As many people hit middle age, they often start to notice that their memory and mental attention are not what they used to be. We suddenly can't remember where we put the keys just a moment ago, or an old friend's name, or the name of an old band we used to love. It happens to most of us, but is it unavoidable?
Scientists are increasingly showing that there's actually a lot that can be done. It turns that the brain needs exercise in much the same way as our muscles do, and the right mental workouts can improve our basic cognitive(认知) functions.
Now, a new San Francisco Web-based company has taken it a step further and developed the first "brain training program" designed to actually help people improve and regain their mental sharpness. Called Lumosity, it was designed by some of the leading experts from Stanford University. Lumosity is far more than an online place to exercise your mental skills. That's because they have combined these exercises with a Web-based program that allows you to systematically improve your memory and attention skills.
Apparently it works. One study showed students improved their scores on math tests by 34 percent after using Lumosity for six weeks, greater gains than those made by other students in the same class, who were not training with the Lumosity program. The company says its users have reported clearer and quicker thinking, improved memory for names, numbers, directions, increased alertness(警觉) and awareness, high mood, and better concentration at work or while driving.What is the purpose of Lumosity?
| A．To exercise the brain and muscles. |
| B．To combine exercises with a web-based program. |
| C．To improve basic cognitive functions. |
| D．To improve students’ scores on test. |
Which of the following is true?
| A．Memory losing is unavoidable. |
| B．Lumosity is unreasonable. |
| C．Muscles don’t need exercise. |
| D．Brains need exercise. |
What does the last paragraph mainly tell us?
| A．Lumosity is an effective program. |
| B．Users have improved their thinking. |
| C．A company made a Lumosity trial. |
| D．Lumosity was carried out in tests. |
The author explains the training results by________
| A．making a comparison. |
| B．presenting training findings. |
| C．analyzing facts. |
| D．setting down rules. |
第三部分阅读理解 (共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分)
请认真阅读下列短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Being the boss might mean more money and challenging work but it can also cause damage to physical and mental well-being, according to a Canadian study.
For years studies have shown people in lower-status jobs generally have higher rates of heart disease and other illnesses and die earlier than those in higher-status positions while job authority has shown no relationship with workers’ health.
But University of Toronto researchers, using data from 1,800 US workers, found the health of people in higher positions is affected by work as they are more likely to report conflicts with co-workers and say work disturbs their home life.
However, the positive aspects of having a power position at work, such as higher status, more pay and greater independence, seemed to cancel out the negative aspects when it came to people’s physical and psychological health.
These latest findings, reported in the journal Social Science & Medicine, suggest that the advantages and disadvantages authority positions basically cancel each other out, giving the general impression that job authority has no health effects.
For the study, the researchers surveyed participants about various aspects of their work, life and well-being. Job authority was judged based on whether a person managed other employees and had power over hiring, firing and pay.
Physical health complaints included problems like headaches, body aches, heartburn and tiredness. Psychological complaints included sleep problems, difficulty concentrating and feelings of sadness, worry and anxiety.
“This isn’t to suggest that having authority is ‘bad’—in fact, we show it has benefits ... but it is important to identify the negative sides and deal with them.” researcher Scott Schieman said.
Schieman said conflicts with co-workers or involvement of work into home life may destroy at physical and mental well-being by creating stress.
“These are key stressors that can tax individuals’ ability to function effectively,” Schieman said.
56. Work will have a negative effect on job authority’s health probably because __________.
A. they are not fit for their work
B. they have power over hiring and pay
C. they are faced with severe competition
D. they don’t get on well with their co-workers
57. Most people don’t see that bosses have health effects because __________.
A. their health problems are not serious enough to see
B. they have enough money to keep themselves healthy
C. their problems are quite different from those of workers
D. the advantages and disadvantages of their status work against each other
58. From the passage we can infer that the study aims to _________.
A. warn people not to be a boss for ever
B. remind the boss to deal with the bad effects of their work
C. show that having authority is harmful to one’s health
D. prove that being a boss can benefit a lot
59. The best title for this passage might be ________.
A. Lower-status can affect health B. Authority can affect health
C. Positive aspects of a power position D. Disadvantages of being a boss
The thing is, my luck’s always been ruined. Just look at my name: Jean. Not Jean Marie, or Jeanine, or Jeanette, or even Jeanne. Just Jean. Did you know in France, they name boys Jean? It’s French for John. And okay, I don’t live in France. But still, I’m basically a girl named John. If I lived in France, anyway.
This is the kind of luck I’ve had since before Mom even filled out my birth certificate. So it wasn’t any big surprise to me when the cab driver didn’t help me with my suitcase. I’d already had to tolerate arriving at the airport to find no one there to greet me, and then got no answer to my many phone calls, asking where my aunt and uncle were. Did they not want me after all? Had they changed their minds? Had they heard about my bad luck—all the way from Iowa—and decided they didn’t want any of it to rub off on them?
So when the cab driver, instead of getting out and helping me with my bags, just pushed a little button so that the trunk (汽车后备箱) popped open a few inches, it wasn’t the worst thing that had ever happened to me. It wasn’t even the worst thing that had happened to me that day.
According to my mom, most brownstones in New York City were originally single-family homes when they were built way back in the 1800s. But now they’ve been divided up into apartments, so that there’s one—or sometimes even two or more families—per floor.
Not Mom’s sister Evelyn’s brownstone, though. Aunt Evelyn and Uncle Ted Gardiner own all four floors of their brownstone. That’s practically one floor per person, since Aunt Evelyn and Uncle Ted only have three kids, my cousins Tory, Teddy, and Alice.
Back home, we just have two floors, but there are seven people living on them. And only one bathroom. Not that I’m complaining. Still, ever since my sister Courtney discovered blow-outs, it’s been pretty frightful at home.
But as tall as my aunt and uncle’s house was, it was really narrow—just three windows across. Still, it was a very pretty townhouse, painted gray. The door was a bright, cheerful yellow. There were yellow flower boxes along the base of each window, flower boxes from which bright red—and obviously newly planted, since it was only the middle of April, and not quite warm enough for them.
It was nice to know that, even in a sophisticated (世故的) city like New York, people still realized how homey and welcoming a box of flowers could be. The sight of those flowers cheered me up a little.
Like maybe Aunt Evelyn and Uncle Ted just forgot I was arriving today, and hadn’t deliberately failed to meet me at the airport because they’d changed their minds about letting me come to stay.
Like everything was going to be all right, after all.
Yeah. With my luck, probably not.
I started up the steps to the front door of 326 East Sixty-Ninth Street, then realized I couldn’t make it with both bags and my violin. Leaving one bag on the sidewalk, I dragged the other up the steps with me. Maybe I took the steps a little too fast, since I nearly tripped and fell flat on my face on the sidewalk. I managed to catch myself at the last moment by grabbing some of the fence the gardeners had put up…
67. Why did the author go to New York?
A. She intended to go sightseeing there.
B. She meant to stay with her aunt’s family.
C. She was homeless and adopted by her aunt.
D. She wanted to try her luck and find a job there.
68. According to the author, some facts account for her bad luck EXCEPT that ________.
A. she was given a boy’s name in French
B. the cab driver didn’t help her with her bags
C. her sister Courtney discovered blow-outs
D. nobody had come to meet her at the airport
69. The underlined phrase “rub off on” in Paragraph 3 probably means _________.
A. have an effect on B. play tricks on C. put pressure on D. throw doubt on
70. From the passage, we can know that _________.
A. the author left home without informing her mother
B. the author arrived in New York in a very warm season
C. her aunt’s family lived a much better life than her own
D. her aunt and uncle were likely to forget about her arrival
Patients and doctors alike have long believed in the healing (治疗) power of humor. It is claimed that humor not only affects patients’ moods, but can actually help them recover faster.
Several studies seem to support this. Patients in better spirits are known to have higher immune cell counts. Some have even claimed to have healed themselves of serious illnesses by reading comics and watching comedies.
Despite all this, many researchers are not convinced. They point out the fact that many sufferings have been known to disappear naturally, with or without a daily dose of laughter. They also say that while optimism in general does seem to be related to better health, it is hard to tell which comes first.
Humor in times of stress, however, clearly makes us feel better. On one level, it takes our minds off our troubles and relaxes us. On another, it releases powerful endorphins, a chemical produced by your body that reduces pain.
There are cases where the appreciation of a good joke is indeed directly related to a person’s health. It can show, for example, whether a person has suffered damage to one particular area of the brain: the right frontal lobe (额叶).
Scientists confirmed this by having people read jokes and asking them to choose the funniest endings from a list. Subjects with normal brains usually chose endings that were based on a relatively complex synthesis (综合) of ideas. Subjects with specifically located brain damage, however, responded only to slapstick (闹剧) endings, which did not depend on a particular context. When pressed, the brain-damaged subjects saw the logic in the correct endings. They simply did not find them funny.
Of course, humor is largely an individual matter. Next time your friend does not get one of your jokes, there is no need to accuse him of being a lamebrain. However, you might suggest that he lighten up—for the health of it.
63. We can infer from the passage that ________.
A. all researchers have agreed on the healing power of humor
B. people seldom accuse their friends of not understanding jokes
C. the author holds a positive attitude to the healing power of humor
D. reading comics will surely become a popular way of treating diseases
64. Which of the following statements is NOT true?
A. Many researchers are not convinced of the healing power of humor.
B. Patients in bad moods are known to have higher immune cell counts.
C. Optimism in general does seem to be related to better health.
D. People should try their best to cheer up for their good health.
65. Scientists had some people read jokes and asked them to choose the funniest endings from a list to confirm that ________.
A. the brain-damaged people are different from those with normal brains
B. a person with a normal brain usually responds to slapstick endings
C. a person suffering certain brain damage doesn’t appreciate a good joke
D. humor takes our minds off our troubles by releasing powerful endorphins
66. Which would be the best title for the passage?
A. Which comes first, humor or health? B. Humor can cure different illnesses
C. People need humor in times of stress D. Humor contributes to good health
What Is Natural Medicine
Natural Medicine is to use the natural environment, the nature of the material itself to cure diseases and restore the health. It involves bettering one’s breathing way, sunbathing, improving one’s diets and so on, which play an important part in our healthcare.
Start a Rewarding Career Today
The Australian Institute of Applied Sciences College of Natural Medicine provides you with Nationally Recognized natural medicine courses that can be studied in the comfort of your own home, or at our Brisbane campus in the heart of Stones Corner. AIAS College of Natural Medicine has been providing accredited (官方认可的) natural health courses for more than 20 years, and offers accredited certificate, diploma and advanced diploma level natural medicine, beauty and massage (按摩) courses.
Why Study at the Australian Institute of Applied Sciences
With over 36 years of specialized training and 120 courses, our Natural Medicine College is Australia’s longest running and most sought after training provider for Natural Medicine Education. Our state of 
the art facilities, highly experienced instructors and friendly support staff make us the first choice for Distance Education and On-campus study.
Studying at Home
All of our courses are available to study at home. We provide all the material and support you will need to successfully complete your course.
Benefits of Studying at Home
●Work at your own pace.
●No need to travel or relocate closer to a campus.
●No interruption to your existing commitments.
●You are still in full contact with the college via Telephone, Email and Post, so you won’t be out of touch with the latest training techniques.
60. You can learn how to ______ at the Australian Institute of Applied Sciences College of Natural
Medicine.
A.
apply science to our life B. operate on various patients
C. adjust one’s diet or breath D. look after mentally-ill people
61. One of the reasons for your choice of going to the college is that _______.
A. it is the oldest college of this type in Australia
B. it offers more courses than any other college
C. you may find the best art facilities there
D. you will get accredited certificate or diploma
62. If you take the courses at home, you are more likely to _______.
A. focus on your own interests B. adjust your study schedules
C. get any help from instructors D. keep up with new techniques
第三部分阅读理解 (共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分)
请认真阅读下列短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
It was graduation day at Etihad Training Academy, where the national airline of the United Arab Emirates holds a seven-week training course for new flight attendants.
Despite her obvious pride, Ms. Fathi, a 22-year-old from Egypt, was amazed to find herself here. “I never in my life thought I’d work abroad,” said Ms. Fathi, who was a university student in Cairo when she began noticing newspaper advertisements employing young Egyptians to work at airlines based in the Persian Gulf.
A decade ago, unmarried Arab women like Ms. Fathi, working outside their home countries, were rare. But just as young men from poor Arab nations poured into the oil-rich Persian Gulf states for jobs, more young women are doing so.
Flight attendants have become the public face of the new mobility for some young Arab women, just as they were the face of new freedoms for women in the United States in the 1950s and 1960s. They have become a subject of social anxiety and fascination in much the same way.
For many families, allowing a daughter to work may call her virtue into question. Yet this culture is changing, said Musa Shteiwi, a sociologist at Jordan University in Amman. “We’re noticing more and more single women going to the gulf these days,” he said. “It’s still not exactly common, but over the last four or five years it’s become quite an observable phenomenon.”
Many of the young Arab women working in the Persian Gulf take delight in their status as pioneers, role models for their friends and younger female relatives. Young women brought up in a culture that highly values community, have learned to see themselves as individuals. The experience of living independently and working hard for high salaries has forever changed their beliefs about themselves, though it can also lead to a painful sense of separation from their home countries and their families.
—From New York Times (December 22, 2008)
56. It can be inferred from the passage that young Arab women _________.
A. go to work abroad after American women’s example
B. didn’t start to work abroad until the late 20th century
C. are commonly used to living and working separately
D. expect to take the same family responsibilities as men
57. According to the passage, the Arab women flight attendants can be described as _________.
A. proud, homesick or independent B. honest, outstanding or optimistic
C. mature, enthusiastic or energetic D. painful, desperate or conservative
58. How do the public respond to young Arab women’s new mobility?
A. The public think highly of it. B. The public care very little about it.
C. The public show both interest and anxiety. D. The public are strongly against it.
59. The author intends to tell the readers that __________.
A. Arab women can hardly find any work
B. flight attendants are badly needed in the gulf
C. flight attendants lead quite a different life
D. young Arab women’s values are changing
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