Sorry to say, our brains pastorally start slowing down at the cruelly young age of 30. It used to be thought that this couldn’t be helped，but new studies show that people of any age can train their brains to work faster.“Your brain is a learning machine,” says University of California scientist Dr. Michael Merzenich. Given the right tools, we can train our brains to act like they did when we were younger. All that’s required is the practice designed just for the purpose: a few exercises for the mind.
Merzenich has developed a computer-based training method to speed up the process (过程) in which the brain deals with information (positscience com ). Since much of the data we receive comes through speech, the Brain Fitness Program works with language mad hearing to better speed and accuracy (准确性).
Over the course of training, the program starts asking you to distinguish (辨别)sounds (between “dog” and “bog”, for example) at an increasingly faster speed. It’s a bit like tennis instructor, says Merzenich, hitting balk at you faster and faster to keep you challenged(受到挑战). You may start out slow, but before long you’re pretty quick.
The biggest finding in brain research in the last ten years is that the brain at any age is highly plastic. If you ask your blain to learn，it will learn. And it may even speed up while in the process.
To keep your brain young and plastic you can do one of a million new activities that challenge and excite you：playing table tennis or bridge，doing crossword puzzles，learning a language....“When it comes to preventing ageing，you really do use it or lose it’s，”says Barbara Sahakian, professor at Cambridge University.
67. Dr. Merzenich’s training method mainly depends on______________.
A. speech training B. computer languages
C. the activities one joins in D. the information being dealt with
68. By saying “the brain to any is highly plastic”, the writer probably means the brain can be___________.
A. used B. mastered C. developed D. researched
69. What can we learn from the text?
A. Practice makes a quick mind.
B. Brain research started ten yeas ago.
C. Dr. Merzenich is a scientist in computer.
D. People believed nothing could stop the brain slowing down.
70. Which of the following agrees with the writer’s idea?
A. The training methods work better for the old.
B. People should use the brain to stop it from ageing.
C. The training of the brain should start at an early age.
D. It’s necessary to take part in as many activities as possible.
Youth sport has the potential to accomplish three important objectives in children's development. First, sport programs can provide youth with opportunities to be physically active, which can lead to improved physical health. Second, youth sport programs have long been considered important to youth's psychosocial development, providing opportunities to learn important life skills such as cooperation, discipline, leadership, and self-control. Third, youth sport programs are critical for the learning of motor skills; these motor skills serve as a foundation for future national sport stars and recreational adult sport participants. When coachers develop activities for youth practices and when sport organizations design youth-sport programs, they must consider the implication of deliberate play and deliberate practice.
Research from Telama （2006） states that regular participation in deliberate play or deliberate practice activities during childhood and youth （ages nine to eighteen） increases the likelihood of participation in sports during adulthood by six times for both males and females. Côté （2002） defines deliberate play activities in sport as those designed to maximize enjoyment. These activities are regulated by flexible rules adapted from standardized sport rules and are set up by the children or by an involved adult. Children typically change rules to find a point where their game is similar to the actual sport but still allows for play at their level. For example, children may change soccer and basketball rules to suit their needs and environment （e.g. in the street. on a playing field or in someone's backyard）. When involved in deliberate play activities, children are less concerned with the outcome of their outcome of their behavior. （whether they win or lose） than with the behavior. （having fun）.
On the other hand, Ericsson （1993） suggests that the most effective learning occurs through involvement in highly structured activities defined as deliberate practice. Deliberate practice activities require effort, produce no immediate rewards, and are motivated by the goal of improving performance rather than the goal of enjoyment. When individuals are involved in deliberate play, they experiment with different combinations of behaviors, but not necessarily in the most effective way to improve performance. In contrast, when individuals are involved in deliberate practice, they exhibit behavior. focused on improving performance by the most effective means available. For example, the backhand skills in tennis could be learned and improved over time by playing matches or by creating fun practice situations. However, players could more effectively improve their backhand performance by practicing drills that might be considered less enjoyable. Although drills are used in most effective means available practice might not be the most enjoyable, they might be the most relevant to improving performance.
（Note: Answer the questions or complete the statements in NO MORE THAN TEN WORDS）
| 1． |
Besides the learning of motor skills, what are the other two important objectives of youth sport? |
| 2． |
If children participate in deliberate play or deliberate practice activities, they are more likely to |
| 3． |
In deliberate play activities, what do children do to maximize enjoyment? |
| 4． |
In contrast to deliberate play, deliberate practice is aimed at |
One of the executives gathered at the Aspen Institute for a day-long leadership workshop using the works of Shakespeare was discussing the role of Brutus in the death of Julius Caesar. “Brutus was not an honorable man,” he said. “He was a traitor（叛徒）. And he murdered someone in cold blood.” The agreement was that Brutus had acted with cruelty when other options were available to him. He made a bad decision, they said—at least as it was presented by Shakespeare—to take the lead in murdering Julius Caesar. And though one of the executives acknowledged that Brutus had the good of the republic in mind, Caesar was nevertheless his superior. “You have to endeavor,” the executives said, “our policy is to obey the chain of command.”
During the last few years, business executives and book writers looking for a new way to advise corporate America have been exploiting Shakespeare’s wisdom for profitable ends. None more so than husband and wife team Kenneth and Carol Adelman, well-known advisers to the White House, who started up a training company called “Movers and Shakespeares”. They are amateur Shakespeare scholars and Shakespeare lovers, and they have combined their passion and their high level contacts into a management training business. They conduct between 30 and 40 workshops annually, focusing on half a dozen different plays, mostly for corporations, but also for government agencies.
The workshops all take the same form, focusing on a single play as a kind of case study, and using individual scenes as specific lessons. In Julius Caesar , sly provocation（狡诈的挑唆） of Brutus to take up arms against the what was a basis for a discussion of methods of team building and grass roots organism.
Although neither of the Adelmans is academically trained in literature, the programmes, contain plenty of Shakespeare tradition and background. Their workshop on Henry V, for example, includes a helpful explanation of Henry’s winning strategy at the Battle of Agincourt. But they do come to the text with a few biases (偏向): their reading of Henry V minimizes his misuse of power. Instead, they emphasize the story of the youth who seizes opportunity and becomes a masterful leader. And at the workshop on Caesar, Mr. Adelmans had little good to say about Brutus, saying “the noblest Roman of them all” couldn’t make his mind up about things.
Many of the participants pointed to very specific elements in the play that they felt related Caesar’s pride, which led to his murder, and Brutus’s mistakes in leading the after the murder, they said, raise vital questions for anyone serving as a business when and how do you resist the boss?According to paragraph 1, what did all the executives think of Brutus?
| A．Cruel. | B．Superior. |
| C．Honorable. | D．Bade |
According to the passage, the Adelmans set up “Movers and Shakespeares” to ________.
| A．help executives to understand Shakespeare’s plays better |
| B．give advice on leadership by analyzing Shakespeare’s plays |
| C．provide case studies of Shakespeare’s plays in literature workshops |
| D．guide government agencies to follow the characters in Shakespeare’s plays. |
Why do the Adelmans conduct a workshop on Henry V?
| A．To highlight the importance of catching opportunities. |
| B．To encourage masterful leaders to plan strategies to win. |
| C．To illustrate the harm of prejudices in management. |
| D．To warn executives against power misuse. |
It can be inferred from the passage that ____.
| A．the Adelmans’ programme proves biased as the roles of characters are maximized. |
| B．executives feel bored with too many specific elements of Shakespeare’s plays. |
| C．the Adelmans will make more profits if they are professional scholars. |
| D．Shakespeare has played an important role in the management field. |
The best title for the passage is _____.
| A．Shakespeare’s plays: Executives reconsider corporate culture |
| B．Shakespeare’s plays: An essential key to business success |
| C．Shakespeare’s plays: a lesson for business motivation |
| D．Shakespeare’s plays: Dramatic training brings dramatic results |
 |
 The Curse of the Were-Rabbit(2005) is the first full-length feature film made by directors Nick Park and Steve Box with their amazing plasticine(粘土) characters Wallace and Gromit. It won an Oscar in 2006, and if you watch it, you'll understand why. It's an absolutely brilliant cartoon comedy. |
| Cheese-loving inventor Wallace and his brainy dog Gromit have started a company to protect the town's vegetables from hungry rabbits. However, just before the annual Giant Vegetable Competition, an enormous rabbit begins terrorising the town. It is attacking all the vegetables and destroying everything in its path. The competition organizer, Lady Tottington, hires Wallace and Gromit to catch the monster alive. But they will have to find the were-rabbit before gun-crazy hunter Victor Quartermaine who is desperate to kill it. |
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| The screenplay is witty and full of amusing visual jokes. As usual, the voice of Peter Sallis is absolutely perfect for the role of Wallace, and Gromit is so beautifully brought to life, he can express a huge range of emotions without saying a word. And both Helena Bonham-Carter, who plays the part of Lady Tottington, and Ralph Fiennes as Victor are really funny. |
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| To sum up, The Curse of the Were-Rabbit is an amazing film which is suitable for both children and adults. If you liked Wallace and Gromit's previous adventures and you appreciate the British sense of humour, you'll love this film. Don't miss it! |
| 1． |
In the film review, what is paragraph A mainly about?
|
| 2． |
According to the film review, "monster" （paragraph B） refers to.
|
| 3． |
Which of the following is a reason why the writer recommends the film?
|
Look to many of history’s cultural symbols, and there you’ll find an ancestor of Frosty, the snowman in the movie Frozen. It appeared on some of the first postcards, starred in some of the earliest silent movies, and was the subject of a couple of the earliest photos, dating all the way back to the 1800s. I discovered even more about one of humanity’s earliest forms of life art during several years of research around the world.
For example, snowmen were a phenomenon in the Middle Ages, built with great skill and thought. At a time of limited means of expression, snow was like free art supplies dropped from the sky. It was a popular activity for couples to leisurely walk through town to view the temporary works of chilly art. Some were created by famous artists, including a 19-year-old Michelangelo, who in 1494 was appointed by the ruler of Florence, Italy, to build a snowman in his mansion’s courtyard.
The Miracle of 1511 took place during six freezing works called the Winter of Death. The city of Brussels was covered in snowmen—an impressive scene that told stories on every street corner. Some were political in nature, criticizing the church and government. Some were a reflection of people’s imagination. For the people of Brussels, this was a defining moment of defining freedom. At least until spring arrived, by which time they were dealing with damaging floods.
If you fear the heyday of the snowman has passed, don’t worry: I’ve learned that some explosive snowman history is still being made today. Every year since 1818, the people of Zurich, Switzerland, celebrate the beginning of spring by blowing up a snowman. On the third Monday of April, the holiday Sechselauten is kicked off when a cotton snowman called the Boogg is stuffed with explosive and paraded through town by bakers and other tradesmen who throw bread to the crowds. The parade ends with the Boogg being placed on a 40-foot pile of firewood. After the bells of the Church of St. Peter have rung six times, representing the passing of winter, the pile is lit. When the snowman explodes, winter is considered officially over—the quicker it is burnt down, the longer summer is said to be.According to the passage, why did snowmen become a phenomenon in the Middle Ages?
| A．People thought of snow as holy art supplies. |
| B．People longed to see masterpieces of snow. |
| C．Building snowmen was a way for people to express themselves. |
| D．Building snowmen helped people develop their skill and thought. |
“The heyday of the snowman” （paragraph 4） means the time when___________.
| A．snowmen were made mainly by artists |
| B．snowmen enjoyed great popularity |
| C．snowmen were politically criticized |
| D．snowmen caused damaging floods |
In Zurich, the blowing up of the Boogg symbolizes__________________.
| A．the start of the parade |
| B．the coming of a longer summer |
| C．the passing of the winter |
| D．the success of tradesmen |
What can be concluded about snowmen from the passage?
| A．They were appreciated in history |
| B．They have lost their value |
| C．They were related to movies |
| D．They vary in shape and size |
D
Parents who help their children with homework may actually be bringing down their school grades. Other forms of prenatal involvement, including volunteering at school and observing a child's class, also fail to help, according to the most recent study on the topic.
The findings challenge a key principle of modern parenting(养育子女) where schools except them to act as partners in their children's education. Previous generations concentrated on getting children to school on time, fed, dressed and ready to learn.
Kaith Robinson, the author of the study, said, "I really don't know if the public is ready for this but there are some ways parents can be involved in their kids' education that leads to declines in their academic performance. One of the things that was consistently negative was parents' help with homework." Robinson suggested that may be because parents themselves struggle to understand the task." They may either not remember the material their kids are studying now, or in some cases never learnt it themselves, but they're still offering advice."
Robinson assessed parental involvement performance and found one of the most damaging things a parent could do was to punish their children for poor marks. In general, about 20% of parental involvement was positive, about 45% negative and the rest statistically insignificant.
Common sense suggests it was a good thing for parents to get involved because "children with good academic success do have involved parents ", admitted Robinson. But he argued that this did not prove parental involvement was the root cause of that success." A big surprise was that Asian-American parents whose kids are doing so well in school hardly involved. They took a more reasonable approach, conveying to their children how success at school could improve their lives."The underlined expression "parental involvement " in Paragraph 1 probably means .
| A．parents' expectation on children's health |
| B．parents' participation in children's education |
| C．parents' control over children's life |
| D．parents' plan for children's future |
What is the major finding of Robinson's study ?
| A．Modern parents raise children in a more scientific way. |
| B．Punishing kids for bad marks is mentally damaging. |
| C．Parental involvement is not so beneficial as expected. |
| D．Parents are not able to help with children’s homework. |
The example of Asian-American parents implies that parents should .
| A．help children realize the importance of schooling |
| B．set a specific life goal for their children |
| C．spend more time improving their own lives |
| D．take a more active part in school management |
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