Babies understand what their mothers say, even when they speak a language their children have never heard before, scientists claim.
The researchers found that one-year-olds reacted in exactly same way to their mothers’ voices regardless of whether they were speaking English or Greek, showing what mothers have long known – that babies pick up on tone of voice rather than the words themselves.
The researchers, from Cardiff University’s School of Psychology, observed babies as they watched their mothers perform actions with toys using the English words “whoops” and “there”. The scientists studied reactions from one-year-old babies to their mums’ voices even when they were speaking both English and Greek, and keeping the same tone of voice. The academics found that babies reproduced the same reactions regardless of whether they knew the language.  
Study leader Dr Merideth Gattis of Cardiff University’s School of Psychology says, “What this work showed was that children could have access to understanding simply through tone of voice. We did ‘whoops’ and ‘there’ in two languages and got exactly the same results.” The research, published in the journal Cognitive Development, was conducted on 84 babies aged between 14 and 18 months, over the course of a year, with none of the babies having any previous exposure to Greek.
Dr Gattis says that children respond to tone clues in their parents’ voices from an early age.
She says, “Tone of voice is a really useful signal of what someone is thinking. We never have direct access to other people’s minds, except the signals in language that they give out.” She says the study shows that it is less important what parents say than how they say it.
Dr Gattis adds, “A child may ask if you like his / her drawing, for example. You might say yes, but if you don’t sound enthusiastic, the meaning may not get across.” Before children begin to speak, parents should use exaggerated tone when speaking to them.
小題1:According to the text, what have mothers long-known?
A.Babies have a better understanding of English.
B.Babies pick up on tone of voice.
C.Babies like their mothers’ performances.
D.Babies like drawing from an early age.
小題2:Which of the following is TRUE, according to the study?
A.Tone of voice is the most useful sign of what someone is thinking.
B.After children begin to speak, tone becomes unimportant.
C.The babies acted the same way regardless of the language.
D.The research was conducted on 48 babies.
小題3:According to the text, Dr. Gattis believes that _________.
A.we have no access to other people’s minds
B.babies can’t understand what “yes” means
C.parents should always sound enthusiastic
D.how a parent speaks is more important than what he or she says
小題4:What’s the text mainly about?
A.The content of the journal Cognitive Development.
B.The famous works of Dr. Gattis.
C.Babies understanding their mothers through tone.
D.Babies having the potential to learn language well.
小題5:The text can be classified as _________.
A.a(chǎn) reportB.a(chǎn)n advertisementC.a(chǎn) handbookD.a(chǎn) guide

小題1:B
小題2:C
小題3:D
小題4:C
小題5:A

試題分析:本文屬于研究報(bào)告,講述的是不管孩子講述的什么語(yǔ)言,孩子都可以通過(guò)父母講話的語(yǔ)調(diào)來(lái)理解父母的意思。
小題1:B 細(xì)節(jié)題。根據(jù)文章第二段2,3行showing what mothers have long known – that babies pick up on tone of voice rather than the words themselves.可知B項(xiàng)內(nèi)容正確。
小題2:C 細(xì)節(jié)題。根據(jù)文章第二段1,2行The researchers found that one-year-olds reacted in exactly same way to their mothers’ voices regardless of whether they were speaking English or Greek,可知無(wú)論是何種語(yǔ)言,孩子都可以理解母親。故C正確。
小題3:D 推理題。根據(jù)文章第四段2,3行“What this work showed was that children could have access to understanding simply through tone of voice.可知孩子理解父母親是根據(jù)父母說(shuō)話的音調(diào)。所以D項(xiàng)父母親如何說(shuō)話要比說(shuō)的內(nèi)容更重要。故D正確。
小題4:C 主旨大意題。根據(jù)文章3,4段可知本文中的這次研究主要講述的是孩子可以通過(guò)母親講話的音調(diào)來(lái)理解母親的意思。故C正確。
小題5:A 推理題。本文屬于科學(xué)研的報(bào)告,不是廣告,手冊(cè)和導(dǎo)游書(shū)。故A正確。
點(diǎn)評(píng):本文講述的是不管孩子講述的什么語(yǔ)言,孩子都可以通過(guò)父母講話的語(yǔ)調(diào)來(lái)理解父母的意思。本文以細(xì)節(jié)題的考查為主,細(xì)節(jié)題是針對(duì)文中某個(gè)細(xì)節(jié)、某句話或某部分具體內(nèi)容設(shè)置問(wèn)題,正確答案的根據(jù)一定可以在原文中找到,即原文的改寫(xiě)往往成為正確選項(xiàng)。通常細(xì)節(jié)題的正確選項(xiàng)有以下特征:對(duì)原文句子中的關(guān)鍵詞進(jìn)行替換。把原文中的一些詞換成意義相近的詞,成為正確選項(xiàng)。詞性或者語(yǔ)態(tài)的變化。把原文中的一些詞變換一下詞性,或者改變?cè)木渥拥恼Z(yǔ)態(tài),給考生制造障礙。語(yǔ)言簡(jiǎn)化。把原文中的復(fù)雜語(yǔ)言現(xiàn)象進(jìn)行簡(jiǎn)化,成為正確答案。正話反說(shuō)。把原文中的意思反過(guò)來(lái)表達(dá)而成為正確選項(xiàng)(適用于尋找錯(cuò)誤選項(xiàng)的題目)。
練習(xí)冊(cè)系列答案
相關(guān)習(xí)題

科目:高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Environmental problems are becoming more and more serious all over the world. For example, cars have made the air unhealthy for people to breathe and poisonous gas is given off by factories. Trees on the hills have been cut down and waste water is being poured continuously into rivers. Furthermore, wherever we go today, we can find rubbish carelessly disposed.
There are different kinds of pollutants, each of which comes from different sources. It is necessary to identify the source of pollution, in order to make a policy to eliminate them.
Different products, processes and activities of our industrialized world together form the major source of pollution. The forms of pollution can be mainly divided into three kinds—solid, liquid and gas.
These pollutions have greatly damaged our planet and continue to do so. In fact, pollution is threatening our existence. The whole ecological balance of the earth is changing. Massive destruction of environment has brought about negative effects and even posed a great threat to man’s existence.
We must face the situation that exists and take action to solve our environmental problems. For instance, new laws must be passed to place strict control over industrial pollution, the public must receive the education about the danger of pollution and so on.
The earth is our home and we have the duty to take care of it for ourselves and our later generation. Fortunately, more and more people have realized these problems. Measures have been taken to deal with these situations by the government. Laws have been passed to stop pollution, I hope the problems will be solved in the near future and our home will become better and better.
小題1: How many examples of environmental problems are given in the first paragraph?
A.2 B.3 C.4 D.5
小題2: Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A.In all there are three kinds of pollution
B.If people continue to pollute our planet, there will be no trees.
C.Industrial pollution has been completely controlled.
D.Laws have been passed to stop pollution and protect our environment.
小題3: The sentence “We hope that all these measures will be effective and bring back a healthy environment” can best be put at the end of paragraph _____.
A.2 B.3 C.5 D.6
小題4: The writer’s attitude towards the future of the earth is _____.
A.despair B.negative C.optimistic D.hopeless

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

There is a common belief among parents that schools are no longer interested in spelling. No school I have taught in has ever considered spelling unimportant as a basic skill. There are, however, quite different ideas about how to teach it, or how much priority (優(yōu)先) it must be given over general language development and writing ability. The problem is, how to en­courage a child to express himself freely in writing without holding him back with spelling.
If spelling becomes the only point of his teacher’s interest, clearly a bright child will be likely to “play safe”. He will write only words within his spelling range (范圍). That’s why teachers often encourage the early use of dictionaries and pay attention to content rather than technical ability.
I was once shocked to read on the bottom of a sensitive piece of writing about a personal experience:“This work is terrible! There are far too many spelling mistakes.” It may have been a sharp criticism(批評(píng)) of the pupils technical abilities in writing, but it was also a sad thing for the teacher who had omitted (略過(guò)) to read the composition, which contained some beautiful expressions of the child’s deep feelings. The teacher was not wrong to draw atten­tion to the mistakes, but if his priority had centered on the child's ideas, an expression of his disappointment with the presentation would have given the pupil more hope to seek improve­ment.
小題1:The expression “play safe” probably means ____.
A.to write carefullyB.to do as teachers say
C.to use dictionaries frequentlyD.to avoid using words one is not sure of
小題2:Teachers encourage the use of dictionaries so that____.
A.students will be able to express their ideas more freely
B.teachers will have less trouble in correcting mistakes
C.students will have more trust in writing
D.students will learn to spell words correctly
小題3:The writer seems to think that the teacher’s judgement on that sensitive piece of writing is____.
A.reasonableB.unfairC.foolishD.careless
小題4:The major point discussed in the passage is _______.
A.the importance of developing writing skills
B.the importance of spelling
C.the correct way of marking composition
D.the relationship between spelling and the content of a composition

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

At the beginning of the 20th century there were more than a million lions worldwide. Today there are less than 30,000 in the wild. The remaining lions are increasingly threatened by habitat loss, hunting and activities to protect farms and cattle.
For generations, Masai tribesmen on the large African plains in southeastern Kenya have hunted lions — to protect their farms and cattle. Today they celebrate the lions’ life.
Noah is an elder in the Masai community. “We have decided as a community of the Masai to lay down our spears, and there will be no more killing of lions in our community.” He is part of a group of Masai visiting the United States promoting (推廣) the Predator Compensation Program.
Conservation International’s Frank Hawkins explains, “The Masai have been living with wildlife for many generations and it has been a conflicting ( 有沖突的) relationship in many ways. They compete with the animals for food as lions eat their cattle. We’re trying to find ways in which the wildlife will become something useful to them.” They had the Predator Compensation Fund founded in 2003. After much discussion, a group of Masai farmers agreed to protect lions. In turn, if lions or other predators kill their cattle, the Masai owner will be paid market value for the dead animals from the fund.
One man said that in the past, when a lion killed cattle, they killed it immediately. And now, after the start of the program, the Masai see the lion population growing. Since 2003, only four lions have been killed here.
小題1:What is the aim of the Predator Compensation Program?
A.To protect people in the wild.B.To protect Masai’s farms.
C.To protect lions only.D.To protect the wildlife.
小題2:According to the passage, why haven’t Masai tribesmen killed many lions since 2003?
A.Because lions don’t eat their cattle any more.
B.Because they will be fined if they kill lions there.
C.Because the fund will pay for dead animals killed by lions
D.Because there are less than 30,000 lions in the wild now.
小題3:What do you think of the Masai ?
A.Wise.B.Mean.C.Generous.D.Stupid.

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Extract 1(摘錄一)
A computer
A computer is an "information processor". It is given information, called "data", instructed to do certain things and then show us the results. The data put into the computer is called the" input" and the results which come out are the "output". Some people say the circle of large standing stones at Stonehenge is a kind of computer. Prehistory people worked out their calendar from the position of the shadows made by the sun shining on the stones.
Extract 2
Teach yourself new subjects and skills at your own pace with a home computer. Use it to help with schoolwork, for self-improvement, even to improve your career skills. Learn touchtyping.
Foreign languages or computer programming. A home computer can help children of all ages learn classroom subjects such as spelling, geography and others. In fact it makes learning fun. So if you want to teach yourself, or help your children teach themselves---get a home computer. It can also help you manage your personal finances(經(jīng)濟(jì))or help you to work taxes and plan household budgets(預(yù)算).You can make business a pleasure with a home computer.
小題1:The writer introduces the words such as "input" and "output" in order to_____.
A.introduce people to computer language
B.show computer language is the same as English
C.help people some scientific language
D.give people some scientific language
小題2:Why does the writer talk about Stonehenge in Extract 1?
A.To give an example of the very first computer.
B.To show that computers are older than mankind.
C.To tell the difference between the past and the present.
D.To give another way of explaining computers.
小題3:If you think of the circle of large standing stones as a computer,_____.
A.the shadow is the input and the position is the output
B.the sunlight is the input and the calendar is the output
C.the position is the input and the sunlight is the output
D.the calendar is the input and the shadow is the output
小題4:Extract 2 is probably taken from_____.
A.a(chǎn) computer textbookB.a(chǎn) company's advertisement
C.a(chǎn) teach-yourself computer bookD.a(chǎn) children's guide to computers

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Family Vs Technology
Modern technology certainly changes family behavior, but does it really damage family life as many people fear? Not necessarily, says Dr. Silva, a professor in Sociology(社會(huì)學(xué)) at the Open University, she also argues it is wrong to assume technology erodes(腐蝕,侵蝕) the quality of family life.
“There is the idea that technology has an influence on the family and the family suffers. My take is quite different,” she explains. “Technological change happens because people’s lives change. And it is people’s choices of how to live that creates processes of innovation(革新) as well. The family has a role like the economy or like technology itself in changing the world. The imagination is important in driving the things technologists want to find for our daily lives. People desire to see nature as it is, so color television comes about,” she says.
In another case, the increase in working mothers helped create a market for labor-saving kitchen equipment. “The time that women have to shop every day for food is no longer available so there is a need to have a refrigerator for food storage,” says Dr. Silva. “The need to cook that food more easily and quickly, means you have developments in cooking technology like the microwave oven(微波爐). The microwave oven already existed because it was developed for the navy during World War Two but it wasn’t used in ordinary families until the early 1980s.
“Technologies for housework were as important as those for work itself,” she says, “So washing machines, refrigerators and microwave ovens are terribly important. We couldn’t imagine what life would be like if we didn’t have them.” Technological changes in the kitchen have played an important role in the changes of family behavior, creating a new social focus in the home.
“With advanced technology, you can feed the family in an easier manner. People can do housework with less difficulty. But that doesn’t mean that family practices are not important — it’s just a different way of doing things.”
小題1:What is Dr. Silva’s attitude towards the effect that technology has on family life?
A.Worried.B.Optimistic(樂(lè)觀的).
C.Puzzled.D.Uncertain.
小題2:What causes advances in technology according to Dr. Silva?
A.People’s love for nature.
B.Great changes in people’s way of life.
C.People’s desire to change the world.
D.The wonderful imagination in inventing things.
小題3:What can we learn from the passage?
A.The microwave oven was first used by working mothers.
B.People cook less because of modern kitchen equipment.
C.Technology has little effect on the changes of family behavior.
D.People need less skill to do housework due to advanced technology.

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

How could we have thought so wrongly of as banana peel that it always hits the garbage? Utility of anything seems to be in the eyes of the beholder. The banana peel hasn't been an exception.
What most of us looked at as waste was converted to a thing of utility by Prithwis Mukhopadlyay, a 14-year-old prodigy. This Bengali boy, nourished in the US, Lake Junior High in Woodbury, Minnesota, has come up with an idea to convert banana peels to biogas.(生物氣).
It's well known that almost any organic waste can be converted to biogas. But why biogas from banana peel has hit the news is because it produced five times as much biogas as manure(糞), a commonly used source for producing biogas, in the experiments Prithwis conducted.  
He filled two airtight containers, one with manure and the other with banana peels. Then he mixed each content with water and connected them to empty jars via pipes to collect the gas produced. He placed a heater next to each jar and measured the gas collected for 60 days. His studies proved that banana peels produced five times more biogas than manure.
This project titled 'Comparison analysis: Eco-friendly source of energy for the future,' earned him a spot in Discovery Channel Young Scientist Challenge. This weekend, the young whiz is to showcase his research work along with 40 other finalists at Washington. "Initially, I thought of doing a project that would reduce global warming. Things changed after I visited a biogas plant in a village in India during my summer vacations. It was an amazing experience," Prithwis says.
小題1:Why could Prithwis's finding receive the attention of the media?
A.Because he is a prodigy.
B.Because he is of Bengali descent.
C.Because he used an extremely rare organic waste to produce biogas.
D.Because his research proved that banana peels can produce more biogas.
小題2:Where did Prithwis derive his inspiration  from?
A.Lake Junior High.   B Discovery Channel.
C.  India.            D.His laboratory at home.
小題3:This article probably appeared in a _________ magazine.
A.gourmet B.science C.computer D.fashion

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

You can’t hide a natural disaster from children, so how do we prepare them for it? First of all, you should explain to them that acts of nature aren’t necessarily disasters but can become one. These may include floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, winter storms, wild fires, and earthquakes. The way to prepare children for these disasters is to educate them about what each type is and then make it fun by making them “Disaster Masters” or whatever title you can think of.
Making them a Disaster Master won’t be easy. They must know what’s in a disaster emergency kit(工具箱) and why it’s included. You can get your friends involved, too. If your friends have children, they may want to be involved in your emergency preparations. Make it a group project. This is the opportunity for everyone to become familiar with the equipment.
We have to be aware of our conduct and the way we react to stress. The children will be easily influenced by your attitude and demeanor. The calmness, steady manner, and good humor of your spouse (配偶) and you will go a long way toward the easing or the reduction of stress.
Explain to them what they’re likely to encounter or see and describe how people may react. Disasters can come and go very quickly and generally don’t last long. If you must stay away from home, try to get into a routine quickly and encourage them to make new friends. Let them know they can look to their parents and other adults if they become scared or confused. And it’s important to let them know it’s OK to cry during a disaster.
It’s sometimes helpful to let the children draw pictures of what they’ve experienced. Encourage them to write what they learned and what could have been done better. Save the story. Make it part of a documented family history!
小題1:This passage was written mainly to tell us about ______.
A.the importance of mutual help in disaster preparation
B.tips for preparing children for a natural disaster
C.the importance of educating children about natural disasters
D.ways to raise children’s courage in natural disasters
小題2:It is a must that a Disaster Master knows ______.
A.when a natural disaster will come
B.why there are natural disasters
C.how to use a disaster emergency kit
D.how to teach others about emergency preparations
小題3:The underlined word “demeanor” in Paragraph 3 can be replaced by “______”.
A.personalityB.lifestyleC.emotionD.behavior
小題4:When they meet with a natural disaster, children ______.
A.must write down what they see and how they feel
B.should believe that the disaster will never last long
C.can cry if they are frightened
D.should help other children despite the danger
小題5:The author wrote the passage mainly for ______.
A.parentsB.young childrenC.teachersD.college students

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Imagine a classroom missing the one thing that’s long been considered a necessary part to reading and writing---paper. No notebooks, no textbooks, no test papers. Nor are there any pencils or pens, which always seems to run out of ink at the critical moment. A “paperless classroom” is what more and more schools are trying to achieve .
Students don’t do any handwriting in this class . Instead , they use palm size , or specially—designed computers. The teacher downloads texts from Internet libraries and sends them to every student’s personal computer. Having computers also means that students use the Web. They can look up information on any subject they’re studying from maths to social science.
High school teacher Judy Herrell in Florida, US, described how her class used the Web to learn about the war in Afghanistan over one year ago. We could touch every side of the country through different sites from the forest to refugee camps, she said .“Using a book that’s three or four years old is impossible.”And exams can go on line too. At a high school in Tennessee, US, students take tests on their own computers. The teacher records the grades on the network for everyone to see and then copies them to his own electronic grade book. A paperless classroom is a big step towards reducing the waste of paper. High school teacher Stephanie—Sorrell in Kentucky,US, said she used to give about 900 pieces of paper each week to each student.
“Think about the money and trees we could save with the computers,”she said .But, with all this technology, there is always the risk that the machines will break down. So , in case of a power failure or technical problems, paper textbooks are still widely available for these hi—tech students.
小題1:What does the part of the last sentence in the first paragraph “run out of ink at the critical moment” mean ?
A.Pens may not write well at the critical moment.
B.Pens get lost easily , so you may not find them at the critical moment.
C.Pens may have little or no ink at the critical moment
D.Pens use ink, while pencils don’t.
小題2:The high school teacher, Judy Herrell, used the example of her class to show that ________.
A.the Web could take them everywhere
B.the Web taught them a lot.
C.the Web is a good tool for information.
D.the Web , better than the textbooks ,can give the latest and comprehensive information.
小題3:The paperless classroom will benefit _________ the most.
A.studentsB.teachersC.treesD.computers
小題4:What does the phrase in the last paragraph “break down ”mean ?
A.Break into piecesB.Stop workingC.Fall downD.Lose control

查看答案和解析>>

同步練習(xí)冊(cè)答案