In 1999, David Dunning and Justin Kruger did a series of studies evaluating people’s competence in certain areas, including grammar, humor and logic. The people in the studies were asked to evaluate their own abilities in each area. Dunning and Kruger found that people who scored low on the tests have the tendency to overestimate their abilities, indicating that people who lack skills tend to lack the ability to realize their shortcomings.
This principle has become known as the Dunning-Kruger effect. It occurs because only when people have skills in a given area are they equipped to evaluate their own skills. Admittedly, most people are overconfident in their abilities. They want to believe that they are more capable, knowledgeable and even superior to others, and when someone really wants something to be true, it can be hard for them to admit that it isn’t. By the way, the opposite of the Dunning-Kruger effect also happens: capable people have a more accurate view of their own abilities, and sometimes they even underestimate themselves.
It’s tempting (吸引人的) to think of the Dunning-Kruger effect as a problem. People may even laugh at those who think themselves more competent than they truly are, but everyone has areas where they lack competence, and the Dunning-Kruger effect means they may be relatively bad at self-evaluation in those areas. Even if someone is very intelligent in general, there are still things they don’t know much about. Expertise in one area cannot always be transferred to other areas.
That’s why it’s important to keep digging for information even when you think you’ve found answers. It can also be helpful to check your ideas with other people. Receiving negative feedback can hurt, but if you’re willing to listen, it can help you grow. Even just keeping in mind that the Dunning-Kruger effect exists can help you stay modest, accept criticism and, thus, keep learning throughout your life.
1. What did Dunning and Kruger find in their research?| A．Unskilled people tend to think too much of themselves. |
| B．Skilled people are usually more humorous and logical. |
| C．Self-evaluation makes people more logical in some areas. |
| D．Knowledgeable people sometimes think they are superior to others. |
| A．Complicated. | B．Problematic. | C．Universal. | D．Dismissive. |
| A．Evaluate yourself on a regular basis. | B．Remain humble and eager for knowledge. |
| C．Be yourself and ignore negative feedback. | D．Make friends with intelligent individuals. |
| A．A biology textbook. | B．A book review. |
| C．A feature report. | D．A. psychology journal. |
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【推荐1】Imagine that an alien species landed on Earth and, through their mere presence, those aliens caused our art to fade, our music to standardize, and our technological know-how to disappear. Actually, that is what humans have been doing to our closest relatives — chimps (大猩猩).
Back in 1999, a team of scientists led by Andrew Whiten showed that chimps from different parts of Africa be have very differently from one another. Some groups would get each other’s attention by tapping branches with their knuckles (指关节), while others did it by loudly tearing leaves with their teeth. The team identified 39 of these traditions that are practiced by some communities but not others — a pattern that, at the time, hadn’t been seen in any animal except humans. It was evident, the team said, that chimps have their own cultures.
It took a long time to convince unbelievers that such cultures exist, but now we have plenty of examples of animals learning local traditions from one another. However, when many scientists have come to accept the existence of animal cultures, many of those cultures might disappear. Ammie Kalan and her colleagues have shown, through years of intensive field work, that the very presence of humans has gradually reduced the diversity of chimp behavior. Where we grow, their cultures weaken. It is a bitterly ironic thing to learn on the 20th anniversary of Whiten’s classic study.
“It’s amazing to think that just 60 years ago, we knew next to nothing of the behavior of our sister species in the wild,” Whiten says. “But now, just as we are truly getting to know our primate (灵长类) cousins, the actions of humans are closing the window on all we have discovered.”
No one knows whether the destruction of chimp culture is getting worse. Obviously, conservationists need to think about saving species in a completely new way — by preserving animal traditions as well as bodies and genes. “Instead of focusing only on the conservation of genetically based beings like species, we now need to also consider culturally based ones,” says Andrew Whiten.
1. What does the author say we humans have been doing to chimps?| A．Ruining their culture. | B．Accelerating their extinction. |
| C．Treating them as alien species. | D．Standardizing their living habits. |
| A．Chimps demonstrate highly developed skills of communication. |
| B．Chimps rely heavily upon their body language to communicate. |
| C．Chimps behave in ways quite similar to those of human beings. |
| D．Different chimp groups differ in their way of communication. |
| A．Whiten’s classic study has little impact on the diversity of chimp behavior. |
| B．Chimp behavior becomes less varied with the increase of human activity. |
| C．Chimps transform their culture to quickly adapt to the changed environment. |
| D．It might already be too late to prevent animal cultures from extinction. |
| A．Focus entirely on culturally-based beings rather than genetically-based ones. |
| B．Place more stress on animal traditions than on their physical conservation. |
| C．Conserve animal species in a novel and all-round way. |
| D．Explore the cultures of species before they disappear. |
【推荐2】Ever feel like scratching yourself when you see others doing it? You’re probably not alone. This practice, which seems to be socially contagious (传染的), could be more than just a sudden urge. This is according to the latest finding from Washington University.
The researchers studied mice to see what went on in their brains when they saw other mice scratching. During the experiments, a mouse was placed in front of a computer screen to watch another of its kind scratching. A few moments after watching the video, the live mouse would start scratching. The finding is interesting because earlier studies had shown that mice only show empathy (共鸣) with individuals they know and that the mouse on the screen was a stranger for the live mouse. This means that empathy may have nothing to do with the need to scratch.
When the researchers analyzed the brain activity of the mice after viewing the video, they recorded increased level of gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP). In the previous research, GRP is found to be responsible for transferring the itch (痒) feeling between the brain and the skin. However, when researchers blocked the GRP’s function, the mice simply stopped scratching in response to seeing other mice scratching. This means that mice have no control over their scratching when seeing peers scratching. The mouse doesn’t see another mouse scratching and then thinks it might need to scratch. Instead, its brain begins sending out itch signals using GRP as a messenger.
It’s not clear if the exact same pathway exists in humans. But the team believes the study could help throw light on the neural mechanisms (神经机制) behind contagious behaviors in human beings. The next time you scratch in response to someone else doing it, remember it’s really not a choice, nor a psychological response; it’s hardwired into your brain.
1. What have the latest experiments found?| A．Mice only imitate the act of their familiar peers. |
| B．Mice prefer the mice on a computer screen to the live ones. |
| C．Mice feel the need to scratch when seeing another scratching. |
| D．Mice just have to scratch when seeing another scratching. |
| A．The mouse decreased its GRP when seeing other mice scratching. |
| B．GRP is meant to block the itching and scratching feeling. |
| C．Without GRP’s function, the mice wouldn’t copy the scratch. |
| D．GRP exists and functions the same in human brains. |
| A．Changed. | B．Mended. | C．Stopped. | D．Fixed. |
| A．The Contagious Scratch | B．The Clever Imitation |
| C．The Strange Behavior | D．The Common Response |
【推荐3】The African penguin is expected to go extinct in the wild in just over a decade, given its current population decline. The main reason is a lack of food caused by disturbance to ocean conditions from global heating and competition from the commercial fishing industry. According to a study, scientists have identified a possible additional cause, one that is an entirely new threat and that further prevents the penguins from finding food: noise pollution from marine (海洋的) ships in a bay.
Since 2016, a new shipping practice has started at Algoa Bay. The bay offers ship-to-ship refueling (加油) for ships anchored onshore. Since the start of this practice, marine traffic in the bay has doubled. The number of bulk carriers (散装货船) pulling into the bay has increased tenfold. Thus, the noise levels in the area had doubled and the population of penguins has dropped sharply. High noise levels affect the ability of marine animals to find food, communicate or navigate properly.
Researchers used data from ship identification tools to estimate underwater noise from passing ships. They also attached underwater microphones and accelerometers (加速计) to some of the penguins. Recording the noise will tell researchers what the penguins are hearing, if they’re talking while hunting, if they’re changing their movements in response to noise, and if the noise is drowning out their hunting conversations. This will allow researchers to determine whether the sound disturbance is a direct cause of the penguins’ ongoing difficulties in finding sufficient food.
The study is the first to explore the effects of ocean traffic noise pollution on seabirds and the consequences of offshore shipping activities on underwater noise levels. Experts are considering proposing various global best-practice approaches to reduce some of the impacts of noise pollution, such as policies that limit the number and size of ships allowed into a bay of this kind. “We also need more scientific monitoring of noise, before these measures are put in place and afterward, so that we have a proper understanding of what works,” a researcher said.
1. What is the cause of the high-level noise at Algoa Bay?| A．The busy ship-to-ship refueling activities. |
| B．The frequent large-scale fishing practices. |
| C．The increasing number of offshore power plants. |
| D．The construction of natural reserves for marine animals. |
| A．To study the way of relieving marine traffic pressure. |
| B．To determine and analyze the source of ocean noise pollution. |
| C．To calculate underwater noise levels caused by different ships. |
| D．To explore the impact of ocean noise on penguins’ hunting behavior. |
| A．Collecting a transport taxon passing ships. |
| B．Banning unapproved offshore shipping activities. |
| C．Restricting the number and size of ships in the bay. |
| D．Establishing a long-term monitoring system for underwater noise. |
| A．Global warming makes it harder for animals to find food. |
| B．High-level noise poses a threat to both humans and animals. |
| C．Noise from marine ships causes African penguins to go extinct. |
| D．Shipping activities reduce the species of sea animals in Algoa Bay. |
【推荐1】The idea of low material desire, low consumption and refusing to work, marry and have children, concluded as a “lying down” lifestyle, recently struck a chord with many young Chinese who are eager to take pause to breathe in this fast-paced and highly-competitive society.
Many millennials and generation Zs complained to the Global Times that burdens, including work stress, family disputes and financial strains, have pushed them “against the wall”. They said they hate the “involution”, joking that they would rather give up some of what they have than get trapped in an endless competition against peers.
“Instead of always following the ‘virtues’ of struggle, endure and sacrifice to bear the stresses, they prefer a temporary lying down as catharsis and adjustment,” said a scholar. “It is no wonder that some young people, under the growing pressures from child-raising to paying the mortgage today, would try to live in a simple way and leave the worries behind.”
Interestingly the majority of millennials and Gen Zs reached by the Global Times, who claim to be big fans of the lying down philosophy, acknowledged that they only accept a temporary lying down as a short rest. It is true that with the great improvement of living conditions, some Chinese youth have partially lost the spirit of hardship and are not willing to bear too much hard work. But in fact, lying down is not entirely comfortable. Young people who lie down always feel guilty about their constant loss of morale far beyond their reach.
“Young people on campus have both aspirations and confusion about their future, but most of us have rejected setting ourselves up in chains to waste opportunities and challenges,” a postgraduate student told the Global Times. “It’s no use running away. I have to ‘stand up’ and face the reality sooner or later.”
1. Which of the following can be described as a “lying down” lifestyle?| A．Following the ‘virtues’ of struggle, endure and sacrifice. |
| B．Living in a simple way and leaving the worries behind. |
| C．Bearing lots of hard work to improve one’s living conditions. |
| D．Standing up and facing the reality consistently. |
| A．Improvements in living conditions. | B．Growing pressure from family and social life. |
| C．Increasing material possessions from families. | D．Temporary adjustment to failure in competitions. |
| A．Understanding. | B．Intolerant. | C．Supportive. | D．Unclear. |
| A．They would rather escape than take challenges. | B．They really enjoy the “lying down” lifestyle. |
| C．They find their dreams far beyond their reach. | D．They never really drop their responsibilities. |
【推荐2】There is no known date for when the ancient Greeks or Romans first shared their stories about gods, monsters and heroes. But for the modern myth known as Star Wars, that date is May 25,1977, when the original movie opened in theaters and kicked off a global phenomenon that spanned films, TV shows, novels, comic books, toys, lunchboxes, bed sheets and more. Even today, Star Wars remains an enduring touchstone (检验标准) of pop culture. Critically praised or not, the movies continue to be a big hit.
And just as we know when the mythology began, we also know who invented it: writer-director George Lucas. His inspiration, he told TIME in 1977, was “all the books and films and comics that I liked when I was a child… My main reason for making it was to give young people an honest, wholesome fantasy life, the kind my generation had.”
No one could predict just how much Lucas’ creation would catch on — not even Lucas himself or the film’s star Mark Hamill, who played young hero Luke Skywalker. “I had no idea it would be as successful as it was,” Hamill said in 2017, marking the original film’s 40th anniversary. “I just thought I would be a fan of this even if I weren’t involved.”
Before Lucas created Star Wars, he had an even more ambitious goal — to blow up the ways of Old Hollywood. And he did. Star Wars introduced a new era of moviemaking, one that saw the development of amazing special effects and the tools to achieve them. After this legend, filmmakers felt free to bring their wildest ideas to life in totally realistic ways that left audiences thrilled.
Why did Star Wars become such a powerful force? Hamill credits its ability to satisfy the human need for escapism. “People value the idea of going away to some happy place,” he said, “whether it’s Oz or Narnia or Middle Earth or Hogwarts. I think it appeals to children of all ages. It doesn’t matter if you’re 6 or 60. It appeals to the optimistic young idealism that I think every person has, however buried it might be.”
1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?| A．People should keep digging into the history of ancient myths. |
| B．More products associated with Star Wars have been created. |
| C．Some people’s criticism of Star Wars made it less popular than before. |
| D．Star Wars is more successful in the business field than in the entertainment field. |
| A．To break the old rules and traditions of making films. |
| B．To appeal to the optimistic young men to pursue their dreams. |
| C．To encourage other filmmakers to bring their wild ideas to life. |
| D．To offer young people an as good and healthy fantasy life as he had. |
| A．it meets people’s pursuit for a place to escape |
| B．it symbolizes the beginning of the modern myth |
| C．the special effects offer amazing viewing experience |
| D．the main actors in this film are very popular among the public |
| A．inspire people to be optimistic and ideal |
| B．introduce the basic information about Star Wars |
| C．recommend the talented writer-director George Lucas |
| D．criticize the fact that Star Wars is not as well made as before |
【推荐3】“I’m not a reader.” It’s a common reply that Julia Torres, a teacher-librarian in Denver Public Schools, has heard throughout her 16-year career. She’s seen students tear up books, throw them away or check them out only to immediately return them all because they didn’t have confidence in their ability to read.
As a librarian, Torres feels strongly that libraries should be spaces of liberation, places where students can develop a love of reading at any stage. Reading is a skill that everyone can grow to love, but too many negative experiences during a child’s literacy (读写能力) education can result in boredom, lack of interest or even anger. When a student has a poor experience like being shamed for their reading choices, they can begin to associate reading with painful feelings of insecurity, shame and stress.
To prevent reading disorder (阅读障碍) practices, as Torres notes, librarians first can build an inclusive library where classified collections can make it easier for students to navigate and also help identify gaps in the collections. Reevaluating librarians’ role and priorities is necessary, which allows students to take control of the library and have a say in what’s purchased for the collection, directly arousing students’ reading interest. Instead of hosting traditional book fairs where students have to pay for books, it is better to open up a True Book Fair, where students are invited to choose books intentionally to their interests without any costs. Librarians are recommended to read what students are reading. Saying graphic novels count as real reading is only lip-service (空口的应酬话) if you’re not reading those graphic novels yourself. Another two important approaches to preventing reading disorder are to take a look at the library policies and redefine what counts as reading. It is necessary to get rid of fines, check-out limits, security gates, and punishment policies. Plus, students are encouraged to listen to audiobooks or read picture books. Find a way to teach important skills like comprehension or critical thinking with the texts that excite and interest students.
1. What does the underlined sentence imply?| A．Books are not to the taste of students. |
| B．Some students are not interested in reading. |
| C．Students don’t borrow books from the library. |
| D．Students haven’t tried to read for entertainment. |
| A．Voicing their own choices. | B．Getting rid of library rules. |
| C．Librarians’ recommendation. | D．Reducing charges caused by reading. |
| A．How negative reading experiences affect students. |
| B．Why to reduce reading disorder as student librarians. |
| C．How to lessen reading disorder as student librarians. |
| D．What leads to students’ difficulty in reading. |
| A．Offering suggestions to the librarians. |
| B．Doing a research on reading disorder. |
| C．Analyzing why reading disorder forms. |
| D．Arousing attention in reading disorder prevention. |
