Being Left-handed in a Right-handed World
The world is designed for right-handed people, but why does a tenth of the population prefer the left? 1..
The answer to it remains a bit of a mystery. Since scientists have noticed that left-handedness tends to run in families, it's assumed that left-handedness has a genetic(基因的) component to it. 2.. In fact, identical twins, who share the same genes, can sometimes prefer to use different hands. There are also plenty of theories on what else might determine which hand you write with, but many experts believe that it's kind of random.
Historically, the left side and left-handedness have been considered a negative thing by many cultures. 3.. In some areas, the left hand became known as the "unclean" hand. In many religions, the right hand of God is the favored hand. For example, Jesus sits at God's right side. God's left hand, however, is the hand of judgement. Various activities and experiences become rude or even signs of bad luck when the left hand becomes involved. In some parts of Scotland, it is considered bad luck to meet a left-handed person at the start of a journey. 4.. A person giving directions will put their left hand behind them and even physically try to point with their right hand if necessary. In some Asian countries, eating with the left hand is considered impolite.
5.. People come to realize that left-handedness is natural. People even noticed that many famous people are left-handed, including Benjamin Franklin, Leonardo Da Vinci, and Charlie Chaplin. Some researchers find out that lefties are more creative and can deal with abstract thinking better. The left-handedness is more easily adaptable to the right-handed world as well. Being left-handed is no longer a sad story now; instead, it is a wonderful gift or maybe it is something you should take pride in.
A. In other words, left-handers are born that way.
B Left-handedness used to be regarded as a disability.
C. The unfavorable associations of the use of the left hand among cultures are varied.
D. Why do they prefer to use their left hand rather than their right hand for routine activities?
E. Why do some parents force their left-handed children to become right-handed when writing?
F. In Ghana, pointing, gesturing, giving or receiving items with the left hand is considered rude.
G. Fortunately, nowadays most societies and cultures no longer reject left-handedness like before.
Does happiness have a scent?
When someone is happy, can you smell it?
You can usually tell when someone is happy based on seeing them smile, heating them laugh or perhaps from receiving a big hug. But can you also smell their happiness? Surprising new research suggests that happiness does indeed have a scent, and that the experience of happiness can be transmitted through smell, reports Phys.org.
For the study, 12 young men were shown videos meant to bring about a variety of emotions while researchers gathered sweat samples from them. All of the men were healthy and none of them were drug users or smokers, and all were asked to abstain from drinking or eating smelly foods during the study period.
Those sweat samples were then given to 36 equally healthy young women to smell, while researchers monitored their reactions. Only women were selected to smell the samples, apparently because previous research has shown that women have a better sense of smell than men and are also more sensitive to emotional signaling—though it's unclear why only men were chosen to produce the scents.
Researchers found that the behavior of the women after smelling the scents--particularly their facial expressions--indicated a relationship between the emotional states of the men who produced the sweat and the women who sniffed them.
"Human sweat produced when a person is happy brings about a state similar to happiness in somebody who breathes this smell," said study co-author Gun Semin, a professor at Koc University in Turkey.
This is a fascinating finding because it not only means that happiness does have a scent, but that the scent is capable of transmitting the emotion to others. The study also found that other emotions, such as fear, seem to carry a scent too. This ensures previous research suggesting that some negative emotions have a smell, but it is the first time this has proved to be true of positive feelings.
Researchers have yet to isolate(分离) exactly what the chemical compound for the happiness smell is, but you might imagine what the potential applications for such a finding could be. Happiness perfumes, for instance, could be invented. Scent therapies (香味疗法) could also be developed to help people through depression or anxiety.
Perhaps the most surprising result of the study, however, is our broadened understanding of how emotions get communicated, and also how our own emotions are potentially managed through our social context and the emotional states of those around us.
1.What is the main finding of the new research?
A. Men produce more sweats.
B. Negative emotions have a smell.
C. Pleasant feelings can be smelt out.
D. Women have a better sense of smell.
2.The underlined part "abstain from" in Paragraph 3 probably means _______.
A. avoid B. practice
C. continue D. try
3.What is the application value of the new research?
A. Perfumes could help people understand each other.
B. Some smells could be developed to better our mood.
C. Perfumes could be produced to cure physical diseases.
D. Some smells could be created to improve our appearance.
4.We can learn from the last paragraph that _______.
A. happiness comes from a scent of sweat
B. positive energy can deepen understanding
C. people need more emotional communication
D. social surroundings can influence our emotions
Nowadays the U.S. students are sleepy in school because they spend too much time texting, playing video games, watching TV, and using the media in other ways.
"Heavy media use interferes with sleep by reducing sleep duration, making it harder to fall asleep, and lowering sleep quality," Meilan Zhang, an assistant professor at the University of Texas at E1 Paso, wrote in her research review in the journal, Sleep Medicine.
But the relationship between youth's media use and sleep is not so simple, said Michael Gradisar, who authored both that review and the Sleep Medicine meta-analysis. "Technology use is the new evidence when we are trying to answer 'Why are school-age children sleeping less?" said Mr. Gradisar, an associate professor of psychology at Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia.
There may be safe limits to technology use, Mr. Gradisar stated. For instance, recent research results indicate that using a bright screen for an hour before bed or even playing violent video games for less than that will not necessarily interfere with teenagers' sleep, he wrote.
But longer periods of usage can be harmful to sleep, Mr. Gradisar added. Rather than delaying school start times, he said, the first step should be educating parents about limiting the hours that their children are using technology before bed, and enforcing a consistent bedtime.
Early school start times are also commonly blamed for students' sleepiness, especially for adolescents. Secondary schools around the nation and the world have been delaying start times, often with positive results.
Mr. Minnich of the TIMSS and PIRLS International Study Center hesitated to put blame to any particular factor. But he did think that cost-saving measures to consolidate (合并) bus routes might help explain U.S. students' sleepiness.
"For those children who board the bus first, they must get up earlier, may end up sleeping on the way to school, and may end up arriving at school sleepy." he said.
1.Which of the following may be the best title for the text?
A. Kids benefit a lot from technology
B. Some tips can help kids sleep well
C. Several factors affect kids' sleep
D. Several sleep troubles appear at school
2.According to Meilan Zhang, ________.
A. students are good at using the media
B. students' sleep is affected by the media
C. students use the media during sleeping
D. students suffer from technology badly
3.Which of the following may be the good way to help kids sleep better?
A. Their playing time must be limited.
B. Technology is forbidden at home.
C. They are allowed to go to school early.
D. Parents should be well educated.
4.Who are most likely to be interested in the text?
A. The officials. B. The teachers.
C. The parents. D. The researchers
It's still there, the Vietnamese school where my brother and I used to go. Even with a new coat of paint and the high wire fence, the school I knew ten years ago remains the same.
Every day at 5 p.m., instead of flying kites with our friends, my brother and I had to go to Vietnamese school. Nothing could stop my determined mother to have us learn the language of our culture. She held us by the collar and walked with us from our home to school, leaving our tearful faces before the front of the school.
Although the school mainly taught language, the lessons always began with an exercise in politeness. With the entrance of the teacher, the best student would tap a bell and everyone would get up, and say in Vietnamese, "How are you, teacher?"
The language always made me embarrassed. More often than not, I hail tried to separate myself from the loud voice that followed me whenever I went to the American supermarket outside our area. The voice belonged to my grandmother, a small old woman whose Vietnamese was quick, loud, but not beautiful. I did not want to be seen speaking Vietnamese with her and thought of as talking stupid.
When I spoke English, people nodded at me, smiled and encouraged me. My brother was even stricter than I about speaking English. He was especially cruel towards my mother, scolding her for her poor English. Bits of Vietnamese were often mixed in her conversation.
After two years of struggle, I finally divorced my culture. I was permitted to stop Vietnamese school. I thought of myself as American. At last, I thought I was one of you; I wasn't one of them.
Sadly, I am only an American.
1.What can be learned from the passage?
A. The author's brother liked learning Vietnamese.
B. The author's mother taught him English at home.
C. The author didn't like learning Vietnamese when he was young.
D. The author's mother put her sons in a language school in Vietnam.
2.The author often felt embarrassed because _______.
A. his Vietnamese was not beautiful enough
B. he could not fly kites like other kids at school
C. his grandma spoke Vietnamese loudly in public
D. his mother always treated him rudely in the market
3.It can be inferred from the last paragraph that the author feels _______.
A. scared B. peaceful
C. satisfied D. regretful
4.What's the theme of the passage?
A. It is important to adapt to a new environment.
B. It is important to appreciate your own culture.
C. It is important to remember your childhood.
D. It is important to learn a foreign language.
New Movies In Theaters Opening This Week--April 20 | |
| I Feel Pretty (2018) 110 min - Comedy A woman who feels rather insecure wakes from a fall believing she is the most beautiful and able woman on the planet. Her new confidence allows her to live fearlessly, but what happens when she realizes her appearance never changed? Directors: Abby Kohn | Marc Silverstein Stars: Amy Schumer, Michelle Williams, Emily Ratajkowski, Busy Philipps |
| Traffik (2018) 96 min - Thriller A couple off for a romantic weekend in the mountains meet a biker gang. Alone in the mountains, Brea and John must defend themselves against the gang, who will stop at nothing to protect their secrets. Director: Deon Taylor Stars: Paula Patton, Missi Pyle, Dawn Olivieri, William Fichtner |
| Genesis (2018) 114 min - Science Fiction 'Genesis' explores the nature of free will and what it means to be human, against the attempt of mankind to create A.I. to save them from dying out. Directors: Freddie Hutton-Mills | Bart Ruspoli Stars: Olivia Grant, Chiké Okonkwo, John Hannah, Warren Brown |
| Le Redoutable (2017) 107 min - Biography | Comedy | Drama | Romance During the making of one of his films, French film director Jean- Luc Godard falls in love with 17-year old actress Anne Wiazemsky and later marries her. Director: Michel Hazanavicius Stars: Louis Garrel, Stacy Martin, BéréniceBejo, MichaLescot |
1.Which film is the most suitable for a high school student interested in science fictions?
A. I Feel Pretty B. Traffik
C. Genesis D. Le Redoutable
2.If you are a big fan of film star Michelle Williams, you will choose to watch _______.
A. I Feel Pretty B. Traffik
C. Genesis D. Le Redoutable
3.Which of the following statement is true about the film Le Redoutable?
A. The story happens in Great Britain.
B. The film lasts more than two hours.
C. It intends to discuss the nature and value of free will.
D. It's a love story between a film director and an actress.
One Bite at a Time
Stephen was on campus to register when I first met him.
One summer day ______ I was heading for the administration building, I heard someone call my name. I ______ around and saw Philip, one of my colleagues standing with another young man. As Philip introduced me to the young man, named Stephen, he reminded him that he would be taking one of my ______, Introduction to Literature. With a somewhat ______ expression, Stephen asked if my class was going to be "hard". Would he be able to pass? I ______ he was concerned about failing before the ______ day of classes. We talked about what the class would ______ and I saw Stephen's eyes getting big with _______.
Then I remembered a bit of classical dialog:
Question: "How do you eat an elephant?"
Answer: "One bite at a time."
I told him to ______ his work that way. To do his assignment, all of them, and to get them in on time. I added that most ______ students I knew made a timetable of all the assignment so they could ______ their workload.
As time went on, I learned more of Stephen's story. He had ______ in middle school. It had taken him longer to finish than most young people. Family members, including his mother, kept reminding him that he was a ______. Now, in the face of their negative-saying he had been admitted into college. He told me that before coming to our campus no one had believed he had much _______.
Stephen didn't become an "A" student. He didn't make any honor rolls. Still, he managed to ______ most of his courses by being in class every day, turning in all of his assignment on time and breaking down his studying into ______ digestible parts. By passing course after course he began to gain a measure of self-respect. He was a great singer and he was ______ the school's cross-country team.
Every time I saw him on campus, he would brighten up and say, "One bite at a time." Whenever he introduced me to his friends, he would tell them that he was ______ when he was supposed to be failing. His ______, he said, was that he was ______ what I taught him before classes ever started: "Take it one bite at a time."
1.A. after B. when C. until D. once
2.A. turned B. sat C. moved D. went
3.A. jobs B. tests C. classes D. projects
4.A. innocent B. angry C. inspired D. pained
5.A. sensed B. imagined C. heard D. admitted
6.A. gathering B. parting C. closing D. opening
7.A. change B. adjust C. cover D. produce
8.A. interest B. anger C. fear D. excitement
9.A. avoid B. continue C. present D. approach
10.A. quiet B. optimistic C. energetic D. successful
11.A. plan B. increase C. reduce D. measure
12.A. fitted B. hesitated C. struggled D. progressed
13.A. cheat B. failure C. winner D. leader
14.A. experience B. information C. potential D. honor
15.A. pass B. begin C. take D. design
16.A. full-sized B. bite-sized C. pocket-sized D. medium-sized
17.A. for B. on C. at D. of
18.A. changing B. recovering C. concentrating D. succeeding
19.A. secret B. skill C. reply D. theory
20.A. spreading B. considering C. practicing D. expressing
