When leaning a foreign language, most people fall back on traditional methods: reading, writing, listening and repeating. But if you also gesture with your arms while studying, you can remember the vocabulary better, even months later. Linking a word to brain areas responsible for movement strengthens the memory of its meaning.
As neuroscientist Brian Mathias and his colleagues describe in the Journal of Neuroscience, they had 22 German-speaking adults learn a total of 90 invented artificial words (such as “lamube” for “camera,” and “atesi” for “thought”) over four days. While the test subjects first heard the new vocabulary, they were simultaneously (同时地) shown a video of a person making a gesture that matched the meaning of the word. When the word was repeated, they were supposed to perform the gesture themselves. Five months later, they were asked to translate the vocabulary they had learned into German in a multiple-choice test.
At the same time, they had a device attached to their heads that sent weak pulses to their primary motor cortex (皮层) — the brain area that controls voluntary arm movements. When these interfering (干扰) signals were active, the subjects found it harder to recall the words accompanied by gestures. When the device sent no interfering signals (but still appeared to the subjects to be active), they found it easier to remember the words. The researchers concluded that the motor cortex contributed to the translation of the vocabulary learned with gestures. This applied to concrete words, such as “camera,” as well as abstract ones, such as “thought”.
“Our results provide evidence for why learning techniques that involve the body’s motor system should be used more often,” says Mathias. “I think we underuse gesture in our classrooms. People use it spontaneously (自发地), if they’re good teachers and good listeners. But we don’t necessarily bring it into the class if we don’t think about it.”
1. What were the subjects required to do in the test?| A．Repeat what other subjects describe. |
| B．Follow what the person in the video did. |
| C．Match the vocabulary with relative pictures. |
| D．Translate the vocabulary into a foreign language. |
| A．To control their body movements. |
| B．To shelter other interfering signals. |
| C．To identify the function of the motor cortex. |
| D．To confirm the abstract thoughts in their mind. |
| A．It will be carried out more frequently. |
| B．It will involve more concrete objects. |
| C．It will be plied to classroom teaching. |
| D．It will motivate his colleagues to participate. |
| A．Good Learning Techniques Matter More |
| B．Repeating Strengthens Memory |
| C．Body Language Betters Communication |
| D．Gestures Help Learn New Words |
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【推荐1】How to Improve Your English
Learning English is a continuous process. For tips on how to improve your English, read on. Read English newspapers, books, and magazines. Reading is an active process that requires your brain to work. When learning a language, much is achieved by speaking, listening and writing.
Read the book version of a movie that you have already seen. If you are not a serious book reader, reading a story that you are already familiar with will help you move along page by page.
Teach English to children or friends. The best way to improve something is by teaching it to others. This also holds true for the English language.
Use English every day. Whatever you are doing, from washing the dishes or taking out the garbage to going to work or to the gym, use English. Take out those new words that you learned and use them. Bring out those new idioms you came across and use them. If the new knowledge stays inside your head and in your notebooks, it won’t come to life.
As you try to improve your English day by day, you will surely see improvements that are going to “make your day”.
| A．Open your mouth |
| B．Keep a news diary |
| C．But reading is also a great help |
| D．Listening to songs can help you improve your English |
| E．When you share and teach English to others |
| F．Learn how to use it in your daily life |
| G．Reading the book version means you will find it easier to understand and guess vocabulary |
【推荐2】Mastering a new language is a fun and rewarding process. It is the honour to you if you’re in the midst of learning another language! If you’re finding that understanding the language when you hear it spoken is the most difficult part, you’re not alone. Many language learners struggle with this. Luckily, there are many ways to speed up your language comprehension.
Talk to native speakers.
Nothing beats practice for improving language comprehension. Find people whose first language is the one you’re learning and have conversations with them. Ask them to slow down or ask them questions when you don’t understand something.
Reading while you listen helps you understand what’s being said. Pick a series or a movie in the language you’re trying to learn and turn on the subtitles in the same language. Read all the subtitles while you listen carefully to the dialogue to help you recognize words better while listening.
Listen to music with lyrics
This helps you understand different phrases and slang words.
Listen to things you like and are interested in
| A．Listen to audio at slower speeds |
| B．Watch lyric videos of songs online |
| C．Watch TV shows and movies with subtitles |
| D．We’ve put together a handy list of some ideas for you |
| E．Try to listen to different native speakers saying the same thing. |
| F．The more phrases you know, the more you understand when you listen |
| G．Language comprehension is higher when you' re interested in the topic |
【推荐3】If you live in a place where most people speak English, you may use the language for several hours each day.
However, as an English beginner, you may live in places where English is not the main language. The good news is that thinking in English can bring you a huge step closer to fluency！The following are some mental exercises that can help.
Think in single words.
Think in sentences.
The next exercise is thinking in simple sentences. For example, if you are sitting in a park, you can tell yourself things like, “
Describe your day.
You can describe your day and make plans in the morning, such as, “When I leave the house, I'm going to get an iced coffee.
When you do this, you are imagining yourself speaking to someone else. You are asking the questions and thinking of replies. For example, let's say the imaginary person asks you a question, like, “What did you do last night?” How would you answer?
| A．Find a partner. |
| B．The air is so fresh. |
| C．Think in conversation. |
| D．Then I'll take the bus to class. |
| E．Your hard work finally paid off. |
| F．Most experts note that it's best to start small. |
| G．So, it may become part of your "inner speech". |
【推荐1】As the global novel coronavirus (新型冠状病毒) speeds up, many are wondering about the effectiveness of masks and when it’s appropriate to wear them. Most people from the East believe that wearing a mask is essential to control the spread of the disease. But people in the West generally would argue that, unless one is already ill, wearing a mask is simply unnecessary.
In Eastern countries like China, mask-wearing is rooted in their cultures. In fact, people in the East wear masks not just to protect themselves from illness but also for a variety of other reasons. Young people in Japan, for example, wear masks as a fashion statement, expressing their personal style through unique designs and patterns. Wearing a face mask is also an outward expression of group-centered values. With one’s face partly covered, one becomes part of a giant group. In many Asian countries, masks are worn in many conditions in daily life, such as doing housework or visiting patients in the hospital. They can give people the comfort of being protected.
In Western countries, however, individual values are the most important. It is up to the individuals to decide whether to wear masks or not. A face mask is reserved only for those showing symptoms (症状) of illness.
As a citizen, it is one’s duty to prevent the spread of illness by following proper procedures. Whether from the East or the West, social culture has played an important role in one’s decision on whether or not to wear a mask. That’s because human beings are social creatures who take into consideration what other members of society think of us. The most important thing is to respect others’ opinions, no matter how different they are.
1. What is the function of the first paragraph?| A．To lead to the topic of the text. | B．To show how serious the disease is. |
| C．To confirm the influence of culture. | D．To prove it is essential to wear a mask. |
| A．They wear masks to show respect for others. |
| B．They want the comfort of being protected. |
| C．It is fashionable for the young to wear masks. |
| D．They wear masks to be the focus of their group. |
| A．Subjective. | B．Objective. |
| C．Doubtful. | D．Positive. |
| A．A diary. | B．A guidebook. |
| C．A novel. | D．A magazine. |
Another beneficial aspect of group exercise is the informational support participants receive from the instructor.Many people fear the gym because they feel lost and don't want to embarrass themselves. If you feel you can relate, then group training is an even better option for you. It's a great opportunity to learn more about fitness through the clear instruction and supervision of a fitness instructor. If you're tired of wandering around the gym wasting time and becoming bored, !you can attend an upbeat group fitness class that'll keep your workout on track. Don't let
fitness frighten you!
If you're serious about wanting to live a healthy lifestyle, it's extremely important to surround yourself with people who'll provide you with the proper emotional support. I wouldn't scold anyone for deciding to party on weekends and in turn I wouldn't expect anyone to give offence to me for focusing on my health. Surround yourself with people who uplift, encourage and understand you! Make fitness even more fun by trying something new or any group fitness class, with a friend. Plan to go for a jog together. Then try a fun healthy restaurant or fresh juice bar! Fitness can be both fun and social!
Surrounding yourself with people who'll provide you with respect support can be very beneficial while working towards reaching health and fitness goals. First, decide to do it for yourself and work towards staying positive. Then make sure the people you surround yourself with are supportive. Don't let negativity ruin your motivation.
1. The first paragraph focuses on .
| A．the greatest challenge of group exercise |
| B．the most effective way to improve physical fitness |
| C．the contribution of group exercise to psychological health |
| D．the shared common goal in performing exercise in groups |
| A．cheerful | B．average | C．serious | D．temporal |
| A．to sustain a colorful lifestyle |
| B．to party on weekends with positive people |
| C．to try a fun healthy restaurant regularly |
| D．to surround yourself with supportive people |
| A．Seeking Support | B．Supporting Health |
| C．Improving Your Strength | D．Building Up Fitness |
【推荐3】There is a mobility system or wheelchair which can be seen at Tokyo Airport moving on its own.
The mobility system seats one person and is able to find its way on its own without hitting anything. It has a pre-programmed path of about 600 meters at Tokyo’s Haneda International Airport. The ride lasts several minutes. It travels from the security area to the boarding gate at a speed of 3.5 kilometers per hour. But many people hope this type of technology can help in other places, such as hospitals or parks. The technology uses sensors and cameras to see a clear path and avoid hitting those walking toward it. The person on the machine can start or stop it through a simple controller. It runs on batteries and is programmed to return to where it starts from when its passenger gets off. It was demonstrated on Monday by WHILL, the company behind the technology.
WHILL Chief Executive Satoshi Sugie said robotics and self-driving technology reduce the need for a human at the wheel. They are especially useful in these difficult times when we are living with the corona-virus.” We are developing our business in order to help restore a world where people can enjoy moving around with peace of mind,” Sugie said.
The system is helping with social distance while fighting the spread of the corona-virus. It also helps older passengers and those who need help walking the last few steps to the boarding gate. What’ s more, it could help Japan free up labor. Japan, like many other nations, suffers from a labor shortage. The technology could free a worker to do another job.
Tests have been carried out at several airports since last year, including John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. The company hopes to put it in airports around the world.
1. What is special about the mobility system?| A．It needs no help at the airport. | B．It works by solar energy. |
| C．It is programmed ahead of time. | D．It adjusts the speed to the path. |
| A．It is useless to some people. | B．It deserves to be widely used. |
| C．It needs to be further tested. | D．It may not work well in other places. |
| A．Various difficulties of boarding. | B．New treatment for the corona-virus. |
| C．The reasons for a labor shortage. | D．The advantages of the mobility system. |
| A．Society and development. | B．Business and culture. |
| C．Science and technology. | D．Geography and history. |
