Your brain isn’t a muscle, but you can treat it like one
Many people focus on physical fitness, but few know that brain fitness is also something you can work on. In fact, you can exercise your brain as often as you do to your arms or legs-and the results can be positive and empowering.
To improve your brain, you can’t simply repeat the same exercises over and over. Just as lifting a two-pound weight will stop challenging you, so will repetitive exercises such as crosswords or Sudoku. Once you master easy exercises, you must move on to harder ones in order to push your brain-like your muscles-to a new level.
The science behind brain training
Scientists once believed that your mental abilities were fixed in adulthood. Since studies have shown just the opposite, millions of people around the world have adopted the new practice of brain training. The most popular of these brain training products is made by the San Francisco-based Lumosity. Lumosity’s scientists with an experienced team of game designers have developed a fun，effective online brain training program that measures, tracks, and adapts to your progress, so you’ll always be challenged.
Promising studies on the effects of brain training
In a 2013 Stanford study, a treatment group of 21 breast cancer survivors used 12 weeks of Lumosity training to work on processing speed, mental flexibility, and working memory tasks. On average, those who trained improved on tests of these abilities, compared to a group that did not train with Lumosity.
There is even some evidence suggesting that Lumosity may be beneficial to normal, healthy adults. In a 2011 study by Lumosity and San Francisco State University researchers. 13 people who trained over 5 weeks improved working memory scores by 10％and attention scores by 20％.
Brain training is designed to meet real-life needs
The design of brain train ing is targeted at real-life benefits instead of improving game scores. Better attention, for example, can mean greater focus in the classroom or at an important business meeting. With improved processing speed, you might react and adapt faster to the demands of a busy life. And a better memory could mean stronger, longer relationships with the people closest to you.We can learn from the passage that _________.
| A．brain training speeds up the recovery of breast cancer |
| B．your brain is like a muscle because it gives you power |
| C．people’s mental abilities can’t develop after they grow up |
| D．Lumosity can measure, track and suit your level as you improve |
Which skill may brain training not improve?
| A．Better attention. |
| B．Better writing skills. |
| C．A better memory. |
| D．Higher processing speed. |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．People should care more about physical health instead of mental health. |
| B．Brain training has been proved effective through scientific researches. |
| C．A bad memory is the only reason for weak relationships with people. |
| D．Playing online games is the best way of brain training. |
What’s the best title for the passage?
| A．Brain Training Makes a Difference |
| B．Train Your Brain like a Muscle |
| C．Lumosity, Your Best Choice |
| D．How to Train Your Brain |
Is cultural heritage a burden on or a contributor to economic growth? The statistics in a report indicate that the contribution fromcultural heritage to economic growth is eight times as many as theinvestment in its protection and management.
The profit from cultural heritage is realized mainly throughtourism and auction of cultural relics, according to the report. Thefact that over 50% of the profit is from tourism sends a message thatsome cultural heritages can be a stable source of income for a localeconomy. What's more, the industry based on it is environment-friendly.
However, not all cultural heritages make money. And they doso only when they are protected and managed well. They must bepresented to visitors as they are, and should never be used only as asource of profit.
There are examples that some local governments unnecessarilybuild fake (假的）cultural heritages with the intention of adding tothe cultural connotation (内涵）of the real heritage. The result ismostly a strange mix in which the value of the real one is lost in theglitter of the fake.
The more a cultural heritage is treated as it is, the more profitable it is. This is becoming increasingly true. This is becausepeople's aesthetic judgment has been improving with their rising living standards. They want to see the real things, well-preserved realobjects of cultural interest, and they want to learn something throughvisiting a cultural heritage site. According to the passage, cultural heritage _________.
| A．is a burden on economic growth |
| B．is a contributor to economic growth |
| C．must make money |
| D．must be a stable source of income for a local economy |
The profit from cultural heritage is _________.
| A．less than the investment in its protection and management |
| B．only by tourism |
| C．by building fake cultural heritages |
| D．through tourism and auction of cultural relics |
From the last Paragraph, we can learn _________.
| A．the more a cultural heritage is treated as it is, the more profitable it is |
| B．people's aesthetic judgment depends on the glitter of the fake |
| C．well-preserved real objects of cultural interest is worthless |
| D．preserving a real cultural heritage site well means a stable in-vestment |
The author tries to tell us _________.
| A．the importance of protecting and managing cultural heritages |
| B．the requirement of people's aesthetic judgment |
| C．cultural heritages make more money than industry |
| D．fake cultural heritages can add the cultural connotation toreal ones |
The morning had been a disaster. My tooth was aching, and hadbeen in an argument with a friend. Her words still hurt： "The trouble with you is that you won't put yourself in my place. Can't yousee things from my point of view?" I shook my head stubbornly—and felt the ache in my tooth. I'd thought I could hold out till mydentist came back from holiday, but the pain was really unbearable. I started calling the dentists in the phone book, but no one couldsee me immediately. Finally, at about lunchtime, I got lucky.
"If you come by right now, " the receptionist said, " the dentistwill fit you in. "
I took my purse and keys and rushed to my car. But suddenly Ibegan to doubt about the dentist. What kind of dentist would be soeager to treat someone at such short notice? Why wasn't he as busyas the others?
In the dentist's office, I sat down and looked around. I sawnothing but the bare walls and I became even more worried. The assistant noticed my nervousness and placed her warm hand over myice-cold one.
When I told her my fears, she laughed and said, "Don't worry. The dentist is very good. "
"How long do I have to wait for him?" I asked impatiently. "Come on, he is coming. Just lie down and relax. And enjoythe artwork, "the assistant said.
"The artwork?" I was puzzled.
The chair went back. Suddenly I smiled. There was a beautifulpicture, right where I could enjoy it ： on the ceiling. How consideratethe dentist was ！ At that moment, I began to understand what myfriend meant by her words. What a relief!Which of the following best describes the author's feeling thatmorning?
| A．Cheerful. | B．Nervous. |
| C．Satisfied. | D．Upset. |
What made the author begin to doubt about the dentist?
| A．The dentist's agreeing to treat her at very short notice. |
| B．The dentist's being as busy as the other dentists. |
| C．The surroundings of the dentist's office. |
| D．The laughing assistant of the dentist. |
Why did the author suddenly smile?
| A．Because the dentist came at last. |
| B．Because she saw a picture on the ceiling. |
| C．Because she could relax in the chair. |
| D．Because the assistant kept comforting her. |
What did the author learn from her experience most probably?
| A．Strike while the iron is hot. |
| B．Have a good word for one's friend. |
| C．Put oneself in others' shoes. |
| D．A friend in need is a friend indeed. |
She's rarely seen without an elegant handbag on her arm, butthe question of what the Queen keeps inside it has long remained amystery. Now a new book claims to cast light on the contents of theroyal Matriarch's main possession.
What's in the Queens Handbag-And Other Royal Secrets revealsthat though the 81-year-old British monarch(君主）does, t carry cash, keys or passport, since she doesn't own one—her bag is far fromempty. Inside are a collection of little presents from her children, amake-up case, some family photos, and a camera sometimes. There'salso an s-shaped metal hook that she places on the dinner table'sedge to hang her bag from so that it doesn't touch the floor.
Should you ever meet the Queen, it's not what's in her bag butwhat she does with it that should concern you. She uses her bags, ofwhich she has about 200 made by London-based firm Lanier, to sendsignals to her staff.
Before dining with the Queen, a point is made to inform gueststhat dinner will end in about five minutes after she places her bagon the table top.
On walkabouts, she holds the bag to one side to show she intendsto move on, at which point a lady-in-waiting joins the conversation, al-lowing her to slip away without causing offence.
When at a banquet, if the Queen's bag is placed on the floorthen it's a sign that she's not finding the conversation interesting, and wants nothing more than to escape. However, if the royal bag isdangling happily from the crook of her left arm, she is happy and relaxed. What does the article tell us about the Queen's handbag?
| A．She seldom has it with her. |
| B．She always carries the same handbag. |
| C．It used to be thought empty. |
| D．Its contents are not the same as ours. |
When is it necessary for the Queen to convey her intention withher bag?
| A．When she is with guests. | B．When she eats outside. |
| C．When she has her staff around. | D．When she is tired of speaking. |
The Queen gives no signal when she _________.
| A．hangs her bag on the metal hook | B．hangs her bag from her left arm |
| C．places her bag on the floor | D．puts her bag on the table top |
By holding her bag to one side, the Queen shows she wants to _________
| A．talk to her lady-in-waiting | B．start a conversation |
| C．stop to continue her walk | D．go on with the talk |
" What's in the Queen's Handbag ： And Other Royal Secrets " is italicized(用斜体写）because that's _________.
| A．the very title of the article |
| B．the name of a book |
| C．the main information given in the article |
| D．what the writer wants to stress |
Research shows that humans switch from selfish to unselfishbehavior when they are watched. Do you?
A picture of a set of eyes on a computer screen can cause achange in the way people act. Even images of eyes on a charity do-nation, a collection box encourages people to be unselfish, becausepeople put more money in a collection box that has a picture of eyeson it than they do when a flower symbol is on the box.
Manfred Milinski from the Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology in Germany and Bettina Rockenbachof the University of Berlin, the authorsof a new study, found that people actbetter when they are being watched be-cause they feel they will be rewardedfor good behavior. Their report also referred to other research showing thatthis response of behaving well whenwatched is somehowcoded into humans and people respond thisway unconsciously, or without realizing it. 
It is not just humans that act unselfishly when they are beingwatched. A fish called the grooming fish cleans other fish. Whenother fish are around, it is gentler. When no other fish are around, however, the grooming fish bites chunks from the fish it is supposedto be cleaning.
The researchers suggest that the best way to get people to be-have in the correct way is to make them feel watched. This could bethe reason for the success of a famous American army poster. On itwas a picture of an elderly man staring fiercely and pointing, it appeared, to the person who was looking at the poster. Under the picture was the caption " I Want You. " It encouraged hundreds of thou-sands of young American men to join the army during the SecondWorld War to fight the Germans and Japanese. According to the report, why does a person behave better whenhe feels he is being watched?
| A．He does not want to be shamed by others. |
| B．He needs to show he is a good person. |
| C．He desires others to like him more. |
| D．He feels he will receive some social reward. |
The underlined word "coded” (Paragraph 3) is closest in meaning to _________.
| A．hidden | B．programmed |
| C．forgotten | D．leaned |
What is the text mainly about?
| A．It describes changed behavior when observed. |
| B．It details ways to control people's behavior. |
| C．It tells how to make people work harder. |
| D．It discusses different advertising methods. |
According to the text, which of the following statements is true?
| A．People pretend to behave better when they are watched. |
| B．Fish bite other fish in a fish tank when they are alone. |
| C．People donate more money when they feel they are watched. |
| D．Soldiers fought better during World War II because of a poster. |
Where would the study described in the text most likely befound?
| A．In a newspaper. | B．In a scientific journal. |
| C．In an advertising magazine. | D．In a science textbook. |
No one knows for sure when advertising first started. It is possible that it grew out of the discovery that some people did certainkinds of work better than others did them. That led to the concept ofspecialization, which means that people would specialize, or focus, on doing one specific job.
It's take a man we'll call Mr. Fielder, for example. He dideverything connected with farming. He planted seeds, tended thefields, and harvested and sold his crops. At the same time, he didmany other jobs on the farm. However, he didn't make the bricks forhis house, cut his trees into boards, make the plows(犁），or any ofthe other hundreds of things a farm needs. Instead, he got them frompeople who specialized in doing each of those things.
Suppose there was another man we shall call Mr. Plowright. Usingwhat he knew about farming and working with iron, Mr. Plowright in-vented a plow that made farming easier. Mr. Plowright did not reallylike farming himself and wanted to specialize in making really goodplows. Perhaps, he thought, other farmers will trade what they grow forone of my plows.
How did Mr. Plowright let people know what he was doing?
Why, he advertised, of course. First he opened a shop and then heput up a sign outside the shop to attract customers. That sign mayhave been no more than a plow carved into a piece of wood and asimple arrow pointing to the shop door. It was probably all the information people needed to find Mr. Plowright and his really goodplows.
Many historians believe that the first outdoor signs were usedabout five thousand years ago. Even before most people could read, they understood such signs. Shopkeepers would carve into stone, clay, or wood symbols for the products they had for sale.
A medium, in advertising talk, is the way you communicateyour message. You might say that the first medium used in advertising was signs with symbols. The second medium was audio, orsound, although that term is not used exactly in the way we use ittoday. Originally, just the human voice and maybe some kind ofsimple instrument, such as a bell, were used to get people's attention.
A crier, in the historical sense, is not someone who weeps easily. It is someone, probably a man, with a voice loud enough to beheard over the other noises of a city. In ancient Egypt, shopkeepersmight hire such a person to spread the news about their products. Often this earliest form of advertising involved a newly arrived shiploaded with goods. Perhaps the crier described the goods, explainedwhere they came from, and praised their quality. His job was, inother words, not too different from a TV or radio commercial intoday's world. What probably led to the start of advertising?
| A．The discovery of iron. |
| B．The specialization of labor. |
| C．The appearance of new jobs. |
| D．The development of farming techniques. |
To advertise his plows, Mr. Plowright _________.
| A．praised his plows in public |
| B．placed a sign outside the shop |
| C．hung an arrow pointing to the shop |
| D．showed his products to the customers |
The writer makes up the two stories of Mr. Fielder and Mr. Plowright in order to _________.
| A．explain the origin of advertising |
| B．predict the future of advertising |
| C．expose problems in advertising |
| D．provide suggestions for advertising |
In ancient Egypt, a crier was probably someone who _________.
| A．owned a ship |
| B．had the loudest voice |
| C．ran a shop selling goods to farmers |
| D．functioned like today's TV or radio commercial |
The last two paragraphs are mainly about _________.
| A．the history of advertising |
| B．the benefits of advertising |
| C．the early forms of advertising |
| D．the basic design of advertising |
粤公网安备 44130202000953号