We all know how it feels to get lost in a great book. But what's happening in our brains as we dive into it? How is it different from what happens as we experience real life? Now, a new study led by Dr Leila Wehbe and Dr Tom Mitehell of Carnegie Mellon University have provided partial answers to these questions.
Since reading comprehension is a highly complex process, earlier studies tried to break that process down and focus on just one aspect at a time: mapping fMRI signatures（特征）associated with processing a single word or sentence, for example. "It's usually not like reading a book, and usually the stimulus（刺激物）consists of out-of-context sentences designed specifically for the experiment"
To address these issues, the researchers developed a computer program to look for patterns of brain activity that appeared when people read certain words, specific grammatical structures, particular characters" names and other aspects of the story—a total of 195 different "story features". In the study, they first asked eight volunteers to read Chapter 9 of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and recorded their brain activity using an fMRI scanner（扫描仪）. Then the researchers fed the volunteers' fMRI data into their computer program and had the program identify the responses of different brain regions to the 195 features mentioned above.
The result showed that when the volunteers read descriptions of physical movement in the story, there was significantly increased activity in the posterior temporal cortex, the region involved in perceiving real-world movement. Besides dialogue was specifically related with the right temporoparietal junction, a key area involved in imagining others thoughts and goals. "This is truly shocking for us as these regions aren't even considered to be part of the brain's language system," Wehbe says.
Next, Wehbe and Mitchell hope to study how and why language processing can go wrong. "If we have a large enough amount of data", Wehbe says, "we could find the specific ways in which one brain—for example, the brain of a dyslexic（诵读困难的）person—is performing differently from other brains." And this, the researchers think, may someday help us design individually tailored（特制的）treatments for dyslexia and other reading disorders.
Studies have shown the mere exposure effect, also referred to as the familiarity principle, inspires our decisions. It is a helpful psychological mechanism that helps us sustain our energy and focus our attention on other things. Getting used to new things takes effort and it can be exhausting. So unless we have a terrible experience, we are likely to buy from companies we' ve got used to. That is why companies spend so much money on advertising and marketing and why insurance companies openly charge existing customers more than new ones.
It' s not the case that we only desire things we already know. Some studies suggest when invited to share our preferences, we sometimes see less familiar options as more desirable. But when acting on that preference, we fall back to what we know. This might explain why sometimes the things we want and the things we do don' t quite match up. We might even return to companies that treated us poorly in the past or stay in bad relationships.
It' s easy to paint the familiarity principle as an enemy or something to battle as if it is something that holds us back from living our dreams. But this attitude might be overwhelming because it tends to encourage us toward big-picture thinking. Where we imagine that change requires a substantial dramatic swing that we don' t feel ready for. Some articles suggest the solution to familiarity frustration is complete exposure to novelty. While this can appear effective in the short run, we may only end up replacing one problem with another. It also risks overwhelm and burnout.
So what if we can work with the familiarity principle instead? Familiarity is something we can learn to play with and enjoy. It is a setting for creativity and a pathway to expansion. We can broaden the zone of familiarity bit by bit. If we think of familiarity as something that can expand, we can consider changing the conditions in and around our lives to make more space for our preferences to take root and grow gently. From here, we will start to make decisions, drawing from an ever-deepening pool of valuable options.
Humans' voice sounds more pleasant than that of primates（灵长类动物）because we don't have vocal membranes （声带膜）, a new study suggests.
Humans have vocal cords（声带）, muscles in the top of the throat, which vibrate（振动）to produce sound. That unique part helps people control their voices well enough to produce sounds that form spoken language. However, unlike all the other studied primates, humans don't have vocal membranes.
To find out how vocal membranes affected spoken sounds, a team from Kyoto University took throats from monkeys that had died of natural causes and put the parts into devices, pushing air through the throats to see how the vocal cords and membranes would react. In the experiment, the researchers found that their vocal membranes and vocal cords vibrated together.
Researchers said these vocal membranes make it harder for other primates to control the voices they make. Without these membranes, humans vocal source is more balanced, allowing better voice control and production of long and balanced voices. A key thing that distinguishes human speech from animal sounds is our control over the sounds we make.
In humans, that sort of unpleasant voices can happen when we put extreme amounts of pressure on our voice, like baby crying and adult screaming. But those are rare cases. Researchers also said that our mouths and tongues could help control the voices. They are the basis of human languages.
Four Stories in Life
A real doll
I've worked at an amusement park and when another Barbara joined the team, I changed my name tag(标签) from "Barb" to "Barbie". It was funny to see how kids reacted to my name differently. "Is she really a Barbie?" they asked. I changed it at another job, too, and began answering the phone, "This is Barbie. How can I help you?" Ninety percent of callers now respond, "Barbie, can you tell me..?" Pronouncing that long "e" sound forces your mouth into a smile. But I've found the smile is usually returned voluntarily.
—Barbie Bosco Latrobe, Pennsylvania
Rice twice as nice
We replaced rice with cauliflower(花椰菜) rice. There's not much of a difference in taste, and it cooks in minutes, and is a vegetable instead of empty carbs(精制碳水化合物).
—Michelle Byrd Marlton, New Jersey
Happy wife, happy life
Early in our marriage, my husband would come home feeling tired after work, and I'd be tired due to looking after the kids. We were both tired and bad-tempered, and we often ended up arguing. It got to a point where I worried we were on the verge(边缘)of divorce. The day I realized it, I asked myself, "Am I the person I would want to come home to?"
I began greeting him with a smile and kiss instead of complaining about my day. He'd smile back and we'd talk calmly. We still have our differences, but one small change in attitude saved our marriage forever.
—Annabelle Wallis, Pennsylvania
Our "Spoonland" and "Forkland"
We presort silverware in the dishwasher. It takes no extra time to load and makes emptying much easier. We always smile when our kids, now adults, introduce friends to "Spoonland" and "Forkland".
—Kathleen Luck, Ohio
The famous Spanish painter Pablo Picasso once said, "I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it." It strikes a chord(引起共鸣) with me because that's exactly what I have been doing these years.
One of my earliest memories of doing before learning is baking scones(烤饼) when I was about 10 years old. I wanted to bake them to surprise my mother when she returned home.
Before that, I'd observed how my mother baked them many times. As I started to try, I didn't know I shouldn't handle the dough(面团) with my hands too much once I'd added the baking powder(发酵粉). However, I knew exactly how to roll out the dough and use a cookie cutter to cut the scones, because my mom had already taught me.
By the time my mom arrived home, the smell of freshly baked scones welcomed her into the kitchen. They were close to perfection—flat, as a result of overhandling the dough, but they tasted OK. My mom sweetly praised me for my attempt, rather than scolding me for the state of the kitchen, which was like a tornado had just blown!
Have my attempts always been successful? I wish! Some of my kitchen disasters were so terrible that even the dogs wanted nothing to do with them. My gardening failures didn't live to see another season.
But my habit of doing before learning is still helpful. Whatever new software I have to learn how to use, I do so by simply starting to use it. I do, learn, and improve. So if you ask me whether I regret that I tend to do first and learn later, I'd say I don't, because what I have discovered from those is the wisdom to know when it's OK to do and then learn, and when it's probably better to learn and then do!
If you're always comparing yourself to your peers，you might be low in confidence and unsure of yourself.Here are some tips on how to stop comparing yourself to others.
Write down your positive traits.When you ignore your abilities，it becomes easier to compare yourself to others.You might focus on their strengths and ignore your own completely. By being aware of your best qualities，you can learn to love yourself and build up your self﹣confidence.
Keep a gratitude journal.A gratitude journal helps you recognize the things you may take for granted so you can fully appreciate them.To start journaling，reflect on the little things that bring you joy. Explain how they influence your life in detail.For example，if you jog in the park every day，you might express how you're grateful for your health and how jogging helps you overcome stress at work.
Instead of focusing on your "weaknesses"，reflect on the areas you can improve.Take advantage of all chances to improve your skills and techniques.Don't be afraid to ask other people for help along the way.Only by making efforts to improve your abilities can you make yourself happy.
Compete against yourself. Instead，use comparison to become an improved version of yourself.Set goals for yourself and try to improve your own personal best.When you set a goal for yourself，track your progress so that you can see how you are moving toward that goal.That way
Overcoming comparison is a continuous process，but it is possible!
A.Take control over your life.
B.Work on improving your abilities.
C.Don't compare your life to other people's.
D.Write down why you're grateful for them.
E.With time and practice，you can become the best version of yourself.
F.Appreciate others and use their success to motivate you to work hard.
G.To avoid this negative behavior，make a list of your strengths and talents.
Walking has been considered as one kind of rewarding exercise. For many people, daily walking offers massive and long-term physical and mental benefits. A Stanford University study found that participants were more creative when walking as opposed to sitting.
You've probably heard the phrase "exercise your creativity". Our creative mindset is stirred up by physical movement, which is exactly why walking with your dog, a friend, or alone feeds creative thinking.
But the scenery is almost as important as the sweat. Just by going outside, you are stepping out of your habitual surroundings and your comfort zone, which is necessary if you want to open your mind to new possibilities. You can walk through a tree-filled neighborhood. Even when you walk down a busy street, you can't help but get distracted by the sweet smells from a food cart or the child pointing to a building you haven't even noticed before.
Walking outside develops our ability to collect new ideas and take in new sights, sounds, smells, and flavors. Shinrin-yoku, a common form of relaxation in Japan, suggests that being in the forest and walking among the trees there can lower your stress levels. Research has shown that getting close to nature around your neighborhood or taking a break from multimedia increases performance on a creative problem-solving task.
So instead of setting a fitness goal, why not set a creativity goal that starts with walking outdoors? For example, you can turn off your phone and give yourself the chance to be present in the world, to hear conversations and natural sounds, and to notice the way people move and the way the sun reflects in a lake.
Walk not just for exercise. Walk for wonder.
A.Unfortunately, you often fail to do it.
B.Expose yourself more to your surroundings.
C.The movement during walking is obviously key.
D.Without enough energy, you cannot wonder or create.
E.But to receive the benefits, you do not have to live in a forest.
F.This habit, however, not only benefits well-being but also contributes to innovation.
G.Wandering around a park and observing people relaxing or birds singing is also a choice.
Ways to Build Resilience (适应力)
Being resilient isn't about avoiding misfortune, but rather how we respond to it. Resilience means doing well in the face of risk or difficulty. Being resilient can help you manage stress, lower your chances of depression, and has even been proven to make people live longer. To build resilience, the experts suggest the following：
Start with reaching out for support. Lack of social support can lead to decreased resilience. While it's easy to let go of important relationships in our busy lives, Good relationships are a pillar (柱状物) of rock for resilience and are a source of support when the times get tough. And cultivating your sense of humor is also a plus. Humor helps you to gain perspective during hard times. It also improves your sense of well-being through an increase in dopamine (多巴胺) levels in your brain, and can ultimately increase your overall health.
Having goals and dreams increases resilience. A lack of purpose and goals reduces resilience and may leave you open to being taken advantage of, manipulation (操纵), and poor life choices；it reduces your sense of control over your life, which can easily lead to depression and anxiety.
Be a person of action. Being idle can lead to less resilience, but being active and tackling your problems head-on can promote your ability to deal with tough situations. Instead, do something about the situation.
A.it is vital to make room for them.
B.Then find a sense of purpose in life.
C.it is exciting to embrace the unknown.
D.Hard times call for looking at the lighter side.
E.Try to avoid thinking deeply about negative thoughts or ideas.
F.It is also the ability to bounce back from tough situations.
G.Ask questions until you feel like you have a firm grasp of a situation.
The excitement that soccer awakens in a person is a universal feeling. That is why no one should feel left out of the1 , particularly at a2 match in a stadium (体育场), where there may not be a sports commentator (解说员) to3 the event. This can result in individuals with visual impairments (视觉障碍) not being included.
A4 man named Mike Kearney knows this all too well, but he luckily has a great friend. A5 video recorded Kearney's cousin Stephen Garcia describing a whole soccer match to him at the stadium—and both6 together after their team scored.
Kearney and Garcia are both Liverpool FC season ticket holders. "It's just our routine; it's what we do," Garcia said in an interview. "I7 him every goal kick, every corner, every throw-in. And obviously he knows when we score8 he gets a big hug, a big celebration." The man further9 that Kearney was told who10 the goal and how the play went, in addition to hearing the11 if the other team scored.
Moved by their love for the team, Liverpool FC12 the pair for the final game of the season. The team then documented their13 at the stadium, recording not only Garcia describing the action to Kearney, but also their heartwarming celebration of Liverpool FC's14 .
Later, Salah, one of the team's stars, gifted them team jerseys (运动套衫), signing Kearney's with, "To Mike, your 15 is an inspiration."
The Dragon Boat Festival, also known as the Duanwu Festival, is a traditional Chinese holiday celebrated nationwide (remember) Qu Yuan, one of the greatest poets of ancient China and the (early) known by name. When Qu Yuan jumped into a river out of love for his country in 278 BC, people (desperate) rowed out in boats to search for him. This inspired the Dragon Boat Festival, which takes place each year on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese calendar, day when Qu Yuan died. Festivities vary in different parts of China, they share several traditions, dragon boat racing included. Rowers sit in large dragon-shaped boats and row them the beat of a drum (鼓), which is usually played by someone (seat) at the front of the boat. Another feature of the celebrations is a popular snack called zongzi or (stick) rice dumplings. It is believed that zongzi, which represent good luck, (throw) into the river to stop fish eating Qu Yuanˈs body. In some parts of China, mugwort (艾草) leaves can be seen (hang) on doors or windows during the Dragon Boat Festival to discourage insects from entering the house.
China's taijiquan, also known as tai chi — a major part of the amazing (open) ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and represented by numerous practitioners worldwide — (add) to UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on Thursday. On its website, UNESCO described the cultural icon as "a traditional physical practice characterized by relaxed, circular movements that can be used (adjust) breath besides cultivating an honest and neutral (中性的) mind".
"Their inscription onto the list showed the unique value of intangible cultural heritage on people's health and (sustain) development," said Wang Chenyang,inspector from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism who is in charge of the work related to intangible cultural heritage.
Taijiquan, originated during the mid-17th century in Wenxian county in Jiaozuo, Henan province, is practiced almost (day) throughout the country by people of all ages and ethnic groups, according to UNESCO's website. (influence) by Taoist and Confucian thought and theories of traditional Chinese medicine, the practice has developed several schools or styles named after a family or a master's personal surname, such as Chen style or Yang style.
They are passed down through clan-based transmission or the master-apprentice model, built upon the yin and yang cycle and the cultural understanding of the unity of heaven and humanity, UNESCO said.
On May 29,2021,a documentary film called One Day When We Were Younginvited 16 alumni(校友)—all famous scholars—(share) their stories about the National Southwest Associated University. It (bear) when Japan invaded northern China in 1937. To save their educational and intellectual heritage the Japanese invasion, the remaining students and faculty at Peking University, Tsinghua University and Nankai University first retreated to Changsha in Hunan Province, and (late) headed south toward Kunming in Yunnan Province. The three universities joined together as the National Southwest Associated University, was also known as Xinan Lianda in Chinese.
Xinan Lianda had 5 colleges and 26 departments, with 179 professors. Students there could have a higher education (base) in large part on the American model. It sought to provide general education and (academy) freedom.
Though Xinan Lianda is (physical) gone and each school moved back to its original home in 1946, the experience of studying there had everlasting impact on students.
"The National Southwest Associated University set a good example for contemporary Chinese universities, and there are many treasured (legacy) for us to inherit, to cherish, and to share," Li Zhong, vice-president of the university's Beijing alumni association, told the Global Times.
Yours sincerely，
Li Hua
1.阐述与父母相处的重要性；
2.谈谈你与父母的相处方式。
注意：
1.写作词数应为80个左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
How I Get Along With My Parents
……
1.元宵节的简介;
2.元宵节的传统习俗。
注意：
1.词数80左右;
2.可以适当增加细节,以使行文连贯。
参考词汇:元宵节the Lantern Festival
Dear Jack,
……
Yours,
Li Hua
