When we are children, the summer holidays seem to last forever, and the wait between Spring Festivals feels like an eternity. But later, we may find that the time just seems to fly by, with weeks, months and entire seasons disappearing from a blurred calendar at a fast speed. Why does time seem to pass faster as we get older?
According to the Daily Mail, our brains degrade as we get older. That diminish the amount of information we can deal with in a single day. “The human mind senses time changing when the perceived images change,” Adrian Bejan from Duke University, US, told the Daily Mail. “The present is different from the past because the mental viewing has changed, not because somebody’s clock rings.”
Infants, for example, move their eyes much more often than adults because they’re processing images at a faster rate. They deal with a large amount of information and do many things in a single day. This makes them feel like a single day lasts for a long time. However, as people get older, fewer images are processed in the same amount of time. Therefore, older people receive less information during a day than younger people. This causes things to seem as though they’re happening more quickly.
Apart from the degradation of our brains, some psychological reasons also make us experience time differently. People may measure time by the number of memorable events that can be recalled within a certain period. When we think about our youth, we may remember a life packed with first-time activities, for example, our first time traveling without our parents, or our first date. We experienced these events so vividly that time then seems to us to have passed very slowly. According to David Eagleman of the Baylor College of Medicine in the US, recalling these memories makes us feel like they took forever. Many adults find life is routine and sometimes dull. For this reason, when they look back, they might feel like there are not many exciting things to remember. Therefore, time seems to be moving faster to them.
1. What does the underlined word “diminish” in the second paragraph probably mean?| A．get worse | B．stay unchanged |
| C．go up | D．cut down |
| A．Infants and adults process information in different ways. |
| B．The more information people process per day, the quicker time seems to be. |
| C．How much information people deal with varies with age. |
| D．Adults can hardly deal with any information. |
| A．Youth is the best time to enjoy some first time activities. |
| B．Young people’s lives are much more interesting than older. |
| C．childhood memories are too precious to forget. |
| D．psychological reasons make us experience time differently. |
| A．To tell us that life passes by quickly for adults. |
| B．To explain why life speeds up when we grow older. |
| C．To show us that adults’ lives are not as exciting as children. |
| D．To introduce us the difference between adults and children. |
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【推荐1】Some of the best research on daily experience is rooted in rates of positive and negative interactions, which has proved that being blindly positive or negative can cause others to be frustrated or annoyed or to simply tune out.
Over the last two decades, scientists have made remarkable predictions simply by watching people interact with one another and then scoring the conversations based on the rate of positive and negative interactions. Researchers have used the findings to predict everything from the likelihood that a couple will divorce to the chances of a work team with high customer satisfaction and productivity levels.
More recent research helps explain why these brief exchanges matter so much. When you experience negative emotions as a result of criticism or rejection, for example, your body produces higher levels of the stress hormone, which shuts down much of your thinking and
activates(激活) conflict and defense mechanisms(机制). You assume that situations are worse
than they actually are.
When you experience a positive interaction, it activates a very different response. Positive exchanges increase your body’s production of oxytocin, a feel-good that increases your ability to communicate with, cooperate with and trust others. But the effects of a positive occurrence are less dramatic and lasting than they are for a negative one.
We need at least three to five positive interactions to outweigh every one negative exchange. Bad moments simply outweigh good ones. Whether you’re having a conversation, keep this simple short cut in mind: At least 80 percent of your conversations should be focused on what’s going right.
Workplaces, for example, often see this. During performance reviews, managers routinely spend 80 percent of their time on weaknesses and “areas for improvement”. They spend roughly 20 percent of the time on strengths and positive aspects. Any time you have discussions with a person or group, spend the vast majority of the time talking about what is working, and use the remaining time to address weaknesses.
1. The underlined phrase “tune out” in Paragraph 1 probably means.| A．stop listening | B．change mind |
| C．sing aloud | D．be crazy |
| A．The situations are sure to become worse. |
| B．Much of your thinking will be prevented. |
| C．You will feel an urge to improve and become better. |
| D．You’ll be motivated to resolve conflicts with people. |
| A．we need a positive feeling to beat one negative feeling |
| B．positive interactions have greater effects than negative ones |
| C．our conversation should center on what needs improvement |
| D．the effect of negative feelings lasts longer than that of positive ones |
| A．Harmful Negatives | B．More Positive Interactions |
| C．How to Be a Productive Manager | D．Less Time on Strengths |
【推荐2】A single dose(剂量) of an experimental vaccine(疫苗) can protect mice against the Zika(寨卡) virus, raising renewed hope of a vaccine for humans, say scientists. The US team say the results, published in Nature, are “striking” and should encourage research efforts.
Tests in humans could begin in months. But even if these go well, a licensed vaccine for widespread use to protect those at most risk—such as pregnant women—would still be years away, experts advise. Zika has been spreading across Central and South America and, most recently, Africa. More than 60 countries and territories now have continuing transmission(传播) of the disease, which is carried by mosquitoes. The virus causes serious birth damages during pregnancy and has been declared a global public health emergency.
Now, developing a vaccine for pregnant women to protect their unborn babies is an international research priority(优先事项). US scientists from the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School tested two types of Zika vaccine in mice — one based on bits of genetic(基因的) code from the virus and another that is an inactive (and therefore harmless) copy of Zika. Both worked well, protecting every mouse that was immunised against the virus. In comparison, all of the mice not given the vaccine caught Zika after they were exposed to it.
Researchers say they will push ahead with developing the needed virus vaccine. There are many existing vaccines for other disease that use this type of technology, while there are relatively few DNA-based vaccines. Of course, future tests will need to check the vaccine is safe and effective in humans, as well as how long the immunity might last.
1. If the tests in humans go smoothly, ________.| A．a vaccine for use in the laboratory will be still be years away. |
| B．pregnant women in Africa will be the first to benefit from the vaccine. |
| C．a licensed vaccine will still not be accessible in a short term. |
| D．The Zika virus will cause less serious birth defects during pregnancy in months. |
| A．many countries are actively involved in the research of the Zika vaccine. |
| B．US scientists have tested more than two types of Zika vaccine in mice. |
| C．None of the mice given the vaccine caught Zika. |
| D．It is still unknown whether the vaccine is safe and effective. |
| A．Zika vaccine works very well in mice |
| B．Zika vaccine still has a long way to go |
| C．International researches into Zika have paid off |
| D．More attention has been paid to Zika vaccine |
【推荐3】A recent study led by researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) has found a clear link between the color of a taxi and its accident rate. An analysis of 36 months of detailed taxi, driver and accident data from two fleets of yellow and blue taxis in Singapore suggested that yellow taxis have fewer accidents than blue taxis. The higher visibility (能见度） of yellow makes it less difficult for drivers to avoid getting into accidents with yellow taxis, leading to a lower accident rate.
The study was led by Prof Ho. To test whether there was a relationship between the color of a taxi and the number of accidents the taxi had, the research team analysed data collected by the largest taxi company in Singapore. The researchers found that yellow taxis have about 6. 1 fewer accidents per 1,000 taxis per month.
They also studied the economic effect of changing the color of the entire fleet of taxis to yellow. The Singapore taxi company involved in the study owns about 16,700 taxis in a ratio (比例) of one yellow to three blue taxis. If a commercial decision is made to switch from blue to yellow taxis, 76. 6 fewer accidents will occur per month or 917 fewer accidents per year.
Assuming an average repair cost of $1,000 per car and a downtime of six days, the color of all taxis to yellow could produce an annual saving of $2 million.
“We are eager to continue to validate (证实) the findings of our study by looking at the use of yellow in other types of public transport, such as school buses. For example, we hope to compare the accident rates of yellow school buses against those of other colors to find out if yellow is indeed a safer color for school buses. Besides, we’ re also interested to look at private-hire vehicles and do a comparison of the accident rates of vehicles that are of different colors explained Prof Ho.
1. Why do yellow taxis result in fewer accidents?| A．Because yellow signals a warning of danger. |
| B．Because yellow can be seen more easily. |
| C．Because drivers tend to he more careful in yellow taxis. |
| D．Because people act more quickly in yellow surroundings. |
| A．Physical risks taxi passengers experience. |
| B．The economic effect of changing taxi color. |
| C．Personal reports from taxi drivers worldwide. |
| D．Data from Singapore's largest taxi company. |
| A．School buses should be painted yellow. |
| B．Their findings are worth popularizing. |
| C．Their study will be furthered. |
| D．Yellow should be widely used in public transport, |
| A．Safer to ride in yellow taxis | B．Caution: yellow taxis ahead |
| C．Why are yellow Taxis preferred? | D．How can colors help prevent accidents? |
【推荐1】On October 12,2021,China officially announced its first five national parks, which are homes to endangered species ranging from the Siberian tigers on the Russian border to the world’s last 30 Hainan black crested gibbons(黑冠长臂猿)in southern China’s tropical rainforest.
By uniting hundreds of protected areas managed by various provinces, the new national park system’s goal is to strengthen conservation under the central authority of the new National Forestry and Grassland Administration(NFGA)
These five parks cover an area two-third the size of the US national park system. The largest, Sanjiangyuan National Park in Qinghai Province, is almost the size of Mississippi.
With such an ambitious plan, there are bound to be challenges. For one the government has to balance the need for the livelihoods of the locals with wildlife conservation. It has not announced a plan to create a permitting system that would regulate how people enjoy nature. What’s more,ecotourism-which is defined as tourism that benefits both locals and their environment-only exists in a fifth of China’s nature reserves.
But there’s hope that the existing ecotourism projects in such nature reserves as Sanjiangyuan National Park and Wolong Nature Reserve will inspire efforts elsewhere in the new park system. Since 2018, Sanjiangyuan National Park has run a community-led tourism program that benefits both locals and snow leopards(豹), the park’s main tourist draw. For $43 a day, visitors can stay with local families, who act as guides to spot these rare “cats” in the wild.
“The community has made all the major decisions, and 100 percent of the income stays in the community. It’s been incredibly successful,” says Marc Brody, who has worked in China since 1994.
NFGA agrees that well-designed ecotourism can improve local ecosystems. It says that a core mission(核心使命)of China’s national parks is to promote eco-civilizationa mission that can be advanced by involving visitors Written into China’s constitution(宪法)in 2012, eco-civilization means scientifically balancing the economic development and the environmental protection.
1. Which park is home to the thirty endangered gibbons?| A．Hainan National Park. | B．Wolong Nature Reserve. |
| C．Northeast National Park. | D．Sanjiangyuan National Park. |
| A．It is bigger than Mississippi. | B．It sits on the Russian border. |
| C．It is a pioneer in ecotourism. | D．It has a mature permitting system. |
| A．Skeptical. | B．Unconcerned | C．Disapproving | D．Positive |
| A．To protect the endangered animals. |
| B．To help the local people out of poverty. |
| C．To balance the economy and the environment. |
| D．To set a better development example for the world. |
【推荐2】“One more viewer, one less fraud victim.”With this slogan, a new Chinese film—“No More Bets”—has become a hit by tackling the issue of rampant(猖狂的) overseas cybercrimes.
Inspired by tens of thousands of real fraud cases across China, the movie offers a profound insight into the complex web of overseas cyber fraud, featuring realistic description of the industry’s inner workings.
No More Bets, directed by ShenAo, starred by ZhangYixing, JinChen and other actors revolves around a group of individuals who are tempted by lucrative(赚钱的) overseas job offers, only to fall into the trap of an overseas fraud scheme. They finally find themselves trapped in fraud factories, but are forced to engage in criminal activities to survive. The film unfolds from the perspectives of criminals, victims, and the police.
Online fraud has grown rampant in China over the last few years. According to the Xinhua News Agency,authorities resolved around 464,000 cases of telecommunications and online fraud in 2022, arresting 351 gang leaders and key members of criminal groups. Additionally, the Cyberspace Administration of China blocked799,000 overseas websites involved in fraud and 38,000 IP addresses. Recent data from the Chinese Anti-FraudCenter reveals that younger generations are now the primary target of online fraud. Despite being well-educated,many lack the necessary caution to be careful about increasingly complicated online scams(骗局).
At the same time, No More Bets led to widespread debate about overseas cyber fraud on social media, where dozens of people shared their experiences of being tricked by lucrative job offers. Many viewers also praised the film for educating people and helping prevent others from being cheated. It’s not one of those films where fans are just promoting it for box office numbers. It’s going to have a lasting social impact and pro found significance.
1. What can we learn about the movie?| A．The plot is based on a true fraud case in China. |
| B．The movie is the first to dig deeply about cybercrimes. |
| C．The victims have to give in to the criminals to survive. |
| D．The movie is developed focusing on the angle of the police. |
| A．To illustrate criminals’ scams. |
| B．To show government’s effort. |
| C．To reveal the severe situation. |
| D．To prove the movie’s importance. |
| A．Its great story and quality. |
| B．Its educational significance. |
| C．Its high box office numbers. |
| D．Its famous director and stars. |
| A．Be Cautious about Overseas Cybercrimes |
| B．One More Viewer, One Less Fraud Victim |
| C．The Success of Chinese Anti-Fraud Movies |
| D．No More Bets:China’s New Runaway Hit Film |
【推荐3】2019 World Conference on VR Industry was held in Nanchang, China, with the goal of further satisfying people's growing demand for a better life, accelerating the modernization of China's economic system and its transformation into an innovation -oriented country, and promoting breakthroughs in the economic and social development of Jiangxi Province. The theme of the conference is "VR Adorns （装扮）the World - VR + 5 G for a New Era of Perception （观念）” .The virtual reality industry in Nanchang, capital city of East China's Jiangxi province, is expecting a boom when China grows in a new era of 5G this year, experts and industry insiders said at the conference.
The Conference attracted experts, scholars and company leaders from more than 30 countries, including the US, Germany, Britain, Russia, India and Israel, discussing the development and application of VR, especially as 5G, the next generation technology for network on devices like cellphones, unlocks the potential of VR. With a focus on the new era of perception enabled by 5G, this yearns conference showed leading-edge VR technologies and the latest outcomes of the global VR industry.
Miao Wei, head of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said in the opening address that with China officially getting 5 G commercial licenses on June 6th 2019, the co — development of VR and 5G promises a huge market in future. " China takes the lead in VR innovations. And the wide popularity of high-tech in our country guarantees the potential of this market, said Miao.
China is building its VR industry into one with the most dynamic environments for innovation and entrepreneurship, highest market acceptance, and the greatest growth potential in the world.
1. What is one of the aims of 2019 World Conference on VR Industry?| A．To promote 5G technology. |
| B．To make Chinese people more creative. |
| C．To improve the economic development of Jiangxi. |
| D．To change the world into a modern one. |
| A．It is widely used in Nanchang. | B．It can be used in business now. |
| C．It makes China a leading country. | D．It is the technology for computer system. |
| A．5G can greatly help the development of VR. | B．VR's application would unlock 5G. |
| C．5G makes VR a business. | D．VR is made up of 5G. |
| A．Technology Revolution in Jiangxi | B．New Era Marked by 5G and VR |
| C．VR, Technology for the Future | D．VR Conference in Nanchang |
【推荐1】One day, when I was working as a psychologist(心理学家) in England, a young boy showed up in my office.
It was David. He kept walking up and down restlessly, his face pale, and his hands shaking slightly. His head teacher had introduced him to me before. “This boy has lost his family,” he wrote. “He is understandably very sad and refuses to talk to others, and I’m very worried about him. Can you help?”
I looked at David and showed him to a chair. How could I help him? There are problems which psychology doesn’t have answers to, and which no words can describe. Sometimes the best thing one can do is to listen openly and silently. And I would do in this way.
The first two times we met, David didn’t say a word. He sat there, only looking up to look at the children’s drawings on the wall behind me. I suggested we play a game of chess. He nodded. After that he played chess with me every Wednesday afternoon — in complete silence and without looking at me. It’s not easy to cheat in chess, but I admit I made sure David won once or twice.
Usually, he arrived earlier than agreed, took the chess board and pieces from the shelf and began setting them up before I even got a chance to sit down. It seemed as if he enjoyed my company. But why did he never look at me?
“Perhaps he simply needs someone to share his pain with,” I thought. “Perhaps he senses that I respect his suffering. ” Some months later, when we were playing chess, he looked up at me suddenly.
“It’s your turn,” he said.
After that day, David started talking. He got friends in school and joined a bicycle club. He wrote to me a few times, about his biking with some friends, and about his plan to get into university. Now he really started to live his own life.
Maybe I gave David something. But I have also learned that one — without any words — can reach out to another person. All it takes is a hug, a shoulder to cry on, a friendly touch, and an ear that listens.
1. What was David like when the writer first met him?| A．He was very nervous. | B．He was in deep sorrow. |
| C．He was mentally troubled. | D．He was frightened by the writer. |
| A．The writer didn’t know what to do. | B．The writer had a plan to help David. |
| C．The writer decided to keep silent. | D．The writer couldn’t solve the problem. |
| A．The writer cheated when playing chess. | B．David never looked at the writer. |
| C．Chess healed David’s wounded heart. | D．The writer gave his chess to David. |
| A．A boy fixed his mental problem by playing chess. | B．A psychologist should be good at listening. |
| C．A calm mind helps solve problems. | D．A listening ear matters in helping others. |
【推荐2】About 97% of the world’s water is salty and is found in our oceans and seas. But, as we can’t drink sea water, how can it be important?
Every part of our seas and oceans contains an amazing number of animals and fish that live at different ocean depths. Most of the different species of animals and fish depend on simple plants for their food. These simple plants called algae (海藻) drift near the surface of the ocean and use sunlight to turn carbon dioxide and water into food and oxygen. In fact, algae produce over half of the oxygen people breathe. How important sea water is!
Each plant or animal in our seas and oceans is an important link in a food chain. The algae are eaten in large amounts by microscopic animals, which are in tur consumed by larger animals. These food chains are delicately (微妙地) balanced.
The bad news about the food chains in the oceans is that they are under threat because of man. People once thought that the oceans were so big that it didn’t matter if we dumped rubbish into them or caught huge quantities of fish and whales for food. But we now know this is not true and fish stocks in the oceans have started to drop.
Thankfully, the world is taking steps to protect the future of our oceans by introducing international agreements to protect marine habitats. Most counties have introduced fishing restrictions (限制) to protect fish stocks in the oceans and new techniques are being pioneered to cope with pollution. Finally, the importance of protecting oceans is being made known to more people. This is just the beginning of a long process to protect the oceans for our future. We depend on the oceans for fish which are an important part of the human diet. How important sea water is!
1. From the passage, we learn that _________.| A．most fish and sea animals live at the surface of the seas |
| B．it is very difficult to break the balance of a food chain |
| C．over-fishing has caused the decrease in fish stock |
| D．it won’t be long before the problems concerning oceans will be solved |
| A．处理 | B．保护 | C．增加 | D．检验 |
| A．The use of international agreements. |
| B．Forbidding fishing to protect fish socks. |
| C．The use of new techniques. |
| D．Raising people’s awareness of the need to protect oceans. |
| A．The Importance of Sea Water |
| B．Life in the Oceans |
| C．How to Protect Food Chains |
| D．How to Deal with Seawater Pollution |
【推荐3】Messages in honor of Stan Lee are pouring in on social media and other online sites.
Lee is the creator of famous comic book (连环漫画) characters, including Spider-Man, the Hulk, Black Panther and others. He died in Los Angeles, California, Monday. He was 95 years old. Marvel Entertainment and its parent company, Walt Disney, posted a video about the late writer, editor and publisher on their websites. Disney chairman and chief Bob Iger said Lee is "a super hero in his own right to Marvel fans around the world." He compared Lee to his comic book characters with "the power to inspire, to entertain, and to connect."
Lee was born Stanley Martin Leiber in New York City. He began writing for comic books at 19. He wrote under the name Stan Lee. He explained that he used a false name because he wanted to write a serious and great piece of literature someday. He did not want his link with comic books to be known when that happened. But it never did happen. As the pride in his work grew, he decided to legally change his name to Stan Lee.
Lee's comic book heroes stand apart from its competitor DC, the company that produced the seemingly perfect heroes like Superman and Wonder Woman. Lee's character often had super power, but they also had weaknesses and moral (道德的) failings. In a piece for Marvel in 1969, Lee discussed the importance of creating these balanced characters. Nobody is all good, or all bad, he wrote, like Tony Stark, also known as Iron Man. He is a deeply gifted inventor with serious mental health issues; or, Peter Parker, a sensitive, brainy high-school student who has no idea how to deal with the frightening abilities he gets from the bite of a radioactive spider. Even Steve Rogers, whose Captain America was the most Superman-like of the Marvel group, had problems. Rejected as a candidate for the armed forces, he volunteers to take a "supersoldier" substance to make him a super-fighting machine.
Actor Chris Evans has played that character in several Hollywood films. He posted a tribute (悼念) to Captain America's creator on Twitter Monday."There will never be another Stan Lee," he wrote. Actor, writer and funny man Seth Rogen never played one of Lee's characters but he remembered him with thanks in a Tweet."Thank you Stan Lee for making people who feel different realize they are special," he wrote.
1. Stan Lee created many famous comic character, except ________.| A．Iron Man | B．Superman |
| C．Captain America | D．Spider Man |
| A．he wanted to be famous for the false name |
| B．he didn't want to be known as a comic book writer |
| C．he wanted his name to be linked with his comic books |
| D．he didn't want to be known as a serious literature writer |
| A．They are good at making people feel special. |
| B．They are moral figures without weak points. |
| C．They are more balanced characters than DC heroes. |
| D．They are seemingly perfect heroes with super powers. |
| A．To remember a great cartoonist. |
| B．To introduce marvel comic heroes. |
| C．To encourage studies on comics. |
| D．To promote products of marvel. |
【推荐1】A Latin phrase beloved by every old-fashioned British schoolmaster was mens sana in corpora sano—a healthy mind in a healthy body. Greater physical activity is associated with better mental, as well as physical health. And it might also be linked to greater worker productivity, and thus faster economic growth. That is the conclusion of a new report from a European think tank — RAND.
The RAND study looks at different measures: absenteeism (when workers take time off for illness) and presenteeism (when they turn up for work but are less productive because of sickness). The latter measure was self-reported by employees, who were asked whether their work was negatively affected by health issues. The survey suggests that between 3 and 4.5 working days each year are lost as a consequence of workers being physically inactive. This is between 1.3% and 2% of annual working time. Most of this was down to presenteeism.
Another potential gain from improved fitness is reduced health-care costs. In America, where health care is often provided through employment-based systems, firms could benefit. RAND estimates that total American health savings could be $6bn a year by 2025. But the study’s authors conclude that if people met certain exercise targets, global GDP could be around 0.17-0.24% higher by 2050. Nothing to laugh at in a world of slowing growth.
How to encourage workers to become more active? Rewards are useful but only if they have conditions; giving all employees free gym membership does not seem to work. Another RAND Europe study examined an experiment in which workers were each given an Apple watch, payable in instalments (分期付款) at a discounted price—but only to those who agreed to have their physical activity monitored. Monthly repayments depended on how much exercise they took.
The problem is that many people are too optimistic about their health, ignoring the risks they face. This means that participation in workplace exercise plans tends to be low, around 7% in the sample studied by RAND. Firms are not the only ones that can encourage a healthier lifestyle; friends and families are likely to be more important. But businesses can play a bigger role.
If RAND is right, this may bring them financial benefits. Company taskmasters may yet grow fond of an adapted saying: mens sana in corporate sano.
1. What is the conclusion of the RAND report in Paragraph 1?| A．Greater physical activity may be beneficial to economy. |
| B．Physical health definitely results in mental health. |
| C．Team sports open up opportunities of career building. |
| D．Income affects the popularity of gym among workers |
| A．recovery from sickness guarantees company time |
| B．health conditions influence staff productivity |
| C．physically active staff can increase working hours |
| D．sick employees are supposed to take time off |
| A．To highlight the urgency to reduce health-care cost. |
| B．To predict the trend of global GDP by the year 2050. |
| C．To clarify the benefit of improved fitness to economy. |
| D．To warn against the slowing down of world finance. |
| A．Educating employees on the benefits of regular exercise. |
| B．Offering employees fancy sports equipment free of charge. |
| C．Monitoring employees’ physical activities every month. |
| D．Rewarding exercise takers with reduced repayment. |
A． | B． | C． | D． |
【推荐2】Think about a remote control. Something so simple in function is seemingly capable of invisible magic to most of us. Only few have any real idea of why a remote control works. The rest of us just assume it should. And the longer a given technology exits, the more we take it for granted.
Consider for a moment a screen showing modern remote control users versus the first remote control users： the original users would be carefully aiming the remote directly at the television, reading the names of the buttons, and intentionally pressing the button. The modern users would be leaning on a sofa, pointing the remote any which way, and instinctively feeling for the button they desired.
Humans are known for being handy with tools, so it is no surprise that we get so comfortable with our technology. However, as we become increasingly comfortable with how to use new technologies, rather than being humbled by is originality, we consumers often become unfairly demanding of what our technology should do for us Once wonderful new inventions （such as televisions） quickly became commonplace. The focus of consumer attitudes towards them changed from gratitude with respect to discriminating preference. Televisions needed to be bigger and have a higher resolution. Video games needed to be more realistic. Computers needed to be more powerful yet smaller in size.
For children of the last twenty years born into this modern life, these technological wonders seem like elements of the periodic （周期的） table： a given aspect that is simply part of the universe. Younger generations don't even try to imagine life without modern conveniences. They do not appreciate the unprecedented （史无前例的） technology that is in their possession； rather, they complain about the ways in which it fails to live up to ideal expectations. "My digital video recorder at home doesn't allow me to program it from my computer at work. "
If it sounds as though were never satisfied, we aren't. Of course our complaints do actually motivate engineers to continually refine their products. After all, the expectation is that someone, somewhere is working on how to make the existing product even better.
1. What can we infer from paragraph 2？| A．Modern remote controls have no button and instructions. |
| B．Consumers' behavior towards new technologies changes over time. |
| C．Remote controls have become far more effective over the years. |
| D．Modern remote controls are designed more user﹣friendly. |
| A．Less realistic video games. |
| B．Wanting to make sacrifices. |
| C．Needing to understand technology. |
| D．More powerful smartphones. |
| A．The inspiration of modern technology comes from chemistry. |
| B．Younger generation loam technology while they learn chemistry. |
| C．Children naturally take modern technology for granted. |
| D．Children regard many technological inventions as remarkable. |
| A．blessing |
| B．approving |
| C．satisfied |
| D．critical |
【推荐3】Hibernation
For people who aren’t fans of winter, animals that hibernate seem to have the right idea: It’s the equivalent of burying your head under the covers until spring comes — isn't it? Not quite.
“Most of the physiological functions are extremely slowed down,” says Marina Blanco, a postdoctoral associate at the Duke Lemur (狐猴) Center in Durham, North Carolina. For example, when lemurs hibernate, they reduce their heart rates from over 300 beats per minute to fewer than six, says Blanco. And instead of breathing about every second, they can go up to 10 minutes without taking a breath. Their brain activity “becomes undetectable.” This is very different from sleep, which is gentle resting state where unconscious functions are still performed.
Put simply: “Hibernation is a means of energy conservation,” says Kelly Drew, a neuropharmacologist at the University of Alaska Fairbanks who studies the brain chemistry of hibernating Arctic ground squirrels.While hibernation is often seen as a seasonal behavior, it’s not limited to cold-weather animals. There are tropical hibernators that may do so to beat the heat. And “some species hibernate in response to food shortages,” notes Drew. For example, echidnas ( 针 鼹 ) in Australia will hibernate after fires, waiting until food resources rebound to resume normal activities.
To slow their metabolism (新陈代谢), animals cool their bodies by 5 to 10 °C on average. The Arctic ground squirrels Drew works on can take this much further, supercooling to subfreezing temperatures. Drew’s research has shown that cooling is likely regulated by levels of adenosine (腺苷) in the brain. Not only does adenosine increase in winter in ground squirrels, the receptors for the molecule become more sensitive to it.
But species don’t stay in their cold, sleeping state for the duration of their dormant period. About 80 percent of their energy is spent intermittently (间歇地) waking and warming up. Why they do this is “one of the greatest mysteries” of the field, says Thomas Ruf, a professor of animal physiology at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna. Some think they need to turn back on their immune systems to fight disease, while others think they may simply awaken so they can sleep.
One bird and a variety of amphibians(两栖动物), reptiles and insects also exhibit hibernation-like states. There is even at least one fish — the Antarctic cod — that slows down its metabolism in winter, becoming 20 times less active. And, of course, there are lots of mammals. While bears might be the first that come to mind, most mammalian hibernators are on the smaller side. “The average hibernator weighs only 70 grams,” says Ruf. That’s because little bodies have high surface area to volume ratios, making it more taxing for them to stay warm in cold weather — so they need the seasonal energy savings more than larger animals.
1. How does the author distinguish between hibernation and sleep?| A．By highlighting reasons. | B．By presenting definitions. |
| C．By introducing arguments. | D．By comparing the data. |
| A．animals cool their bodies by 5 to 10°C on average |
| B．tropical hibernators may hibernate to beat the heat |
| C．some species hibernate in response to food shortage |
| D．hibernation is most often seen as a seasonal behavior |
| A．when certain animals hibernate | B．what kinds of animals hibernate |
| C．why some animals hibernate | D．how animals hibernate |
| A．It is harder for smaller animals to keep warm in winter. |
| B．The cooling of bodies may influence the levels of adenosine. |
| C．Scientists don’t agree on the reasons of intermittent hibernation. |
| D．Body functions are still unconsciously performed during hibernation. |
