played with him whenever he could. His mother took no notice of the boy at all. When he cried at night, it was a servant who came and took him to her room to comfort him.

Rawdon and Becky spent several days at Queen’s Crawley, and it was time well spent. Lady Jane thought Becky was delightful, and Sir Pitt also approved of her. She had shown interest in his ambitions (抱负) for government, and made admiring comments on his political ideas, which he had found very agreeable.

Becky was glad to escape from playing the part of a dutiful sister-in-law — listening with interest to dull conversations, inspecting the fruit garden, visiting sick villagers with soup and encouragement.

Lord Steyne was one of Becky’s admirers in London. High-society women still ignored her, but the men crowded to Mrs Crawley’s little house, Many of them lost money at the card-tables to Colonel Crawley. Not Lord Steyne, however, who was no fool. Becky amused Lord Steyne. He admired her charm and her intelligence and her cunning, which he saw was equal to his own, and her artful lies gave him much entertainment. He laughed a great deal at Becky’s account of her time at Queen’s Crawley.

“I should like to see you visiting the sick,” he said, “and being polite to those dull relations of your husband’s.”

Lord Steyne laughed again. “You were bored to tears by them all. Come now, admit it, Mrs Crawley!”

Becky gave a wicked little smile.

1. Why did Becky do lots of things against her will at Queen’s Crawley?

A．To show concern for her relatives.	B．To bring out her talents.
C．To win Jane’s and Pitt’s favor.	D．To kill the boring time.

2. From the underlined sentence, we can conclude that ________.

A．Becky told a lie, which would surprise Rawdon

B．Becky worried this remark would annoy Rawdon

C．Rawdon, like Becky, missed their son Rawdy

D．Rawdon took no notice of the remark

3. It can be inferred from the passage that ________.

A．Becky was a devoted mother	B．Lady Jane was kind and generous
C．Lord Steyne was worth relying on	D．Rawdon was as intelligent as Becky

4. Lord Steyne admired Becky for ________.
a. her intelligence b. her charm c. kindness d. wicked smile

A．ac

B．ab

C．bc

D．bd

【推荐1】Humans are naturally drawn to other life forms and the worlds outside of our own. We take delight in the existence of creatures and even whole societies beyond our everyday lives.

This sense of wonder is universal. Look at the efforts that scientists have made to find out whether life of some kind exists on Mars, and the popularity of fantasy (幻想) literature or movies like The Lord of the Rings. This sense of wonder draws us to each other, to the world around us, and to the world of make­believe. But have we gone so far in creating worlds of fantasy that we are missing the pleasure of other worlds that already exist all around us?

Human beings, as biologists have suggested, possess an inborn desire to connect with and understand other life forms. However, people, especially in big cities, often lead rather isolated lives. In a study of British schoolchildren, it was found that children by age eight were much more familiar with characters from television shows and video games than with common wildlife.   Without modern technology small pond could be an amazing world filled with strange and beautiful plants, insects, birds, and animals. When we lack meaningful interaction (交互) with the world around us, and sometimes even with our families and friends, we seek to understand and communicate with things that exist only in our imaginations or on a computer screen.

The world of make­believe is not necessarily bad. But when the world of fantasy becomes the only outlet (出路) for our sense of wonder, then we are really missing something. We are missing a connection with the living world. Other wonderful worlds exist all around us. But even more interesting is that if we look closely enough, we can see that these worlds, in a broad sense, are really part of our own.

1. The popularity of The Lord of the Rings proves________.

A．the close connection between man and the fantasy world

B．the wonderful achievements of fantasy literature

C．the fine taste of moviegoers around the world

D．the general existence of the sense of curiosity

2. What can we infer from the underlined sentence in Paragraph 3?

A．People are far less familiar with the world of fantasy.

B．The world around us could serve as a source of wonder.

C．The world of fantasy can be mirrored by a small and lively pond.

D．Modern technology prevents us from developing our sense of wonder.

3. If our sense of wonder relies totally on the world of make­believe, we will________.

A．fail to appreciate the joy in our lives

B．be confused by the world of make­believe

C．miss the chance to recognize the fantasy world

D．be trapped by other worlds existing all around us

4. What is the main purpose of the passage?

A．To show us the hidden beauty in our world.

B．To warn us not to get lost in the fantasy world.

C．To argue against the misuse of the sense of wonder.

D．To discuss the influence of the world of make­believe.

【推荐2】TikTok has appeared as a major starter of food trends—from mushroom coffee and pancake cereal to cloud bread. But there’s another trend dominating TikTok that’s become bigger than any of these viral recipes. That’s the #whatieatinaday trend, which is nearing 9 billion views. These video food diaries are also popular on Instagram—typically featuring a wellness influencer or celebrity showing their foods they ate that day—often with a full-length yoga clothes mirror selfie.

The basic message these posts send is that if you eat like them, then you can eventually look like them. The posts are promoting the idea of a perfect or ideal day of eating, along with a perfect body size.

“Younger audience, especially girls and young women, accept the message that they must eat like these creators in order to achieve and maintain not only health, but also social attraction,” says Cara Harbstreet. “The biggest harm I see with this trend is that it normalizes disordered or restrictive eating behaviors. This could prevent someone struggling with an eating disorder from seeking and receiving support or treatment.”

Even if the #whatieatinaday posts are displaying a balanced day of eating, the message of “eat like me, and you will look like me” is harmful because people would not necessarily achieve the same body size as the Instagrammer even if they copied their day of eating bite for bite.

Rather than a day’s worth of food, many experts suggest posting a single meal instead. Rachael Hartley said an individual meal or recipe could serve as an idea or inspiration versus a full day of eating to copy.

“I occasionally share #whylate Wednesday posts, with the aim of showing a wide range of foods, including fast food, desserts, convenience foods and other foods that diet culture might dislike, as well as showing how to include nutrition in a gentle way,” she said.

Rachael says diet culture has changed our sense of how much is “normal” to eat at meals or snacks, so it can be helpful to see a full meal that shows a variety of foods.

1. What is paragraph I mainly about?

A．The popularity of TikTok cooking classes.

B．The origin of the #whatieatinaday trend.

C．The Internet hit of posting a whole-day diet.

D．The disagreement of selfies in yoga clothes.

2. Why is #whatieatinaday trend harmful according to Cara Harbstreet?

A．It makes people less attractive.	B．It confuses dieting with healthy eating.
C．It contributes to emotional disorder.	D．It restricts people’s choice to vegetables.

3. Which kind of posting would probably be preferred by experts?

A．A big Sunday supper with various dishes.

B．A single meal with only convenient noodles.

C．Breakfast, lunch and dinner on a Wednesday.

D．A day’s meals with more vegetables than meat.

4. What is the purpose of this passage?

A．To compare different eating habits.

B．To inform a standard posting method.

C．To argue against #whatieatinaday posting.

D．To discuss the pros and cons of diet culture.

【推荐3】The term "adulting" started as a sort of joke-whenever a millennial(千禧一代)would do something age-acceptable, this was an act of "adulting". Now, though, millennials obviously require training in being an adult.

Rachel Flehinger has founded an Adulting School, which includes online courses on simple sewing, conflict solution and cooking. The cause for such classes is that many millennials haven't left childhood homes-in America 34 percent of adults aged 18 to 34 still lived with their parents as of 2015, up from 26 percent ten years before.

There's a good deal of truth to this. If you're living at home,with Mom and Dad doing their best to spoil（溺爱）you, you're less likely to know how to do laundry, cook or make the bed. Dependency breeds enervation.

But living at home doesn't necessarily lead to dependency. As of 1940, more than 30 percent of 25-to-29-year-olds lived at home with parents or grandparents.They were adulting, even while living at home. Parents expected their kids to do chores, to prepare for life. Instead of blaming living at home, then, we have to blame our style of parenting. The truth is that we've simply become lazier as parents.

So what's the real problem?

We're more likely to let our kids lie on a sofa than tell them to get a job and pay rent. We don't push our kids to build families of their own, as life spending has increased. Americans aren't expected to start building a life, particularly middle-and-upper-class Americans, until they're nearing their 30s. Then the question is how we can encourage young people to "adult" in non-circumstance-driven fashion.

1. What does the last sentence "Dependency breeds enervation" in the third paragraph mean?

A．Present kids are too lazy to do housework.

B．Parents would like to do housework by themselves.

C．Kids depend on their parents.

D．Dependency makes kids unable to do things.

2. Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．Millennials would like to be trained in being an adult.

B．Millennials don't adult because they still live in their childhood homes.

C．Parents are too lazy to do chores.

D．In the 1940s kids were adulting even when they were living at home.

3. Which of the following statements is the main idea of the passage?

A．Millennials should leave home early to adult.

B．"Adulting" is hard mostly because parents hardly push their children into society.

C．Americans aren't expected to start building a life until they're nearing their 30s.

D．Adulting schools with online courses are popular.

4. According to the passage, what will be probably written in the following part?

A．The government should put off the age of adulthood.

B．Parents should leave kids in charge of society.

C．Parents should put responsibility on young people.

D．Pushing kids to adult is painful for parents.

【推荐1】Nowadays, to work remotely, all you need are a computer and an Internet connection. According to a new study, employees who can work from anywhere else are generally happier than those who work onsite(现场的)in an office.

Video conferencing company Owl Labs surveyed 1,202 full-time US workers from the ages of 22 to 65, and discovered that 62 percent of the respondents worked remotely at least some of the time and 38 percent worked onsite. Of the remote workers, 49 percent worked remotely full-time.

As it turns out, working remotely—or the idea of it—makes people happy, 83 percent of the survey respondents agree that the ability to work remotely would make them happier, and 71 percent of workers who do get to work remotely said their job makes them happy, compared with 55 percent of office-only workers.

In the study, full-time remote workers said they're happy in their job, 22 percent more than people who never work remotely. The reasons why respondents said they decided to work remotely were better work-life balance(91 percent), increased productivity/better focus(79 percent), less stress(78 percent), and to avoid a commute(通勤)(78 percent).

One reason why remote workers might be happier is that they were more than twice as likely to earn more than $100,000 per year. And the higher they were on the corporate(公司的)ladder, the more likely survey respondents were to have the privilege of working remotely: The job levels with the greatest percentages of remote workers were founder/CEO-level(55 percent)and vice president(46 percent).

Loyalty is another factor: Remote workers are 13 percent more likely than non-remote workers to stay with their current job for the next five years—making remote work a win-win for employees and employers alike.

Not only are remote employees happier, but they are prepared to work longer hours, according to the report. Remote workers said they work over 40 hours per week, 43 percent more than on-site workers do.

1. What can he learned about the respondents in the survey by Owl Labs?

A．49 percent work remotely full-time.

B．55 percent are not satisfied with their work.

C．83 percent prefer to work in an office.

D．About 40 percent are office-only workers.

2. Compared with remote workers, onsite workers are         .

A．less loyal	B．more productive
C．less creative	D．more hardworking

3. It is more likely for those with higher job levels to          .

A．live freely	B．have double income
C．work remotely	D．work less time

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．The choice of working sites.	B．The benefits of working remotely.
C．The tendency of future jobs.	D．The qualities of offsite employees.

【推荐2】Most people know precious gemstones (宝石) by their appearances. An emerald flashes deep green, a ruby seems to hold a red fire inside, and a diamond shines like a star. It’s more difficult to tell where the gem was mined, since a diamond from Australia or Arkansas may appear the same to one from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. However, recently, a team of scientists has found a way to identify a gemstone’s origin.

Beneath the surface of a gemstone, on the tiny level of atoms and molecules（分子）, lie clues (线索) to its origin. At this year’s meeting of the Geological Society of America in Minneapolis, Catherine McManus reported on a technique that uses lasers (激光) to clarify these clues and identify a stone’s homeland. McManus directs scientific research at Materialytics, in Killeen, Texas. The company is developing the technique. “With enough data, we could identify which country, which mining place, even the individual mine a gemstone comes from,” McManus told Science News.

Some gemstones, including many diamonds, come from war-torn countries. Sales of those “blood minerals” may encourage violent civil wars where innocent people are injured or killed. In an effort to reduce the trade in blood minerals, the U.S. government passed law in July 2010 that requires companies that sell gemstones to determine the origins of their stones.

To figure out where gemstones come from, McManus and her team focus a powerful laser on a small sample of the gemstone. The technique is called laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy. Just as heat can turn ice into water or water into steam, energy from the laser changes the state of matter of the stone. The laser changes a miniscule part of the gemstone into plasma, a gas state of matter in which tiny particles（微粒）called electrons separate from atoms.

The plasma, which is superhot, produces a light pattern. (The science of analyzing this kind of light pattern is called spectroscopy.) Different elements（元素）produce different patterns, but McManus and her team say that gemstones from the same area produce similar patterns. Materialytics has already collected patterns from thousands of gemstones, including more than 200 from diamonds. They can compare the light pattern from an unknown gemstone to patterns they do know and look for a match. The light pattern acts like a signature, telling the researchers the origin of the gemstone.

In a small test, the laser technique correctly identified the origins of 95 out of every 100 diamonds. For gemstones like emeralds and rubies, the technique proved successful for 98 out of every 100 stones. The scientists need to collect and analyze more samples, including those from war-torn countries, before the tool is ready for commercial use.

Scientists like Barbara Dutrow, a mineralogist from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, find the technique exciting. “This is a basic new tool that could provide a better fingerprint of a material from a particular locality,” she told Science News.

1. We learn from Paragraph 1 that __________________.

A．an emerald and a ruby are names of diamonds.

B．it’s not difficult to tell where the gem was mined.

C．appearances help to identify the origin of gemstones.

D．diamonds from different places may appear the same.

2. Why did the U.S. government pass law that requires companies selling gemstones to determine the origins of their stones?

A．To look for more gemstones.

B．To encourage violent civil wars.

C．To reduce the trade in blood minerals.

D．To develop the economy.

3. Which of the following facts most probably helps McManus and her team in identifying the origin of stones?

A．Heat can turn ice into water or water into steam.

B．Gemstones from the same area produce similar light patterns.

C．Laser can changes a miniscule part of the gemstone into plasma.

D．Materialytics has already collected patterns from thousands of gemstones.

4. From the last two paragraphs, what can be inferred about the laser technique?

A．It is ready for commercial use.

B．People can use the new tool to find more gemstones.

C．It can significantly reduce the gemstones trade in blood minerals.

D．It will bring about a revolutionary change in identifying the origin of minerals.

5. The author wrote this passage mainly to ________.

A．tell us how to identify the origin of diamonds.

B．introduce a laser technique in identifying a stone’s origin

C．prove identifying the origin of gemstones are difficult

D．attract our attention to reducing trade in blood minerals

【推荐1】American actor James Dean has been dead for 64 years. James Dean, who died at the age of 25 in September 1955, starred in just three movies before he died in a car accident. They are Rebel Without a Cause, East of Eden and Giant. Yet, he will star in a new movie about the Vietnam War thanks to digital technology ,which generates(产生) images of James Dean by computer.

The idea that one of the movies' most beloved former stars would be recreated digitally for a new film has been met with criticism(批评). Captain America actor Chris Evans called the plans to use Dean's image in the film disrespectful.

However, Mark Roesler, the chairman of CMG said, “Dean has more than 183,000 followers on Instagram, and that he is still important today. He was known as Hollywood's ‘rebel(叛逆)' who famously said 'if a man can bridge the gap(沟壑) between life and death, if he can live after he's dead, then maybe he is a great man.” Roesler added, “What was considered rebellious in the 50's is very different from what is rebellious today, and we feel confident that he would support this modern day act of rebellion.”

Anton Ernst, the film's director, said, “1 respect Dean's life and history. The movie is one of hope and love. There are still a lot of James Dean's fans worldwide and there would always be critics. All we can do is to tell a great story.” Ernst added, “The Dean family views this as his fourth movie, a movie he never got to make. We do not want to let his fans down.”

1. Which film did Chris Evans star in?

A．Rebel Without a Cause.

B．Captain America.

C．East of Eden.

D．Giant

2. What can we infer from what Roesler said?

A．James Dean's rebellious spirit is about life and death.

B．Roesler wanted to be a “rebellious man like James Dean.

C．James Dean thought he was a great man full of rebellion.

D．Roesler believes Jamnes Dean would support the digital technology.

3. Which is the best title for the text?

A．James Dean to Star in New Film	B．James Dean's Death in 1955
C．Latest Development of Digital Technology	D．A Once Popular Movie On Again

4. What's the attitude of James' family towards his fourth movie?

A．Supportive.

B．Doubtful.

C．Thankful.

D．Uninterested.

【推荐2】I don't realize that I've been at college for nearly one and half year until now. Looking back into the last year, what shall I say? It consisted of both happiness and sadness. Life always goes like this, up and down, as is so exciting. Now when I recall the past, no matter how I felt at that time, they are all treasures for me.

That was the moon festival last year, which was also the first time we went out after we entered the college. It was said that the sea in Dalian was well-known and was also a wonderful place to watch the moon. After getting all the food and drinking ready, we four girls set off for the seaside. There were many people and we picked up a less crowded beach. At first, we enjoyed ourselves by drinking and eating. When the moon turned brighter, we played with the seawater. As a result, we were all drenched with water. Bathing in the moonlight, we ran and laughed. We seemed to land on another world, where was full of fresh air, laughter and love. The laughter is still echoing on my mind so far.

Life doesn't stay the same, occasionally having a particular taste. That is sadness. What impressed me deeply is a failure in a singing competition. It was the first time I had given a performance on such a large stage in front of so many people. I was so nervous that the whole song was performed out of tune. As you could imagine, I was greeted with boos from the audience. I still remembered how dismal I felt that moment and I sat alone crying at the seaside. After that, I talked to mother about it. She told me that it was not a failure; at least, I was brave enough to show myself publicly.

Everything has passed. I’ve stored them at the bottom of my heart. I am in the second grade already. Yet much needs me to challenge. On the way, there's both happiness and distress. However, I will go ahead just all the same.

1. The underlined word ''drenched'' in the second paragraph has a similar meaning with _______.

A．dried	B．wet
C．frozen	D．washed away

2. Life, according to the author, is       .

A．full of happiness	B．filled with sadness
C．made up of laughter and tears	D．not worth living

3. How did the audience feel the author's singing?

A．It was wonderful	B．It was disappointing
C．The passage doesn’t say	D．It was perfect

4. Which of the following shows the author's attitude towards future?

A．A friend in need is a friend indeed.

B．Do wrong once and you’ll never hear the end of it.

C．Where there is a will, there is a way.

D．Time and tide wait for no man.

【推荐3】Psycholinguistics is a field at the intersection (交叉) of psychology and linguistics, and one if its recent discoveries is that the languages we speak influence our eye movements. For example, English speakers who hear candle often look at a candy because the two words share their first syllable. Research with speakers of different languages revealed that bilingual speakers not only look at words that share sounds in one language but also at words that share sounds across their two languages. When Russian-English bilinguals hear the English word marker, they also look at a stamp, because the Russian word for stamp is marka.

Even more surprising, speakers of different languages differ in their patterns of eye movements when no language is used at all. In a simple visual search task in which people had to find a previously seen object among other objects, their eyes moved differently depending on what languages they knew. For example, when looking for a clock, English speakers also looked at a cloud. Spanish speakers, on the other hand, when looking for the same clock, looked at a present, because the Spanish names for clock and present—reloj and regalo—overlap at their onset (开始) .

The story doesn't end there. Not only do the words we hear activate other, similar-sounding words—and not only do we look at objects whose names share sounds or letters even when no language is heard—but the translations of those names in other languages become activated as well in speakers of more than one language. For example when Spanish-English bilinguals hear the word duck in English, they also look at a shovel, because the translations of duck and shovel—pato and pala, respectively—overlap in Spanish.

Because of the way our brain organizes and processes linguistic and nonlinguistic information, a single word can set off a domino effect (多米诺效应) that cascades (像洪水般倾泻) throughout the cognitive system. And this interactivity and co-activation is not limited to spoken languages. Bilinguals of spoken and signed languages show co-activation as well. For example, bilinguals who know American Sign Language and English look at cheese when they hear the English word paper because cheese and paper share three of the four sign components in ASL (hand shape, location and orientation but not motion).

What do findings like these tell us? Not only is the language system thoroughly interactive with a high degree of co-activation across words and concepts, but it also impacts our processing in other areas such as vision, attention and cognitive control. As we go about our everyday lives, how our eyes move, what we look at and what we pay attention to are influenced in direct and measurable ways by the languages we speak.

The implications of these findings for applied settings range from consumer behavior (what we look at in a store) to the military (visual search in complex scenes) and art (what our eyes are drawn to). In other words, it is safe to say that the language you speak influences how you see the world not only figuratively (比喻地) but also quite literally, down to the mechanics of your eye movements.

1. What can we learn from Paragraph 3?

A．Languages we know determine our eye movements.

B．The words we hear remind us of similar words.

C．We look at objects even if no language is heard.

D．Translations of words in other languages can be activated.

2. According to Paragraph 4, the ''domino effect'' is caused by ________.

A．American Sign Language	B．brain processes
C．oral languages	D．co-activation

3. What can we learn from these findings?

A．Words are closely related to concepts in language system.

B．The combination of words and concepts activates language system.

C．The language we speak influences what we pay attention to.

D．What we speak in everyday lives controls how our eyes move.