Don’t Be A Bystander
None of us like to think we’d walk on by when someone needed our help.
One of the most famous examples of this is the tragic case of Kitty Genovese who was fatally stabbed in Kew Gardens, New York, in 1964. Subsequent investigations concluded that several people saw or heard what was happening, but did nothing to intervene.
There are various factors contributing to this effect — people think that others will get involved or intervene (called “diffusion of responsibility”).
The important thing to understand though is that other studies have shown that once people are aware of the bystander effect, they are less likely to be affected by it. Self-awareness is the best antidote to it.
| A．Yet this can sometimes mean that no one helps when, in fact, someone desperately needs it. |
| B．But sometimes we behave in ways we wouldn’t expect when confronted with a situation we are unsure about. |
| C．They can’t believe they had not realized it was more serious or that they didn’t think to get involved. |
| D．When confronted with an emergency, think to yourself how you would behave if you were on your own. |
| E．Afterwards people often say they did not feel qualified or senior or important enough to be the one to intervene. |
| F．A third of people would not perform CPR if they saw someone collapse on the street, with some even admitting they wouldn’t call an ambulance. |
| G．This has been termed the “bystander effect” — a well-known psychological phenomenon whereby individuals are less likely to offer help to someone when other people are present. |
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【推荐1】A bird called hermit warbler breeds（繁殖）along the U.S.West Coast. They all kind of look the same and they have a cute little yellow head and a gray body. Typically, birds sing the same one song within one region because the song attracts mates. And different regions can have slightly different dialects of the song. But recently biologists noticed that there are some places that are exceptions to this rule-in some places, there is more than one song in the same place. “So we were curious why that would be the case.” Brett Furnas, a bio-statistician at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said.
To investigate, Furnas and his team recorded lots of hermit warbler’s songs. In 10 years, they went to 100 different locations throughout the state and all the different potential habitats of the species. The researchers analyzed all the hermit warbler songs they collected and discovered that the hermit warbler doesn’t just break the usual one-song-per-region rule-they positively demolish it, for the researchers found, actually, an amazing 35 different dialects across the state.
But why would the bird repeatedly “alter its song” when any changes could affect its ability to attract a mate? Basically, hermit warblers are very sensitive to fire in the short term, so they will abandon an area temporarily, even if it’s just a low-severity fire that doesn’t destroy the whole stand. And then other hermit warblers singing different dialects move into this area. And then they end up, maybe a few years later, with two or more different dialects in the same place.
Furnas says that such musical diversity might actually work in the hermit warblers’ favor. “They may have greater resiliency（恢复力）to things like climate change. So understanding that helps us to make better conservation decisions to protect biodiversity. But it’s also what makes the outdoors interesting and a beautiful place to be, because even though you might not know it’s a hermit warbler, your experience outdoors is enriched by that diversity.”
1. What is the purpose of Furnas’ research on hermit warbler?| A．To figure out how the bird breeds. |
| B．To study the one-song-per-region rule. |
| C．To find why its songs differ within one region. |
| D．To investigate different habitats of the bird. |
| A．To show the rule is wrong. |
| B．To prove the rule to be true. |
| C．To explain what the rule means. |
| D．To make the rule difficult to understand. |
| A．Because of the food shortage. |
| B．Because of the less-severe wildfire. |
| C．Because of the need to attract a mate. |
| D．Because of the competition for habitats. |
| A．The effect climate change has on birds. |
| B．The importance of biodiversity protection. |
| C．The ways to enrich your outdoor experience. |
| D．The significance of the musical diversity of hermit warbler. |
【推荐2】Spring is in the air. Birds are singing and beginning to build their nests. It happens every year like clockwork. But by comparing recent observations with century-old eggs preserved in museum collections, scientists involved in the study were able to determine that about a third of the bird species are nesting and laying eggs nearly a month earlier than they did a hundred years ago. And as far as the researchers can tell climate change is responsible.
“Egg collections are such a fascinating to for us to learn about bird ecology over time,” says John Bates, director of the Field Museum. The eggs, with the contents removed, are stored in small boxes and accompanied by labels, saying what kind of bird they belong to, where they're from, and precisely when they were collected
Fidino, an ecologist at Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo, built a model for studying the historical and modern data about the egg collections. He found a surprising result: among the 72 bird species studied, about a third are nesting and laying their first eggs 25. 1 days earlier than they did a century ago.
Given that the climate crisis has dramatically affected so many aspects of biology, the researchers looked to rising temperatures as a potential explanation for the earlier nesting and laying. The changes in temperature are seemingly small but lead to different plants blooming and insects emerging—things that could affect the food available for birds. So birds have to move their egg-laying dates to adapt.
In addition to serving as a warning about climate change, Bates believes the study highlights the importance of museum collections, particularly egg collections. “They’re heavy with data about the past, and they can help us answer important questions about our world today,” he said.
1. How did the scientists conduct the study?| A．By doing field research. | B．By analyzing data. |
| C．By referring to documents. | D．By doing interviews. |
| A．They are labeled on exhibition. |
| B．They were collected a century ago. |
| C．They are used for educational purpose |
| D．They were specially processed for storage. |
| A．Rising temperatures change birds’ habits. |
| B．Rising temperatures affect food available for birds. |
| C．Climate change leads to great changes to plants and insects |
| D．Climate change should be to blame for birds’ early laying |
| A．Beneficial. | B．Instructive. | C．Inspiring. | D．Surprising. |
【推荐3】We all know a picky eater (挑食者) or two, or maybe you're the picky eater, avoiding food adventures at all costs, because you're convinced you'll hate whatever new and bad-looking food is put on your plate. But why is it that some people are picky eaters while others are willing to try pretty much anything that can be eaten?
There's no single explanation for the picky eating habit. Picky eaters are typically unwilling to try new foods, which can be the result of your DNA and the way you are treated and educated when you are young. Marcia Pelchat, Ph.D., a researcher at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia who specializes in food preferences in humans, tells China Daily, “A group in Finland looked at what we call food neophobia, which literally means 'fear of the new', and they found that there is some genetic basis for this.”
“Also, if you have parents who don't really like to try anything new, you will also be exposed to fewer new foods,” Pelchat says. The opposite is also true: Those who try new foods and have positive experiences are then more likely to try unfamiliar foods in the future.
People who are less adventurous may be more hesitant to try new foods. Trying anything new, food included, requires you to step outside of your comfort zone. If you're not very adventurous, you may have a tough time with this. People who seek new adventures or thrills might be more likely to experiment with food. “There is a thrill-seeking personality trait,” Pelchat says. “It's been shown, especially with spicy food, that there is some connection between trying new foods and thrill seeking,” she explains.
Most adult picky eaters start as child picky eaters. “It's normal for children to go through a picky stage when they're toddlers, maybe two or three years old, and that makes sense evolutionarily,” Pelchat says. But as we get older, if we continue to avoid new foods, pickiness can persist.
1. What do we know about people with food neophobia?| A．They eat only a few kinds of food. |
| B．They avoid new or unfamiliar foods. |
| C．They are addicted to some kind of food. |
| D．They have preference for vegetable food. |
| A．Food neophobia can be influenced by surroundings. |
| B．Those who try new foods have a positive life attitude. |
| C．Parents should set a good example for their children. |
| D．Food neophobia is linked to poorer dietary quality. |
| A．Less optimistic. | B．Less creative. |
| C．Less independent. | D．Less adventurous. |
A． | B． |
C． | D． |
【推荐1】Forget about the “post-1995 generation”. Young people born in 1995 or later have another name in English — Generation Z. They are entering adulthood and will soon shape our future, which is why policy makers, as well as employers and marketers, are trying their best to understand these young people. So, how should we pin down the Gen Z-ers?
Most people will agree that the single biggest difference between Gen-Z and other generations is how connected they are. This is a group of people who were hooked up to social media as soon as they were born. Social media has changed the way Gen Z-ers interact with each other and how they get and process information. They read news from Twitter, watch videos from Vine, share experiences in Instagram and post recipes in Pinterest.
“We are the first true digital natives. I can almost simultaneously create a document, edit it, post a photo on Instagram and talk on the phone, all from the user-friendly iPhone,” said Hannah Payne, an 18-year-old UCLA student.
It is noted that young people in the UK are becoming more active in Politics. Young people regard voting as one option among many to show their political engagement that can potentially influence policies. Instead of party politics, they focus more on single-topic issues such as feminism (女权主义) or climate change. And “much of the engagement and organizing they do takes place on social media rather than through traditional political structures,” according to the Guardians.
Gen Z-ers are also culture creators. Growing up with the Internet has freed this generation from traditional cultural expression. They are no longer willing to let their creativity be limited by their parents or traditional rules.
“We decide what kind of content we want to experience and choose how we experience it,” wrote Masback, a Huffington Post blogger and a Gen Z-er herself.
1. What does the underlined phrase “pin down” mean in Paragraph 1?| A．Cooperate with. | B．Firmly convince. |
| C．Clearly understand. | D．Communicate with. |
| A．It’s topic-specific. | B．It stresses social response. |
| C．It’s party-based. | D．It has an immediate effect. |
| A．They enjoy great freedom to express themselves. | B．They are unwilling to obey their parents. |
| C．They are rooted in traditional culture. | D．They are addicted to social media. |
| A．Worried. | B．Critical. | C．Objective. | D．Appreciative |
【推荐2】6 ways our post-pandemic (疫情后) world will be different
The future has never been easy to forecast, and the coronavirus makes life even more unpredictable. To gather informed views on how we most likely will live, learn, work, and communicate when we reach the new normal, National Geographic interviewed a range of experts and leaders.
New Ways to Learn
Balance Work and Life
The future of work won’t be fully remote, but it won’t be limited to offices, either. It’ll be a mixture. Smaller offices will be centers for occasional in-person collaboration, while improved digital tools—such as better video chatting—will support workers at home. Besides, more emphasis on balancing productivity with personal needs will allow employees to organize their work hours to fit their schedules.
Tech Leads the Way
Broadband(宽带) access has never been equal.
Get Out and Stay Out
U. S. national parks saw dramatic drops in visitors last spring—but then numbers exploded this spring, as did sales for RVs and bikes.
Public concern in the United States about global warming hit an all-time high last November, according to researchers at Yale and George Mason Universities. Large majorities of Americans think human-caused global warming is real, and they feel worried and even personally responsible. Surprisingly, a survey in April found that COVID-19 hadn’t replaced concern over the climate—though it had reduced media coverage of it.
| A．Remote Possibilities |
| B．One Planet, Two Crises |
| C．Therefore, flexibility will be the ultimate job benefit. |
| D．The pandemic exposed that divide. |
| E．One positive aspect of schools closing may be how districts are innovating to improve learning from home. |
| F．Many cities have closed streets to make room for outdoor dining, public events, and parks. |
| G．The Internet has made it possible for millions of people to work remotely, but it’s put us at risk of cyber- attacks. |
【推荐3】Today’s grandparents are joining their grandchildren on social media. In the UK, the over-55s are joining social media sites in increasing numbers, meaning that they will soon be the second biggest user group of these sites, with 3.5 million users aged 55-64 and 2.9 million over-65s.
Sheila, aged 59, says, “I joined to see what my grandchildren are doing, as my daughter posts videos and photos of them. It’s a much better way to see what they’re doing than waiting for letters and photos in the post. That’s how we did it when I was a child, but I think I’m lucky I get to see so much more of their lives than my grandparents did.”
Interestingly, Sheila’s grandchildren are less likely to use social media sites themselves. Children under 17 in the UK are leaving the sites - only 2.2 million users are under 17 - but they’re not going far from their smartphones. Chloe, aged 15, even sleeps with her phone. “It’s my alarm clock, so I have to,” she says. “I look at it before I go to sleep and as soon as I wake up.”
Unlike her grandmother’s generation, Chloe’s age group is spending so much time on their phones at home that they are missing out on spending time with their friends in real life. Sheila, on the other hand, has made contact with old friends from school that she has not heard from in forty years. “We use social media sites to arrange to meet all over the country,” she says. “They have changed my social life completely.”
Teenagers might have their parents to thank for their smartphone addiction as their parents were the early users of smartphones. Peter, 38 and a father of two teenagers, reports that he used to be on his phone or laptop constantly. “I was always connected and I felt like I was always working.” he says. “How could I tell my kids to get off their phones if I was always in front of a screen myself?” Thus, in the evenings and at weekends, he takes his SIM card out of his smartphone and puts it into an old-style mobile phone that can only make emergency calls and send text messages. “I’m not completely cut off from the world in case of emergencies, but the important thing is that I’m setting a better example for my kids and spending more quality time with them.”
1. How does Sheila, aged 59, feel about social media?| A．Satisfied | B．Worried |
| C．Excited | D．Disappointed |
| A．tend to use their smartphones less |
| B．are less interested in social media sites |
| C．like to interact with their parents online |
| D．spend more time with their friends in real life |
| A．He needs to make an emergency call. | B．He thinks it is convenient to do so. |
| C．He wants to be cut off from the world. | D．He tries to be a model for his kids. |
| A．The elder generation on social media. |
| B．Different online habits across generations. |
| C．Good habits of using smartphones and social media. |
| D．How to keep kids away from smartphones and social media. |
