The next time you need to get somewhere, you may be able to follow your nose. A study has found that a strong sense of smell is associated with a strong sense of direction.
Researchers conducted an experiment at McGill University in Canada. Fifty-seven adults were invited to participate in a virtual"way-finding task"in which they had to make their way around a virtual environment. They were given 20 minutes to learn about the virtual city. After having passed by each of eight landmarks at least twice, the participants were placed in front of one of the landmarks and asked to find the most direct route to one assigned by the researchers.
The participants also smelled 40 scented（有香气的）pens one at a time. After a brief sniff, the participants chose one word that best identified the smell from four words on a screen.
An additional exercise used a virtual maze（迷宫）to determine if the participants were more likely to rely on landmarks to find the way or if they used a more habit-based method built over time as people travelled the same route over and over again.
What the researchers found was that those with the ability to correctly identify the smells of the pens also had the easiest time performing the way-finding task by way of landmarks. A strong sense of smell was not identified in the participants who used the more habit-based method.
The connection between the sense of smell and way-finding likely came about as a result of the evolution of the nervous system. The original function of the sense of smell in humans may have been intended to support our spatial memory.
Keep that in mind the next time you get lost going to the dentist. It won't prevent you from getting horribly lost, but it's good food for thought along the way.
1.How did the researchers carry out the study?
A.By using typical landmarks in a real city.
B.By combining virtual tests with real-life tests.
C.By testing different senses in a virtual environment.
D.By collecting routine observation data from the participants.
2.What were the participants asked to do after they smelled a scented pen?
A.Decide whether they liked the smell.
B.Use a sentence to describe the smell.
C.Choose a suitable word for the smell.
D.Find the landmark that featured the smell.
3.Which of the following factors is better related to a strong sense of direction according to paragraph 5?
A.The way of using landmarks.
B.More experience in describing things.
C.Quick adjustment to the virtual world.
D.A more habit-based way-finding method.
4.The meaning of the word "spatial" underlined in Paragraph 6 relates to _____.
A.the situation B.the position
C.the spirit D.the time
Five years ago, my wife said she'd found us a tiny but adorable house. It was close to the historic Abbot Kinney. However, there was a bus depot（公共汽车停车场）across the street. Hundreds of buses noisily parked there every night and noisily left every morning. It was awful.
But I was determined to make the best of it. “It is noisy, but it offers us a good way to think about what is required to make a city work, "I kept telling our 6-year-old daughter.
Then one morning, I woke up to find that the buses were gone! I allowed myself to get excited. My daughter, however, was unhappy. It took me a minute to understand:she had got used to the idea of us having a role in city life.
Shortly afterward, a homeless encampment（临时营地）was built there. Then I found out what was planned for the bus depot-a place to deal with the homeless.
When I told my daughter about the“bridge housing", a big smile spread across her face. Her first reaction wasn't fear or selfishness. She understood instantly how special it was that the bus depot would become a place for people who needed just that to live.
What story about city life could I tell her then？I tried to keep fruit in the car so that at traffic lights, we could hand out a banana or an apple. When a woman put up a tent on the sidewalk in front of our stairs, I filled all her water bottles.
Now we have a couple hundred new neighbours, and I'll be telling anyone who will listen what an honour it is to live among the homeless. Without my daughter, I might not have come to the same conclusion.
1.What was wrong with the author's new house at the beginning?
A.It was too small for family use.
B.There was too much noise around.
C.It was too close to a tourist attraction.
D.There were too many neighbours around.
2.Why was the author's daughter unhappy when she found the buses were gone?
A.She thought she lost the role in city life.
B.She didn't like the idea of bridge housing.
C.She had been used to the presence of buses.
D.She couldn't go out of town without the buses.
3.What was the author's purpose of keeping fruit in his car?
A.To meet his family's needs.
B.To make his daughter happy.
C.To help the homeless when possible.
D.To thank those who had helped them.
Smart Home Products for Living a Connected Life
What makes something a smart home product? Generally, it’s defined by its ability to connect to a Wi-Fi network, allowing users to interact（互动）with it from their smartphones.We’ve rounded up some cool, diverse offerings that you’ll love to have in your home.
Nest Cam IQ
walmart.com
$299.00
The Nest Cam IQ is a beautifully designed home security camera that can recognize faces. It can warn you if there’s a stranger in your home. The device also supports two-way communication via built-in microphones and a powerful speaker.
Logitech Harmony Elite
amazon.com
$249.99
The Logitech Harmony Elite is one of the best universal remote controls available on the market. It can control just about every piece of electronics you own（it supports over 270，000 devices！）in every room of your house or apartment, including TVs，streaming devices, and sound systems.
Apple HomePod
bhphotovideo.com
$349.00
The Apple HomePod has better audio quality than any other smart speaker available today. Available in white or space gray, the Siri-powered device also allows you to control a number of devices with your voice.
August Smart Lock Pro
amazon.com
$279.99
The August Smart Lock Pro is compatible（兼容的）with most locks. A mobile app allows you to manage access to the lock, check its usage history, and get informed when someone opens the door. You can control it and check on the state of your door with voice commands.
1.What can the Nest Cam IQ help you do？
A.Properly use your smartphone camera
B.Control electronics with your voice.
C.Check the locks of your house.
D.Keep your home safe.
2.Which device can help you operate almost all your electronic equipment remotely？
A.Nest Cam IQ.
B.Apple HomePod.
C.August Smart Lock Pro.
D.Logitech Harmony Elite.
3.Which column of a website is the text most probably taken from？
A.Technology.
B.News.
C.Society.
D.Education.
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.When was the 44th contest held?
A.In 2016. B.In 2017. C.In 2018.
2.What role does Safeway play in the contest?
A.It provides the prizes.
B.It judges the pumpkins.
C.It teaches pumpkin growers.
3.What is the requirement for the maximum prize?
A.Being larger than the others.
B.Being over 2, 624 pounds.
C.Being the prettiest.
4.How much did Steven Daletas get in 2018’s contest?
A.$15,190.
B.$19,150.
C.$30,000
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.Where does the conversation probably take place?
A.At the man's home. B.At a laundry. C.At a hotel.
2.What does the woman offer to do for the man?
A.Change the bed sheets.
B.Bring a laundry bag.
C.Take away the rubbish.
3.What is hard for the man to find?
A.The lamp.
B.The bedside table.
C.The light switch.
4.What will the man do today?
A.Visit a gallery.
B.Spend the day at a cafe.
C.Go to his friend's house.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.What do we know about the woman?
A.She is a visitor here.
B.She is a new teacher here.
C.She works in the dining hall.
2.What is beside the Students' Dining Hall?
A.The playground.
B.The Students Apartment.
C.The Teaching Building.
3.On which floor is the League Office?
A.The fifteenth. B.The tenth. C.The fifth.
