托福听力荟萃 12（在线收听）

In our lab today, we'll be testing the______that babies can count as early as five months of age. The six babies here areall less than six months old. You'll be watching them on______________and measuring theirresponses. The experiment is based on the_________observation that babies stare longer ifthey don't see what they expect to see. First, we're going to let two dollsmove slowly in front of the babies. The babies will see the two dolls disappearbehind a screen. Your job is to record, in seconds, how long the babies stareat the dolls when the screen is removed. In the next stage, two dolls willagain move in front of the babies and disappear. But then a third doll willfollow. When the screen is removed, the babies will only see two dolls. Ifwe're right, the babies will now stare longer because they expect three dollsbut only see two. It seems remarkable to think that such young children cancount. My own research has convinced me that they have this ability from birth.But whether they do or not, perhaps we should raise another question. Should wetake advantage of this ability by teaching children mathematics at such a youngage? They have great________potential, but is it good for parents topressure young children?

【填空答案】

hypothesis: n.pluralhypotheses,［C］an idea that is suggestedas a possible way of explaining a situation, proving an idea etc, which has notyet been shown to be true 假设，假说

closedcircuittelevision (TV): a system in which cameras send pictures totelevision sets that is used in many public buildings to protect them fromcrime 闭路电视

well-established: adj.established for a long time and respected 历史悠久且享有盛誉的

untapped: adj. anuntapped resource, market etc has not yet been used （资源、市场等）未开发的；未利用的

【听力原文】

In our lab today, we'll be testing the hypothesis that babied can count asearly as five months of age. The six babies here are all less than six monthsold. You'll be watching them on closed-circuit TV and measuring theirresponses.

The experiment is based on the well-established observation that babies starelonger if they don't see what they expect to see. First, we're going to let twodolls move slowly in front of the babies. The babies will see the two dollsdisappear behind a screen. Your job is to record, in seconds, how long thebabies stare at the dolls when the screen is removed.

In the next stage, two dolls will again move in front of the babies anddisappear. But then a third doll will follow. When the screen is removed, thebabies will only see two dolls. If we're right, the babies will now starelonger because they expect three dolls but only see two.

It seems remarkable to think that such young children can count. My ownresearch has convinced me that they have this ability from birth. But whetherthey do or not, perhaps we should raise another question --- should we takeadvantage of this ability by teaching children mathematics at such a young age?They have great untapped potential, but is it good for parents to pressureyoung children?