Recently scientists are suggesting that humans connect people's names with their appearance, and can even guess someone's name based on how they look.
Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel collected thousands of photos of people's faces. They labeled each photo with four names. Then, they asked volunteers to guess which of the four names was correct. The volunteers were able to guess the right name 38 percent of the time. It seems that humans are able to recognize certain characteristics of faces that can give them clues about someone's name, Reader's Digest reported.
However, this only works when we're looking at names within our own culture. In addition, the volunteers were not good at guessing the real names of people who use nicknames more often than their real names. This shows that a person's appearance is influenced by his name only if he uses it often.
“This kind of facename matching happens because of a process of selffulfilling prophecy, as we become what other people expect us to become,” Ruth Mayo from the university told the science news website EurekAlert.
The studies have shown that gender and race stereotypes can influence a person's appearance. The researchers believe there are also similar stereotypes about names. For example, people think that men named Bob should have round faces because the word itself looks round. People may think that women named Rose are beautiful, just like the flower they are named for.
Word Bank
clue线索 self-fulfilling prophecy自我实现预言 stereotype刻板印象
1.What does the underlined word “labeled” mean in Chinese?
A.贴标签于 B.画画 C.复制 D.支付
2.What do we know from this research?
A.The volunteers guessed nearly 40 percent of right names.
B.Nicknames have a bigger influence on people's appearance.
C.Gender and race have no influence on a person's appearance.
D.People are good at recognizing the different characteristics of faces.
3.Dr.Ruth Mayo thinks some people look like their names because of ________.
A.their culture B.a selffulfilling prophecy
C.racial stereotypes D.their living environment
4.According to the story, men named Bob are expected to ________.
A.have big eyes B.wear glasses
C.look beautiful D.have round faces
5.What does the text mainly tell us?
A.It's not polite to ask strangers about their names.
B.There are several ways to guess a stranger's name.
C.A person's appearance can be influenced by two sides.
D.People can guess others' names based on their appearance.
难度: 困难查看答案及解析
It was time for lunch. There were few people on the street. A customer was having his lunch in a ______ slowly, looking out of the window. It was raining heavily outside. He suddenly asked a young waiter who was ______ in the corner to come here.
The ______ quickly walked there and asked, “ Can I help you? ” The customer asked, “What will the weather be like tomorrow? It is raining all day. I hate the weather.” The waiter ______ at him and answered politely, “It will be the weather I like.” The customer felt very surprised ______ he heard the waiter's answer.
Then the customer became a little ______. He asked, “How can you know it will be the weather you like? You even don't know ______ the weather will be like tomorrow. Maybe it will ______ be rainy tomorrow. You like it? I am sure that you didn't listen to ______ words carefully.” But the waiter was calm. He explained his _______ to the customer. He said, “I find that the environment sometimes goes _______ my mind. I am only a _______ person, and I am not strong enough to change the environment. But I have the ability to change my _______ and attitude. So I learn to face everything that I meet actively. Then the _______ tomorrow must be the one that I enjoy.”
The customer looked at the young waiter, and _______ an important lesson from him! If you can't change the environment around, just change your own mind.
Word Bank
attitude 态度
1.A.restaurant B.bookshop C.museum D.library
2.A.lying B.sitting C.standing D.talking
3.A.waiter B.doctor C.teacher D.cook
4.A.shouted B.smiled C.cried D.moved
5.A.after B.before C.till D.since
6.A.surprised B.happy C.excited D.angry
7.A.how B.what C.when D.where
8.A.always B.yet C.already D.still
9.A.my B.your C.his D.her
10.A.wishes B.ideas C.results D.suggestions
11.A.against B.with C.by D.over
12.A.clever B.common C.stupid D.friendly
13.A.plan B.reason C.mind D.method
14.A.season B.weather C.nature D.temperature
15.A.taught B.took C.made D.learned
难度: 中等查看答案及解析