A new study has found that it may be possible to train people to be more intelligent, increasing the brainpower they had at birth.
Until now,it has been widely assumed that the kind of mental ability that allows us to solve new problems without having any relevant previous experience—what psychologists call fluid intelligence—is innate and cannot be taught(though people can raise their grades on tests of it by practicing).
But in the new study,researchers describe a method for improving this skill,along with experiments to prove it works.
The key, researchers found, was carefully structured training in working memory—the kind that allows memorization of a telephone number just long enough to dial it.This type of memory is closely related to fluid intelligence,so the researchers reasoned that improving it might lead to improvements in fluid intelligence.
First they measured fluid intelligence of volunteers using standard tests.Then they trained each in a complicated memory task—the child’s card game,in which they had to recall a card they saw and heard.During the course, they needed to ignore irrelevant items, monitor ongoing performance,manage two tasks at the same time and connect related items to one another in space and time.
The four groups experienced a half-hour of training daily for 8, 12, 17 and 19 days, respectively.To make sure they were not just improving their test-taking skills,the researchers compared them with control groups that took the tests without the training.
The results, published Monday in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,were striking.Improvement in the trained groups was a lot greater.Moreover,the longer they trained, the higher their scores were.All performers,from the weakest to the strongest,showed significant improvement.
“Our results show you can increase your intelligence with proper training.” said Dr Jaeggi, a co-author of the paper.“No one knows how long the gains will last after training stops,” he added, “and the experiment’s design did not allow the researchers to determine whether more training would continue to produce further gains.”
小題1:.The researchers thought the key to improving the intelligence was ______________.
A.memorizing telephone numbersB.improving working memory
C.training in concentrationD.recalling a card
小題2:.The following aspects of the training help increase intelligence EXCEPT___________.
A.ignoring irrelevant itemsB.monitoring ongoing performance
C.managing two tasks at the same timeD.using previous experience
小題3:.When the experiment was conducted, the researchers______________.
A.trained the four groups for the same period of time
B.only made comparisons between the four groups
C.compared the four groups with control groups
D.trained the four groups together
小題4:.By writing the article,the writer intends to ______________.
A.inform the readers of a new study
B.call on people to be trained to increase intelligence
C.prove one’s born brainpower can be improved
D.tell people the improved intelligence will last forever

小題1:B
小題1:D
小題1:C
小題1:A

小題1:根據(jù)The key, researchers found, was carefully structured training in working memory 可知選B。
小題1:根據(jù)During the course, they needed to ignore irrelevant items, monitor ongoing performance,manage two tasks at the same time and connect related items to one another in space and time.描述可知不包括選項(xiàng)D。
小題1:根據(jù)To make sure they were not just improving their test-taking skills,the researchers compared them with control groups that took the tests without the training.描述可知選C。
小題1:根據(jù)A new study has found that it may be possible to train people to be more intelligent,描述可知選A,通知讀者一向新研究。
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科目:高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Dear editor,
I am Paul , a senior English teacher in Linchuan No. 1 Middle School in Jiangxi Province , China. This letter is written to ask for your opinion.
The other day, I met with a multiple - choice exercise. We teachers argued heatedly with each other over its answer. Unfortunately, neither side could convince the other. The sentence is to be attached at the end of the letter. There is no doubt that the reference answer C is correct. But I don’t  think it is the only answer. Personally, I do think A is also a reasonable choice in sense as well as in grammar, if the case is treated from another aspect.                                
What puzzles me is why we should deal with so many multiple - choice exercises with not rigorous(嚴(yán)謹(jǐn)?shù)模〆nough reference keys. But being a teacher, it’s very important and necessary to make it clear to students which answer is correct, which is more appropriate, and which is the best one. Regrettably, Multiple - choice test, which is a bit old - fashioned in western countries, seems to be quite popular and covers a rather high percentage in all sorts of English tests in China, especially in NMET.
Personally speaking, I don’t think multiple - choice test form making up more than 75 percent of the total scores in college entrance examination is a very good and effective testing method. Instead, more subjective testing forms depending on one’s own thinking and his ability to use the language like key words falling, question answering, paragraph or passage summarizing, English - Chinese or Chinese - English inter - translation, etc. should be applied to English proficiency tests. Through the test forms mentioned above, students’ ability to use the language will be better developed. Consequently, more advanced and outstanding English learners could be picked out. In fact, a test paper focusing on multiple - choice test influences, in a sense, students to form their own language thinking, which hinders(阻礙)the development of their language ability as well. Do you think so?
I am looking forward to your authoritative opinion. Thanks.
Yours sincerely,
Paul Liao
小題1:.
. What can be learnt from the letter is that the writer ________.
A.writes to argue with the editor over China’s present test system
B.thinks the reference answer to the sentence is completely wrong
C.thinks subjective test forms constitute a rather high percentage in NMET
D.doesn’t think highly of China’s present English proficiency test forms
小題2:.
. In order to better develop students’ ability to use English, the writer suggests ________.
A.dealing with more multiple - choice exercises
B.laying stress on the practice of subjective exercises
C.a(chǎn)rguing hotly with teachers over reference answers
D.considering a problem from different aspects
小題3:.
Which of the following does NOT belong to subjective exercises in English learning?
A.Keeping a diary.B.Summarizing a paragraph.
C.Copying a test.D.Translating a passage.
小題4:.
The writer seems to feel ________ as to the future development of students’ language ability.
A.concernedB.curiousC.confusedD.satisfied

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科目:高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

With fears of a possible nuclear meltdown(核反應(yīng)堆堆芯的熔毀) in Japan building up, evidence has come to light that the nation received warnings over the stability of its power plants from an international watchdog more than two years ago.
  As the Telegraph is reporting, an official from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in December 2008 that safety rules were out of date, and strong earthquakes would cause a “serious problem” for the power stations.
  A U.S. embassy document, by quoting(引用)an unnamed expert, states: “He (the IAEA official) explained that safety guides for earthquakes have only been updated three times in the last 35 years and that the IAEA is now re-examining them. Also, the presenter noted recent earthquakes in some cases have gone beyond the design basis for some nuclear plants, and that this is a serious problem that is now driving earthquake safety work.”
  The Telegraph also reports that the government responded to the warnings by building an emergency response center at the Fukushima Daiichi plant designed to resist magnitude-7.0 earthquakes. Friday's earthquake, originally named a magnitude-8.9 shock, has since been upgraded to magnitude-9.0.
  Other nuclear experts state IAEA officials had willingly ignored lessons from the Chernobyl disaster to protect the nuclear industry's expansion, reports Bloomberg. “After Chernobyl, all the force of the nuclear industry was directed to hide this event, for not creating damage to their reputation,”Russian nuclear accident specialist Iouli Andreyev tells Reuters, before noting that radiation from spent fuel rods(棒)stored close to reactors at Fukushima looked like an example of putting profit before safety. “The Japanese were very greedy, and they used every square inch of the space. But when you have a dense(密集的) placing of spent fuel in the basin, you have a high possibility of fire if the water is removed from the basin.”
小題1: From the passage, we know that ____________.
A.people fear that the nuclear meltdown will possibly become more and more serious in Japan
B.people are becoming more and more afraid of a possible nuclear meltdown in Japan
C.Japan made no response to the warnings over the safety of its power plants
D.Iouli Andreyev warned Japan not to store spent fuel rods close to reactors
小題2: Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A.Japan was warned of the stability of its power plants when they were built over 2 years ago.
B.Safety guides for earthquakes should be updated three times in 35 years.
C.The emergency response centre at the Fukushima Daiichi plant can not resist Friday’s
earthquake.
D.IAEA officials advised Japan to ignore lessons from the Chernobyl disaster.
小題3: IAEA officials were willing to ignore lessons from the Chernobyl disaster because they want ________.
A.to put profit before safety.B.the nuclear industry to develop
C.to protect the reputation of JapanD.every inch of land to be made good use of
小題4:The writer develops this passage mainly by__________.
A.making comments B.providing facts
C.quoting what experts say D.a(chǎn)nalysing what happened

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科目:高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Scientists have found what look like caves on Mars, and say they could be protecting life from the planet’s terrible environment.
The first caves appear as seven mysterious black dots (點(diǎn)) on the pictures which were sent back by NASA’s Mars Odyssey orbiter. Each as large as a football field, they may be openings into natural caves below the Martian surface.
“If there is life on Mars, there is a good chance that you’d find it in caves,” said Jut Wynne, one of the researchers who noticed the features (特征) while working on a US Geological Survey Mars Cave Detection Program.
Jonathan Clarke, a geologist with the Mars Society of Australia, yesterday described the discovery as exciting.
One photo taken at night by an infrared imager(紅外線成像器) showed one hole to be unusually warm, suggesting hot air may be flowing out.
“I said: ‘Wow, that’s a cave’” Dr. Clarke said excitedly. “People have been looking for these for a long time; now we have found them.”
He agreed such caves could be perfect places to search for life escaping from the bitterly cold, radiation-soaked(充滿輻射的), dry surface.
“Tiny drops of water could collect inside,” he said. “If there are gases coming out, they could provide energy for a whole range of bacteria (細(xì)菌). A cave is also a protection from radiation; the surface of Mars is exposed to high levels of space radiation.”
The caves probably formed when tube-shaped lava flows(管狀巖漿流) spread across the planet long ago. The outside of the tubes cooled, forming solid walls, while something hotter inside allowed the remaining to flow out, forming caves.
小題1: What does the passage mainly talk about?
A.How the caves were formed on Mars.
B.How NASA sent the pictures back to earth
C.Caves on Mars may be full of hot air or a sign(跡象)of life.
D.Scientists have completely recognized the surface of Mars.
小題2: We can learn from the passage that __________.
A.water has already been found on Mars
B.the scientists found all the caves at night
C.it is certain that there is life in these caves
D.the surface of Mars is bitterly cold, radiation-soaked and dry
小題3: According to the passage, Dr. Clarke was so excited because ________.
A.such caves could provide energy for life
B.they had finally found the caves on Mars
C.such caves would be perfect places to search for life
D.There would be life on Mars.
小題4: Necessary conditions for life on Mars mentioned in the passage may include_________.
A.lava and energyB.water and radiation from space
C.gases and lavaD.water and protection from radiation
小題5: what does the underlined word “ the planet” in paragraph 1 refer to?
A.the MarsB.the earthC.the cavesD.radiation

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科目:高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

  All schoolchildren should have "happiness" lessons up to the age of 18 to combat(fight) growing levels of depression, according to a senior Government adviser.
Pupils should study subjects such as how to manage feelings, attitudes to work and money, channeling (引導(dǎo)) negative emotions and even how to take a critical view of the media, said Lord Layard, a professor of economics at the London School of Economics.
The proposal comes only days after the Government said that lessons in manners—including respect for the elderly and how to say "please" and "thank you" should be taught in secondary schools to combat bad behavior.
Lord Layard said, "Learning hard things takes an enormous amount of practice. To play the violin well takes10,000 hours of practice. How can we expect people to learn to be happy without massive amounts of practice and repetition?"
It is believed that at least two percent of British children under 12 now struggle with significant depression. Among teenagers, the figure rises to five percent. AUNICEF study involving 21 developed countries showed that British children were the least satisfied with their lives, while the World Health Organization predicts that childhood psychiatric (精神)disorders will rise by 50 percent by 2020.
In a speech at Cambridge University, Lord Layard said the Government's lessons in manners did not go far enough. "We need a commitment to producing a major specialism in this area, with a serious teacher training program," he said.
However, happiness lessons have been criticized by academics. Frank Furedi, a sociology professor at Kent University and author of Therapy Culture, said, "In pushing emotional literacy, what some teachers are really doing is abandoning teaching. They are giving up and talking about emotions instead, so that children value all this non-discipline-led activity more than math, English or science. What is amazing about this is that time and time again, research says that it does not work. "
小題1: Frank Furedi believes that ______.
A.happiness lessons should be taught to children
B.happiness lessons are just a waste of time
C.formal teaching can go side by side with happiness lessons
D.formal teaching should not give way to happiness lessons
小題2: We can conclude from the passage that _______.
A.the British Government hasn't fully realized the problems with British students
B.Lord Layard thinks little of the Government's lessons in manners
C.British students are not well-behaved enough
D.lessons in manners have brought about positive changes in British students
小題3: Which of the following methods does Lord Layard use to show learning to be happy takes practice?
A.Comparison.B.Description.C.Argument.D.Analysis.
小題4: What does Lord Layard think of the Government's lessons in manners?
A.They are quite enough to solve the present problem.
B.They can hardly meet the special demands of education.
C.They are only focused on a major specialism.
D.They will probably end up in failure.
小題5:What do we know about British children from the passage? 
A.They are the least happy among 21 developed countries.
B.They suffer depression at an earlier age.
C.They are the easiest to suffer childhood psychiatric disorders.
D.Their standard of living is the lowest among 21 developed countries.

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科目:高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

More parents are looking to cellphones to help keep their children safe.  But mom and dad should be careful: Kids who talk on a cellphone may be more likely to step into traffic. Children should learn to end phone conversations before they prepare to step into traffic.
While research shows that older kids and more experienced users also don’t navigate(穿行于) streets as well while on a cellphone, younger children tends to find the small tools more distracting(令人分心的).
“Kids of this age are just learning to cross the street on their own, ”says David-Schwebel, a co-author of the study. “They’re beginners. ”
Kids don’t need to be stopped from chatting on the phone when outside,
however. Instead, parents simply should instruct them to finish their conversations before crossing the street.        
“I don’t think this means parents should take phones away from their kids, ”says Schwebel. “I encourage families to get cellphones for their children.  They’re more helpful than harmful,  if they’re used in a safe way. ”
Other distractions, such as conversations with friends, listening to music,  and text messaging, may also cause problems for children in this age group.  The researchers expect to study the effect of those types of distractions in the future.
Experts in child safety approved the cellphone study. “If you’re talking on a cellphone,  you’re not paying much attention to the environment around you, ” says Susan Baker, a professor.
Brooke Carlson, a 44-year-old mom, has noticed how riveted her 9-year-old son is when he’s talking on the cellphone. Although she’d never thought of the dangers of crossing traffic while on the phone, Carlson says, “Now that I know about it, it makes total sense. ”She plans to have a chat with her child about cellphones and street safety.
For younger kids, parents might consider purchasing a phone with a plan that only allows the child to call up his or her parents. That way the cellphone can be used for emergencies, but not for chatting with friends for hours.
小題1:In Schwebel’s opinion, _____ .
A.kids are still too young to walk on the street alone
B.kids don’t know how to use cellphones appropriately
C.kids have little experience in crossing the street alone
D.kids are not experienced cellphone users
小題2: Which of the following is Schwebel in favor of?
A.Children shouldn’t be allowed to have a cellphone.
B.Children should be forbidden to chat on the phone when outside.
C.Cellphones do more harm to children than other distractions.
D.Parents should teach kids about cellphones and street safety.
小題3: The underlined word “riveted” may mean“_____”.
A.confusedB.a(chǎn)bsorbed
C.dangerousD.excited
小題4: According to the passage, what does Mrs Carlson know?
A.There are dangers of crossing streets while on the phone.
B.Her 9-year-old son is not interested in talking on the phone.
C.Cellphones are more helpful than harmful to children.
D.Kids don’t pay attention to the environment when talking on the phone.
小題5: The purpose of writing this passage is to _____.
A.a(chǎn)dvise parents not to buy cellphones for children
B.introduce a phone that only allows kids to call up parents
C.expect kids not to talk on cellphones while on the street
D.expect people to use cellphones less in daily life

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科目:高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Getting rid of dirt, in the opinion of most people, is a good thing. However, there is nothing fixed about attitudes to dirt.
In the early 16th century, people thought that dirt on the skin was a means to block out disease, as medical opinion had it that washing off dirt with hot water could open up the skin and let ills in. A particular danger was thought to lie in public baths. By 1538, the French king had closed the bath houses in his kingdom. So did the king of England in 1546. Thus began a long time when the rich and the poor in Europe lived with dirt in a friendly way. Henry IV, King of France, was famously dirty. Upon learning that a nobleman had taken a bath, the king ordered that, to avoid the attack of disease, the nobleman should not go out.
Though the belief in the merit of dirt was long-lived, dirt has no longer been regarded as a nice neighbor ever since the 18th century. Scientifically speaking, cleaning away dirt is good to health. Clean water supply and hand washing are practical means of preventing disease. Yet, it seems that standards of cleanliness have moved beyond science since World War Ⅱ. Advertisements repeatedly sell the idea; clothes need to be whiter than white, cloths ever softer, surfaces to shine. Has the hate for dirt, however, gone too far?
Attitudes to dirt still differ hugely nowadays. Many first-time parents nervously try to warn their children off touching dirt, which might be responsible for the spread of disease. On the contrary, Mary Ruebush, an American immunologist(免疫學(xué)家),encourages children to play in the dirt to build up a strong immune system. And the latter position is gaining some ground.
小題1:The kings of France and England in the 16th century closed bath houses because        .
A.they lived healthily in a dirty environment.
B.they thought bath houses were to dirty to stay in
C.they believed disease could be spread in public baths
D.they considered bathing as the cause of skin disease
小題2:Which of the following best describes Henry IV’s attitude to bathing?
A.Afraid.B.Curious.
C.Approving.D.Uninterested.
小題3:How does the passage mainly develop?
A.By providing examples.
B.By making comparisons.
C.By following the order of time.
D.By following the order of importance.
小題4:What is the author’s purpose in writing the passage?
A.To stress the role of dirt.
B.To introduce the history of dirt.
C.To call attention to the danger of dirt.
D.To present the change of views on dirt.

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科目:高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

A group of students in Japan have created a realistic robot baby to motivate young people to start planning a family so as to increase the country’s birth rate. The automated (自動(dòng)化的)doll developed at the University of Tsukuba, called Yotara, laughs and “wakes up” when a rattle is shaken.
He can become angry and sleep like a real baby and he smiles when his stomach is pressed. The robot can also sneeze and have a runny nose, thanks to a heated water pump system. The students of the Graduate school of Comprehensive Human Science at the university created the robot last year with touch sensors. A projector sends the facial features onto a warm silicon balloon which makes up Yotara’s face. The robot’s facial expression and body movements change according to pressure applied to different parts of its body.
The information collected through touch sensors(傳感器)under the silicon skin is processed by a special programme. It then changes the baby’s expression projected onto the balloon-face from behind. There is a hat on the robot’s head and a colorful blanket covering the robot’s limbs which simulate wiggling(擺動(dòng)) with the help of a geared motor. “We wanted to create a new type of robot that is soft, cuddly and cute,” said project leader Hiroki Kunimura.
“We’d like people to experience the innocent, joyful expressions typical of small babies. Through this experience, it would be great if some people started feeling that they wanted to have their own baby, if they started feeling that work is not everything.”
Japan’s birth rate is among the lowest in the developed world at 1.37%, compared to 2.12% in the United States and l.84%in Britain. Japan is facing serious economic consequences with over a quarter of its citizens expected to be aged over 65 by 20l5.The population is expected to reduce by a third within 50 years if the birth rate does not increase.
小題1:. What is the students’ purpose of creating such a baby?
A.To help old people who live alone.B.To give small children some pleasure
C.To comfort lonely young people.D.To increase the population of Japan.
小題2:What’s the new type of robot like in Hiroki Kunimura’s mind?
A.It can do everything for humans.B.It is clever, humorous and loyal.
C.It is gentle, lovely and smart.D.It makes humans unhappy.
小題3:. What can we learn from the passage?
A.Many young people in Japan don’t want to get married.
B.There may be a lack of workers in Japan in the future.
C.The lifespan(壽命)of Japanese people will decrease in the future.
D.The birth rate in Japan will start to increase slowly soon.

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科目:高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Every year mobile phones develop. Imagining what they will look like and be able to do in 2020 is really a challenge. To help, experts have outlined three major mobile trends that they believe will have become reality by then.
Our phones will be so smart in 10 years’ time that they’ll know everything about our situation and warn us when something needs our attention. This is the top prediction of both Nokia and Google. They predict that our cars and home appliances will be able to communicate with our mobile. For example, fridges will tell your mobile to tell you to pick up milk on the way back from work. While driving, your mobile will suggest that you take a different route because there’s a road accident up ahead.
The second trend is in gesture-based controls. People who know the iPhone’s touch-sensitive screen are already familiar with the technology. It translates hand movements into actions on-screen. But gestural communications will make the phone more convenient to use and may completely replace touchpads. According to industry insiders, the most immediate step forward in gestural technology will be in voice recognition. It’s believed voice recognition technology will speed up communications. It is quicker to speak than type. Eventually, phone screens will disappear.
The third major development will change our understanding of a mobile phone. From a single phone, the mobile will be developed into multi-part devices. It is opposite to the current trend in which mobile phones are combining the functions of cameras, music players and game consoles. The prediction is based on the idea that the world will become more wireless and all these—cameras, music players and game consoles—will be wirelessly connected. Mobile phones won’t need to contain these devices because users will be able to control them wirelessly through their phones.
小題1:The first paragraph serves as          .
A.a(chǎn) lead-inB.a(chǎn) conclusionC.a(chǎn) summary D.a(chǎn) supporting fact
小題2:Which of the following is most likely to be the appearance of a mobile phone in 2020? 

小題3:From the text, we can learn that the future mobile phones will          .
A.drive cars for us
B.be controlled by the users’ voices
C.be controlled by home appliances
D.be very big together with separated multiple parts
小題4:The text mainly tells us          .
A.three major trends of mobile phones
B.what mobile phones will look like in 2020
C.the future mobile phones are gesture-based
D.some new functions of the present mobile phones

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