There are two kinds of memory: short-term and long-term. Information in long-term memory can be recalled at a later time when it is needed. The information may be kept for days or years. Sometimes information in the long-term memory is hard to remember. Students taking exams often have this experience. In contrast, information in short-term memory is kept for only a few seconds, usually by repeating the information over and over.
Dr. Hunter studied short-term memory in rats. He used a special device which had a cage for the rat and three doors. There was a light in each door. First, the rat was placed in the closed cage. Next, one of the lights was turned on and then off. There was food for the rat only at this door. After the light was turned off, the rat had to wait a short time before it was released from its cage. Then, if it went to the correct door, it was rewarded with the food that was there. Hunter did this experiment many times. He always turned on the lights in a random order. Hunter’s results show that rats have a short-term memory of about ten seconds.
Later, Dr. Henning studied how people learning English as a second language remember vocabulary. To begin with, the participants listened to a recording of a native speaker reading a paragraph in English. Following the recording, the participants took a 15-question test where they circled the word they remembered having in the recording. Some of the questions had four choices that sounded alike, while others had four choices having the same meaning.
Henning found that people with a lower level in English made more of their mistakes on words that sound alike; people with a higher level made more of their mistakes on words that have the same meaning. Henning’s results suggest that beginning learners hold the sound of words in their short-term memory, while advanced learners hold the meaning of words in their short-term memory.
1. What can we learn from Paragraph 1?| A．Repetition contributes to people’s short-term memory. |
| B．The information in long-term memory is easier to forget. |
| C．People can rarely memorize the information learnt when young. |
| D．Students taking exams are experienced in long-term memory. |
| A．How the rat experiment was conducted. | B．The process of rats’ developing memory. |
| C．Why the rat experiment was carried out. | D．The relationship between rats’ memory and intelligence. |
| A．A Chinese expert in second language learning. |
| B．An American student learning a second language. |
| C．A British teacher teaching English as a second language. |
| D．A Korean employee learning English as a second language. |
| A．Beginning learners have a bad memory. |
| B．Beginning learners depend more on short-term memory. |
| C．Advanced learners easily remember words according to their pronunciation. |
| D．Advanced learners can confuse the words just heard with those meaning the same. |
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【推荐1】Young trees don’t just grow; they develop a personality and learn more about their environment and how they should best behave in it. They also help each other out whenever there’s trouble.
Personality, just as among people, varies among trees. Some are anxious, some bold. On the author’s land, there are three oak trees growing close together. One of the oak trees always starts to shed its leaves two weeks earlier than the others. Since they all experience the same temperature, the same soil and the same length of day, such variables can’t be the explanation. So what’s happening? Well, this tree is simply more careful than the others.Whoever holds on to their leaves longer can do more photosynthesis(光合作用) and store more nutrients. However, the longer a tree keeps its leaves, the higher the risk of injury.
Not only do trees make their own decisions, they also learn from their mistakes. A tree, for example, keeping its leaves too long during one year will never make this mistake again. This leads to several other conclusions:trees must notice the temperature and the length of the day and be able to save their experiences somewhere. Obviously, trees don’t have brains, but it is thought that in the sensitive tips of their roots they keep track of information and experiences.
But trees aren’t only clever when it comes to caring for themselves. They also support each other whenever there’s trouble by giving warnings and even taking care of sick and weak conspecifics with nutrients. For example, one time the author found a very old tree stump. Its insides had rotted a long time ago to topsoil. But the wood on the outside of the stump was still living. How was this possible? Well, the stump was nourished by its neighbors with nutrients from the root system, and had been for at least 400 years!
Why do trees do such a thing? It’s simple: it’s better together. Trees need the forest; it protects them from storms, provides the right microclimate and warns them of attacks.
1. Why does the author mention the three oak trees?| A．To illustrate trees can learn from experiences. |
| B．To show trees can make independent decisions. |
| C．To explain trees are quite supportive to each other. |
| D．To prove trees have the same personalities as humans. |
| A．Anxious and bold. | B．Smart and adventurous. |
| C．Helpful and well-behaved. | D．Adaptable and supportive. |
| A．Give warnings. | B．Offer assistance. |
| C．Depend on others. | D．Provide nutrients. |
【推荐2】Psychologists tell us that there are four basic stages that human beings pass through when they enter and live in a new culture.
Culture begins with the “honeymoon stage”. This is the period of time when we first arrive in a country where everything about the new culture is strange and exciting. We may be suffering from “jet lag” but we are thrilled to be in the new environment, seeing new sights, hearing new sounds and language, eating new kinds of food.
Unfortunately, after we have settled down into our new life, we can become very tired and begin to miss our homeland and our family, friends, pets. All the little problems in life seem to be much bigger and more disturbing when you face them in a foreign culture.
The third stage comes when you begin to realize that things are not so bad in the host culture. Your sense of humor usually becomes stronger and you realize that you are becoming stronger by learning to take care of yourself in the new place. Things are still difficult, but you are now a survivor.
The fourth stage can be called “at ease at last”. Now you feel quite comfortable in your new surroundings. You can cope with most problems that occur. You may still have problems with the language, but you know you are strong enough to deal with them.
There is a fifth stage of culture shock which many people don’t know about. This is called “reverse culture shock”. Surprisingly, this occurs when you go back to your native culture and find that you have changed and that things there have changed while you have been away. Now you feel a little uncomfortable back home. Life is a struggle!
1. How do you feel during the first stage of culture shock?| A．Happy and excited. | B．Bored and homesick. |
| C．Lonely and depressed. | D．Angry and frustrated. |
| A．Adjustment. | B．Rejection. | C．Enthusiasm. | D．Embarrassment. |
| A．It hardly ever happens. | B．It is extremely stressful. |
| C．It is out of expectation. | D．It only happens to young people. |
【推荐3】It’s a popular belief that a fish’s memory lasts for only seven seconds. It may seem sad to think that they don’t remember what they’ve eaten or where they’ve been, and they don’t recognize you or any of their friends---every moment in their life would be like seeing the world for the first time.
But don’t be so quick to feel sorry for them. A new study has found that fish have a much better memory than we used to think. In fact, certain species of fish can even remember events from as long as 12 days ago.
In the study, researchers from MacEwan University in Canada trained a kind of fish called African cichlids to go to a certain area of their tank to get food. They then waited for 12 days before putting them back in the tank again.
Researchers used computer software to monitor the fish’s movements. They found that after such a long break the fish still went to the same place where they first got food. This suggested that they could remember their past experiences.
In fact, scientists had been thinking for a long time that African cichlids might have a good memory. An earlier study showed that they behaved aggressively in front of certain fish, perhaps because they remembered their past “fights”. But until the latest findings, there was no clear evidence.
Just as a good memory can make our lives easier, it also plays an important part when a fish is trying to survive in the wild.
“If fish are able to remember that a certain area contains safe food, they will be able to go back to that area without putting their lives at risks,” lead researcher Trevor Hamilton told Live Science.
For a long time, fish were placed far below chimpanzees, dolphins and mice on the list of smart animals. But this study has given scientists a new understanding of their intelligence.
1. What is the article mainly about?| A．Fish having very bad memories |
| B．Fish being smarter than we thought |
| C．How fish improve their memory |
| D．What we can learn from fish |
| A．fish could only remember part of their past experiences |
| B．fish could remember things that happened 12 days ago |
| C．a fish’s memory lasted for only seven minutes |
| D．fish didn’t recognize any of their friends |
| A．where to get food and survive | B．their enemies and fight |
| C．where to escape to when in danger | D．their friends and help each other |
【推荐1】In addition to being open to opposite opinions, here are some techniques that could help broaden the way you think.
Respect Difference
The mere presence of individuals from different backgrounds with different points of view in your everyday life creates an atmosphere in which people can better respond to change.
Change Environments
A change in your everyday life may provide the force needed to change the direction of your thinking. For some people, small changes might help reorganize your desk or take a new route to work, whereas for others, more adjustments are required.
Shirt into Positivity
Unlike negative emotions that bring about specific reactions, positive emotions prompt us to broaden our attention, explore our environment, and open ourselves to absorbing information. Take a few moments to think about the things in your life that are going well and for which you are grateful; this will automatically brighten your mood-and free your brain.
Look as if You’ve Never Seen
A Zen Buddhist concept for approaching even routine situations as if you were encountering them for the first time, “beginner’s mind” allows you to remain open to new experiences despite any expertise you may have. For instance, when you brush your teeth, take a moment to look at the toothbrush as if you’ve never laid eyes on such an object and notice its color and shape. Think about the flavor of the toothpaste and notice how your mouth feels as you move the brush back and forth.
1. What may be the benefit of small changes in life?| A．Reducing one’s workload. | B．Focusing one’s attention. |
| C．Leading to adjustments. | D．Better responding to changes. |
| A．By shifting into positivity. | B．By respecting difference. |
| C．By changing environments. | D．By looking as if you’ve never seen. |
| A．To introduce skills of broadening one’s thinking. |
| B．To compare the attitudes to thinking. |
| C．To give advice on thinking positively. |
| D．To explain the reasons for being open. |
【推荐2】Although computer technology is often necessary today, using a pen or pencil activates (激活) more areas of your brain than a keyboard does. You can remember more by handwriting, according to a new study.
The potential benefits of handwriting for memory have been debated for some time. The new study set out to answer one question: How does handwriting compare to using a keyboard when it comes to remembering new information?
In all 24 people took part in the study. Researchers asked each of them to write with a pen and then each was also asked to type on a keyboard. While performing these tasks, each volunteer wore a cap that held electrodes (电极) next to their head. It looked somewhat like a hair not fitted with 256 sensors. Those sensors recorded those people’s brainwaves (脑波). The electrodes noted which parts of the brain turned on during each task. And they showed that writing turned on memory areas in the brain while typing didn’t.
Audrey van der Meer, the new study’s leader. says this suggests that when we write by hand, we remember better. “This is because writing needs complex (复杂的) movements that activate more area s of the brain. The increased brain activity gives the brain more ‘hooks’ to hang your memories on,” she explains. Van der Meer also points out that writing by hand is related to visual notetaking. “Rather than typing blindly, the visual notetaker has to think about what is important to write down. Then, key words can be interlinked by boxes, arrows and small drawings,” she adds.
This study does not suggest stopping using digital products. In fact, its authors point out, computers and other devices with keyboards have become necessary in modern society. Keyboarding can especially benefit those with certain special needs (such as if they have trouble using their hands) and typing beats writing when it comes to speed, they add.
1. Why were people tested in the study asked to wear caps?| A．To record their brainwaves. | B．To inform them of their tasks. |
| C．To allow them to focus on writing. | D．To protect their heads like hair nets. |
| A．Why handwriting is more complex than typing. | B．Why the brain works when it comes to learning. |
| C．Why handwriting helps remember information. | D．Why keywords are helpful to visual notetaking. |
| A．It sets free people’s hands. | B．It is not worth recommending. |
| C．It remains important and helpful. | D．It is more challenging than writing. |
| A．How can you remember new information? | B．Handwriting benefits health in the long run. |
| C．Should typing take the place of handwriting? | D．Handwriting is better for memory than typing. |
【推荐3】We all need to eat, and when we go to buy food at the supermarket we’re offered many choices. But we often buy food that’s been produced in huge amounts and that’s traveled many miles before it ends up on our plate. So for some. growing their own food is a better choice—and it tastes good too!
From growing vegetables in little pots on your balcony to taking care of a small plot of land, there are many ways to produce home-grown food. It can be backbreaking work digging, weeding and watering the soil, but the result is fresh, home-grown fruits and vegetables, helping us keep a ‘five-a-day’ diet.
The recent Covid-19 pandemic lock-down means demand for homegrown food has seen a comeback in the UK. Miriam Dobson-from the University of Sheffield, told the BBC that some people have been Spending a lot of their time on their plots, growing plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables—which, at times, have been challenging to buy in supermarkets. She says “Coronavirus has reminded people of the weakness within our global food system. In such a difficult time, interest in self-support rises.”
But for those with limited space, a solution to grow your own vegetables lies closer to home-using pots. Sheila Brand lives in a third-floor flat in Rotterdam. She has managed to grow tomatoes and eggplants and is already harvesting raspberries. She told the BBC watching the plants grow “is very exciting: ‘Oh it’s got a new leaf!’”
As well as the benefits of saving money and enjoying tasty food, growing your own from a balcony or window ledge not only improves your well-being and immediate environment, you can actually grow a lot of vegetables. So, maybe it’s time for us all to get planting and develop our green fingers!
1. A “five-a-day” diet (Para.2) probably refers to a diet that include .| A．Five meals | B．Plenty of water |
| C．Five kinds of rice | D．Enough fruits and vegetables |
| A．Because it’s more interesting, cheap and delicious. |
| B．Because our global food system is doing harm to us. |
| C．Because it saves the time and money on transportation. |
| D．Because it can be hard to buy fresh food during the pandemic. |
| A．In a pot. | B．On a plate. | C．In a garden. | D．On the roof. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Positive. | C．Critical. | D．Reserved |
