What color is a tennis ball? Ask your classmates, and they might give you some surprising answers.
US magazine The Atlantic recently asked 30,000 people this question. Among them, 52 percent said tennis balls are green, 42 percent said they are yellow, and 6 percent went with other colors. According to the International Tennis Federation, tennis balls are yellow. 1.
Scientists call this color constancy (色彩恒常性). For example, we know that China's flag is red. When we see it during sunset or under purple light, we still know that it is red, even if it looks like a different color. 2. Even if the object is seen in different kinds of light later, our brain can still tell its true color.
3. It appears to be a combination of yellow, a ''warm'' color and green, a ''cool'' color.
According to The Atlantic, when our brains try to figure out what color the ball is, some people ignore ''cool'' colors, such as green, blue and purple. So they see the ball as being yellow.4. They see the ball as being green.
5. In 2015, a girl posted a picture of a dress online. Some people believed the dress was black and blue—but others thought it was gold and white. They had different opinions based on whether they ignored ''cold'' or ''warm'' colors.
A.It is not just tennis balls that have such a confusing color.
B.But others ignore ''warm'' colors, such as red, yellow and orange.
C.However, the color of a tennis ball is not as pure as the flag.
D.It is difficult for some people to distinguish yellow from green.
E.So why did so many people say that they're green?
F.Certain parts of our brain are in charge of recognizing colors.
G.When we first see an object in natural light, our brains recognize its true color.
Whether you’re eating at a fancy restaurant or dining in someone’s home, proper table manners are likely to help you make a good impression. According to a US expert, Emily Post, “All rules of table manners are made to avoid ugliness.”
While Henry Hitchings of the Los Angeles Times admits that good manners can reduce social conflict, he points out that mostly their purpose is protective — they turn our natural warrior_ like selves into more elegant ones.
So where did table manners come from?
In medieval England, a writer named Petrus Alfonsi took the lead to urge people not to speak with their mouths full. And King David I of Scotland also proposed that any of his people who learned to eat more neatly be given a tax deduction (减除).
Disappointingly, that idea never caught on. It was during the Renaissance, when there were real technical developments, opinions of correct behavior changed for good. “None of these was more significant than the introduction of the table fork,” wrote Hitchings. “Gradually, as forks became popular, they brought the new way of eating, making it possible, for instance, to consume berries without making one’s fingers dirty.”
Forks were introduced to Britain in 1608 and 25 years later, the first table fork reached America. Yet while most of the essentials (基本要素) are the same on both sides of the Atlantic, there are a few clear differences between what’s normal in the US and what holds true in the UK. For example, in the US, when food needs cutting with a knife, people generally cut a bite, then lay aside the knife and switch the fork to their right hand. Then they pick up one bite at a time. By contrast, Britons keep the fork in the left hand and don’t lay the knife down.
Though globalization has developed a new, simpler international standard of table manners, some people still stick with the American cut-and-switch method. The Los Angeles Times noted, “They are hanging on to a form of behavior that favors manners above efficiency.”
1.What does the story mainly talk about?
A.The importance of proper table manners.
B.The development of table manners in Western countries.
C.Some unwritten rules of table manners in the US and UK.
D.Differences between American and British table manners.
2.The underlined phrase “caught on” in the passage probably means ________.
A.worked in practice
B.became popular
C.drew attention
D.had a positive effect
3.Which of the following events influenced people’s table manners most according to the article?
A.The introduction of forks.
B.The tax deduction policy.
C.The rise of the Renaissance.
D.Petrus Alfonsi’s efforts in promoting table manners.
4.What can we conclude from the article?
A.British and American table manners are completely different from each other.
B.American people pay more attention to their table manners than British people do.
C.With globalization, the American cut-and-switch method has been abandoned in the US.
D.British people’s way of using a knife and fork may be more efficient than American people’s.
An article published in the prestigious (有威望的) scientific journal Nature sheds new light on an important, but up-to-now little appreciated, aspect of human evolution. In this article Professors Dennis Bramble and Daniel Lieberman suggest that being able to run was the necessary condition for the development of our species which enabled us to come down from the trees. This challenges traditional scientific thinking, which claims that the distinctive, upright body form of modern humans has come about as a result of the ability to walk, and that running is simply a by-product of walking. Furthermore, humans have usually been regarded as poor runners compared to such animals as dogs, horses or deer. However, this is only true if we consider running at high speed, especially over short distances. But when it comes to long-distance running, humans do astonishingly well. They can keep a steady pace for many kilometres, and their overall speed is at least the same as that of horses or dogs.
Bramble and Lieberman examined 26 physical features found in humans. One of the most interesting of these is the nuchal ligament(项韧带). When we run, this ligament prevents our head from moving back and forth or from side to side. Therefore, we are able to run with steady heads held high. The nuchal ligament is not found in any other surviving primates, such as apes and monkeys. Then there are our Achilles tendons (跟腱) at the backs of our legs, which connect our calf (小腿肚) muscles to our heel bones — and which have nothing to do with walking. When we run, these tendons behave like springs, helping to push us forward. Furthermore, we have low, wide shoulders virtually disconnected from our skulls(颅骨), a physical development which allows us to run more efficiently.
But what evolutionary advantage is gained from being good long-distance runners? Perhaps it permitted early humans to obtain food more effectively. "What these features and facts appear to be telling us is that running evolved in order for our direct ancestors to compete with other meat-eating animals for access to the protein needed to grow the big brains that we enjoy today," says Lieberman. Some scientists put forward the theory that early humans chased animals for great distances in order to exhaust them before killing them.
"Research on the history of humans' ability to move has traditionally been controversial," says Lieberman. "At the very least, I believe this theory will motivate many researchers to reevaluate and further investigate how humans learned to run and walk and why we are built the way we are. "
1.In paragraph 1, what do the two professors suggest about humans' ability to run?
A.It is an evolutionary by-product of walking.
B.It helps to form people's ability to climb trees.
C.It has played an important role in human evolution.
D.It has not been adequately studied by scientists before.
2.What is true about the physical characteristics examined by the professors?
A.Achilles tendons assist people to walk long distances.
B.The human skull helps people to run more efficiently.
C.people's shoulders allow them to look from side to side.
D.The nuchal ligament enables people to hold their head steady.
3.According to paragraph 3, scientists believe that early humans_________.
A.always came across dangerous situations in life
B.ran after animals for long distances when hunting
C.often failed to find food because they couldn't run fast
D.developed their hunting skills by running long distances
4.Professor Lieberman thinks the new theory will _________.
A.completely explain how running developed
B.revolutionize the theory of human evolution
C.encourage more in-depth studies on the topic
D.be widely supported within the scientific community
Electronic heroes
As an internet influencer, there seems to be nothing special about Miquela Sousa. The 19-year-old lives in Los Angeles, US, posts pictures of herself sporting fashionable looks, and has just made her way into the March edition of Vogue magazine. But Miquela isn't real – she is a computer-generated character.
Her fans don't seem to mind – she has 855,000 followers on US social networking platform Instagram. And her first single Not Mine – yes, she ''sings'' too – also reached No. 8 on music streaming (流媒体) platform Spotify last August.
It's kind of curious that in a time when authenticity (真实性) and ''being real'' are valued more than ever, ''fake'' celebrities like Miquela are appreciated and seen as icons (偶像).
Perhaps the reason for Miquela's popularity lies behind the fame of a similar star, Hatsune Miku. This 16-year-old animated singer from Japan has held singing concerts not only in her home country but also in the US and China.
Even though Hatsune's no more than a 3-D figure projected (投射) onto the stage, her fans are more than willing to pay to actually see her ''in person'', because to them, she's better than human singers. ''She's rather more like a goddess: She has human parts, but she transcends (超越) human limitations. She's the great post-human pop star, '' wrote reporter James Verini on Wired magazine.
Critics may say that 3-D stars could never replace the authenticity of humans, but when it comes to being authentic, are humans really the best example of how to do it? Most of us edit our photos before posting them online, and we tend to create a fantasy that we're living a perfect life by letting people only see the brighter side of it.
''Miquela is no less real to me than any other internet stranger with whom I've interacted (互动), '' wrote reporter Leora Yashari on the website Nylon. “Her existence in itself represents a new breed (种类) of influencer – someone who is breaking the boundaries (界限) of what is real and what is fake. ''
1.Who is Miquela Sousa?
A.She's a life-like character with musical talents.
B.She's a new sports star with fashionable looks.
C.She's an experienced singer with thousands of fans.
D.She's an animated figure created by a Japanese company.
2.Why did the author mention Hatsune Miku?
A.To show the similarities 3-D stars share.
B.To make a comparison with Miquela Sousa.
C.To explain why 3-D stars are well received.
D.To stress how 3-D stars go beyond human limitations.
3.What can be concluded from the last two paragraphs?
A.3-D stars could match the authenticity of humans one day.
B.Animated celebrities are not as real as human celebrities.
C.Human celebrities have greater influence than animated ones.
D.3-D stars' public personalities may be just as authentic as humans'.
By the time I reached junior high, I was sure I wanted to be a nurse. If you didn’t study Latin, you couldn’t be a nurse, so I enrolled. Many Latin words were familiar to me. The hard part turned out to be the usage and creating sentences with the words that seemed so easy to pronounce. Several weeks into the course my teacher came to me, saying, “I think you should withdraw from this course. It seems to be too hard for you.”
That was the day I learned I wasn’t smart enough to become a nurse. With shame, I handed in my Latin textbook.
After high school, the years raced by. I married and had children. Then one day my husband John came home. “Carol, Max died this afternoon.” I looked at my husband with disbelief.
John was touched by this tragedy. Finally one evening he said, “Carol, Jackie has never worked and now she’s alone with four children. I've been thinking - if anything happens to me. I want you to be able to take care of yourself and the children. Why don’t you think about what you’d like to do and get the training you’ll need to do it?”
I signed up for the entrance exam for nursing programs. One day I received a letter from the schoo1. I wanted so badly to open it, but with my lack of confidence, I laid it on the kitchen counter saying, “I'm not in the mood for a rejection letter today.”
Finally I forced myself to open it. “Dear Carol,”I read. “We are pleased to inform you that you successfully passed the entrance exam.”
An insensitive teacher once stole my dream. If you have a dream, exhaust every effort to reach it. I’ve worked thirty years now as a nurse and I’ve never been more certain that this is what I was meant to be.
1.Why did John advise Carol to find a job?
A.To support the family B.To provide more money for her kids
C.To live a more colorful life D.To be able to live independently
2.From the text, we know what the teacher said____________.
A.destroyed Carol’s dream to be a nurse.
B.helped Carol find her true interest
C.saved Carol from wasting her time
D.encouraged Carol to be careful in learning
3.After receiving the letter from the schoo1, Caro1____________.
A.was uncertain about the result B.had no mood to read it then
C.didn’t take it seriously at all D.couldn’t wait to open it
4.What may be the best title for the text？
A.A dream too high to achieve. B.Too stupid to be a nurse?
C.Never too late to 1earn. D.A chance too important to miss
假定你是李华，是你校音乐节的组织者之一。请你用英语给美国笔友Mike写一封邮件，请他介绍一下他们学校的音乐活动，并对你校音乐的组织提出建议。
注意:1.词数100左右
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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