Students arc increasingly using laptops for note-taking because of speed and legibility(清晰度).But the research has found laptop users are less able to remember and apply the concepts they have been taught.

Researchers performed experiments that aimed to find out whether using a laptop increased the tendency to make notes "mindlessly" by taking down word for word what the professors said

?In the first experiment, students were given either a laptop or pen and paper .They listened to the same lectures and were told to use their usual note-taking skills. Thirty minutes after the talk, they were examined on their ability to remember facts and on how well they understood concepts.

The researchers found that laptop users took twice as many notes as those who wrote by hand. However, the typists performed worse at remembering and applying the concepts. Both groups scored similarly when it came to memorizing facts.

The researchers' report said, "While more notes are beneficial, if the notes are taken mindlessly, as is more likely the case on a laptop, the benefit disappears."

In another experiment aimed at testing long-term memory, students took notes as before but were tested a week after the lecture. This time, the students who wrote notes by hand performed significantly better on the exam.

These two experiments suggest that handwritten notes are not only better for immediate learning and understanding, but that they also lead to superior revision in the future.

1. More and more students favor laptops for note-taking because they can________.

A. write more notes??????????????? B. digest concepts betterC. get higher scores?????????????? ?D. understand lectures better

2. While taking notes, laptop users tend to be__________?.

A. skillful??????????????????????? B. mindless C. thoughtful???????????????????? D. tireless

3. The author of the passage aims to?__________A. examine the importance of long-term memoryB. stress the benefit of taking notes by handC. explain the process of taking notesD. promote the use of laptops

4. The passage is likely to appear in___________.A. a newspaper advertisement??? B. a computer textbookC. a science magazine?????????? D. a finance report

B

In 1943, when I was 4, my parents moved from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, to Fairbanks, Alaska, where adventure was never very far away.

We arrived in the summer, just in time to enjoy the midnight sun. All that sunlight was fantastic for Mom's vegetable garden. Working in the garden at midnight tended to throw her timing off, so she didn't care much about my bedtime.

Dad was a Railway Express agent and Mom was his clerk. That left me in a mess. I usually managed to find some trouble to get into. Once I had a little fire going in the dirt basement of a hotel. I had tried to light a barrel(桶)of paint but couldn't really get a good fire going. The smoke got pretty bad, though, and when 1 made my exit, a crowd and the police were there to greet me. The policemen took my matches and drove me home.

Mom and Dad were occupied in the garden and Dad told the police to keep me, and they did! I had a tour of the prison before Mom rescued me. 1 hadn't turned 5 yet.

As I entered kindergarten, the serious cold began to set in. Would it surprise you to know that I soon left part of my tongue on a metal handrail at school?

As for Leonhard Seppala, famous as a dog sledder (驾雪橇者), I think I knew him well because I was taken for a ride with his white dog team one Sunday. At the time I didn't realize what a superstar he was, but I do remember the ride well. I was wrapped (包裹) heavily and well sheltered from the freezing and blowing weather.

In 1950, we moved back to Coeur d'Alene, but we got one more Alaskan adventure when Leonhard invited us eight years later by paying a visit to Idaho to attend a gathering of former neighbors of Alaska.

5. What can be inferred about the author's family?

A. His father was a cruel man. B. His parents didn't love him.

C. His parents used to be very busy. D. His mother didn't have any jobs.

6. What happened when the author was 4?

A. He learned to smoke. B. He was locked in a basement.

C. He was arrested by the police. D. He nearly caused a fire accident.

7. Which of the following is true?

A. Leonhard was good at driving dog sleds.

B. The author spent his whole childhood in Alaska.

C. Leonhard often visited the author's family after 1950.

D. The author suffered a lot while taking the dog sled in Alaska.

8. What is the author's purpose of writing the text?

A. To look back on his childhood with adventures.

B. To describe the extreme weather of Alaska.

C. To express how much he misses Leonhard.

D. To show off his pride in making trouble

C

Here is some must-know information from a handbook on how people behave in doing business in some countries.

In Brazil

Brazilians are warm and friendly. They often stand close when talking and it is common for them to touch the person on the shoulder. People often greet each other (particularly women) with light cheek kisses. Schedules tend to be flexible, with business meetings sometimes starting later than planned. But to be safe, be on time. Meals can stretch for hours—there’s no such thing as rushing a meal in Brazil. Lunches also can start in the mid to late afternoon. Brazilians are social, preferring face-to-face communication over mails or phone calls.

In Singapore

Singaporeans shake hands when they meet and often also greet each other with a small, polite bow. Business cards should be offered and received with two hands. Arriving late is considered disrespectful. So be on time. Efficiency(效率) is the goal, so meetings and dealings often are fast-paced. Singaporeans are direct in their discussions, even when the subject is about money. Rank is important and authority is respected. This determines how people interact in meetings. For example, people avoid disagreeing outright with someone with a higher rank.

In the United Arab Emirates

In the UAE, status is important, so the most senior or oldest should be greeted first with their titles. The handshake seems to be longer than elsewhere. So, do not pull away the handshake. Women should cover themselves when it comes to dress. Men also tend to be covered from neck to elbows(肘部) and down to the knees. People do not avoid entertaining in their homes, but they also hold business meals at restaurants. Touching or passing food or eating with your left hand is to be avoided. When meetings are one-to-one, if your host offers you coffee, you should refuse. It might seem odd, but it is a cultural tradition. Coffee should only be accepted if it is already set out or presented.

In Switzerland

The Swiss tend to be formal and address each other by last name. They also are respectful of private lives. You should be careful not to ask about personal topics. Punctuality (守时) is vital, something that comes from a deep respect for others’ time. Arrive at any meeting or event a few minutes early to be safe. They also have clear structure in their companies. Higher-ups make the final decisions, even if others might disagree. Neat, clean dress is expected. The Swiss follow formal table manners. They also keep their hands visible at the table and their elbows off the table. It is polite to finish the food on your plate.

9. The passage is mainly about ________.

A. communication types B. the workplace atmosphere

C. customs and social manners D. living conditions and standards

10. Why do Singaporeans avoid arguing with their boss?

A. They put efficiency in the first place.

B. They dislike face-to-face communication.

C. They want to finish meetings as quickly as possible.

D. They are supposed to obey the person of a higher rank.

11. In the UAE, when should you refuse the coffee if it is offered?

A. When greeting seniors.

B. When meeting the host alone.

C. When attending a presentation.

D.When dining with business partners.

12. In which country do people care about where to put their hands at the dinner table?

A. In Brazil. B. In Singapore.

C. In the United Arab Emirate. D. In Switzerland.

D

“Dad,” I say one day, “let’s take a trip. Why don’t you fly out and meet me?”

My father had just retired after 27 years as a manager for IBM. His job filled his day, his thoughts, his life. While he woke up and took a warm shower, I screamed under a freezing waterfall in Peru. While he tied a tie and put on the same Swiss watch, I rowed a boat across Lake of the Ozarks.

My father sees me drifting aimlessly, nothing to show for my 33 years but a passport full of funny stamps. He wants me to settle down, but now I want him to find an adventure.

He agrees to travel with me through the national parks. We meet four weeks later in Rapid City.

“What is our first stop?” asks my father.

“What time is it?”

“Still don’t have a watch?”

Less than an hour away is Mount Rushmore. As he stares up at the four Presidents carved in granite(花岗岩), his mouth and eyes open slowly, like those of a little boy.

“Unbelievable,” he says. “How was this done?”

A film in the information center shows sculptor Gutzon Borglum devoted 14 years to the sculpture and then left the final touches to his son.

We stare up and I ask myself, Would I ever devote my life to anything?

No directions, no goals. I always used to hear those words in my father’s voice. Now I hear them in my own.

The next day we’re at Yellowstone National Park, where we have a picnic.

“Did you ever travel with your dad?” I ask.

“Only once,” he says. “I never spoke much with my father. We loved each other---but never said it. Whatever he could give me, he gave.”

The last sentence----it’s probably the same thing I’d say about my father. And what I’d want my child to say about me.

In Glacier National Park, my father says, “I’ve never seen water so blue.” I have, in several places of the world. I can keep traveling, I realize--- and maybe a regular