Does Writing by Hand Make Kids Smarter?
Do you often write by hand or type on a keyboard? Does your school offer any handwriting training?
Maybe you think it’s the age of technology now and digital learning is popular. And typing is easier than handwriting. Digital learning has many positive aspects, but we also need to write by hand.
The result from Van der Meer and her colleagues’ studies has shown that both children and adults learn more and remember better when writing by hand. They used an EEG(脑电图) to track and record brain wave activity. Young adults and children participated in their study. The participants wore a hood(兜帽) with over 250 electrodes(电极) attached. The brain produces electrical impulses(脉冲) when it is active. The sensors(传感器) in the electrodes are very sensitive and pick up the electrical activity that takes place in the brain. The result shows that the brain in both adults and children is much more active when writing by hand than when typing on a keyboard.
“Writing by hand creates much more activity in the sensorimotor(感觉运动的) parts of the brain. A lot of senses are activated by pressing the pen on paper, seeing the letters you write and hearing the sound you make while writing. These sense experiences create contact between different parts of the brain and open the brain up for learning. We both learn better and remember better.” says Van der Meer.
In the debate about handwriting or keyboard use in school, some teachers believe that keyboards create less frustration for children. They point out that children can write longer texts earlier, and are more motivated to write because they experience greater mastery with a keyboard.
“Learning to write by hand is a bit slower process, but it’s important for children to write by hand. The hand movements and the shaping of letters are beneficial in several ways. If you use a keyboard, you use the same movement for each letter. Writing by hand requires control of your fine motor skills and senses. It’s important to put the brain in a learning state as often as possible.” says Van der Meer.
Given the development of the last several years, we risk having one or more generations lose the ability to write by hand. In order for the brain to develop in the best possible way, we need to use it for what it’s best at. If we don’t challenge our brain, it can’t reach its full potential(潜能). And that can have a strong effect on school performance.
We should ensure children receive at least a minimum(最小量) of handwriting training. Now it’s time to use the pen and paper to do some writing.
1. What do you know about Van der Meer and her colleagues’ studies from the passage?| A．The hood the participants wore has no electrodes. |
| B．Writing by hand can make people’s brain much more active. |
| C．The sensors in the electrodes are attached by keyboards. |
| D．They write the information by hand to record the brain wave activity. |
| A．creates different sense experiences to help people learn better |
| B．makes people control their feelings to develop their brain |
| C．gives people chances to contact with digital learning |
| D．keeps the brain of people staying in a state of rest |
| A．careful to write | B．afraid of writing |
| C．responsible for writing | D．interested in writing |
| A．keyboards should not be used | B．challenging our brain is difficult |
| C．handwriting training is necessary | D．writing by hand creates less frustration |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Did you hear something? Maybe the sound was very quiet. Or maybe it was very loud. It was like a siren (汽笛) going by. Sounds are everywhere. And you have two cool parts on your body. They let you hear the sound. They are your ears!
Your ears collect sounds and process (处理) them. Your ears send sound signals (信号) to your brain. But that’s not all. Your ears also help you keep your balance (平衡). So if you bend over to pick up your cat, you won’t fall down.
The ear has three different parts. They are the outer ear, the middle ear, and the inner ear. These parts all work together, so you can hear and process sounds.
1. What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 1 refer to (指的是)?| A．Your cat. | B．The sound. | C．Siren. | D．Your ear. |
| A．Eyes. | B．Ears. | C．Hands. | D．Legs. |
| A．collecting sounds |
| B．processing sounds |
| C．making sounds |
| D．sending sound signals to the brain |
【推荐2】Have you ever tried to hide your emotions （情感）from someone during a conversation?
Scientists from the Ohio State University have found that people are able to tell other people’s emotions according to changes in the color of their faces. Scientists studied pictures of people’s facial expressions.
| A．But this raises a question. |
| B．They found that every facial expression is connected to a certain color. |
| C．It’s not always easy, because the color on your face may tell the truth. |
| D．This is why there are some Chinese saying that connect emotions to the colour of one’s face. |
| E．Then, volunteers were asked to tell what emotions the faces were showing. |
Why do people need to wear goggles? They need to keep their eyes sasfe. Many things can hurt our eyes. Have you ever gotten a piece of sand or dirt or other small particles in your eye? What happens? It hurts. Your eye begins to fill with tears. Those tears are your body’s way of getting the sand or dirt out of your eye. Sometimes this works. Your eye feels much better.
But what happens if your tears don't work? What happens if the piece of sand has gotten stuck in your eye? Eyes are delicate. They can be scratched or cut easier than skin(皮肤). If the particle is not washed out by tears, you might have to go to the doctor. You could even have problems seeing out of that eye.
Instead of waiting to see if tears will help, some people use goggles. This can prevent things from getting in their eyes at all. If they use goggles. their eyes are protected from the things that can cause problems, Goggles are a better way to protect eyes. They are made of plastic or glass, and they are tied around your eye area. Some of them hook behind your ears like glasses. Other goggles have a strap (带子) that goes around your head. Both kinds stay right where you put them until you take them off. That way, you can use both hands to work or play sports, and you don't have to worry about something getting in your eyes.
Your eyes are safe, and you can get busy working or playing!
1. Which of the following is a kind of goggles?
A． | B． | C． | D． |
| A．work better than goggles |
| B．stop things getting into eyes |
| C．help to wash out the sand or dirt |
| D．show ones sadness or happiness |
| A．easily hurt | B．quite important | C．easily protected | D．quite special |
| A．describes different types of goggles |
| B．tells how goggles develop |
| C．introduces the problems of goggles |
| D．encourages people to use goggles |
“ Can I have a carrot, Mom?” Bruce asked.
“I don’t have any carrots,” his mom said. “How about an apple?”
“No,” said Bruce. “It has to be a carrot.”
“Why do you want a carrot?” asked his mom
“You always say carrots help your eyes.” said Bruce. “If I eat one now, it might help me see in the dark.”
Would eating a carrot really help Bruce? What is special about carrots? What makes a carrot special is its color. Carrots are orange because they contain(包含) bta-carotene( 胡萝卜素). Beta-carotene is a way of saying vitamin A. Your eyes need vitamin A. It helps them work.
When light hits your eye, very small parts inside turn the light into messages. The messages go to your brain（大脑）, and then you know what you’re looking at. Your eye can only turn light into messages when it has a special chemical(化学物质). Your eyes use vitamin A to make the special chemical. Every time your eye changes light into messages, a little bit of the chemical is used up. By the end of the day, you’ve looked at hundreds of things. That uses up a lot of the chemical. Your eyes need to make more.
What should you eat if you don’t like carrots? Don’t worry. Other fruits and vegetables have vitamin A, too. The secret is in their color. Most orange or red fruits and vegetables contain beta-carotene, or vitamin A, Sweet vegetable, red peppers（胡椒）, Mangoes(芒果) are a few foods that have the same orange secret.
1. Bruce wanted a carrot because he thought _______.
| A．he liked it |
| B．it could help him see in the dark |
| C．it was sweet and delicious |
| A．The special chemical can stop your eyes from using up vitamin A. |
| B．The special chemical is used to make Vitamin A which turns the light into messages |
| C．Vitamin A is used to make the special chemical which turns light into messages. |
| A．Carrots are orange because they store beta-carotene. |
| B．Any food which is orange or red must have some Vitamin A. |
| C．Most fruits that are orange or red store some beta-carotene or Vitamin A. |
| A．No, they don’t. | B．Yes, they do. | C．I’m not sure. |
| A．we can’t see in the dark unless we eat many carrots every day |
| B．we can’t see unless we eat a lot of orange or red food every day |
| C．we should eat some food containing vitamin A so that we can see well |
【推荐2】In Las Vegas, you can see some people jump up and down under the street lights. You may ask, "What are they doing?" They are charging(为……充电) the street lights. It is a new kind of street light. People walk on the street and they can make the lights work. And the sun can also charge the street lights. Also, there are some USB and WiFi devices(设备) in the street lights. People can charge their mobile phones. People can use WiFi near the street lights, too. There are more than 300,000,000 street lights in the world. It takes about $40,000,000,000 every year to make the lights work. But the new street lights don't use much money. And people all like the kind of lights.
阅读短文，判断正(T)误(F)1. Some people jump up and down under the street lights in Las Vegas.
2. People can't use WiFi near the street lights.
3. Only one way can charge the street lights.
4. There are more than 300,000,000 street lights in the world.
5. The new street lights use more money.
【推荐3】How did the sea horse get its name? It’s not hard to guess. The top half of the fish looks like a small horse.
Sea horses live in warm ocean waters all over the world. There are 32 different kinds of sea horses. Their sizes are quite different from one inch long to about one foot long. Because their fins are small, sea horses swim very slowly. They keep safe from other fish by hiding in plants and grasses. They can also change colours to keep themselves. Sea horses feed on live food, such as tiny shrimps. A sea horse has no teeth, so it eats the shrimp whole.
A sea horse keeps the same mate for its whole life, unlike most kinds of fish. And it’s the male sea horse, not the female, which gives birth to baby sea horses. How does this happen? Baby sea horses start out as eggs, which come from the female’s body. But the female places the eggs in the male sea horse’s pouch (育儿袋). The male carries the eggs for about three weeks until they hatch (孵化).
The number of sea horses is becoming smaller. Why is this happening? Some places where sea horses once lived have been filled in to make new land. Also, many sea horses are caught and kept in aquariums (水箱) where they can’t live long. The best place for a sea horse is the ocean. There it can find a mate and bring new sea horses into the world.
1. Sea horses do the following things except ________ to keep themselves safe from other fish.| A．changing colours | B．changing sizes | C．hiding in plants | D．hiding in grasses |
| A．Because they grow at a very low speed. | B．Because their homes are changed into new land. |
| C．Because they are killed by people for food. | D．Because their food is becoming less and less. |
| A．Father Sea Horses | B．How Sea Horses Grow |
| C．Kinds of Sea Horses | D．All About Sea Horses |
【推荐1】Eating food is enjoyable, but cooking can be challenging. For those who don’t have basic cooking skills, or are too busy working or traveling, one thing can save them-- instant noodles.
This year marks the 61st anniversary of the invention of instant noodles. Ever since they were created by Japanese businessman Momofuku Ando in 1958, instant noodles have been popular around the world. In China, the product has almost become a necessity for those who travel by train.
There are some fun facts about instant noodles: The total length of the noodles in one package is 51 meters. The first instant noodles were considered a luxury product. When they first came to Japanese supermarkets in 1958, they were 6 times the cost of fresh udon noodles. Japanese people even voted instant noodles as one of their best inventions of the 20th century.
For instant noodles, as well as many other “instant” foods, convenience is the key selling point. They are supposed to make our lives easier.
____________________. For example, in wars, soldiers eat compressed biscuits and canned meat because they don’t need to cook these foods. And in the 1960s, frozen dinners of fried chicken, mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables became popular in the US. This is because more women started working and had no time to cook.
In recent years, however, online meal-ordering services have brought challenge to instant foods. Uber Eats is a popular app of this kind in the United States. In China, we have Ele.me，Dianping and Meituan. These services offer not only convenience, but also more choices and tastier food. According to the World Instant Noodle Association, instant noodle sales dropped by 17 percent in China as of 2016.
This might show that Chinese people are now more interested in having higher-quality diets and not just simply filling their bellies, experts say.
1. Which country did instant noodles start from?| A．the UK | B．the US | C．China | D．Japan |
| A．The total length of the noodles in one package is 51 meters. |
| B．The usage of online-ordering services reduces the sales of instant noodles. |
| C．The first instant noodles were much more expensive than fresh udon noodles. |
| D．Japanese people even voted instant noodles as one of the best inventions of the 20th century. |
| A．Uber Eats | B．Ele.me | C．Meituan | D．Dianping |
| A．Food trend often reflects changes in society. |
| B．Different country has different kinds of instant food. |
| C．The development of instant food changes the society. |
| D．More and more people were interested in instant noodles. |
| A．Everyone who travels by train takes instant noodles in China. |
| B．In 2016, only 17% of Chinese people bought instant noodles. |
| C．Many American women didn’t like cooking food in the 1960s. |
| D．Chinese people are interested in having higher-quality diets now. |
【推荐2】The largest wildflower grassland in the UK is being planted in North Devon, England, by the National Trust, a charity that looks after old buildings and natural spaces.
Grassland is a large-open area covered with grass and sometimes flowers. The charity tries to plant wildflowers on the grassland in order to increase the kinds of the wild life. The National Trust says that over the past 100 years, the UK has lost most of its grassland—only 1% of it is left.
On the one hand, the charity has planted 1.3 tons of seeds (种子) across an area the size of 120 football fields. By 2030, it hopes to have planted enough seeds to fill an area the size of 1,786 football fields. Before planting the seeds, the team checked the soil carefully to find out whether it was nice for the wildflowers. The team will wait for the first seeds to grow—until about 2025—before going further with the project. The areas that have been planted will become “donation sites” (捐赠点), meaning that the flowers there will provide seeds for more wildflowers to be planted elsewhere. Each area of the grassland will be able to provide the seeds for an area double its size.
On the other hand, wildlife increases because of the wildflowers. Insects such as butterflies and bees like flying around the flowers. The north Devon coast is home to some special kinds of bees.
Ben McCarthy from the National Trust says, “These colorful habitats (栖息地) are important to protect many of our plants as well as the wildlife that depend on them.”
1. Which of the following might be planted by the National Trust in the UK?A． | B． |
C． | D． |
| A．The grassland. | B．The seed. | C．The football field. | D．The charity. |
| A．There is more grassland in the UK now than 100 years ago. |
| B．The team will plant more trees on the grassland in the UK. |
| C．The grassland can protect not only the plants but also the wildlife. |
| D．There will be less wildlife because of the grass and wildflowers. |
| A．To attract more people to visit the grassland in Britain. |
| B．To call on people to plant grass in the neighborhood. |
| C．To introduce the grassland protection in the UK. |
| D．Tc show the beauty of grassland in the nature. |
【推荐3】As students, you may have many dreams. They can be very big, like becoming Superman, or they can be small. You may just want to become one of the best students in your class.
If you find a dream, what do you do with it? Do you ever try to make your dream come true?
Follow Your Heart by Australian writer Andrew Matthews tells us that making our dreams come true is life’s biggest challenge.
“You may think you’re not very good at some school subjects, or that it is impossible for you to become a star. These ideas stop you from getting your dream.” the book says.
In fact, everyone can make his or her dream come true. The first important thing you must do is to remember what your dream is.
Don’t let it leave your heart. Keep telling yourself what you want. Do this step by step and your dream will come true faster. A big dream is, in fact, many small dreams.
Never give up your dream. There will be difficulties on the road. But the biggest problem comes from yourself. You need to decide what is the most important. Studying instead of watching TV will bring you better exam points. Saving five yuan instead of buying an ice cream means you can buy a new book. When you get closer to your dream, it may change a little. Then you will be able to learn more skills and find new interests.
1. Andrew Matthews may agree that ________.| A．everyone should try to be the top student |
| B．everyone should have his or her own dream |
| C．it is impossible for you to become a famous star |
| D．it is hard for you to make your dream come true |
| A．have more skills and new interests | B．be brave to face the difficulties |
| C．watch TV to get better exam points | D．be good at all the school subjects |
| A．Why to Know about Your Dream | B．Where to Find Your Biggest Dream |
| C．How to Make Your Dream Come True | D．When to Give up Your Smallest Dream |
【推荐1】Plays are an important part of British culture. The West End theater district (区) in London is the best place to watch a professional play, but acting also takes place in every school and village hall across the country.
There are over 2,500 non-professional drama groups in the UK today, and they are an active part of community life. People from all walks of life take on acting roles besides their daily jobs. They do it for fun, for the love of acting and as a way to meet new people.
Not everyone in a drama club is a skilled actor, but enthusiasm (热情) is considered to be more important than talent! Friends, family members and neighbors enjoy getting together to watch the final performance and wishing the people they know “good luck”. It’s a great way of bringing communities together.
Many people get a taste for acting at school. Every school puts on a play at least once a year, usually at Christmas, and parents love coming to watch their children perform.
Ask any British person and they’re sure to have happy memories of being in their school’s Christmas play, whether they played the role of Mary or Joseph or perhaps even a sheep or a donkey!
Another Christmas theater tradition is the pantomime (圣诞童话剧). Pantomimes are a type of musical comedy for families. The audience (观众) is encouraged to take part in the performance—singing along with the music and shouting to the actors. Pantomimes are really fun to watch, especially for children.
根据短文内容，判断句子正(T)、误(F)。1. In the UK, drama clubs are mostly in London.
2. People take part in non-professional drama clubs instead of doing their full-time jobs.
3. It’s not important to be a skilled actor when you join a drama club in the UK.
4. School plays are really popular in the UK.
5. While watching a pantomime, you can make lots of noise.
It took more than twenty years to build the Great Pyramid. When it was built, the pyramid was about 146.5 metres high. Over the years it has lost about eight metres off its top.
The pyramid is made of large stone blocks (石块) — 2,300,000 of them! Each of these blocks weighs over 2,000 kilograms. The ancient Egyptians did not have any modern machines. How did they build the pyramid? The pyramid shows that the ancient people were
People once thought that the Egyptians made slaves (奴隶) do all the work on the Great Pyramid. But in fact, they used farmers.
1. From the passage we can learn that _____.
| A．Giza is the modern capital of Egypt |
| B．there are only three pyramids in Egypt |
| C．the Pharaoh Khufu built the Great Pyramid by himself |
| D．the Great Pyramid was built (被建) as a tomb for the Pharaoh Khufu |
| A．146.5 | B．138. 5 | C．154.5 | D．156. 5 |
| A．聪明的 | B．辛苦的 | C．诚实的 | D．热情的 |
| A．machines | B．slaves | C．farmers | D．children |
| A．To invite people to visit the Great Pyramid. |
| B．To give information about the Great Pyramid. |
| C．To describe his or her trip to the Great Pyramid. |
| D．To tell how he or she feels about the Great Pyramid. |
In the study, the robot, called AIBO, is placed for six weeks in the houses of some old people who live alone. Before placing AIBO in the home, scientists will collect baseline data(数据) for six weeks. These old people will keep a diary to note their feelings and activity before and after AIBO. Then, the scientists will review the data to test if it has produced any changes in the life of its owner.
“I talk to him all the time, and he responds to my voice,” says a seventy-year-old lady. “When I’m watching TV, he’ll stay in my arms until he wants down. He has his own mind.”
The AIBOs respond to certain orders. The scientists say they have some advantages over live dogs, especially for old people. Often the elderly are disabled and cannot care for an animal by walking it or playing with it. A robotic dog
“At the beginning, it was believed that no one would relate(与……相关) to the robotic dog, because it was metal and not furry.” Beck says. “Hopefully, down the road, these robotic pets could become a more-valuable health helper. They will record their masters’ blood pressure, oxygen levels or heart rhythms(心律). AIBOs may even one day have games that can help stimulate(刺激) older people’s minds.”
1. The purpose of Beck and Edwards’ study is to _____________.
| A．understand human-animal relationship |
| B．make lonely old people’s life better |
| C．find the causes of old people’s loneliness |
| D．improve the animal-assisted research |
| A．note the activities of AIBOs |
| B．keep AIBOs at home for 12 weeks |
| C．record their feelings and activity |
| D．study the collected information |
| A．moves again | B．is movable |
| C．doesn’t need | D．need |
| A．cure certain diseases | B．keep old people active |
| C．change people’s ideas | D．look more like real dogs |
