The ancient tale of the Country Mouse and the Town Mouse was only the first to emphasize rural folk's supposed simplicity when compared with more sophisticated urbanites. However, neuro-scientists announce that, in fact, it is city living that can dull the wits.
The new study led by Dr. Spiers at Nantes University describes how they used a dataset from 4 million people of a computer game, which tests navigating skills by asking players to memorise a map showing the location of checkpoints and then measuring how well players can find them, guided only by their mental map. Dr. Spiers and his colleagues examined the 4 million people from 38 countries, and found that the strongest indicator of a high score was a player's age—older people performed relatively poorly, which agrees with what researchers know about age-related cognitive decline. But the benefit of rural living was strong enough to offset some of that. Data showed that a 70-year-old who grew up in the countryside had the navigational abilities of an average 60-year-old across the dataset.
There is a huge gap between the navigation skills of rural and city people, and the researchers think they know why. Dr. Spiers says that the brain's navigational abilities probably weaken in the less challenging city environment because they are not being used as much. Although cities may appear more elaborate, they also feature more clues to help residents find their way, such as numbered streets. In the countryside, however, one field tends to look much the same as another, so there are fewer external landmarks to help guide the way.
Neuroscientists already know that living and working in more complex environments can influence the function and structure of the brain. Brain scans of London taxi drivers, who have gained an encyclopedic memory of the city5 s streets, show that they tend to have an enlarged hippocampus—a region of the brain acting as a neural GPS, sensing position and path on an internal map of the environment.
The harmful effect of city living on navigation is probably most serious in people under 16—18, Dr. Spiers says, because their still-developing brains respond and change the most according to external stimuli. And while people who live in cities with young children should not be alarmed, the study does raise some interesting ideas for urban planners: keep their city designs not so simple perhaps. And for everyone else, it might be an idea to turn off maps on the phone.
1.The study led by Dr. Spiers shows that _______.
A.the seniors score higher at computer games
B.rural life benefits people's sense of direction
C.participants are better at finding ways in cities
D.the young remember checkpoints better in maps
2.The underlined word "offset", in Para. 2 most probably means _______.
A.achieve B.confirm
C.reduce D.replace
3.What is the purpose of the passage?
A.To introduce a new way of driver training.
B.To expose the drawbacks of living in the urban area.
C.To show the contrast between lives in the country and city.
D.To present environments' impact on one's ability to locate places.
4.What is the best tide for the passage?
A.Lost in the City
B.Brain Weakened in Cities
C.Navigating to the Countryside
D.The Negative Effects of City Living
Stuttering （口 吃）has nothing to do with intelligence. I know this because I stutter. If it takes me a while longer to say a word, it's not because I can't remember the word; it's because the neural(神经的） pathway that transforms words in my head into sounds in my mouth is wired differently. And differences, of course, are the best way to get negative attention in our society. Taking extra time to get my words out can surely be frustrating, but that's nothing compared to the misery of dealing with people's reactions.
Almost all children who stutter are discouraged from speaking in one way or another. It's usually not as direct as someone walking up to them and saying, “Hey, stuttering kid! Keep your mouth shut!” But when your voice causes adults and peers to snicker （窃笑）or roll their eyes, it's pretty discouraging.
Growing up, I learned to avoid speaking whenever possible. I hated what came out of my mouth, full of awkward breaks and pauses. I figured whatever future I had, it probably involved a vow of silence.
Today Fm a touring author and comedian. It took me 30-something years to get over stuttering. Did I stop stuttering? No! I couldn't stop if I wanted to. But I stopped wanting to stop. Instead of wasting all my time and energy trying to meet unattainable standards, I learned that it's OK to stutter. And I learned by example. I attended the National Stuttering Association conference and met all kinds of people who stutter—people who didn't hate themselves, who didn't silence themselves. They stuttered, and they were OK with it! I remember watching them and thinking, "That's who I want to be!"
There's a popular saying in comedy: "Your weakness is your strength." When I first entered my local open-mic scene, I was quickly met with some "smart" guys looking to score a cheap laugh at my expense. I remember introducing myself to one comedian and stuttering on my name, as I usually do. Eager to demonstrate his smartness, he replied, "Is that Nina with five Ns?" "No," I said, "it's Nina with two Ns!" Just like that, I had created a joke as the result of someone making fiin of my stutter.
To this day, whenever I need inspiration for a new joke, I just think about all the ridiculous comments I get from non-stuttering people. It's a comedy gold mine!
1.It takes the author longer to say a word because she has _______.
A.a comparatively low IQ B.trouble in organizing ideas
C.a relatively small brain D.problems in her neural system
2.What annoys the author most about her stuttering is _______.
A.the unfriendly reactions of others
B.the difficulty in memorising words
C.her unpromising future as a stutterer
D.her embarrassing pauses during talks
3.The author got over stuttering by _______.
A.adjusting her attitude towards it
B.getting help from non-stutterers
C.telling herself constantly to stop it
D.silencing herself whenever possible
4.Paragraph 5 is mainly about the author's _______.
A.success as a comedian
B.respect for other comedians
C.resistance to others' strength
D.acceptance of her imperfection
You may have seen the term"bullet journal" floating around online, but what exactly is a bullet journal? This article will highlight the uses for a bullet journal and why they're great for people who wish to be more organized.
What is a bullet journal?
A bullet journal is a planner system which allows you to plan for the future, track the past and keep your life organized with lists separated by bullet points. It is a place for you to create clear, yet simple to-do lists and a place to keep a note of your life goals and aspirations.
What does it help with?
A bullet journal is perfect for people who like writing lists to keep themselves organized. They're great for doing as a hobby and you can get creative with the way you present your lists. They're also perfect for people who constantly write down to-do lists or make hand-written notes.
Why is it important?
A bullet journal is important because we all feel better when our life is organized. Organization can reduce stress and make you happier. Having your life in order, you will know exacdy what you have to do every day so that you can remember all of your life goals.
How to create a bullet journal?
The instructions will help you embark on your bullet journal.
Step 1. Find or buy a blank notebook
Any notebook with blank pages will do because if you are someone who is creative and artistic, you can decorate the notebook any way you like.
Step 2. Find or buy pens
It's best to start off simple and choose a pen that you find easy to use and that you would feel comfortable writing with every day.
Step 3. Monthlies
In this section, you can put a list of important dates for that particular month.
Step 4. Dailies and Weeklies
Put all of your daily or weekly tasks in this section so that you don't forget anything that you have to do during that day or week.
Step 5. Life Goals
Keep a life goals section. This can include different collections of goals, such as career, relationships, places you wish to visit and so on.
Now start your bullet journal!
1.Bullet journals are intended for those who hope to _______.
A.keep life in order B.lead a relaxing life
C.highlight their progress D.reduce their workload
2.Keeping bullet journals helps people _______.
A.develop artistic taste B.get rid of stress
C.build a better mood D.give up a hobby
3.Which of the following is most likely to be included in a bullet journal?
A.Weekly expenses.
B.Appointments with a dentist.
C.Weather forecasts.
D.Passwords to your computer.
How Running Helped Me Turn My Life Around
I've never been an athlete. Aside from excelling at all academic disciplines at school, my main goal was to _______ PE at all costs. In my twenties, I went for an occasional yoga or Zumba class, but that was really the summary of all my athletic accomplishments.
That was until the end of 2016, when I was unexpectedly laid off. The _______ of getting a new job soon were not in my favor and _______ thoughts of not being good enough started to kick in. I was feeling quite depressed but pushed myself to go and _______ for the TCS NYC Marathon runners as the course was going through our neighborhood.
However, while being there, I got phenomenal _______ from all the runners, smiling, applauding and high-fiving constantly. Not a runner myself, I thought maybe I could give running a _______, just to try, to use my neglected gym membership and see where it _______ me. And so I tried. I went to my local gym the next morning and got on a treadmill （跑步机）.I was out of breath by minute five, but I _______ down, walked for a bit and then restarted. I came back the next day, hoping to _______ a few minutes longer. By the end of two weeks, I could run for 30 minutes, which was a huge ________.
While I saw my body starting to look more toned, I also noticed my negative thoughts didn't occur that ________ And it sparked a thought—what if I could set a running ________ and sign up for my first- ever race? I did and races sort of became a new hobby.
In the meantime, I was able to ________ a few freelance （自由职业的）projects. They offered me a good ________, and, most importantly, the time to work out for the big race. Also, when I was going for interviews, I started to feel very ________ in my abilities, experience and skills.
I got my full-time job ________ at my dream company just a couple of weeks before the halfmarathon. Although I got an ________ from overtraining right before the race, I still went for it and still finished within my ________ time.
I still have a long running ________ ahead of me—I'd love to work on my speed, my technique and I dream of running a marathon outside of the US. Running gives me ________ that I can do anything I set my mind to.
1.A.attend B.avoid C.pursue D.postpone
2.A.options B.plans C.hopes D.odds
3.A.dark B.deep C.critical D.random
4.A.call B.look C.cheer D.stand
5.A.sympathy B.pleasure C.luck D.energy
6.A.lift B.shot C.break D.choice
7.A.meets B.leaves C.takes D.drops
8.A.came B.fell C.went D.slowed
9.A.last B.walk C.rest D.function
10.A.credit B.impact C.success D.opportunity
11.A.readily B.frequently C.normally D.occasionally
12.A.goal B.limit C.record D.standard
13.A.create B.secure C.approve D.continue
14.A.service B.position C.future D.income
15.A.absorbed B.interested C.confident D.confused
16.A.offer B.permit C.schedule D.application
17.A.award B.honor C.injury D.issue
18.A.appointed B.expected C.original D.spare
19.A.show B.route C.distance D.journey
20.A.faith B.consideration C.evidence D.guidance
阅读下列短文，根据短文内容填空。在未给提示词的空白处仅填写1个适当的单词，在给出 提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。
There's nothing better than flying to a foreign destination to visit the attractions it1. (have) to offer. Millions of people are doing the same, and why not? The world has an amazing variety of must-see sights, from breathtaking natural scenery to impressive old cities. But the problem is that too many of us 2. (visit) them at the same time, putting pressure on these delicate and ancient places. That's why a number of beauty spots and historic sites have been introducing charges or restrictions on the number of tourists. There are many reasons for this: to reduce overcrowding, to manage wear and tear on old buildings and to tidy up the mess 3. (leave) behind.
阅读下列短文，根据短文内容填空。在未给提示词的空白处仅填写1个适当的单词，在给出 提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。
You have probably dreamed about 1. you would change the world, only to find that it seems impossible. However, you may have the power 2. (make) the world better with steps by steps. That’s the idea behind the BA Challenge, which is a public service campaign co-initiated by Alibaba and Sina Weibo. It asks people to do something positive and then record the changes before and after. Since its first 3. (appear) on Sina Weibo on Sept. 2nd, the BA Challenge has attracted millions of viewers and participants. 4. these little things may be easily ignored in our daily lives, they are well received by many viewers.
