“Does my smile look big in this?” Future fitting-room mirrors in clothing stores could subtly adjust your reflection to make you look ─ and hence feel ─ happier, encouraging you to like what you see.
That’s the idea behind the Emotion Evoking System developed by Shigeo Yoshida and colleagues at the University of Tokyo in Japan. The system can manipulate, or in other word, control your emotions and personal preferences by presenting you with an image of your own smiling or frowning face.
The principle that physiological changes can drive emotional ones ─ that laughter comes before happiness, rather than the other way around ─ is a well-established idea.
The researchers wanted to see if this idea could be used to build a computer system that manipulates how you feel. The system works by presenting the user with a web-camera image of his or her face ─ as if they were looking in a mirror. The image is then subtly altered with software, turning the corners of the mouth up or down and changing the area around the eyes, so that the person appears to smile or frown (皱眉).
Without telling them the aim of the study, the team recruited (招募) 21 volunteers and asked them to sit in front of the screen while performing an unrelated task. When the task was complete the participants rated how they felt. When the faces on screen appeared to smile, people reported that they felt happier. On the other hand, when the image was given a sad expression, they reported feeling less happy.
Yoshida and his colleagues tested whether manipulating the volunteers’ emotional state would influence their preferences. Each person was given a scarf to wear and again presented with the altered webcam image. The volunteers that saw themselves smiling while wearing the scarf were more likely to report that they liked it, and those that saw themselves not smiling were less likely.
The system could be used to manipulate consumers’ impressions of products, say the researchers. For example, mirrors in clothing-store fitting rooms could be replaced with screens showing altered reflections. They also suggest people may be more likely to find clothes attractive if they see themselves looking happy while trying them on.
“It’s certainly an interesting area,” says Chris Creed at the University of Birmingham, UK. But he notes that using such technology in a shop would be harder than in the lab, because people will use a wide range of expressions. “Attempting to make slight differences to these and ensuring that the reflected image looks believable would be much more challenging,” he says.
Of course, there are also important moral questions surrounding such subtly manipulative technology. “You could argue that if it makes people happy what harm is it doing?” says Creed. “But I can imagine that many people may feel manipulated, uncomfortable and cheated if they found out.”What’s the main purpose of the Emotion Evoking System?
| A．To see whether one’s feeling can be unconsciously affected. |
| B．To see whether one’s facial expressions can be altered. |
| C．To see whether laughter comes before happiness. |
| D．To replace the mirrors in future clothing-store fitting rooms. |
What can we learn about the web-camera image in the study?
| A．It recorded the volunteers’ performance in the task. |
| B．It gave the volunteers a false image. |
| C．It attempted to make the volunteers feel happier. |
| D．It beautified the volunteers’ appearance in the mirror. |
What does Creed mention as a limitation of the technology?
| A．It only changes the areas around the mouth and the eyes. |
| B．It only works in clothing stores. |
| C．It only makes subtle changes to people’s expressions. |
| D．It only deals with a limited number of facial expressions. |
What does Creed’s comment on the moral issues with this technology imply?
| A．Nothing is more important than happiness. |
| B．Technology is unable to manipulate people. |
| C．People should make their decisions independently. |
| D．People should neglect the harm of the technology. |
B
"How do you account for your remarkable achievements in life?" Queen Victoria of England asked Helen Keller. "How do you explain the fact that even though you were both blind and deaf, you were able to achieve so much?"
Ms. Keller's answer is a tribute(致敬) to her dedicated teacher. "If it had not been for Anne Sullivan, the name of Helen Keller would have remained unknown."
According to speaker Zig Ziglar, "Little Annie" Sullivan, as she was called when she was young, was no stranger to hardship. She was almost sightless herself (due to a childhood fever) and was, at one time, diagnosed as hopelessly "insane" （精神失常的）by her by caregivers. She was locked in the basement of a mental institution outside of Boston. On occasion, Little Annie would violently attack anyone who came near. Most of the time she generally ignored everyone in her presence.
An elderly nurse believed there was hope, however, and she made it her mission to show love to the child. Every day she visited Little Annie. For the most part, the child did not acknowledge the nurse's presence, but she still continued to visit. The kind woman left cookies for her and spoke words of love and encouragement. She believed Little Annie could recover, if only she were shown love.
Eventually, doctors noticed a change in the girl. Where they once witnessed anger and hostility(敌意), they now noted an emerging gentleness and love. They moved her upstairs where she continued to improve. Then the day finally came when this seemingly "hopeless" child was released.
Anne Sullivan grew into a young woman with a desire to help others as she, herself, was helped by the kindly nurse. It was she who saw the great potential in Helen Keller. She loved her, disciplined her, played with her, pushed her and worked with her until the flickering candle that was her life became a beacon of light to the world. Anne Sullivan worked wonders in Helen's life， but it was a loving nurse who first believed in Little Annie and lovingly transformed an uncommunicative child into a compassionate teacher.
"If it had not been for Anne Sullivan, the name of Helen Keller would have remained unknown." But if it had not been for a kind and dedicated nurse, the name of Anne Sullivan would have remained unknown. And so it goes. Just how far back does the chain of redemption（救赎） extend? And how for forward will it lead?
Those you have sought to reach, whether they be in your family or elsewhere, are part of a chain of love that can extend through the generations. Your influence on their lives, whether or not you see results, is immeasurable. Your legacy of dedicated kindness and caring can transform lost and hopeless lives for years to come.Which of the following is true about Anne Sullivan according to the paragraph 3?
She was strange to hardship when she was young.
She would violently attack anyone who came near sometimes.
She was once locked in the basement of a mental institution in Boston.
She generally ignored everyone in her presence all the time.Which of the following words can describe the elderly nurse?
| A．kind and stubborn | B．persistent and dull |
| C．courageous and talkative | D．optimistic and loving |
The underlined word “compassionate” in the six paragraph means “________”.
| A． open-minded | B．ambiguous |
| C．complicated | D．sympathized |
We can infer from the passage that_____
| A．Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan were both blind and deaf. |
| B．It’s hope and love that the nurse believed Little Annie could recover |
| C．But for the nurse, the name of Helen Keller would have remained unknown |
| D．The results of influence on other people’s lives can be measured. |
A
When I was six years old, my mother started making me take piano lessons. Every morning, she would make sure I sat in front of the piano and practiced for at least one hour. After two years, I still didn’t like it. When the time for my Grade Ⅰ examination, I couldn’t go through with it. I cried because I didn’t want to play the piano anymore. In the end, I was spared from going for any more lessons. That was the end of my music career.
When I look back at that time, I ask myself—why did I do that for two years? I didn’t think abut it then but the answer seems obvious now—I didn’t think I had a choice.
Then for twelve years, I felt that my life had no meaning. I felt that I really couldn’t go on. I kept waiting for something outside of me to happen to make me happy. But the universe intervened (干涉) and sent me help disguised in the form of a sales call.
One afternoon a lady called me about a Tony Robbins event called Unleash the Power Within. Part of me was curious; but when the time came, I still was considering if I should go in or go to the beach instead. I made a choice to give it a try. In that hall filled with 4,000 people, Tony gave me back something I never knew I had---the power of choice. I left there renewed and refreshed, excited about my new life, knowing from that point forward that in life there are no victims, only choices. To this day, I sometimes wonder how differently my life would have turned out if I had missed taking that sales call.
Sometimes in life, we are stuck in certain situations and it may seem that there is nothing we can do about it. Just remember that everything in life is about choice. You can make a choice to remove yourself from any situation that is not serving you right now. The question is---will you?What was the possible reason for the author’s giving up the piano?
| A．His mother thought he played badly. |
| B．He liked playing other instruments. |
| C．He didn’t like to play the piano. |
| D．He couldn’t pass the examination. |
In the author’s opinion, the sales call is______.
| A．to promote certain kind of products to him. |
| B．to help him in a different form. |
| C．to give him a chance to make a choice. |
| D．to interfere his normal life. |
After the author participated in the Tony Robbins event, he_____.
| A．forgot about all the pleasant things in his life. |
| B．went to the beach immediately. |
| C．was hopeful and optimistic. |
| D．was ready to help others. |
What is main idea of the passage?
| A．People should try different things in life. |
| B．Somehow we will get help in the end. |
| C．We should participate in more activities. |
| D．We aren’t helpless; we can control our own lives. |
D
I am one of seven children. My three sisters and I grew up in a small bedroom with two sets of beds. We shared a closet, a dresser, and just about everything else.
I had friends who were only children. I looked longingly at their perfect dolls and toys placed carefully on their perfect shelves in their perfect little girl bedrooms. They had bathrooms to themselves. These little girls would come home to everything just perfect.
Our bedroom always had stuff hanging about. There just wasn’t room to store the paraphernalia(随身物品) of four girls who had definite ideas about how they wanted their space to be. All of us girls shared a bathroom with our three brothers. From a very young age, I really thought I was hard up.
Looking back, I had to admit my “only children” friends had nice things. They had designer beds and beautiful bedrooms, but I always had someone to play with and talk to. Even if everyone else hated me, one of my sisters would not and that was all I needed.
My sisters and I made up games and went around the neighborhood begging for old dresses so we could put on plays in our garage. Our house was the centre of activity for the whole neighborhood. We had dance shows and baseball games in the street. In short, we had everything we ever needed because we had each other. I have come to realize that there are so many reasons that sisters make a difference to your life and I can give you a few here:
They get you. Your sisters have grown up with you so they know the entire back story of your situation and everything leading to it. They may not agree with you all the time but they never wonder why you do what you do or say what you say.
They have suffered with you through awful times. I know that when one of my sisters is unhappy, I am unhappy too. When some non-family member tries to hurt you, the claws of them will come out!
They have cheered you on. Sisters do get jealous at times but, even so, they are happy that you are doing well. They rejoice at your new bonus as long as you take them out for drinks and fattening appetizers!
They are on the same diet as you. We are women in a world where thinness is equated with beauty. No matter how unjust this is, we are always on a diet. There is nothing like a sister calling and complaining about how she wants an ice cream and can’t ever have one again.
They are aging at the same rate as you. As we get older, we change, and however miserable this can be, it is heartening(令人振奋的) to know that someone shares your misery. They know what you are going through because they are going through it too.
The last and best thing about sisters is that they stick with you. We can have our upsets and misunderstandings but we always come back to each other.
I know many people reading this may have had upsets with their sisters. All I can say is that communication fixes everything. If you miss your sister, tell her so. If you have a BFF(Best Friend Forever) that has stuck with you through thick and thin(不畏艰险地), adopt her as your sister and keep her close to you.What’s the meaning of the underlined sentence in the second paragraph?
| A．Only children have a blessed life. |
| B．Only children have their own items and space. |
| C．All the things that only children have are perfect. |
| D．Only children are given more love and care at home. |
What is NOT a reason that sisters make a difference to your life?
| A．They grow old with you. |
| B．They are on the same diet with you. |
| C．They can understand your strange behavior perfectly. |
| D．They stand by you when other family members hurt you. |
The underlined word “rejoice” in Paragraph 8 means ?
| A．fell grateful | B．show great joy |
| C．appear surprised | D．get disappointed |
From the passage, we can learn that the author .
| A．has adopted her BBF as her sister |
| B．has expressed great sympathy for only children |
| C．had a better relationship with her brothers |
| D．has given some advice to those who had upsets with their sisters |
Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
| A．Sisters, my fortune in life |
| B．Family love, the lasting topic |
| C．Communication fixes everything |
| D．Sharing things gives you a better life |
C
Of all the components of a good night’s sleep, dreams seem to be last within our control. In dreams, a window opens into a world where there is zero logic and dead people can speak. A century ago, Freud formulated(创立理论) his revolutionary theory that dreams were the hidden shadows of our unconscious desires and fears; by the late 1970s, neurologists(神经病学家) had switched to thinking of them as just “mental noise”—the random byproducts(副产品) of the neural repair work that goes on during sleep. Now researchers suspect that dreams are regulating moods while the brain is “offline”. And one leading authority says that these intensely powerful mental events actually can be bought under conscious control, to help us sleep and feel better. “It’s your dream,” says Rosalind Cartwright, chair of psychology at Chicago’s Medical Center. “If you don’t like it, change it.”
Evidence from brain imaging supports this view. The brain is as active during rapid eye movement sleep when most vivid dreams occur as it is when fully awake, says Dr. Eric Nofzinger at the University of Pittsburgh. But not all parts of the brain are equally involved: the limbic system or the emotional brain is especially active, while the prefrontal cortex—the center of intellect and reasoning, is relatively quiet. “We wake up from dreams happy or depressed, and those feelings can stay with us all day,” says Stanford sleep researcher Dr. William Dement. This link is shown among the patients in Cartwright’s clinic. Most people seem to have more bad dreams early in the night, progressing toward happier ones before awakening, suggesting that they are working through negative feelings generated during the day. Because our conscious mind is occupied with daily life we don’t always think about the emotional significance of the day’s events—until, it appears, we begin to dream.
There is probably little reason to pay attention to our dreams at all unless they keep us from sleeping or “We wake up in a panic,” Cartwright says. Those suffering from persistent nightmares should seek help from a therapist. For the rest of us, the brain has its ways of working through bad feelings. Sleep or rather dream on it and you’ll feel better in the morning.What does Rosalind Cartwright think of dreams?
| A．Dreamers can exercise conscious control over them. |
| B．They are shadows of our unconscious desires and fears. |
| C．People with more emotional changes dream more often. |
| D．They are actually products of our brain’s neural repairs. |
What is shown in Cartwright’s clinic?
| A．The functions of vivid dreams. |
| B．The relation of dreams to emotions. |
| C．The functions of different brain parts. |
| D．The secret of rapid eye movement sleep. |
Casual nightmare sufferers are advised to .
| A．ask for medical help |
| B．relax their mind during the day |
| C．don’t take the dreams seriously |
| D．realize the emotional significance of daily events |
B
Teenagers spend too much time using their cell phones and being connected online these days! Is this a new way to be more social or, does the technology really make them unsocial? And how will this constant connection affect them?
My daughter who is fifteen years old has a smart cell phone which means that she is constantly connected to the Internet and of course Facebook. To be around her means that you have to listen to constant “beeps” and sounds from the cell phone when her friends update their status. It makes me really stressed. But that is me. For my daughter, the cell phone is an extension to her body. She sleeps with her cell phone on the pillow; she eats with her cell phone nearby; She even takes the cell phone to the bathroom.
For the generation who has grown up with the Internet and cell phones, it is important for them to stay close to their cell phones. They get stressed when they are disconnected! And most of them haven’t experienced a life without cell phones. For them, being offline or not having a cell phone is like being totally isolated(与世隔绝的). And when they get online after a long disconnection they are so stressed out, because they have so much catching-up to do!
So how is this constant connection affecting the new generation who has been born with the opportunity to stay connected to the Internet all the time? I see them as guinea pigs(实验对象)! Because nobody knows how this will affect humans in the long run. No research has been done yet on long-term side effects of being constantly reachable and connected to others.
My conclusion is that teenagers’ addiction to cell phones makes them both social and unsocial. The new technology has changed the way they connect with people compared to former generations. They are more social and can be mobile but this also forces them to do more than one job at a time which distracts(分散) their attention and prevents them from focusing on the present, which makes them unsociable. No one knows how this use will affect humans. We will just have to wait and see.The author mentions her daughter to show .
| A．he importance of cell phones |
| B．how annoying her daughter is |
| C．what stress her daughter has created |
| D．teenagers’ constant connection to cell phones |
The underlined word “this” in the passage refers to .
| A．using cell phone at a young age |
| B．being online all the time |
| C．the feeling of isolation |
| D．being guinea pigs |
How does the overuse of cell phones affect teenagers?
| A．It stops teenagers from feeling alone. |
| B．It improves teenagers’ work efficiency. |
| C．It forces teenagers to do several things at the same time. |
| D．It breaks teenagers’ connection with former generations. |
What’s the author’s attitude towards teenagers’ constant connection to cell phone?
| A．Unconcerned | B．Uncertain |
| C．Disapproving | D．Disappointed |
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