Playing with toy blocks (積木) may lead to improved language development in young children, a new study reported.
Early childhood is an important period in the development of young minds. The newborn brain grows three times in size between birth and age 2. Scientists have said that certain activities during this important period may promote (促進) healthy development while others may hold it back, and development of memory and language may especially be helped by imaginative play.
After six months, language scores among half of the 175 children aged 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 who were sent plastic blocks were 15 percent higher than a matched group that did not receive the free blocks, according to the study by researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle.
Parents were given ideas about how to help their children play with the blocks, then were told to keep diaries of their children’s activities over four days. Finally, all the parents filled out questionnaires that judged their children’s vocabulary, grammar, and other language abilities. Study author Dimitri Christakis said unstructured play with blocks motivated children’s thinking, memory and physical skills at a time when a child’s brain is growing rapidly. “They are the foundation of thought and language,” he wrote of the skills learned from building blocks. “Older children begin to make up stories for these objects .”
Such play may also take the place of less helpful activities such as watching TV, he said, adding parents ought to have doubts about some toy-makers’ words. “An increasing number of media-based products are making ungrounded (無根據(jù)的) claims that they can make children smarter, more literate, and more musical,” Christakis said.
小題1:What can we learn from the second paragraph?
A．Parents should allow their children to play as long as they want.
B．The brains of kids develop very quickly before they are two years old.
C．Playing blocks can help children do well in sports at school.
D．Activities, like imaginative play, may delay the development of the brain.
小題2:According to the study, about ________ children’s language scores were 15 percent higher than those of children who didn’t play with blocks.
A．87B．55C．23D．157
小題3:Building blocks helps kids gain language skills because _________.
A．young children always talk to themselves while building blocks
B．their parents can teach them when they are playing with blocks
C．their parents are given ideas on how to develop their brains
D．it can help them improve thinking, memory and physical skills
小題4:The aim of the passage is probably to _______.
A．raise the present level of children’s language ability
B．encourage parents to let their babies play with blocks
C．improve parents’ knowledge of raising children
D．encourage makers of blocks to develop more toys
小題5:We can infer from what Mr Christakis said that _____.
A．television will be definitely replaced by blocks
B．the market will be full of media-based toys
C．we can’t always believe what toy makers say
D．toy makers care about kids’ development very much

小題1:B
小題1:A
小題1:D
小題1:B
小題1:C
略
練習(xí)冊系列答案
相關(guān)習(xí)題

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

How can you hear your friends’ voices when they are far away and you can’t make a long—distance call? Besides the web camera system with your computer, we have a new high-tech way to solve the problem and ease your pain of missing them.
The Japanese company Combiwith created a system—“talking picture”. It makes people in pictures speak!
The “talking picture” has a special pen. It is actually a pen-shaped scanner. It can scan information in special—made pictures. A connected player will then play the information out loud.
First, you need to take a picture and record what you want to say with the company. The company will then make special barcodes(條形碼) onto your picture(you can’t see those codes). Those codes are your voice and your words. When you hold up the pen to scan your picture with barcodes, a player connected to the pen will start to play. It plays things you’ve recorded. That way the invention makes the “you” in the picture speak!
Do you want your friends and families talking out of pictures? Have them make pictures like that, and you can hear them whenever you want, only with the “talking picture” system. The system can play messages for up to 12 minutes.
“The pictures would be useful for those who hope to hear the voice of someone living far away,” said Mayumi Fuji, a spokeswoman for the company. “Grandparents, for example, longing to know about their grandchildren, would be happy to hear their voice when they see the picture,” Fuji said.
But it is troublesome to go to the company for taking a special picture first. And, it is much more expensive than using a telephone. The photo with barcodes costs between 17,040 and 17,990 yen(日元)(160 and 169 dollars). The larger picture you want, the more you pay.
Now, just raise a finger, lonely people can have their loved ones speak out of pictures. But, whether the “talking picture” is practical or not, let’s wait and see.
小題1:What does “talking pictures” mean according to this article?
A．The picture can play what’s been recorded as if the person in the picture “talks”.
B．You can have a talk with the person in the picture whenever you want to.
C．The picture can tell you wonderful stories to ease your pain.
D．The picture can tell what’s on your mind when you are looking at it.
小題2:If you want to make a talking picture, you need to ________.
A．take a picture and record what you want to say with the company
B．make special barcodes onto your picture
C．a(chǎn) pen—shaped scanner to go with the picture
D．All of the above
小題3:Which of the following is NOT true accordingly?
A．The talking picture system can play messages for 12 minutes at most.
B．It will cost you more to take a larger talking picture.
C．It might take a lot of trouble to make a talking picture.
D．You can make a talking picture by just raising a finger.
小題4:What is the attitude of the author?
A．Optimistic.B．Uncertain.C．Positive.D．Pessimistic.

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

However important we may regard school life to be, there is always the fact that children spend more time at home than in the classroom. Therefore, the teacher should realize that parents have a great influence on their children. Parents can become strong allies (助手) of the school or they can get in the way of the school education.
Experts have realized the need to keep parents informed of the newer methods used in schools. Many headmasters have conducted workshops explaining such matters as the reading readiness, program writing and mathematics to parents.
Moreover, the classroom teacher, with the permission of the supervisors(管理者), can also play an important part in giving more knowledge to reporting pupils progress, teachers can help parents a lot in educating their children and parents can give much help to teachers.
Suppose that a father has been drilling Junior arithmetic lessons night after night. In a friendly talk between the teacher and the father, the teacher can help the parent to make Junior interested in it. He might be persuaded to let Junior join in discussing the family budget, buying the food, using a ruler or measuring cup at home, setting the clock, calculating the distance of a trip and engaging in scores of other activities that have a mathematical basis.
If the father follows the advice, it is reasonable to say that he will soon realize that his son is making satisfactory progress in mathematics, and at the same time, enjoying the work.
Too often, however, teachers’ talks with parents are devoted to small accounts of children’s misdemeanors(不良行為). They talk about the laziness and poor work habits of the children.
What is needed is a more creative way in which the teacher, as an adviser, plants ideas in parents’ minds to make sure that the child spends the many hours out of the classroom learning something useful.
In this way the school and the home join forces in educating children.
小題1:The main idea of the passage is that ____.
A．home training is more important than school training
B．parents should help their children to do their homework
C．there’re many ways in which the mathematics program can be carried out at home
D．teachers can and should help parents to use better ways to teach their children
小題2:From this passage we can know that the writer ____.
A．is satisfied with the relationship between school and home
B．feels that parent-teacher talks can be made much more constructive
C．believes that schools can’t teach pupils well
D．calls on parents to teach their children mathematics at home
小題3:What way that the writer doesn’t talk about can improve the present situation?
A．Classes for parents.B．New type of report card.
C．Parent-teacher talk. D．Dinner or party.
小題4:The writer implies that ____.
A．interesting activities can improve one’s achievement
B．too many children are lazy and have poor work habits
C．teachers should often make home visits to parents
D．headmasters do more than teachers in this area
小題5:We can infer from the passage that the writer does not favor ____.
A．father’s helping his son with his study
B．written reports to the parents from the teachers
C．talking about children’s shortcomings
D．having the parents help their children with their lessons

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Free energy is everywhere around us. There are many ways to make and collect energy from various sources like sun, wind and water. People also realize that everyday stuff can be a source of energy too. For example, riding a bike, running or just walking, etc. We simply have to change our way of thinking if we want to change the world.
So comes the idea of solar roadways. Are they the road of future? Why use roads just for driving and collecting tolls (過路費)? Why don’t we use them for collecting energy?
The US Department of Transportation recently awarded $100,000 to Solar Roadways to build the first ever Solar Road Panel. So how do these future roads work?
The Solar Road Panels will contain embedded (嵌入的) LEDs which “paint” the road lines from beneath to provide safer nighttime driving as well as to give drivers instant instructions such as detour (繞行) ahead. The road will be able to sense wildlife on the road and can warn drivers to “slow down”. There will also be embedded heating elements in the surface to prevent snow and ice buildup, providing safer winter driving.
Replacing asphalt (瀝青) roads and parking lots with Solar Roadway Panels will be a major step toward stopping climate change. Fully electric vehicles will be able to recharge along the roadway and in parking lots, finally making electric cars practical for long trips.
We just can’t wait to see more of these roads all over the world in the near future.
小題1:The first paragraph serves as a(n)______.
A．a(chǎn)rgumentB．commentC．explanationD．background
小題2:Which of the following is NOT true of LEDs?
A．They color the road lines.
B．They are embedded in the Solar Road Panels.
C．They are beneficial for nighttime driving.
D．They can provide instant instructions.
小題3: When some animals are on the solar road, what will the road do?
A．Guide them to a safer place.B．Remind drivers to drive slowly.
C．Frighten them away from the road.D．Advise drivers to choose another way.
小題4: From the text, we can know that the Solar Road Panels can______.
A．provide heat for drivers in winter
B．guide drivers who get lost on the highway
C．melt snow and ice soon in winter
D．help drivers see the road clearly in the sun

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

When the six very best students from different cities in Guangdong Province all together chose universities in Hong Kong ; when the very best students of Beijing picked up HK University while giving up the nearby Peking or Tsinghua University ; when the highest enrollment(錄取) rate of Hong Kong Science and Industry University reached 48:1, it’s the high time to ask where the real education heaven for students in China is.
Years ago, the answer certainly would be “Peking or Tsinghua University”. But now no one could give the exact answer without hesitation . The only sure thing is that HK universities have gradually showed an unusual attraction to a great many mainland students.
There’s no doubt to call this HK craze (狂熱), which is even out of the expectation of those HK universities themselves.
How can HK universities shake the steady foundations of Peking and Tsinghua University and attract so many mainland students?
First, Hong Kong universities offer large-amount scholarship, especially for the top students who can receive the scholarship as much as 400,000 HK dollars. Since higher education has become a kind of heavy burden of many families, it’s easy to understand why the reaction to the generous offering of HK universities is great.
Second, most HK universities receive professors and students from all over the world and carry out bilingual (雙語) education. This kind of excellent language atmosphere is another attraction for mainland students.
Furthermore, university students in Hong Kong have a better chance to study abroad as exchange students.
Can mainland top universities like Peking or Tsinghua University be calm as before when facing the unexpected competition from HK? Will they take relevant measures to win back the top students who once help them set the worldwide reputation? Time will explain it .
The fierce competition brought by HK universities can be a good thing for an entire improvement of education in China. After the awakening and action-taking of mainland universities , they can perform better together with HK universities.
At least, it reminded the mainland universities the tuition fees (學(xué)費) are among students’ top concern when they are choosing universities . It’s time to move.
小題1:What is the passage mainly talking about?
A．Some thoughts brought by the enrollment of HK universities.
B．Higher education in Hong Kong.
C．The competition between HK University and Beijing University.
D．The fall of mainland universities.
小題2:Top students from mainland apply for HK universities because________.
A．many students now would love to study abroad to get a better experience
B．they concern only about the tuition fees when choosing universities
C．HK Universities offer higher scholarship, better environment and more opportunities for their further study
D．Beijing University has lost its worldwide reputation
小題3:   From the passage we can see HK universities________.
A．didn’t mean to enroll top students from mainland
B．didn’t expect their enrollment of mainland students would be so popular
C．have strict enrollment rules and only 1 out of 48 students can get the chance to study there
D．a(chǎn)re proud of their teaching staff and facilities.
小題4:What does the author mean by saying “It’s time to move .” in the last paragraph ?
A．Mainland universities should take measures as soon as possible to attract students.
B．The opportunities come for top students to study abroad .
C．Mainland universities should make full preparations to enroll Hong Kong students .
D．Top students should be offered further education free of charge .

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

I am a strong believer that if a child is raised with approval, he learns to love himself and will be successful in his own way.
Several weeks ago，I was doing homework with my son in the third grade and he kept standing up from his chair to go over the math lines．I kept asking him to sit down, telling him that he would concentrate better. He sat but seconds later, as if he didn’t even notice he was doing it, he got up again．I was getting frustrated, but then it hit me．I started noticing his answers were much quicker and accurate when he stood up．Could he be more intent while standing up？
This made me start questioning myself and what I had been raised to believe. I was raised to believe that a quiet, calm child was a sure way to success．This child would have the discipline to study hard, get good grades and become someone important in life．
Now those same people perhaps come to realize that their kids are born with their own sets of DNA and personality traits，and all you can do is loving and accepting them．As parents，throughout their growing years and beyond that, we need to be our kids' best cheerleaders，guiding them and helping them find their way.
I have stopped asking my son to sit down and concentrate．Obviously, he is concentrating just in his own way and not mine．We need to learn to accept our kids' ways of doing things．Some way may have worked for me but doesn't mean we need to carry it through generations．There is nothing sweeter than being individual and unique．It makes us free and happy and that's just the way I want my kids to live their own life．
小題1: At the beginning, the author tried to keep his son seated in order to make him________.
A．pay more attention to his studyB．keep silent in the room
C．finish his homework on timeD．get right answers
小題2: Inspired by the case of his son，the author began to doubt________.
A．the importance of parentsB．the old form of education
C．the relationship between kids and their parents D．the good grades of some kids
小題3:According to the passage, which of the following statements is right?
A. We should help kids correct their wrong ways.
B. Parents should study their kids’ DNA.    
C. Kids should be taught to behave themselves.
D. Parents should love and accept their kids.
小題4: The author has stopped asking his son to sit down because __________.
A．he has changed his traditional ideasB．his son wants to be unique
C．his son doesn’t follow his adviceD．his son’s DNAis different
小題5:Which of the following would be the best title of the passage?
A．Study hard and you'll be successfulB．Be friendly to your children
C．Children's success in their own styleD．Parents' help with their children's study

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

In a recent class I was asked “What is a short story?” My first answer was that it was something that could be read in one sitting and brought an illumination（啟示）to the reader, sudden and golden like sunlight cracking(破裂, 砸開) through a heavy cloud. I went on to say that in my opinion a “real” short story was closer to poetry than to a novel.
Here are some definitions of the short story. My favorite is Benet's: “something that can be read in an hour and remembered for a lifetime”. One writer said, “The theme of a novel won't fit into the framework of a short story; It's like trying to squeeze a large painting done on a wall into the frame of a miniature （微型畫）。 And as in a miniature painting, the details need to be sharp. ”
The short story is an example of one aspect of human nature. Often a character undergoes some event, something that offers him or her change. This is why it’s said that short stories usually “say something ”， often a small something, but sometimes delivered with such accuracy that the effect is strongly felt, even a life-moment for some readers, something similar to a religious experience or to witnessing a never-to-be-repeated scene in nature.
Ok, let’s form a definition here: A short story is an account, rarely over 10, 000 words or below 500 words-more commonly 1, 500 to 5, 000 words-a single-sitting read, but with enough time and weight to move the reader. It is narrow and focused to produce an effect through the story, most commonly through events affecting some change in an individual.
Writer Isabelle Allende once wrote: “Novels are, for me, adding up details, just work, work, work, then you're done. Short stories are more difficult-they have to be perfect, complete in themselves. ”
小題1:The writer of the passage is probably a ______.
A．poetB．painterC．teacherD．student
小題2:What should the ideal short story be in length?
A．a(chǎn)t most 10, 000 wordsB．below 500 wordsC．over 5, 000wordsD．a(chǎn)round 2, 000 words
小題3:The underlined word “undergoes ” in the third paragraph probably means “________ ”。
A．experiences B．discoversC．discussesD．a(chǎn)ppreciates
小題4:What’s the difference between novels and short stories?
A．Novels are too long for us to read.
B．Short stories are too short for us to read.
C．Short stories have more details than novels.
D．Short stories are more perfect and difficult than novels.
小題5:What would be the best title for the passage?
A．How Do You Write a Short Story?B．What Exactly Is a Short Story?
C．Is a Short Story Similar to Poetry?D．Are Short Stories Perfect and Complete?

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Kids who receive special education are, without doubt, the hardest working children in any school. When they are having difficulty learning basic literacy and number concepts, when they break rules, when they need more services, support and adult attention than their peers, then they are struggling the hardest. In psychology, we are trained to think that if we are feeling angry or confused when sitting with a patient, then we are probably feeling just what our patient is feeling. The same is true for students with disabilities. Whatever we feel when we work with them, they are probably feeling as they work with us.
If you have a disability that affects your education, then you have a brain disorder. Because education, even in mathematics, is largely verbal（用言辭）, most brain disorders responsible for educational disabilities affect language, and how you process words and ideas in written and oral form. To imagine how much effort a child with a language disability spends each school day, imagine yourself attending a school today taught in a language you had a basic understanding of. Imagine though, that while you seem fluent to others, you have trouble when people talk too fast, use idioms or expressions.
When adults and classmates blame, or criticize kids who receive special education, they are struggling with their own confusion. It is difficult to imagine the world as it is lived by someone with an educational disability. It is difficult to understand how someone who can be so "normal" can have so many problems. It is so easy to imagine that if they just tried harder... without understanding that just to do the ordinary, kids with disabilities are making an extraordinary effort.
小題1:What is the purpose of the author by writing the passage?
A．to introduce how hard to be a special education teacher.
B．to think highly of the children with disabilities.
C．to show the disabled have much trouble in understanding.
D．to call on the society to care for the disabled.
小題2: If a disabled kid learns number concepts, he __________.
A．won’t work as hard as a normal.
B．will work double as hard as a normal.
C．will be as patient as the normal.
D．will think of his disability first.
小題3:If a kid has a disability affecting his education, he will ________.
A．have a hard time using the language.
B．be too foolish to learn maths .
C．not understand what others are saying.
D．have a lot of trouble in remembering words.
小題4:Before you intend to blame a kid receiving special education, __________.
A．you should try to understand what he is saying.
B．you should imagine the world he lives in.
C．you should imagine yourself in his shoes.
D．you should think of the education he has received.

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Good Genes Mean Long Life
Scientists have discovered that living to the age of 100 may have nothing to do with the lifestyle you lead and everything to do with the type of genes you have.
For the lucky carriers of “Methuselah” genes, worries over smoking, eating unhealthily and not getting enough exercise may not be as necessary as to those of us without the special gene pattern (組合).
The “Methuselah” genes could give extra protection against the diseases of old age such as cancer and heart disease. They could also protect people against the effects of the unhealthy lifestyles that we believe will lead us to an early death, scientists say. However, the genes are very rare.
The genes include ADIPOQ, which is found in about 10 percent of young people but in nearly 30 percent of people living past 100. They also include the CETP and the ApoC3 genes, which are found in 10 percent of young people, but in about 20 percent of people over 100 years old.
Some of those genes were discovered by a research group at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, led by Professor Nir Barzilai. The team studied the genes of over 500 people over 100 years old, and their children.
The studies show that tiny mutations (變異) in the make-up of some genes can greatly increase a person’s lifespan (壽命). Barzilai told a Royal Society conference that the discovery of such genes gave scientists clear targets for developing drugs that could prevent age-related diseases, allow people to live longer and stay healthy.
David Gems, a researcher at University College London, believes that drugs to slow ageing will become widespread.
“If we know which genes control longevity (長壽) then we can … target them with drugs. That makes it possible to slow down ageing,” he told The Times.
“Much of the pain and suffering in the world are caused by ageing. If we can find a way to reduce that, then we are obliged (義不容辭的) to take it.”
小題1:According to the article, which of the following is the most important if a person is to live to the age of 100?
A．Eating healthy food every day.B．Having the right types of genes.
C．Having a healthy lifestyle.D．Taking drugs that prevent ageing.
小題2:According to the article, the ApoC3 gene is found in ________ of people over 100 years old.
A．10% B．20%C．30% D．50%
小題3:Which of the following statements is TRUE of the research led by Professor Nir Barzilai?
A．The team studied the genes of over 100 people over 100 years of age.
B．The researchers found that mutations in certain genes lead to longer life.
C．The researchers found ways to develop drugs that could cure age-related diseases.
D．The study suggested that most people have genes that could lengthen their lives.
小題4: According to David Gems, ________.
A．drugs to slow ageing will be very expensive
B．modern science will be able to find more longevity genes
C．it is the duty of medical scientists to fight the problems of ageing
D．scientists can make new genes that will allow longer life

查看答案和解析>>

同步練習(xí)冊答案