Do you know that some people have memories that are completely wrong? They remember things that never happened. Sometimes, many people have the same wrong memory. When this happens, it’s believed that it is because of the Mandela Effect.
People first noticed the Mandela Effect in 2013. That year, Nelson Mandela passed away. However, thousands of people remembered him dying in the 1980s. They described watching his funeral on TV. But in fact, Mandela lived to be 95 years old. How could that be? How could so many people have the same wrong memory?
Most experts explain the Mandela Effect using brain science. When we make memories our brains keep them in groups. Each group includes memories that are similar to each other. Sometimes, our brains mess up. They mix two similar memories together. That’s why people thought Nelson Mandela died in the 1980s. They knew he was imprisoned (坐牢) during the 1980s. For some reason, they mixed his imprisonment with his death.
That would explain why so many people in 2013 thought Nelson Mandela was already dead. But would it explain why all those people gave similar descriptions of his funeral? Could all those people have mixed up the same two memories?
Another theory about the basis for the Mandela effect originates from quantum physics (量子物理学) and relates to the idea that rather than one timeline of events, it is possible that alternate realities or universes are taking place and mixing with our timeline. In theory, this would result in groups of people having the same memories because the timeline has been changed as we shift between these different realities. You aren’t alone if you think this sounds a little unrealistic.
There are many other examples of the Mandela Effect. Have you ever seen the Mona Lisa? Many people remember the woman in the painting with a frown or was straight-faced. If you look at the Mona Lisa today, you'll find she’s smiling. Do you know where New Zealand is in relation to Australia? However, there is a community of people who claim to remember New Zealand being northeast instead of southeast.
Are these wrong memories the result of mixed memories, or is there another explanation? Without further science research, we can’t say for sure!
1. The Mandela Effect refers to a phenomenon ________.| A．created by the former South African president Nelson Mandela |
| B．describing how some people have worse memory than others |
| C．about a large number of people watching Mandela's funeral on TV |
| D．where many people have the same wrong memory about something |
| A．By making comparison. | B．By listing figures. |
| C．By giving examples. | D．By drawing conclusions. |
| A．Our brains may mix similar memories together sometimes. |
| B．People might make up stories with imagination sometimes. |
| C．Things from other universes might be mixing with our timeline. |
| D．All the explanations don’t sound reasonable or realistic. |
| A．science journal | B．advertisement |
| C．book review | D．magazine article |
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【推荐1】Compared to dogs, cats are often considered to be aloof with respect to their human owners. It is usual for them to be indifferent when humans call their names. Are we sure that they don't understand human voices at all?
A recent study published in the journal of Scientific Reports suggests that we've been fooled. Japanese scientists found that cats can recognize their names if their owners regularly use them. In the study, scientists recruited 78 domestic cats. They played recordings of voices of their owners saying five words: the first four words were random nouns that sounded similar to their names while the final word was the cat's name. Then they observed the cats' responses, if there were any.
Most of cats moved their ears or heads when they heard their names, while they made no response to other words. That suggested, "cats were paying attention to you, what you say and what you do," John Bradshaw, an expert on human-animal interactions at the University of Bristol, UK, told The Times. "And cats were just as good as dogs at learning," she added.
In the study, when people called their names, cats often associated the words with rewards, such as food or play, on with "punishments" such as having a bath or going to the vet. This made cats sensitive to words. After the cats had been called several times, they could respond to the words. But the scientists added that while dogs have evolved to follow their owners' orders, cats have not. Although cats appear to be aloof, they do have special relationships with their owners.
According to study co-author Atsuko Saito, cats have evolved not to show their emotions as a survival method. One example is illness, which they tend to hide because "in the wild, no one can rescue them" and predators are more likely to pay attention to them, Saito explained.
However, technology may help bridge the communication gap between cats and us. There are now mobile apps available to explain what their meows mean. So, the next time you hear "meow, meow", your cat may be telling you: "Hi, you haven't cleaned my litter box recently.”
1. What did the recent study find about cats?| A．Cats can recognize their names. | B．Cats are cleverer than dogs. |
| C．Cats learn more slowly than dogs. | D．Cats are willing to follow orders. |
| A．They don't pay much attention to their surroundings. | B．They associate words with punishments |
| C．They are not sensitive to the human voice. | D．They want to protect themselves from harm. |
| A．It is difficult to understand cats' meows. |
| B．Interaction with your cats is very important. |
| C．Cats do have good relationships with their owners. |
| D．We may know cats bettor with the help of technology. |
【推荐2】A fly buzzes past your head and lands nearby; you pick up a flyswatter (苍蝇拍) and approach cautiously, and you strike! But no matter how quick you are, the fly is almost always faster, and it usually manages to avoid your swat and escape unharmed. Is it trying to annoy you?
Flies have many adaptations that lend them more speed, flexibility and perception (感知), making them very, very good at detecting and avoiding even the swiftest swats. And new evidence Shows that flies' adapted back wings play an important part in launching them into a speedy takeoff - often in case of emergency. For example, house flies own adapted back wings that have developed into sticklike structures with a knob at the end, called halteres (平衡棒). Their movements help the insects balance their bodies while in flight, by sensing body spinning and transiting information to the wings.
Flies also have special ability to see, which helps them plan their jumps away from a threat. About 200 milliseconds (毫秒) before takeoff, fruit flies use visual input warning of coming danger to adjust their body position and find out the direction that will launch them to safety.
In fact, their improved perception deals with up to six times more visual input in one second than humans can. Animal brains sense the passage of time by processing images at speeds known as the“flicker fusion rate (闪烁融合率),” a term describing how many images flash into their brains per second.
This means that movement you sense as normal is like slow-motion to a fly. With all these built - in advantages, it's no wonder that the fly you're trying to swat can escape.
However, one approach that might improve your chances to hit a fly is aiming your swat at a spot where the fly is likely to go, rather than where it's resting. It is best not to swat the fly's starting position. Aim a bit forward of that position to foresee where the fly is going to jump.
1. What is the function of the first paragraph?| A．To draw a conclusion | B．To serve as the background |
| C．To introduce the topic | D．To put forward a solution |
| A．Adapted back wings | B．The shaking knob |
| C．Stirring front wings | D．The flexible stick |
| A．They have flexible wings | B．They have improved perception |
| C．They do better in adjusting their vision | D．They are better at processing the coming danger |
| A．A travel brochure | B．A news report. |
| C．A science magazine | D．A literature website |
| A．The special vision of flies | B．The body structure of flies |
| C．How do flies practice escaping? | D．Why are flies so hard to swat? |
【推荐3】Why wouldn’t scientists want to try and save the world’s largest flower, especially when it, Rafflesia, is their country’s national flower? However, when you add to the fact that the world’s largest flower is also the world’s smelliest, then suddenly the “panda of the plant world” begins to look more like a headache.
Sofi Mursidawati, a PhD in agriculture at the Bogor Botanical Gardens on the island of Java, is one of the world’s leading experts on this strange flower, and her efforts to build a body of knowledge that will allow for the creation of the flower into the future could save it from extinction. Rafflesia has no leaves, roots, or stems, but rather only one giant, one-meter-long, 20-pound bloom that smells like rotting meat. Found only in the rainforests of Sumatra and Borneo, its artificial creation in the face of habitat loss is a problem.
With seeds the size of grains, pollinated flowers infect a kind of vines(葬本植物) called Tetrastygma, before slowly growing over many months into an enormous cabbage一sized bulb. The curiosities don’t end there. In fact, it barely qualifies as a plant. It branched away from having genetics that code for photosynthesis(光合作用) millions of years ago, and relies entirely upon its host —the vines for energy.
Just as it’s difficult to get pandas to breed, Rafflesia is a pain in the neck, as the blooms last only a week. After collecting Rafflesia seeds, and a variety of Tetrastygma vines, it took Mursidawati four years to welcome the first smelly flower into the Bogor Botanical Gardens. A decade later, the work was still slow going. However, the creation is doing one thing very well：creating specimens(样本) to send to botanic gardens around the world, creating what will likely be the strange flower’s greatest chance for survival.
1. What does the author think of creating Rafflesia?| A．Meaningless. | B．Simple. | C．Attractive. | D．Challenging. |
| A．Rafflesia is different from common plants. |
| B．It’s a problem for Rafflesin to live in the rainforests. |
| C．Rafflesia has already been saved from extinction. |
| D．Soli Mursidawati has created Rafflesia successfully. |
| A．From the sun. | B．From its host. | C．From the earth. | D．From the air. |
| A．The World’s Largest Flower Is Endangered. |
| B．Raflesin Becomes World’s Largest Flower. |
| C．Woman Scientist Creates Various Flowers. |
| D．Woman Scientist Races to Save World’s Largest and Smelliest Flower. |
【推荐1】Everyone, at one time or another, has experienced some challenges in friendships and relationships with family members. We might find ourselves frustrated(懊恼的) or angry with other people, or even find that we argue with them. The reality is that nobody is perfect and we need to realise that we should find ways to live happier and less stressful lives. Here are some tips on how to make relationships happier and healthier.
Respect other people and accept themThis is the most important point. If we want to show someone we love them, we need to first respect who they are and show them we accept them for who they are: Everyone is unique with different experiences and lives. By always remembering this, we will be able to develop and maintain strong relationships.
Be interested in others’ interestsWe might have friends who are crazy about sports, while we prefer reading. Or perhaps a parent’s hobby seems boring to us but it is something they love. If we want to keep our relationships strong and positive, we should at least take time to listen to them and talk about what matters to them. By doing this, we show them that we care about them and their interests
Apologise when you make a mistakeThis is the hardest thing for most of us to do, yet a simple “I’m sorry” can undo a lot of tension. By being humble when you make a mistake, you can fix any problem you may have caused and also show that you are a mature person
Stay connected through communicationGood communication is a fundamental part of a healthy relationship. When you experience a positive emotional connection with your partner, you feel safe and happy. When people stop communicating well, they stop relating well, and times of change or stress can really bring out the disconnect. It may sound simplistic, but as long as you are communicating, you can usually work through whatever problems you’re facing.
So, try and follow the advice and you will find that you have happier and stronger relationships with your friends and loved ones
1. What can be concluded from Paragraph 2?| A．We need to realise that others are often wrong in our dealings with them. |
| B．Our friends and loved ones can cause us stress by being wrong. |
| C．Everyone can be right and wrong at times and we need to remember that. |
| D．We should accept the people we love and respect them. |
| A．be positive and confident |
| B．discuss our partner’s concerns |
| C．put our friends’ interests first |
| D．be familiar with our parents’ hobbies |
| A．Ignore our friends’ preferences. |
| B．Never apologize for our mistakes. |
| C．Check in with our friends regularly. |
| D．No need to be mature. |
| A．Being mature and admitting our mistakes when we make them. |
| B．Respecting the fact that others may not appreciate our hobbies and interests. |
| C．Showing our love for others when they hurt us or disrespect us. |
| D．Accepting that our friends will eventually grow apart from us. |
| A．To offer some tips on making healthier relationships |
| B．To remind us about the challenges in friendships and relationships. |
| C．To help us maintain relationships with family members. |
| D．To share ways to live happier and less stressful lives. |
【推荐2】A study from Denmark suggests that growing up in the countryside may help you stay in good mental health as an adult. The research involving nearly a million people found children, who live in green areas, are 55% less likely to develop a mental health disorder in later life.
The researchers believe green spaces help create friendly communities where people enjoy talking to others, as well as encouraging people to exercise. This helps improve a child’s cognitive(认知的) development, which may positively affect their mental health.
The research was led by Dr Kristine Engemann from Aarhus University in Denmark. The researchers used satellite data collected between 1985 and 2013 to assess the green space around the participants’ childhood homes. This data was then compared against the risk of developing mental disorders later in life. “After mastering a huge amount of data, as well as other information such as house location and disease diagnoses(诊断) from Denmark, we compared it with satellite images which show green space of individual when growing up.” Dr Engemann said.
Results showed that those who grew up surrounded by lots of green space were less at risk of a mental health problem. Dr Engemann said, “We find that the longer you have been surrounded by green space from birth and up to the age of 10, the lower the risk of developing a mental disorder. There is increasing evidence that the natural environment plays a more important role in mental health than thought before. Our study gives us a better understanding of its importance across the broader population.”
Noise,air pollution, infections and poor social and economic conditions increase the risk of a mental disorder, according to the study. The researchers are calling on city planners to design greener cities to improve the public’s mental health.
1. What does the study find about green areas?| A．They affect adults mentally more than kids. |
| B．They influence kids’ mental development. |
| C．They can help create competitive communities. |
| D．They are good for kids with mental problems. |
| A．The process of the research. | B．The significance of the research. |
| C．The participants of the research. | D．The focus of the research. |
| A．A further research needs to be conducted. |
| B．Natural environment is more important than education. |
| C．Green space throughout childhood matters a lot. |
| D．City planners pay little attention to green areas. |
| A．How Can We Lower The Risk Of Developing A Mental Disorder? |
| B．Why Do Greener Communities Have More Effects On Adults? |
| C．Satellite Images Has Been Used In Environmental Protection |
| D．Growing Up In The Countryside Has Potential Mental Benefits |
【推荐3】Bob and Sue Harvey spent nine years as resident fellows in a dormitory at Sanford and in their book Virtual Reality and The College Freshman, they write “The Freshman often faces an identity problem during the first semester.” College is a more pressured environment than it used to be, in part because the academic gap between high school and college has increased. Many college freshmen have never had to make independent decisions about sex, drugs and alcohol. Most don’t know how to manage their time or money. They often feel lonely and overwhelmed, resulting in anxiety and depression.
Nancy Corbin, director of clinical service for student-counseling (咨询) services at Iowa State University, says her office is seeing a significant increase in requests for counseling from freshmen who are having trouble making the adjustment to college life. She says older teenagers increasingly lack the skills to deal with personal problems that aren’t easily defined or fixed. And they get homesick but have a hard time admitting it.
Parents and high schools can make things easier on freshmen by preparing them differently. For example, by teaching them to budget their hours and dollars. The Harveys think high schools should offer a college-life course. “Parents need to focus more on relationship and personal issues and less on how many sheets and towels to take,” they say. Many homesick freshmen think they’ll be regarded as failures if they come home before Thanksgiving. So parents can help by letting them know they’re welcome to return if they feel the need. In the meantime, parents have to find new ways to keep in touch with their college kids. One of the best ways is e-mail. It’s less unpleasant and less expensive than constant phone calls and is more likely to be answered than a handwritten letter.
1. Why is the first semester difficult for freshmen in college?| A．Because they often fail in exams. |
| B．Because they lack time and money. |
| C．Because they are too homesick to make new friends. |
| D．Because they have to settle personal issues on their own. |
| A．parents should stop buying anything for their kids |
| B．parents should develop a good relationship with their kids |
| C．parents should be taught how to send e-mails to their kids |
| D．parents should work with high schools in college-life courses |
| A．Hard Life of College Freshmen | B．Approaches to Trouble in College |
| C．Freshmen’s Adaptation Problems | D．A Strange Phenomenon in College |
