Taking photographs at a birthday or a wedding has become as natural as blowing out candles or cutting the cake. But our obsession with recording every detail of our happiest moments could be damaging our ability to remember _ , according to new research. A study has shown that taking pictures rather than concentrating fully on the events in front of us prevents memories taking hold. Dr. Linda Henkel, from Fairfield University, Connecticut, described it as the "photo-taking impairment effect". She said: "People so often pull out their cameras almost mindlessly to capture a moment, to the point where they are missing what is happening right in front of them. When people rely on technology to remember for them--counting on the camera to record the event and thus not needing to attend to it fully themselves--it can have a negative impact on how well they remember their experiences." Dr Henkel and her team carried out an experiment in a museum, to learn if taking pictures of the exhibits was hindering the ability of visitors to remember what they had seen. A group of university students were led on a tour at the Bellarmine Museum of Art at Fairfield University and were asked to either photograph or try and remember objects on display. The next day their memory was tested. The results showed that people were less accurate in recognizing the objects they had photographed than those they had only looked at. It was found that their memory for the details of the objects they had photographed was poorer. Henkel's lab is currently investigating whether the content of a photo, such as whether you are in it, affects later memory. She is also researching whether actively choosing what to photograph might influence what we remember. Previous research suggests that reviewing photos we have taken does help us remember the objects, but only if we take the time. "Research has suggested that the sheer volume and lack of organization of digital photos for personal memories discourages many people from accessing and recalling them.... With which of the following may Dr. Linda Henkel agree? A) Reviewing photos improves memories of objects. B) Focusing on people at events is the best way to remember. C) Relying on technology to remember affects the memory. D) Counting on cameras to record events is always reliable.
C

I am not just a successful architect . I also like to play the piano. In my spare time I often turn some dry musical symbols into beautiful music. Many years ago, while I was in a university studying architecture, I worked in a workshop. During the break I found an old piano in the corner of the room. With the allowance of the boss I sat down to have a try. Following my fingers the keys danced brilliantly and at the same time beautiful music flew out and then to every part of the room. All my workmates suddenly stopped talking and made their ears ready for my music. After graduation, I began to devote myself to my profession. All my musical talent was wasted into zero. Then one evening we went to a concert at which Mr. Stevenson, one of the ordinary workers in my company, sang us some beautiful songs. His musical talents made us all surprised. We all enjoyed ourselves with his beautiful voice so much that we even thought him a professional singer. I was also reminded of my musical talent. I began to train in a training center. My teacher was strict with me. He encouraged me to train every weekend and each time he asked me to play better than the last. Now I can proudly say I am also a successful pianist because every time I played on the stage fresh flowers and warm clapping would come from my audience. So I say, my friends, don't busy yourself with your work too much. Find some time to develop your potential talent  and your life will become more wonderful. After graduation, why did the author waste his music talent? A) He realized that his music talent was nothing at all. B) His workmates did not like him to play music. C) He went on with his further study. D) He was too busy with his work.
D

Forty years ago, Finland was a small country with ordinary public schools. Today, Finland is still small but no one calls Finland's public schools ordinary anymore. In 2000, the Finns surprised the world when their 15yearolds scored at the top of a closelywatched international exam called the PISA, the Program for International Student Assessment. Finland has stayed near the top ever since, while the US scores around the middle. Pasi Sahlberg, an official of Finland's Ministry of Education and Culture, is in Seattle this week to share the story of Finland's success, and what states like Washington can learn from it. Sahlberg's message, although he is too polite to put it so directly: Stop testing so much. Trust teachers more. Give less homework. Shorten the school day. On Tuesday, in a room filled with teachers, principals, professors, schoolboard members and policy makers, Sahlberg joked about the Finns' reputation for being a quiet, humble people. When Finland hit the top of the PISA, he said, the biggest disbelievers were Finns. More seriously, he said, Finland never set out to create the world's top school system. Instead, he said, the country decided in the 1970s that it wanted to ensure that a student's success didn't depend on family background. To achieve that goal, Finland relied on cooperation among teachers and schools, rather than on competition. Rather than judges teachers and schools based on test scores, he said, Finland puts trust in its teachers and principals. Teachers develop the curriculum  in Finland, and design their own tests. There are no national tests, except one at the end of high school. That's just the start. Along with a shorter school day, Finnish students don't even start school until they are 7 years old. Many primary schools have a policy against giving homework. But Finland, he said, succeeded in part by adapting ideas from the US and other countries. And those countries, he said, can learn from Finland, too. People first learned Finland's success in education from   _  . A) its ordinary public schools B) its international exchange students C) lectures given by Pasi Sahlberg D) its students' performance in an International exam
D

You know that balloons must be kept away from sharp objects. They also needed to be kept away from flames. A fire can weaken the rubber and cause it to break. However, in this experiment you will find out how you can hold a balloon directly in a flame without breaking the balloon. Materials needed: * two round balloons not inflated  * several matches * water Inflate one of the balloons and tie it. Place 1/4 cup of water in the other balloon, and then inflate it and tie it. Light a match and hold it under the first balloon. Allow the flame to touch the balloon. What happens? The balloon breaks, perhaps even before the flame touches it. Light another match. Hold it directly under the water in the second balloon. Allow the flame to touch the balloon. What happens to this balloon? It doesn't break. Why does the balloon with no water break in the flame? The flame heats the rubber of both balloons. The rubber of the balloon without water becomes so hot that it becomes too weak to _ the pressure of the air inside the balloon. However, when the balloon with water in it is placed in the flame, the water takes in most of the heat from the flame. Then, the rubber of the balloon doesn't become very hot, it doesn't weaken, and the balloon doesn't break. Water is a particularly good absorber  of heat. It takes a lot of heat to change the temperature of water. On the other hand, when water cools, it gives off a great deal of heat. That's why areas near oceans or other large bodies of water don't get as cold in winter as areas at the same latitude  further inland. The purpose of the experiment described in the passage is to prove that  _  . A) water is a particularly good absorber of heat B) some balloons can be easily broken, while others can't. C) balloons without water are not as strong as those with water inside. D) the temperature is not up to the latitude.

A