Is there a way to quickly recall information just before taking an exam? Walking backward may be a good way to solve the problem. Scientists from the University of Roehampton in the UK said this activity can help people improve their short-term memory.
Researchers asked 114 volunteers to watch a video. After watching the video, volunteers were divided into three groups. One group was told to walk 10 meters forward. The second group walked 10 meters backward. The third group stood in one place. All three groups were then asked 20 questions about what they saw in the video.
The scientists found that the backward-walking group got two more answers correct than the other two groups.
This suggests that the connection between time and space is important for how our brains form memory. "Time is really expressed by space, " Study leader Aleksandar Aksentijevic told the Daily Mail. When you walk backward, you see things from a different point compared to walking forward. This difference helps people recall things that happened in the past.
And walking backward is not just good for our brains. It is also good for the other parts of our body. Compared to walking forward, walking backward is more challenging. This can help us improve our health. Walking backward uses more energy in a short time and burns more calories (卡路里）.
Walking backward also puts less stress on our knees. It could be helpful for people who often have pain in their knees.
This might be why many old people like walking backward.
1. How many people were in each group when the volunteers were divided into groups?| A．10. | B．20. | C．38. | D．57. |
| A．Walking backward can help you deal with nervousness before an exam. |
| B．Walking backward is good for old people's knees. |
| C．Walking backward uses less energy in a short time. |
| D．Walking backward can help people predict the future. |
| A．The three groups got about the same number of questions right. |
| B．Walking backward can look at things from the the same point. |
| C．Walking forward is more challenging than walking backward. |
| D．Practicing walking backward can improve your short-term memory. |
| A．Some ways to quickly recall information. |
| B．Walking backward is good for people. |
| C．The difference between walking backward and forward. |
| D．Time and space are important for forming memories in the brain. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】We all know that exercise is good for us, don’t we?
Choose an activity that not only exercises your body, but that you also enjoy. Some people simply go jogging while listening to their favourite music. Others take up activities such as dancing or playing basketball with their friends. Make the experience more enjoyable as you work out.
It doesn’t matter how much we exercise. Doing regular exercise isn’t just about appearance.
| A．Start small! |
| B．That way, you’ll never give it up! |
| C．It’s about being healthier and feeling happier. |
| D．For a start, exercise is not just about the body. |
| E．But we also know that not everybody loves doing it. |
Today most middle school students pay little attention to sports.
They often say they have other more important things to do.
They usually spend over ten hours a day studying for exams. So many of them almost become bookworms (书呆子).
Because of too much pressure from parents and teachers, they have to work harder.
As for the students themselves,
| A．In the summer holidays they could hardly do anything they like. |
| B．they want to get good results so that they can go further for their studies. |
| C．Is it because they have no interest in sports? |
| D．they often go out to travel around the city. |
| E．education cannot go without physical exercise, |
| F．What are these important things? |
However, as the saying goes, “There are two sides of everything. "Sometimes we may hurt other players or ourselves if we are not careful enough when participating(参加)in sports activities. What’s more, too much or hard practice can be bad for our health.
Sports can make us healthy both physically and psychologically(心理地）.It is also a good way for people to know each other and can improve friendship between people. As long as we are careful enough, sports can do us nothing but good.
1. _______can make us strong.
| A．Taking exercise | B．Singing |
| C．Sleeping | D．Making friends |
| A．good | B．bad |
| C．helpful | D．enough |
| A．help people to know each other |
| B．improve friendship between people |
| C．do us nothing but good if we’re careful |
| D．do all the above |
| A．Basketball and volleyball are both collective sports. |
| B．Sports can help us relax after work or study. |
| C．Sometimes we may hurt other players or ourselves when participating in sports activities. |
| D．Sports can only make us healthy physically. |
| A．Sports and health |
| B．Everybody must do sports |
| C．Sports are nothing to people |
| D．No one likes sports |
【推荐1】Want to say "hello" from Disneyland? Send a postcard! Want to say "hello" from abroad? Send a postcard! Beautiful scenes (风景), wild animals, excellent buildings, silly pictures, wonderful handwriting—you can find them all in one place. Where? On a postcard! Have people always sent postcards? No. Before postcards, people like to send letters in envelopes (信封).
The idea for the first decorated postcard was first patented (取得专利) in 1861. Sending a simple postcard with decorations (装饰) would be a great way to send a note. Then in the early days, postcards with pictures appeared (出现). By law, people had to write their note on the front— on the picture! The back was only for the address. Several years later, England allowed a divided—back postcard. Then people could write their note on the back left side and put the address on the right. During the early 1900s, the golden age of postcards, picture postcards became a craze of the world. Many people love these postcards. For example, in 1908 Americans
alone mailed over 677 million postcards. Today, postcards are the third most popular collection (收藏品) in the world after stamps and coins.
1. When was the idea for the first decorated postcard first patented?
| A．In 1861 | B．In 1908 | C．During the early 1900s |
| A．Under the picture. | B．Beside the picture. | C．On the picture. |
| A．唾弃 | B．热潮 | C．象征 |
| A．Stamps and coins | B．Postcards and coins | C．Stamps and postcards. |
| A．Letters. | B．Postcards. | C．Collections. |
Take a train ride in Japan and you may meet Tama, a cute, friendly stationmaster, who just happens to be a cat! This ll-year-old cat works in exchange for cat food at Wakayama Electric Railway’s Kishi station. She has her own office, and there’s even a Tama train ! When Tama was “hired (雇用)” in 2007, the station was losing money, but today, thanks to Tama, it’s a popular tourist attraction.
In the 1950s, US Navy (海军) officials got a great idea. Why not train dolphins to do some special work humans can’t do? Today, dolphins are trained to find underwater mines (水雷) so that the Navy officials can make the mines disabled before they explode (爆炸). Dolphins are well fit for the job for many reasons, but the best of all, they’re too small to set off the mines so they’re never in danger.
Most squirrels are happy to collect nuts, and run after each other up and down trees. Not Twiggy! She prefers water skiing. Twiggy comes from a team of water-skiing squirrels, whose owner trained them to ski behind a toy boat. Today, Twiggy travels around the United States putting on shows and even appearing on TV. It’s all in a day’s work for this squirrel!
1. How long has Tama been the stationmaster?
| A．For 5 years. | B．For 8 years. |
| C．For 10 years. | D．For 11 years. |
| A．They are quite good at swimming in the sea. |
| B．They are so smart that they're never in danger. |
| C．They are small enough not to set off the mines. |
| D．They can understand the officials’ orders easily. |
| A．Collecting nuts. |
| B．Running after others. |
| C．Performing water skiing. |
| D．Traveling around the world. |
| A．They all can make money. |
| B．They are all from America. |
| C．They all can do special work. |
| D．They are all popular around the world. |
【推荐3】Shaking hands seems like a gesture(手势) that has been used forever. A throne from the ancient Assyria Shalmaneser I in the 9th century BC clearly shows two persons shaking hands. The Homeric epic(荷马史诗) Iliad, dated back to the 8th century BC, also mentions that two persons “shook each other’s hands”. Centuries later, Shakespeare wrote in As You Like It that two persons “shook hands”. It might seem like shaking hands is an old custom, the roots(根) of which are lost to the sands of time.
Historians have noticed that shaking hands in the modern time doesn’t appear until the mid-19th century, when it was considered a little improper gesture that should only be used between friends.
The modern handshake as a form of greeting is harder to find. One of the earliest evidences(证据) is a 16th-century German translation of a French book which mentions shaking hands. There’s another evidence for a handshaking tradition at that time: In 1607, the writer James Cleland said that he’d rather shake the two right hands together instead of bowing(弯曲) down to everyone’s shoes and kissing hands.
As the centuries passed, handshaking was replaced(替代) by another greeting way like bowing. According to Roodenburg, handshaking survived in remote areas, where they’d use the gesture to reconcile after a fight. Then, the handshake appeared again as a standard greeting way that remains today.
Not everyone fell in love with the handshake, however. According to an article from December 1884, in France, for example, a society has been recently formed to stop using shake-hands.
Why was shaking hands considered as a good way of greeting? The most popular explanation is that it uses the right hand, making it useless for weapon(武器) holding. In the 19th century, shaking hands without taking gloves away was quite rude and required to say sorry immediately.
Sadly, in a world where unknown translations provide only some evidence, the true reason may remain forever unknown.
1. What can we know from paragraph 1?| A．Nothing can show the history of shaking hands. |
| B．The sands have taken away the way of greeting. |
| C．The lost time can’t be found any more. |
| D．The true reason for shaking hands is hard to find. |
| A．work together with somebody else | B．organize something peaceful |
| C．be friends with each other again | D．live a happy life with others |
| A．Handshaking was a popular way of greeting as early as the 19th century. |
| B．Not all people like the way of greeting each other by shaking hands. |
| C．People shake hands with right hands because they don’t need to take off gloves. |
| D．There are lots of facts showing the true reason for shaking hands. |
| A．Evidence of handshake becoming a way of greeting |
| B．Some greeting manners around the world |
| C．The history of handshake as a way of greeting |
| D．A story of handshake as a way of greeting |
“Girls like dolls,” she thought as she was walking into it. Looking around, she saw a grandma doll - one with gray hair and a pair of glasses. In her mind appeared Joyce, her mother.
When Amy was a little girl, she got her first doll from Joyce for her birthday. Then the second, the third...A doll a year from Joyce never arrived late. “Why always a doll?” This question had been in Amy's mind until one day her father gave the answer, Little Joyce dreamed to have a doll. Her parents promised one for her fifth birthday. Sadly, they both died in a traffic accident before it arrived. The never-received gift was the most precious in her eyes. Her mother's story being recalled(回忆) , Amy got an idea.
It was Joyce's 60th birthday. A package was delivered(递送) to her, with a card that read:
Dear Joyce,
I forget to send you the package(包裹) that you should have received on May 20, 1956, your fifth birthday. The gift inside has aged, but I felt that you might still wish to have it.
Angel of Joy
Joyce opened the package and saw a lovely grandma doll. She held the doll that she had waited for so many years, with tears running down her face. The doll, given by “Angel of Joy”, made her the happiest “child” in the world.
1. We can tell from the story that Joyce is _____
| A．Amy’s daughter | B．Amy’s mother |
| C．the grandma doll | D．Angel of Joy |
| A．Because Amy liked dolls. |
| B．Because Amy’s mother Joyce liked dolls. |
| C．Because the dolls made Joyce think of the never-received gift given by her parents. |
| D．Because Joyce’s parents liked dolls. |
| A．expensive | B．beautiful |
| C．useful | D．valuable |
| A．Amy’s doll gift made Joyce feel so happy that she smiled like a child |
| B．Though Joyce was old, she still wished to have a doll that is often liked by a child |
| C．Joyce seemed to realize the dream in her childhood----receiving her parents’ gift. |
| D．Joyce thought the doll was only suitable for children. |
I know that you’ve both had a lot of fun these two years. You have been to many picnics and had all kinds of junk food your mother and I probably shouldn’t have let you eat. But I also know that it hasn’t always been easy for you and Mom. So now I want to tell you a little more about why I decided to take our family on this journey.
When I was a young man, I thought life was all about me—about how I'd make my way in the world, become successful, and get the things I want. But then the two of you came into my world with those smiles and suddenly, all my big plans didn’t seem so important any more. I soon found that the greatest happiness in my life was that you were so happy. And I realized that my own life wouldn't mean much if I couldn’t make you two happy. In the end, girls, I ran for(竞选)President: Because of what I want for you and for every child in the US.
I want all our children to go to school so that they can learn and grow. I want them to have the chance to go to college—even though their parents don’t have enough money. And I want them to get good jobs.
I want us to see new technologies and inventions that improve our lives and make our earth cleaner and safer. And I want us to see no difference of differentcolorsand areas because we are all equal.
I hope both of you will start to give others the chances you’ve had. You know, this country has given our family so much, so you have to, and really should, give something back. When you are doing something larger than yourself, you will realize how helpful you are.
These are the things I want for you—to grow up in a world in which you can make your dreams come true. And I want every child to have the same chances to learn and dream and grow and get what you girls have. That's why I've taken our family on this great adventure.
I am so proud of you. I love you more than you can ever know. And I am thankful every day because you behave so well when we get ready to start our new life together in the White House.
Love，
Dad
1. From the letter we can see that the father is President of _______.
| A．the USA | B．the UK | C．Australia | D．Canada |
| A．he could be President |
| B．he was very successful |
| C．his two children were so happy |
| D．he could get all the things he wanted |
| A．people | B．lifestyles | C．inventions | D．cities |
| A．The children don't behave well enough. |
| B．The children know their father's love well. |
| C．The children are very proud of their father. |
| D．The family will live in the White House soon. |
| A．How to be a president |
| B．What I want for you |
| C．A journey to the White House |
| D．We love you, Dad! |
I’ve been playing in rock bands since I was about 14 years old. It’s my favorite hobby in the world and I don, t think I’ll ever give it up. When I moved to China, I wasn’t sure what it would be like to play in a band here. Would it be hard to find people to play with? Or places to play at? As it turns out, Beijing is a great place to play music.
One of the main differences is that the music scene here is much smaller than those in most big Western cities. This might seem like a disadvantage, but I actually kind of (有点) like it. It means that most of the people involved, whether they are promoters (宣传人员) or musicians or Just music fans, know each other well. It’s like having a big family. I’ve met some amazing friends by playing music here.
Another big difference is that every practice studio and live-house in Beijing has the basic equipment (设备) for playing music. When I played drums in the US, I had to bring my whole drum kit everywhere we played. But here, I just bring my drumsticks and cymbals (钹). This makes it way more convenient to practice, record and play music.
And I’ve definitely had some unique experiences since I’ve been playing here. For one concert, we played on an outdoor stage next to a farm in the suburbs of Baoding in Hebei province. For another show, we played at a tiny bar inside of a huge shopping mall. These kinds of experiences are rare in the US. It’s definitely been a lot of fun to play music here.
1. In the first paragraph the writer wasn’t sure ________?| A．whether he would miss his friends |
| B．whether he would bring his whole drum kit |
| C．whether he could continue playing music |
| D．whether he could start a new hobby |
| A．the music scene in Beijing is the same size as Western cities |
| B．people in the music scene come from a big family |
| C．the writer gets on well with people in Western cities |
| D．the writer makes some new friends by playing music |
| A．独特的 | B．危险的 | C．艰难的 | D．可怕的 |
| A．The writer has played rock music for 14 years. |
| B．Rock bands in Beijing are not very popular. |
| C．The writer enjoys playing music in China. |
| D．The writer once played on an outdoor stage on a farm. |
“I do not know.” the old man thought. He had been on the point of feeling himself go each time. “I do not know. But I will try once more.”
He tried it once more and he left himself going when he turned the fish. The fish righted himself and swam off again slowly.
“I will try it again,” the old man promised himself, although he had little strength（力气）now and could not see things clearly.
He tried it again and it was the same. So he thought, and he fell himself going before he started, “I will try it once again.”
He took all his pain and what was left of his strength and his gone pride and he put it against the fish’s pain and the fish came over onto his side and swam gently, his mouth almost touching the boat.
The old man dropped the line and put his foot on it and lifted the harpoon（鱼叉）as high as he could and drove it down with all his strength, and more strength he had just gathered, into the fish’s side behind the great chest fin that rose high in the air to the height of the man’s chest. He felt the iron（铁）go in and he leaned on it and drove it further and then pushed all his weight after it.
Then the fish came alive, with his death in him, and rose high out of the water showing all his great length and width and all his power and his beauty. He seemed to hang in the air above the old man. Then he fell into the water with a crash that sent spray（水花）over the old man and over all of the boat.
From the Old Man and the Sea
By Ernest Hemingway
1. It is ___________ for the old man to fight the fish.| A．easy | B．safe | C．exciting | D．tiring |
| A．silly and funny | B．active and helpful |
| C．humorous and powerful | D．brave and strong-willed |
| A．where the old man fought the fish | B．why the old man fought the fish |
| C．how the old man fought the fish | D．when the old man fought the fish |
| A．the old man gave up fighting the fish | B．the fish died as soon as the iron went in |
| C．the old man was driven into the water | D．the fish fell into the water after getting hurt |
Larger cities did worse while in general people in smaller places returned secretly planted wallets, results from the experiment showed.
Readers Digest secretly scattered 140 wallets all over Asia, each with a name, address and phone number, family pictures, notes and money in it.
The magazine workers then watched to see what happened.
South Koreans in Seoul returned six out of the ten dropped wallets, while those in Inchon returned eight. 50 percent of the dropped wallets were returned in Bombay, Bangkok, Taipei and Kajang in Malaysia, with most people saying they would not keep what was not rightfully theirs.
Honesty had little relation to wealth or status(地位),as several well-dressed people in a number of cities were observed to walk away without doing anything to get in touch with the rightful owners.
About 57 percent of the wallets were returned, compared with 28 percent in Europe in a similar experiment and 67 percent in the United States.
1. The newspaper report is mainly about__________.
| A．how the honesty test was carried out |
| B．where the honesty test was carried out |
| C．the results of the honesty test in Asia |
| D．the results of the honesty tests in the world |
| A．Europe | B．Asia | C．the United States | D．Malaysia |
| A．About 60. | B．About 80. | C．About 56. | D．About 42. |
| A．People in Hong Kong. | B．People in the United States. |
| C．People in Inchon. | D．People in Singapore. |
Sometime it seems that no one likes tea as much as the British does. But in fact, tea is liked in countries around the world. In China and Japan tea was first used as a medicine, many years later, people there drank tea as a beverage（饮料）.
People in the world like to drink different kinds of tea — green, black or red as some people call it. It is served in different ways. But they all know that drinking tea is good for one’s health.
1. The main idea of the first paragraph（自然段）is ______.
| A．how many cups of tea the British drink each day |
| B．that the British like talking about tea |
| C．that the British can’t live without drinking tea |
| D．that tea is very important in the life of the British |
| A．the happiest thing for them | B．their thoughts |
| C．their God | D．the worst thing for them |
| A．they enjoy drinking a nice cup of tea |
| B．there is a lot of tea |
| C．they talk much about a nice cup of tea |
| D．there is a talk while drinking tea |
| A．the world | B．British |
| C．many countries | D．China and Japan |
