Do you ever find yourself spending time on product reviews when you buy something online, only to find that the product you bought is junk(废物)? New research led by Dr. Powell of Stanford University may explain why this happens: it boils down to the number of reviews a product has.
The study found that when choosing between two products online, people tend to favor the one with more reviews despite the fact that the more reviewed product is of lower quality. This is because when shopping online, consumers engage(从事)in a type of “social learning”, where they learn from observing the decisions of other people and the results of those decisions. People attach more importance to the choices of others. When evaluating online products, the item’s rating and number of reviews can be helpful to an unsure customer. But a new study, published in the journal Psychological Science, found that consumers don’t check those figures to learn their true meaning enough. So they fail to do a simple task when viewing online rating and reviews, leading them to purchase products of poor quality. When shopping online, consumers engaging in social learning become informed from the decisions of others. For example, you’re more likely to buy a book at the top of the New York Times’ best-sellers list or buy an app that’s been downloaded millions of times. But looking at other people’s choices is only a part of social learning. However, how people understand or fail to understand this data is affecting their decision-making in a negative way. Overcoming this bias(偏见)is difficult because consumers find comfort in popularity.
Powell and his colleagues also found evidence of this trend beyond the study. “It doesn’t necessarily mean that better things don’t become more popular, but as a consumer, when you’re looking at the number of reviews, it’s not telling you anything,” said Dr. Powell.
1.What does the underlined phrase “boils down to” probably mean?
A. is equal to B. results in C. is due to D. focuses on
2.What belief do unsure consumers hold when purchasing products?
A. Rating determines quality. B. Popularity is good.
C. Bad reviews should be ignored. D. More-reviewed products is poor.
3.What do Dr. Powell’s words mean in the last paragraph?
A. The product’s rating often fails to reflect true quality.
B. Usually consumers will find much comfort in popularity.
C. Consumers should distinguish good things and bad things.
D. Consumers should follow others when buying things online.
4.What is probably the best title of the text?
A. How to Purchase Online B. Why We Buy Junk Online
C. Why We Ignore Bad Reviews D. How to Review a Product
Some African schools are adding programs that teach what officials are calling “soft skills” to students. Soft skills are personal qualities that help a person relate effectively to others. Officials say this kind of training can help students succeed in the job market and in life.
The training is being offered at the St. Bernadette Kamonyi Secondary School in Kigali, Rwanda. For weeks, its students have been visiting neighborhood businesses. The goal of these field trips is for the young people to learn what is necessary to secure a job.
For the secondary school students, this information is important. In a few months, they’ll complete their studies and try their best to find work. One of the Rwandan students is 22-year-old Aminadab Niyitegeka. He says he will look for any job available. He hopes that what he learns in his work readiness class will help. Traditionally, secondary schools in Africa have spent more time on subjects like mathematics and science, largely ignoring areas like public speaking and teamwork. But that is changing. Schools are exploring new teaching models to offer soft skills and professional training. It is part of an effort to perpare students to become better communicators, problem solvers and citizens(公民).
Rwanda has started a work readiness training program called Akazi Kanoze Access. It means “work well done” in Kinyarwanda, the official language of Rwanda. The program has trained more than 20,000 students to help make them more appealing to employers.
Emmanuel Ntagungira is a teacher and works as a trainer for Akazi Kanoze Access. He often visits employers who have given jobs to high schools. The employers are very happy because the graduates are ready to work. He says he hopes the program will help lower unemployment, which stands at over 13 percent nationwide. He also explains that the graduates have a healthy mindset and employers are satisfied with the job they’ve been doing.
1.Why do St. Bernadette Kamonyi Secondary School students visit neighborhood businesses?
A. To find some suitable jobs for them.
B. To explore new learning methods.
C. To help the neighbors with daily affairs.
D. To learn some skills to get a job.
2.What do secondary schools in Africa traditionally focus on?
A. Subjects like mathematics and science.
B. Public speaking and teamwork.
C. Communicating skills with employers.
D. New teaching models and skills.
3.What does Emmanuel Ntagungira think of the program?
A. Instructive. B. Beneficial. C. Persuasive. D. Controversial.
If you want to try out some unique and strange hotels, the following might be interesting to you.
Dog Bark Park Inn
Located in Cottonwood, Idaho, this hotel is actually in the shape of a dog. Every detail inside displays the love of dogs.The room sleeps 4 and contains a full bath, a microwave, air conditioning, books, games, but no television or telephone. You will feel the rural atmosphere more vividly without outdoor influences. Since this hotel is extremely popular with visitors, you should book in advance.
Palacio de sal Hotel
This hotel is located at the eastern shore of the Great Salar de Uyuni, near the world’s biggest salt flat. Since the building and some furniture are made entirely of salt, there are some specific rules the guests should follow. For example, visitors are banned from licking(舔)the walls and they also should be careful with salt furniture. Typically, the Bolivians treat their guests to salty meat.
Das Park Hotel
Das Park Hotel, located in Linz, Austria, is actually a number of drainpipes(排水管)that have been turned into rooms. It’s one of the greatest example of how people can reuse materials. Since the space of each room is about 2 square meters, there are only a bed, light, power and ventilation(通风设备). You should pay for the bathroom and kitchen equipment. It uses a wonderful sound-proofing material to protect from being disturbed by the outer noise. The hotel is only available from May to October.
V8 Hotel
Are you a car lover? The V8 Hotel in Meilenwerk, Germany may be your cup of tea. Both design and architecture are about automobiles, which will surely create the racing mood! Each room has an automotive theme as well. You can sleep in a bed made from a white Mercedes or sleep in the workshop room where your car bed is actually lifted up on jacks.
Moreover, the V8 Hotel isn’t located in somewhere; it is located in a special and unique area—the Motorworld Stuttgard. Car specialists, enthusiasts, people who love technology and technical aesthetics(审美学)can find everything here.
1.Which hotel should be reserved to live in?
A. Dog Bark Park Inn. B. Palacio de sal Hotel.
C. Das Park Hotel. D. V8 Hotel.
2.What is forbidden in the Palacio de sal Hotel?
A. Eating salty meat. B. Licking the walls.
C. Lying on a salt bed. D. Taking a bath with salt.
3.What can we infer about Das Park Hotel?
A. Each room is large enough to hold two beds.
B. The sound of the pipes is the main disturbance.
C. People can cook there if they pay extra money.
D. The hotel can be available throughout the year.
4.Who may like V8 Hotel best?
A. Statue artists. B. Construction workers.
C. Art collectors. D. Car enthusiasts.
"Did you hear what happened to Adam last Friday?" Lindsey whispers to Tori.
With her eyes shining, Tori brags, "You bet I did, Sean told me two days ago."
Who are Lindsey and Tori talking about? It just happened to be yours truly, Adam Freedman, I can tell you that what they are saying is （a） not nice and （b） not even true. Still, Lindsey and Tori aren't very different from most students here at Linton High School, including me. Many of our conversations are gossip （闲话）.I have noticed three effects of gossip: it can hurt people, it can give gossipers a strange kind of satisfaction, and it can cause social pressures in a group.
An important negative effect of gossip is that it can hurt the person being talked about. Usually, gossip spreads information about a topic—breakups, trouble at home, even dropping out—that a person would rather keep secret. The more embarrassing or shameful the secret is, the juicier the gossip it makes. Probably the worst type of gossip is the absolute lie. People often think of gossipers as harmless, but cruel lies can cause pain.
If we know that gossip can be harmful, then why do so many of us do it? The answer lies in another effect of gossip: the satisfaction it gives us. Sharing the latest rumor （传言）can make a person feel important because he or she knows something that others don't. Similarly, hearing the latest rumor can make a person feel like part of the "in group". In other words, gossip is satisfying because it gives people a sense of belonging or even superiority （优越感）.
Gossip also can have a third effect: it strengthens unwritten, unspoken rules about how people should act. Professor David Wilson explains that gossip is important in policing behaviors in a group. Translated into high school terms, this means that if everybody you hang around with is laughing at what John wore or what Jane said, then you can bet that wearing or saying something similar will get you the same kind of negative attention. The do's and don'ts conveyed through gossip will never show up in any student handbook.
The effects of gossip vary depending on the situation. The next time you feel the urge to spread the latest news, think about why you want to gossip and what effects your "juicy story" might have.
1.The author uses a conversation at the beginning of the passage to _________.
A.introduce a topic B.present an argument
C.describe the characters D.clarify his writing purpose
2.An important negative effect of gossip is that it ___________.
A.breaks up relationships B.embarrasses the listener
C.spreads information around D.causes unpleasant experiences
3.Professor David Wilson thinks that gossip can ____________.
A.provide students with written rules
B.help people watch their own behaviors
C.force school to improve student handbooks
D.attract the police's attention to group behaviors
4.What advice does the author give in the passage?
A.Never become a gossiper B.Stay away from gossipers
C.Don't let gossip turn into lies D.Think twice before you gossip
It's natural for parents to praise their children, but offering this praise could actually backfire, according to new science.
In the study, researchers at Michigan State University looked at 123 children who were about 7. The team assessed the children to determine whether they had a “growth mindset" (believing that you can work harder to get smarter), or a “fixed mindset" (believing that your intelligence is unable to change). They then asked the children to complete a fast-paced computer accuracy task while their brain activity was recorded.
Based on the data they collected, the researchers concluded that children with a growth mindset were much more likely to have a larger brain response after making a mistake, and in turn were more likely to improve their performance by paying closer attention to the task after making an error.
While previous research has shown that people with a fixed mindset didn't want to admit they had made a mistake, this study found that children with a fixed mindset were able to — “bounce back” after making an error, but only if they gave their full attention to the mistakes. “The main implication here is that we should pay close attention to our mistakes and use them as opportunities to learn study author Hans Schroder told Science Daily.
For parents, the lessons are clear—if a child hands you an A+ test, don't say “You're so smart! ”
Instead, say “Wow, that studying really paid off!" or “You clearly mastered this material — way to go!" Note the effort, not the intelligence.
Second, focus on using errors to work together and learn. Many teachers and parents avoid addressing children's mistakes, telling them “It's OK. You'll get it next time. . . ” Without giving them the opportunity to figure out what went wrong. Dr. Schroder says, "Instead, it's better to
reassure children that mistakes happen, and to pay attention and work to figure out where and how they made the mistakes. ”
1.The underlined word “backfire" in Paragraph 1 probably means “ ” .
A.make a loud noise B.leave a good impression
C.have an opposite result D.produce an explosion
2.According to the text, which one belongs to the group who has a “growth mindset" ?
A.Tom manages to correct every mistake by heart.
B.Mary believes her mistakes are made by chance.
C.John keeps an idea that he has a good gift for studying.
D.Lily thinks she can get A+ without any effort.
3.If your child gets the best mark in the test, you should .
A.praise him with some delicious food and money
B.comment him to be cleverer than other students
C.confirm his effort that he has made for the test
D.believe that he is an honest and smart child
4.What should parents do with the child's mistakes from Dr. Schroder?
A.Parents should avoid talking with child about his mistakes.
B.Parents should compare his mistakes with others' and criticize him.
C.Parents should ignore the mistakes and believe he will do better.
D.Parents should analyse the mistakes with their child patiently.
Online programs to fight depression are already commercially available. While they sound efficient and cost-saving, a recent study reports that they are not effective, primarily because depressed patients are not likely to engage with them or stick with them.
The study looked at computer-assisted cognitive （认知的）behavioral therapy （ CBT） and found that it was no more effective in treating depression than the usual care patients receive from a primary care doctor.
Traditional CBT is considered an effective form of talk therapy（治疗）for depression, helping people challenge negative thoughts and change the way they think in order to change their mood and behaviors. However, online CBT programs have been gaining popularity, with the attraction of providing low-cost help wherever someone has access to a computer.
A team of researchers from the University of York conducted a randomized（随机的）control trial with 691 depressed patients from 83 physician practices across England. The patients were split into three groups: one group received only usual care from a physician while the other two groups received usual care from a physician plus one of two computerized CBT programs. Participants were balanced across the three groups for age, sex, educational background, severity and duration of depression, and use of antidepressants（抗抑郁药）.
After four months, the patients using the computerized CBT programs had no improvement in depression levels over the patients who were only getting usual care from their doctors.
“It's an important, cautionary note that we shouldn't get too carried away with the idea that a computer system can replace doctors and therapists, says Christopher Dowrick, a professor of
primary medical care at the University of Liverpool. “We do still need the human touch or the human interaction, particularly when people are depressed. ”
Being depressed can mean feeling “lost in your own small, negative, dark world," Dowrick says. Having a person, instead of a computer, reach out to you is particularly important in combating that sense of isolation. “When you’re emotionally vulnerable (脆弱的),you're even more in need of a caring human being," he says.
1.Why has online CBT programs been increasingly popular?
A.Because of their effectiveness in fighting depression.
B.Because of their easy and inexpensive access by patients.
C.Because of their recommendation by primary care doctors.
D.Because of their attraction of changing mood and behavior.
2.What is the conclusion of the experiment done by researchers at the University of York?
A.Online CBT programs are as ineffective as regular care from physicians.
B.The combination of traditional CBT and computerized CBT is most effective.
C.The online programs are more advanced than regular care from physicians.
D.Online CBT programs have no advantages over regular care from physicians.
3.Which of the following statement can best convey Professor Dowrick's advice on online programs?
A.Their use should be encouraged by doctors.
B.They should not be ignored in primary care.
C.Their effectiveness should not be overestimated(高估).
D.They should be used to help people touch these patients.
4.What is more important to an emotionally vulnerable person?
A.A positive state of mind. B.An appropriate therapy.
C.An advanced CBT program. D.A caring human being.
