1 . The Great PowerPoint Panic of 2003.

Sixteen minutes before touchdown on the morning of February 1, 2003, the space shuttle Columbia (“哥伦比亚”号航天飞机)______ into the cloudless East Texas sky. All seven astronauts aboard were killed. As the shattered shuttle flew toward Earth in pieces, it looked to its live TV viewers like a swarm of shooting stars.

The immediate ______ of the disaster, a report from a NASA Accident Investigation Board determined that August, was a piece of insulating foam (绝缘泡沫胶) that had broken loose and damaged the shuttle’s left wing soon after liftoff. But the report also   ______ out a less direct, more surprising cause. Engineers had known about - and inappropriately______ - the wing damage long before Columbia’s attempted reentry, but the flaws in their analysis were ______ in a series of overstuffed computer-presentation slides that were shown to NASA officials.

By the start of 2003, the phrase “death by PowerPoint” had well and truly entered the ______ vocabulary. Edward Tufte was the first to have taken it literally: That spring, the Yale statistician published a booklet entitled The Cognitive Style of PowerPoint, whose core argument was that the medium of communication influences the substance of communication. While PowerPoint, as a medium, did not ______ create unclear, lazy presentations, it certainly ______ and sometimes even masked them — with potentially deadly consequences. This is exactly what Tufte saw in the Columbia engineers’ slides.

Wired ran an excerpt (节选) from Tufte’s booklet in September 2003 under the headline “PowerPoint Is Evil.” A few months later, The New York Times Magazine included his assessment — summarized as “PowerPoint Makes You Dumb” — in its ______ of the year’s most important ideas. “Perhaps PowerPoint is uniquely suited to our modern age of confusion,” the entry read.

Despite the backlash it inspired in the ______, the presentation giant rolls on. The program has more monthly users than ever before, well into the hundreds of millions. During lockdown, people ______ PowerPoint parties on Zoom. Kids now make PowerPoint presentations for their parents when they want to get a puppy. If PowerPoint is evil, then evil ______ the world.

On its face at least, the idea that PowerPoint makes us stupid looks like a textbook case of misguided technological doomsaying. Today’s concerns about social media somehow resemble the PowerPoint critique. Both boil down to a worry that new media technologies ______ form over substance, that they are designed to hold our attention rather than to convey truth, and that they make us stupid.

______, concerns about new media rarely seem to make a difference. If the innovation did change the way we think, we are measuring its effects with an altered mind. Either the critical remarks were wrong, or they were so right that we can no longer tell the   ______.

2 . The secrets of long life

A long healthy life is no accident. It begins with good genes, but it also depends on good _________. So what’s the formula for success? In a recent study, scientists have focused on groups living in several regions where exceptional longevity is the normal: Sardinia, Italy, Loma Linda, California, and the islands of Okinawa, Japan.

Sardinians

Why do they live so long? _______ is part of the answer. By 11 a.m. Tonino has already milked four cows, chopped wood and walked four miles with his sheep. Now, taking the day’s first break, he gathers his grown children, grandson, around the kitchen table. Giovanna, his wife, unties a handkerchief containing a paper-thin flatbread called carta da musica, pours some red wine, and cut slices of homemade cheese.

These Sardinians also benefit from their _______ history. According to Paolo Francalacci of the University of Sassari, 80 percent of them are _______the first Sardinians, who arrived in the area 11,000 years ago. Genetic traits made stronger over generations may favor longevity.   _______, too, is a factor. The Sardinians diet is loaded with fruits and vegetables, milk and milk products, fish and wine. Most of these items are homegrown.

Adventists

The study found that the Adventists’ habit of consuming beans, soy milk, tomatoes, and other fruits _______their risk of developing certain cancers. It also suggested that eating whole wheat bread, drinking five glasses of water a day, and, most _______, consuming four servings of nuts a week reduced their risk of heart disease. And it found that not eating red meat had been helpful in avoiding both cancer and heart disease.

Okinawans

The first thing you notice about Ushi Okushima is her _______. It fills the room with pure joy. This rainy afternoon she sits comfortably wrapped in a blue kimono. Her thick hair is combed back from her suntanned face, revealing alert green eyes. Not long ago, she started wearing perfume. When asked about the perfume, she _______that she has a new boyfriend. ________behavior for a young woman, perhaps, but Ushi is 103.

With an average life expectancy of 78 years for men and 86 years for women, Okinawans are among the world’s longest lived people. This is undoubtedly due in part to Okinawans warm and ________ climate and scenic beauty. Senior citizens living in these islands tend to enjoy years ________disabilities. Okinawans have very low rates of cancer and heart disease compared to American seniors.

A lean diet of food grown on the island and a philosophy of ________— may also be a factor. “eat until your stomach is 80 percent full.” may also be factors. Ironically, this healthy way of eating was born of ________. Ushi Okushima grew up barefoot and poor, her family grew sweet potatoes, which formed the core of every meal. During World War II, when the men of the island joined the army, Ushi and her friend Setsuko fled to the center of the island with their children. “We ________ terrible hunger,” Setsuko recalls.

3 . Being a social butterfly just might change your brain: In people with a large network of friends and excellent social skills, certain brain regions are bigger and _______ connected than in people with fewer friends, a new study finds.

The research suggests a _______ between social interactions and brain structure. “We’re interested in how your brain is able to allow you to _______ the right way in complex social environments,” Mary Ann Noonan said, a neuroscientist (神经学家) at Oxford University. Studies in monkeys have shown that brain areas involved in face processing and in predicting the _______ of others are larger in animals living in large social groups than in ones living in smaller groups.

To investigate these brain _______ in humans, Noonan and her colleagues found 18 participants for a structural brain-imaging study. They asked people how many _______ they had experienced in the past month, in order to determine the size of their social networks. As was the case in monkeys, some brain areas were _______ and better connected in people with larger social networks. “These different brain regions are all singing _______ songs,” Noonan said. “ _______ areas are all singing the same song, and when they’re connected better, they’re singing more harmoniously with each other.”

The researchers also tested whether the size of a person’s social network was connected with ________ in white-matter pathways, the nerve fibers (纤维) that connect different brain regions. ________ , they found that white-matter pathways were better connected in people with bigger social networks. “The nerves were more like a Los Angeles freeway than a ________ road,” Noonan said.

The researchers couldn’t say whether social interaction ________ these changes in brain structure and connectivity, or whether the brain determined how social someone was. In the case of the monkeys, the researchers asked and wrote down the size of the animals’ social network, so they ________ that social-group size was causing the brain differences. It can be inferred that a similar process takes place in human brains, but to prove the ________ , long-term studies are needed, Noonan told Live Science.

4 . Pros and Cons of Video Games

_____ to computers has increased significantly over recent decades, and the number of children playing games on computers has increased too.

Pros:

One of the most important and scientifically proven _____ of playing video games is _____ with the improved ability of problem solving and logical skills. Adventure games, puzzles, riddles and other mentally challenging games trigger the brain to think unusually and come up with out-of-the-box ideas. Many popular games require abstract and high-level thinking skills in order to win, skills that may not be _____ at school. For example, children need to follow instructions, solve complex problems, and use logic in some currently popular games.

Another benefit is enhanced levels of hand-eye coordination. Games that are packed _____ action help in improving concentration in children.

Video games nowadays are not only about playtime, _____ are doing well in education as well. How would you feel about learning mathematics if you realize that you are not studying but playing with numbers? It has been surveyed that kids learn more and learn quickly if they are taught with the help of video games. Reportedly, these games help in the _____ of kids with attention deficit disorders.

Nowadays, virtual pet games are _____ popularity. They are designed to help to know how to raise a pet, thereby instilling a _____ of responsibility.

Cons:

The greatest drawback is the risk of ______ . While these games do increase cognitive powers, they distract the children from their studies and take up the time that should be spent exercising or hanging out.

Certain studies have shown that some violence-packed games tend to induce violent behaviour in kids, as they somehow become blind to the difference ______ real life and games on TV or computer.

The addiction to games becomes so intense that people start neglecting the importance of social life. They begin to isolate themselves from the ______ of other people.

Gaming is a sedentary activity and so can lead to obesity or other health problems.

How to minimize the bad effects?

______ minimize these negative impacts, parents need to take certain steps.

Some video games are rated according to their content, so parents must check this and ensure their children are not allowed to ______ unsuitable games. Also, parents should try to join their children in the games so that they can experience the exact feeling of their children while they are playing.

Video games can be a bless or a curse. ______ , if parents take adequate precautions, the negative impacts can be reduced as much as possible.

5 . There are many colors in nature. But do you think that a color has ________? I think you’ll say “no”. But I’m ________ you are wrong. If you don’t believe it, you may do a small experiment.

First, put two objects with the same weight into two boxes. Then ________ the boxes with a thin piece of paper. Third, pack one box with a red piece of paper, and the other one with a white piece of paper. OK. Now hold the boxes with your hands one by one. Without doubt, you will think the red one is a little ________. Why do you think so? A scientist found that different colors have different weights in man’s mind. Red is a special color and seems to weigh more than other colors. Colors also have smell. Can you smell the color? Of course not. But scientists said it did have smell. That is ________ every color stands for a kind of light with a certain wavelength (波长). It reaches our brain through sense organs (器官).

6 . Plants and animals are largely made of water. They need to keep enough water inside them, _________ they could die. So are humans.

We get some of the water we need_________ eating food that has water in it. Drinks, such as   milk and tea, are mostly water, too. A person needs water every day. If we go without water for three or four days, we will lose too much water from our bodies. In very_________ weather, we could lose water more quickly.

What does water do to help our bodies? Water helps to take the nutrition (营养) from food to our bodies. It also helps to _________ the waste from different parts of our bodies.

In our homes, we also need water for many things. We need water to _________, wash or flush (冲) the toilet. About three quarters of the water is used in the bathroom or toilet. The rest is _________ used in the laundry (洗衣房) and kitchen.

_________ does water come from? It comes from rivers and seas. It rises from the rivers and seas to make clouds, and then falls again as _________ and snow. Then it goes underground. The water you drink has been around for millions of years. It just _________ being recycled (循环).

Many people work hard to make sure we always have __________ water in our homes. Water is very important for all living things, so we should use it carefully.

7 . You may have noticed some changes in your grandparents. As they get old, they start   ______things. And the older they get, the _______things they will forget. For example, they may not be able to_______ where they left their glasses, or they may forget the names of their close friends. If you don’t want to ______ memories very early, put down your sandwiches. A new study published in a science magazine shows that cutting calories can ______ people’s (especially the old people’s) memory.

Calorie restriction(热量限制) let lab animals live longer. And these ______ animals seemed to be ______. But it wasn’t clear _______it was the same with people.

In the latest______ , scientists asked 50 elderly women to ______ the number of calories they consumed(吃，喝) by a third. After three months, the _______found that the women were not only _____ , but they were better than they had been at_______ words—they remembered more words than ever, which suggested that keeping calories under ______ could help keep the brain ___________ .

In a word, the less you eat, the more you will remember.

8 . When you turn on the tap (水龙头) in your house, water comes out. This water has _________ a long way. This water comes from rain in the sky. The _________ that water arrives to the tap in your house is called the “water supply”.

Most of the water on the earth is in the _________. This water has a lot of salt in it. We cannot drink this water. Salt water makes us ill. But when the sun shines, it _________ a part of the ocean. This water rises up to make clouds in the sky. The more water rises up, the heavier and larger the clouds become. The clouds will get so heavy and large that they will change colour from white to _________. The water will fall down into rivers and lakes _________ rain and travel back to the sea. This is called the “water cycle”. We use half of the rain water _________ falls over the earth.

There are parts of the world where there is _________ fresh water. In the Arab countries, salt water can be made safe to drink. This is done by freezing or boiling it. The salt is left _________ and the clean water is then taken off. This process (过程) is very __________, but in some areas this is the only way to get clean drinking water.

9 . People usually communicate by speaking or writing. However, some occupations rely on hand gestures to communicate.

Railway workers on the _________ must communicate with other employees such as engineers on the trains. _________ this, they use lanterns or flags. To _________ go’, a railway worker stretches out his arm with the lantern _________ his head and moves the lantern up and down.

Soldiers in battle often cannot hear each other. It has been_________ that soldiers use a complex _________ of gestures to communicate with each other. When a leader wants other soldiers to follow him, he points to them, and then he uses his arm to point _________ the direction they should go. Soldiers in different countries use similar signals so that they can understand each other even if they are not from the same group.

In classical concerts, musicians such as pianists and violinists _________ the directions of the conductor. He or she will direct the other musicians during the song through hand movements and by _________ a small stick known as baton. Therefore, hand gestures also __________ an important role in the orchestra.

10 . Feeling lucky and want to try your luck on the lottery (彩票)? The chances of becoming a millionaire are definitely few   (in fact you are more ___________ to be struck by lightning). But millions of ordinary people, like you or me -- or John Goodman, this week’s lottery millionaire-- regularly buy our tickets, just ___________. Maybe, we too will join the hundreds of people who win jackpots (头奖)on national lotteries every week.

John Goodman, 42, an unemployed father of two from Sweden, is the latest to join the jet set. John was having a quiet drink in his local pub with his mates when his ___________ came up on the TV and he found out he’d won ￡17 million. According to locals, John is already planning to buy the pub.

___________, people like John and his fellow lottery millionaires aren’t the only winners. The turnover (营业额) for the ___________ industry in the UK alone is over ￡42 billion per year-- that’s over ￡115 million a day. And over ￡1.5 billion of this goes to the government in taxes.

The lottery has always been popular with ___________ as a way of raising money. When the British government was looking for ways to spend more on sport and the arts in the 1990s, it ___________ the lottery. When America was recovering from the Civil War, lotteries helped ___________ the building of more than 50 universities, including Harvard and Yale. And over 2,000 years ago in China, the Great Wall was partly paid for with lottery money.

But where there are winners there are also ___________. It is well-known that the poor play the lottery more often than the rich and some ____________ of the lottery call it a tax on the poor. People on ____________ incomes can end up spending hundreds of pounds a year on lottery tickets and some will become lottery addicts. Meanwhile, the rich play it ____________ by investing their money in less risky ways-- buying stocks and shares, ____________.

Large sums of government money go to charities every year and charities certainly ____________ it. But at the same time, when lottery money starts coming in, governments usually ____________ the amount that they normally spend on good causes (事业). This means that many charities, and especially the low profile ones, can suddenly find themselves with a lot less money.

So who actually wins in the end? It’s something to think about next time you find yourself tempted to buy a lottery ticket.