Young children whose mothers talk with them more frequently and in more detail about people’s thoughts and feelings tend to be better at taking another person’s perspective（观点）than other children of the same age.
That’s what researchers from the University of Western Australia found in a new study published in the journal Child Development.
“Parents who frequently put themselves in someone else’s shoes in conversations with their children make it more likely their children will be able to do the same,” said lead author Brad Farrant.
Researchers of the UWA’s Telethon Institute for Child Health Research looked at the influence of how parents interact with their children to learn more about how people develop the ability to take another’s perspective.
The two-year study involved more than 120 Australian children aged between four and six, including children with typically developing language and others delayed in language acquisition（习得）.
The children completed tasks which were designed to assess their language skills, ability to infer others’ beliefs and use these to predict others’ behavior, and their ability to shift flexibly between different perspectives.
Among children with typically developing language, the researchers found that mothers who talked more often and in greater detail about people’s thoughts and feelings — commenting on how another person might react to a particular situation as well as their own feelings about the topic — had children with better language skills and better perspective-taking skills.
Children with delayed language acquisition were also delayed in their development of perspective-taking skills. This displays the role played by language as children develop the ability to take another’s perspective.
“Solving the many challenges that the world faces today requires us all to get better at taking the perspective of other people,” said Brad Farrant.According to the text, to help children gain better perspective-taking skills, parents should __________.
| A．give their children more chances to express themselves |
| B．talk more with their children about people’s feelings |
| C．encourage their children to guess other people’s thoughts |
| D．spend more time playing with their children |
Which of the following is TRUE about the study?
| A．Over one hundred American children took part in it. |
| B．All the children had delayed in language acquisition. |
| C．The children in the study were around five years old. |
| D．Mothers helped their children to complete the tasks. |
Which have an effect on the development of children’s perspective-taking skills?
| A．The surrounding environments. |
| B．Mother’s perspectives. |
| C．Personal characters. |
| D．Language skills. |
In the last paragraph, Brad Farrant __________.
| A．stressed the importance of perspective-taking skills |
| B．expressed his concern about the world’s challenges |
| C．showed how to take the perspective of other people |
| D．explained why other people’s opinions are important |
According to the text, we can learn __________.
| A．parents should talk to their children frequently no matter how old their children are |
| B．it was Brad Farrant who wrote the study in Child Development herself |
| C．the only way to improve language skill is talking to children more often |
| D．parents who are always thinking about others will help their children do the same way |
The grandfather of Nell Trent owns a shop of odds and ends. He wants to make sure his grandfather is provided for when he dies. His memory of his daughter’s suffering and early death gives him a fear of poverty. Gambling(赌博) becomes an addiction for Nell’s grandfather, which results in his financial and physical ruin. Nell and her grandfather flee from their home and begin a journey that has no destination. For Nell, all she wants is a peaceful existence with enough to live on.
They come across many interesting people on their travels and often meet with the kindness of strangers. Yet, in a colorful world, they also face the reality of the Industrial Revolution. From simple villages and fields of flowers, they go into a dirty city full of mass unemployment and plague (瘟疫) victims --- where children die of starvation and many are abandoned.
The story isn’t only about Nell and her grandfather, but also the people who are connected to them directly or indirectly. There is Richard Swiveller, a careless young man who is a friend of Nell’s older brother, who wants Swiveller to marry Nell for the fortune he thinks she has. Daniel Quilp is a cruel moneylender, who manages to fool the grandfather into borrowing large sums of money from him. There is honest Kit, a boy employed at the shop, who becomes a victim even though he never harms other people. Kit desires to help Nell, whom he considers an angel that has always inspired the best in him. The mysterious Bevis Marks, who is a generous customer to some people and an enemy to others, also has his own reasons for looking after Nell and her grandfather.
Unlike Dickens’ other works, The Old Curiosity Shop is a book of contrasts: the purity of Nell compared to the dishonesty of Quilp, fresh air and scenic villages to the polluted, stone-covered city, etc. Even people’s reaction to the book presented a cruel contrast. At first, Nell Trent was praised and considered Dickens’ best character. Later, she was criticized by many well-known people like Oscar Wilde. While characters in Dickens’ other books are moving towards a better future, Nell and her grandfather are fleeing for their life and their story is moving towards a sad ending. We can infer from the first two paragraphs that ___________.
| A．Nell’s mother died young because of poverty |
| B．Nell’s grandfather made a fortune by gambling |
| C．Nell died of starvation during her journey |
| D．Nell had no one to turn to on her travels |
What’s the third paragraph mainly about?
| A．The plot (情节) of the story. | B．The characters in the story. |
| C．The background of the story. | D．The inspiration behind the story. |
The Old Curiosity Shop is different from Dickens’ other works because it ___________.
| A．is full of contrasts | B．has a surprise ending |
| C．reflects Dickens’ own life | D．is set in the Industrial Revolution |
Have you ever wondered: What drives successful people? Take a look around and talk to your friends and seniors who are very successful, you will see all of them have adopted certain values which have proved vital for their success.
It is evident that successful people take initiative (主动性). When they find something needs to be done, they just do it instead of waiting. They believe that responsibility is taken, not given. They weigh immediately what has to be done and then do it with pleasure, thus strengthening their reputation.
Successful people are enthusiastic about the things they do, especially when they believe in what they are doing. They are motivated by their own satisfaction and the joy they get from doing their work. They work hard even when no one is watching and they throw themselves into their work.
They do not fear failure. Failures and disappointments in life are unavoidable. It is failure that teaches us much more than success. Successful people pick themselves up after a fall and try again with more determination and commitment and learn from each failure. They associate with those they can learn from and enjoy the company of those who appreciate their achievement.
Having good IQ often gets a person what he wants but it’s really the EQ that keeps him there and helps him enjoy a high reputation. Successful people are polite to everyone and treat others with respect. By giving respect to others, they command respect for themselves.
Another important quality of successful persons is that they never complain. It’s better to praise others and win favor with them. So instead of complaining about a situation, successful people always try to solve it.
To put it shortly, take initiative and be enthusiastic about them. Do not be afraid to fail, but get up and start again. When you do so, success will be just around the corner.
Title: What Makes People Successful?
| Brief introduction |
Successful people all have adopted certain values which are（1）__________ for their success. |
|
| （2）_________ of successful people |
Taking initiative |
◆They take immediate action without hesitation. ◆They take responsibility for what has to be done and do it（3）__________. |
| Being self-motivated |
◆They’re enthusiastic about the things they do with a（4）_______ in what they are doing. ◆They devote themselves to their work. |
|
| （5）__________ from failure |
◆They get up and start again after a failure. ◆They keep company of those (6)__________ their achievement. |
|
| Giving respect to others |
◆They are polite to everyone and treat others respectfully. ◆They earn respect in （7）_________ by giving respect to others. |
|
| Making no（8）________ |
◆They praise others and win favor with them. ◆They always try to find any possible （9）__________ to the difficult situation. |
|
| Summary |
When you can combine the above into your action plan, you’ll have （10）___________ to success soon. |
Ball Management
Players should always keep a tennis ball in their hand or pocket during a match. Even the most patient tennis players despise waiting for their opponent to find a ball to serve(发球).
Behavior & Attitude
Even if you’re playing badly, you should not shout or look depressed in a friendly match. Undoubtedly, your attitude affects how you play, so try to have fun and stay positive.
Pace
Do not deliberately slow the game down. Play at the pace of the server and look ready. Servers also should not rush to start each point. You should re-do the point if you serve the ball before the receiver is ready. The receiver is out of luck, however, if he claims he was not ready after making an attempt at returning the serve.
For Spetators(观众)
Cheering
While it is seen as proper etiquette(礼仪）to remain silent during the live play, loud and spirited cheers are welcome after a hard-earned point. The players appreciate the recognition for their efforts and are encouraged to continue playing at a high level when the crowd is actively involved.
Leaving and returning to your seat
During live play it’s expected that all spectators will remain seated until the next break between games. Movements in the stands(看台) can serve as a distraction(分心的事物) to the players and can also block the view of other audience.
Photography
The issue of camera shutter(快门) noise has earned a lot of attention in golf, but luckily for tennis fans it’s much less of a concern on the court. While the noise produced by the camera is not seen as a major issue, flash photography should be avoided during live play.During warm-ups, tennis player ______________.
| A．ought to hit a full pace |
| B．can place their shots anywhere |
| C．should not practice competitively |
| D．had better run around the whole court |
According to the text, during tennis matches, _____________________.
| A．players can slow the game down when tired |
| B．players don’t have to keep a ball in their hand |
| C．the receiver shouldn’t return the serve if not ready |
| D．loud cheers are not allowed even after hard-earned points |
It can be inferred from the last paragraph that ____________________.
| A．flash photography is acceptable on the golf court |
| B．tennis fans can use flash photography during matches |
| C．the noise from cameras is not permitted in tennis matches |
| D．tennis matches require a less degree of quiet than golf ones |
What’s the text mainly about?
| A．Some tips for tennis players to win a match. |
| B．What to do while watching tennis matches. |
| C．How to behave properly in tennis matches. |
| D．Rules tennis players must obey in matches. |
Astronomers have captured(捕获) the first direct image of a planet being born.
Adam Kraus, of the University of Hawaii’s Institute for Astronomy, said the planet is being formed out of dust and gas circling a 2-million-yea-old star about 450 light years from Earth.
The planet itself, based on scientific models of how planets form, is believed to have started taking shape about 50,000 to 100,000 years ago.
Called LkCa 15b, it’s the youngest planet ever observed. The previous record holder was about five times older.
Kraus and his colleague, Michael Ireland from Macquarie University and the Australian Astronomical Observatory, used Keck telescopes on Mauna Kea(a volcano on the island of Hawaii, US) to find the planet. Kraus presented the discovery Wednesday at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland.
Observing planets while they’re forming can help scientists answer questions like weather planets form early in the life of a star or later, and whether they form relatively close to stars or father away.
Planets can change orbits(轨道) after forming, so it’s difficult to answer such questions by studying older planets.
“These very basic questions of when and where are best answered when you can actually see the planet forming, as the process is happening right now,” Kraus said.
Scientists hadn’t been able to see such young planets before because the stars they’re circling around outshine(光亮强过) them. Kraus and Ireland used two techniques to overcome this problem.
One method, which is also used by other astronomers, was to change the shape of the telescope mirrors to remove light distortion(扭曲) created by the Earth’s atmosphere. The other method they used, which was unique, was to put masks with several holes over most of the telescope mirrors. The combination of these techniques allowed the astronomers to obtain high-quality images that let them see the planet next to the bright star.
The star LkCa 15—the planet is named after its star—was the team’s second target. They immediately knew they were seeing something new, so they plan to gather more data on the star.The research on younger planets helps scientists _____________.
| A．study why planets change orbits after forming |
| B．understand how planets move around their stars |
| C．answer questions about the age of stars and planets |
| D．know the relationship between planets and their stars |
Why are young planets like LkCa 15b hard to discover?
| A．Their stars are brighter than them.. | B．They are very far from the earth. |
| C．They are generally too small. | D．They rarely form. |
According to the text, Kraus and Ireland _____________.
| A．have been working in the same university |
| B．observed the planet on a volcano in Hawaii |
| C．used two new methods in the observation |
| D．cut holes in the mirrors when observing |
Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
| A．Youngest planet seen as it’s forming. |
| B．Planet 450 light years away discovered. |
| C．World’s first direct image of a planet taken. |
| D．New technique helps discover young planets. |
Putting in water fountains(饮水器) at schools, and teaching children about the health benefits of water, could reduce their risk of getting extra pounds, reports a new study that is published in the latest issue of the journal pediatrics.
The findings are based on a survey in 32 elementary schools of two German cities, Dortmund and Essen. The researchers, led by Rebecca Muckelbauer, a nutrionist at the Research Institute of Child Nutrition Dortmund, weighed about 3,000 children, and asked them about their beverage(饮料) consumption.
At the beginning of the school year, the experts had water fountains added to 17 of the schools. The scientists also worked with teachers to carry out educational programs that promote the benefits of drinking water. In contrast to schools in the United States, there are very few schools in Germany that have water fountains.
At the beginning of the study, there were no big differences in the number of overweight children in different groups. But by the end of the school year, children in the schools with water fountains were 31 percent less likely to gain extra pounds, compared to kids who went to other schools, where water drinking was not encouraged.
Children in the schools with fountains, increased their water consumption from about 3 up to 4 glasses a day, while those in the other schools continued to drink an average of 3 glasses. Over the research, the number of overweight kids upped from 384 to 385 out of 1,641 at the schools with water fountains. In comparison, the number of overweight kids at the other schools increased from 339 to 364 out of 1,309, Dr. Muckelbauer said.
The experts cannot make any final conclusions and explain why the students who were encouraged to drink water were less likely to gain extra weight. Dr. Muckelbauer noted that according to a few other studies, drinking of water increases the rate at which calories are burned, while some other research suggested that water may temporarily decrease appetite.According to the text, the journal Pediatrics__________.
| A．may cover the subject of the health of children |
| B．mainly deals with the water drinking problem |
| C．is mainly about the mental health of kids |
| D．must be a journal entitled(授权) by a school |
What do we know about the survey from the text?
| A．The teacher were also encouraged to drink water. |
| B．The students surveyed were all overweight. |
| C．It surveyed children in the countryside. |
| D．It lasted for a whole school year. |
The fifth paragraph is mainly about __________.
| A．the technique used in the survey | B．the benefits of the survey |
| C．the process of the survey | D．the result of the survey |
What can be learned from the last paragraph?
| A．Drinking water definitely decreases appetite. |
| B．Further research is needed to confirm the finding. |
| C．The experts will encourage all the students to drink water. |
| D．Why students drinking more get less pounds will be clear soon. |
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