【推荐1】In a world as fast-changing and full of information as our own, all of us need to know how to learn well. Yet evidence suggests that most of us don’t use the learning techniques that science has proved the most effective.

The scientific literature evaluating these techniques goes back to decades and across thousands of articles. It’s far too extensive and complex for the average parent, teacher or employer to look through. Fortunately, a team of five leading psychologists have done the job for us.

Professor John Dunlosky and other psychologists closely examined 10 learning strategies and rated each from high to low utility(实用) on the basis of the evidence they’ve gathered. Here’s part of their conclusions:

In contrast to familiar practices, the effective learning strategies with the most evidence to support them aren’t well known outside the lab. Take distributed practice, for example. This strategy involves spreading out your study time, rather than engaging in one marathon. Cramming (死记硬背)information at the last minute may allow you to get through that test or meeting, but the material will quickly disappear from your memory. It’s much more effective to look through the material at intervals over time.

And the longer you want to remember the information, whether it’s two weeks or two years, the longer the intervals should be.

The second learning strategy that is highly recommended by Dunlosky is practice testing. Yes, more tests--but there not for a grade. Research shows that the mere act of calling information to mind strengthens that knowledge and aids in future retrieval (检索). While practice testing is not a common strategy--despite the strong evidence supporting it --there is one familiar approach that captures its benefits: using flash cards. And now flash cards can be presented in digital form. Both distributed practice and practice testing were rated as having “high utility” by Dunlosky.

1. How did the psychologists study and rate the learning strategies?

A．By analyzing the materials gathered in the past years.

B．By asking some students questions about their study.

C．By doing some experiments on the objects in the lab.

D．By asking parents and teachers to look through the articles.

2. The underlined word “extensive” in Para.2 means ________.

A．small in amount	B．easy or quick to do
C．more than is needed	D．dealing with a lot of information

3. About distributed practice and practice testing, it’s true that ________.

A．many students have benefited a lot from them	B．they were first put forward by John Dunlosky
C．only a small number of experts know about them	D．psychologists are studying whether they are effective

4. The strategy of distributed practice shows that ________.

A．we should not study for long hours every day	B．reviewing what we have studied is of little help
C．the shorter the interval is, the better we’ll study	D．doing repetition at intervals is the best way

5. The evidence shows that the strategy of practice testing ________.

A．is a way to use flash cards to help study	B．is mainly used to help us remember well
C．helps know about students’ grades in time	D．is a way widely used to strengthen memory

【推荐2】You’ve probably heard that laughter is the best medicine, but have you ever wondered if laughter can cure an illness     1     Nevertheless, today your doctor may suggest increasing your daily dose of laughter to improve the body’s immune (免疫的) system.

Some people in the medical community have been skeptical of the healing power of laughter.     2     In fact, doctors have begun to use laughter to complement traditional treatments for injuries and diseases like cancer. Some cancer treatment centers incorporate laughter sessions into a patient’s treatment plan to increase the positive thinking and happy feelings that support the healing process.

How does laughter improve one’s health? Laughter sets off a chain reaction throughout the body that promotes physical and psychological health. Regular and frequent laughing can both prevent illness and help you get well. Laughter lowers your body’s hormone (激素) and cortisol (皮质醇) levels.     3     Specifically, it increases the production of antibodies in your bloodstream to keep away bacteria and viruses.

    4     We strengthen muscles throughout our face and body, our pulse and blood pressure go up, and we breathe faster, sending more oxygen to our tissues. People who believe in the benefits of laughter say it can be like a mild exercise. They think laughter may offer some of the same advantages as a workout.

All in all, although there’s no concrete evidence that laughter alone can cure an illness, it does promote physical and mental health.     5    

A．It may sound ridiculous.

B．However, that’s changing.

C．Yes, it does have a lot of uncertainty.

D．We change physiologically when we laugh.

E．Laughter also strengthens your immune system.

F．That’s why more and more people are turning to laughter.

G．There are limits to what we know about laughter’s benefits.

【推荐1】It’s a struggle for many of us to get out of the sedentary (久坐的) lifestyle, despite our best intentions.     1    , the biggest barriers are mental ones. Maybe it’s a lack of self-confidence that keeps you from taking positive steps, or you get easily discouraged and give up.

You already know there are many ways and great reasons to exercise — from improving mood, sleep, and health to reducing anxiety. But knowing how and why to exercise can’t get you starting and sticking to your exercise plan.     2    , you need to follow these steps which can make exercise less painful and more fun.

● Get rid of the all-or-nothing attitude. You don’t have to spend hours in a gym or force yourself into boring or painful activities you hate to experience the physical and emotional benefits of exercise.     3    . In fact, adding just tiny amounts of physical activity to your weekly routine can have a great effect on your mental and physical health.

● Be kind to yourself. Don’t punish yourself if you miss a workout.     4    . If you miss a day, consider it a rest day, and remember there’s always tomorrow. If you have a hard time sticking with your workout routine, just try something different. There are plenty of ways to stay active, and at the end of the day, you will find an exercise routine that works for you.

●     5    . You are not out of shape overnight, and you’re not going to instantly transform your body either. Demanding too much, too soon only leads to dissatisfaction. Instead of paying attention only to results, focus on consistency (连贯性).

A．Let it go and be patient

B．Share the results with others

C．Have reasonable expectations

D．If you really want to make exercise a habit

E．Remember a little exercise is better than nothing

F．If you are having trouble in finding an exercise to do on a daily basis

G．While practical concerns like a busy schedule can make exercise challenging

【推荐2】Back in January, I was determined to get fit seriously.     1     But then just as I was close to giving up again, I discovered a brilliant new way to make exercise better: by turning it into a video-game.

Zwift is essentially a cycling game that you control by riding your real bike, which is equipped with a device called a turbo-trainer. This makes it like an exercise bike. As you ride, the trainer sends signals to your computer or tablet to control the character on screen.     2     For example, as you’re cycling up a hill in the game, you can actually feel the different levels of resistance on the bike.

After signing up for a £12/month subscription, you can participate in virtual cycle rides in 3D-recreations of real places, like London or in fantastical fictional locations invented by the game designers.     3     As you cycle along The Mall towards Buckingham Palace, other real human cyclists appear alongside you, sharing the journey. Though it is obviously only a game, just seeing the character move is surprisingly motivating.

    4     Go a little faster and you’ll be rewarded with a little achievement marker. If you ride harder, you might win a race against another real player and unlock a new item in a regular video game, which can never be matched by a traditional exercise bike.

I’m not the only person who has noticed this.     5     Today there are many other companies chasing the same audience, and they all offer their own unique twists on the formula.

A．Zwift makes it easy to work out.

B．And importantly, you’re not alone.

C．The rest of the tech industry has, too.

D．I played Zwift, a cycling game for training.

E．And then the game sends instructions back to the trainer.

F．Smartly, the tricks of video-games will keep pushing you.

G．This would mean hours’ stretching and sweating each week.

【推荐3】Recently, science has been uncovering a link between walking and a lower risk of dementia (痴呆), proving that walking is even good for your brain.     1     Maybe you already love to walk, but you’re getting tired of following your same old route day after day—or maybe you’re new to walking and aren’t sure how to get started. Either way, it’s time to embrace the idea of walking with a purpose.

To get started, sit down with a map and make a plan. Ask yourself, what do you want to get out of walking aside from the health benefits? Do you want to meet other people? See new places? Get out into the wilderness or explore a city?     2    

Making friends and socializing is your goal.     3     Ask your friends where they like to walk and go there, since this will introduce you to new places. Look up your local malls which have groups that come every day, or every weekend, to “walk the mall”. These groups are always happy to include one more walker!

    4     Ask about local hikes that get you out of town and into the wilderness or countryside. Folks who are touring in an RV or car can stop to ask about scenic spots that will get them off the beaten path.

Headed to a new city?     5     Many of our great historic cities offer detailed and well-planned walking tours. You can follow the famous painted red band through Boston’s historic landmarks or walk your way through the sites of Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia.

From the benefits, walking is just plain good for you. Pick up a map and start walking.

A．It’s kind to our bodies and great for our waistlines.

B．Getting away from the crowds is what you’re after.

C．Prepare to get to know the new place from the ground up!

D．It’s also a fantastic way to get fit and to stay in great shape.

E．Call up your friends and schedule walks with them.

F．Nearly any city you can think of offers convenient transportation.

G．Knowing your priorities will help you decide on the type of walk you want to do.