When you are stuck on a problem, sometimes it is best to stop thinking about it consciously. Research has shown that taking a break or a nap can help the brain create pathways to a solution. Now a new study expands on the effect of this so-called incubation by using sound cues to focus the sleeping mind on a targeted problem.
When humans sleep, parts of the brain replay certain memories, strengthening and transforming them. About a decade ago researchers developed a technique, called targeted memory reactivation(TMR), aimed at further reinforcing selected memories: when a sound becomes associated with a memory and is later played during sleep, that memory gets reactivated In a recently published study, scientists tested whether revisiting the memory of a puzzle during sleep might also improve problem-solving.
About 60 participants visited the laboratory before and after a night of sleep. In an evening session, they attempted spatial, verbal and conceptual puzzles, with a distinct music clip repeating in the background for each, until they had worked on six puzzles they could not solve. Overnight they wore special electronic uniforms to detect slow-wave sleep, which may be important for memory consolidation, and a device played the sounds assigned to three of the six unsolved puzzles. The next day, back at the lab, the participants attempted the six puzzles again. The subjects solved 32 percent of the sound-prompted puzzles versus 21 percent of the untargeted puzzles, a boost of more than 50 percent
''The researchers very bravely went for quite complex tasks that involved a lot of complex processing, and remarkably they found these really strong effects in all of their tasks, '' says Penny Lewis, a psychologist Cardiff University, who was not involved in the research. ''These are supercool results. Now we need to go out and try to understand them by firstly copying them and secondly trying to work out the component processes that are actually being influenced.''
Beyond providing new evidence that humans restructure memories while sleeping, the research may have practical implications. ''In a futuristic world, maybe TMR could help us use sleep to work on our problems'', says lead author Kristin Sanders, who was a graduate student at Northwestern University during the study Sleep-monitoring technology is increasingly accessible, and even without gadgets, future solvers can focus on important problems before bed.
Still, sleep is not magic. People need to do their homework and load their heads with the puzzle pieces involved. ''I'm not going to solve cancer with this technique, '' Sanders says, ''because I don't know anything about cancer research. ''
1.Which of the following has the closest meaning to the underlined word ''incubation'' in Para 1?
A.The pathway to a solution.
B.The period of taking a break.
C.Being stuck on a problem.
D.Targeted memory reactivation.
2.The following statements about the recently published study are true EXCEPT that_________
A.scientists wanted to prove that sound cues helped solve problems
B.the device played the sounds to all the unsolved puzzles
C.the participants went to the laboratory twice during the experiment
D.the participants tried to solve different types of puzzles
3.What of the following is true according to the passage?
A.Penny intends to adopt two steps to understand the strong effects of the tasks.
B.Penny, who was very pleased about the result, was a lead scientist in the research concerned.
C.Sanders hopes he will solve cancer with TMR although he knows nothing about the disease.
D.Sanders predicts TMR could help solve the problem by exposing solvers to distinct sounds.
Why Go To Yellowstone
With dramatic peaks and unspoiled lakes,Yellowstone National Park it an outdoor enthusiast s paradise. Multicolored pools swirl around hot springs;green forests weave past wide expansive meadows;and volatile geysers launch streams of steaming water toward the sky.While you traverse its 3,000-plus square miles of mountains, canyons,geysers and waterfalls,be prepared to share the trails with permanent residents like buffalo,elk and sometimes even grizzlies
Yellowstone Travel Tips
Best Months to Visit
The best times to visit Yellowstone National Park are from April to May and between September and October.These shoulder months offer mild weather and fewer crowds.July and August are the most popular months to visit:The kids are out of school,and the weather is warm enough to sleep outside.However,this park is no stranger to the cold in winter.There’s nothing quite like seeing plumes of steam rise from beneath a thick blanket of snow and ice.
How to Save Money in Yellowstone
Bring your own bed.A space in a campground is much cheaper than a room at one of the park’s lodges.plus, many campgrounds come equipped with showers,toilets and even laundry facilities.
Skip the summer. Because the summer witnesses the largest influx of tourists,hotel and campground rates tend to rise.
Do your owe cooking Yellowstone does feature several sit-down restaurants,but they can end up
Putting quite a dent in your savings.Consider bringing your own food.
Safety
When sightseeing in the park.stay a sate distance from animals at all times.Most of the park’s established campsites generally are not at risk for animal attacks,but campers should keep all food and garbage out of reach from bears and creatures.
Getting Around Yellowstone
The best way to get around Yellowstone National Park is by car,as there is no public transportation system. You can a car at any of the nearby airports.However,that doesn’t mean that you should spend your entire vacation behind the wheel . Each of Yellowstone’s eight regions has an area to park, allowing you to leave the car behind and explore by bike or on foot Guided tours and limited airport shuttle services are also available.
1.What can be inferred from the passage?
A.Accommodations in the campsite hotel are highly recommended
B.People camping in Yellowstone are supposed to share the trails with the animals there.
C.In summer.Yellowstone welcome large numbers of tourists because it’s the best season.
D.In winter, the scenery of Yellowstone is quite unique.
2.Travelers enjoy various services and facilities in Yellowstone EXCEPT____
A.guided tours B.parking lots C.car rental D.restaurant food
A parent might place his daughter’s drawing on the fridge out of a love for his child,but for many people,that drawing is actually quite delicate. _______，adult abstract artists were often inspired by children’s drawing.Observers have found similar _______in modern abstract art and kids’ drawing; one example is the “X-ray” drawing, _______a drawing in which the “inside” of a person is made_______.For the museum-goers who tend to_______a piece of modern art and say “My kid could have made that!” it’s worth remembering that often,that’s actually just what the artist had _______.
Whether it is lucky accident or artistic talent, _______that young kids don’t intend to produce a realistic expression helps demonstrate what the drawing experience means to them. For many kids, drawing is exciting not because of the final _______leads to,but because they can live _______in the world of their drawing.
Even simple scribbles(胡写乱画)are meaningful.When scribbling,children are representing through action,not through ________. Alves, a prekindergarten teacher,recalled a student who________her with a drawing featuring a single straight line across the page. Alves assumed the child hadn’t given too much ________to the drawing until he explained that the ________was one of the mattresses(床垫)from The Princess and the Pea.
Ingram,a preschool teacher,said her students often tell different stories about a ________piece of art depending on the day.”We as adults will often say,I’ m going to draw a horse,’and we set out...and get ________when we can’t do it.They seem to take a much more rational approach,where they just draw,and then they ________,’it is a horse.”“
Ultimately, what may be most________about kids’ art isn’t the art itself but what they say during the drawing process.They’re often________stories that offer a much clearer window into their world than does the final product.Studies suggest that kids will create a detailed narrative________drawing, but when telling adults about their work they’ll simply name the items or characters in the image.
What’s most important to remember is that “children’s art has its own logic.”Winner said. ＂Children are not being ________.”
1.A.In tum B.In consequence C.In fact D.In contrast
2.A.themes B.patterns C.tones D.shapes
3.A.or B.and C.than D.but
4.A.concrete B.abstract C.visible D.accessible
5.A.relate to B.point to C.see to D.apply to
6.A.at heart B.in mind C.at hand D.in store
7.A.acknowledging B.denying C.approving D.confining
8.A.decision B.attainment C.product D.goal
9.A.slightly B.completely C.readily D.precisely
10.A.words B.ideas C.pictures D.stories
11.A.presented B.passed C.placed D.pleased
12.A.idea B.thought C.advice D.feeling
13.A.furniture B.character C.page D.line
14.A.given B.common C.favorite D.distinct
15.A.aggressive B.frustrated C.confused D.nervous
16.A.counter B.guess C.realize D.consent
17.A.touching B.promising C.understanding D.revealing
18.A.swapping B.recalling C.telling D.reading
19.A.while B.before C.after D.as
20.A.artistic B.creative C.critical D.crazy
—Mike and I are planning a trip to Japan this summer vacation.
—Really?__________ I have always wanted to go there.
A.Take your time! B.Be my guest! C.Let me alone! D.Count me in!
With the virus spreading throughout the world, worldwide major media have been_______with the reports related to how to handle the situation.
A.occupied B.infected C.consumed D.littered
—Where was the experiment carried out?
—It was in the lab built in the 30s_______Mr. Smith worked as an assistant professor
A.that B.which C.where D.when
