Parents are often amazed at how fast their child grows and develops. New research has determined that the ability to quantify may develop much sooner than most parents realize.
Kristy vanMarle, professor of the University of Missouri, has determined that contrary to what previous studies have shown, infants（婴儿）are able to quantify substances（物质）—like sand or water—as early as 10 months. As long as the difference between the two substances is large enough, infants will choose the larger amount, especially when it comes to food.
With the assistance of her team researchers, vanMarle tested the quantifying skills of babies by presenting them with two cups: one containing a small amount of food, and one containing a larger amount. Consistently, the babies chose the larger amount.
“Several studies throughout the last 15 years have shown that infants are very good at telling how many objects they see; however, infants don’t seem to count things like water or sand,” vanMarle said. “What we’re saying is that they can quantify substances; The infants can see how much food goes into each cup and compare that in their memories. They decide which amount is larger, and they almost always select the larger one.”
This information further refutes（驳斥）the long-held idea that babies “know nothing of the world,” vanMarle said.
“Since psychologists have begun studying infants with sensitive measures, we’ve discovered a lot of early abilities. I think for parents, it should be exciting to know that there’s somebody there that has some fundamental and basic knowledge of the world, and that knowledge is guiding their development,” vanMarle said.
In the future, vanMarle says this kind of study could be linked to a child’s progress in math-related skills, although programs marketed to increase those abilities, such as “Baby Einstein,” still have mixed reviews when it comes to academic study.
1.Babies choose the larger amount of food .
A．by saying numbers B．with the help of parents
C．on personal preference D．through their natural abilities
2.The quantifying ability refers to the ability to .
A．choose between different substances
B．get much knowledge of the world
C．describe the quantity of something
D．obtain math-related skills
3.What is mainly talked about in Paragraph 4?
A．The process of doing research.
B．The scientific findings.
C．The final choice of infants.
D．The observation of infants’ behavior.
4.We can learn from the text that .
A．some parents don’t care about their kids
B．people used to think the world is known to babies
C．little research has been done on infants
D．scholars disagree on baby-training programs
5.What’s the best title of the text?
A．Breakthrough in Baby Studies
B．Amazing Baby-training Ideas
C．Early Human Abilities
D．Unique Quantifying Methods
Ask someone what they have done to help the environment recently and they will almost certainly mention recycling. Recycling in the home is very important of course. However, being forced to recycle often means we already have more material than we need. We are dealing with the results of that over-consumption in the greenest way possible, but it would be far better if we did not need to bring so much material home in the first place.
The total amount of packaging increased by 12% between 1999 and 2005. It now makes up a third of a typical household’s waste in the UK. In many supermarkets nowadays food items are packaged twice with plastic and cardboard.
Too much packaging is doing serious damage to the environment. The UK, for example, is running out of it for carrying this unnecessary waste. If such packaging is burnt, it gives off greenhouse gases which go on to cause the greenhouse effect. Recycling helps, but the process itself uses energy. The solution is not to produce such items in the first place. Food waste is a serious problem, too. Too many supermarkets encourage customers to buy more than they need. However, a few of them are coming round to the idea that this cannot continue , encouraging customers to reuse their plastic bags, for example.
But this is not just about supermarkets. It is about all of us. We have learned to associate packaging with quality. We have learned to think that something unpackaged is of poor quality. This is especially true of food. But is also applies to a wide range of consumer products, which often have far more packaging than necessary.
There are signs of hope. As more of us recycle, we are beginning to realise just how much unnecessary material are collecting. We need to face the wastefulness of our consumer culture, but we have a mountain to climb.
1.The author uses figures in Paragraph 2 to show _______.
A．the tendency of cutting household waste
B．the increase of packaging recycling
C．the rapid growth of super markets
D．the fact of packaging overuse
2.What can be inferred from Paragraph 4?
A．Unpackaged products are of bad quality.
B．Supermarkets care more about packaging.
C．It is improper to judge quality by packaging.
D．Other products are better packaged than food.
3.What can we learn from the last paragraph?
A．Fighting wastefulness is difficult.
B．Needless material is mostly recycled.
C．People like collecting recyclable waste.
D．The author is proud of their consumer culture.
4.According to the text, recycling ______.
A．helps control the greenhouse effect
B．means burning packaging for energy
C．is the solution to gas shortage
D．leads to a waste of land
5.What does the underlined phrase “over-consumption” refer to?
A．Using too much packaging.
B．Recycling too many wastes.
C．Making more products than necessary.
D．Having more material than is needed.
Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. 36 man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon. His bed was next to the room's only 37 . The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.
They talked for hours 38 . Every afternoon when the man by the window could sit up, he 39 pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window. The other man felt his world would be 40 and enlivened by all the wonderful world outside.
The window overlooked a 41 with a lovely lake. Ducks played on the water while children 42 their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm in flowers. A fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the 43 .
As the man by the window described all this in delicate 44 , the other man would close his eyes and 45 the picturesque scene. One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade 46 . 47 the other man couldn't hear the band, he could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window pictured it with 48 words.
Days and weeks passed.
One morning, the nurse arrived, 49 to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and had the body taken away.
The other man asked to be 50 next to the window. Painfully, he sat up to take his first look at the world outside. 51 , he would have the joy of seeing it for himself.
He slowly turn to look out the window. It faced a blank wall.
The man asked the nurse what could have 52 his roommate to describe such wonderful things outside. The nurse 53 that the man was blind. "Perhaps he just wanted to 54 you."
Shared grief is half the sorrow, 55 happiness when shared, is doubled.
1. A．The one B．One C．Another D．This
2. A．entrance B．exit C．passage D．window
3. A．on end B．in vain C．at ease D．after all
4. A．would B．should C．might D．could
5. A．shortened B．deepened C．broadened D．sharpened
6. A．courtyard B．market C．wood D．park
7. A．flew B．designed C．sailed D．swapped
8. A．distance B．way C．process D．course
9. A．effect B．particular C．detail D．relief
10. A．expose B．imagine C．realize D．spot
11. A．passing away B．passing by C．passing down D．passing out
12. A．Because B．As C．Once D．Although
13. A．descriptive B．productive C．sensitive D．tentative
14. A．strangely B．surprisingly C．sceptically D．only
15. A．substituted B．offered C．switched D．organized
16. A．Willingly B．Finally C．Generously D．Occasionally
17. A．sacrificed B．referred C．motivated D．intended
18. A．responded B．respected C．requested D．resisted
19. A．recover B．defend C．observe D．encourage
20. A．or B．but C．so D．and
-- Would she mind playing against her former teammates?
-- __ She is willing to play against any tough players.
A．I think so. B．I'm not surprised. C．Of course. D．Not likely!
On Sundays there were a lot of children playing in the park, _______ parents seated together joking.
A．their B．whose
C．which D．that
—Some Chinese students find it difficult to understand native speakers when in London.
—Exactly, ______ they’ve learned a lot about grammar and known many words.
A．if only B．now that
C．even if D．as if
