1 . If you’ve ever emerged from the shower or returned from walking your dog with a clever idea or a solution to a problem you’d been struggling with, it may not be an unusual thing.
Rather than constantly wearing yourself out at a problem or desperately seeking a flash of inspiration, research from the last 15 years suggests that people may be more likely to have creative breakthroughs or insights when they’re doing a habitual task that doesn’t require much thought — an activity in which you’re basically on autopilot. This lets your mind wander or engage in spontaneous cognition or “stream of consciousness” thinking, which experts believe helps recollect unusual memories and generate new ideas.
“People always get surprised when they realize they get interesting, novel ideas at unexpected times because our cultural narrative tells us we should do it through hard work,” says Kalina Christoff, a cognitive neuroscientist at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. “It’s a pretty universal human experience.”
Now we’re beginning to understand why these clever thoughts occur during more passive activities and what’s happening in the brain, says Christoff. The key, according to the latest research, is a pattern of brain activity — within what’s called the default mode network — that occurs while an individual is resting or performing habitual tasks that don’t require much attention.
Researchers have shown that the default mode network (DMN) — which connects more than a dozen regions of the brain — becomes more active during mind-wandering or passive tasks than when you’re doing something that demands focus. Simply put, the DMN is “the state the brain returns to when you’re not actively engaged,” explains Roger Beaty, a cognitive neuroscientist and director of the Cognitive Neuroscience of Creativity Lab at Penn State University. By contrast, when you’re trapped in a demanding task, the brain’s executive control systems keep your thinking focused, analytical, and logical.
A cautionary note: While the default mode network plays a key role in the creative process, “it’s not the only important network,” Beaty says. “Other networks come into play as far as modifying, rejecting, or implementing ideas.” So it’s unwise to place blind faith in ideas that are generated in the shower or during any other period of mind wandering.
1. When do people expect to get an innovative idea according to the research?A.When doing routine work. |
B.When working attentively. |
C.When tackling tough problems. |
D.When desperately seeking inspirations. |
A.Getting by good luck. |
B.Getting by great efforts. |
C.Getting by unexpected accident. |
D.Getting by universal experience. |
A.A student who is playing football. |
B.A student who is focusing on papers. |
C.A student who is closely monitoring his research. |
D.A student who is fully engaged in math questions. |
A.We can get novel ideas by the default mode network. |
B.We should take the idea popped in the shower seriously. |
C.Believe in ideas that are generated by the default mode network. |
D.Think twice before putting ideas playfully crossing your mind into practice. |
2 . Have you ever made your life look a little more attractive on social media than it actually is? If so, you may be damaging your mental health.
The posts we make on social media platforms allow us to look back and see what we did on a given day. But what happens when, in an effort to impress our online friends, photos and videos we post become beautiful versions of the things we did?
A young girl named Sophia went out to a romantic anniversary dinner with her boyfriend, had a near relationship-ending fight during dessert, then came home and posted, “Had the best time out with the love of my life!”—even with a photo of the meal. No surprise, but according to a new study, Sophia was by no means unique. Two-thirds of users admit lying about their lives on social media with 20 percent of young people between the ages of 18 and 24 stating that they edit their own stories by frequently lying about relationships and promotions.
By beautifying our online stories, we are harming our memories. We start believing the stories we tell rather than remembering what really has happened. Soon, the real experience is lost and all that remains is the beautified version of history.
Scientists fear that these edited stories will end up changing our memories. It’s well confirmed through research that our own memories are often unreliable and can be easily controlled. Writing down one’s life in the form of a journal, or even on social media can help us keep our memories undamaged, but only if we tell the truth. And recording our experiences through whatever medium, to later recall lessons we have learned, is not only acceptable but desirable. In fact, looking back on our own past—however embarrassing or uncomfortable—is not just healthy but can be enjoyable.
1. Why did Sophia post her story with a photo of the meal?A.To make herself attractive. | B.To show her photography skill. |
C.To convince others of her story. | D.To show how amazing the meal was. |
A.Encouraging. | B.Critical. | C.Humorous. | D.Enthusiastic. |
A.recalling the unpleasant past can also be enjoyable |
B.writing down our life on social media does no good to us |
C.recording our experiences through media is unacceptable |
D.editing our own stories will make us unreliable |
A.Leaving others a good impression is desirable. |
B.Editing our online stories weakens our memory. |
C.Posting our experiences on social media is risky. |
D.Beautifying our history ends up hurting ourselves. |
3 . How to recognize cyber attacks
Cyber-attacks may sound like something that happens only in Hollywood movies. You
A/An
Cyber-attacks can happen to anybody. It doesn’t matter who you are; cyber criminals can target you. While many often think of hacking victims as
Nowadays, cyber-criminals create fake websites and email addresses. You may think you are clicking a link to Dropbox (多宝箱) only to download malware onto your computer,
So you need to lean to recognize the signs of cyber-attacks. First, recognize
Other things to
As with everything,
A.gather | B.picture | C.find | D.establish |
A.dangerous | B.worried | C.cautious | D.helpless |
A.historic | B.typical | C.potential | D.specific |
A.halfway | B.originally | C.periodically | D.eventually |
A.predict | B.limit | C.warn | D.recognize |
A.fearless | B.soundless | C.clueless | D.careless |
A.in conclusion | B.and | C.but | D.as if . |
A.empty | B.supervised | C.tracked | D.infected |
A.powerful | B.suspicious | C.specific | D.frequent |
A.While | B.Since | C.If | D.When |
A.guaranteed | B.assessed | C.leaked | D.composed |
A.mechanisms | B.files | C.programs | D.commands |
A.attacking | B.chatting | C.hiding | D.running |
A.sum up | B.watch out | C.mark off | D.turn down |
A.strategy | B.practice | C.solution | D.prevention |
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5 . TikTok, a social media app dedicated to short-form videos, has emerged as a major firer of food trends—from mushroom coffee and pancake cereal to cloud bread and feta pasta. But another trend, the #whatieatinaday trend, is dominating TikTok, which is
Even though #whatieatinaday posts may be
The
Often the overly stylized meals do not
Younger audiences, especially girls and young women, internalize the message that they must eat like these creators to achieve and maintain not only health, but also social
Even if the #whatieatinaday posts are displaying a balanced day of eating, the
People making these videos are overwhelmingly thin, young, able-bodied and white. There is a complete lack of body
A.nearing | B.longing | C.ducking | D.driving |
A.emphasized | B.simplified | C.substituted | D.intended |
A.moral | B.scientific | C.potential | D.unfavorable |
A.modern | B.staged | C.educational | D.alternative |
A.prioritize | B.commercialize | C.recognize | D.civilize |
A.promoting | B.representing | C.spoiling | D.perfecting |
A.welfare | B.equality | C.desirability | D.justice |
A.individual | B.instinctive | C.restrictive | D.changeable |
A.attracting | B.seeking | C.slipping | D.offering |
A.suburban | B.subtle | C.subsequent | D.substantial |
A.reader | B.advertiser | C.campaigner | D.poster |
A.Therefore | B.Finally | C.Additionally | D.Meanwhile |
A.lose weight | B.share interests | C.assume burden | D.make contributions |
A.language | B.diversity | C.similarity | D.dynamic |
A.available | B.predictable | C.inadequate | D.unattainable |
6 .
People with fixed mindsets believe that: ●Skill, intelligence and talents are natural. ●Failure is shameful and should be avoided. ●Some people are naturally good at things while others not. ●You are not in control of your abilities. | People with growth mindsets believe that: ●You have the capacity to learn and grow your skills. ●Failure is a valuable lesson. ●People who are good at something are good because they build that ability. ●You are in control of your abilities. |
have a desire to look smart, so tend to: —Avoid challenges. —Give up easily. —See effort as fruitless or worse. —Ignore useful negative feedback. —Feel threatened by the success of others. | have a desire to learn, so tend to: —Embrace challenges. —Persist in the face of setbacks. —See effort as the path to mastery. —Learn from criticism. —Find lessons and inspiration in the success of others. |
As a result, they may stay at the same level early and achieve less than their full potential. | As a result, they reach ever-higher levels of achievement. |
Change can be tough, but I’ve never heard anyone say it wasn’t worth it. Did changing to a growth mindset solve all my problems? No. But I know that I have a different life because of it—a richer one. |
A.tell readers that two different mindsets lead to different results |
B.illustrate that people with different mindsets hold different beliefs |
C.help readers believe people act differently when facing challenges |
D.persuade people to learn to change so as to enjoy a more fruitful life |
A.successful | B.straightforward |
C.intelligent | D.narrow-minded |
A.“If I win, I’ll be somebody; if I lose, I’ll be nobody.” |
B.“To be good at sports, you need to be naturally gifted.” |
C.“Learn techniques and skills and practice them regularly, and you will always improve.” |
D.“You have a certain level of ability in sports and you cannot really do much to change it.” |
7 . Eight years ago, Nixon, 59, started each day from a bench of the St. Petersburg, Florida, waterfront. Watching a sunrise makes him feel
“Seeing you
“I wanted them to walk away
Weather permitting, Nixon will sit on the bench before sunrise every morning. His presence and
Once a couple talked about problems in their relationship. “The husband was
No topic is off limits, but some
A.available | B.centered | C.negative | D.creative |
A.wandering | B.sitting | C.working | D.greeting |
A.recalled | B.requested | C.responded | D.regretted |
A.hanging out | B.wearing off | C.walking past | D.living near |
A.mattered | B.belonged | C.appealed | D.compromised |
A.Regardless of | B.Because of | C.In case of | D.Instead of |
A.breaking off | B.striking up | C.carrying on | D.bring around |
A.knowing | B.answering | C.forecasting | D.celebrating |
A.served | B.lacked | C.defeated | D.achieved |
A.influence | B.purpose | C.secret | D.personality |
A.happiness | B.blindness | C.openness | D.greatness |
A.make | B.offer | C.purchase | D.nickname |
A.air | B.create | C.avoid | D.understand |
A.even | B.seldom | C.never | D.always |
A.randomly | B.regularly | C.simply | D.peacefully |
8 . Women are still underrepresented in top academic positions. One of the possible explanations for this is the increasing importance of obtaining research funding. Women are often less successful in this than men. Psychology researchers Dr. Romy van der Lee and professor Naomi Ellemers investigated whether this difference also occurs at the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) and examined potential explanations.
The researchers were assigned by NWO to carry out this study as part of the broader evaluation of NWO’s procedures and its gender diversity policy. The aim was to gain more insight into the causes of the differences in awarding rates for male and female applicants for research funding. The analysis addressed an important “talent programme” of NWO, the Veni grant. “Whoever receives this grant has a greater chance of obtaining an important appointment at a university, ” says Naomi Ellemers.
Van der Lee and Ellemers investigated all the applications submitted by male and female researchers over a period of three years: a total of 2823 applications. Under the direction of NWO these applications were assessed by scientific committees consisting of men and women. The results demonstrate that the awarding rates for female applicants (14.9%) are systematically lower than those for male applicants (17.7%). “If we compare the proportion of women among the applicants with the proportion of women among those awarded funding, we see a loss of 4%,” said Ellemers.
The study reveals that women are less positively evaluated for their qualities as researcher than men are, “Interestingly the research proposals of women and men are evaluated equally positively. In other words, the reviewers see no difference in the quality of the proposals that men and women submit,” says Romy van der Lee.
In search for a possible cause for the differences in awarding rates and evaluations, the researchers also investigated the language use in the instructions and forms used to assess the quality of applications. This clearly revealed the occurrence of gendered language. The words that are used to indicate quality are frequently words that were established in previous research as referring mainly to the male gender stereotype (such as challenging and excellent). Romy van der Lee explains: “As a result, it appears that men more easily satisfy the assessment criteria, because these better fit the characteristics stereoty-pically associated with men.”
In response to the results of this research, NWO will devote more attention to the gender awareness of reviewers in its methods and procedures. It will also be investigated which changes to the assessment procedures and criteria can most strongly contribute to more equal chances for men and women to obtain research funding. This will include an examination of the language used by NWO. NWO chair Jos Engelens said, “The research has yielded valuable results and insights. Based on the recommendations made by the researchers we will therefore focus in the coming period on the development of evidence-based measures to reduce the difference in awarding rates.”
1. Van der Lee and Ellemers carried out the research to find out whether _________.A.women are less successful than men in top academic positions |
B.female applicants are at a disadvantage in getting research funding |
C.NOW’s procedures and gender diversity policy enhance fair play |
D.there are equal chances for men and women to be admitted to a university |
A.grant receivers were more likely to get appointments at universities |
B.men applicants for research funding outnumbered women applicants |
C.the research proposals of women are equally treated with those of men |
D.the reviewers have narrow, prejudiced conceptions of women candidates |
A.The words used in the instructions and forms. |
B.The reviewers’ preference to applications. |
C.The methods and procedures for evaluation. |
D.The vague and unclear assessment criteria. |
A.Eliminate possibilities for difference in awarding rates. |
B.Design a language examination for all the reviewers. |
C.Emphasize the importance of gender awareness. |
D.Improve the assessment procedures and criteria. |
9 . Voices offer lots of information. It turns out that they can even help diagnose (诊断) an illness and researchers are working on an app for that. The National Institutes of Health is funding a massive research project to collect voice data and develop an AI that could diagnose people based on their speech.
Everything such as your breathing patterns when you speak offers potential information about your health, says Dr. Yael Bensoussan, the director of the University of South Florida’s Health Voice Center and a leader on the study.“We asked experts: Well, if you close your eyes when a patient comes in, just by listening to their voice, can you have an idea of the diagnosis they have?” says Bensoussan.“And that’s where we got all our information. Someone who speaks low and slowly might have Parkinson’s disease. Depression or cancer could even be diagnosed.”
The project is part of the NIH’s Bridge to AI program, which was launched over a year ago with more than $100 million in funding from the government, with the goal of creating large-scale health care databases for precision (精准) medicine.“We were really lacking what we call open source databases,” says Bensoussan.“Every institution has their own database. But to create these networks was really important to allow researchers from other generations to use this data.”
The ultimate goal of the project is an app that could help bridge access to rural or underserved communities, by helping general practitioners (行医者) refer patients to specialists. To get there, researchers have to start by amassing data, since the AI can only get as good as the database it’s learning from. By the end of the four years, they hope to collect about 30,000 voices.
There are a few roadblocks, however. HIPAA, the law that regulates medical privacy, isn’t really clear on whether researchers can share voices. Every institution has different rules on what can be shared, and that opens all sorts of moral and legal questions.
1. What is the project aimed at?A.Examining voice data. |
B.Detecting speech problems. |
C.Offering health information. |
D.Developing a medical diagnosis app. |
A.Doctors work better with their eyes closed. |
B.Parkinson’s disease can be easily discovered. |
C.How a person walks shows his health condition. |
D.The voice of a patient may indicate a certain illness. |
A.Storing. | B.Analyzing. | C.Collecting. | D.Exchanging |
A.The difficulty in carrying out the project. |
B.The need to share voices concerning the project. |
C.The way to protect medical privacy in the project. |
D.The proposal for issuing rules related to the project. |
10 . In this period of anxiety about the size of our waists and what we consume, simple dietary rules are appealing.“Eat like our ancestors”is a particularly catchy slogan (口号) to live by.
But who are these ancestors we are supposed to follow? Are they our great-great-grandparents, cooking healthy things? Or are they hairy animals we imagine “cavemen“ to be? The popular ancient diet blames modern health problems on the birth of agriculture, claiming that we should stick to eating meat, nuts and berries.
This kind of stone age trend is based on the false assumption that palaeolithic (旧石器时代的) peoples all ate the same food, regardless of their location. Nevertheless, England’s 9,000-year-old Cheddar Man would not have eaten the same foods as his contemporaries on the Kenyan plain. The amount of meat peoples ate, and how much was obtained by hunting, are also up for debate.
Moreover, the stone age trend is focused on what’s perceived to be good for our bodies, without any concern for the rest of nature, including other humans whose livelihoods are threatened by western overconsumption. Were I to eat like my Punjabi farming great-grandparents, my diet would be based on the wheat and milk products that people in the Punjab have relied on for probably at least the last two thousand years. But delicious and “original” as it might be for me to follow its lead, the morals of industrially farmed milk products in the 21st century make the situation more confusing and complicated.
Now, probably more than ever before, what we eat connects us to the fate of other beings, human and non-human, and to the fate of our planet. A dogmatic (武断的) approach to this would be a mistake. Better to preserve what’s worth keeping and remain clear-eyed about our cooking past, much of which is unknowable, immoral and impossible to follow in any case.
1. What does the text concern?A.An ancient study. |
B.An immoral case. |
C.A balanced diet. |
D.A popular belief. |
A.To illustrate an opinion. |
B.To present a fact. |
C.To clarify a concept. |
D.To introduce a theory. |
A.The eating behavior of our great-grandparents. |
B.The connection between food choice and nature. |
C.The relationship among eating,hunting and farming. |
D.The impact of food overconsumption on the environment. |
A.Punjabi diet:popular again |
B.Should we eat like our ancestors? |
C.Is the fate of the planet in our hands? |
D.Our cooking past:a complicated history |