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; it’s just much harder. 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 in 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.The quantifying ability refers to the ability to ________.
| A．choose between different substances |
| B．get much knowledge of the world |
| C．identify the quantity of something |
| D．obtain math-related skills |
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 |
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 have different opinions on baby-training programs |
Agnes Miller was one of the earliest leaders of the Women’s Liberation Movement in the United States. She was born on a farm in Missouri in 1892. Strangely enough she had a very happy life as a child. She was the only daughter and the youngest child of five. Her parents and her brothers always treated her as their favorite.
In 1896 the family moved to Chicago. Three years later they moved back to St. Louis where Agnes spent the rest of her childhood. She enjoyed her years in school and was an excellent student of mathematics. She also was quite skillful as a painter.
It was when Agnes went off to college that she first learned that women were not treated as equals. She didn’t like being treated unequally but she tried not to notice it. After graduating from college she tried to get a job in her major field—physics. She soon found it was almost impossible for a woman.
Agnes spent a full year looking for a job. Finally she gave up in anger. She began writing letters of anger to various newspapers. An editor in New York liked her ideas very much. He specially liked her style. He asked her to do a series of stories on the difficulties that women had in finding a job. And there she began her great fight for equal rights for women.Where did Agnes spend her childhood?
| A．Missouri. | B．Chicago. |
| C．New York. | D．St. Louis and Chicago. |
At school, Agnes was good at .
| A．physics and painting |
| B．maths and painting |
| C．writing and maths |
| D．physics and writing |
What happened in Agnes’s life when she was in college?
| A．She learned to accept the fact that men and women were unequal. |
| B．She learned that it was impossible for a woman to be a scientist. |
| C．She came to know of the inequality between men and women. |
| D．She developed her personal way of writing. |
Years ago people could hardly accept the ideas of a woman’s being a doctor. In order to get into medical school in 1847, Elizabeth Blackwell was asked to keep it a secret that she was a woman. This was contrary to her beliefs, and she refused to do it. After entering medical school, Elizabeth often had to summon all her courage to free the unkindness of teachers and classmates. By her great efforts, she was able to complete her studies. Many people came to her graduation just to have a look at a woman doctor. Doctor Blackwell soon found that most people were not as ready as to go to a woman doctor. She had to struggle to make a living. Then came the great day when she was offered a job as a doctor in a hospital. She did so well that she was asked to organize a new hospital and medical college. The United States can now be proud of thousands of women doctors.How do you think Elizabeth was treated in the medical school?
| A．Kindly. | B．Unfairly. |
| C．Normally. | D．Cruelly. |
Many people came to see Elizabeth when she graduated .
| A．because they wanted to congratulate her on being a doctor |
| B．but they didn’t believe she would be famous in the future |
| C．because they wanted to find out the secret of her success |
| D．but they weren’t sure that she could manage to finish her schooling |
When she was at the medical school, Blackwell .
| A．had to pretend to be a boy student in class |
| B．was discouraged by the others’ critical looks |
| C．felt sorry that she was a woman |
| D．made great effort to do well in her lessons |
After graduation, Elizabeth found that .
| A．she was not right for the job and had to struggle for a living |
| B．she must organize a new hospital and medical college for women |
| C．few people were willing to go to a woman doctor |
| D．most people were ready to go to a woman doctor |
What in fact was Elizabeth’s great effort in the medical school?
| A．To study hard to complete her studies. |
| B．To refuse to pretend to be a boy. |
| C．To realize her idea of being a doctor. |
| D．To struggle for the position of the women. |
OTTAWA -- Canada’s western city of Calgary is the world’s best city when it comes to healthy living, local press reported Monday.
According to an international survey by Mercer Human Resource Consulting, a London-based consulting firm, Calgary was put at the top of a list of 144 cities. It scored 121 points, just above Honolulu’s score of 120. Helsinki（赫尔辛基，芬兰首都） and Ottawa followed at 119.5 and 118.5 respectively.
Three other Canadian cities came in the top 20. Montreal and Vancouver tied for ninth and Toronto came in at 18th.
The scores are based on air pollution levels, availability and quality of hospitals and medical supplies, as well as the efficiency of waste removal and sewage systems.
In America, the lowest scoring city was Atlanta, which was ranked 76th. Athens was the lowest scoring city in Western Europe, ranking 120th because of its air pollution. London was ranked 59th.How many Canadian cities are in the top 20?
| A．3. | B．4. | C．5. | D．6. |
Which of the following is NOT taken into account when the cities were scored?
| A．Weather conditions. | B．Air quality. | C．Waste removal. | D．Medical supplies. |
Among the following cities, which is the lowest scoring one?
| A．Atlanta. | B．Athens. | C．London. | D．Helsinki. |
Malaysia is a country of exciting beauty, with a tropical（热带的） climate. Malaysia’s weather is hotter in the lowlands and cooler in the mountains and highlands. Temperatures vary between 20 and 30 centigrade. Rainfall can be expected at any time, with an average of between 200 and 260 centimeters.
The Malaysian population consists of Malays, Chinese, Indians and Eurasians. Its main religions are Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism and Christianity. Its national language is Malay. English is widely spoken and is used all over the country. Other languages spoken in Malaysia are some Chinese dialects, Tamil, Portuguese and Arabic.
Malaysia is an exciting and fascinating place for tourists, with something special planned throughout the year. The natural attractions are plentiful, with magnificent mountains lying in green, large stretches of sandy beaches and hospitable and friendly people.
Malaysia’s economy is the most advanced in this part of the world. The annual income is M$1, 680, one of the highest in the whole of Asia. Malaysia is the world’s leading exporter of rubber, tin, tropical hardwood, palm oil, pepper, tea, coffee and cocoa and has vast resources of oil.
Malaysia’s capital is Kuala Lumpur in the southwest of the Malay Peninsula. Kuala Lumpur arose in the 1860s when tin was discovered, grew and spread very quickly. It became the state’s capital within forty years of its founding. Now it is home to over one million inhabitants, about 56% of whom are Chinese, 28% Malays and the rest are from anywhere and everywhere.If you visit Malaysia, you will see ________.
| A．people of the white and yellow races |
| B．many temples and churches |
| C．beautiful tropical scenery |
| D．All of the above. |
Though Malay is Malaysia’s national language, ______.
| A．over half of its population speak Chinese |
| B．English is also a popular language |
| C．people don’t know Malay |
| D．it’s only spoken by Malays |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Malaysia is one of the richest countries in Asia. |
| B．It rains a little now and a little then in Malaysia. |
| C．Kuala Lumpur became Malaysia’s capital before 1910. |
| D．Malaysia is rich in agricultural products. |
Honestly, since my daughter was born, I have thought a lot about how to raise a child. I once heard a story that told about when a baby was born. The story said that when a baby was born, a new master was born. The parents of that baby would become the servants. The question is: Why? Based on my observation, this phenomenon is true. Most parents who don't pay much attention to their kids have difficulties with their kids' attitude.
I'll make a comparison of how two families raise their children. The first one is a family with three children. Both mother and father never say "No" to their children's demands. As a result, all of their children became stubborn and won't listen to their parents’ words, "We can't."
The second family educated their children strictly from one year old to high school. The parents never approved or agreed directly to give their children what they wanted. They always postponed one or two days, even if they could afford it. Due to the way their parents educated them, these children understood that if they wanted something, they had to wait or they had to make an effort first. As a result, all the kids from the second family successfully graduated from university on time.
In my opinion, if we want to be successful parents and raise our children well, we have to start disciplining them when they are toddlers but not wait until they become teenagers.Why did the writer give two different stories in this passage?
| A．To help prove his opinion about raising a child. |
| B．To list different ways that parents may take. |
| C．To criticize some parents’ foolish action. |
| D．To prove that his way of education is right. |
What does the underlined word “postponed” in the third paragraph mean?
| A．Carried out at once. | B．Gave up. |
| C．Put off. | D．Made a decision. |
In the writer’s opinion, which of the following about raising a child is TRUE?
| A．Children should be respected once they were born. |
| B．Parents should educate their children as early as possible. |
| C．It is right time to educate their children when they are teenagers. |
| D．Children should be helped whenever they make mistakes. |
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