Learning means acquiring knowledge or developing the ability to perform new behaviors. It is common to think of learning as something that takes place in school, but much of human learning occurs outside the classroom, and people continue to learn throughout their lives.

   Even before they enter school, young children learn to walk, to talk, and to use their hands to manipulate toys, food, and other objects. They use all of their senses to learn about the sights, sounds, tastes, and smells in their environments. They learn how to interact with their parents, siblings, friends, and other people important to their world. When they enter school, children learn basic academic subjects such as reading, writing, and mathematics. They also continue to learn a great deal outside the classroom. They learn which behaviors are likely to be rewarded and which are likely to be punished. They learn social skills for interacting with other children. After they finish school, people must learn to adapt to the many major changes that affect their lives, such as getting married, raising children, and finding and keeping a job. Because learning continues throughout our lives and affects almost everything we do, the study of learning is important in many different fields. Teachers need to understand the best ways to educate children. Psychologists, social workers, criminologists, and other human-service workers need to understand how certain experiences change people’s behaviors. Employers, politicians, and advertisers make use of the principles of learning to influence the behavior of workers, voters, and consumers.

   Learning is closely related to memory, which is the storage of information in the brain. Psychologists who study memory are interested in how the brain stores knowledge, where this storage takes place, and how the brain later retrieves knowledge when we need it. In contrast, psychologists who study learning are more interested in behavior and how behavior changes as a result of a person’s experiences.

   There are many forms of learning, ranging from simple to complex. Simple forms of learning involve a single stimulus. A stimulus is anything perceptible to the senses, such as a sight, sound, smell, touch, or taste. In a form of learning known as classical conditioning, people learn to associate two stimuli that occur in sequence, such as lightning followed by thunder. In operant conditioning, people learn by forming an association between a behavior and its consequences (reward or punishment). People and animals can also learn by observation - that is, by watching others perform behaviors. More complex forms of learning include learning languages, concepts, and motor skills.

The word “retrieves” in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to _______.

Câu hỏi liên quan

• Why does the couple exchange garlands?

• Why does the author refer to Gilbert White’s book in line 2?

• The first songs of the Beatles were __________

ZUNIA12

• Who were the subjects of the study?

• The highlight word “it” in the passage refers to ................

• The beverages mentioned in the first paragraph aim to give consumers  .............

• The expression “in concert” in paragraph 3 could best be replaced by ________.

• The word “These” in paragraph 3 refers to__________.

• The researcher mentioned in the passage are concerned about unwanted noise because it can_________.

• Why does the couple exchange garlands?

• According to the passage, which of the following factors might spoil the tourists’ fun at Mediterranean resorts and beaches?

• It took welfare programs a long time to gain a foothold in the U.S. due to the fast growth of______.

•  The word “exert” in bold in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to ................

• Which of the following would NOT be a problem for the construction plan?

•  In what way is Juliette’s current job better her first job?

• Which of the following volunteer activities is NOT mentioned in the passage?

• According to the writer, failure in life and less support from parents will ______.

• In the process of drying certain kinds of fruits, sulphur fumes help ______.

• What causes dodder to grow in a particular direction?

• The author mentions all of the following as concerns of telecommuting, EXCEPT ___________ .