1 . Some parents will buy any high-tech toy if they think it will help their child, but researchers said puzzles help children with math-related skills.
Psychologist Susan Levine, an expert on mathematics development in young children at the University of Chicago, found children who play with puzzles between ages 2 and 4 later develop better spatial skills. Puzzle play was found to be a significant predictor of cognition(认知) after controlling for differences in parents’ income, education and the amount of parent talk, Levine said.
The researchers analyzed video recordings of 53 child-parent pairs during everyday activities at home and found children who play with puzzles between 26 and 46 months of age have better spatial skills when assessed at 54 months of age.
“The children who played with puzzles performed better than those who did not, on tasks that assessed their ability to rotate(旋转)and translate shapes,” Levine said in a statement.
The parents were asked to interact with their children as they normally would, and about half of children in the study played with puzzles at one time. Higher-income parents tended to have children play with puzzles more frequently, and both boys and girls who played with puzzles had better spatial skills. However, boys tended to play with more complex puzzles than girls, and the parents of boys provided more spatial language and were more active during puzzle play than parents of girls.
The findings were published in the journal Developmental Science.
1. In which aspect do children benefit from puzzle play?| A．Building confidence. | B．Developing spatial skills. |
| C．Learning self-control. | D．Gaining high-tech knowledge. |
| A．Parents’ age. | B．Children’s imagination. |
| C．Parents’ education. | D．Child-parent relationship. |
| A．They play with puzzles more often. |
| B．They tend to talk less during the game. |
| C．They prefer to use more spatial language. |
| D．They are likely to play with tougher puzzles. |
| A．A mathematical method. | B．A scientific study. |
| C．A woman psychologist | D．A teaching program. |
2 . We look ahead to London’s art and exhibition openings and select the must ─ see shows.
Double science
It’s a big month for the Science Museum, with a new gallery and an exhibition opening. The Science City gallery tells the story of London between 1550 and 1800 when major scientific breakthroughs were happening across the city──from Newton’s laws of physics to the birth of microscopes allowing us to see the tiny creatures that live among us. If that isn’t enough, there’s also an exhibition on how art and science have worked closely together over the centuries and continue to do so today.
Science City 1550──1800: The Linbury Gallery at the Science Museum. Opens 12 September──13 October, free.
The Art of Innovation: From Enlightenment to Dark Matter at the Science Museum. 25 September──26 January, free but ticketed.
Are you worried yet?
We all suffer from anxiety. Artists look into this through artworks that bring to light their own anxieties or how people living with anxiety manage. The exhibition also covers what anxiety would look like if it could be visualised in light or sound──something we imagine to be impossible.
On Edge: Living in an Age of Anxiety at Science Gallery. 19 September──19 January, free.
Climbing the walls
No artist has made a bigger career out of placing sculptures of human figures all over the place. Antony Gormley, the artist behind the Angel of the North and sculptures standing all over London, takes over the Royal Academy of Arts with a blockbusting(轰动一时的) exhibition. This is the hot art ticket in town.
Antony Gormley at Royal Academy of Arts. 21 October──3 December, £18──22.
1. What is on show in the Science City gallery?| A．Some of the greatest physicists. |
| B．The stories of the London development. |
| C．The prediction of the future science. |
| D．Some of the great achievements in history. |
| A．The Art of Innovation. | B．On Edge. |
| C．Royal Academy of Arts. | D．Science City 1550 ─ 1800. |
| A．In January. | B．In September. |
| C．In October. | D．In December. |
3 . Our Teen Summer Spanish Program is two weeks of fun, educational excitement that helps students learn Spanish fast. Our Spanish summer program allows our students to learn from highly trained, certified teachers and be absorbed in the language and the culture of Costa Rica.
Features include:
* Intensive(强化的) daily Spanish classes
* Extracurricular classes in dance, cooking, music, and handiwork
* Outdoor activities including hiking, camping, rafting, and ziplining(高空滑索)
* Homestay with a local Costa Rican family
* Volunteer work in needy neighborhoods
Our Teaching Methods:
We are proud to use TPRS---Total Physical Response Storytelling---in our curriculum. This innovative method uses strange and amusing stories to teach new vocabulary, increase fluency, and get students involved by giving them the opportunity to alter the details themselves. Because of the silliness, creativity, and repetition involved, TPRS allows students to learn easily and remember information effortlessly
Memorizing vocabulary and listening to lectures on grammar are slow, inefficient ways to learn a new language. The best way to truly learn and commit new material to memory is through conversation. In our Spanish classes, students can expect to speak up to 80% of each class. By speaking in the new language freely and consistently, students can see progress faster because they are using the new grammar and vocabulary that they have learned at the same time. This helps the brain remember the new words and grammar structures for future use, making it much easier to progress.
1. What does the program do?| A．It offers weekly Spanish classes |
| B．It focuses more on outdoor activities |
| C．It gives teachers a chance to receive training |
| D．It provides activities about the Spanish culture |
| A．Memorizing a larger vocabulary |
| B．Speaking more in the new language. |
| C．Mastering more grammar structures |
| D．Writing stories to share with others |
| A．To employ experienced Spanish teacher |
| B．To hire foreign volunteers for a program |
| C．To attract teen foreigners to a program |
| D．To introduce language learning methods |
4 . It’s common knowledge that some countries have higher life expectancies (预期寿命) than others, but the city you live in can also affect your health.
Some cities are hard on their citizens. In places with poor city planning — Lagos was called out recently by the Economist Intelligence Unit — public spaces are few and far between, making outdoor activities hard. Lack of infrastructure (基础设施) jams the streets with cars and the air with pollutants, and people work long hours for little money
These are just some of the factors concluded by Spotahome, a rental agency. They’ve analyzed data from a range of sources, including the World Health Organization, Tripadvisor and the CIA World Factbook to score each city on health, gym availability and quality, life expectancy, obesity (肥胖), green space and other elements to work out a list of the world's healthiest cities
The list is certainly Euro-centric but continuous sunshine is seen as a positive thing, even if it may be more of a disadvantage in other regions. But it does go some way towards suggesting which cities are getting it right in providing a good life for their inhabitants.
It may not be surprising to learn that most of the healthiest cities are in northern Europe, known for its people-first approach to city planning. Australia and Canada also do well — but Alaska, the first U.S. city is only in 34th place. The U.K. doesn’t fare too well either — its only city in the top 50 list is London, in 40th.
Whether you’re planning a wholesome holiday, or simply wondering what your city can do better, this list of the 50 healthiest cities will give you pause for thought. Here are the attractive, healthy-eating, clean-aired cities that are getting it right.
1. Why are some cities difficult to live in according to the text?| A．The air is heavily polluted. | B．There is no city planning. |
| C．Outdoor activities aren’t available. | D．Public places are limited. |
| A．By figuring out the city’s green area. |
| B．By gaining information via various people. |
| C．By analyzing different aspects of the cities. |
| D．By selecting those with the highest life expectancy. |
| A．Form healthy eating habits. |
| B．Choose a right place for a holiday. |
| C．Become aware of attractiveness of cities. |
| D．Reflect the future of the city planning. |
| A．A diary. | B．A guidebook. | C．A novel. | D．A magazine. |
5 . Sitting on the “Roof of the World”, Mount Qomolangma National Nature Reserve is one of the world’s hotspots for biodiversity protection. Mount Qomolangma, also known as Mount Everest, is to be measured again by a Chinese team to make sure its exact height after last official measurement.
“Conducting research and protecting the region can help us learn more about the origin and development of the earth, as well as our human-beings and wildlife,” said Cheng Pengfei, president of the Chinese Academy of Surveying & Mapping (CASM).
The weather in the Mount Qomolangma area changes frequently. While the maximum temperature in the tent is more than 20 degrees Celsius, or even 30 degrees Celsius at noon, it may start snowing in the afternoon, and a gale may spring up at night, even blowing away the tents. Those taking part in the mission are ready for the task after preparing thoroughly at the base camp.
The complex geological environment has formed diverse landforms in the area. Distinctive snow mountains, valleys, rivers, lakes and glaciers can be found. And the unique ecological environment has also established a special biological diversity.
1. What can we learn from the text?| A．The ecological environment around the Mount Everest has nothing to do with its biodiversity. |
| B．The height of Mount Everest has been measured before. |
| C．The weather in Mount Everest area is relatively steady with a small temperature change. |
| D．Learning more about wildlife in the area is one of the most important purposes of the research. |
| A．a name of an animal. | B．a kind of grass. |
| C．a strong wind | D．a name of a machine |
| A．In a geography textbook. | B．In a travelling brochure. |
| C．In a government report. | D．In a newspaper |
6 . How do you know if your home is an easy aim for thefts(偷窃)? Around the holidays, many families don’t consider taking proper measures to prevent their homes from suffering holiday thefts. With just a few simple steps, you can better make sure of the safety of your home during all of the holiday celebrations. Here are a few tips for making it difficult to tell you are away from home.
● Either have a trusted neighbor pick up your mail and newspapers, or tell your mailperson to hold your mail until you return. Nothing says “Hey, we are not home!” like when your postbox is filled with all kinds of mails and you have many different newspapers in your driveway.
● Set several different lights in your house on random timers (随机定时器)。Don’t leave your outdoor lights on all the time. Instead, put your outside lights on timers to be on during the nights. If an outdoor light remains on for days at a time, it means that nobody is home to turn it off.
● If you have pets that you are not taking with you on vacation, leave them with a friend, rather than having someone come into your house every day to take care of them. When thefts see a neighbor or friend entering your house every day, they will know you are not home.
● Close all your curtains when you leave town. This is effective to deter possible thefts, as no one can see what is in your house. If they don’t know what there is to take, then the risk is even greater for them to break in.
● This article just has suggested a few tips to help you keep your house safe while you are on holiday. Nothing can truly protect your home unless you have it monitored by a professional home security system.
1. What is the main idea of the passage?| A．to tell us how to prevent the thefts around the holidays |
| B．to let the outdoor lights on all the time |
| C．to tell us many families suffering from the thefts while they are on holiday |
| D．to tell you to have your neighbor go to your house to take care of your pet. |
| A．be kept on all the night | B．be lit in an irregular way |
| C．be replaced by random timers | D．be turned on only once one day |
| A．Have all the curtains closed |
| B．Equip your home with security system |
| C．Turn to your close neighbors or friends |
| D．Stop your mail service at once |
| A．give a false impression on thefts |
| B．have no effect on preventing thefts |
| C．be very popular with families |
| D．be a little hard to be brought into effect |
7 . Chandler Smith grew up being told that he would never accomplish his dream of being a Division 1 athlete. At 5'8" tall and 195 pounds, Chandler was on the small side to be one of the “greats”. Yet even as a high school athlete he decided to work nonstop to achieve his goals. After being accepted onto the University of Houston football team, Chandler continued to try to make a name for himself on the field.
Chandler sat on the bench for his entire freshman year in college. Sophomore year he saw more action. “I didn’t think I was going to play last year, but I had to always be ready,” he said. At the start of Chandler’s junior year the team’s management pulled him aside and dropped a life-changing, and career-confirming offer in his lap: After three years on the team as a walk-on running back, Smith was being given a full scholarship! “My heart dropped,” Smith said. “I didn't even know what to feel or what to think. It was a feeling of ‘wow’. This is really happening. All my hard work has paid off.”
Chandler called his mother Shawn to tell her the news, but when his father Richard wasn't available, he told her not to spill the beans. Later he went home, and chatted about the football season with his father. “I could be getting the first kickoff,” he told his dad. Without missing a beat, Chandler then slipped in the real news: “Something else dad, they told me they put me on a full scholarship.”
“What?” Richard yelled, jumping from the sofa and wrapping his son in a tight embrace. “Congratulations! Hard work.” Then he walked around the living room, clearly too excited to sit still. “Seeing his reaction, I just broke down in tears because I know this is something we have been talking about and expecting for a long time,” Chandler said. “To finally get it and see the benefits of your hard work felt really good.”
1. How did Chandler make it to the University of Houston football team?| A．He showed his talent. | B．He had strong determination. |
| C．He earned his name. | D．He used physical strengths. |
| A．He was thrilled. | B．He was controlled. |
| C．He was confused. | D．He was satisfied. |
| A．Give away the secret. | B．Throw off the beans.. |
| C．Prepare for the celebration. | D．Hold back the feelings. |
| A．Humorous. | B．Ambitious. | C．Supportive. | D．Demanding. |
8 . An estimated 60 percent of cats and 50 percent of dogs in the U. S. are overweight or obese, so chances are that your pet needs to lose weight rather than pack on some pounds. It's not always easy to tell if your pet could afford to lose few, but there are some other signs that can tip you off. One important factor the waist, "Most people don't know what a normal cat should look like," says Romine. "But cats should have waists, too." The vet says you should be able to feel your pet's ribs（肋骨） through its coat, and when you look down at them, they should have an hourglass（沙漏）shape---just like person.
"For some overweight pets, you may want to switch to new food entirely; foods with 'light' or 'healthy weight' labels usually have an increased fiber content to help the dog or cat feel fuller," Romine notes. "Another option is to feed them less of the food they currently cat," Freeman suggests. "Make sure you're reducing table scraps（残羹剩饭）and high-calorie treats like pet biscuits," she says.
It's important to figure out what your pet's ideal weight is as you're helping them to lose. Romine advises working with your vet to get the right number, and if you're following the portion guidelines often printed on food labels, feed them the amount of food associated with the weight you want them to be, rather than the weight they currently are.
Food isn't the only factor that can impact your pet's weight. Romine stresses the importance of exercise in keeping your pet healthy. For cats, just 10 minutes of indoor play each day can make a difference. For dogs, letting them out in the backyard to do their business is not enough. You'll have to exercise with your dog to really get them moving.
1. What is the problem with the pet from the text?| A．It needs to lose weight. | B．It needs have waists |
| C．It needs to pack on pounds. | D．It needs to be more energetic. |
| A．The food with an decreased fiber. | B．The food from table scraps. |
| C．The food with "light" labels. | D．The food with new label. |
| A．A partner. | B．Exercise. |
| C．Pet biscuits. | D．Protein. |
| A．A biology textbook. | B．A travel brochure. |
| C．A recipe book. | D．pet magazine. |
9 . Many people heard about the “Little Free Library”, which was a movement that let people swap a book for another or take it and bring it back. Now, people are joining in the “Little Free Pantry” idea, which shares a similar value of spreading kindness with mini pantries.
One family who live in Boise, Idaho, have a three-year-old son who wanted to build something for his third birthday, so they decided that they would build a community pantry box that they would share with their neighbors. They felt that they had everything they wanted, so they wanted to give a little something back to the community and help the people in need.
The idea is that the family fill this box up with non-perishable (不易腐的) items, which include tins, toiletries, and other goods. However, it’s meant to be a community give and take, so other people would also contribute to adding to this mini-pantry.
It seems that the idea has taken off in other communities who also want to give a little something back and help those in need. It’s the kind of movement that helps the struggling members of the community, allowing them to live knowing that they can have a can of soup for dinner if they have nothing else. Or that sanitary products are available.
The Millers keep their little pantry going, realizing that it’s emptiest toward the end of the month, so they know that it’s really helping people. They don’t believe that anyone has taken advantage of it and that it’s only helped people.
Various other communities have taken on the mini pantries project in order to spread a little kindness within their community.
1. Why is “Little Free Library” mentioned in the first paragraph?| A．To show the striking difference between it and “Little Free Pantry”. |
| B．To help readers have a better understanding of “Little Free Pantry”. |
| C．To encourage people to take “Little Free Library” as an example. |
| D．To prove that most people are just so kind as to help those in need. |
| A．To let others know about their son’s birthday. |
| B．To show that they lived in great abundance, |
| C．To egress gratitude and offer help to others. |
| D．To test if people in the community are honest. |
| A．Those who can’t go shopping often. | B．Those who want to show kindness. |
| C．Those who want to celebrate birthdays. | D．Those who live in great poverty. |
| A．The community pantry box is always empty. |
| B．People take advantage of others’ kindness. |
| C．More items are badly needed to refill the box. |
| D．It is gaining more and more popularity. |
10 . Humans really do have a sixth sense that lets us detect magnetic fields (磁场), but we’re not aware we have it. It has long been known as ESP, Spider Sense, or the ability to see things before they happen. But now scientists have proved that humans really do have a sixth sense-that lets them detect magnetic fields. Tests have shown that mankind may have the same inborn sense of Earth’s magnetic field that has long been proved to exist in animals.
By putting a protein from the human retina (视网膜) into fruit flies, researchers noticed that the insect adjusted its flight path just as if its eye had not been changed. This suggests that the “sixth sense” does exist in humans but we might not be aware of it. Animals use such sight to navigate long distances during migration or, in the case of birds, to “see” where they are going. The complex tests involved examining the process by which light goes through a bird’s eye, which has interested the scientific community for more than 30 years. In the late 1970s, the physicist Klaus Schulten concluded that birds fly by relying on geomagnetically (地磁) sensitive biochemical reactions in their eyes.
Tests have shown that the special cells in the eye carry out this function using the protein cryptochrome (蛋白隐色素). Professor Reppert’s team used wild fruit flies, replacing their version of cryptochrome with the human equivalent (等价物), and then put them in a maze (迷宫) with each wing wrapped in a metal coil (金属圈). They then sent electricity through it so that the coil was magnetised in a way which is just like Earth’s electromagnetic field (电磁场). The flies responded in exactly the same way as if they had their own cryptochrome, by either avoiding the magnetic fields or moving towards them if the researchers had placed sugar nearby.
The new study was published in the journal Nature Communications.
1. What do we know about humans’ sixth sense?| A．Humans have been aware of it since ancient times. |
| B．It is quite different from the animals’. |
| C．It is the ability to predict what will happen. |
| D．It is also a sense developed after birth. |
| A．To change fruit flies’ flight path. |
| B．To test if humans have a sixth sense. |
| C．To examine the process of birds’ flying. |
| D．To allow researchers detect magnetic fields. |
| A．the maze | B．each wing |
| C．cryptochrome | D．the metal coil |
| A．They responded normally as if there had been nothing changed. |
| B．They couldn’t avoid the magnetic fields like before. |
| C．They lost the sense of direction completely. |
| D．They couldn’t find the sugar the researchers had placed nearby. |
