James Cooke, of Islip,N.Y.,can't recognize other people. "I see eyes, nose, cheekbones, but no face," he said. "I've even passed by my son and daughter without recognizing them." He is not the only one. Those with prosopagnosia, also known as face blindness, can see perfectly well, but their brains are unable to piece together the information needed to understand that a collection of features represents an individual's face. The condition is a neurological mystery, but new research has shed light on this strange disease. Some scientists had believed that faces and voices, the two main ways people recognize one another, were processed separately by the brain. Indeed, a condition parallel to prosopagnosia, called _ , similarly leaves a person unable to distinguish a familiar voice from an unfamiliar one. But by testing for these two conditions at the same time, researchers at the Max Planck Institute recently found evidence that face and voice recognition may be linked in a unique person-recognition system. The scientists observed the brain activity of 19 healthy volunteers as they were led through tasks that tested their ability to recognize both faces and voices. The researchers found that regions of the brain, associated with facial recognition, are directly linked to regions responsible for voice recognition. This research helps explain why a person with prosopagnosia may still have difficulty determining who a person is even after he has begun to speak. The challenge for scientists is to find out where this system breaks down. Are these connections in the brain missing entirely, or are people unable to recognize faces and voices simply unable to use these links in some way? It is unclear how many people have these conditions. Many don't even realize they have problems with facial or voice recognition. While some develop these difficulties after a brain injury, others develop it in childhood. Which of the following is true of prosopagnosia? A) It is a common disease among adults. B) It may cause damage to the brain. C) It is always an inborn disease. D) There has been no cure for it.
D
One of the qualities that most people admire in others is the willingness to admit one's mistakes. It is extremely hard sometimes to say a simple thing like "I was wrong about that, "and it is even harder to say, "I was wrong, and you were right about that. " I had an experience recently with someone admitting to me that he had made a mistake fifteen years ago. He told me he had been the manager of a certain grocery store in the neighborhood where I grew up, and he asked me if I remembered the egg cartons . Then he related an incident and I began to remember clearly the incident he was describing. I was about eight years old at the time, and I had gone into the store with my mother to do the weekly grocery shopping. On that particular day, I must have found my way to the dairy food department where the incident took place. There must have been a special sale on eggs that day because there was an impressive display of eggs in dozen and half-dozen cartons. The cartons were stacked three or four feet high. I must have stopped in front of a display to admire the stacks. Just then a woman came by pushing her grocery cart and knocked off the stacks of cartons. For some reason, I decided it was up to me to put the display back together, so I went to work. The Manager heard the noise and came rushing over to see what had happened. When he appeared, I was on my knees inspecting (examining)some of the cartons to see if any of the eggs were broken, but to him it looked as though I was the criminal. He severely scolded me and wanted me to pay for any broken eggs. I protested my innocence and tried to explain, but it did no good. Even though I quickly forgot all about the incident, obviously the manager did not. It can be inferred that the author _ . A) regrets arguing with the manager for what he didn't do B) would like to tell people never to be fooled by an egg sale C) has forgiven the manager for what he did to him fifteen years ago D) expects the woman to say sorry to him for the mistake she made
C
Q: It feels like every time my mother and I start to have a conversation, it turns into an argument. We talk about something as simple as dinner plans and suddenly, my mother will push the conversation into World War 3. She'll talk about my lack of bright future because I don't plan to be a doctor. And much to her disappointment, I don't want to do any job related to science, either. In fact, when I was pushed to say that I planned to major in English and communications, she nearly had a heart attack. "Why can't you be like my co-worker's son?" she _ all the time. Her coworker's son received a four-year scholarship and is now earning 70,000 dollars a year as an engineer. I don't know what to answer except that I simply can't be like Mr. Perfect as I've called the unnamed co-worker's son. I can't be like him. I am the type of the person who loved to help out in the community, write until the sun goes down, and most of all, wants to achieve a career because I love it, not because of a fame or salary. I understand why my mother is worried about my future major. I've seen my mother struggle to raise me on her small salary and work long hours. She leaves the house around 6:30 am and usually comes home around 5 pm or even 6pm. However, I want her to know that by becoming a doctor, it doesn't mean I'll be successful. I'd rather follow my dreams and create my own future. Which of the following statements is probably TRUE about the writer? A) He wants to be like his mother's co-worker's son. B) He wants to find a job in his community in the future. C) He wants to do something he really likes in the future. D) He doesn't think his mother's co-worker's son is perfect.
A: C
Life in space will certainly take some getting used to!But the space station has been designed to keep the astronauts as comfortable as possible--the modules are roomy,bright,and kept at a constant 70 degrees Fahrenheit.It's important the crew members are comfortable because they'll be busy aboard the station.In a typical workday,crew members will spend 14 hours working and exercising,1.5 hours preparing and eating meals,and 8.5 hours sleeping.Here are some other fun facts about life aboard the station: Food Come mealtime,astronauts will have a special dining kitchen.Space food just keeps getting better--and more like food we enjoy here on Earth.In early space missions,astronauts could eat only freezedried food that didn't require any preparation.But the space station is equipped with water,microwave ovens,and refrigerators,allowing the folks on board to eat more "normal" types of food,including fruit,vegetables,and ice cream! Sleep Each crew member has a private room.With no gravity,they'll need to tie themselves to their beds,or they will float away!That might sound like a strange way to sleep,but astronauts from past space missions report that sleeping in space is actually pretty great! Exercise You might not think it,but exercise is even more important on the station than it is on Earth.There is not much gravity in space.Astronauts don't stand up,sit down or walk in space,so their muscles and bones don't have to work much--and this muscle and bone loss can be dangerous back on Earth.To fight this,astronauts on the station will exercise on bikes,rowing machines,and other equipment about two hours every day. Clothing Astronauts will have to wear special space suits while traveling aboard the U.S.shuttle or Russian rockets.But once they're safe inside the space station,crew members can wear regular clothing.Of course,a specially designed,pressurized space suit is required for space walks.It has to withstand flying pieces and protect the astronauts from dramatic temperature changes.It can range from 120... The facts about life in space are all mentioned EXCEPT _ . A) clothing B) entertainment C) sleep D) exercise
B