-
As you move out of your teens and into your 20s and 30s, your musical tastes start to solidify and you likely quit keeping up with popular music. Now, research has found the average age at which your music library is unlikely to change: 33.
The study's author reached this conclusion by analyzing data on U. S. Spotify users and comparing it to artist popularity data from music intelligence company The Echo Nest.
To determine the age at which we stop seeking out new tunes, the author gathered self-reported age data from Spotify and looked at users' " Taste Profiles," which tracks how many times listeners have streamed individual artists. These artists were then matched to their popularity rank on The Echo Nest.
The average teen listens almost only to music among the Billboard, the 200 highest-ranking albums in the country, but this music represents a smaller part of their streaming as they age. In their teens, they listen to a lot of the same music, over and over again. Frank T. McAndrew, a professor of psychology at Knox College, explains that's the "mere exposure effect" at work, and it basically means, the more we're exposed to something, the more we like it.
There are many reasons why a person may stop streaming the current top musical hits, and the author looked into one by identifying Spotify listeners with large amounts of children's music and nursery rhymes in their libraries. In other words, when users may have become parents.
But the study concludes with some good news for parents: “If you're getting older and can't find yourself staying as relevant as you used to, have no fear — just wait for your kids to become teenagers, and you'll get exposed to all the popular music of the day once again!”
1.What happens after teens grow older?
A.They quit listening to music. B.Their interest in music fades.
C.They change their music libraries. D.Their musical tastes become stable.
2.What is the way of the research?
A.Interviews. B.Analyzing data.
C.Observation. D.Tracking popularity.
3.How do teens develop their musical tastes?
A.They listen to what they like repeatedly.
B.They act like their favorite popular stars.
C.They experience different styles of music.
D.They like high-ranking music worldwide.
4.What's the good news for parents in the last paragraph?
A.Parents will regain their faith in music.
B.Parents will influence their teens in music.
C.Parents will hear their favorite music again.
D.Parents will enjoy the music for teens again.
-
They still bite, but new research shows lab-grown mosquitoes are fighting dengue fever — a dangerous disease that they normally would spread. Dengue infections appear to be dropping fast in communities in Indonesia, Vietnam, Brazil and Australia that are filled with the specially grown mosquitoes.
Researchers first injected （注射）mosquito eggs with Wolbachia bacteria that's common in insects and harmless to people in a lab. Infected females then pass the bacteria on through their eggs. Releasing enough Wolbachia carriers, both the females that bite and the males that don't, allows mating（交配）to spread the bacteria through a local mosquito population.
Rather than using chemicals to wipe out pests, “this is really about transforming the mosquito," said Cameron Simmons of the nonprofit World Mosquito Program, which is conducting the research.
The first success came from Australia. Mosquitoes carrying Wolbachia were released in parts of North Queensland starting in 2011, and gradually spread through the local mosquito population. Dengue is spread when a mosquito bites someone who is infected, and then bites another person, but somehow Wolbachia blocks that — and local spread has nearly disappeared in those North Queensland Communities, Simmons said.
The studies are continuing in other countries. But the findings, presented at a meeting of the American Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, suggest it's possible to turn at least some mosquitoes from a public health threat into annoying biters.
The work marks “exciting progress," said Michigan State University professor Zhiyong Xi, who wasn't involved with the project but has long studied how Wolbachia can turn mosquitoes against themselves.
More research is needed, specialists cautioned. "The results are pretty exciting — strong levels of reductions — but there clearly are going to be things to be learned from the areas where the reductions are not as great," said Penn State University professor Elizabeth McGraw.
1.What can we learn about the lab-grown mosquitoes?
A.They lose the ability to bite people.
B.They become harmful to human beings.
C.They carry dangerous Wolbachia bacteria.
D.They spread Wolbachia bacteria by mating.
2.What does the underlined word "that" refer to in Paragraph 4?
A.The bite from a mosquito. B.The local community.
C.The spread of Dengue. D.The infected person.
3.What do the last two paragraphs suggest?
A.This research proves a complete success.
B.Scientists agree on this research.
C.There is still room for improvement.
D.Mosquitoes turn themselves against harmful ones.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A.Bacteria- infected Mosquitoes Bite Deadly Dengue.
B.Transform Mosquitoes into Annoying Biters
C.Fight against Mosquitoes with Wolbachia
D.Harmless Mosquitoes Are on Their Way
-
September is the month for fashion, with four international cities hosting Fashion Week. All eyes will turn to New York City, London, Milan and Paris this month to see which city puts on the best show.
New York
New York Fashion Week, or NYFW, kicks off on September 5th and runs for approximately eight days. NYFW is considered the most commercial and casual of the four. It is also the only event to allow some fashion school students to participate, bringing a fresh look to the runway.
London
London Fashion Week （LFW） comes on the heels of NYFW, starting on September 13th and running through September 17th. Once considered a minor player among the Big Four, LFW can now command a list of big names as well as promising new designers. London fashion houses have a reputation for being very experimental and open to new ideas.
Milan
Fashion Week moves to Milan on September 17th. This beautiful Italian city is home to some of the biggest fashion houses and designers in the fashion world, including Armani and Prada. Milan's fashion houses are known for offering glamorous （有魅力的）,yet practical, options.
Paris
The chaotic month of fashion makes its way to France as Paris Fashion Week begins on September 23rd. Saving the best for last, Paris never fails to offer some of the most exciting shows of the season. World-famous labels like Chanel and Dior try to outdo one another with their latest designs. The word that best describes Paris Fashion Week is "elegant".
1.Which city is likely to attract the new designers?
A.New York B.London
C.Milan D.Paris
2.When does Milan Fashion Week probably end?
A.September 19th B.September 20th
C.September 21st D.September 22nd
3.What can we learn from the four fashion weeks?
A.Each has its own characteristics. B.Each shows its biggest brand.
C.Each offers practical options. D.Each is open to school students.
-
Fire Capt. Kevin Lloyd arrived at the scene of a car accident in West Point, Utah, north of Salt Lake City. A pregnant woman and her screaming 2-year-old daughter were trapped in the car.
While his partner, Allen Hadley, was tending to the driver, Lloyd couldn't get the frightened girl to calm down. He saw she was holding several bottles of nail polish, and then he had a better idea. He asked her if she wanted to paint his nails. Soon she entirely lit up. At the same time, Hadley showed up to check on the scene.
Lloyd had calmed her down and was in the process of getting his fingers painted. Then Hadley just put his hand in there. The girl began to color his nails pink. By this time, she was not only calm, but she was also happy.
The girl's mother was not injured. She thanked them for helping her daughter feel better, and they all chuckled, looking at the firefighters' nails, and took some photos.
The firefighters brought the photos back to headquarters and showed them around. The department put them up on Facebook, and thousands of people responded, with many thanking the firefighters for going out of their way to calm down a frightened girl.
Fire Chief Mark Becraft said he had been surprised at all the attention. He said he was proud of his firefighters, and added that he had known members of the department who had done many things that weren't part of the job.
After the fact, Lloyd and Hadley had a small matter to tend to： the layers of polish on their nails. They bought a bottle of nail polish remover, and used almost all of it.
1.Why was the 2-year-old girl frightened?
A.She was caught in an accident. B.Her mother was badly injured.
C.Her nails were hurt by the bottles. D.She was afraid of seeing firefighters.
2.Which is closest in meaning to the underlined word "chuckled” in Paragraph 4?
A.Sighed. B.Shouted. C.Laughed. D.Hugged.
3.Which of the following can best describe the two firefighters?
A.Knowledgeable. B.Comforting. C.Humorous. D.Courageous.
4.What is the purpose of the text?
A.To ask us to learn to calm down in time of danger.
B.To speak highly of the warm-hearted firefighters.
C.To introduce the little girl who likes polishing nails.
D.To praise the two firefighters who learn to decorate nails.
