Catch yourself daydreaming while washing the dishes again? If this happens often you probably have a pretty capable working memory and a sharper brain, new research suggests. This mind wandering, it seems, actually gives your working memory a workout. Working memory is the mental work space that allows the brain to _ multiple thoughts at the same time. The more working memory a person has, the more daydreaming they can do without forgetting the task at hand. Researchers studied groups of people from the University of Wisconsin-Madison community, ranging in age from 18 to 65. The volunteers were asked to perform simple tasks, like pressing a button every time they took a breath or clicking in response to a letter popping up on a computer screen; these tasks were so easy that their minds were likely to wander, the researchers figured. The researchers checked in periodically, asking the participants if their minds were on task or wandering. When the task was over, they measured each participant's working memory capacity by having them remember letters while doing math questions. Though all participants performed well on the task, the researchers noticed that the individuals who indicated their minds had wandered more than others also scored higher on the working memory test. "What this study seems to suggest is that, when circumstances for the task aren't very difficult, people who have additional working memory resources allocate them to think about things other than what they're doing," said Jonathan Smallwood, a study researcher of the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitve and Brain Science. When our minds run out of working memory, these off-topic thoughts can take the main stage without us consciously meaning them to; for instance, arriving at home with no memory of the actual trip, or suddenly realizing that they've turned several pages in a book without understanding any of the words. "It's almost like your attention was so absorbed in the mind wandering that there wasn't any left over to remember your... What can be concluded from Jonathan Smallwood's words? A) People who often have daydreams probably own a pretty capable working memory. B) On the working memory test, people with wandering minds will get high score. C) Absorbed in the mind wandering, your attention left no space for your goal. D) Dealing with some easy jobs, people with higher working memory will daydream.
D
(Question)
Nonverbal Communication When you are in another country, it is important to know the language, but it is equally important to know how to communicate nonverbally. Before saying anything, people communicate nonverbally by making gestures. According to an investigation ,only 30 to 35 percent of our communication is verbal. When people don't know the language, the most common way to communicate is through gestures. However, many gestures have different meanings, or no meaning at all, in different parts of the world. In the United States, for example, nodding your head up and down means "yes". In some parts of Greece and Turkey, however, this motion can mean "no". In Southeast Asia, nodding your head is a polite way of saying "I've heard you." In ancient Rome, when the emperor wanted to spare someone's life, he would put his thumb up. Today in the United States, when someone puts his/her thumb up, it means "Everything is all right." However, in Sardinia and Greece, the gesture is insulting and should not be used there. In the United States, raising your clasped hands above your head means "I'm the champion" or "I'm the winner". It is the sign that prizefighters make when they win a fight. When a leading Russian statesman made this gesture after a White House meeting, Americans misunderstood and thought he meant he was a winner. In Russia, however, it is a sign of friendship. There are other nonverbal signals that people should be aware of when they go to another country, such as the distance to maintain between speakers. Americans stand closer to each other than English people. English people don't like touching somebody or being touched. Now in America, touch is important. For example friends touch each other on the arm. They often put an arm around a friend when they say "hello" or "goodbye". When the Russian leader put up his clasped hands after the meeting at the White House _ . A) he meant Russia was the winner B) he was insulting America C) he made a show of friendship to America D) he in fact meant nothing at all
(Answer)
C
A group of senior high school students are playing outside on a basketball court. They are shouting with excitement. And they all have the same dream. They wish to play in the NBA, just like Huston Rocket's Yao Ming. "Someday, there will be more Chinese players like Yao in the NBA," said 15-year-old Xie Tao, a senior 1 boy at Shanghai No. 2 Middle School. Xie always watches Yao playing on TV. "He is a great player. He makes me proud to be Chinese," he said. Like Xie, 17-year-old Liu Yan at Beijing No. 22 Middle School is also a big NBA fan. "Since early May, I've not missed one game in the NBA," said the senior 3 student. Basketball is becoming popular in middle schools across the country. And more young players are starting to like the sport. More students are playing the game. Jiang Hui, a basketball teacher at Beijing No. 2 Middle School, said that 85 percent of the students at this school like the sport. "Students are full of passion for the game," Jiang's team won the regional first prize in the 2004 National High School Boy's Basketball League in march. The league is the first national basketball competition for high school students. Playing basketball is a good way to exercise. But students also enjoy it for other reasons. For Li Yan, a Senior 2 at Shanghai No. 12 Middle School, basketball teaches him lessons in life. "When I am in a game, I feel more confident about my studies, " he said. " It also teaches me to have a good team spirit and to enjoy friendship." How many students are mentioned in the passage? A) 2. B) 3 C) 4 D) 5
B