【推荐1】Frederic Mishkin, who’s been a professor at Columbia Business School for almost 30 years, is good at solving problems and expressing ideas. Whether he’s standing in front of a lecture hall or engaged in a casual conversation, his hands are always waving and pointing. When he was in graduate school, one of his professors was so annoyed by this constant gesturing that he made the young economist sit on his hands whenever he visited the professor’s office.

It turns out, however, that Mishkin’s professor had it exactly wrong. Gesture doesn’t prevent but promotes clear thought and speech. Research demonstrates that the movements we make with our hands when we talk form a kind of second language, adding information that’s absent from our words. It’s learning’s secret code: Gesture reveals what we know. It reveals what we don’t know. What’s more, the agreement (or lack of agreement) between what our voices say and how our hands move offers a clue to our readiness to learn.

Many of the studies establishing the importance of gesture to learning have been conducted by Susan Goldin-Meadow, a professor of psychology at the University of Chicago. “We change our minds by moving our hands,” writes Goldin-Meadow in a review of this work. Particularly significant are what she calls “mismatches” between oral expression and physical gestures. A student might say that a heavier ball falls faster than a light one, for example, but make a gesture indicating that they fall at the same rate, which is correct. Such differences indicate that we’re moving from one level of understanding to another. The thoughts expressed by hand motions are often our newest and most advanced ideas about the problem we’re working on; we can’t yet absorb these concepts into language, but we can capture them in movement.

Goldin-Meadow’s more recent work strews not only that gesture shows our readiness to learn, but that it actually helps to bring learning about. It does so in two ways. First, it elicits (引出) helpful behavior from others around us. Goldin-Meadow has found that adults respond to children’s speech-gesture mismatches by adjusting their way of instruction. Parents and teachers apparently receive the signal that children are ready to learn, and they act on it by offering a greater variety of problem-solving techniques. The act of gesturing itself also seems to quicken learning, bringing new knowledge into consciousness and aiding the understanding of new concepts. A 2007 study by Susan Wagner Cook, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Iowa, reported that third-graders who were asked to gesture while learning algebra (代数) were nearly three times more likely to remember what they’d learned than classmates who did not gesture.

1. According to Paragraph 1, Frederic Mishkin was asked to sit on his hands because ________.

A．he could litter express his ideas that way

B．he always pointed his finger at his professor

C．his professor did not like his gesturing

D．his gestures prevented his professor from thinking

2. How is gesturing important in acquiring knowledge?

A．It draws tasteful responses from others and increases learning speed.

B．It promotes second language learning and quickens thinking.

C．It provides significant clues for solving academic problems.

D．It reduces students’ reliance on teachers’ instruction.

3. What can be inferred from the passage about gesture-speech mismatches?

A．They can stimulate our creativity.

B．Instructors should make full use of them.

C．Teachers can hardly explain new concepts without them.

D．They serve as a stepping stone to solving real life problems.

4. What could be the best title of the passage?

A．Hand Motions, a Second Language

B．Gesturing: Signal of Understanding

C．New Uses of Gesturing

D．The Secret Code of Learning

【推荐2】In the frozen continent of Antarctica scientists fear an alien invasion — not from outer space, but carried in people’s pockets and bags.

Seeds and plants accidentally brought to Antarctica by tourists and scientists may introduce alien plant species which could threaten the survival of native plants in the finely balanced ecosystem.

“The people that were carrying the most had lots and lots of seeds. They really were real threats,” said Dana Bergstrom, from the Australian Antarctic Division.

“When we take things in through hitchhiking (搭车旅行) then we get species which are competitive. The plants and animals there are not necessarily competitive, so we’d start losing various precious biodiversity(生物多样性) on the (Antarctic) continent”, Bergstrom told Reuters.

Amongst the alien species discovered were the Iceland Poppy, and Annual Winter Grass — all from cold climates and capable of growing in Antarctica.

The Antarctic Peninsula, where most tourists travel, is now considered a “hot spot” on the frozen continent and the warmer the climate, the easier for seeds to grow. “The peninsula (半岛) is warming at some of the greatest rates on the planet,” said Bergstrom.

The study, the first continent-wide assessment of invasive species in Antarctica, surveyed about 1,000 passengers during 2007-2008, the first year of the International Polar Year, an international effort to research the polar areas.

Bergstrom said the one alien seed that had gained a foothold is Annual Winter Grass. It is a strong weed in the sub-Antarctic and is on the Antarctic island of King George. It has also made its way to the tail part of the Antarctic continent.

1. What does the passage focus on?

A．The human influence on the native plants.	B．The development of native plants.
C．The discovery of new plants.	D．The promising future of tourism.

2. What is the effect of alien plant seeds to Antarctica?

A．They contribute to the biodiversity.

B．They lead to the warming up of Antarctica.

C．They make the native plants more competitive.

D．They break the balance of the natural environment of plants.

3. What can we learn from the passage?

A．The International Polar Year started in 2007.	B．Visitors to Antarctica are mainly scientists.
C．Visitors to Antarctica bring seeds on purpose.	D．Tall Fescue Velvet grass grows well in warm places.

4. What is the purpose of writing the passage?

A．To introduce the native environment of Antarctica.

B．To warn people of the danger of alien plant seeds to Antarctica.

C．To explain the relationship between plants and climate.

D．To give visitors some tips on how to explore Antarctica.

【推荐3】Do you have a good knowledge of your body ? A science book ,which has really taken off among the readers since it came out,will be of great help for you.Let’ s share an adaption from the book.

Which works harder, your heart or your brain?

That kind of depends on whether you’re busy thinking or busy exercising. Your heart works up to three times harder during exercise, and shifts enough blood over a lifetime to fill a supertanker. But, in the long run, your brain probably tips it, because even when you’re sitting still your brain is using twice as much as your heart, and it takes four to five times as much blood to feed it.

Why do teeth fall out, and why don’t they grow back in grown-up?

Baby (or “milk”) teeth do not last long; they fall out to make room for bigger, stronger adult teeth later on. Adult teeth fall out when they become damaged, decayed and infected by bacteria. Once this second set of teeth has grown in, you’re done. When they’re gone, they’re gone. This is because nature figures you’re set for life, and what controls regrowth of your teeth switches off.

Do old people shrink as they age?

Yes and no. Many people do get shorter as they age. But, when they do, it isn’t because they’re shrinking all over. They simply lose height as their spine(脊柱)becomes shorter and more curved due to disuse and the effects of gravity（重力）. Many (but not all) men and women do lose height as they get older. Men lose an average of 3—4 cm in height as they age, while women may lose 5 cm or more. If you live to be 200 years old, would you keep shrinking till you were, like 60 cm tall, like a little boy again? No, because old people don’t really shrink! It is not that they are growing backwards—their legs, arms and backbones getting shorter. When they do get shorter, it’s because the spine has shortened a little. Or, more often, become more bent and curved.

Why does spinning make you dizzy(眩晕的)?

Because your brain gets confused between what you’re seeing and what you’re feeling.The brain senses that you’re spinning using special gravity-and-motion-sensing organs in your inner ear, which work together with your eyes to keep your vision and balance stable. But, when you suddenly stop spinning the system goes out of control, and your brain thinks you’re moving while you’re not!

1. What does the underlined phrase taken off mean?

A．Left the ground and begun to fly	B．Reduced in number
C．Been popular immediately	D．Put off one’s clothes

2. Which of the following statements about our brain is true?

A．In the long run, our brain probably works harder than our heart.

B．When our brain senses the spinning, we will feel dizzy.

C．The brains of the other mammals are as complex as those of humans.

D．Our feelings and emotions come from the most developed area in our brain.

3. Why do some people become shorter when they are old?

A．Because their spine is in active use.

B．Because they are more easily affected by gravity.

C．Because they keep growing backwards.

D．Because their spine become more bent.

4. What is the adaption intended to do?

A．To give advice on how to stay healthy.

B．To provide information about our body.

C．To challenge new findings in medical research.

D．To report the latest discoveries in medical science.

【推荐2】As the birthplace of kites in the world, Weifang, Shandong province of China, produces beautiful, vivid, colorful and high-quality kites. Now, more than 70% of kites in the world are exported from Weifang. If you want to see various shapes and sizes of kites covering the sky, you cannot miss the Weifang Kite Festival held on the third Saturday of every April.

But this year, tens of thousands of Chinese participants gathered in Weifang, from Sept 26 to 29 for the 37th International Kite Festival. Held since 1984, the International Kite Festival is an annual event to "exhibit the excellence of the kite lovers to the public," according to the festival's website.

During the festival, kite lovers can enjoy stunt kite flying, also known as aerial ballet. Controlled by either a single person or a group, the kites form different shapes in the air. People always devote a lot of time and wisdom to making their own kites. From animals that crawl on the ground or swim in the water to legends like Monkey King, everything can fly in the sky at the festival. One of this year's highlights was the giant kites decorated with images of medical staff and the Long March 5 rocket, which reflect the hot topics this year.

"Flying a kite is like flying your dream. All the cultural symbols from ancient and modern times can be found in the sky of Weifang," noted Medium. After more than three decades of development, the festival has become a place to appreciate kites. But most importantly, it serves as a unique cultural event to enhance international exchange.

1. What does the text mainly talk about?

A．The future of kites.	B．A kite birthplace.
C．A kite festival.	D．Kite performances.

2. For what purpose is the kite festival held every year?

A．To enjoy animals flying in the ar.	B．To show kite-lovers brilliance.
C．To perform specialized kite flying.	D．To improve Weifang's global impact.

3. What can be known from Paragraph 3?

A．It takes a lot of trouble to make a kite.	B．Stunt kite flying is the only highlight.
C．Imagination can be shown in the kite.	D．Decorations mater least in the show.

4. What does the underlined word "enhance" mean in the last Paragraph?

A．拒绝

B．缺乏

C．降低

D．增强

【推荐3】Have you ever thought about why malls, restaurants, and even theaters have music? Well, to understand this, you simply just look back at how you felt when you heard music in these places. Music is known to improve the mood of people. Often music helps us pay attention to what we are doing. Music helps patients feel good and better.

Music is often known as an international language. We may not know the language another person is speaking, but most of us respond to music in the same. Music can often be the best way to connect with someone.

Music is one of the best ways to improve your moods, but this can depend largely on the kind of music you listen to. While happy music can certainly make you feel better, sad music can further lower your spirits. Listening to classical music can often make you feel a lot more powerful, while soft music can be the perfect way to relax at the end of a long day.

If you want to use music to change your feeling, you need to understand the role of it, learn to recognize the right kind of music that lifts your mood and helps you feel better. Once you realize the right kind of music, you can use it to change the way you feel. The right kind of music can be the perfect way to help you feel happier.

1. According to the passage, what’s the purpose of playing music in restaurants?

A．To make customers feel good.	B．To make the customers annoyed.
C．To make customers dance.	D．To make customers feel depressed.

2. From the passage, we can know that ________.

A．most of us suffer depression all the time	B．most of us respond to music in different ways
C．any kind of music will help us improve our moods	D．music can be a good way to connect with others

3. According to paragraph three, what kind of music can relax ourselves from a long day’s work?

A．Classical music.

B．Soft music.

C．Sad music.

D．Rock music.

4. What is the last paragraph mainly about?

A．What meanings music has.	B．How we control our moods.
C．How to lift our mood by listening to music.	D．The music we often listen to.