When I was little, I lived in a house with a beautiful garden full of all kinds of flowers, and roses were the most beautiful of them. There was nothing I enjoyed more than sitting in the garden with my mother as she read stories to me. When I was in primary school and old enough to read, I enjoyed reading stories aloud to her.
I will never forget one day when I was in the third grade. I had been picked to be the princess in the school play, and for weeks my mother had rehearsed my lines so hard with me. But no matter how easily I acted at home, as soon as I stepped onstage, every word disappeared from my head. Finally, my teacher took me aside. She explained that she had written a narrator’s part to the play, and asked me to change roles. Her word, kindly expressed, still hurt, especially when I saw my part go to another girl.
I didn’t tell my mother what had happened when I went home after school that day. But she sensed my pain. Instead of suggesting we practice my lines, she asked if I wanted to take a walk in the garden.
It was May and roses were blossoming and, under the trees, we could also see yellow dandelions in the grass, as if a painter had painted our garden with red, yellow and green. I watched my mother casually bend down by one dandelion. “I think I’m going to dig up all these weeds,” she said, pulling it up by its roots. “From now on, we’ll have only roses in this garden.”
“But I like dandelions,” I protested. “All flowers are beautiful — even dandelions.”
My mother looked at me seriously. “Yes, every flower is beautiful in its own way, isn’t it?” She asked thoughtfully. I nodded, pleased that I had won her over. “And that is true of people too,” she added. “Not everyone can be a princess, but there is no shame in that.” Relieved that she had guessed my pain, I started to cry as I told her what had happened. She listened and smiled reassuringly.
“But you will be a beautiful narrator,” she said,
After the play, I took home the flower.
| A．delighted | B．delightful | C．appreciative | D．worthy |
Why can’t you remember being a baby? Will that trip to Dreamworld be wasted on your toddler (学步的幼儿)? Scientists explain how the brain changes from infancy (婴儿期) through to early childhood, and what this means for your child’s memories.
While some people can remember memories from as early as age two, as adults most of us rarely remember things that happen to us before the age of three, due to a phenomenon called “infantile amnesia (婴儿健忘症)”. Generally, we tend to have vague (模糊的) memories of events that occur between the ages of three and seven.
So why is it that we can’t remember being a baby, or a toddler? The answer lies in the way that our brain’s ability to store memories changes as we grow. At birth, a baby’s brain is only a quarter of its adult size, growing to three-quarters the size of an adult brain by age two. This increase correlates with a growth in the number of brain cells—called neurons (神经元)一and the connections between these cells.
A part of the brain that is important in forming memories is the hippocampus (海马体), says Dr Dhanisha Jhaveri, a researcher at the Queensland Brain Institute at The University of Queensland. “In the hippocampus, new neurons are constantly being created. In adulthood, new cells are still being produced, but the rate of production in the hippocampus slows down,” says Dr Jhaveri.
Neuroscientists believe that the rapid rate at which brain cells are being produced in childhood could be the cause of infantile amnesia. Because so many new neurons are being produced and form connections with each other in memory circuits (记忆电路), they might disturb existing networks of memories that have already formed.
But it turns out that a child’s ability to remember things for long periods of time improves gradually throughout childhood. For example, in studies in which young kids were taught to imitate an action, six-month-olds could remember what to do for 24 (but not 48) hours, while nine-month-olds could remember what to do one month (but not three months) later.
Despite this memory loss, childhood experiences have been found to influence adult behaviour years later, which suggests that traces of these memories could be stored somewhere in the brain that isn’t easy to access.
So while your kids might not recall their major milestones or be too young to remember a trip to Disneyland, positive experiences as toddlers or in infancy may continue to affect their behaviour long after they’ve forgotten them.
1．What can be inferred from paragraph 3?| A．Our brain’s ability to store memories remains unchanged as we grow. |
| B．The size of the child’s brain by age two is twice the size at birth. |
| C．The growth in the number of neurons will influence the size of the child’s brain. |
| D．Neurons have nothing to do with a person’s memory. |
| A．The rapid rate of brain cells being produced. |
| B．The existing networks of memories. |
| C．The way of our brain storing memories. |
| D．The memory circuits of our brain. |
| A．Childhood experiences will influence adult behaviour years later. |
| B．Traces of these memories could be stored somewhere in the brain. |
| C．A child’s ability to remember things improves gradually over time. |
| D．The younger a baby is, the better its memory is. |
| A．Subjective. | B．Objective. | C．Pessimistic. | D．Uncaring. |
About a month ago, my husband and I found kindness in an unlikely place: standing in line at a Subway sandwich shop to pick up a quick dinner.
It was extremely busy on this particular night, and I noticed a dad behind us with his little girl, who looked to be around four. The man seemed as tired as my husband, but the little girl was cheerful and excited as she waited for her sandwich and cookie.
I watched as the man behind us got closer to the front of the line. He started to look worried. Right before we checked out, I heard the man say to the woman who had made his sandwiches that he was sorry to just leave his out because he didn’t have enough money to pay for them all. He looked very embarrassed. His little girl continued jumping around excitedly.
I quietly asked the cashier to add the man’s whole order to ours. I paid the $ 87.73, and we got out of there before the man behind us knew what had happened.
Like many others since COVID-19 hit, our family of five was living on one income. I was holding our debit card (借记卡) and knew that we only had $ 90.16 in our account. That was all we would have until payday three days later. But still, it felt great to be able to help that family, even though we would be out of money for a few days.
What happened next was amazing. My husband went back to that Subway the next week to pick up five sandwiches that I thought would cost $ 44.58. There was $ 47 in our account.
But it turned out that the dinner cost more than we had on the card. My husband told them to put his sandwich back because he couldn’t afford it. Then he paid for the four sandwiches and headed to our car.
As he opened the door, one of the female workers ran to him.
The two men nodded at one another and went on their way.
Not long after my daughter was born in early 2013, I had a serious thought about the life that lay ahead for her. With health and luck, she will live long enough to see the dawn of the 22nd century.
As a journalist, I often encounter the date 2100. It’s a milestone year frequently mentioned in climate change news reports, stories about future technologies and science fiction. But it’s so far ahead that the route we will take to get there is difficult to see. I rarely consider that, like my daughter, millions of people alive today will be there as 2100 arrives, inheriting the century my generation will leave behind.
For many of us, how often can we truly say we are thinking about the well-being of these future generations? How often do we think about the impact of our decisions on the decades and centuries ahead?
Part of the problem is that the “‘now’commands so much more attention,” the sociologist Elise Boulding once said. “If one is mentally out of breath all the time from dealing with the present, there is no energy left for imagining the future.” No wonder problems like climate change or inequality feel so hard to handle right now.
That’s why researchers are coming to the same conclusion that short-termism (短期主义) may be the greatest threat our species is facing this century. Despite our natural ability to look and plan ahead, we have a weakness in our thinking called “present bias.” For example, people are more likely to accept an offer of£10 today, rather than a guarantee of £12 in a week. They also tend to spend on pleasures, not save for rainy days.
I understand the dangers of short-termism. I can both justify the argument and feel the need to care more about future generations. But I admit I still struggle with how to translate that into clear action as an individual. To realize that we are just one in a chain of generations, we owe an obligation (义务) to our future generations to leave a better world than the one we inherited ourselves.
1．What is Paragraph2 mainly about?| A．People’s expectation of the year 2100. |
| B．The author’s thoughts on the year 2100. |
| C．The author’s plan for his daughter’s future. |
| D．People’s attitude to the importance of the year 2100. |
| A．Owing to our ignorance of the future. |
| B．Because of people’s inability to plan for the future. |
| C．Because of our difficulty in handling future problems. |
| D．Due to the lack of our mental energy to consider the future. |
| A．Preference. | B．Disorder. | C．Balance. | D．Freedom. |
| A．To criticize those who favor short-term rewards. |
| B．To express his dissatisfaction with the young generations. |
| C．To inspire people to think more about the future generations. |
| D．To show his determination to speak for his daughter’s future. |
How Much Exercise Your Dog Really Needs
Is a walk around the block or playing fetch in the backyard enough for your pooch? If your dog could talk this is what she would tell you.
You’re barking up the wrong tree
Family tree that is. Hundreds of years of breed-specific genetics run through your dog’s veins, and it’s best to cater to their genetics for optimal mental and physical health.
I gotta move!
Sorry, a quick game of fetch while you sit on the sofa or letting your dog out in the backyard to do her business doesn’t hit the mark. And if your fur baby isn’t getting enough exercise, you’ll notice it in weight gain.
But keep an eye on my states
Could we stop and smell the roses today?
No doubt, walking is a tried and true way to exercise your dog (and great for you too), but the same ole walk is nothing to howl over. Walking can serve a dual-purpose when mental stimulation is offered. “Allow your dog to sniff the ground, the bushes, trees, etc. and use the walk for training opportunities like checking in, recall, and sitting at the crosswalks,” says Erin Askeland, a certified canine behavior consultant and at Camp Bow Wow. Remember, dogs sleep between 12 to 14 hours a day and most spend their day relaxing, especially if they are left at home alone during the day or crated.
| A．Just like with humans, extra weight strains your pooch’s heart and joints. |
| B．Here are some smart ways to keep your pooch occupied while you’re at the office. |
| C．For example, dogs that were bred to herd, pull carts, or hunt will need more exercise because historically, their days were filled with activity and their bodies were made to move more often. |
| D．Puppies seem to have limitless energy and play longer and faster than older dogs, but that doesn’t mean they’re ready for all types of exercise. |
| E．Some dogs easily tire while others have a “can’t-stop-won’t-stop” attitude so you’ll have to watch for signs of overexertion. |
| F．It’s important to provide mental exercise for your pup in addition to the physical. |
Probably the number one complaint about reading Shakespeare is that it doesn’t always read like “normal” English. It’s a natural and reasonable
So how can a reader today
| A．oppression | B．accusation | C．direction | D．appreciation |
| A．specifics | B．alternations | C．improvements | D．incidents |
| A．exposed | B．led | C．contacted | D．linked |
| A．roughly | B．arguably | C．simply | D．essentially |
| A．took pride | B．kept track | C．took advantage | D．gave way |
| A．widen | B．avoid | C．embrace | D．bridge |
| A．address | B．deal | C．learn | D．undertake |
| A．unchanged | B．easy | C．accessible | D．qualified |
| A．In other words | B．For example | C．Above all | D．By contrast |
| A．edition | B．medium | C．recollection | D．download |
| A．confusion | B．mixture | C．achievement | D．flexibility |
| A．switched | B．substituted | C．excluded | D．commanded |
| A．connect | B．guarantee | C．agree | D．neglect |
| A．pitiful | B．independent | C．unique | D．trick |
| A．Before | B．While | C．Providing | D．Since |
| A. brush B. draw C. state D. cautionary E. report F. run G. packed H. shot I. introduced J. phenomenon K. exceptional |
Rongjiang county, tucked away in the rainy hills of south-west China, has little going for it at first glance. The grey tiles covering houses in the county sea give it a rather drab feel. Locals often have to find work elsewhere, travelling to distant factories and construction sites.
Yet this summer it was Chinese from far-off cities who flocked to Rongjiang. They came to watch an amateur football league involving 20 of the county’s villages. It started in May and quickly became a
There are many reasons behind the popularity of the Rongjiang league, which is men only. Start with the
The Rongjiang league, by contrast, has an authentic, even wholesome feel. Football in the county dates back to the 1940s, when it was
The league’s cultural diversity is another
To the delight of officials at all levels, the league appears to have stimulated the local economy. During the Dragon Boat festival in June tourism spending
But there are concerns that the success of Rongjiang may be fleeting. Attracting crowds to this part of China is not easy. The city of Zibo, in the northern province of Shandong, provides a
Still, officials think they have found a winning strategy for the countryside. A new football league began this month and will
| A．population | B．popularity | C．portion | D．proportion |
搜索
