You’re walking down a quiet street and suddenly you hear some footsteps. Undoubtedly, it means that there’s someone around. But have you ever wonder why it occurs to us that it’s someone else’s footsteps, not ours?
According to a new study published in the journal Nature in September, this phenomenon arises from a function in our brain to ignore the noise we make ourselves.
In order to explore how our brain does this, a group of scientists carried out an experiment with mice at Duke University. The research entered on an intuition(直觉)—that we are usually unaware of the sound of our own footsteps—as a vehicle for understanding larger neural(神经系统的) phenomena; how this behavior reveals the ability to monitor, recognize, and remember the sound of one’s own movements in relation to those of their larger environments.
In the experiment, research controlled the sounds of a group of mice could hear, reported Science Daily. During the first several days, the mice would hear the same sound each time they took a step. This was just like “running on a tiny piano with each key playing exactly the same note”, senior study author Richard Mooney, a professor of neurobiology at Duke University, told Live Science.
Scientists found that their auditory cortex (听觉皮层) – the area of the brain that processes sound – became active at first but decreased its response to the sound after two or three minutes when the mice became familiar with it.
“ It’s almost like they were wearing special headphones that could filter(过滤) out the sound of their own movements.” David Schneider, an assistant professor at the Center for Neutral Science at New York University, told HuffPost.
But once the sound changed, their auditory cortex became active again. This suggests that the “sensory filter” in a mouse’s brain could help it detect new sounds or abnormal noise in the environment easily after tuning out familiar sounds.
“For mice, this is really important,” said Schneider. “They are prey animals, so they really need to be able to listen for a cat creeping up on them, even when they’re walking and making noise.
Being able to ignore the sounds of one’s own movements is likely important for humans as well. But the ability to predict the sounds of our own actions is also important for more complex human behaviors such as speaking or playing an instrument.
“When we learn to speak or to play music, we predict what sounds we are going to hear – such as when we prepare to strike keys on a piano – and we compare this to what we actually hear, ”explains Schneider. “We use mismatches between expectation and experience to change how we play – and we get better over time because our brain is trying to minimize these errors.”
1. What can be discovered about mice in the experiment?| A．Their brain responds inactively to the familiar sounds |
| B．They are able to detect sounds other animals don’t notice. |
| C．They cannot identify different sounds except their own footsteps. |
| D．Different areas of their brain are responsible for different sounds. |
| A．Getting used to abnormal or unfamiliar sounds. |
| B．Ignoring the sounds made by our companions. |
| C．Identifying the sounds from a larger environment. |
| D．Being sensitive to the sounds of our own movement. |
| A．He has the ability to match the wrong note with the instrument player. |
| B．He has an intuition that he should ignore the sound of his own movement. |
| C．He has a low expectation and knows where players are likely to make errors. |
| D．He has a good prediction of how each note should be played in the orchestra. |
| A．Noise-filtering ability ensures us a quiet and undisturbed environment. |
| B．The ability to ignore familiar noises helps to detect potential dangers. |
| C．The activeness of auditory cortex determines our activity performance. |
| D．Sound-predicting ability seems not so important for humans as for animals. |
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【推荐1】Scientists have an unlikely new helper while exploring the Earth’s crust (地壳) deep beneath the ocean: Fin whales. New research, published Thursday in Science, finds these Fin whale calls’ sound waves can help create images of the seafloor down to 2. 5 kilometers.
Seafloor imaging, which is important for studying things like earthquake mechanics and carbon storage capacity, usually uses large air guns that send waves of sound downwards. The sound waves go through the crust and bounce back to instruments on the seafloor, carrying information about the structures they travel through. But such surveys are expensive, and the guns’ explosive noise may interrupt sea creatures that use sound to communicate.
Vaclav Kuna, the study co-author, was studying earthquakes when he noticed strange readings on the seafloor seismic (地震的) instruments, which turned out to match the frequencies of fin whale calls. Whale songs often appear in such instruments’ records, says Emily Roland, a marine seismologist at the University of Washington. Seismologists usually see these signals as annoyance. Kuna, however, noticed that the signals were not coming directly from the whales, but were echoes bouncing back from within the crust.
This technique does have limitations, Kuna says. Fin whale songs are limited in frequency, meaning the subsurface images are not as clear as those made with air guns. Additionally, a relatively flat seafloor is needed to triangulate (作三角测量) the whales’ positions while multiple stations would be needed in uneven or mountainous regions, he says.
Nevertheless, these whales are found almost everywhere except the ice-covered areas of the Arctic. The whale calls’ wide existence means they could provide new insight into old seismic datasets, Roland says. “At least the whale songs can serve as an additional source of signals. They are free and they are always there,” Kuna says. “It’s a win-win.”
1. What do we know about seafloor imaging in Paragraph 2?| A．It may affect some sea animals. | B．It can help predict earthquakes. |
| C．It is not completely accurate. | D．It is environmentally-friendly. |
| A．They can help scientists to locate their habitats. |
| B．They are easy to record and measure in the ocean. |
| C．They are likely to be used for seafloor imaging. |
| D．They have different frequencies among fin whales. |
| A．Exchanging messages between whales. |
| B．Working as an extra source of signals. |
| C．Providing useful insights into whales. |
| D．Exploring the ice-covered areas of the Arctic. |
| A．Fin Whale Calls Reveal Structure beneath Ocean Floor |
| B．Fin Whales Communicate by Singing Special Songs |
| C．Fin Whale Protection Is a Win-win Move for All |
| D．Seafloor Imaging Helps to Locate More Resources |
【推荐2】Stress is common in modern society. When you decide to do something about your stress levels it doesn’t necessarily mean you have to turn your whole life upside down — quit your job, file for divorce, move to another country. Among all the stress management strategies out there we are forgetting one essential treatment — taking time for rest.
For a long time, psychology was based on a clear division between body and mind. Psychologists focused almost only on what went on between our ears. The body was the responsibility of medical doctors and gym instructors. Recently, however, there has been a growing realization within psychology circles that the body and mind are closely connected with each other, far more than anyone ever imagined. You suffer more from stress when you are feeling run down or are suffering from a flu. If you have a bad night’s sleep, everything is more stressful the next day.
While you are more likely to suffer from stress when you are feeling poorly, you can alleviate it by looking after your body. Rest is actually good for both body and mind. We all need at least a little time to think, to reflect on life and even just to be bored. Your free time is meant for relaxation and recovery, and that is impossible when you have too much to do.
We need to relearn the art of rest, especially in these busy times. Getting enough rest is not just something we should do when we are exhausted. It is only when we take a good rest that we will be able to take a stand against stress. I like to imagine that in a few years from now it will be entirely acceptable to say, “Given how hard I worked last week on our project, this week I am going to take a day off.”
1. Which statement will the author probably agree with?| A．Only modern people feel stressed. |
| B．Psychologists don’t have to focus on the body. |
| C．Quitting your job is the best way to reduce stress. |
| D．Body and mind are strongly interacted with each other. |
| A．Develop. | B．Increase. | C．Relieve. | D．Maintain. |
| A．Rest contributes to mental relief. | B．Rest will surely make people bored. |
| C．The idea of rest is well accepted now. | D．Rest is needed only when people are tired. |
| A．Physical Health Affects the Mind | B．Rest is the Secret to Stress Relief |
| C．Brain Processes Psychological Pain | D．Good Life Starts with Stress Management |
【推荐3】I remember when I got my first well-paid job right out of college, I still had low self-esteem (自尊) and self-doubt.
People who find true success don’t achieve it by accident. They are very intentional and do the hard work to figure out what matters to them most.
The ones who achieve true success know that life isn’t about making life easier, it’s about making yourself stronger. And the only way to get yourself stronger is to stop sitting on the sidelines letting life go by and give everything your best shot.
Keep their minds out of survival mode (模式).
There’s a special part in your brain.
| A．I still felt like a failure. |
| B．There is no easy path to success. |
| C．Take full ownership of their own story. |
| D．Live a life someone else tells you to live. |
| E．What it does is that it looks out for your survival. |
| F．The answer lies in finding time to give yourself a safe space. |
| G．The part of me that I know deep down can make an impact on the world. |
【推荐1】What time is it on the moon?
Since the dawn of the space age, the answer has been: It depends. For decades, lunar missions have operated on the time of the country that launched them. But with several lunar explorations heading for the launchpad (发射台), the European Space Agency (ESA) has believed the current system unsustainable and is considering giving the moon its very own time zone.
The main objective of establishing a universal timekeeping system for the moon is to streamline contact among the various countries and entities, public and private, which are coordinating trip s to and around the moon.
The M1 lunar lander built by the Japanese company Ispace is set to arrive on the moon in April. Last year, China completed construction of its own space station and previously suggested that Chinese astronauts would be on the moon by 2030. These missions will not only be on or around the moon at the same time, but they will often be interacting as well. For all those interactions to happen smoothly, the missions will need to operate on a standardized time.
At the same time, the international team looking at establishing a lunar time zone is debating whether a single organization should set and keep time on the moon. Clocks run faster on the moon than on Earth, gaining about 56 microseconds each day. The exact difference depends on the position of the clock and whether it is in orbit or on the lunar surface.
Anyhow, efforts are being made to develop a base and support human habitation on the moon. The goal of setting a universal timekeeping system is to improve cooperation across all space agencies. The effort is part of a larger project to create a complete communication and navigation system for the moon. The international space agencies will need to be prepared to settle on a time zone before the proper time zone can be identified, and a thorough research study is required for this.
1. Why is the ESA considering giving the moon its own time zone?| A．The present time system is regarded as ineffective. |
| B．The time on the moon is changing with the space age. |
| C．The M1 lunar lander is set to arrive on the moon in April. |
| D．Lunar missions have operated on the moon’s own time zone. |
| A．By quoting experts. | B．By giving examples. |
| C．By listing statistics. | D．By making comparisons. |
| A．The plan. | B．The cause. | C．The future. | D．The challenges. |
| A．Indifferent. | B．Doubtful. | C．Objective. | D．Critical. |
【推荐2】The morning after a storm, you wake up, open the window, and find a dead bird lying outside. On closer inspection, the bird is still breathing and moving slightly. Unless you have experience, you likely won’t be able to cure an injured bird. But that doesn’t mean you can’t rescue (援救) it.
For a smaller bird, all you need to do is grasp it gently around the body, put it in a soft paper bag, and place it where it won’t get stepped on or attacked by a pet. Don t use a box because if the bird tries to flap (拍打) its wings against the hard sides, it might hurt itself. Then give it some time to recover in the dark, where it’s not too stressed out about what’s happening around it. Every species has a different diet, so don’t try to feed it seeds or worse, bread.
If you start to hear some movement in the bag, that means the bird is in shock and is now ready to go. Take it to a tree-filled area, away from traffic if possible, and tip the bag over on the ground to let the animal fly out. If it doesn’t exit willingly or has trouble using its wings, it might have a more serious injury. In that case, look for a wildlife rehabilitator in the area or contact your local animal control agency.
For a larger bird like a hawk or woodpecker that might try to sink a beak or talon (喙或爪子) into your skin, call in an expert right away. If they can’t get to you quickly, calm the bird down by dropping a towel over its head: It should stop struggling once its sight is covered. You can then hold it by the body (again, avoid picking it up by the wings or legs) and move it into a box or pet carrier. Pile the towel up against the sides to keep the bird from flapping itself against cardboard or plastic.
1. What should you do when finding an injured small bird?| A．Feed it with some bread. | B．Move it into a soft bag. |
| C．Leave it alone in the woods. | D．Put it into a wooden box. |
| A．Seller. | B．Trainer. | C．Rescuer. | D．Keeper. |
| A．Fastening its wings with a rope. | B．Keeping it out of all the buildings. |
| C．Being careful not to let it fly away. | D．Trying to avoid getting it hurt by itself. |
| A．How to help injured birds. | B．How birds end up on the ground. |
| C．Why some birds get injured. | D．Where to keep injured birds. |
【推荐3】Switching on the lights at night is second nature to most people in the developed world. But electricity isn’t a given in many other parts of the globe.
“A billion people on our planet still lack reliable access to electricity. For them, one of the central applications of electricity is lighting,” says Aaswath Raman, U.C.L.A. materials scientist.
Solar cells can provide remote areas with electricity during the day but require batteries to store that energy for use at night. Raman steam has developed a potential solution: a simple thermoelectric device that produces power when it s exposed to the cold night sky.
All objects, Raman explains, radiate heat. “So a surface that’s looking up at the night sky will, all by itself, send out more heat than the sky sends back to it. It escapes to the upper atmosphere and even out to outer space. And it’s something that anyone can observe at night. So if you go and measure the roof temperature on your house in the early morning hours, say, you should read a temperature that is much lower than the immediate surrounding air temperature.”
Raman reasoned that this temperature difference could be employed to produce electricity. His team built their device using an aluminum disk that acts as a radiative cooler. Its cool side faces the night sky, while its other side is warmed by the air around it. As heat escapes upwards, a thermoelectric generator transforms the temperature difference into electricity that powers a small LED light.
For now, the energy output of the device is just a tiny part of what a solar-cell can produce. Raman sees the device as a complement to solar, providing inexpensive, 24-hour power generation for remote areas of the world- without the need for batteries.
In addition to lighting, Raman says the device could be useful for specialized applications, such as powering wireless sensors and monitoring atmospheric conditions.
1. What makes Raman’s device possible?| A．The energy stored in batteries. | B．The characteristics of aluminum disk. |
| C．The low temperature at night. | D．Objects’ heat loss to the night sky. |
| A．Solution. | B．Replacement. | C．Addition. | D．Application. |
| A．Practical and economical. | B．Complex but powerful. |
| C．Tiny and labor-saving | D．Convenient but costly. |
| A．To blame people for wasting electricity. | B．To introduce a new invention to readers. |
| C．To show the consequences of lacking electricity. | D．To seek financial support for poor countries. |
【推荐1】Studying English for an hour once a week isn’t usually enough to make any real progress. The best way to quickly improve your English is to spend at least a few minutes practicing every day. Get yourself concentrated as much as possible every time you study, and challenge yourself to listen to , read ,and even say things in English that you think might be too difficult for you.
The right attitude can make the difference between failure and success. Stop thinking of yourself as someone who is learning English, and start thinking of yourself as someone who speaks English. It’s a small change, but it will make you feel more confident and help you to use the English you already know more effectively.
This also means you need to start thinking in English. If you want to say the word “apple” in English, for example, right now you probably think of the word in your native language first, and then try to think of the correct word in English. Instead, try imaging a picture of an apple, and then just think the English word “apple”. Real fluency happens when you stop mentally translating conversations.
When most students listen to a native English-speaker, they focus on understanding what all the words mean. This is definitely important, but there is a lot more you can learn from listening. Try listening not just to what the words mean, but to how the person says them. Notice which words the person links together in a sentence, or when they say “ya” instead of “you”. Try to remember these details the next time you speak and your English will begin to sound more natural.
1. What can we do if we want to make progress in English learning ?| A．We need to practice English every day. |
| B．We should study English for an hour once a week. |
| C．We must be concentrated as much as possible all the time. |
| D．We should challenge ourselves to speak at a higher level. |
| A．With more words we can speak English fluently |
| B．We have to read enough before speaking |
| C．Confidence comes from the right attitude. |
| D．Imagination is very important in speaking English. |
| A．Sharp observation | B．Rich imagination |
| C．Translating ability | D．Careful reading |
| A．Making Your English Sound Natural | B．Tips on Learning English Well |
| C．Challenging Difficulties in Learning English | D．Be Attentive when Learning English |
【推荐2】A ten-year-old sperm whale(抹香鲸）was found dead on a beach in Scotland.A necropsy(尸检）revealed that nearly 100 kilograms of plastic and other trash had formed clumps(硬块）in its digestive system.The tragedy quickly made headlines.Why would a top predator in the ocean eat gloves,rope,and plastic cups?
Conventional wisdom suggests that marine animals eat plastic because it is there and they don't know any better.It is true that plastic may smell like food to some of them.But that doesn't explain why only certain types of whales-deep-diving toothed whales,such as sperm whales and pilot whales-turn up dead on beaches with stomachs full of plastic.
It's possible,says Savoca,that plastic trash sounds like food to toothed whales.These species
hunt deep in the ocean,sometimes nearly 500 meters below the surface,where it's pitch black(漆黑）。They use echolocation(回声定位）to hunt for food,typically squid(乌贼）。
By contrast,baleen whales(须鲸），including humpbacks and blue whales,have natural filters(过滤器）for their food.Baleen,the brush-like filter-feeding system they have in place of teeth,as well as their narrow throats,keeping them from swallowing anything much larger than the krill(磷虾群）that forms the basis of their diet.That could help explain why baleen whales are not ending up with plastic filled stomachs.
Fifty years ago,there was almost no plastic in the ocean.The lifespan of a large whale can be
twice that long.In the lifetime of a single whale,we went from an ocean with no plastic to hundreds of thousands of tons of it.Plastic comes on top of other factors affecting life in the ocean-climate change,overfishing,shipping traffic,and noise pollution."it's a real shame because their lives are challenging enough even without the additional pressure we put onto them,"says Savoca.
1. What does Paragraph 2 mainly talk about?
| A．That plastic smells like food to toothed whales. |
| B．That marine animals started to eat plastic decades ago. |
| C．That a number of toothed whales are found dead on beaches every year. |
| D．That conventional wisdom about why marine animals eat plastic doesn't apply to all whales. |
| A．They don't feed on krill. |
| B．They live in the dark depths of the ocean. |
| C．They are not born with brush-like filter-feeding systems. |
| D．They don't determine the location of their food with their eyes. |
| A．Whales have a longer lifespan than humans. |
| B．Plastic has a negative effect on climate change. |
| C．Great changes have taken place in the ocean in the past 50 years. |
| D．Plastic pollution has worsened already serious issues affecting marine life. |
| A．Different diets,different fates |
| B．Silent killers in the ocean |
| C．Plastic trash in-the ocean |
| D．Saving whales |
【推荐3】Josh Katz works at the New York Times. His common job is to use information to tell interesting stories. In December 2013, Katz built a quiz on the Times website. It asked people about the words they used to describe things and events. It also asked how they pronounced common words. The quiz then used people’s answers to decide where in the United States they were from.
The quiz got more than 350, 000 results. Katz turned the results into a book. In Speaking American, he studies regional differences in how Americans talk.
“A lot of people’s language shows who they are and where they are from, in a very personal way”, Katz said.
Katz says people are often surprised to learn that the way they talk can show where they grew up. Most Americans don’t realize they use regionalisms --- or words and phrases specific to a particular part of the country. But just about everyone does. Almost every major U.S. city has a few unique terms. For example, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the night before Halloween is known as Mischief Night. Anyone who calls it that is likely to be connected to the city.
Katz himself was surprised by how many common words are regional. “There are a lot of words I use that I just thought were standard words,” he says. “Then I found out some of these words were actually a product of my upbringing.”
For example, he says, “I thought everyone said ‘sneakers’ (运动鞋) and not ‘tennis shoes’.” But it turns out “sneakers” is connected mostly to the Northeast. That’s where Katz is from.
Some scholars think that language in the U.S. is growing more homogeneous (同类的). But Katz disagrees. “These regional differences are here to stay.” he says.
Not only are people still using common regionalisms, but there are new ones appearing all the time, according to Katz. There’s no way to predict how language will change in the future. But Katz sees more changes coming. “The only sure thing about language is that it’s going to keep moving.” he says.
1. What’ s the purpose of the quiz?| A．To test people on common knowledge. |
| B．To find out what words are mostly used. |
| C．To help people learn about their hometown better. |
| D．To see whether people’s language shows their backgrounds. |
| A．They are proud of it. |
| B．They do it unintentionally. |
| C．They find it quite interesting. |
| D．They have no idea why everybody does it. |
| A．Because it’s different from “tennis shoes”. |
| B．Because it’s an example of a standard word. |
| C．Because his hometown is possibly the birthplace of it. |
| D．Because many common words come from a specific area. |
| A．They will finally disappear in the future. |
| B．They have a bad influence on people’s life. |
| C．They will remain a part of people’s everyday life. |
| D．They prevent language from being homogeneous. |
【推荐1】Porridge doesn't have a very tasty name, does it? It doesn't have a very tasty reputation, either. I'm here to try and convince you that porridge isn’t boring and tasteless, that it can be a delicious, convenient and very healthy way to start the day.
If you’ve never eaten it (although you probably have), porridge is a type of food served for breakfast. It is usually a type of grain, like rice or oat (燕麦), mixed with either milk or water, and often heated up. It is often thicker than liquid, but not solid and is very easy to digest, so it's a better option for people who are ill, and it provides long-lasting energy for the day.
Porridge preparation--the amount of ingredients (配料) and cooking time—depends on what you choose to use as your porridge base. If I'm cooking for myself, I put a very big handful of ‘rolled’ oats in a saucepan, add a little bit of water and about 200ml of milk, and let the mixture boil. I stir the porridge constantly, and it takes about five to ten minutes to cook.
Once it's cooked, the fun part is adding the flavors. Porridge alone doesn't have a very strong flavour. Although some people think this makes porridge boring, I think this is what makes porridge exciting! It is like a blank piece of paper—you can add almost anything you want to the porridge base. Greens, nuts and dried fruits are very healthy options to add and can give you energy for the day. But if you don't like these, or you're allergic, then honey and chocolate are also very tasty options. (Just don’t add to much!)
One of the best things about porridge? You can make it almost anywhere in the world. Either oats or rice or both are “staple foods (主食)” for many people across the world. You can usually buy big bags of either, then add local ingredients to make your porridge interesting—whatever is cheap and convenient to find, wherever you are. I am currently in Mexico, and I love to heat my oats up with milk, then mix in peanuts and pumpkin seeds and cacao nibs, and I put a layer of sugar over the top to make my porridge sweeter.
Porridge? Hopefully it sounds a lot tastier now!
1. According to the author, what is the best thing about porridge?| A．It provides long-lasting energy for the day. |
| B．It is cheap and convenient to make. |
| C．It's a better option for people. |
| D．It is never boring and tasteless. |
| A．To give brief introduction to various porridge. |
| B．To show how to prepare porridge for the patient. |
| C．To warn us not to have porridge for breakfast. |
| D．To introduce the benefits of porridge. |
| A．Porridge is often thicker, liquid and solid. |
| B．Porridge alone has a very strong flavor. |
| C．Porridge is to many people's liking. |
| D．Porridge is only served for breakfast. |
| A．Porridge with Sugar. | B．Porridge with oats. |
| C．Porridge with fruit. | D．Porridge with milk. |
【推荐2】My daughter Maggie and my husband Mark were united desiring for a dog on Maggie’s 11th birthday. I held different ideas. But why, they argued. “Because I don’t have time to tend a dog.” But we’ll do it. “Really? You’re going to walk her? Feed her? Bathe her?” Yes, yes and yes. “I don’t believe you.” We will. We promise.
They didn’t. From day two, neither of them thought to walk the dog. While I was slow to accept I would be the one to keep track of her shots, take her to the vet （兽医）, feed and clean her, Misty knew this on day one. As she looked up at the three new humans in her life (small, medium, and large), she figured out, “The medium one is the sucker in the pack.”
As the months went on, she and I developed a very comfortable relationship. Even so, part of me continued to complain about walking duty. Mark and Maggie had promised. Not fair.
Then one day about one year later, Mark’s doctor said an unthinkable word： cancer. With that, I spent ten hours a day with Mark in the hospital, doing anything I could to ease his discomfort. During the hospitalizations （住院）, Maggie adjusted to other adults being in the house when she returned from school. However, Misty still needed walking. My friends offered to take her, but I refused. Actually, I realize that I wanted to walk Misty. The walk in the morning was a peaceful time to gather my thoughts and the evening walk was a time to shake off the day’s upsets.
Unfortunately, Mark died with two years in hospital. After years of struggling, the joyous Misty always reminds me no matter how hard life is, there’s always some measure of joy to be gained from the moment.
1. What can we learn about the author from Paragraph1?| A．She was afraid of dogs at home. |
| B．She was crazy about her own work. |
| C．She showed no interest in others’ opinions. |
| D．She liked taking everything into consideration. |
| A．The vet. | B．The author. | C．Maggie. | D．Mark. |
| A．What she was able to do for Mark. |
| B．Who was willing to tend Misty. |
| C．How Maggie would get on with others. |
| D．Who would help her family out. |
| A．How to face a cancer. |
| B．Walking a dog is joyous. |
| C．Time can change one’s attitude to life. |
| D．Never forget enjoyable moments in difficulty |
【推荐3】Interested in learning simple moves which can lead to a less stressed-out you? Join our eight-week course of training Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction. Below is a brief introduction of our four strategies to build the ability to recover from stress.
 For many of us, work can be so mentally exhausting that it’s possible to forget that we have an entire body attached to our head. The body-scan meditation is a chance to help you tune in to the tiny pains that we often don’t even notice. It can last anywhere from one to 20 minutes, and it’s easy to do while lying in bed. Here’s how to do it: lie down or sit still in a chair with your eyes closed, and begin to sense every part of the body in turn, starting at your toes and traveling up from there. It’s a good way for us to release tension we don’t even realize we’re experiencing. |
 Mindfulness isn’t all closed eyes and a statue-still position. Stretching, too, can be meditation. Mindful movement is also a way to pay attention. The point isn’t to twist into a complex body position, but to better understand the body’s limits and potential. Cycle through slow, gentle poses, like placing a knee to your chest while lying on your back, or a simple cat-cow (pictured) on all fours. Before you start, set aside a few minutes to calm down and focus on your breath. And once you’re done, spend a few moments lying flat on your back with your muscles relaxed. |
 Simply breathing while paying attention to the breath is the heart of any mindfulness practice. The goal isn’t to clear the mind but to let thoughts pass like clouds without getting sucked into what they might mean. Rather than identifying with a thought or getting caught up in it, the participant notices the thought and then says goodbye to it. That way, people can have a little bit more freedom in how to respond to internal stimuli like their thoughts. To cultivate awareness of the breath, find a relaxed seat and notice—without thinking about it or trying to change it—how you breathe in and out. Build up to a 15-to-20-minute practice. |
 Walking is a good framework for practicing mindfulness. (Ideally, this should be done without the pressure of having to get anywhere on a particular schedule.) Find a quiet place inside or outdoors to take your stroll. While you walk, focus on each small, slow step: the lifting of one foot, the heel-first transfer of weight, the shift to the other. Every time your foot hits the ground, bring your attention to your breath and the feelings in your body. Walking meditation is more manageable than, say, sitting still in the dark, and it can also alleviate pain in the process. Try to practice mindful walking, at any pace, for 10 to 30 minutes. |
1. Gentle Yoga and Breathing Exercise are similar in that both of them ______.
| A．involve stretching bodies considerably | B．call for controlling people’s breath |
| C．empty pressure from mind temporarily | D．help people reduce body movement |
| A．People can do their walking meditation at their own pace. |
| B．Doing body scan can let go of the unnoticed tension. |
| C．Before doing gentle yoga, people need to lie down and relax muscles. |
| D．Breathing exercise requires people to breathe in a usual way. |
| A．Warming up activity is required before doing these exercises. |
| B．These exercises are better functioned when done indoors. |
| C．The more time you spend on the exercises, the better result you get. |
| D．Your body keeps in a motionless state when doing body scan. |
