1 . Have you ever walked through a door and thought to yourself, “What was I going to do?” If you have, you are not alone. Psychologists believe that walking through a door and entering another room creates a “mental block” in the brain. This is generally referred to as the doorway effect.
In the early years of brain research, scientists thought that human memory was like a closet, with many sections in which we could store little boxes of experiences from our lives. Boxes would remain there forever, and whenever we had to look into them, we could just go to that particular section and find that box of memory.
Beautiful as this description of human memory formation sounds, it is not true. Our brain is much more complex than that. Psychological studies suggest that our memories are episodic(情节性的)in general. If you think back on anything, you’ll probably quickly realize our memories don’t function as clear narratives. Instead, they’re more episodic and divided into parts.
A new research led by psychologist Oliver Baumann from Bond University in Australia suggests that it’s not so much the doorways that cause a memory wipe, as moving from one location to a significantly different one—it’s the abrupt change of scene that prepares our minds for something new. “A good example is moving around in a department store,” says Baumann, “Taking the elevator between floors may have no effect on our memory, but moving from the store to the parking lot might cause us to forget something that we need to buy.”
Baumann also points out that a busy and perhaps overloaded brain does seem to play some part in this phenomenon. In other words, walking through open doors is thought to reset memory to make room for a new episode.
The good news is that experiencing such forgettable episodes after entering another room does not tell you anything about your memory and intelligence. So when you enter a room and suddenly forget why you are there, you should not think that Alzheimer’s disease is creeping up on you!
1. Which of the following would most probably be “doorway effect”?A.You missed a call and forgot to ring back. |
B.You read a book and forget what it is about. |
C.You entered the office and forgot what to get. |
D.You saw a man years ago and forget who he is now. |
A.All memories are linked in the brain. |
B.Memories are clearly separated in the brain. |
C.Not all the memories can be found in the brain. |
D.Memories are stored in particular sections of the brain. |
A.Taking an elevator stimulates new memory. |
B.Walking through open doors results in memory loss. |
C.A sudden change of the scene boosts intelligence development. |
D.An overloaded brain increases the possibility of doorway effect. |
A.Insignificant. | B.Beneficial. |
C.Influential. | D.Damaging. |
2 . There was an oak tree in my yard, close to where neighbors parked their cars. One day I saw a big bird surrounding a baby squirrel(松鼠), as if
In
The very next day I received a
I was impressed by the example set by everyone concerned and what
A.parenting | B.hunting | C.defending | D.coaching |
A.certain | B.free | C.likely | D.willing |
A.car | B.relative | C.branch | D.neighbor |
A.delight | B.anxiety | C.despair | D.curiosity |
A.imagine | B.judge | C.record | D.see |
A.explain | B.prevent | C.witness | D.investigate |
A.take responsibility | B.make changes | C.turn over | D.back up |
A.confused | B.kind | C.active | D.scared |
A.conflicts | B.examination | C.exchanges | D.reflection |
A.in relief | B.with fear | C.in regret | D.with anger |
A.surprised | B.inspired | C.guided | D.comforted |
A.ticket | B.letter | C.receipt | D.call |
A.mixed | B.thrilled | C.displeased | D.unexpected |
A.sponsor | B.cover | C.admit | D.release |
A.justice | B.optimism | C.forgiveness | D.sympathy |
3 . What are pillows really stuffed with? Not physically, but symbolically? The question occurred to me with the photos in the news and social media from the 50 cities around the world that staged public celebrations for International Pillow Fight Day. Armed with nothing more than bring-our-own sacrificial cushions, strangers struck heavily each other in playful feather from Amsterdam to Atlanta, Warsaw to Washington DC. But why? Is there anything more to this delightful celebration?
As a cultural sign, the pillow is deceptively soft. Since at least the 16th Century, the humble pillow has been given unexpected meanings. The Chinese playwright Tang Xianzu tells a famous story about a wise man who meets a depressed young scholar at an inn and offers him a magic pillow filled with the most vivid dreams of a seemingly more fulfilling life. When the young man awakens to discover that his happy 50-year dream has in fact come and gone in the short space of an afternoon’s nap, our impression of the pillow’s power shifts from wonder to terror.
Subsequent writers have likewise seized upon the pillow. When the 19th-Century English novelist Charlotte Bronte poetically observed “a ruffled (不平的) mind makes a restless pillow”, she didn’t just change the expected order of the adjectives and nouns, but instead she made unclear the boundaries between mind and matter — the thing resting and the thing rested upon.
It’s a trick perhaps Bronte learned from the Renaissance philosopher Montaigne, who once insisted that “ignorance is the softest pillow on which a man can rest his head”. On Montaigne’s thinking, intelligence and happiness confront each other forever in a pillow fight that only one can win.
With the words of Tang. Bronte, and Montaigne, we can perhaps more easily measure the attraction of the global pillow fight. Like a ritual of release, the annual international pillow fight amounts to a kind of cleansing, a brushing off of daily worries: an emptying of the world’s collective mind. Rather than a launch-pad for weightless rest, the pillow is a symbol of heavy thought: an anchor that drags the world’s soul down — one that must be lightened.
1. The example of Tang Xianzu is used to illustrate that ________.A.pillows give people satisfactory dreams |
B.dreams are always wonderful while the real world is cruel |
C.people’s impression of pillows changes from wonder to terror |
D.pillows symbolically convey the meaning in contrast to their soft appearance |
A.wrote poems about pillows |
B.regarded pillows as reflections of our minds |
C.shared the same viewpoint as Tang Xianzu on pillows |
D.was likely to have been influenced by the thoughts of the Renaissance |
A.pillows give us comfort |
B.pillows make people more intelligent |
C.people with too many thoughts have less inner peace |
D.people can easily fall asleep when they know nothing |
A.Because it is a ritual release. |
B.Because it makes life delightful. |
C.Because it comforts restless minds. |
D.Because it contains a profound meaning of life. |
4 . In my early teens, I was once given a film camera as a gift. On receiving it, I jumped on my bike, headed to Wimbledon Common and took photos, just for me: photos of trees and wildlife. I was out all day. On my way home I spotted a tree lit up by street lighting and tried to capture its splendour. Rushing home, I popped the spent film in a special little envelope and sent it off to a photography store, desperate to see how it came out. I took many photos then and loved the fact that when you processed your film you got back colour photos which froze the precious moments, gently encouraging the hobby and the payments for processing.
As I grew into adulthood, that simple, deep happiness gradually faded away. One weekend when I was busy answering the work calls, my eyes caught a box in the corner of the room. I suddenly felt a sense of sadness. The stress growing over these years had pushed the camera from beside my pillow to the box in the corner. I thought I needed a change.
I took out the camera and dusted it down. It was a great joy that it still worked. I bought new film and took the camera everywhere I went. Now it is always on hand to accompany me on journeys, to allow me time to myself. Even if the day is full and busy, I can seize some moments for myself to take photos, to observe the world around me.
The wall of my room now holds all my camera equipment along with photos I’ve taken. To me, the room represents how I’ve found happiness: by reconnecting to the younger part of myself I laid aside, by allowing room in my life for pleasure to exist, and by creating an environment that allows opportunities for delight.
1. What did the author think of taking photos as a young boy?A.Inspiring and practical. | B.Troublesome yet delightful. |
C.Complicated yet engaging. | D.Thrilling and rewarding. |
A.He was struck by sudden sorrow. |
B.He was faced with increasing pressure. |
C.He intended to focus on his work |
D.He attempted to behave like an adult. |
A.More enjoyment in the daily routine. | B.New journeys in the wild. |
C.Better skills of observation. | D.Different styles of photography. |
A.Revisiting Lost Childhood Memories |
B.Appreciating Beauty Behind the Lens |
C.Regaining Pleasure Through Photography |
D.Escaping Teenage Sadness with Camera |
5 . My son’s seventh birthday is approaching, so conversation at my house has naturally turned to organizing his party.
For his sixth birthday, we booked the local trampoline(蹦床) park. This worked out well. But the whole event cost us hundreds of pounds. This year, I’m trying to convince him that the dinosaur-themed park down the road offers just as much fun—and you don’t even need to wear special socks! This will be cheaper, because we aren’t required to hire a space—we can simply buy tickets for his mates.
But I still keep pondering over one thing—party bags. Why should a bunch of seven-year-olds, who have already been treated to a day out and a mountain of sugar, also be handed a bag full of pound-shop gifts for simply bothering to show up?
Party bags are an environmental disaster. I reckon my son attends 20 parties per year, and at each party there are 20 kids in attendance, which means 400 plastic bags in total. Within these 400 bags are perhaps 800 plastic toys, almost all of which fall apart on the journey home and then get binned instantly. The waste is shocking, and I don’t want to be part of it.
I know there are some party bag alternatives: one couple I know covered a table with Mr. Men books and got the kids to choose one each. At another party, I saw the hosts fill a bucket with soft toys and crumpled newspaper, and do a lucky dip (抽奖). Admirable efforts.
Even if that is a nice try, and even if the contents in the party bags don’t fall apart, so what? Will our guests think more highly of our child because of the party bags from our party? Will my child’s ability to make and keep friends be improved?
Well, the tradition for kid’s party bags ends with me, and it ends here, and it ends now. Who’s with me?
1. Why does the author recommend the dinosaur-themed park?A.Because it’s more enjoyable. | B.Because it provides socks. |
C.Because it can reduce cost. | D.Because it offers free tickets. |
A.Gifts brought by guests. | B.Gifts prepared by hosts. |
C.Gifts distributed by parks. | D.Gift a donated by charities. |
A.Intolerant. | B.Objective. | C.Favorable. | D.In different. |
A.Be recycled. | B.Be repaired. | C.Be thrown away. | D.Be given away. |
6 . Researchers set up an experiment in which 5-year-olds were tested with their fellows under different circumstances of transparency (透明) and different audiences. They set up a sticker machine that in some settings was transparent, and other settings in which only the giver of stickers knew how many stickers he could give. They had children give out stickers in both settings. The results were striking: children were consistently generous only when the receiver and audience of the stickers were fully aware of the donation options. Children were notably ungenerous when the receiver of stickers couldn’t see the options.
The researchers said, “Children only showed consistently pro-social behavior in our study in the condition when they could see the receiver and their allocations (分配物) were fully visible; in all other conditions, children were statistically ungenerous, giving the receiver the smaller amount of stickers.”
They made the conclusions that at a very early age, children are learning how to position themselves socially. Well before they apprehend the sociology of their networks and what social reputation really means, they think strategically about giving as a function of how they can gain a reputation with a peer as a generous citizen or pro-social agent when the receiver observes them.
Children change their behavior in response to having an audience. Help children give to others in full view, delivering meals to families, and in private, dropping off treats or surprises for those who need support without signing their names. Also, children should be reminded that thank-you notes are lovely but unnecessary to receive. When we give gifts or lend help to others, try to help children remember why—to provide something for another. It really doesn’t have to be recognized. When a thank-you card doesn’t come, it doesn’t make a gift any less valuable or meaningful for those who were lucky enough to receive.
1. What did the researchers discover?A.The givers’ behavior greatly inspired the receivers to help in return. |
B.The children gave out an equal number of stickers in both settings. |
C.The presence of an audience affected children’s decisions to give. |
D.Donating helped children to become more generous in the future. |
A.Observing the givers. | B.Donating more stickers. |
C.Gaining a reputation. | D.Receiving more allocations. |
A.Share. | B.Predict. | C.Confirm. | D.Understand. |
A.To suggest recognizing others’ kindness. | B.To acknowledge the giver’s contribution. |
C.To confirm the benefits of being grateful. | D.To advise inspiring generosity in children. |
7 . While the rest of us are sleeping, freshwater turtles (龟) from Central America to Asia are getting out of the water and basking (月光浴) at night. There have been reports of this behavior before, but now a new study is the first to document the widespread occurrence. The findings suggest this may be a common and almost entirely overlooked aspect of many species’ ecology.
Dr. Donald McKnight, one of the researchers, said he and a colleague first observed freshwater turtles night basking at the Ross River in Townsville, Australia. “We think it’s related to temperature. The water is staying so warm at night that it’s actually warmer than the turtles like to be and they can cool down by coming out of the water,” says McKnight.
For the study, researchers put cameras to watch the night activity of as many freshwater turtle species as possible. The cameras were set up in 25 locations. They were programmed to take a photo every two minutes. They collected data on 29 species of freshwater turtles.
It would be lovely to think the turtles are just enjoying some leisure time when things are quiet. But the researchers note that in most cases, the turtles got out of water when the water was too warm and the air was cooler. Given the warming planet, that’s admittedly a bit depressing. However, not all of the nighttime baskers were escaping too-warm water. According to the study, turtles in India exhibited more basking on cooler nights, rather than warmer nights, and those in Africa spent more time basking at night in winter than in summer. The reasons for these differences are unclear. It may be that at some sites or seasons, turtles are escaping unfavourably warm water temperatures, while at others, they are taking advantage of the warm air to increase their body temperature and escape unfavourably cold water.
Regardless of the “why” behind different species’ reasons for midnight basking, it’s a fascinating look at behaviors not previously documented by scientists. And it is at least encouraging to know that turtles are figuring out important behaviors tied to climate change.
1. Why do the freshwater turtles from Australia get out of water at night?A.To search for extra food. |
B.To avoid natural enemies. |
C.To cool themselves down. |
D.To enjoy the quietness outside. |
A.How the study was conducted. |
B.What the study brought about. |
C.Why the study was carried out. |
D.Where the study was made. |
A.Turtles in Africa flee water often on summer nights. |
B.The water is unfavorable for turtles to survive in India |
C.The reasons for turtles’ different behaviors are obvious. |
D.Night basking is caused by the change of water temperature. |
A.Skeptical. | B.Positive. |
C.Surprised. | D.Desperate. |
8 . Twenty years ago, I drove a taxi for living. One night, I took a fare (出租车乘客) at 2:30 AM. When I arrived to collect, sanding on the side way was a small woman in her 80s with a big suitcase.
After I helped her into the taxi she gave me an address and asked, “Could you drive through downtown?” “It is not the shortest way,” I answered quickly. “I don’t mind,” She said, “I’m in no hurry. I’m on my way to a hospice (临终安养院).” I looked in the rear-view mirror (后视镜). Her eyes were wet. I quietly reached over and shut off he meter (计价器). “What route would you like me to take?” I asked.
For the next two hours, we drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newly married. She had me stop in front of a shabby house, where she had gone dancing as a girl. Sometimes she asked me to slow in front of a particular building and sat staring into the darkness, saying nothing. At last, she said, “I’m tired. Let’s go now.”
We drove in silence to the destination. It was a grey low building.
“How much do I owe you?” She asked, reaching into her purse. “Nothing,” I said. Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held on to me tightly and whispered a “Thank you”. I squeezed her hand and walked into the dim morning light. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life.
I didn’t pick up any more passengers, but drove aimlessly, lost in thought. What if that woman had come across an impatient driver? What if I had refused to drive through downtown? Great moments often catch us unaware, beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.
1. What caused the author to shut off the meter?A.His distrust of the fare. | B.His pity for the woman. |
C.The breakdown of the meter. | D.The cold weather at midnight. |
A.To find a place to settle down. |
B.To reach the destination on time. |
C.To kill time before the hospice opened. |
D.To see the city for last time. |
A.Giving is always a pleasure. |
B.People should respect elderly people. |
C.A small act of kindness brings people great joy. |
D.Strangers are family you haven’t known yet. |
A.Positive and energetic. | B.Helping and humorous. |
C.Sensitive and patient. | D.Kind-hearted but demanding. |
A.A taxi ride I will never forget |
B.My strange driving experience |
C.The ending of an old woman’s life |
D.An old woman passenger and her life |
9 . Besides “wow” and “great”, what else would you say when flying over the Earth in space? Samantha Cristoforetti, the first Italian female astronaut in space, posted several lines of a famous ancient Chinese composition on Twitter to share her joy.
She first wrote in Chinese, and then attached an accurate translation of the lines in both Italian and English to help more people understand. “Looking up, I see the immensity of the cosmos; bowing my head, I look at the multitude of the world. The gaze flies, the heart expands, the joy of the senses can reach its peak, and indeed, this is true happiness,” it says. Two days before she landed on Earth, the beauty of space and Chinese literature resonated on her Twitter account. Before long, her posts went viral on Twitter with thousands of retweets, likes and replies.
The text she quoted is from the Preface to Poems Composed at the Orchid Pavilion,a Chinese calligraphy masterpiece by Wang Xizhi (303-361) of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420). She also attached three photos taken in space of China’s Bohai Bay and the day-night view of Beijing. “The poem and views are both magnificent as well as healing. If everyone could enjoy the same sight, a lot of pain in the world would be ‘dissipated’,” one user comments.
As the first Italian female astronaut in space, Cristoforetti carried out her first space mission on Nov 23, 2014. In 2022, she started the second mission in April and returned to Earth on Friday night after a 127-day stay in orbit.
Cristoforetti has also been active in Sino-European cooperation in the field of manned spaceflight. She was a working group member with Chinese counterparts to define and implement cooperation in the field of astronaut operations. When not traveling for work, she is an eager reader and has a great passion for languages. Speaking clear Chinese, Cristoforetti once told the media that the teams from China and Europe were working very well together in the field of astronaut training.
1. What is the result of Cristoforetti’s post online?A.The birth of a masterpiece. |
B.A trend of journey to space. |
C.An instant hot issue on Twitter. |
D.Different translations of the lines. |
A.Relieved. | B.Caused. |
C.Increased. | D.Recognized. |
A.Cristoforetti’s devotion to her career. |
B.Cristoforetti’s language learning strategies. |
C.The leadership Cristoforetti plays in her team. |
D.The possible motivation for Cristoforetti’s post. |
A.A female astronaut becomes online star |
B.A Chinese poem gets popular abroad |
C.Literature conveys the beauty of space |
D.An Italian astronaut promotes Sino-European cooperation |
10 . Thinking about the past week, did any of you forget where you put your phone? Did you have a word stuck on the tip of your tongue? You couldn’t remember the name of the movie a friend recommended? What is going on here? Is your memory failing?
It’s not.
The other has something to do with stimulus(刺激物). For example, the tip of the tongue is one of the most common experiences of memory failure.
So when you walk into a room and suddenly don’t know why you’re there, you’re not going crazy or getting Alzheimer’s disease, and your memory isn’t terrible. Go back to the room you were in before you landed in this one and imagine the clues that were there.
A.One necessary factor is attention. |
B.It’s doing exactly what it's supposed to do. |
C.These imperfections are simply the factory settings. |
D.Our brains tend to remember what is meaningful and forget what isn’t. |
E.You’re trying to come up with a word, but you cannot find it in your memory. |
F.It will instantly deliver what you were completely confused about a moment ago. |
G.Memory is amazing and is essential for the functioning of almost everything we do. |