If you want to stay young, sit down and have a good think. This is the research

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If you want to stay young, sit down and have a good think. This is the research finding of a team of Japanese doctors, who say that most of out brains are not getting enough exercise, and as a result, we are growing old unnecessarily soon.
Professor Taiju Matsuzawa wanted to find out

why quite healthy farmers in northern Japan appeared to be losing their ability to think and reason at a rather early age, and how the speed of getting old could be slowed down.
With a team of researchers at Tokyo National University, he set about measuring brain sizes of a thousand people of different ages with different jobs.
Computer technology helped the researchers to get most exact measurements of the sizes of the front and side parts of the brain

, which have something to do with thinking and feeling, and decide the human character. As we all know, the back part of the brain, which controls task like eating and breathing, does not contract(萎缩) with age.
Contraction of front and side parts, as cells(细胞) die off, was seen in some people in their thirties, but it was still not found in some sixty and seventy-year-olds.
Matsuzawa concluded from his tests that there is a simple way to prevent the contraction---using the head.
The fin

dings show that contraction of the brain begins sooner in people in the country than those in the towns. Those with least possibility, says Matsuzawa, are lawyers, followed by university professors and doctors. White-collar workers doing the same work day after day in government offices are, however, as possible to have contracting brains as the farm workers, bus drivers and shop assistants.
小题1: The team of doctors wanted to find out ____.

A．at what point people grow live longer.

B．how to make people live longer

C．the size of certain people’s brains.

D．which group of people are the busiest

小题2:Their research findings are based on ______.c

A．an examination of farmers in northern Japan

B．using computer technology

C．examining the brain sizes of different people

D．tests given a thousand old people

小题3:The doctor’s tests show that ______.

A．our brains contract as we grow older

B．one part of the brain does not contract

C．sixty-year-olds have better brains than thirty-year-olds

D．contraction of the brain begins sooner in people in the country

小题4: According to the article, _____ are growing mentally old earlier.

A．engineers

B．office clerks

C．professors

D．researchers

小题5:The most possible conclusion of the article is that ____.

A．most of us should take more exercise

B．it’s better to live in the towns

C．the brain contracts if it is not used

D．the more one uses his brain, the sooner he becomes old

答案

小题1:.A
小题1:.B
小题1:.D
小题1:.B
小题1:.C

解析

略

举一反三

Unless we spend money to spot and prevent asteroids now，one might crash into Earth and destroy life as we know it，say some scientists.
Asteroids are bigger versions of the meteoroids(流星)that race across the night sky. Most orbit the sun far from Earth and don"t threaten us. But there are also thousands whose orbits put them on a collision course with Earth.
Buy $ 50 million worth of new telescopes right now. Then spend $ 10 million a year for the next 25 years to locate most of the space rocks. By the time we spot a fatal one，the scientists say，we"ll have a way

to change its course.
Some scientists favor pushing asteroids off course with nuclear weapo

ns. But the cost wouldn"t be cheap. I

s it worth it? Two things experts consider when judging any risk are: 1) How likely the event is; and 2) How bad the consequences if the event occurs. Experts think an asteroid big enough to destroy lots of life might strike Earth once every 500,000 years. Sounds pretty rare-but if one did fall，it would be the end of the world. “If we don"t take care of these big asteroids，they"ll take care of us,” says one scientist. “It"s that simple.”
The cure，though，might be worse than the disease. Do we really want fleets of nuclear weapons sitting around on Earth? “The world has less to fear from doomsday(毁灭性的) rocks than from a great nuclear fleet set against them，” said a New York Times article.
小题1:What does the passage say about asteroids and meteoroids?

A．They are heavenly bodies different in composition.

B．They are heavenly bodies similar in nature.

C．There are more asteroids th

an meteoroids.

D．Asteroids are more mysterious than meteoroids.

小题2: What do scientists say about the collision of an asteroid with Earth?

A．It is very unlikely but the danger exists.

B．Such a collision might occur once every 25 years.

C．Collisions of smaller asteroids with Earth occur more often than expected.

D．It"s still too early to say whether such a collision might occur.

小题3: What do people think of the suggestion of using nuclear weapons to alter the course of asteroids?

A．It sounds practical but it may not solve the problem.

B．It may create more problems than it might solve.

C．It is a waste of money because a collision of asteroids with Earth is very unlikely.

D．Further research should be done before it is proved applicable.

小题4:We can conclude from the passage that ________ .

A．while pushing asteroids off course nuclear weapons would destroy the world

B．asteroids racing across the night sky are likely to hit Earth in the near future

C．the worry about asteroids can be left to future generations since it is unlikely to happen in our lifetime

D．workable solutions still have to be found to prevent a collision of asteroids with Earth.

小题5:Which of the following best describes the author"s tone in this passage?

A．Optimistic.

B．Critical.

C．Objective.

D．Subjective.

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In the 1960s, medical researchers Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe developed a checklist of stressful events. They appreciated the tricky point that any major change can be stressful. Bad events like “serious illness of a family member” were high on the list, but so were some helpful life changing events like marriage.
When you take the Holmes Rahe you must remember that the score does not show how you deal with stress -- it only shows how much you have to deal with. And we now know that the way you deal with these events dramatically affects your chances of staying healthy. By the early 1970s, hundreds of similar studies had followed Holmes and Rahe. And millions of Americans who work and live under stress worried over the reports. Somehow the research got boiled down to a memorable message. Women’s magazines ran titles like “Stress causes illness.”
If you want to stay physically and mentally healthy, the articles said, avoid stressful events. But such simplistic advice is impossible to follow. Even if stressful events are dangerous, many -- like the death of loved one--are impossible to avoid. Moreover, any warning to avoid all s

tressful events is a prescription for staying away from chances as well as trouble. Since any change can be stressful, a person who wanted to be completely free of stress would never marry, have a child, take a new job or move. The idea that all stress makes you sick also takes no notice of a lot of what we know about people. It supposes we"re all vulnerable and not active in the face of the difficult situation. But what about human ability and creativity? Many come through periods of stress with more physical and mental strength than they had before. We also know that a long time without change

or challenge can lead to boredom and physical and mental pressure.
小题1:.
The score of the Holmes Rahe test shows ____ .

A．how you can deal with life changing events

B．how helpful events can change your life

C．how stressful a major event can be

D．how much pressure you are under

小题2:.
. Which of the following expressions has the meaning most close to the underlined phrase “got boiled down to” in paragraph two ?

A．was argued about	B．made clear
C．was concentrated on	D．put an end to

小题3:.
. The studies on stress in the early 1970s led to ____ .

A．popular avoidance of stressful jobs

B．great fear over the mental disorder

C．a careful research into stress related illnesses

D．widespread worry about its harmful effects

小题4:.
Why is “such simplistic advice ”(Line 2, Para.3) impossible to follow?

A．No one can stay on the same job for long.

B．More effective ways have been found to get rid of stressful events.

C．People have to get married some day.

D．You could be missing chances as well.

小题5:.
. According to the passage people who have experienced ups and downs may become ____.

A．nervous when faced with difficulties

B．physically and mentally tired

C．more able to deal with difficulties

D．cold toward what happens to them

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Social networking websites are causing alarming changes in the brains of young users, a famous scientist has warned．Sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Bebo are said to shorten attention spans （幅度）, encourage instant satisfaction and make children more self-centered．
Warnings from neuroscientist （神经系统科学家） Susan Greenfield will disturb the millions whose social lives depend on surfing their favorite websites each day．But they will strike a chord （弦） with parents and teachers who complain that many teenagers lack the ability to communicate or concentrate away from their screens．
More than 150 million use Facebook to keep in touch with friends, share photographs and videos and post regular updates of their movements and thoughts．A further six million have signed up to Twitter, the "micro-blogging" service that lets users exchange text messages about themselves．But while the sites are popular and extremely profitable, a growing number of psychologists and neuroscientists believe they may

be doing more harm than good．
Baroness Tarot, an Oxford University neuroscientist believes repeated exposure could rewire the brain．Computer games and fast-paced TV shows were also a factor, she said．"My fear is that these technologies are weakening the brain to the state of small children who are attracted by buzzing noises and bright lights, who have a small attention span and live for the moment．" "I often wonder whether real conversation in real time may eventually give way to these easier and faster screen dialogues, in much the same way as killing and butchering an animal to eat has been replaced by the convenience of packages on the supermarket shelf," she said．
Psy

chologists have also argued that digital technology is changing the way we think．They point out that students no longer need to plan their term papers before starting to write—thanks to word processors they can edit as they go along．
A study by the Broadcaster Audience Board found teenagers now spend seven and a half hours a day in front of a screen．Educational psychologist Jane Healy believes children should be kept away from computer games until they are seven．Most games only excite the "flight or fight" areas of the brain, rather than the areas responsible reasoning．
Sue Palmer, author of Toxic Childhood, said: "We are seeing children"s brain development damaged because they don"t engage in the activity they have engaged in for thousand

s of years．I"m not against technology and computers．But before they start social networking, they need to learn to make real relationships with people．"
小题1:.
According to the passage, social networking websites might _____．

A．make young users more selfish

B．lengthen young users" attention span

C．encourage young users constant satisfaction

D．help young users communicate better with their families

小题2:.
A neuroscientist may worry that sites like Facebook may ______．

A．help children learn to make real relationships with people in society

B．encourage students not to plan their term papers before starting to write

C．disturb those whose social lives depend on surfing their favorite websites

D．make real conversation in real time give way to easier and faster screen dialogue

小题3:.
From the passage we can infer that _____．

A．Baroness Tarot agrees websites cause small children"s small attention span

B．Jane Healy believes computer games can do good to children"s reasoning

C．Susan Greenfield"s warnings have been brought to wide public attention

D．Sue Palmer"s book Toxic Childhood discusses the development of networking

小题4:.
What is the purpose of this passage?

A．To tell us the conflict between neuroscientists and psychologists on websites．

B．To present some negative opinions on social networking websites．

C．To offer advice on the problem of brain damage caused by social networking．

D．To analyse how social networking websites cause damage in the brains of teenagers．

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We like to consider ourselves the superior race, and we are. It’s true that we are getting to know more and more, and we actually live in “the information age”. Our human vanity(虚荣心) makes us believe that we really have to know everything! Surprisingly, we do not have this ability. The question “what is happening in the Bermuda Triangle” is the very proof.
Where is the Bermuda Triangle located? The mysterious triangle is believed to be situated between Florida, Bermuda and Puerto Rico, where too many unusual events have happened.
On December the 5^th 1945, five U.S. military planes took off from Florida on a clear day only to disappear over Bermuda. Furthermore, some other disappearances took place; in 1947, an American C54 plane simply disappeared at 100 miles from Bermuda; at 80 miles, a Star Tiger plane disappeared in 1948.
Even Columbus had trouble in Bermuda. Some of his journals were about the strange happenings there: “the waters are changing their colors” and “compasses are going wild”.
Maybe it’s why it is called the Devil’s triangle or the Atlantic cemetery.
Many hypotheses were stated in order to explain the strange events. In spite of these attempts, the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle remains unsolved.
Some people get to say that maybe aliens are involved in it. Other imaginative scientists relate the happenings in Bermuda to Einstein’s theory, saying that the missing ships and planes are translated to another dimension of space and time and taken into another world.
Maybe we will just have to wait to go to Heaven and ask the One who made it. The answer will surely be a satisfying one!
小题1:The writer may probably think that______.

A．humans have to and can know everything strange

B．the missing ships are taken into another world

C．humans can know more in “the information age”

D．God created the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle

小题2: Columbus’ journals told us that in Bermuda _______.

A．an American C54 plane disappeared

B．there were some strange happenings

C．the compasses were lost

D．a cemetery was found

小题3:The underlined word “hypotheses” in the 6^th paragraph probably means______.

A．guesses

B．reports

C．places

D．stories

小题4:The purpose of the writer is to______.

A．tell some stories about the Bermuda Triangle

B．warn people not to travel to the Bermuda Triangle

C．laugh at man’s vanity to know everything

D．prove man does not have the ability to know all

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Are some people born clever and others born stupid? Or is intelligence developed by our

environment and our experiences? Strangely enough, the answer to both questions is yes.To some extent our intelligence is given to us at birth, and no amount of special education can make a genius out of a child born with low intelligence. On the other hand, a child who lives in a boring environment will develop his intelligence less than one who lives in rich and varied surroundings. Thus the limits of a person’s intelligence are fixed at birth, but whether or not he reaches those limits will depend on his environment. This view, now held by most experts, can be supported in a number of ways.
It is easy to show that intelligence is to some extent something we are born with. The closer the blood relationship between two people, the closer they are likely to be in intelligence. Thus if we take two unrelated people at random (随意地) from the population, it is likely that their degrees of intelligence will be completely different. If on the other hand we take two identical twins, they will very likely be as intelligent as each other. Relations like brothers and sisters, parents and children, usually have similar intelligence, and this clearly suggests that integigence depends on birth.
Imagine now that we take two identical twins and put them in different environments. We might send one, for example, to a university and the other to a factory where the work is boring. We would soon find differences in intelligence developing, and this indicates (表明) that environment as well as birth plays a part. This conclusion is also suggested by the fact that people who lives in close contact with each other, but who are not related at all, are likely to have similar degrees of intelligence.
小题1:Which of the following best describes the writer’s point in Paragrap

h One?

A．To some extent, intelligence is given at birth.

B．Intelligence is developed by the environment.

C．Some people are born clever and others born stupid.

D．Intelligence is fixed at birth, but is developed by the environment.

小题2:In the first paragraph,“no amount of special education can make a genius out of a child born with low intelligence” suggests that .

A．no environment can change the least able into the most able

B．the difference in men’s intelligence depends on the amount of their education

C．if a person is born clever, he is certain to be a genius

D．if a person is born stupid, nothing can change him into an educated person

小题3:The last paragraph mainly shows .

A．the importance of education

B．the relationship between environment and birth

C．the writer’s final conclusion

D．the relationship between intelligence and environment

小题4:The best title for this passage would be .

A．Dependence on Education	B．Intelligence
C．Surroundings	D．Effect of Education

小题5:Which statement about the passage is true?

A．All twins have similar degrees of intelligence.

B．A man who is educated in university must make greater achievements than a man who works in a boring factory.

C．Proper education can change one’s intelligence at some degree.

D．Education can’t make a child born with low intelligence cleverer.

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