1 . Researchers at the DogStudies lab at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History have shown that dogs may possess some metacognitive (元认知) abilities. Specifically, when they do not have enough information to solve a problem, they will actively look for more information, similarly to primates (灵长类).
In a recent study, project leader Julia Belger explored whether dogs have metacognitive abilities. To test this, the researchers designed a device involving two V-shaped fences. A reward, either food or a toy, would be placed by one researcher behind one of the two fences while another researcher held the dogs. In some cases, the dogs could see where the reward was placed, while in others, the dogs could not. The researchers then analyzed how frequently the dogs looked through the gap in the fence before choosing an option.
The researchers found that the dogs did check significantly more often for the reward when they had not seen where it was placed. These results show that dogs do tend to actively seek extra information when they have not seen where the reward is concealed.
The results did not allow the researchers to say definitively whether dogs possess meta-cognition, though they displayed some evidence for it. Julia said, “For humans, vision is an important information gathering sense. In this case, our experiment was based on a checking action relying on sight, but the dogs probably also used their sense of smell when checking through the gap. We know that smell is very important to dogs and we could see that they were using it.”
Julia added, “In future, we would like to develop an experiment to investigate under what circumstances dogs decide to use their sense of smell versus sight. This may give us additional insights into their information seeking abilities.”
1. What ability may dogs have according to the study?| A．To offer information like primates. | B．To use their skills to find more food. |
| C．To seek information to solve a problem. | D．To ask for help before choosing an option. |
| A．Decorated. | B．Hidden. | C．Produced. | D．Purchased. |
| A．Uncertain. | B．Friendly. | C．Negative. | D．Critical. |
| A．Environment and technology. | B．Humans and nature. |
| C．Literature and culture. | D．Society and life. |
2 . Have you ever loved a destination but couldn’t figure out why — or even a way ——to express your feelings? That’s my dilemma with Morocco.
In August, I traveled in a country that had long been, on my wish list. I rode a camel, got lost in Medinas, and ate more couscous (粗麦粉) than was humanly possible.
I loved the trip. Our friendly guide introduced us to the helpful locals. I made friends with my tour mates and my roommate (which, on a tour, is a huge blessing). I loved being lost in the smell of different spices, and the chaos of millions of people and the dark red of the Sahara were all I wanted them to be.
There were many moments when I felt like a fish out of water and things didn’t go my way. But I take pleasure in those moments because it’s when you are pushed out of your comfort zone that you grow. Morocco lived up to all my expectations, but for some reason, my experience has been hard to express. Why?
One constant in my travels is that of a touchstone, one defining point where the trip all comes together and acts as a prism (三棱镜) for everything the journey represented . In Costa Rica，it was getting lost in a jungle. In Thailand, it was meeting those five people who changed my life.
I’m so inconsistent about Morocco because I lack that touchstone. There’s no “whoa” moment. But I have thousands of little ones - staring at a million stars in the blackness of the desert, discovering new foods with some amazing Australians on my tour, and befriending the fish sellers.
1. What does the author regard as a huge blessing?| A．Going on a guided trip. |
| B．Having a helpful guide. |
| C．Being warmly received by the local people. |
| D．Getting along well with the fellow travelers. |
| A．To prove Morocco lacks the touchstone. |
| B．To show his reliance on the touchstone. |
| C．To compare Morocco with Costa Rica and Thailand. |
| D．To share his experience in Costa Rica and Thailand. |
| A．The lack of big moments. |
| B．The little “whoa” moments. |
| C．Meeting with five Thai people. |
| D．Making friends with Australians. |
| A．Unpleasant travel in Morocco. |
| B．Finding a touchstone on travel. |
| C．Reflection on traveling in Morocco. |
| D．Lack of special moments in Morocco. |
3 . I saw my first tree today. Dad used to tell me stories about the trees that still existed when he was a boy. There weren’t very many even then, with the urbanization program in full swing.
The O’Brien home was one of the few examples of old-style wooden structures that hadn’t been destroyed in Boston’s urban-renewal campaign. The family had been able to avoid this because of its wealth and political influence, and the house was passed on through generations to the present. Old man O’Brien had no children, so when he died, the Urban Center bought it. Then an official discovered that the house had a backyard-in the yard was a live tree!
When the news of the tree’s discovery leaked out, quite a few sightseers stopped by to have a look at it, and the local government, realizing the money-making potential, began charging admission and advertising the place. By now it had become a favorite spot for family trips like ours.
Dad paid the fee and we walked through a doorway hidden in a bookshelf and into the backyard. I just couldn’t help noticing the tree!
It was located at one end of the yard, with a fence around it for protection. It was similar in form to the plastic trees I’d seen, but there was much more. You could see details more delicate than in any artificially made plant. And it was alive. But best of all was the smell-fresh, living smell, unfamiliar to the world outside with metal, plastic, and glass. I wanted to touch the bark, but the fence prevented me from doing so.
On the way back, I read through the brochures. One part said the O’Brien home would be torn down next year to make room for some insurance building, and the tree will have to go, too.
I just sat still, fingering the object in my pocket that I had picked in the O’Brien’s backyard. I think it’s called an acorn (橡子).
1. Why could the tree in the O’Brien’s backyard survive till today?| A．It possessed some special characteristics. |
| B．It had a very strong fence around to protect it. |
| C．It was preserved together with the house by its owner. |
| D．It got the local government’s attention as a tourist attraction. |
| A．Annoyed. | B．Calm. | C．Excited. | D．Upset. |
| A．Social progress and urbanization come at a cost. |
| B．Social progress should give way to nature protection. |
| C．Humans value nature protection over social progress. |
| D．Urbanization has more advantages than disadvantages. |
4 . Researchers found that sleep deprivation（剥夺）has something with overeating. They studied 17 healthy men and women for 11 days and nights in a lab, where researchers recorded their every movement and recorded everything they ate. That way, researchers could make calculations of how much energy the participants were taking in and how much they were burning off through activities.
After a three-day baseline period, one group was freely assigned to sleep and wake whenever they wanted for eight days, while another was woken up after only two-thirds of their usual sleep time—that amounted to about 80 minutes less sleep per night on average. The group that experienced such restricted sleep tended to eat more the following day, adding 549 extra calories to their usual diet, while those who slept as much as they wanted ate about the same on each of the eight experiment days as they did during the three-day baseline period.
The poorly sleeping group was likely to gain weight over the long term, if their sleep was continually restricted, since they didn't burn any more calories than their better sleeping counterparts. That may help explain why previous studies have found that shift workers who work at night and sleep during the day tend to gain more weight than day workers: their disturbed sleep pattern may enhance them to eat more while they don't expend any more energy to work off the added calories.
Therefore, it's important for people to remember that the relationship between sleep, eating and weight is a complex one. Getting a sufficient amount of sleep each night may play an important role in regulating how much we eat and how many calories we burn, and it may also help determine when we eat. Eating when we should be sleeping may increase the risk of weight gain, as the body is more likely to turn nighttime calories into fat rather than burning them off.
1. According to the researchers, there is a link between________.| A．sleep and health | B．sleep and activities |
| C．sleep and energy | D．sleep and overeating |
| A．eat less the following day | B．eat more the following day |
| C．wake earlier the following day | D．wake later the following day |
| A．burn more calories | B．work at night |
| C．gain more weight | D．eat more than others |
| A．the body can turn calories into fat at night |
| B．it is dangerous for people to gain weight |
| C．people should eat less to ensure a good sleep |
| D．people should pay attention to the relations between sleep, eating and weight |
5 . Daphne Soares, a biologist, makes an amazing discovery about alligators. The first time she got really close to an alligator (短吻鳄) was when she was helping to bold down an eight-foot American alligator. It was then that she noticed is face was covered with little black spots. This led to the discovery of the little black dots.
She started her study of the black dots. When she read the books and scientific journals, she learned that people had noticed the dots, but no one really knew what the dots were for.
To find out the secret she placed electrodes (电极) on nerves coming from some of the dots. When the nerves fired, they sent a message to the brain and created a tiny electric current. Just then she heard a small sound over a loudspeaker. She tired to see if the dots acted like eyes and temperature sensors, but nothing worked.
One day she was careless with dropping a tool into an alligator’s tank. When she put her hand in the tank to get the tool out, she made small waves in the water. When they reached the alligator’s face, she heard a noise over the speaker. She then realized that the dots must be sensitive to the changes in pressure when hit by waves of water.
After that, she is now studying blind cavefish. She is trying to learn whether they are blind from birth or lose their sight as they grow up. She is also doing more research on crocodilians (鳄目). She wants to find out how the genes of alligators with pressure sensors only on their faces differ from the genes of crocodilians that have pressure sensors all over their body.
1. Why did Daphne Soares first get close to the alligator?| A．To observe its black dots. | B．To find the secret of its dots. |
| C．To help others to hold it up. | D．To prevent it from moving. |
| A．A little noise was sent out. | B．An electric current created a message. |
| C．The nerves were on fire suddenly. | D．The nerves sensed temperature changes. |
| A．By experiment. | B．By reference. |
| C．By accident. | D．By comparison. |
| A．Cavefish lose sight as they grow up. |
| B．Daphne Soares devotes her energy to research work. |
| C．Alligator’s genes are the same as crocodilian’s. |
| D．Daphne Soares discovered a new species of alligator. |
6 . Research is done all the time and most of it goes straight by us, but sometimes we come across some results that are too interesting not to share. It can be fun to find out about new facts, but sometimes you come across things you’d rather not have known. Luckily, we’ve got some fun facts for you today! It turns out that your hand can tell you a lot about your personality. It’s really quite strange. This research mostly focuses on your fingers.
The secret lies in your ring finger and index finger（食指）. It can say a lot about what kind of man you are. Yes, this test only applies to men because the length of these fingers indicates the level of testosterone（睾酮）in men. There are three types: A, B and C.
A. The ring finger is longer than the index finger
We’re talking about handsome men here. They’re charming and can get along with everyone. Yet they are a little more aggressive and are quick to take risks. This also means that these people often make more money than their colleagues with a shorter ring finger.
B. The ring finger is shorter than the index finger
Men with these hands are very confident and can even be a little self-loving. These people have no trouble being alone often and don’t like being disturbed. When it comes to love, they do not take a risk out there a lot. They’re not the ones to make the first move.
C. The ring finger and index finger are the same lengths
Maybe this says enough already. Men with these hands are good mediators（调停者）, devoted and loving. Everything is balanced with these people. They’re calm and everything seems to run smoothly, as if it’s all organised.
1. Why does the author think the hands are strange?| A．We know nothing about them. | B．Both the hands are different. |
| C．They can let out the personality. | D．Some facts about them are fun. |
| A．The length of the fingers. | B．The existence of testosterone. |
| C．The ability to handle things. | D．The requirement of patience. |
| A．They are attractive. | B．They are confident. |
| C．They are devoted. | D．They are aggressive. |
| A．The new use of the fingers | B．The latest research into the hands |
| C．The three categories of the fingers | D．The secret of ring and index fingers |
7 . Every Bachelor of Arts major faces the dilemma about the language they have to take to meet the foreign language requirement. JMU offers a variety of languages, from French to Ancient Greek and Italian. Any of them would be great, but Spanish is the most beneficial language to learn.
Spanish is the second most spoken language in the world, with around 460 million native speakers. It’s the official language of over 20 countries, and in the United States, there are 41 million speakers. These statistics give you the perfect reason to learn Spanish as an international language.
One of the best reasons to learn Spanish is that it makes one more employable. There’s a place for Spanish in every career field. Doctors will have patients that speak Spanish, financial traders will buy stocks from Latin American companies and journalists will provide content written in Spanish.
Spanish is known as the starting block for learning other Romance languages. Many of the words and phrases used in Italian, French and Latin are similar to each other. For example, the Italian word for "thank you" is "grazie". and the Spanish word for "thank you" is“gracias". The Portuguese word for "hello" is "ola "，and the Spanish word for "hello" is “hola”.
There are so many amazing resources available for learning Spanish. A popular method that most people use is the app Duolingo because it’s convenient and great. A similar method is listening to a podcast (播客)，like Coffee Break Spanish that tailors podcasts for different Spanish levels. Both of these options don't break the bank either because they' re free.
JMU also offers opportunities to practice Spanish speaking. The Spanish Club meets every week to discuss culture, practice speaking Spanish and plan events. The Foreign Language Department organizes language tables where students can practice conversational Spanish with other students. Sigma Delta Pi is a Spanish honor society for students who study Spanish.
1. What 's the difficulty for the Bachelor of Arts students?| A．Meeting all the requirements of their school. |
| B．Choosing the foreign language they should take. |
| C．Knowing about the benefits of learning Spanish. |
| D．Finding the best ways to learn a foreign language. |
| A．good Spanish speakers can get better jobs |
| B．every career has strict rules for its workers |
| C．Spanish has wide applications in different fields |
| D．employable people are often multi-language speakers |
| A．Romance languages are some ancient languages |
| B．a word has many different meanings in Spanish |
| C．there is quite much polite speech in Spanish |
| D．Italian speakers can learn Spanish easily |
| A．Popular customs in Spain. |
| B．Some online Spanish resources. |
| C．Some ways of learning Spanish. |
| D．The advantages of learning Spanish. |
8 . Every week in China, millions of people will sit in front of their TVs watching teenagers compete for the title Character Hero, which is a Chinese-style spelling bee. In this challenge, young competitors must write Chinese characters by hand. To prepare for the competition, the competitors usually spend months studying dictionaries.
Perhaps the show’s popularity should not be a surprise. Along with gunpowder and paper, many Chinese people consider the creation of Chinese calligraphy(书法) to be one of their primary contributions to civilization. Unfortunately, all over the country, Chinese people are forgetting how to write their own language without computerized help. Software on smart phones and computers allows users to type in the basic sound of the word using the Latin alphabet. The correct character is chosen from a list. The result? It’s possible to recognize characters without remembering how to write them.
But there’s still hope for the paint brush. China’s Education Ministry wants children to spend more time learning how to write.
In one Beijing primary school we visited, students practice calligraphy every day inside a specially decorated classroom with traditional Chinese paintings hanging on the walls. Soft music plays as a group of six-year-olds dip brush pens into black ink. They look up at the blackboard often to study their teacher’s examples before carefully attempting to reproduce those characters on thin rice paper. “If adults can survive without using handwriting, why bother to teach it now?” we ask the calligraphy teacher, Shen Bin. “The ability to write characters is part of Chinese tradition and culture,” she reasons. “Students must learn now so they don’t forget when they grow up.” says the teacher.
1. What can we learn about the Character Hero?| A．It’s open to people of all ages and all walks. |
| B．It’s the most-viewed TV programs in China. |
| C．It aims to spread Chinese culture to the world. |
| D．It draws great public attention across the country. |
| A．Chinese people don’t refer to dictionaries very often. |
| B．Chinese people no longer use brush pens or practice calligraphy. |
| C．Chinese people are using the Latin alphabet instead of the characters. |
| D．Chinese people needn’t write by hand as often with the help of technology. |
| A．necessary for adults to survive in China |
| B．a requirement made by the Education Ministry |
| C．helpful to keep Chinese tradition and culture alive |
| D．an ability to be developed only when you are students |
| A．A news report. | B．A science report. |
| C．An advertisement. | D．Children’s literature. |
9 . Next-generation fitness equipment and robots help you cook dinner. Those are a few of the countless new products expected to be shown next week at CES, the annual tech conference that typically sets the tone for the biggest trends of the year. Home automation, health and 5G will once again be hot topics, but many companies will also introduce pandemic-specific features to reflect our increased time at home.
Each year, reporters, exhibitors and investors typically explore Las Vegas showrooms filled with giant TVs, smart cars and robots, but CES will be online only for the first time in its 54-year history due to Covid-19.
The Consumer Technology Association, the nonprofit behind the four-day event starting Monday, said 1,800 exhibitors from around the world will fill its "digital venue" this year—a number that's down significantly from 4,000 in-person exhibitors last year. The move will allow tech companies from countries which have never attended before to take part in the online exhibition, but could also make it harder for smaller companies to get noticed without a physical showroom.
Registered attendees will be able to stream and re-watch keynotes from companies such as Verizon (VZ) and General Motors (GM), tune in to breakout sessions — about how, for example, technology is playing a role in vaccine deployment—and search through a registry of exhibitors to watch new product presentations.
It'll lack some of the signature ingredients of the trade show, such as hands-on time with the latest small machines and networking. But the technology that makes our lives more connected and convenient will still gain popularity.
1. What are the new products mainly connected with?| A．People’s daily life. | B．Everyday busy work. |
| C．The popularity of 5G. | D．Countless housework. |
| A．It takes place every two years. | B．It attracts fewer exhibitors this year. |
| C．It is held mainly on the Internet. | D．It prohibits small companies to attend. |
| A．Supportive. | B．Disappointed. | C．Doubtful. | D．Casual. |
| A．A brochure. | B．A textbook. | C．A newspaper. | D．A guidebook. |
10 . Friday was "Chatty Bus day", an experiment aimed at getting people to talk to each other on public transport. This is not an idea that would appeal to those who commute in the rush hour, because there is a smaller distance within which it's just as uncomfortable to talk. Elbow(肘) room is a precondition for sociability. It is no coincidence that the first truly personal music player, the Sony Walkman, was invented in Japan where the commuter trains are literally crowded with people.
We will also not talk to strangers who are physically too far away, of course. No one wants to shout their small talk. Only on country buses or similar unhurried and uncrowded forms of public transport can people reach out to their neighbors, confident that they are doing so from a position of strength and autonomy.
For all these drawbacks, the idea of talking to strangers is still a good one, and the promotion of sociability is good for society. Although it does seem to be a general rule that people are friendlier the fewer there are of them and more hostile and indifferent as cities get more crowded, there are still considerable cultural variations. And there is evidence that friendlier places are also healthier, and their inhabitants happier.
It is true that the apparent loneliness of many people on public transport is a false impression.
Many will be caught up with conversations with distant friends on their phones; some will be talking to the people in books. Some may be in willed solitude with their headphones. But there are always people who would be interested in an unexpected conversation with a stranger. This need not go on for too long.
It is not large and possibly life-changing conversations that are what most people in loneliness miss most. What they really need is not deep thought but superficiality. The kind of conversation that you could have with anyone reminds you that you yourself might be anyone. It is a release from the prison of the self, which is where lonely people serve their sentences, uncertain whether they ever can be paroled(假释). Friendship may be too rare a gift to hope for, but sometimes the kindest thing to say is also the simplest: "Don't be a stranger"-and sometimes that's also enough.
1. According to Paragraph 1, why the first Walkman appeared in Japan partly?| A．its corporate culture |
| B．its overcrowded public transport |
| C．its people's creativity |
| D．its people's desire for personal space |
| A．"Chatty Bus day" has not been introduced to other areas. |
| B．Walkman prevents passengers from talking to each other. |
| C．Passengers are unwilling to make small talk with strangers. |
| D．Improper physical distance discourages casual communication. |
| A．Small talk to strangers will help ease loneliness on the road. |
| B．Lonely people are in desperate need of deep conversation. |
| C．People in less populated cities tend to be cold and distant. |
| D．It's inadvisable to talk to strangers who are physically too close. |
| A．To cast new light on human loneliness. |
| B．To introduce an experiment and its effects. |
| C．To advocate striking up conversations with strangers. |
| D．To explore the relationship between physical distance and willingness to reach out. |
