Ever fought with a problem? Picked up a new skill? Encountered a difficult concept? The language of learning is full of references to parts of the body outside the brain. Perhaps that’s because these phrases suggest something deeper. Researchers are detecting that learning is easier, quicker and more long-lasting if it involves the body.
“In the past, people have argued that as we grow, we become more able to think abstractly (抽象地),” says Andrew Manches, a psychologist at the University of Edinburgh in the UK. Conventional (传统的) thinking might suggest that teachers should help prevent children from using body gestures to prepare them for the adult world. But in truth, the physical world never really leaves our thinking. For example, when we process verbs such as lick, kick and pick, medical scanners show that the parts of our brain that control the muscles in our face, legs and hands, respectively, light up with activity.
Science is beginning to back up the idea that actions really might speak louder than words in the classroom. Spencer Kelly, a psychologist at Colgate University in New York, has found that people spend three times as much time gesturing when they think the message they get across is remarkably important, suggesting that even if only at the subconscious (潜意识的) level, we appreciate the communicative value of our body language. Kelly has also found evidence that a teacher is more appealing to students when he or she uses arm and hand movements to stress points.
Also, some studies indicate that young children obtain more if their teacher uses gestures when explaining a concept. Meanwhile, Sunsan Wagner Cook, a psychologist at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, has found that children pick up new concepts more effectively, if they are taught to mirror and repeat gestures their teacher uses.
1. How did people in the past understand learning?| A．The older a student grows, the less likely he will think abstractly. |
| B．Teachers are advised to encourage students to use body gestures. |
| C．Body gestures should be removed to promote adult-like thinking. |
| D．The physical world never really leaves our thinking. |
| A．By presenting different researches. |
| B．By explaining some rules. |
| C．By making some predictions. |
| D．By analyzing the theory. |
| A．People use gestures every time they convey the messages. |
| B．Body movements can increase a teacher’s popularity. |
| C．Young students like to mirror their teacher’s gestures. |
| D．Body language is more powerful than spoken language. |
| A．The Language of Learning: A Vital Approach |
| B．Body Gestures: A Sharp Tool for Fast Learning |
| C．Body Language: A Universal Language Signal |
| D．Thinking Abstractly: A Symbol of Adult World |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】September 23 marks the start of a new season.
According to Dictionary. com, fall isn’t a modern name that followed the more traditional autumn. The two terms are actually first recorded within a few hundred years of each other, with the term fall being used even a bit earlier.
Around the same time England adopted autumn, the first-ever British American colonists（殖民者）were voyaging to North America.
| A．The Americans prefer using fall to using autumn. |
| B．With them they brought the words fall and autumn. |
| C．So what is it about the season that makes it so special? |
| D．But for some reason, only spring haul staying power in Britain. |
| E．It is time to gather apples, rice and other things for the farmers. |
| F．However, what exactly you should call that season depends on where you are. |
| G．Before either word appeared, the season between summer and winter was known as harvest. |
【推荐2】The human eye can perceive about 1 million colors, but languages have far fewer words to describe those colors. Languages spoken in industrialized nations such as the United States, for example, tend to have about a dozen basic color terms, while languages spoken by populations in remote areas often have fewer. However, the way that a language divides up color space can be influenced by contact with other languages, according to a new study.
Among members of the Tsimane society, who live in a remote part of the Bolivian Amazon rainforest, the researchers found that those who had learned Spanish as a second language began to classify colors into more words, making color distinctions that are not commonly used by Tsimane who are monolingual (单语的).
In the most striking finding, Tsimane who were bilingual (会双语的) began using two different words to describe blue and green, which monolingual Tsimane speakers do not typically do. The researchers also found that the bilingual Tsimane became more precise in describing colors such as yellow and red, which monolingual speakers tend to use to include many shades (色度) beyond what a Spanish or English speaker would include.
Working with monolingual and bilingual members of the Tsimane, the researchers asked people to perform two different tasks. For the bilingual population, they asked them to do the tasks twice, once in Tsimane and once in Spanish.
In the first task, the researchers showed the subjects 84 chips (块) of different colors, one by one, and asked them what word they would use to describe the color. In the second task, the subjects were shown the entire set of chips and asked to group the chips by color words.
The researchers found that when performing this task in Spanish, the bilingual Tsimane classified colors into the traditional color words of the Spanish language. Additionally, the bilingual speakers were much more precise about naming colors when they performed the task in their native language.
“The bilingual speakers learned a different way to divide up the color space,” says Edward Gibson, the senior author of the study. “It’s a great example of one of the main benefits of learning a second language. You open a different world and understand different concepts that you import to your native language.”
1. What can be inferred about the Tsimane language from paragraph 3?| A．There are very few color words. |
| B．There used to be no color words. |
| C．There are no words for blue and green. |
| D．There are many words for yellow and red. |
| A．The number of the chips. | B．The color of the chips. |
| C．The way to show the chips. | D．The people to perform the tasks. |
| A．The evolution of Tsimane. | B．The popularity of Spanish. |
| C．The influence of Spanish. | D．The uniqueness of Tsimane. |
| A．Learning language can broaden the mind. |
| B．Contact between languages can influence each other. |
| C．Bilingual speakers have more words to describe colors. |
| D．A language can acquire new concepts from other languages. |
【推荐3】If you had to pick one, who do you think is greater in terms of their contributions to the Western world: British physicist Isaac Newton or Greek philosopher (哲学家) Aristotle?
Chances are that you’d find it hard to make a decision, at least right away.
In fact, by comparing science and liberal arts, we’re drawing “an artificial (人造的) line” between the two, wrote Loretta Jackson-Hayes, an associate professor of chemistry at Rhodes College in Memphis, on the Washington Post website. And to some of the greatest innovators (革新者) in history, this line never existed in the first place.
“
| A．But somehow, when it comes to picking a major at college, the decision couldn’t be easier. |
| B．This gap has now become so wide that the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point in the US is actually considering dropping 13 majors. |
| C．Leonardo da Vinci, for example, was just as successful a scientist as he was a painter. |
| D．It’s in Apple’s DNA that technology alone is not enough. |
| E．Human civilization isn’t just about technological inventions. |
| F．But if we take our eyes away from job skills for one second and look at liberal arts from a different perspective (视角), we can see how important they are. |
【推荐1】
Zion National Park in Utah has plenty of trails, but Angels Landing may be the most breathtaking. Picture this. You begin the hike on the wide and well-maintained West Rim Trail. It follows the river and then crosses the bottom of the canyon, surrounded by 270-million-year-old layers of rock. Relaxing, right? Just wait for it. The trail then starts to climb via a series of switchbacks (急转弯) leading up the side of the mountain. Then more switchbacks: 21 tighter turns, called “Walter’s Wiggles,” where elevation levels rapidly increase. Your heartbeat is probably rapidly increasing at this point, too.
On top of Walter’s Wiggles, you can stop for a stunning view (perhaps with a marriage proposal) and a restroom stop while you contemplate (仔细考虑) the final stretch of the hike. If you’re afraid of heights, it’s best to turn back now. The last stretch is the real test of bravery.
The last half mile of the hike is what really ranks it as one of the nation’s most dangerous. Angels Landing itself is a fin-like formation jutting (突出) 1,500 feet out of the canyon, and this is where you make the final 500-foot climb. Guardrails and chains bolted (拴住) into the cliff help you keep from tumbling over the extremely steep ledge. You’re literally living on the edge, and you don’t want to trust the “angels” down there to catch you. Once you reach the top, however, it’ll all be worth it: 360-degree views of the canyon make a great backdrop for kicking back and having a meal before you come back down the way you came.
Angels Landing might be dangerous, but thankfully, not too many people have had fatal falls. According to the park website, seven people have died in the 100 years the park has existed. Still, this is a very vigorous hike. If you’re out of shape, bringing young children along, feel ill or prone to fainting, or are just plain afraid of heights, opt for an easier trail.
Angel’s Landing is a great hike for most of the year, besides the cold winter months when the trails could become dangerously slippery. Summer is the most popular time of year — and therefore the most crowded — but it can also get extremely hot, so opt for an early morning hike while the temperatures are still mild.
Sure, it’s dangerous, but there’s a reason this is one of Zion ‘s most popular hikes. If you’re up for the challenge, Angels Landing will definitely deliver rewards.
This article first appeared on Curiosity.com.
1. What geological feature surrounds the hiker during the initial part of the hike?| A．Plenty of trails in the park. | B．Mountain Peaks. |
| C．270-million-year-old layers of rock. | D．Grass Meadows. |
| A．The challenging hike with switchbacks. |
| B．The 360-degree views of the canyon. |
| C．The well-maintained West Rim Trail. |
| D．The river crossing and rock formations. |
| A．If a tourist is afraid of heights, it’s best to turn back onto Angels Landing. |
| B．Seven people have died so far due to slippery trails in winter. |
| C．Bringing young kids along to climb onto Angels Landing will be appreciated. |
| D．Taking a break with the views of the canyon as background is absolutely worth the trip. |
| A．Unveiling the Hidden Beauty: Exploring Zion National Park’s Trails |
| B．Zion’s Ultimate Thrill: The Adrenaline-Pumping Angels Landing Expedition |
| C．Chasing Heights: Angels Landing Adventure in Utah’s Zion National Park |
| D．Angels Landing: Conquering Utah’s Breathtaking and Daring Hike in Zion National Park |
【推荐2】A recent study in the science publication Joule says there are enough rare earth metals (稀土金属) on Earth for new “low-carbon electricity generation” technologies. The researchers said the amount of minerals available is enough to supply a switch to renewable energy and more mining is needed to make more of the valuable metals available to industry.
Rare earth metals are in demand for products such as magnets, wind turbines (涡轮机), solar panels and computers. All are part of the “green energy” push to remove carbon gases from electricity generation.
Zeke Hausfather, an expert who works at a technology company called Stripe and at Berkeley Earth, called the process “big and messy”. But he thinks reducing carbon gases, or “decarbonization”, can be done. He said he is not worried about the long-term supply of rare earth materials.
However, the scientists warn that in the early days of the switch to green energy, there will be shortages. For example, there could be a shortage of the element called dysprosium. It is used to make strong magnets. Industry will require three times more of the metal than is produced now. However, there is 12 times more dysprosium available than needed, the researchers said.
Another element is tellurium, which is used in large groups of solar panels, called solar farms. There is just enough of that material available if the world makes a fast push to solar power, the researchers said. In addition, there are other materials that can be used instead of tellurium if needed.
Daniel Ibarra, an environment professor at Brown University, told the Associated Press that the study is forceful and “debunks” concerns about running out of rare earth materials. He said the main question is whether production of the materials can keep up with demand.
The United States Geological Survey reports that the countries with the largest supplies of rare earth metals are China, Vietnam, Russia and Myanmar, also known as Burma.
1. What is Zeke Hausfather’s attitude towards the storage of rare earth metal?| A．Confident. | B．Skeptical. | C．Uncertain. | D．Indifferent. |
| A．compare it with other elements |
| B．indicate its wide existence in nature |
| C．stress its importance in industrial production |
| D．show its shortage in the early change to green energy |
| A．have doubt about | B．show something false |
| C．be certain about | D．prove something correct |
| A．Necessity of Mining for Renewable Energy |
| B．Concerns about Shortage of Rare Earth Metals |
| C．Rare Earth Metals Are Enough for Green Energy |
| D．Low-carbon Technologies Are Developing Fast |
【推荐3】Breathing dirty air can cost someone’s lifespan (寿命) months—even years, a new study finds. Worldwide, air pollution lowers average lifespans by a year. Scientists shared their new findings in Environmental Science & Technology Letters.
Air pollution (污染) has been linked to many health problems. Most earlier studies have looked at how tiny air pollutants affected rates of illness or death. But now an environmental scientist, Joshua Apte, is going even further. He works at the University of Texas, Austin. He together with his team is looking at life expectancy, hoping to make the threat easier to understand.
PM 2.5 is what scientists call tiny particles of pollution in the air. Higher levels of PM2.5 can cause health problems and cut months, if not years, from the average lifespan. This analysis shows pollution affects life expectancy in different parts of the world.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends limiting PM 2.5 to 10 micrograms (微克) per cubic (立方) meter of air. Apte’s group used data to try to find how this low level would help people. But meeting the WHO standard won’t get rid of health damage from dirty air. That’s because even below 10 micrograms per cubic meter pollution still causes huge risks.
Reducing air pollution could increase life expectancy. The scientists also compared how other threats shorten life spans across the globe. These risk factors included smoking and cancer.
These results show that in poor countries, cleaning up dirty air could greatly increase lifespans. It could have as big an effect as cleaning up drinking water, or curing lung cancer. However, in wealthier countries air pollution shortens life expectancy by less than half a year. All forms of cancer, in fact, shorten the average life expectancy by more than 3.5 years. “Knowing this can really help people or policymakers, decide where to spend their money.” says Kirk Smith.
1. Why is Joshua Apte’s team carrying out the study?| A．Know how small air pollutants are. |
| B．Study many different healthy problems. |
| C．Study the life expectancy of different people. |
| D．Let people understand air pollution better. |
| A．Its air is very clean. |
| B．It will get a prize from WHO. |
| C．It still has pollution risks. |
| D．Its people will live a healthy life. |
| A．The study will help different countries or people take different policies. |
| B．Lung cancer is the leading killer in all kinds of cancers. |
| C．Reducing air pollution can increase all people’s lifespans much. |
| D．It’s very hard to clean up dirty air in a short time. |
| A．Many Factors are Affecting People’s Health |
| B．Air Pollution is Shortening Lives Worldwide |
| C．Governments are Trying to Make Lifespan Long |
| D．The Effect of Cancer is Worse than Dirty Air |
