How do people think differently? This has always been unusual. To search an answer, a scientist named J. P. Guilford started a famous study of creativity in the 1970s, known as the nine-dot puzzle (九点谜题). He asked the participants (参与者) to connect all nine dots using only four straight lines, without lifting their pencils from the page. All the participants looked for solutions within the square they imagined. Only 20 percent managed to break out of the square and continue their lines in the white space around the dots, while the rest of them were blinded by the boundaries (边界) of the square.
The results of Guilford’s study led him to a conclusion: creativity needs you to go outside the box. The idea was widely spread soon. Overnight, it seemed that creativity experts everywhere were teaching managers how to think outside the box. The idea was so popular that no one thought of checking the facts. No one, that is, before two different research teams— Clarke Burmham with Kenneth Davis, and Joseph Alba with Robert Weisberg—did another experiment.
To make sure that Guilford’s study is correct, both teams divided participants into two groups. The first group was given the same instructions as the participants in Guilford’s experiment. The second group was told to draw the lines outside the imagined box. Guess what? Only a little more than 20 percent solved the puzzle, which is no big difference from the result of Guilford’s experiment.
Let’s look a little more closely at the surprising result. Solving this problem requires people to think outside the box. However, direct and clear instructions to “think outside the box” do not help participants improve their performance. The widely spread idea that out-of-the-box thinking makes people more creative can, in some way, be dangerous. After all, with one simple but brilliant experiment, researchers had proved that the connection between thinking outside the box and creativity was a misunderstanding.
1. The nine-dot puzzle study is mainly focused on ________.| A．how people do things in real life | B．what people see in the experiment |
| C．how people think in different ways | D．what knowledge people have learned |
| A．To discover the main idea of Guiford’s study. | B．To show different views against Guiford’s study. |
| C．To collect supporting details for Guiford’s study. | D．To double-check the correctness of Guiford’s study. |
| A．boundaries sometimes make people think less creatively |
| B．clear instructions influence how people solve problems |
| C．few people performed better with the clear instructions |
| D．the methods of nine-dot puzzle study need to be improved |
| A．Puzzle Solving: A Key To Creativity | B．Nine-Dot Puzzle: A Magic Test |
| C．Thinking Outside the Box: A Misleading Idea | D．Creative Thinking: An Unusual Topic |
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Most people of the world do not bow(鞠躬) to each other, but Japanese people do. They often bow when they meet. Men bow to men and to women. Men and women may also bow to each other, but usually only if they do not know each other. The younger, or more junior person bows more deeply than the older, or more senior person. The Japanese also bow to say “thank you” for something, or to apologize for something.
Schoolchildren do not bow to each other. Schoolgirls say goodbye to each other by waving their hands and saying “bye bye”. Schoolboys may copy Westerners and pat each other on the back or make “high fives” with their hands.
Many types of hand gestures(手势) have special meanings. You may see Japanese people put their thumb and index finger together to form a circle. This circle represents(代表) a coin and this gesture is the sign for money. If the Japanese want to indicate(表明) “me” without using words, they point to themselves by putting a finger to their noses, but Westerners would point to their chests. All young Japanese children learn to make a “V” sign with their middle and index fingers when someone takes their photograph. In Japan, this sign means “peace”, but in England this sign means “victory”. To say “No”, “I don’t know” or “I don’t understand”, Japanese people wave their hands in front of their faces, so it may be difficult to understand exactly what someone means.
Nodding of the head may also be confusing. When Japanese people nod their heads, it does not mean they agree with what you are saying. It means that they understand what you are saying. You must also be careful not to misunderstand a smile. When the Japanese smile they may not be happy, in fact they may be embarrassed(尴尬的).
As in most countries in the world, Japanese people use a lot of body language. Some of it you will understand and some of it will be new or confusing to you.
1. Japanese people bow ________.| A．occasionally | B．sometimes | C．often | D．never |
| A．usually; when they know each other |
| B．always; when they first meet each other |
| C．usually; when they first meet each other |
| D．always; when they know each other |
| A．they need to blow their noses | B．there is a bad smell |
| C．they are lying | D．they are talking about themselves |
| A．“I am happy” | B．“I agree” | C．“I understand” | D．“I disagree” |
| A．international | B．Italian | C．childish | D．only used at home |
| A．don’t like using body language | B．don’t use much body language |
| C．only use Western body language | D．use a lot of body language |
【推荐2】A recent study from a team of South Korean researchers suggests that eating alone often may lead to poor eating habits and poor food choices. Specifically,the study found that men who ate alone more than twice a week had a greater risk of developing high blood pressure and other diseases.
For children, eating with their families is not only about preventing bad results—it is also about developing good ones.
In 2014, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) looked at data from nearly three-quarters of the world's countries. Among its findings was the fact that students who shared a main meal with families were less likely to skip school(逃学). Children who eat a main meal with their families are also less likely to use drugs and alcohol(吸毒酗酒).
In the report, named “The Importance of Family Dinners”,researchers say that “teens who have frequent family dinners are more likely to say their parents know a lot about what's going on in their lives”.They also say that when teens say they feel closer to their parents, they are less likely to use drugs and alcohol.
Another study from the University of Montreal found that children who ate with their families experience long-term physical and mental health benefits(好处). These children were physically in better shape and drank fewer sugary soft drinks. These children also seemed to have better social skills and they were less aggressive(好斗的).
Professor Linda Pagani says that mealtimes shared with parents “likely provide young children with first-hand social communication, discussions of social events and day-to-day matters”. She adds that they may likely help the child have better communication skills with others.
1. What can be the best title for the text?| A．Benefits of eating together |
| B．Advantages of eating alone |
| C．Ways of developing social skills |
| D．Risks of using drugs and alcohol |
| A．drink more sugary soft drinks |
| B．do well in their studies at school |
| C．be more socially active and aggressive |
| D．have a closer relationship with their parents |
| A．To introduce her. |
| B．To add a new point. |
| C．To explain further. |
| D．To provide background information. |
| A．a travel guide | B．a biology textbook |
| C．a cooking instruction | D．a science magazine |
【推荐3】Here are more different kinds of species（物种）living in the world than we even realize. However, while we’re discovering new types of plants and animals, species are also disappearing all the time. This is a big problem. When one specie dies out, it often causes unexpected problems for many other species. A recent study shows that around a million species are in danger of dying out.
Many scientists say that biodiversity（生物多样性）loss is as big a problem as climate change. To help protect all living things on Earth, officials from across the world came together at the UN Biodiversity Conference. The meeting took place in Montreal, Canada from December 7 to 19 in 2022. On the last day, a historic agreement was reached between 190 countries. This agreement laid out 23 different targets（目标）. The most important among them is known as 30×30. This would place 30 percent of the world’s land and oceans under protection by 2030. At present, about 17 percent of the planets land and 8 percent of its oceans are under protection.
While many different things can lead to biodiversity loss, humans are behind each of them. On land, the biggest problem is agriculture（农业）. In the sea, it’s overfishing. Other problems include hunting, pollution, and climate change. The agreement aims to solve these problems. Take Target 17 for example, it calls for the world to cut the use of pesticides（杀虫剂）by 50 percent. Pesticides allow farmers to grow more food, but they’re a danger to beneficial insects（益虫）.
“This is a huge moment for nature.” said Brian O’Donnell, director of an environmental group. But dealing with biodiversity loss is very much like fighting climate change. It doesn’t depend on what countries say they’ll do. Instead, it depends on what they actually do.
1. According to Paragraph 1, what will happen when one species disappears?| A．It may influence other species. |
| B．It will change the climate of Earth. |
| C．More species will appear instead of it. |
| D．More and more species will be in danger. |
| A．agreements | B．countries | C．scientists | D．targets |
| A．Paragraph 1 and Paragraph 2 | B．Paragraph 2 and Paragraph 3 |
| C．Paragraph 1 and Paragraph 4 | D．Paragraph 2 and Paragraph 4 |
| A．Human actions. | B．Climate change. |
| C．Natural disasters. | D．Agricultural development. |
| A．The targets of the agreement are impossible to realize. |
| B．Dealing with biodiversity loss still has a long way to go. |
| C．The agreement reached in Montreal successfully protects the nature. |
| D．Fighting climate change is as important as dealing with biodiversity loss. |
【推荐1】Everyone has different ways of getting their kids to do housework. Here are some ideas which I think would work.
Start young. Of course, when your kids are babies, you can just talk to them, but at the same time, letting them see you at work might help especially if your kids are toddlers (学步的儿童).
You can give them some easy housework to do like washing vegetables, handing you things, and taking out the rubbish. And when they do a good job, you can reward them with some candies or ice-cream.
You can get them to clean or tidy their things. For example, you can let them clean their own room and put away their own toys.
Do the housework together. Let them help you while you are folding clothes. They can pass you the clothes. When you get back home from shopping, they can help you to put away your things. They can pass the items to you while you put them in order.
Remember: When you get your children to help you, you should make them feel as if they’re doing a great thing by praising (表扬) them. You can say something like “What a strong boy you are!” or “You’re so helpful.” It will make them feel happy and be ready to help you the next time.
根据短文内容，选择最佳答案。1. How many ways does the writer mention to make children do housework?
| A．Three. | B．Four. | C．Five. |
| A．考查 | B．奖励 | C．对待 |
| A．Let children feel happy after doing housework. |
| B．Folding all the clothes is difficult for children. |
| C．Children can do some housework by themselves. |
| A．In a science book. | B．In a family letter. | C．In a life newspaper. |
【推荐2】※ THE SCIENCE OF HUNGER
If you’ve ever been “hungry” — that is so hungry that it makes you angry — you’ll be happy to learn that scientists have begun studying the causes of this unpleasant condition and recommending（推荐） fixes.
Researchers from the University of North Carolina asked some people of hunger to write a story about either their emotions or an average day while others not. After a stress experiment, it turns out that people who had written stories about emotions (and were therefore focused on their feelings) felt less stressed or angry, even if they were hungry.
The takeaway: Being aware of your emotional state reduces（减少） the chance that hunger will destroy your feelings. Mindfulness training can help with that. Of course, if you’re hungry, eating also helps.
※A PHOTO DAY KEEPS THE DOCTOR AWAY
Taking a photograph each day and posting it online is a popular hobby. To explore how this habit influences health, British scientists conducted researchers by interviewing the creators of online photo journals. They discovered that daily photography improved respondents’ lives in several ways: It made them mindful of the present, it pushed them to go for walks to get their photos, and it gave them opportunities to communicate with folks who share their interests. Moreover, it may help some fight against loneliness.
“I’ll stop and take a photograph of this insect sitting on my computer or something. Just taking a moment is very good and beautiful I think,” one participant says.
1. What advice is helpful to make HUNGER become less?| A．Take photos. | B．Mindfulness training. | C．Write a story. | D．Do experiments. |
| A．Emotion. | B．Result. | C．Experiment. | D．Stress. |
| A．It can be posted online. | B．It influences people’s study a lot. |
| C．It encourages more communication. | D．It helps people memorize the past. |
A． | B． | C． | D． |
| A．Culture. | B．Hobbies. | C．Researches. | D．Nature. |
Hanfu fans have developed websites and written articles on Hanfu, attracting more than 4 billion page views on Weibo alone. The rising popularity of Hanfu has also excited public interest in other traditional cultural forms. For example, Chinese painting, calligraphy (书法) and kung fu are attracting more and more young learners while traditional Chinese medicine is returning to hospitals.
Although most people agree that Han-style clothes look beautiful on people on certain occasions (场合), there is still heated arguments about whether the trend should be encouraged or not. Those support Hanfu say it spreads Chinese culture and looks beautiful. And it can also help teenagers know more about traditional Chinese art and culture.
However, those against it believe that a set of Han-style clothing may cost much money because they have to be handmade but not mass-produced. They also say putting on Hanfu and other accessories (配饰), not to mention getting a hairstyle to match the dress, will waste a lot of time. They may be right. A girl I met in Suzhou told me that she had to spend more than 1, 000 yuan ($138) to rent a set of Han-style dress and get a makeup to go with it, which took two hours to complete.
Most people, however, choose to ignore such arguments. They just think that seeing people wholly or partly dressed in Han-style clothes while walking in a street is a “beautiful” experience.
1. Why is Han-style clothing getting popular?
| A．Because it spreads Chinese culture and looks beautiful. |
| B．Because there are many Hanfu festivals and Hanfu fashion shows. |
| C．Because the country stresses the importance of cultural confidence. |
| D．Because people wearing Han-style clothing can enter scenic spots for free. |
| A．3 | B．4 | C．5 | D．6 |
| A．complain about spending much time putting on Hanfu |
| B．develope websites and write articles on Hanfu |
| C．believe Hanfu spreads Chinese culture and looks beautiful |
| D．wear Hanfu on certain occasions |
| A．We don’t know about this. |
| B．They choose to ignore the arguments and just admire its beauty. |
| C．They support it because it help people learn more about Chinese culture. |
| D．They are against it because it’s expensive and time-wasting. |
| A．To spread Chinese cultural forms. | B．To encourage more people to wear Hanfu. |
| C．To stop the fashion of wearing Hanfu. | D．To help people look at Hanfu in different ways. |
