If you don’t have a college degree, you’re at greater risk of developing memory problems or even Alzheimer’s (老年痴呆). Education plays a key role in lifelong memory performance and risk for mental disorder, and it's well documented that those with a college degree possess a cognitive（认知的） advantage over those less educated in middle and old age.
Now, a large national study from Brandeis University published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry shows that those with less schooling can significantly make up for poorer education by frequently engaging in mental exercises such as word games, puzzles, reading, and lectures.
“The lifelong benefits of higher education for memory in later life are quite impressive, but we do not clearly understand how and why these effects last so long,” said lead author Margie Lachman, a psychologist. She suggested that higher education may encourage lifelong interest in cognitive efforts, while those with less education may not engage as frequently in mental exercises that help keep the memory agile (敏捷地).
But education early in adulthood does not appear to be the only route to maintain your memory. The study found that intellectual activities undertaken regularly made a difference. “Among individuals with low education, those who are engaged in reading, writing, attending lectures, doing word games or puzzles once a week or more had memory scores similar to people with more education,” said Lachman.
The study, called Midlife in the United States, assessed 3,343 men and women between the ages of 32 and 84 with an average age of 56 years. Almost 40 percent of the participants had at least a 4-year college degree. The researchers evaluated how the participants performed in two cognitive areas, verbal (言语的)memory and executive function --- brain processes involved in planning, abstract thinking and cognitive flexibility. Participants were given a series of tests, including tests of verbal fluency, word recall, and backward counting.
As expected, those with higher education said they engaged in cognitive activities more often and also did better on the memory tests, but some with lower education also did well, explained Lachman.
“The findings are promising because they suggest there may be ways to level the playing field for those with lower educational achievement, and protect those at greatest risk for memory declines,” said Lachman. “Although we can not rule out the possibility that those who have better memories are the ones who take on more activities, the evidence is consistent with cognitive plasticity (可塑性), and suggests some degree of personal control over cognitive functioning in adulthood by adopting an intellectually active lifestyle.” What is the text mainly about?
| A．Higher education has a better cognitive advantage. |
| B．Better memories result from college degree. |
| C．Cognitive activity does good to one’s mind. |
| D．Poor education has more risk of memory declines. |
According to the result of Margie Lachman’s study, we can conclude that ________.
| A．education is responsible for the lifelong memory performance and risk for mental disorder |
| B．education early in adulthood can be the only route to maintain your memory |
| C．those with higher education did better on the memory tests than those with lower education |
| D．an intellectually active lifestyle does help to maintain your memory |
What do we know about the study called Midlife?
| A．Participants each were given a battery to test their memory. |
| B．The average age of the participants are 56 years old. |
| C．Participants had to perform in one of the two cognitive areas. |
| D．One in four of the participants had a 4-year college degree. |
Why are the findings of the Lac
hman’s study promising?
| A．The lower educated may have the same opportunities to keep up memory. |
| B．We may have ways to cure the people who have memory declines. |
| C．Adopting a different lifestyle can control cognitive functioning. |
| D．We can find out the possibility to have better memories. |
Mosquitoes(蚊子) ruin countless American picnics every year, but around the world, this bloodsucking beast isn’t just annoying--it causes a health problem. More than a million people die from the spread of mosquito-borne diseases like malaria and yellow fever each year. Attempts to control populations via insecticides like DDT have had ruinous side effects for nature and human health. Neurobiologist Leslie B. Vosshall has a different solution for stopping the insects and the spread of disease. “I believe the key to controlling mosquito behavior is to understand better how they sense us,” she says.
At their Rockefeller University lab, Vosshall and her colleagues are studying the chemical sensory processes by which mosquitoes choose hosts. How do they sense heat, humidity, carbon dioxide, and body odor(气味)? What makes some people more attractive to a mosquito than others? It takes blood and sweat to find out. To study how mosquitoes assess body odor, Vosshall and her teammates might wear stockings on their arms and keep from showering for 24 hours to create sample smells, Then comes the hard part. They insert their arms into the insects’ hidden home to study how mosquitoes land, bite, and feed and then they document how this changes. This can mean getting anywhere from one bite to 400, depending on the experiment. Studying male mosquitoes is more pleasant. Since they don’t feed on blood, the lab tests their sense of smell using honey.
Vosshall and her team have also begun to study how genetics contribute to mosquitoes’ choice of a host. She’s even created a breed that is unable to sense carbon dioxide, an important trigger for the insects. “By using genetics to make mutant(变异的) mosquitoes, we can document exactly how and why mosquitoes hunt humans,” Vosshall says.
Once Vosshall figures out what makes mosquitoes flock to us, she can get to work on making them leave us alone. Many of her lab’s proposed solutions sound simple enough, including bracelets(手镯) that carry long-lasting repellants(驱虫剂) or traps that can reduce populations, but the breakthroughs, when they come, may save millions of lives in the developing world—and a lot of itching everywhere else.Vosshall and her colleagues are mainly studying mosquitoes’ ______.
| A．appearance | B．size |
| C．behavior | D．change |
By saying the underlined part “Then comes the hard part”, the author probably means that______.
| A．the insects smell terrible |
| B．the experiment will last long |
| C．The researchers will probably suffer |
| D．the researchers have to study lots of documents. |
Why is it less challenging to study male mosquitoes?
| A．They are not bloodsuckers. |
| B．They are afraid of stockings. |
| C．They have a poor sense of smell. |
| D．They are protective of their hosts. |
It can be inferred from the last paragraph that Vosshall’s research______.
| A．looks very promising |
| B．has saved millions of lives |
| C．is facing great difficulties |
| D．is quite simple to carry out. |
With its 775 rooms, Buckingham Palace makes regular houses look tiny. Now home to Queen Elizabeth II, it’s been the British Monarchy’s official London digs since 1837. National Geographic Kids slipped behind the guarded gates to find the palace’s coolest features.
1. FANCY FEAST
For special dinners, a team of 21 chefs whips up dishes that are served on solid gold plates. Even Her Majesty’s pet dogs receive meals of lamb and cabbage in silver bowls. Good thing the kitchen is well stocked--- the Queen welcomes about 50,000 dining guests every year.
2. CLASSY COACH
The Queen’s most attractive ride may be the Gold State Coach, parked in the palace’s Royal Mews building and used in the crowning of a king or queen, since 1821. Covered with heavy gold, it’s pulled by eight horses.
3. MOVIE NIGHT
The royal family hosts private screenings of movie in their very own cinema, sometimes seeing new films before they hit theaters.
4. WHAT’S UP, DOC?
Forget a medicine cabinet (药品柜). Buckingham Palace houses a doctor’s office run by the Queen’s physician. And surgeons have performed operations in other parts of the palace. In 1902, for instance, doctors operated on King Edward VII in a room facing the garden.
5. BEDROOMS
The palace has 52 bedrooms. Rooms such as those inside the Belgian Suite contain chandeliers(枝行吊灯), gold-gilded mirrors, fireplaces, canopy beds, and more.
6. TOP- SECRET TUNNELS
Rumor has it that secret underground tunnels connect the royal residence to other buildings in London. The paths were reportedly built during World War II when enemy bombs regularly pounded the city. Weaving deep under London’s busy streets, the tunnels would have provided the royals safe passage during an attack. But even now officials won’t reveal much about these under- the- radar routes.The underlined part “whips up” probably means_______.
| A．enjoys | B．selects | C．cleans | D．cooks |
According to the text, in Buckingham Palace________.
| A．there are eight horses altogether |
| B．stocks of food in the kitchen hardly run low |
| C．the Queen’s pet dogs are fed with simple meals |
| D．there’s no suitable place to perform operations |
What do we know about the tunnels in Buckingham Palace?
| A．They are not well- protected. |
| B．They were heavily bombed. |
| C．They are not open to the public. |
| D．They are linked with other cities in Britain. |
Have you ever dreamed of visiting a planet in the Milky Way (银河系)? While the trip sounds exciting, it would take years and years to reach your destination. So in the future, bedtime for astronauts may be more than a few hours of regular shut eyes. They would have to sleep for years.
European researchers are now conducting hibernation experiments. The study may help them understand whether humans could ever sleep through the years it would take for a spaceflight to distant planets. "If there was an effective technology, it could make deepspace travel a reality," said Mark Ayre of the European Space Agency last month.
What seems like a science fiction is not completely unlikely. Researchers have been able to use chemicals to put living cells into a sleeplike state where they don’t age. They have now moved on to the small, nonhibernating mammals like rats.
A major challenge is the fact that cells can be very simple systems, whereas body organs are far more complex. "It’s like moving from a simple Apple computer to a supercomputer," said Marco Biggiogera, a hibernation researcher at Italy’s University of Pavia. Just like bears and frogs, the hibernation of human beings would cause a person’s metabolism (新陈代谢) to lower so they would need less energy.
Medical research, however, is just half of a spaceflight hibernation system. There is a challenge of designing a suitable protective shelter. Such a shelter would provide the proper environment for hibernation, such as the proper temperature. It would also have to monitor life functions and serve the physiological needs of the hibernator.
According to Ayre, the sixperson Human Outer Planets Exploration Mission (使命) to Jupiter’s moon (木星的卫星) Callisto, could be an opportunity to use human hibernation. The mission aims to send six persons on a fiveyear flight to Callisto, where they will spend 30 days, in 2045.According to the article, the hibernation research _______.
| A．is just an idea |
| B．is always a science fiction |
| C．has already finished successfully |
| D．has made some progress |
In a hibernating state, a person needs ________.
| A．less sleep | B．more food |
| C．less energy | D．more movement |
The first try of the hibernation technology the sixperson Human Outer Planets Exploration Mission to Jupiter’s moon Callisto.
| A．will be | B．has been planned for |
| C．is certain to be | D．may be |
What is the best title of the article?
| A．Hibernation study for space travel |
| B．Welcome to our space travel |
| C．To hibernate, to live longer |
| D．Welcome to the Milky Way |
Whether it is Mozart or Miley，your choice of music could determine whether you will perform well al your work．
A new study suggests that listening to music in the office improves the speed and accuracy of tasks such as data entry，proof reading and problem solving．
In an office-based experiment，88 pet cent of participants were found to produce their most accurate work when listening to music．
The study also found that 81 per cent completed their fastest work when music was played．
And it matters what type of music you listen to．For instance，if you’re doing your tax returns，then classical music is the most effective as it improves maths skills．
Listening to Jessie J or Justin Bieber could also improve your speed，with 58 per cent of participants completing data entry tasks faster while listening to pop songs．
During proof-reading，dance music，such as David Guetta，had the biggest positive impact with participants increasing their speed by 20 per cent compared to tests undertaken with no music at a11．
Dance music also had a positive effect on spell-checking with a 75 per cent pass rate compared to 68 percent when no music was played al a11．
The research，undertaken by Brighton-based Mindlab International，suggests that silent offices may be the least productive．
“The music experiment showed that when listening to music，nine out of 10 people performed better，”said Dr．David Lewis．Chairman of Mindlab International．
“Proper music enables people to quickly process and keep information，regulate their behaviors，make good choices，solve problems，plan and adjust to changing mental demands，”a senior investigator of Mindlab International explains．
“While many schools are cutting music programs and spending more and more time on test preparation，our findings suggest that musical training may actually help to set up children for a better academic future．”added D r．David Lewis．What does the passage mainly talk about?
| A．The positive relationship between music and efficiency． |
| B．The speed and accuracy of problem-solving tasks． |
| C．The comparison of different kinds of music． |
| D．The experiment on productivity of office staff. |
According to the passage，we can conclude that______．
| A．different kinds of music lead to the same effect |
| B．silent offices can make people perform better |
| C．listening to proper music can improve efficiency in office |
| D．more tests prepare children for a better academic future |
What is the author’s attitude towards school music programs?
| A．Respectful． | B．Doubtful． |
| C．Tolerant． | D．Supportive． |
While most teenagers were studying to get into a top university，one 19-year-old was starring in his first movie，Blue Gate Crossing．It was a film about love on campus and it was well received in Taiwan．Many say it was this film that put Bolin Chen in position for his later glittering career in show business．
In fact．it was not until he played a troubled young man in the movie Buddha Mountain three years ago that he regained his passion for acting．
While being called a“youth idol”may seem like a compliment，it is a title that Chen has tried to shake off．He believes that “a youth idol means you simply rely on your appearance，not your acting talent”．
The most important thing for Chen now is to take more initiative(主动性）as an actor．“To me，an actor is like a chess piece，waiting for producers and directors to put him somewhere they want him to be．”Chen，29，told NetEase．“But I want to be the game player．”He even took his ambition a step further，setting tip his own production company．
But just when Chen started to locus on off-screen work，his life on screen took another turn．He won the title of Best Leading Actor at the 2012 Golden Bell Awards on Oct 26 for his role in hit TV drama In Time with You．When asked why he accepted the part，which is another “youth idol”role．he told Yangcheng Evening News：“I played it for my grandfather．He tells everyone around that I am an actor．but I used to play in movies，not TV series．Now he is in the hospital．I hope that he can watch my performances by simply turning on the TV．”
Chen is a veteran(老手)in the entertainment world，but unlike many stars，he hasn’t led a luxurious(奢华的)life．He doesn’t even have a car but walks，rides a bike or takes a taxi whenever he goes out．He doesn’t have a house，either．“Everyone will eventually find some place to live anyway，why bother to buy property (地产)?”he asked Taiwan magazine Business Today．
What does Bolin Chen think of his title“youth idol”?
| A．He likes it very much． |
| B．He thinks it a compliment． |
| C．He wants to get rid of it. |
| D．He is not worthy of it． |
Bolin Chen’s words in Para 4 suggest that he______．
| A．1ikes to play games such as chess |
| B．wants to take an active part in producing his films |
| C．cannot get along well with some directors |
| D．thinks producers are more important in making a film |
Bolin Chen played a part in the TV drama In Time with You because he_____．
| A．failed in off-screen work |
| B．had become a“youth idol” |
| C．wanted to delight his grandfather |
| D．wanted to succeed in the new field |
The main idea of the last paragraph is that Bolin Chen____．
| A．is a veteran in the entertainment world |
| B．hasn’t made much money from his work |
| C．doesn’t like the entertainment world |
| D．prefers a different lifestyle from most stars |
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