1. Why did the speaker buy a new umbrella?
A.His old one was damaged. | B.He really loved that one. | C.He failed to bring one. |
A.It is beside the Eiffel Tower. | B.It is very close to a bakery. | C.It is within walking distance to Louvre. |
A.To see some artworks. | B.To eat some French food. | C.To meet some good friends. |
1. Where does the conversation take place?
A.At school. | B.At the zoo. | C.At an amusement park. |
A.John was busy. | B.John arrived late. | C.John changed his mind. |
A.He wanted to come alone. | B.He was afraid of roller coasters. | C.He wanted to give her a surprise. |
A.Considerate. | B.Brave. | C.Reliable. |
1. Why does the man turn to the woman?
A.He has to work late. | B.He has to get groceries. | C.He has a package to come. |
A.A box of fruit. | B.Some alcohol. | C.Some sports equipment. |
A.They are under the age of 21. | B.They’ll return home by 3:00 p.m. | C.They’ll practice soccer at 5:00 p.m. |
A.A concert hall. | B.A stadium. | C.A gallery. |
5 . What Do Babies Know?
As Daniel is settled into a highchair and wheeled behind a black screen, a sudden look of worry appeared. His dark blue eyes dart left and right in search of the familiar reassurance of his mother’s face. She calls his name and makes soothing noises, but Daniel senses something unusual is happening. He sucks his fingers for comfort, but finding no solace, his mouth crumples, his body stiffens. This is the usual expression when babies are left alone or abandoned.
Watching infants piece life together, seeing their senses, emotions and motor skills take shape, is a source of mystery and endless fascination at least to parents and developmental psychologists. We can decode their signals of distress or read a million messages into their first smile. But how much do we really know about what’s going on behind those wide, innocent eyes?
Daniel is now engaged in watching video clips of a red toy train on a circular track. The train disappears into a tunnel and emerges on the other side. A hidden device above the screen is tracking Daniel’s eyes as they follow the train and measuring the diameter of his pupils 50 times a second. As the child gets “habituated”, as psychologists call the process— his attention level steadily drops. But it picks up a little whenever some novelty is introduced. The train might be green, or it might be blue. And sometimes an impossible thing happens—the train goes into the tunnel one colour and comes out another.
Variations of experiments like this one, examining infant attention, have been a standard tool of developmental psychology ever since the Swiss pioneer of the field, Jean Piaget, started experimenting on his children in the 1920s. Piaget’s work led him to conclude that infants younger than 9 months have no innate knowledge of how the world works or any sense of “object permanence”(that people and things still exist even when they’re not seen). Instead, babies must gradually construct this knowledge from experience. Piaget’s “constructivist” theories were massively influential on post war educators and psychologists, but over the past 20 years or so they have been largely set aside by a new generation of “nativist” psychologists. They asserted that infants arrive already equipped with some knowledge of the physical world. Nowadays, these smart-baby theories through a rigorous set of tests tend to be more Piagetian. That is, babies know nothing.
1. What can we know about Daniel?A.Daniel’s attention level dropped when he saw a blue train. |
B.Daniel didn’t notice the toy train when it came out of the tunnel. |
C.Daniel’s attention fell when he was accustomed to the changes. |
D.Daniel’s brain activity could be monitored by a special equipment. |
A.Parents are over-estimating what babies know. |
B.Piaget’s theory was rejected by parents in the 1920s. |
C.Baby’s behaviour after being abandoned is not surprising to some extent. |
D.Numerous experiments conducted on infants aims to prove scientists’ hypothesis. |
A.excited | B.bored | C.disappointed | D.distracted |
A.The theories about what babies know changed over time. |
B.Why the experiment that had been done before was rejected. |
C.Infants have the innate knowledge to know the external environment. |
D.Piaget’s “constructivist” theories were massively influential on parents. |
6 . We offer a programme of lectures by members of the MCLL community and other lifelong learning organisations, as well as university faculty members who have been invited to share their research with us on a variety of topics. View Instructions on How to Register Online.
Lecture 1: Social Media and MisinformationTime: Friday, June 9, 10:00 a.m.
Presenter: Richard Harris
Attendance: Online
A retired American IT professional, Richard Harris, will take us deep into a social media’s business model, its differences from traditional media, recent examples of its use for misinformation and possible solutions that respect freedom of expression. A lively round-table discussion not to be missed!
Lecture 2: Global Mental HealthTime: Friday, June 16, 1:00 p.m.
Presenter: Marc Laporta
Attendance: Online
Mental health was known to the public quite late. Many countries are finding ways to reduce its impact, but many factors get in the way. However, progress is visible, and hope is justified. Mare Laporta will discuss different aspects of mental health and exchange ideas about ways to improve the situation.
Lecture 3: The Silk RoadTime: Friday, June 23, 10:00 a.m.
Presenter: George Lapa
Attendance: Online
The Silk Road refers to a network of routes, covering over 6,400 km, used by traders from the Han Dynasty of China who opened trade in 130 BCE until 1453 CE. The exchange of information gave rise to new technologies and innovations that changed the Western world. Topics such as gunpowder, the compass (指南针), paper-making and printing will be presented.
Lecture 4: South to Textile FactoriesTime: Friday, June 30, 10:00 a.m.
Presenter: Muriel Herrington
Attendance: In person
Between 1840 and 1930 a million French-Canadians left Canada to work in the United States. Many were employed in textile (纺织品) factories in the New England states. In these areas they set up communities where they maintained the French language and culture. In this lecture Muriel Herrington will describe their working and living conditions and show their impact.
1. What will the audience attending Lecture 1 do?A.Build a social media’s business model. |
B.Exchange ideas with each other. |
C.Enjoy more respect and freedom. |
D.Contact the presenter in advance. |
A.Marc Laporta. | B.Richard Harris. | C.George Lapa. | D.Muriel Herrington. |
A.The Silk Road. |
B.South to Textile Factories. |
C.Global Mental Health. |
D.Social Media and Misinformation. |
7 . Top Exhibitions to See in London in 2023
Architectural: Vanishing Points
While we like to think of architecture existing purely in the real world, emerging designers and architects are using platforms like Instagram to create structures in the virtual world. This collection of works, which range from the practical to the fantastical, are all by architects who have gathered significant social media followings.
In the Digital Universe at ROCA London. 8 February—31 July, free.
Flowery: Orchids
This annual festival is back in bloom (开花), this time inspired by the beauty and biodiversity of Cameroon. Just like previous years, the orchids are spread throughout the various zones of the Princess of Wales conservatory and accompanied by sculptures that are just as colourful as the flowers on display.
At Kew Gardens. 4 February —5 March, &16.50—entrance to the gardens included.
Female Abstraction: Action, Gesture, Paint
Art history has often shone a light on the men of Abstract Expressionism, such as Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko. Well, now’s the time to let the most important women of the movement take the limelight in an exhibition that includes works by American artists such as Lee Krasner and Helen Frankenthaler, but spreads the net wider to include the female abstract artists from Europe, Asia and the wider world, with whom most of us will be unfamiliar.
At Whitechapel Gallery. 9 February—7 May, £ 16.50—concessions available.
Powerful Portraits (肖像): Alice Neel
The largest UK exhibition to date of American painter Alice Neel’s work will bring together her figurative pieces from across her 60-year career. Neel went against the popular grain by painting figures when abstract works were most popular, and she painted subjects that other artists ignored — pregnant women, labour leaders, black children, civil rights activists and strange performers. It’s high time we had a major show of her work in London, and the Barbican has duly provided.
At Barbican Art Gallery. 16 February—21 May, & 18.
1. Which of the following exhibitions is held once a year?A.Flowery: Orchids. |
B.Powerful Portraits: Alice Neel. |
C.Architectural: Vanishing Points. |
D.Female Abstraction: Action, Gesture, Paint. |
A.On February 8. | B.On January 7. | C.On April 7. | D.On May 8. |
A.She is 60 years old now. |
B.Her works didn’t follow the trend. |
C.She often ignored some common subjects. |
D.She is the most popular American painter in the UK. |
8 . It has been proved that self-care helps people lower stress and get healthier. And another interesting finding has been revealed recently.
Volunteering makes us happier.
Throughout history, cooperation and community have been essential parts of human survival. One reason we feel so rewarded when helping others is that the happiness of those around us has taken root in our survival instinct. According to one study, people who volunteered at least once a month reported better mental health than those who didn’t.
Volunteering increases our sense of purpose.
Typically, the act of volunteering involves taking action and engaging with others. These are two mental health needs shared by most humans, especially people feeling aimless and disconnected.
Volunteering helps manage depression.
Some researchers have discovered a link between volunteering and a lower risk of early death. This effect comes in part from how volunteering can reduce stress and depression, which in turn promotes life span, improved physical health, and better management of chronic(慢性的) diseases.
A.Volunteering cures many diseases. |
B.Volunteering impacts our physical health. |
C.Caring attention towards others also improves our health. |
D.Volunteering also helps reduce sadness or hopelessness. |
E.People who always hold a positive attitude is unlikely to get depressed. |
F.Some even said volunteering made them as happy as having an extra $1,100. |
G.When volunteering, people learn new skills and develop more social connections. |
9 . Anxiety can be treated with medication.
Lavender (薰衣草)
Evidence suggests that lavender may be as effective as medicine in improving common and persistent anxiety.
Researchers found that the smell seemed to help mice relax, allowing them to explore brightly lit and unfamiliar territory.
Talking therapies
Mindfulness
Mindfulness meditation can be an excellent way of returning our anxious mind back to the present. The object of our focus may be the sensations in our body as we sit or walk or breathe or it may be some external stimuli such as sound or an object.
A.We worry for many reasons |
B.It’s thought to make the brain calm |
C.Mice were used in their experiment to test this therapy |
D.Mice not exposed to lavender preferred to hide in the dark |
E.Mindfulness helps us see what is here at the present moment |
F.We can approach anxiety with a kind and courageous attitude |
G.However, experts agree other approaches may also be effective |
10 . The right paint can add appeal to your walls and now it can also make them smarter. Researchers recently transformed a wall into an outsize trackpad and motion sensor by using low-cost conductive paint to create a large grid of electrodes(电极).
Such a smart wall can sense human touch and track gestures from a short distance. It can also detect where electrical equipment is and whether it is switched on. The technology could someday turn on lights when a person enters a room, track a player's motion in an interactive video game or monitor a child's television use. "Walls are everywhere, so why not turn them into sensors for smart homes?" says Yang Zhang, a computer science doctoral student at Carnegie Mellon University. who helped to develop the concept.
To create the high-tech surface, Zhang and his colleagues applied painter's tape in a lattice(格子结构)pattern to a twelve-by-eight-foot wall, and then coated it with commercially available conductive paint. Removing the tape left a pattern of diamond-shaped electrodes, which the researchers connected using thin copper tape strips. Finally, they wired the strips to a custom-built circuit board and covered the wall with standard latex(胶乳) paint. The entire project took four hours and cot less than $200. In theory, Zhang says "Anyone can use the technique to make a wall smart. "
In the wall's appliance-detection mode, the power is turned off. The researchers detected iPads up to 6. 5 feet away from the wall; fans and floor lamps could be sensed from about 10 feet. Zhang and his colleagues presented the wall in April at the ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.
"Engineers have long dreamed of technologies that blend into our surroundings, "says Christiar Holz, a research scientist at Microsoft Research in Redmond, who did not participate in the work. "It nicely questions our understanding of what a device might be and demonstrates how rich sensing technology can combine with everyday objects."
1. What can a smart wall do now according to the passage?A.Detect people' locations. | B.Turn on lights automatically. |
C.Track humans' movements at close range. | D.Monitor a person's television use. |
A.It is easy to build. | B.It benefits people in many ways. |
C.1t is cheap but time-consuming. | D.It adds appeal to the buildings. |
A.Painter's tape and standard latex paint. |
B.A lattice pattern and conductive paint. |
C.A custom-built circuit board and iPads. |
D.Diamond-shaped electrodes and copper tape strips. |
A.Neutral. | B.Negative. |
C.Positive. | D.Unknown. |