1 . What you do after studying could have a big effect on how well you learn and remember. Today on Education Tips, we will explore two no-cost ways that can help you improve your learning: wakeful rest and sleep.
When many students finish studying, they often go straight to another activity. Perhaps they look at their phone or computer. They might even play a video game or watch television. But research suggests that resting after your study may help you remember what you have studied.
The basic idea is this: by stopping your activity after the study, your brain gets a chance to rest. Resting is difficult when you are playing computer games.
While this might sound unusual to you, many studies have explored the benefits of resting after learning—what is called “wakeful rest”.
A 2019 study found that both young and older adults were able to better remember information they learned after doing wakeful rest.
If you want to give “wakeful rest” a try, here are a few simple things to do. Rest quietly for five to ten minutes. Do not look at your phone, read stories or play games. It is really that easy!
Besides wakeful rest, sleep is also important for learning. The Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School (HMS) notes that sleep helps people to learn in two ways. A report on the school’s website explains that “a sleep-deprived person cannot focus attention well and therefore cannot learn well”. It also says, “Sleep itself helps us to memorize and that memorizing is very important for learning new information.”
The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) suggests that adults between the ages of 20 and 64 get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per day. Teenagers may need a little bit more, and people over the age of 65 may need a little less.
Try to get some “wakeful rest” after a study. Then try to get a good night’s sleep. That’s it—a simple, no-cost way to help you remember what you learn.
1. What is paragraph 3 mainly about?| A．The importance of sleep. | B．The good ways to get a rest. |
| C．The reason for having a rest. | D．The types of resting activities. |
| A．Reading a newspaper. | B．Playing a video game. |
| C．Sitting there doing nothing. | D．Having a nice sleep at night. |
| A．Less than 7 hours. | B．Just 7 hours. |
| C．No more than 9 hours. | D．Around 9 hours. |
| A．Low-cost Tips on Working | B．Good Things to Do After Your Study |
| C．Why Do We Need to Have a Good Sleep? | D．How Long Should We Rest After Learning? |
2 . Every day when Glen Oliver orders his morning coffee at the drive-through window of a local cafe, he insists on paying for the order of the person behind him. He also asks the restaurant workers to tell the customer to have a great day, in case they’re not already having one.
Oliver has never made a big deal out of his own generous actions until a letter was published by a news website in November. He found out that he had not just bought someone his breakfast —he had saved a life.
According to the website, someone had written a letter stating that on July 18th, he was planning on committing suicide. The writer said that while he was at the drive-through window, he was planning on going home, writing a note and ending his life. When he went to pay for his coffee and muffin, however, the cashier told him that the man in the SUV in front of him had picked up the tab and told him to have a great day.
“I wondered why someone would buy coffee for a stranger for no reason,” said the writer. “Why me? Why today? If I were a religious man, I would take this as a sign. This random act of kindness was directed at me on this day for a purpose.”
When the writer arrived home, he couldn’t restrain his tears and started to think about the simple good deed that had affected him so deeply. “I decided at that moment to change my plans for the day and do something nice for someone. I ended up helping a neighbor take groceries out of her car and into the house.”
The writer says that in the months following that fateful event, he does at least one kind thing for others every day. “To the nice man in the SUV, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Please know your kind gesture has truly saved a life,” he said. “On July 18, 2017, I had the greatest day.”
1. What is Oliver’s act of kindness every day?| A．Buying others breakfast. |
| B．Greeting restaurant workers. |
| C．Publishing positive news. |
| D．Taking groceries for neighbors. |
| A．It brought him thank-you letters. |
| B．It was reported on a news website. |
| C．It was the first time he’d paid for others. |
| D．It stopped someone from killing himself. |
| A．Paid the bill. | B．Parked the car. |
| C．Left a message. | D．Ordered a drink. |
| A．He felt guilty. | B．He felt grateful. |
| C．He felt confused. | D．He felt sad. |
3 . Did you know that the color of sports suits can influence(影响) the performance of an athlete? It may sound strange, but a study suggests this might be true.
Two British scientists studied the results of four sports in the 2004 Athens Olympic Games where the athletes had been given either a red or a blue sports suit. They discovered that when there was a big difference in the score, color had no influence on the result. But if it is a close match, the athlete in a red sports suit was more likely to win. Then they looked at the sports suits of the soccer team at the Euro 2004 championship. Again, teams wearing red won more games.
The two scientists got their idea from earlier studies of wild animals. It had been discovered that when a male shows red on its body, it sends a signal(信号) of it power and strength. For example, in many kinds of monkeys, the more the male shows off its red scars(伤疤) the more females it can attract.
Based on (根据) this fact, the British scientists thought that the idea might work for humans, too. According to them, when an athlete sees a competitor in a red sports suit, he gets a feeling that his competitor could be stronger than him. And that kind of feeling may have a bad influence on the player’s performance in the actual game. Although the idea is interesting, most people don’t accept that color signals in the animal world can really be useful to human sports. They think that it is unreasonable to develop an idea based on such a small number of examples. Much more research has to be done to prove(证明) the influence of sports suit colors on the performance of athletes.
1. What did the scientists find out about the 2004 Athens Olympic Games:| A．Athletes played equally well in four sports. |
| B．Game results had a big influence on the athletes. |
| C．Athletes dressed in red scored more in a close match. |
| D．There was a big difference in red and blue team’s scores. |
| A．It is quite strong. | B．It is a failure. |
| C．It is more powerful than other males. | D．It has attracted a lot of females. |
| A．weakness | B．pride | C．danger | D．shame |
| A．Interested | B．Satisfied | C．Doubtful | D．Thankful. |
4 . When asked to point out one or two things that are most important to themselves, many put friends ahead of homes, jobs, clothes and cars.
A true friendship carries a long history of experience that determines(确定)who we are and keeps us connected. It is a treasure we should protect. Unfortunately, the better friends you are, the more probably you'll have disagreements. And the result can be what you don't want—an end to the relationship.
The good news is that most troubled friendships can be mended. First, don't let your pride get in your way. Most of us can forgive each other when differences are brought out in the open. Second, apologize when you're wrong—even if you've been wronged. Over the course of a friendship, even the best people make mistakes. Sometimes, it may be best if the wronged person takes the lead and apologizes. When you apologize, give your friend a chance to admit that he has been wrong. Third, see things from your friend's point of view(观点). And finally, accept that friendships change as our needs and lifestyles change. Making friends can sometimes seem easy. The hard part is keeping the connections strong during the natural ups and downs that have an effect on all relationships. My suggestion: Consider the friendship an honor and a gift, and worth the effort to treasure and nurture(培养).
1. What would be the best title for the text?| A．Easy Ways to Make Friends |
| B．Ups and Downs in Friendship |
| C．How to Mend a Troubled Friendship |
| D．How to Take the Lead in Making Friends |
| A．who has been mistaken for another |
| B．who has been blamed unfairly |
| C．who has treated friends badly |
| D．who has admitted his mistakes |
| A．we have much in common |
| B．we know our friends' mistakes |
| C．we treat our disagreements wisely |
| D．we have known one another for long |
| A．Stick to our own point of view. | B．Avoid making mistakes. |
| C．Make an apology first. | D．Change our lifestyles. |
5 . Until quarantine (隔离期) ends, we are left picturing what sport we might do: working out at the gym, playing on a competitive sports team, swimming, biking, or rock climbing. However, we don’t often think of martial arts as possible activities; instead, we rule it out because we think it’s dangerous, uncommon, and even, impossible. Martial arts aren’t considered a sport, right?
Well, here’s some good news: you’re wrong! Martial arts aren’t much more common than people think, and you can start learning at any age. Practicing martial arts is a great way to keep in shape, both physically and mentally. They’re much less boring and much less arduous sport than they’re usually described as in movies, so do not worry that they need a lot of effort.
Martial arts generally require you to focus on the position and movement of every one of your legs and arms, sometimes even your breathing too. Think about it: when you leave the gym, your mental state has improved and you are much calmer. This is because you’ve only paid attention to one activity. It is a great way to clear your head. And practicing it can help you learn to stay more focused, which is the greatest advantage of martial arts training.
Martial arts also improve your coordination (协调性), and greatly improve your posture (姿势). I have personally seen students go from slouching (没精打采) to walking tall with their shoulders back in just a couple of months.
There are many styles and countless kinds of martial arts. Whichever one you like better, know that all of them are good choices.
1. What can we know about martial arts from the first two paragraphs?| A．They often have people hurt. | B．They are difficult to practice. |
| C．People have a wrong view on it. | D．People practice them more often. |
| A．Interesting. | B．Difficult. | C．Friendly. | D．Exciting. |
| A．Adjusting the breath. | B．Enjoying one’s free time. |
| C．Correcting the movement. | D．Keeping one’s attention. |
| A．They are not sports. | B．They attracted many teenagers. |
| C．They are beneficial and helpful. | D．They were invented to protect others. |
6 . SpaceX, Elon Musk's rocket company, launched the newly designed Crew Dragon capsule, carrying four astronauts to space on Nov. 16.The spacecraft successfully docked(对接) with the International Space Station ( ISS) on Nov. 17.
This is the first time that NASA has sent a crew into orbit entirely via a privately-owned spacecraft. “It's the start of a new era in which routine astronaut journeys to the low Earth orbit are being conducted by commercial providers,” NASA said. NASA's commercial manned program has taken a lot of risks. Whether the funding is sufficient in the long term and whether the companies have the capabilities to solve all the technical difficulties have been repeatedly questioned by the US Congress.
Before the launch, NASA had cooperated with SpaceX for more than a decade to build a manned spacecraft. Back in 2014, NASA was facing a vital decision—choosing the finalists to complete the task of developing alternative space shuttles. Eventually, it came down to Boeing and SpaceX. There was fierce competition between the two companies to complete the mission.
In December 2019, Boeing's manned spaceship, CST-100 Starliner, went through a test flight, but due to multiple errors, it failed to reach the ISS. The recent launch of the Crew Dragon capsule wasn't flawless, either. An air leak caused an unexpected drop in the capsule's pressure less than two hours before the launch, a NASA official said. Thanks to the technicians, the launch wasn't affected.
In the coming year, US actor Tom Cruise will start a commercial space journey on the Dragon capsule to film a movie at the ISS. At the same time, Boeing is catching up. The company will conduct another unmanned flight in 2021, and its first manned mission will take place sometime in 2022. “It very much follows the aviation(航空) era when airliners used to be government-run, and now of course they've been commercial for a number of decades,” said one of the Dragon capsule crew members.
1. What is the significance of the successful launch of the Crew Dragon capsule?| A．It carried four astronauts into space. |
| B．It successfully docked with the International Space Station. |
| C．It sent ordinary people to space for the first time. |
| D．It marks the beginning of spaceflight being conducted by commercial providers. |
| A．SpaceX's long-term cooperation with NASA. |
| B．Boeing's failure in the test flight due to multiple errors. |
| C．SpaceX's sufficient funding. |
| D．The timely settlement of the technical difficulties. |
| A．The Crew Dragon capsule was launched by SpaceX. |
| B．Commercial space exploration. |
| C．The competition between Boeing and SpaceX. |
| D．Commercial airliners. |
| A．The manned spacecraft was launched | B．Spaceflight goes commercial |
| C．NASA faces lots of risks | D．SpaceX leads the way in spaceflight |
7 . Can you imagine a world without music? Studies show that public schools across the country are cutting back on music classes to save money. Worse, some schools have never had music classes to begin with. But without them, students’ academic(学业的) growth and emotional health could suffer. In fact, music classes are necessary for all students in schools.
A recent study by Brown University has shown that students who had music classes were better in math and reading skills than those without having music classes. Another study by The College Board found that students taking music and art classes got higher points. Students’ academic success seems to depend on taking part in music education.
Music programs in public schools also help to add to a student’s sense of pride and self-confidence. Teens today have too many learning tasks. Besides, they have family problems, self-confidence problems, relationship troubles, and choices about drugs and alcohol. All of these can stop academic success, but music education can help. Students who took part in school music programs were less likely to turn to drugs. Music programs encourage students to work together to produce an excellent performance.
Music crosses language, class cultural and political boundaries(界限). Music allows students from different countries to connect. For example, at a school talent show, a new Japanese student played a piano duet(二重奏) with an American classmate. Although they could not communicate verbally, they were able to read the music in order to play the duet. Two students from different cultures worked as a team with self-confidence and a common purpose through music.
The gift of music is priceless. We need to be sure of having necessary music classes for all students. The world is losing its music, and putting music into schools is the first step to get it back.
1. What can we know about education with music classes?| A．It wastes a lot of money from parents. | B．It leads to a lot of emotional problems easily. |
| C．It helps students improve their school work. | D．It has a bad influence on the quality of education. |
| A．not all students take part in music classes |
| B．students with great success attend music classes |
| C．students having music classes are better in all courses |
| D．music plays an important role in students’ academic success |
| A．Different cultures have different styles of music. |
| B．Music makes cross-country communication possible. |
| C．Japan has a good international relationship with America. |
| D．Japanese and American students are good at playing the piano. |
| A．Music education in schools | B．How to get music back? |
| C．Music—a bridge to understanding | D．The importance of listening to music |
8 . Smart Kids is a collection of one hundred events scheduled in October. This year, it is experimenting with Pay What You Decide (PWYD). That is, you can decide to pay what you want to or can afford, after you have attended an event. You can pre-book events without paying for a ticket in advance. Here are some of the director’s picks.
Walk on the Wild Side
Not ticketed, Free
Join storyteller Sarah Law to hear science stories about animals. Along the way you’ll meet all sorts of beautiful creatures and discover life cycles and food chains. Best suited to children aged 5-9. Children under 8 must be accompanied by an adult.
Introduction to Waves
Pre-book, PWYD
Subjects range from sound waves to gravity waves, and from waves of light to crashing waves on the ocean. Mike Goldsmith explores the fundamental features shared by all waves in the natural world.
Science in the Field
Not ticketed, Free
This storytelling night features a scientist sharing his favourite memories of gathering first-hand data on various field trips. Come along for inspiring and informative stories straight from the scientist’s mouth. Join Mark Samuels to find out more in this fun-filled workshop.
Festival Dinner
Pre-book, £25 per person
Whether you want to explore more about food, or just fancy a talk over a meal, join us to mark the first science festival in London. Which foods should you eat to trick your brain into thinking that you are full? Find out more from Tom Crawford.
1. In which event can you decide the payment?| A．Introduction to Waves. | B．Walk on the Wild Side. |
| C．Science in the Field. | D．Festival Dinner. |
| A．Mike Goldsmith. | B．Sarah Law. |
| C．Mark Samuels. | D．Tom Crawford. |
| A．Family-based. | B．Science-related. |
| C．Picked by children. | D．Filled with adventures. |
9 . Growing up, Deka Ismail says she let labels define what she could be. “I was a black girl, from a refugee (难民) family,” Deka said. “It was as if I was only allowed to explore in this predetermined box.”
After a high school chemistry class inspired her to think about a career in science and gave her confidence in the field, Deka learned to live outside labels and began making big plans for her future. Now she is about to begin her freshman year at the University of California, planning to become a professor.
Born and raised in San Diego’s City Heights neighbourhood, Deka is the daughter of a Somali refugee couple. While some might say Delta’s success happened in spite of her background, she would say differently, that her experiences shaped her and inspired her to be the driven, young scientist that she is today.
When Deka was eight years old, her mother got a job by studying hard back in school in order to support the whole family. That made Deka realize that education could make a difference to one’s life. She spent a lot of time in the library reading books, and didn’t do many of the things her peers did, like partying or having romantic relationships.
“I always felt like I had to be the perfect girl for my family,” Deka said. “You have to not even do your best but two times better than everyone else. I felt like the whole world was waiting for me to mess up.”
Delta’s efforts paid off. The summer before her senior year of high school, she was accepted to the American Chemical Society Project SEED Programme. “She brought both enthusiasm and focus,” Botham, a researcher at this research institute, recalled. “She arrived every day ready to work, ready to learn and ready to tackle new challenges regardless of whether or not she had done anything similar.”
When asked what advice she would give to others like her, Deka warned them not to underestimate themselves. “Don’t tell yourself that the scholarship is too big or this programme is too competitive or I'll never get into this school,” she said. “I was not sure whether I could make it until I started seeing the acceptance letters rolling in.”
1. From the passage, we can learn that ________.| A．Deka was adopted by a refugee family | B．Deka spent a lot of time going to parties |
| C．Deka became a professor after graduation | D．Deka’s experiences drove her to work hard |
| A．from her mother’s experience | B．after her chemistry class |
| C．by reading books in the library | D．through working at the institute |
| A．patient | B．confident | C．ambitious | D．generous |
| A．Life is not all roses. | B．Practice makes perfect. |
| C．Well begun is half done. | D．Hard work leads to success. |
10 . I decided to ski to the North Pole. It was after I saw an advertisement in a newspaper looking for people to join a team to ski 350 miles to the North Pole. Back in 1996, there had never been a woman from the UK who had accomplished this challenge. I wondered what it would be like to survive in temperatures cold enough to freeze your flesh in seconds, so I sent off for the application form.
The application form full of pictures of male explorers arrived. The words "Are you man enough for the ultimate (终极的) challenge?" made me angry and even more determined to get on the team.
Over 500 individuals applied for a place in the team, and the selection process included physical and psychological tests designed to pick the best group. In one test, there was a huge rope ladder we had to climb, and I froze at the top because I have a fear of heights. I thought my hopes were fading as most other applicants sailed past, leaving me behind. But two others helped me over, and later I found out that the organizers were not looking for amazing individuals, but great team players, and this moment had shown them who would take care of others in the team.
I had revealed (显示) my weakness, and in a place like the Arctic, you have to be yourself, as there is nowhere to hide. There personalities of asking for help and showing weakness are necessary for women to master.
I realized that by being myself, I could succeed. I was selected for the team. I realized that I could achieve more than I ever imagined—more importantly, by sharing my story with others, I could inspire them to take a step into the new world and reveal more of their abilities.
1. How did the author react on seeing the advertisement?| A．She got cross. | B．She was determined. |
| C．She got frightened. | D．She was uninterested. |
| A．Personal quality. | B．Individual ability. |
| C．Spirit of teamwork. | D．Courage to challenge. |
| A．Beneficia1. | B．Shamefu1. |
| C．Mercifu1. | D．Disturbing. |
| A．To inspire us to prepare for our future goa1. |
| B．To advise women to turn to others. |
| C．To make suggestions to her team members. |
| D．To encourage people to explore the unknown. |
