A study showed that the experiences children have in their first few years are important . These experiences affect the development of the brain. When children receive more attention, they often have higher IQs. Babies receive information when they see, hear and feel things, which makes connections between different parts of the brain. There are a hundred trillion(万亿)connections in the brain of a three-year-old child.
Researcher Judit Gervain tested how good newborns are at distinguishing different sound patterns. Her researchers produced images of the brains of babies as they heard different sound patterns. For example, one order was mu-ba-ba. This is the pattern"A-B-B". Another order was mu-ba-ge. This is the pattern “A-B-C”. The images showed that the part of the brain responsible for speech was more active during the" A-B-B"pattern. This shows that babies can tell the difference between different patterns. They also were sensitive to where it occurred in the order.
Gervain is excited by these findings because the order of sounds is the building block of words and grammar."Position is key to language," she says. "If something is at the beginning or at the end, it makes a big difference:'John caught the bear.' is very different from 'The bear caught John.'”
Researchers led by scientist Patricia Kuhl have found that language delivered by televisions, audio books,the Internet, or smartphones－no matter how educational－doesn’t appear to be enough for children’s brain development. They carried out a study of nine-month-old American babies. They expected the first group who’d watched videos in Chinese to show the same kind of learning as the second group who were brought face-to-face with the same sounds. Instead they found a huge difference. The babies in the second group were able to distinguish between similar Chinese sounds as well as native listeners. But the other babies －regardless of whether they had watched the video or listened to the audio－learned nothing.
1.What makes connections in a baby’s brain?
A. Having a higher IQ. B. Experiencing new information
C. The baby’ early age D. The connection with other babies
2.What did Judit Gervain and her team find in the experiment?
A. Babies identify different sound patterns.
B. Word order is relevant to meaning.
C. Babies can well understand different words.
D. A certain brain region processes language.
3.What does the underlined sentence mean in Paragraph 3?
A. Grammar is important in learning languages.
B. Different orders have different meanings.
C. Different languages have different grammar.
D. Words have different sounds.
4.What is the main conclusion from the study led by Patricia Kuhl?
A. Babies shouldn’t watch a lot of television.
B. Listening to different languages develops babies’ brain
C. Foreign languages help babies’ brain develop
D. Social communication improves babies’ brain development.
Judy Wright and her husband decided to move closer to their son, Chris ,who lived in Georgia. About a month after the move ,Judy fell ill, suffering from her ongoing battle against Parkinson’s disease.
Her condition worsened rapidly and she required medical care at home. The family hired a nursing aid who canceled at the last minute. Instead , a woman named TunDe Hector showed up in her place.
One day, TunDe shared a story with Judy and her family. She remembered a particularly difficult day in 2014, when a stranger had helped her with a kind gesture. She had run out of gas, and with only$5 in her pocket ,was walking to a gas station, gas can in hand. A man saw her walking and turned his car around. He paid for her gas and gave her all the cash left in his wallet. Upon hearing the story , Judy’s son, Chris, took off his hat and said ,"That was me!” He was the stranger that had helped TunDe on that difficult day.
During the care of Judy, the Wright family learned about TunDe’s family and her own dream. The nursing aid, TunDe hoped that one day she could become an OB-GYN nurse.Her tuition was past due(逾期) and she had a family to care for, but she was determined to achieve that goal for herself and her family.
Judy died on July 9,2017. Instead of flowers, her family asked mourners(悼念者) to donate to TunDe’s education , to assist her in paying for her nursing school. In less than a week, they raised more than $8,000 and presented her with the surprise check.
1.Why did Judy’s family choose TunDe in the end?
A. To help her with a kind gesture .
B. To replace another nursing aid.
C. To look after Judy in the hospital
D. To give Judy the best medical care
2.How might Chris feel when hearing TunDe’s story?
A. Shocked B. Thrilled C. Puzzled D. Delighted
3.How did the Wright family help TunDe after Judy’s death?
A. They paid for her education
B. They helped care for her family
C. They helped her realize her dream.
D. They bought her a surprise present
4.What does the whole story mainly tell us ?
A. Kindness comes full circle B. Actions speak louder than words.
C. The truth never fears investigation D. Constant dropping wears stone.
Hiking is a great way to get active and reduce stress while you are exploring the city.Visit our page to find some of the best free walking tours across New York City.
Community Days at Conference House Park
Wednesday ,September 19, 2018 12:00p.m.---2:00p.m.
Enjoy new gardens at the Visitor Center. Explore and help repair the three self-designed gardens: vegetable, native plant, and sculpture. Experience kids crafts，adult art programs, Tai Chi and more in this lovely setting.
Position: Conference House Park, 298 Satterlee Street, Staten Island
Event Organizer: Conference House Park
Phone Number: (718)227-1463
Contact Email: john.kilcullen@parks .nyc.qov
Greenbelt on the Go
Tuesday, August 14, 2018 10:00a.m.---11:30a.m.
Join us for relaxing walks through our parks. Enjoy the pretty views of them, as we point out a few of the distinct features that make each park special. The length of each hike will be determined by the pace of the group. Registration is required.To register, please email naturecenter@sigreenbelt.org before August 14.
Position: Greenbelt Nature Center in Blood Root Valley, 700 Rockland Avenue at Brielle Avenue Staten Island
Event Organizer: Staten Island Greenbelt Conservancy, Greenbelt Environmental Education Department
Phone Number: (718)351-3450
Contact Email: naturecenter@sigreenbelt.org
Adult Afternoon Hikes
Wednesday, October 10,2018 1:30p.m.---3:00p.m.
Get familiar with the Greenbelt and local parks by hiking with other adults !You’re encouraged to bring small meals and drinks for the break time.
Position: Greenbelt Nature Center in Blood Root Valley, 700 Rockland Avenue at Brielle Avenue Staten Island
Event Organizer: Staten Island Greenbelt Conservancy, Greenbelt Environmental Education Department
Phone Number: (718)351-3450
Contact Email: naturecenter@sigreenbelt.org
The South Pole at Wards Point
Thursday ,November 15,2018 7:00a.m.---7:00p.m.
The three miles of nearby natural shoreline are a sandy beach. Shells ,rocks , and stones of every shape and size can be found here. Not to be missed are the park’s other attractions: acres of woodland ,four galleries, and five historic houses!
Position: Conference House Park Visitor Center in Conference House Park ,298 Satterlee Street ,Staten Island
Event Organizer: Conference House Park
Contact Email: john.kilcullen@parks .nyc.qov
1.Which walking tour may attract people interested in Chinese culture?
A. Community Days at Conference House Park
B. Greenbelt on the Go
C. Adult Afternoon Hikes
D. The South Pole at Wards Point
2.What do we know about Greenbelt on the Go?
A. The length of the hike is settled
B. People will visit three distinct parks
C. It takes place in Conference House Park
D. Visitors need to register in advance
3.What do the four walking tours have in common?
A. They are all for adults.
B. They all charged no fees
C. They’re held by the same organizer.
D. They require visitors to bring food.
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.What does the term “college students” mean in America?
A. Students only in colleges.
B. Students only in universities.
C. Students either in colleges or in universities.
2.Which school does the most research?
A. An institute. B. A university. C. A college.
3.What do we know about MIT?
A. It offers programs on the arts.
B. It is part of a university.
C. It has more than 75 different programs.
4.What’s the main purpose of the speech?
A. To learn something about the institute.
B. To find out the differences between colleges and universities.
C. To discuss the differences between American English and British English.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.What does the woman learn from the man’s resume?
A. He works well in a group.
B. He has a lot of experience.
C. He is naturally curious.
2.What does the man say about his weaknesses?
A. He can be unsure of himself at first.
B. He is hard to get along with sometimes.
C. He doesn’t like having to do training.
3.What does the woman ask about the man’s future?
A. If he will be married.
B. Whether he will be suitable for the company.
C. What he will have accomplished in a few years.
4.Why does the woman appear impressed?
A. The man challenged her.
B. The man gave good answers.
C. The man already understands the job.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.What does the man want to do?
A. Buy office supplies. B. Get a birthday gift. C. Buy his father a gift.
2.What’s the relationship between the speakers?
A. Co-workers. B. Boss and employee. C. Shop owner and customer.
3.What does the woman suggest?
A. A trip to the office supplies store.
B. A shopping trip downstairs.
C. A couple of shopping trips.
