Speakers of different languages not only describe the world differently but thin

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Speakers of different languages not only describe the world differently but think about it differently too, according to a new study.
Researchers used a cartoon cat Sylvester to study how language was reflected (反映) in the gestures people made. Dr. Sotaro Kita of the University of Bristol’s Department of Experimental Psychology (心理学), showed the cartoon to a group of native English, Japanese and Turkish speakers and then watched their gestures as they described the actions they had seen. He found speakers of the three different languages used different gestures to describe the same event, which appeared to reflect the way the structure of their languages expressed that event. For example, when describing a scene where the cat swings on a rope, the English speakers used gestures showing an arc trajectory (弧形轨迹) and the Japanese and Turkish speakers tended to use straight gestures showing the motion but not the arc.
Dr. Kita suggests this is because Japanese and Turkish have no proper verb to express the English meaning “to swing”. While English speakers use the arc gesture as their language can readily express the change of location and the arc-shaped trajectory, Japanese and Turkish speakers cannot as easily express the idea of movement with an arc trajectory so they use the straight gesture.
Dr. Kita said, “My research suggests that speakers of different languages cause different spatial (空间的) images of the same event in a way that matches the expressive possibilities of their own languages. In other words, language influences (影响) spatial thinking at the moment of speaking.”
68. 小题1:Researchers watched the gestures the people made because they wanted to know _____.

A．how language was reflected

B．whether they could express the same idea

C．whether they could describe what they had seen

D．how the structure of language changed

69. 小题2:After watching the gestures of speakers of the three different languages, Dr. Kita concluded that _____.

A．Japanese and Turkish people couldn’t express the meaning of “swing”

B．English was obviously better than Japanese and Turkish

C．no word in Japanese and Turkish could express some ideas of English

D．every language had its own special way to describe things

70.小题3:What is mainly discussed in the text?

A．Differences between languages.

B．Differences between gestures.

C．How people use different gestures to express the same event.

D．That language influences the way people think.

答案

小题1:A
小题2:D
小题3:D

解析

小题1:细节理解题。根据文章第二段的“Researchers used a cartoon cat Sylvester to study how language was reflected in the gestures people made.”可知答案。
小题2:细节理解题。根据文章最后一阶段的“My research suggests that speakers of different languages cause different spatial (空间的) images of the same event in a way that matches the expressive possibilities of their own languages.”可知答案。
小题3:主旨大意题。通过上下文的理解，并结合最后一句“In other words, language influences (影响) spatial thinking at the moment of speaking.”可知文章主要讲述语言影响人们的思考方式。

举一反三

阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从36—55各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
I was coaching girls’ track in Iowa and there was a young discus（铁饼）thrower on the team with 36 potential（潜力）. Here goes her story.

At the end of our training 37 the district track meet, this discus thrower, Lucy, asked me if she 38 come to the school on Sunday for a little 39 training. I agreed. The year before, she had placed second at the district meet and 40 missed going to the state meet. She had won every discus event, 41 that district meet! And, her throws in the competitions had 42 been between 106’1” and 110’10”.
Something began to 43 me. Why couldn"t Lucy 44 to get the discus to 111 feet? I wondered if it was more a psychological barrier（心理的障碍） 45 a physical one. I decided to try something 46 . I made up my mind to 47 to Lucy.

On Sunday, after her drills, I said, “Why don’t you throw five or six good ones for me to 48 ?” She began to throw again, but 49 were farther than what she had already thrown. But, I didn’t tell Lucy. As I was measuring the 50 one, I pulled out some more tape (量尺) and yelled out to her, “ Come to see this! This one is 51 ! ” It wasn’t. Lucy, thinking that this was a personal best, jumped wildly into the air in 52 .

The next afternoon, at the district meet, Lucy   53  with a personal best throw of 114’10”! Just 24 hours after I had lied to her. However, this time she had   54  thrown the discus four feet further than she had ever thrown it before.
Sometimes we   55  our own barriers in our mind. So learn to take control of your mind.
21．A. little          B. great           C. no              D. limited

22．A. after B. during C. since D. before

23．A. could B. must C. should D. would

24．A. helpful B. extra C. real D. regular

25．A. luckily B. completely C. narrowly D. probably

26．A. except B. including C. despite D. with

27．A sometimes B. always C. never D. seldom

28．A. frighten B. please C. shock D. bother

29．A. seem B. pretend C. need D. ask

30．A. apart from B. rather than C. because of D. according to

31．A. impossible B. familiar C. new D. easy

32．A. lie B. turn C. reply D. call

33．A. look B. measure C. match D. take

34．A. many B. all C. some D. none

35．A. worst B. closest C. first D. final

36．A. higher B. farther C. bigger D. longer

37．A. excitement B. anxiety C. puzzlement D. anger

38．A. disappeared B. lost C. won D. arrived

39．A. actually B. hardly C. nearly D. only

40．A. break B. remove C. take D. set

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Against the supposition that forest fires in Alaska, Canada and Siberia warm the climate, scientists have discovered that cooling may occur in areas where burnt trees allow more snow to mirror more sunlight into space.
This finding suggests that taking steps to prevent northern forest fires to limit the release of greenhouse gases may warm the climate in northern regions. Usually large fires destroyed forests in these areas over the past decade. Scientists predict that with climate warming, fires may occur more frequently over the next several centuries as a result of a longer fire season. Sunlight taken in by the earth tends to cause warming, while heat mirrored back into space tends to cause cooling.
This is the first study to analyze all aspects of how northern fires influence climate. Earlier studies by other scientists have suggested that fire in northern regions speed up climate warming because greenhouse gases from burning trees and plants are released into the atmosphere and thus trap heat.
Scientists found that right after the fire, large amounts of greenhouse gases entered the atmosphere and caused warming. Ozone（臭氧） levels increased, and ash from the fire fell on far-off sea ice, darkening the surface and causing more radiation from the sun to be taken in. The following spring, however, the land within the area of the fire was brighter than before the fire, because fewer trees covered the ground. Snow on the ground mirrored more sunlight back into space, leading to cooling.
“We need to find out all possible ways to reduce the growth of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.” Scientists tracked the change in the amount of radiation entering and leaving the climate system as a result of the fire, and found a measurement closely related to the global air temperature. Typically, fire in northern regions occurs in the same area every 80 to 150 years. Scientists, however, found that when fire occurs more frequently, more radiation is lost from the earth and cooling results. Specifically, they determined when fire returns 20 years earlier than predicted, 0.5 watts per square meter of area burned are soaked up by the earth from greenhouse gases, but 0.9 watts per square meter will be sent back into space. The net effect is cooling. Watts are used to measure the rate at which energy is gained or lost from the earth.
小题1:According to the new findings, taking steps to prevent northern forest fires may __________.

A．result in a warming climate

B．cause the forest fires to occur more frequently

C．lead to a longer fire season

D．protect the forests and the environment there

小题2:The following are all the immediate effects after a forest fire EXCEPT __________.

A．large amounts of greenhouse gases enter the atmosphere

B．the levels of ozone which is a type of oxygen increase

C．snow on the ground mirrors more sunlight back into space

D．ashes from the fire fall on the ice surface and take in more radiation from the sun

小题3:Earlier studies about northern forest fires __________.

A．analyze all aspects of how northern fires influence climate

B．indicate that forest fires will pollute the atmosphere

C．suggest that people should take measures to protect environment

D．suggest that the fires will speed up climate warming

小题4:The underlined phrase “soak up” in the last paragraph most probably means __________.

A．released

B．absorbed

C．created

D．distributed

小题5:From the passage we can draw a conclusion that forest fires in Alaska, Canada and Siberia may __________.

A．warm the climate as the supposition goes

B．allow more snow to reflect more sunlight into space and thus cool the climate

C．destroy large areas of forests and pollute the far-off sea ice

D．help to gain more energy rather than release more energy

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Sorry to say, our brains naturally start slowing down at the Cruelty young age of 30. It used to be thought that this couldn"t be helped, but new studies show that people of any age can train their brains to work faster. "Your brain is a learning machine," says University of California scientist Dr. Michael Merzenich. Given the right tools, we can train our brains to act like they did when we were younger. All that"s required is the practice designed just for the purpose: a few exercises for the mind.
Merzenich has developed a computer-based training method to speed up the process(过程) in which the brain deals with information (positscience.com). Since much of the data we receive comes through speech, the Brain Fitness Program works with language and hearing to better speed and accuracy (准确性).
Over the course of training, the program starts asking you to distinguish (辨别) sounds (between "dog" and "bog", for example) at an increasingly faster speed. It"s a bit like tennis instructor, says Merzenich, hitting balls at you ~faster and faster to keep you challenged(受到挑战). You may start out slow, but before long you"re pretty quick.
The biggest finding in brain research in the last ten years is that the brain at any age is highly plastic. If you ask your brain to learn, it will learn. And it may even speed up while in the process.
To keep your brain young and plastic you can do one of a million new activities that challenge and excite you: playing table tennis or bridge, doing crossword puzzles, learning a language.... "When it comes to preventing ageing, you really do "use it or lose it" ," says Barbara Sahakian, professor at Cambridge University.
小题1:Dr. Merzenich’s training method mainly depends on ________.

A．speech training	B．computer languages
C．the activities one joins in	D．the information being dealt with

小题2: By saying "the brain at any age is highly plastic ", the writer probably means the brain can be______.

A．used

B．mastered

C．developed

D．researched

小题3:What can we learn from the text?

A．Practice makes a quick mind.

B．Brain research started ten yeas ago.

C．Dr. Merzenich is a scientist in computer,

D．People believed nothing could stop the brain slowing down.

小题4: Which of the following agrees with the writer"s idea?

A．The training methods work better for the old.

B．People should use the brain to stop it from ageing.

C．The training of the brain should start at an early age.

D． It"s necessary to take part in as many activities as possible.

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People turn to magic(魔力)chiefly as a form of insurance--that is, they use it along with actions that actually bring results. For example, hunters may use a hunting charm(咒语). But they also use their hunting skills and knowledge of animals. The charm may give hunters the extra confidence they need to hunt even more successfully than they would without it. If they shoot a lot of game(猎物), they credit the charm for their success. Many events happen naturally without magic. Crops grow without it, and sick people get well without it. But if people use magic to bring a good harvest or to cure a patient, they may believe the magic was responsible.
People also tend to forget magic"s failures and to be impressed by its surface successes. They may consider magic successful if it appears to work only 10 per cent of the time. Even when magic fails, people often explain the failure without doubting the power of the magic. They may say that the magician made a mistake in reciting the spell or that another magician cast a more powerful spell against the magician.
Many anthropologists(人类学家) believe that people have faith in magic because they feel a need to believe in it. People may turn to magic to reduce their fear and uncertainty if they feel they have no control over the outcome of a situation. For example, farmers use knowledge and skill when they plant their fields. But they know that weather, insects, or diseases might ruin the crops. So farmers in some societies may also plant a charm or perform a magic rite to ensure a good harvest.
小题1:From the passage, we can learn that the writer of the passage may be _______.

A．a hunter

B．a farmer

C．a magician

D．an anthropologist

小题2:Which of the following can best serve as the title of the passage?

A．Magic and Hunting.	B．Magic and Farming.
C．Why Magic Works?	D．Why People Believe in Magic?

小题3:The underlined word “spell”(Paragraph 2) most likely means______.

A．magic words.

B．magic events.

C．words or expressions

D．magicians.

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How Room Designs Affect Our Work and Feelings
Architects have long had the feeling that the places we live in can affect our thoughts, feelings and behaviors. But now scientists are giving this feeling an empirical（经验的，实证的） basis. They are discovering how to design spaces that promote creativity, keep people focused and lead to relaxation.
Researches show that aspects of the physical environment can influence creativity. In 2007, Joan Meyers-Levy at the University of Minnesota, reported that the height of a room"s ceiling affects how people think. Her research indicates that higher ceilings encourage people to think more freely, which may lead them to make more abstract connections. Low ceilings, on the other hand, may inspire a more detailed outlook.
In additions to ceiling height, the view afforded by a building may influence an occupant"s ability to concentrate. Nancy Wells and her colleagues at Cornell University found in their study that kids who experienced the greatest increase in greenness as a result of a family move made the most gains on a standard test of attention.
Using nature to improve focus of attention ought to pay off academically, and it seems to, according to a study led by C. Kenneth Tanner, head of the School Design & Planning Laboratory at the University of Georgia. Tanner and his team found that students in classrooms with unblocked views of at least 50 feet outside the window had higher scores on tests of vocabulary, language arts and maths than did students whose classrooms primarily overlooked roads and parking lots.
Recent study on room lighting design suggests than dim（暗淡的） light helps people to loosen up. If that is true generally, keeping the light low during dinner or at parties could increase relaxation. Researchers of Harvard Medical School also discovered that furniture with rounded edges could help visitors relax.
So far scientists have focused mainly on public buildings. "We have a very limited number of studies, so we"re almost looking at the problem through a straw（吸管）," architect David Allison says. "How do you take answers to very specific questions and make broad, generalized use of them? That"s what we"re all struggling with."
小题1:What does Joan Meyers-Levy focus on in her research?

A．Light.

B．Ceilings.

C．Windows.

D．Furniture.

小题2:The passage tells us that ______.

A．the shape of furniture may affect people"s feelings

B．lower ceilings may help improve students" creativity

C．children in a dim classroom may improve their grades

D．students in rooms with unblocked views may feel relaxed

小题3:The underlined sentence in the last paragraph probably means that ______.

A．the problem is not approached step by step

B．the researches so far have faults in themselves

C．the problem is too difficult for researchers to detect

D．research in this area is not enough to make generalized patterns

小题4:Which of the following shows the organization of the passage?
CP: Central Point P: Point SP: Sub-point（次要点） C: Conclusion

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