Here is a task for you: try to make as many kinds of facial expressions as you can. How many can you come up with?
Facial expressions are like a window to your emotions inside. Scientists used to believe that we only have six basic emotions-happy, sad, fearful, angry, surprised and disgusted-and ,therefore, each of our facial expressions falls into one of the six categories.
But it turns out that this is just the tip of the iceberg. In a recent study, scientists from Ohio State University, US, mapped 21 different facial expressions, more than tripling(是……的三倍) the original number, reported Science Daily.
Restricting emotions to just six categories is like “painting only using primary colors”, said Aleix Martinez, the lead researcher. He believed that human emotions are much richer than that, which is why he and his team decided to use advanced computer technology for further investigation.
In the experiment, scientists photographed 230 volunteers-100 male and 130 female-while they made faces in response to different words such as “you smell a bad odor(气味)”. They then closely studied the images by examining key muscles on volunteers’ faces, such as the corners of the mouth or the outer edge of the eyebrow, and finally identified 21 different expressions. These included what seem to be contradictory emotions such as “happily disgusted” and “sadly angry”, which scientists call “compound(混合的) emotions”.
Take “happily disgusted” as an example.” Putting on a happy face is usually done by drawing up the cheeks and smiling while a disgusted face often involves a scrunched-up(皱起的) nose and eyes. So the “happily disgusted” emotion created an expression that combined the smile of happy with the scrunched-up eyes and nose of disgusted. It was the emotion test subjects felt when something “gross(恶心的)” happened that was also funny-for example, when people spill(洒出) a lot of food on their clothes.
Similarly, “happily surprised” is an expression for receiving unexpected good news. “Sadly angry” is the face we make when someone we care about makes us angry.
According to Martinez, the researchers’ next step is to study the pathways and chemicals in the brain that activate(激活) and recognize those emotions. He believes that this could lead to effective treatments for people who suffer from conditions such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder(PTSD,创伤后应激障碍), which involves a lack of recognition of other people’s emotions.
1.The underlined part “this is just the tip of the iceberg” in Paragraph 3 probably means .
A. this is a truth known to us all
B. this is the total amount of something
C. this is easily seen or discovered
D. this is only the smallest and most obvious part of something
2.How does the author explain the definition of “compound emotions” in the article?
A. With comparisons.
B. Through examples.
C. Through cause and effect analysis.
D. By presenting research findings.
3.According to the article, people are likely to become happily disgusted when .
A. they receive unexpected good news
B. someone they don’t care about makes them happy
C. something unpleasant but also funny happens
D. they successfully escape from a dangerous situation
4.What can we conclude from the article?
A. There are several contradictory emotions we tend to overlook.
B. Females have more contradictory emotions than males do.
C. The chemicals in the brain that activate emotions are easy to identify.
D. Martinez’s next goal is to find an effective cure for people who suffer from PTSD.
Everyone has those nights-you lie in your bed for hours, tossing and turning, totally unable to fall asleep. You wish you could just turn your brain off as if it were a light. That would make things much easier, wouldn’t it?
Now it looks like you are one step closer to this wild dream of yours-scientists from Oxford University, UK have just discovered the “switch” that tells the brain to go to sleep, reported Forbes.
To understand the study, you first need to know that there are two mechanisms(机能) that regulate sleep. There’s one that we’re already familiar with —our body clock, which works in a 24-hour cycle based on the light changes throughout the day.
The other one is what scientists call the sleep “homeostat(动态平衡系统)”. This mechanism has nothing to do with daylight. Instead, it keeps track of the brain’s waking hours and urges it to rest if it has been awake for a long time. “It is similar to the thermostat(自动调温器) in your home. A thermostat measures temperature and switches on the heating if it’s too cold,” Professor Gero Miesenbock, who led the study, told The Telegraph.
Our bodies use both of the mechanisms to regulate sleep. “The body clock says it’s the right time, and the sleep thermostat has built up pressure during a long waking day,” explained Miesenbock.
There is no way that scientists can trick the body clock. But with the sleep homeostat, there might be something they can do.
The researchers found that the sleep homeostat works by activating a specific group of nerve cells, or neurons, in the brain. They tested their theory on fruit flies by removing the neurons from the insects’ brains. And as expected, they found that the flies without the homeostat neurons did not keep a regular sleep pattern anymore.
Now that scientists have pinpointed the exact place in the brain— or, the “switch”—that regulates sleep, they can begin investigating how to activate these cells at any given time so that people can be sent to sleep instantly.
More importantly, figuring out how sleep mechanisms work may also help us to one day unravel one of the oldest mysteries of all: why do we need to sleep in the first place?
1.What is the article mainly about?
A. A new way to treat sleep disorders.
B. The discovery of the sleep “homeostat”
C. Advice on what to do when you fail to fall asleep.
D. A comparison of the two mechanisms that regulate sleep.
2.How does the author explain the function of the sleep homeostat?
A. Through examples.
B. With comparisons.
C. Through cause and effect analysis.
D. By presenting research findings.
3.What can we conclude from the article?
A. Generally, the sleep homeostat has less effect on people during the day than at night.
B. There is little scientists can do to affect the way the sleep homeostat works.
C. What makes us go to sleep at night is probably a combination of the two mechanisms.
D. The more homeostat neurons there are in one’s brain, the more easily one can fall asleep.
4.The underlined word “unravel” in the last paragraph is closest in meaning to .
A. put up with B. figure out
C. keep track of D. take notice of
Big Blue Whale
Nicola Davies
Illustrated(为……作插图) by Nick Maland
Nicola Davies provides a look at nature’s largest living creature in Big Blue Whale. The text often uses examples from the child’s world to help youngsters understand this great creature. For example, the blue whale’s skin is “smooth like a hard-boiled egg” and its eye is “big as a teacup”. Nick Maland’s pen-and-ink illustrations capture the majesty of the blue whale, of which only 10,000 remain.
Ages 3 to 8, $ 19.99.
Life in the Coral Reef
Bobbie Kalman & Niki Walker
Photographed by Tom Stack
This educational book has outstanding photographs and illustrations. The bright colors are attention grabbing. The importance of the coral reefs(珊瑚礁) in the ecology of the earth is explained as well as how the coral reefs are being harmed and destroyed. The author then offers solutions and suggestions to help prevent the destruction of these beautiful natural resources.
Ages 7 up, $ 16.95.
North American Endangered Species
Colleayn O. Mastin
Illustrated by Jan Sovak
This is a beautifully illustrated book by the award winner Jan Sovak featuring fifteen North American animals that are in danger of becoming extinct. Each animal is introduced with a short poem, followed by factual information and why the species is considered to be endangered.
Ages 6 up, $ 9.95.
Whale
Vasilli Papastavrou
Photographed by Frank Greenaway
This reference book takes a close look at the fascinating world of majestic sea mammals including whales, dolphins, seals, and sea lions. The author describes how whales adapt to sea life and explores whale communication, socialization, behaviors and reproduction, life cycles, habitats and physical characteristics.
Ages 10 up, $ 19.00.
1.What do we learn from Big Blue Whale?
A. The number of the blue whale is increasing.
B. Many animals are in danger of dying out.
C. There used to be more than 10,000 blue whales.
D. The blue whale has strong survival abilities.
2.What is special about North American Endangered Species?
A. It uses examples from the child’s world.
B. The author introduces animals with poems.
C. It contains bright colors.
D. It takes a close look at sea animals.
3.Who has won an award as an illustrator or a photographer?
A. Nick Maland. B. Tom Stack.
C. Jan Sovak. D. Frank Greenaway.
4.A child who wants to learn about how whales communicate will buy .
A. Big Blue Whale B. Life in the Coral Reef
C. North American Endangered Species D. Whale
Not long ago, few little girls imagined they could grow up to be astronauts. In 1983, that changed. Sally Ride made history by becoming the first American woman to travel into space.
Ride died at the age of 61. “Sally was a national hero and a powerful role model,” President Barack Obama said in a statement.
Ride became interested in space when she was a kid. “If you asked me when I was 12 whether I wanted to be an astronaut, I’m sure I would have said yes,” she told TFK in a 2010 interview. “But I didn’t even think about that as a possible career.”
After studying physics in college and graduate school, Ride got her chance. She was accepted into NASA’s astronaut training program in 1978, and then chosen to be the first American female in space. In 1983, she blasted into space aboard the Challenger shuttle. “There is no amusement park ride on Earth that even comes close. It can’t be more wonderful,” she said.
Ride returned to space on the Challenger a second time in 1984. In the two missions, she spent a total of 343 hours in orbit. After that, she remained involved with the space program and also worked to share her passion for space with kids. She wrote five science books about space for children, and started her own science education company.
Ride knew that she held a unique place in history. “I realized how important it was for a woman to break that barrier and open the door for other women to be able to do the same exciting things that men had been doing,” she said.
Since Ride’s historic trip, more than 40 other American women have traveled to space. They all had Ride to thank for opening the door to the final frontier.
1.Which of the following is true?
A. Sally was the first person to travel to space in America.
B. Sally wanted to be an astronaut even when she was a pupil.
C. Sally was interested in space, so she chose astronautics as her major.
D. Sally graduated from college and first traveled to space in 1983.
2.From the fifth paragraph, we know that Sally .
A. was good at doing business
B. wanted to be rich by doing business
C. became a famous writer at last
D. had a lasting interest in space
3.What can we infer from the text?
A. Sally inspired many American women to travel to space.
B. Sally made great contributions to American economic development.
C. Women astronauts used to be looked down upon in American history.
D. The government did not allow women to become astronauts in the past.
4.Which of the following could be the best title for the text?
A. Sally Ride’s first space trip
B. A national hero flying in space
C. Sally Ride, a successful businesswoman
D. Sally Ride, a real educator for kids
There was once a boy who was very rich. He had everything, so he was only interested in the objects. This happened to him in relation to a very old mirror, and he his parents to buy it. When the boy looked into the mirror, his image looked very sad indeed. He tried and making funny faces, but his image continued with its .
, the boy went off to buy sweets and all kinds of toys. He came home but his image in the mirror was still sad-looking. Fed up, the boy stuck the mirror off in a . “What a terrible mirror! It didn’t properly!”
One afternoon he went into the street to and to buy a few toys, but on his way he saw a little boy crying his heart out. The boy looked so that the rich boy went over to see what had happened. The little one told him that he had lost his . Together the two boys set off in search of them. As the little boy wouldn’t stop , our boy spent his money buying him sweets to cheer him up. Finally, after much , they found his parents who were out looking for him, very .
The rich boy headed towards , without having been able to play, without toys, and without . As he went into his room, he noticed a shining light in the corner, the corner he had left the mirror in. Seeing this, he went over to the mirror, and the light was coming from his own body. So he understood the mirror could faithfully reflect the true joy of its .
After that, each morning when he to see a special shine in that mirror, he knew he had to do something to bring it back.
1.A. expensiveB. unusualC. naturalD. popular
2.A. persuadedB. remindedC. allowedD. warned
3.A. sleepingB. smilingC. noddingD. driving
4.A. eventB. storyC. wordD. expression
5.A. FrightenedB. AshamedC. SurprisedD. Embarrassed
6.A. seriouslyB. silentlyC. proudlyD. happily
7.A. deskB. boxC. cornerD. drawer
8.A. workB. appearC. lieD. say
9.A. hideB. playC. searchD. observe
10.A. lonelyB. carelessC. sleepyD. angry
11.A. petsB. parentsC. friendsD. presents
12.A. runningB. whisperingC. cryingD. complaining
13.A. reflectingB. fightingC. visiting D. walking
14.A. worriedB. interestedC. confusedD. amazed
15.A. schoolB. homeC. the shopD. the town
16.A. moneyB. happinessC. memoryD. advice
17.A. similarB. nextC. sameD. relevant
18.A. announcedB. predictedC. suggestedD. realized
19.A. audienceB. partnerC. ownerD. enemy
20.A. refusedB. stoppedC. forgotD. failed
—I got an A in my English final exam. I really can’t believe it myself!
— . I know how hard you’ve worked for it.
A. You can’t miss it B. You deserve it
C. You’ll take it D. That’s too bad
