1. the Mathematical capabilities of babies
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Listening
Question:
Using points and examples from the talk, explain the Mathematical capabilities of babies presented by the professor.
Preparation time: 30 seconds
speaking time: 1 minute
Texts
Scientists have learned some interesting things about the intellectual abilities of babies. They say there is evidence that babies as young as five months old can do basic arithmetic that they can add. Scientists think babies know that one plus one equals two and not one. The evidence is indirect because obviously you cannot ask a five-month-old baby to add up some numbers for you.
So they devised an experiment where, in this experiment, a baby is shown a doll on a table. OK, so the baby looks at the doll. Then the researcher lowers a screen in front of the doll. So now the doll is hidden behind the screen. But the baby has already seen the doll and so knows it’s there. Well, then the researcher takes a second doll and very obviously places it behind the screen with the first one.
OK, so now you have two dolls behind the screen, right? Well, no cuz what the researchers did was they secretly took away one of the dolls. And then when they raised the screen back up, the baby, well, it expects to see two dolls, right? But there is only one there. And guess what? The baby’s surprised. It expects two but it only sees one.
How could the researchers tell the baby surprised? Well, they recorded the baby’s eye movements on camera. And we know that when the baby is surprised by something, a loud noise or an unexpected flash of light maybe, it stares at where the noise or light is coming from. And that’s what the baby in the experiment did. They stared cuz the baby knows if you add one doll and one doll you should have two dolls. So when it sees one doll then it stares because it’s surprised.
Explanation
(Summary for the lecture)
There is evidence that babies as young as five months old can do basic addition.
In an experiment, the researcher showed a baby a doll on a table and then lowered a screen in front of the doll.
Then the researcher took a second doll and very obviously placed it behind the screen with the first one.
But what the researchers did was they secretly took away one of the dolls. And then the researcher raised the screen back up.
The baby might expect to see two dolls. But there was only one there and the baby was surprised.
The researcher knew the baby was surprised because the researcher recorded the baby’s eye movements on camera.
When a baby is surprised by something, the baby stares at it.
The baby in the experiment saw one doll then he or she stared because he or she was surprised.
(Sample answer)
In the lecture, the professor delves into the topic of a baby’s ability to comprehend addition.
In a particular experiment, researchers presented a doll to a baby and then obscured it from view by lowering a screen. Subsequently, a second doll was displayed and placed behind the screen. However, unbeknownst to the baby, one of the dolls was removed by the researcher. When the screen was raised again, revealing only one doll instead of the expected two, the baby exhibited surprise.
The researchers gauged the baby’s reaction by observing its eye movements, which were captured on camera. It’s understood that when babies are surprised by something, they tend to fixate their gaze on it. In this experiment, the baby’s prolonged stare at the lone doll indicated its surprise at the unexpected outcome, suggesting an inherent understanding of addition at a rudimentary level.
Question:
Using points and examples from the talk, explain the Mathematical capabilities of babies presented by the professor.
Preparation time: 30 seconds
speaking time: 1 minute
Texts
Scientists have learned some interesting things about the intellectual abilities of babies. They say there is evidence that babies as young as five months old can do basic arithmetic that they can add. Scientists think babies know that one plus one equals two and not one. The evidence is indirect because obviously you cannot ask a five-month-old baby to add up some numbers for you.
So they devised an experiment where, in this experiment, a baby is shown a doll on a table. OK, so the baby looks at the doll. Then the researcher lowers a screen in front of the doll. So now the doll is hidden behind the screen. But the baby has already seen the doll and so knows it’s there. Well, then the researcher takes a second doll and very obviously places it behind the screen with the first one.
OK, so now you have two dolls behind the screen, right? Well, no cuz what the researchers did was they secretly took away one of the dolls. And then when they raised the screen back up, the baby, well, it expects to see two dolls, right? But there is only one there. And guess what? The baby’s surprised. It expects two but it only sees one.
How could the researchers tell the baby surprised? Well, they recorded the baby’s eye movements on camera. And we know that when the baby is surprised by something, a loud noise or an unexpected flash of light maybe, it stares at where the noise or light is coming from. And that’s what the baby in the experiment did. They stared cuz the baby knows if you add one doll and one doll you should have two dolls. So when it sees one doll then it stares because it’s surprised.
Explanation
(Summary for the lecture)
There is evidence that babies as young as five months old can do basic addition.
In an experiment, the researcher showed a baby a doll on a table and then lowered a screen in front of the doll.
Then the researcher took a second doll and very obviously placed it behind the screen with the first one.
But what the researchers did was they secretly took away one of the dolls. And then the researcher raised the screen back up.
The baby might expect to see two dolls. But there was only one there and the baby was surprised.
The researcher knew the baby was surprised because the researcher recorded the baby’s eye movements on camera.
When a baby is surprised by something, the baby stares at it.
The baby in the experiment saw one doll then he or she stared because he or she was surprised.
(Sample answer)
In the lecture, the professor delves into the topic of a baby’s ability to comprehend addition.
In a particular experiment, researchers presented a doll to a baby and then obscured it from view by lowering a screen. Subsequently, a second doll was displayed and placed behind the screen. However, unbeknownst to the baby, one of the dolls was removed by the researcher. When the screen was raised again, revealing only one doll instead of the expected two, the baby exhibited surprise.
The researchers gauged the baby’s reaction by observing its eye movements, which were captured on camera. It’s understood that when babies are surprised by something, they tend to fixate their gaze on it. In this experiment, the baby’s prolonged stare at the lone doll indicated its surprise at the unexpected outcome, suggesting an inherent understanding of addition at a rudimentary level.