1 . Childhood can bring a lot of awe (敬畏). Research also suggests that awe is important in promoting well-being beyond our individual lives — it can encourage our children to care for others.

A recent study by researchers Eftychia Stamkou, Keltner, and their colleagues invited children aged 8-13 to take part in an experiment. In the awe group, children were offered a short part of a movie that features a child transformed into a seal (海豹) and exploring the sea while in the joy group, children were offered a short part of another movie where friends were celebrating.

Researchers measured children’s kindness toward poor families by inviting children to support their food drive by spending as much time as they wanted in counting donated things, to make sure the poor got access to the donated food as quickly as possible. They also invited children to donate the reward they earned from taking part in the research (e.g., a snack or a museum ticket) to a poor family.

The results? Children who watched the awe-inspiring video spent more time counting food donations and donated their rewards to poor families more often compared to the children who watched the joy-inspiring video. These findings highlight that awe-inspiring art can motivate children to be sympathetic toward people who have been forcibly displaced (离开家园) from their countries of origin.

As parents, we can also seek out everyday experiences of awe in our communities to share with our children, like wall paintings of the city scenery and folk art. Awe can be inspired by music, like the harmonious sounds of a wooden guitar and the beat of a drum. Awesome architecture, like symphony halls, museums, and even features like staircases, can be a way to experience awe with our children.

1. What does the research find?

A．Awe should be inspired early.	B．Awe helps kids be more generous.
C．Individual lives affect kids’ health.	D．Training awe gives kids excitement.

2. What do we know about the children in the experiment?

A．They watched different movies.	B．They commented on the videos.
C．They were asked some questions.	D．They donated money to poor families.

3. Why did the awe group support the food drive more?

A．They learned this from a video.	B．They were motivated by the movie.
C．They liked to contribute to charity.	D．They were reminded by the homeless.

4. What does the author intend to do in the last paragraph?

A．Give reasons for feeling awe.	B．List experiences of awe.
C．Show benefits of awe to kids.	D．Appeal for developing awe in kids.

2 . ACL 500 Word Story Competition

We are pleased to announce the launch of the ACL 500 Word Story Competition. This time the theme is “Awakening”. We’re looking for our community to pen a story that quickly catches our attention and tells a great tale. You can submit (提交) an entry as an individual achievement or as a team effort — we want to read both kinds! Our judges will include a range of our experienced instructors, staff and local Essex Author Sarah Armstrong.

Sarah Armstrong is the author of three novels, most recently The Wolves of Leninsky Prospekt and The Starlings of Bucharest, the first and second in the Moscow Wolves series. She is also the author of A Summer of Spying, a book mainly about her own experience. Sarah teaches undergraduate and postgraduate creative writing with The Open University, and lives in Essex with her husband and four children.

Rules:
◆ Your story can be a poem, an essay or any other kinds of writing.
◆ Entries will need to be in a Word format. PDF files are unacceptable.
◆ Please ensure your story is suitable for all to read.
◆ Use the given submission form to submit your details and story. The deadline for submissions is 12th April.
Benefits:
◆ Prizes include a book voucher (代金券), a short creative writing course, and your work published.
◆ Discover new and exciting skills at writing while exploring your creative writing and sharing inspirational moments with others. We have a fantastic range of Creative Writing courses for you to choose from.
1. What do we know about the competition?

A．It’s organized in honor of Sarah Armstrong.

B．It looks for both individual and group works.

C．It aims to awaken an interest in writing.

D．It’s targeted at undergraduates and postgraduates.

2. Which is a requirement for the entries?

A．They should be submitted as a Word file.	B．They must be poems or essays.
C．They must be based on personal experience.	D．They should be about life in Essex.

3. What can participants get?

A．A voucher for a course.	B．An expert training class by Sarah.
C．A vast range of courses.	D．An improvement to writing skills.

3 . It is a well-known fact that not all animals have the ability to instantly recognize themselves in the mirror. However, a few animals can recognize themselves, such as dolphins, Asian elephants, and of course humans! A species of fish with the ability to recognize itself in the mirror is commonly known as the cleaner fish.

Found in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, cleaner fish exist as “cleaning stations” for other fish (known as hosts). They “clean” the dead skin and parasites (寄生虫) from other fish. This is of benefit for cleaner fish, which get a meal, as well as for the other fish species, which are freed from parasites. Such a type of relationship is known as mutualism.

Recently, a group of scientists in Japan found that cleaner fish might have the ability to identify (识别) themselves in photographs! It was already known that cleaner fish could recognize themselves in mirrors and would attack unknown cleaner fish. So, the team wanted to test whether the same was seen in the case of photos as well.

Thus, the team of scientists showed four types of photos to the cleaner fish. The first type was a photo of themselves, while the second involved an unknown cleaner fish. The third type of picture was a photo of an unknown cleaner fish with the fish’s own face edited onto it. The fourth type of photo included its own body but with the face of an unknown cleaner fish.

They found that cleaner fish attacked only those photographs which did not have their own faces. This result was similar to the ability of humans to recognize each other based on their faces and not by their bodies.

This study suggests that self-awareness may be far more widespread among animals than scientists once thought. People shouldn’t be surprised that fish could have a sense of self given that they have already been shown to have complex behavior including tool use and planning.

1. What does the underlined word “mutualism” probably mean in paragraph 2?

A．A host-parasite relationship.	B．A master-servant relationship.
C．Dependence on each other.	D．Beneficial cleaning behavior.

2. What is the new finding about cleaner fish?

A．They can identify themselves in the mirror.

B．They can recognize themselves in the images.

C．They have the same sense of self as humans.

D．They have a better sense of self than some animals.

3. Which types of photos would cleaner fish most probably attack?

A．The first and second types.	B．The second and fourth types.
C．The first and third types.	D．The second and third types.

4. What is the author’s attitude toward the study?

A．Unclear.

B．Doubtful.

C．Supportive.

D．Unconcerned.

4 . Explore more in Thailand’s parts unknown

Thailand’s southern beaches attract travelers worldwide, but there’s more to explore in the Southeast Asian country.

Ban Krut for beach fans

In Ban Krut, travelers will find one of the cleanest and quietest white sandy beaches within driving distance of the capital, Bangkok. This sleepy seaside community, known mostly by locals, is a five-hour drive or six-hour train trip down the Gulf of Thailand. Don’t miss the great Wat Tang Sai, a Buddhist temple located on Thong Chai Mountain.

Lopburi for history lovers

Lopburi, one of Thailand’s oldest cities, is home to Khmer-era temples and the uncrowded ruins of King Narai’s Palace, which was built in the 1600s. It’s also known for the monkeys that gather at Phra Prang Sam Yot temple in the center of town. A tip: Keep a safe distance from the monkeys and hide anything you don’t want them to steal.

Cave (洞穴) for holiday hikers

Hiking trails, wetlands and forests make Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park a weekend adventure worthy of topping your Thailand to-do list. The park’s crown jewel is the amazing Phraya Nakhon Cave. Outdoorsy travelers can camp in a park or choose better rooms in the nearby tourist town of Hua Hin.

Car rental costs about $20 per day, and an international driver’s permit is required. You can also hire a driver at most major car rental companies, book a taxi or explore by train.

1. What do we know about Ban Krut?

A．It is a crowded tourist destination.

B．It is where Wat Tang Sai is located.

C．It is the cleanest and quietest beach.

D．It is known to the people nationwide.

2. What will happen if you get close to monkeys in Lopburi?

A．They might stare at you curiously.

B．They might suddenly hide themselves.

C．They might offer you a friendly wave.

D．They might take away your belongings.

3. Which of the following best suits people who enjoy adventures?

A．The Thong Chai Mountain.

B．The tourist town of Hua Hin.

C．The Phra Prang Sam Yot temple.

D．Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park.

5 . Humiliation (蒙羞). Many of us have experienced that fearful feeling of just wanting the ground to open up and get down, right?     1     But what is humiliation, and how can we move on from it?

Humiliation is quite often compared to the feeling of shame. Shame is more of a private feeling of regret and dishonor, which results from having said or done something wrong or stupid. For example, a good person will feel ‘shameful’ for speaking or doing something mean to a friend.     2     However, the case of humiliation differs. It is described as a strong feeling that comes with loss of self-respect. Imagine your workmates shock you by unfairly calling you out on your work during a meeting with your boss. Or your friend may look down upon you by questioning your knowledge in a hobby or interest in front of your other friends.     3         

So, how can you deal with it? According to psychologist Robert J. Sternberg, there are a few steps you can take. First, you must accept the humiliation and realize you’re not the only one who has felt like this.     4     Also, don’t immediately try and fight back for ‘round 2’ —often humiliation isn’t personal. 

Lastly, resilience (恢复力) seems to be extremely important. Some people say: “What doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger”.     5     Why not use the disadvantage as motivation (动力) to become a better worker or learn more about that hobby or interest? It could be an opportunity to start spending more time in doing something you love. That way it may have an unexpected benefit.

A．While humiliation probably won’t kill you, it can hurt.

B．It occurs when someone decides to make us feel small.

C．It makes that person feel bad and regretful of his behavior.

D．Therefore, talk to others who have experienced it and move on.

E．Thus, this article helps to understand this painful private feeling.

F．The presence of others is the key factor—a public dressing-down.

G．So, take the challenge to make it known to the public and fight back.

6 . When it comes to ways to burn calories, few people think of chewing. But about 3% of the daily energy we burn comes from chewing foods, a new study finds. That's far less than walking or even digesting, but it may have been enough to reshape the faces of our distant ancestors.

Scientists have long suspected our jaw size and tooth shape evolved to make chewing more efficient. As our ancestors shifted their diet to foods that were easier to chew and developed technologies such as chopping (切碎) and cooking to reduce the time and effort spent chewing, the jaw size and tooth shape changed, too, shrinking compared with other primates (灵长目动物). But without knowing how much daily energy we spend chewing, it’s difficult to determine whether saving energy is also a factor in driving these evolutionary changes.

So in the new study, researchers put 21 men and women in a special device—a bubble-like helmet. They then gave the participants a flavorless, calorie-free gum to chew for 15 minutes. While the participants were chewing, the device showed that CO₂ levels in their breath rose, indicating their bodies were working harder. When the gum was soft, the metabolism (新陈代谢) of the participants rose by an average of 10%; chewing hard gum required15% more energy than resting.

This finding is essentially a proof of concept: before the arrival of cooking and tool use, early humans likely spent a lot more time chewing, according to study co-author Amanda Henry. Besides, calculating the energy cost of human chewing could give a glimpse into the evolutionary strategies of other hominids (原始人). For example, Australopithecus—a hominid that lived in Africa between 2 million and 4 million years ago—had teeth with chewing surfaces four times larger than modern humans and massive jaw muscles. They must have spent more energy on chewing, and the new study is a first step to calculating how much.

But in the view of Callum Ross, an anatomist at the University of Chicago, energetics alone can hardly explain the way jaws and teeth evolved over time. Other factors—such as jaw shape that minimized tooth breakage or wear, for example—might have been more important. “Natural selection probably cares more about not wearing your teeth out than energy efficiency,” he says.

1. What did the researchers want to know through the new research?

A．Whether chewing caused certain evolutionary changes.

B．Whether cooking ways reduced the nutrition in some food.

C．Whether food varieties affected our ancestors’ development.

D．Whether our facial characteristics differed from other primates'.

2. What’s the function of the bubble-like helmet?

A．To record the participants’ facial movements.

B．To help the participants speed up their metabolism.

C．To reveal how chewing gum could save more energy.

D．To show how much energy the participants used while chewing.

3. What does the author want to convey in paragraph 4?

A．The application of the finding.	B．The significance of the finding.
C．The limitations of the research.	D．The difficulties of further research.

4. What is Callum Ross’ attitude towards the research finding?

A．Unconcerned.

B．Confused.

C．Doubtful.

D．Supportive.

7 . As most Americans spend at least 50% of their food budget dining out, public criticism falls on restaurants to help consumers make healthier food choices. The Menu Labeling Final Rule has come into effect, requiring restaurants with more than 20 locations to show the calories of food on menus.

By representing these values in a discrepant way — using physically larger numbers on the page for lower-calorie options, and smaller numbers for high-calorie foods — businesses can shift customers’ preferences toward healthier food, according to Ruiying Cai from the Washington State University.

In their study, Cai and her colleagues asked participants to choose between a less healthy item and a healthier option after randomly assigning them to two groups. In the first group, calorie counts and font sizes rose and fell together. In the second group, the size became larger as the calorie count fell. Researchers also asked participants questions to assess their health-consciousness.

Results showed participants in the second group, who saw low calorie counts printed in large sizes, were more likely to adopt the healthier option. Moreover, less health- conscious participants were the most affected, while people with more health awareness were less influenced since they already favored healthier food.

This research adjusted customer behaviors by creating a Stroop effect. Named after psychologist J. Ridley Stroop, the Stroop effect refers to a delay in reaction to mismatch in its classic form. For example, if the word “purple” is written in green, it takes respondents longer time to identify the color than if the word and the color match. Similarly, the effect is observed when the physical size of the number does not match its number in this study.

“Restaurants are interested in encouraging customers to make healthier choices,” Cai said. However, simply labeling the food as healthy may not have the intended effect. “Healthy food items could be profitable for restaurants, but whenever a ‘healthy’ label is attached, people may assume it does not taste good,” she explained. “We’re trying to provide restaurants with indirect suggestions, rather than saying it out loud.”

1. What does the underlined word “discrepant” in paragraph 2mean?

A．Creative.

B．Relative

C．Conflicting

D．Misleading

2. Which of the following type of customers would be affected most from the research?

A．Strict diet followers.	B．Convenience food fans.
C．Homema de meal lovers.	D．Health magazine readers.

3. What is paragraph 5 mainly about?

A．The significance of research results.	B．The measurement of response delays.
C．The psychological basis of the study design.	D．The influential variations of the Stroop effect.

4. Which of the following might be Cai’s suggestion for restaurants?

A．Use font magic to drive healthier choices.

B．Pay more attention to the taste of the food.

C．Create a quiet dining atmosphere for customers.

D．Attach “healthy” labels to the food on the menu.

8 . Confidence plays a very important role in people’s life. It gives people light when they are in dark and encouragement when they are discouraged. It is the first step on the road to success. People who look confident seem to grab more rewarding careers, maintain better relationships, and may make miracles in the face of insurmountable (不可逾越的) difficulties.

So what is the secret of confidence? In fact, there is no secret. Self-confidence is a skill and habit that everyone can learn to develop.     1    

You can try these simple tips for practicing and increasing our confidence levels: First, dare to fail. Anybody who’s out there genuinely striving is going to fail repeatedly.     2    Only when we face up to our difficulties can we build up our confidence and give ourselves a chance of success.

    3     You don’t have to be beautiful to be confident. Make the most of your own unique strengths and pay less attention to your weaknesses so that you know you’re giving out your best image.

Third, listen to yourself; do not look down on yourself. You are the only person who knows what is right for yourself.     4    

Last, build a confidence vocabulary. Stop putting yourself down, and quit constantly mentioning your tiny flaws. Learn to highlight your positive qualities and the world will learn to see and appreciate them too.

Confidence is a plant that grows slowly.     5     Only when we have enough confidence in ourselves can we take the first step on the road to success.

A．It is built, not inborn.

B．Second, dress your success.

C．If you are not failing, you are not trying.

D．Second, neglect your drawbacks completely.

E．Don’t put others’ opinion above your own inner voice.

F．It encourages us to go to great lengths to achieve our goals.

G．We should build confidence through constant and patient effort.

9 . When I looked at my to-do list recently, I noticed that it was all over the place. It’s hard to tell which tasks are a priority. Some are urgent and some can wait.     1    

Is there a more effective way to write my to-do list? I’ve talked to time management experts. Here are some useful tips.

Follow the two-minute rule. If it takes less than two minutes, just do it right then and there.     2     Remember it and do it.

Break each task into smaller ones.     3     And what ends up happening is that we don’t get them done because we aren’t expressing them in a doable form. For example, I want to retile my floor. That’s not a to-do list item because there are too many steps packed into one big goal. Instead, I should break the project into smaller action items like “pick tiles”.

    4     Take one of your existing to-do list tasks and ask “why” repeatedly. For example, why do I want to retile my floor? To make my apartment look better. Why? Because a beautiful space makes me feel good. Finally, you get to something that feels like a bedrock value of your life. And if you don’t, that’s a sign that the task is unimportant.

Try assigning a task to a time of day.     5     For example, you might write your novel from 11 a. m. to 2 p. m., go shopping from 2 p. m. to 3:30 p. m. and do the cleaning from 3:30 to 4 p. m. This method can narrow down how much you can do in a day.

A．Decide what’s important.

B．Add big goals to your to-do list.

C．It’s not worth the time to write it down.

D．Choose to write your to-do list on paper.

E．Some are quick to complete, and others take more time.

F．People aren’t specific enough when they write items on their to-do lists.

G．Look at your schedule and figure out when you can get your task done.

10 . It’s a struggle for many of us to get out of the sedentary (久坐的) lifestyle, despite our best intentions.     1    , the biggest barriers are mental ones. Maybe it’s a lack of self-confidence that keeps you from taking positive steps, or you get easily discouraged and give up.

You already know there are many ways and great reasons to exercise — from improving mood, sleep, and health to reducing anxiety. But knowing how and why to exercise can’t get you starting and sticking to your exercise plan.     2    , you need to follow these steps which can make exercise less painful and more fun.

● Get rid of the all-or-nothing attitude. You don’t have to spend hours in a gym or force yourself into boring or painful activities you hate to experience the physical and emotional benefits of exercise.     3    . In fact, adding just tiny amounts of physical activity to your weekly routine can have a great effect on your mental and physical health.

● Be kind to yourself. Don’t punish yourself if you miss a workout.     4    . If you miss a day, consider it a rest day, and remember there’s always tomorrow. If you have a hard time sticking with your workout routine, just try something different. There are plenty of ways to stay active, and at the end of the day, you will find an exercise routine that works for you.

●     5    . You are not out of shape overnight, and you’re not going to instantly transform your body either. Demanding too much, too soon only leads to dissatisfaction. Instead of paying attention only to results, focus on consistency (连贯性).

A．Let it go and be patient

B．Share the results with others

C．Have reasonable expectations

D．If you really want to make exercise a habit

E．Remember a little exercise is better than nothing

F．If you are having trouble in finding an exercise to do on a daily basis

G．While practical concerns like a busy schedule can make exercise challenging