2026年真题05

Listen to a talk on an art podcast. Humans have been expressing themselves through art for thousands of years. Consider ancient cave paintings that have been discovered throughout the world, some of them more than 40,000 years old. Caves in Sulawesi, Indonesia, that include figurative art are an example of this. Some forms of art, though, have much more recent origins. Take, for example, decalcomania, a really cool art technique that originated in the 18th century. So what is decalcomania? At its core, it's a simple process. You begin by spreading paint onto a surface, like a sheet of paper. Then you press another surface, let's say canvas, onto the paper. So you press the two surfaces together. At this point you pull them apart while the paint is still wet. The resulting image is often rich with organic abstract patterns. Decalcomania was first used to decorate pottery in the 18th century, but it really took off in the 20th century, especially with the surrealist movement. Artists like Max Ernst loved this technique because it helped them tap into the subconscious and explore the unexpected. Ernst was enchanted by the process that allowed him to create shapes that the artist could not fully control. What's especially intriguing about decalcomania is the balance it strikes between control and chaos. Sure, the artist chooses the colours and the materials, but once the process is complete, the final result is mostly up to chance.

Listen to a talk in a psychology class. Have you ever been so engrossed in a task that you completely missed something obvious? This is called inattentional blindness, a phenomenon where concentrating on one thing can make us overlook something happening right in front of us. A classic study illustrates this perfectly. Participants watched a video of people passing a basketball and were asked to count passes made by players in white shirts. Midway through the video, a person in a gorilla suit walked into the scene, thumped its chest and left. Astonishingly, about half the viewers never saw the gorilla. Their attention was locked on counting passes. In real world situations, inattentional blindness can have serious consequences. For example, while driving, focusing on finding a street sign might make you miss a pedestrian stepping into the road. Recognizing this tendency can help us stay safer and more aware. Interestingly, psychologists trace this phenomenon to a useful ability, selective attention. This is the brain's way of filtering sensory input to avoid overload, allowing us to concentrate on important tasks. Think about sitting in a noisy open plan office writing a report. Phones are ringing, people are talking, but you managed to tune it all out and focus on your work. That's selective attention at its best.

Listen to a talk in a biology class. Trilobites were a group of ancient sea creatures. They're classified as arthropods. They're extinct now. Among modern animals, horseshoe crabs probably resemble trilobites the most. As arthropods, both trilobites and horseshoe crabs have segmented bodies, joints in their legs, and hard exoskeletons, kind of like shells. So we've known for years that trilobites had two compound eyes. There are different kinds of compound eyes, but for many trilobites, it meant that their eyes had thousands of tiny lenses. This is helpful for detecting motion, like noticing other creatures swimming around. Other types of compound eyes provided, say, sharper images. But having thousands of lenses was most common for trilobites. But in a recent study, researchers examined a trilobite fossil that was damaged. Part of its head was missing. This allowed them to notice, in the middle of the trilobite's forehead, 3 tiny dark spots, they said. Hmm. These don't seem random. In fact, the tiny spots are evidence of a median eye, that is, a third eye. Most arthropods have median eyes, which aren't really like compound eyes. They're simpler. But a median eye had never been found in trilobites before. Why? Well, researchers had believed it was only there during the larval stage, early in the development of a young trilobite, so researchers thought adult fossils wouldn't have it. But it would have been hidden underneath a thin, dark layer of shell, which was missing in this fossil. So you wouldn't see it in a fossil whose entire head was intact.

Listen to a talk on a science podcast. The study of bioacoustics is a fascinating field that explores how living organisms produce and perceive sound. Bioacoustics encompasses a wide range of topics, from the songs of whales and birds to the communication methods of insects. Understanding these sounds can provide insights into animal behaviour and even aid in conservation efforts. For example, researchers have utilized bioacoustics to monitor whale populations. By recording and analyzing whale songs, scientists can track their movements and estimate population sizes. This information is vital for creating effective conservation strategies. Similarly, studying bird songs helps ornithologists understand mating rituals in territory establishment. These acoustic signals are often complex and specific to each species, providing a wealth of information about their social structures. Insects, too, use sounds for communication, particularly during mating. The chirping of crickets and buzzing of bees are examples of how bioacoustics plays a role in their life cycles. Despite its benefits, bioacoustics research faces challenges. The equipment needed for recording and analyzing sounds can be expensive and requires specialized knowledge to operate. Additionally, environmental noise such as traffic, machinery or even wind can interfere with the clarity of recordings, making it difficult to study certain species. Nonetheless, advancements in technology continue to improve the capabilities of bioacoustics, making it an invaluable tool for studying and protecting wildlife.