When it comes to praising your child for their actions, parents walk a fine line between being helpful or harmful to their child’s development. However, if you’ve got some rising toddlers in your home that need to learn to brush their teeth, don’t worry. It’s just fine to praise them.
“Our study does suggest that praise can be a really positive feature of parenting. Praise wins the gold when compared to boring instruction, at least when it comes to dental hygiene. You can’t go wrong if you say ‘good job!’ when your child successfully brushes their own teeth,” said Julia Leonard, an assistant professor of psychology at Yale University.
The study followed 81 three-year-olds just learning to brush their teeth. Parents were required to video their child’s tooth-brushing endeavors(尝试)for 16 nights, hitting record as they handed the brush to their child and pushing stop when they took it back.
That allowed researchers to capture all of the parent’s praise-“Well done! Good job!”— and instructional endeavors such as “Brush the backs of your teeth.” and “Hey, don’t stop. You’re not done yet.” After uploading the videos, parents were told to score their child’s mood (extremely bad to extremely good) and their own stress levels during the nightly endeavor. Those scores ranged from a scale of 0 (easy-peasy) to 10 (I’m pulling all their teeth out now).
Interestingly, a child’s toothbrushing success was directly related to the level of praise in the parents talk. Children brushed longer on days when their parents used more praise and less instruction. The work is the first to show that parent praise relates to child persistence.
However, the study could not show a direct cause and effect, only an association, Leonard stressed. “We don’t know that praise causes kids to brush longer. We just know it’s associated with more brushing, she said. More research is needed to see if the study’s findings could be applied to other tasks that require a child’s persistence.
1. What do we know about praise?| A．It has double effects on children. | B．It makes children more obedient. |
| C．It helps children become confident. | D．It is popular in children’s education. |
| A．By interviewing parents. | B．By collecting recordings. |
| C．By sending questionnaires. | D．By using online databases. |
| A．Praise helps to build a good habit. |
| B．Over-praising doesn’t lead to ideal results. |
| C．Instruction has no effect on toothbrushing. |
| D．The finding is consistent with previous studies. |
| A．Less Instruction, Longer Brushing. | B．The Power of Parents. |
| C．The Secret of Building Persistence. | D．Parents: Shower your child with praise. |
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【推荐1】Save the rice for cooking, says the phone company, which has finally acknowledged the longstanding “trick” could do more damage.
You know the nightmare situation: You dropped your phone in water — be it pool, ocean, or toilet, your worries get the best of you, although iPhone 12’s and onwards are designed to survive 30 minutes of aquatic submersion. In the urgent need of saving your expensive device from potential damage, you remember your friend’s suggestion to throw it in a bag of rice overnight. Supposedly, the grain draws out any remaining water droplets from the smartphone’s tiny crevices, saving its precious circuitry in the process. They swore by it, after all. What is there to lose?
Well, as the phone company spotted earlier today, a recently updated document states that this “trick” could actually cause further issues in your phone. “Don’t put your wet phone in a bag of rice,” the company warns in the revised article on its dreaded Liquid Detection Alert, “For doing so could allow small particles of rice to damage your phone,” while the rice starch (淀粉) can block the innards through the device’s small cracks. Besides all that, rice simply isn’t as effective as other materials, such as those silica packets you already should be recycling, anyway.
Among the other rumored solutions to avoid, the company advises phone owners not to use an “external heat source” such as a blow dryer, as well as leave the compressed air can in the utility closet. Similarly, trying to stuff cotton swabs, napkins, paper towels, or any other “foreign object” into charging ports could make things worse.
So, what should you do if your phone takes a plunge? The company advises a gentle approach in such situations, such as simply tapping the device against your hand “with the connector facing down” to dislodge liquid, then leaving it in an open, dry space with decent airflow for at least 30 minutes. From there, try connecting it to a cable charger. Yes. They really did pull out the trusty “Have you tried turning it on and off again?” line for this one.
1. Which is closest in meaning to “get the best of” in paragraph 2?| A．Make full of. | B．Make fun of. | C．Take care of. | D．Take control of. |
| A．Because the rice will damage the inner parts of the phone. |
| B．Because the rice is cheaper and more effective than other materials. |
| C．Because the rice will stick to the phone. |
| D．Because the rice will be wet. |
| A．Stuffing cotton swabs to absorb the water. |
| B．Leaving it in an open, dry place with constant flowing air. |
| C．Using a blow dryer to heat up the inside. |
| D．Using napkins to dry up the surface. |
| A．Placing wet phone in rice may hurt. | B．Rice is a good choice for drying up wet phone. |
| C．Phone 12 is designed water-proof. | D．Approaches to dry up your wet phone. |
【推荐2】A new study suggests that long periods in space can cause the human heart to shrink (萎缩). The study—by a team of American researchers—comes as the U. S. makes plans to build a long-term base on the moon and prepares to send astronauts (宇航员) to Mars.
Part of the study was based on the experiences of retired astronaut Scott Kelly. The U. S. space agency NASA says that during his career, Kelly spent more time in space than any other American astronaut. One of Kelly’s stays aboard the International Space Station (ISS) lasted 340 days. Researchers from the University of Texas’ Southwestern Medical Center (UT Southwestern) in Dallas analyzed (分析) physical data collected during Scott’s long stay aboard the ISS. The goal was to learn the effects of weightlessness on heart health and performance. The team found that during Kelly’s stay in space, the left ventricle(心房) of his heart shrank about 0.74 grams per week.
Dr. Benjamin Levine is a professor at UT Southwestern. He was the leader of the research. In a statement, he explained that because of the conditions in space, the heart does not have to work as hard to pump blood uphill from the feet. Over time, this can cause shrinkage. In an effort to keep their muscles and bodies healthy in space, astronauts are required to perform different kinds of exercises throughout their stay.
Reductions in heart size are also seen in patients who spend long periods in bed because they are lying flat and the heart does not have to work as hard to pump. A second part of the study examined data from a long- distance swimmer who spent nearly a year trying to cross the Pacific Ocean. The swimmer, Benoit Lecomte, was chosen because he swam more than 2,800 kilometer over 159 days. Levine says long-distance swimming has similar effects to weightlessness because water pressure works against the force of gravity. The study showed that during Lecomte’s swim, his left heart ventricle shrank about 0.72 grams per week.
1. How did the researchers carry out their study?| A．By interviewing astronauts. | B．By examining collected information. |
| C．By experimenting aboard the ISS. | D．By comparing people in different fields. |
| A．Do various exercises. | B．Stay in space for less time. |
| C．Stand on their heads sometimes. | D．Have more healthy food. |
| A．A patient who spends a long time in bed. | B．A long-distance professional swimmer. |
| C．An astronaut travelling in space for long. | D．A runner who trains hard. |
| A．U. S. Builds a Long-term Base in Space |
| B．New Ways to Fight Heart Diseases |
| C．Long Spaceflights Can Shrink the Heart |
| D．Long-distance Swimming Can Keep Your Heart Healthy |
【推荐3】For many, music is as important to the human experience as eating and breathing. We hear music everywhere—at home, the gym, parties and stores. But what kind of music do we prefer to listen to, and when and why do our musical preferences change?
The relationship between the change of seasons and musical preferences was the focus of a study led by psychologist Terry Pettijohn. He and his team based their research on a previous study that examined the relationship between popular music preferences and the Environmental Security Hypothesis(假设). The results showed that over time, when social and financial conditions were more risky, the songs of the year that were slower, longer, more comforting and serious were most popular. And during periods in which social and financial conditions were generally stable, the result was opposite.
Building on these findings, Pettijohn and his team wondered if the Hypothesis could also be applied to the change of seasons. For college students, the participants in this study, autumn begins at the start of the school year. Gone are the carefree days of summer, when school is out. Winter means colder temperatures, shorter days, and, in many places in the country, snow. Spring, however, is a different story. It represents a fresh start and when clocks spring forward, we gain an extra hour of daylight. As students walk into summer, they’re absorbed in the sunshine and social activities—and enjoy a break from school.
But do changing seasonal conditions influence musical preferences? To answer this question, the researchers designed two studies. What did they find? Both groups of college students favored more serious music during the seasons of fall and winter, and more active and energetic music during the spring and summer seasons. And these findings, Pettijohn argues, have practical significances.
1. The purpose of the question raised in Paragraph 1 is to ________.| A．present a different opinion on music |
| B．prove where to listen to music matters |
| C．stress the importance of music to humans |
| D．introduce the topic on musical preferences |
| A．Whether one has enough free time. |
| B．Whether one lives in a stable situation. |
| C．Whether one is exposed to sunlight. |
| D．Whether one chooses to change his life. |
| A．It’s unexpected. | B．It’s humorous. |
| C．It’s discouraging. | D．It’s significant. |
【推荐1】Scientists have known for many years that houseplants benefit people’s well-being. Now researchers have found a way to make plants even better for human health. Using a method called genetic modification(基因编辑), they raised plants that reduce indoor air pollution. GM means changing a plant or animal by fixing its DNA, including adding DNA from another species(物种).
Indoor air pollution is produced by cleaning products, cooking, and dust, among other things, and it can be bad for people’s health. In 1989, research done by NASA found that houseplants could clean the air in a home. Later studies, however, showed that plants actually made too small a difference to help much. Since then, scientists have been experimenting with the DNA of certain houseplants to try to create one that will reduce more air pollution.
In 2018, scientists from the University of Washington decided to adapt a houseplant called pothos, or devil’s ivy, which is popular and easy to care for. The team added new DNA based on a chemical found in a rabbit’s liver. In the animal, the chemical breaks down harmful matter. The team found that the new DNA made the plant better at taking in pollution.
More recently, a company called Neoplants added more DNA, from two types of bacteria(细菌). As the devil’s ivy grow, the team studied it carefully. Tests suggested that it was up to 30 times better at taking in pollution than the non-GM plants that NASA tested back in 1989. The company is also planning to add bacteria to the soil that comes with the plant, which could help break down even more polluting gases.
There is more work to be done, but the team at Neoplants plans to use this technology in other types of houseplants. If all goes well, the company hopes people in the US will be able to decorate their homes with pollution-busting plants by next year. Another company, Origen Air, sells a plant-based system that cleans the air in businesses and homes. It has already appeared on the market in Canada.
1. How can houseplants benefit people’s health according to the text?| A．By relaxing people’s minds. | B．By producing more oxygen. |
| C．By cutting down air pollution. | D．By killing the bacteria in the air. |
| A．It is a rare and high-demanding houseplant. |
| B．NASA was the first to study its health benefits. |
| C．The plant itself can break down harmful chemicals. |
| D．GM technology betters its ability to reduce air pollution. |
| A．No similar plant-based system has been put into use up till now. |
| B．Further improvements are needed before the system goes into service. |
| C．Application of the technology to other types of houseplants is already underway. |
| D．Neoplants’ genetically modified houseplants are sure to appear on the market soon. |
| A．Health and sport. | B．Arts and entertainment. |
| C．Science and technology. | D．Animals and the environment. |
【推荐2】Inflammation (炎症) is the body’s defense mechanism. You might have experienced it if you sustained physical injuries or had an infection, like the flu, which causes a sore throat. Inflammation can occur in any organ, but it is most common and easy to see in the skin. You will notice redness, heat and swelling.
Usually this is a good thing, as it shows you have a healthy immune system that can kill pathogens (病原体) and repair damage. However, inflammation can be a double-edged sword as in some people it can target the body’s healthy cells, causing what is called an autoimmune disease.
Given this danger, a new study from Cambridge University, UK, has been looking into brain conditions that are not usually linked to autoimmune diseases. The study found that inflammation of the brain — known as neuroinflammation (神经炎症) — has been linked to several forms of dementia (痴呆).
In this new study, researchers scanned the brains of 31 volunteers with three different types of dementia. The first scan was to highlight neuroinflammation, and a second scan illuminated (阐明) poisonous proteins that are linked with dementia. The team also examined 12 post-mortem (after death) brains.
These experiments showed similar patterns of poisonous protein build-up and neuroinflammation, suggesting a relationship between inflammation and dementia.
“Even we were surprised by how tightly these two problems mapped on to each other. Now, the big question is what role this neuroinflammation plays in the decline of the mind associated with dementia,” said Thomas Cope, one of the authors of the study.
Another of the study’s researchers, James Rowe, highlighted the importance of further research. He said the frequent presence of inflammation in neurodegenerative (神经退化的) diseases, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, “offers hope that immune-based treatments might help slow or prevent these conditions”.
1. Why is inflammation usually a good thing?| A．It can defend our body against infection. |
| B．It allows injuries to heal themselves. |
| C．It gives long-term protection to healthy cells. |
| D．It is a reflection of a healthy immune system. |
| A．Neuroinflammation leads to dementia. |
| B．Increased poisonous proteins in the brain cause dementia. |
| C．There are links between neuroinflammation and dementia. |
| D．Poisonous protein build-up and neuroinflammation have different patterns. |
| A．Why neuroinflammation is connected with dementia. |
| B．How the decline of the mind is associated with dementia. |
| C．How to prevent neuroinflammation from developing into dementia. |
| D．To what extent neuroinflammation and dementia are linked with each other. |
| A．Inflammation is one of the causes of neuroinflammation. |
| B．Immune-based treatments would be the best cure for dementia. |
| C．Research on neuroinflammation could help treat neurodegenerative diseases. |
| D．Further research will focus on methods of cutting poisonous proteins in the brain. |
【推荐3】Scientists today are making greater effort to study ocean currents (洋流) . Most do it using satellites and other high-tech equipment. However, ocean expert Curtis Ebbesmeyer does it in a special way — by studying movements of random floating garbage. A scientist with many years’ experience, he started this type of research in the early 1990s when he heard about hundreds of athletic shoes washing up on the shores of the northwest coast of the United States. There were so many shoes that people were setting up swap meets to try and match left and right shoes to sell or wear.
Ebbesmeyer found out in his researches that the shoes — about 60,000 in total — fell into the ocean in a shipping accident. He phoned the shoe company and asked if they wanted the shoes back. As expected, the company told him that they didn't. Ebbesmeyer realized this could be a great experiment. If he learned when and where the shoes went into the water and tracked where they landed, he could learn a lot about the patterns of ocean currents.
The Pacific Northwest is one of the world's best areas for beachcombing (海滩搜寻) because winds and currents join here, and as a result, there is a group of serious beachcombers in the area. Ebbesmeyer got to know a lot of them and asked for their help in collecting information about where the shoes landed. In a year he collected reliable information on 1, 600 shoes. With this data, he and a colleague were able to test and improve a computer program designed to model ocean currents, and publish the findings of their study.
As the result of his work, Ebbesmeyer has become known as the scientist to call with questions about any unusual objects found floating in the ocean. He has even started an association of beachcombers and ocean experts, with 500 subscribers from West Africa to New Zealand. They have recorded all lost objects ranging from potatoes to golf gloves.
1. Ebbesmeyer phoned the shoe company to find out _____________.| A．what caused the shipping accident |
| B．when and where the shoes went missing |
| C．whether it was all right to use their shoes |
| D．how much they lost in the shipping accident |
| A．By collecting information from beachcombers. |
| B．By studying the shoes found by beachcomber. |
| C．By searching the web for ocean currents models. |
| D．By researching ocean currents data in the library. |
| A．traveling widely the coastal cities of the world |
| B．making records for any lost objects on the sea |
| C．running a global currents research association |
| D．phoning about any doubtful objects on the sea |
| A．To call people's attention to ocean pollution. |
| B．To warn people of shipping safety in the ocean. |
| C．To explain a unique way of studying ocean currents. |
| D．To give tips on how to search for lost objects on the beach. |
