New research shows that the healthy brain may hold memories which we don’t even remember. In The Journal of Neuroscience, experts report that the brain might hold more memories than people realize, but that restoring those memories can be tricky.
Memory Check
First, participants saw a list of 120 real words mixed with 80 nonsense words. Next, they saw another word list and tried to remember which words had been on the first list. Meanwhile, their brains were scanned with functional magnetic resonance(核磁共振) imaging.
While participants reviewed the second word list, their brain scans showed more activity in a certain brain area -- the posterior（后部的） median temporal lobe(脑叶) -- when they saw words that had been on the first word list.
But participants didn’t always remember that they’d seen those words before. Sometimes, they goofed and said they hadn’t seen those words before. In other words, the posterior median temporal lobe was more sensitive to memory than participants’ consciousness, the researchers note.
“Album”of Memories
Another part of the median temporal lobe also attracted the scientists’ attention. The anterior（前面的）median temporal lobe showed more activity when participants thought they were seeing a new word, the study shows.
So, why did participants sometimes mess up their memory recall? It might be that two parts of their brain -- the posterior and anterior median temporal lobes -- might be dueling(决斗) for the upper hand in deciding what actually happened in the past, the study notes.
In other words, memories might have a photo album in the brain, but sometimes we forget what’s on all of the photo album’s pages.A person sometimes has difficulty recalling because .
| A．he is unconscious when he gets his memories |
| B．he forgets what is on the pages of the photo album |
| C．there are two parts in his brain dueling for the upper advantage |
| D．the anterior median temporal lobe is more active than the posterior |
According to the passage the researchers are .
| A．studying how a person remembers things |
| B．studying a magazine The Journal of Neuroscience |
| C．examining posterior and anterior median temporal lobes |
| D．doing experiments to find out what disturbs a person’s memory |
What did the experts discover when the participants saw the words on the first word list appear on the second word list?
| A．The instrument worked faster. |
| B．The participants were more conscious. |
| C．The posterior median temporal lobe was more active. |
| D．The anterior median temporal lobe was more active. |
The underlined wordgoofedin the fourth paragraph means .
| A．made a mess of | B．made an answer for |
| C．made out of | D．made the best of |
Dear Dad ,
Today I was at the shopping mall and I spent a lot of time reading the Father’s Day cards . They all had a special message that in some way or another reflected how I feel about you . Yet as I selected and read , it occurred to me that not a single card said what I really want to say to you.
You’ll soon be 84 years old , Dad , and you and I will have had 55 Father’s Days together . I haven’t always been with you on Father’s Day but I’ve always been with you in my heart.
You know , Dad , there was a time when we were separated by the generation gap . You stood on one side of the Great Divide and I on the other.
The Father-Daughter Duel shifted into high gear（档位）when you taught me to drive the old Dodge and I decided I would drive the 54 Chevy whether you liked it or not . The police officer who sent me home after you reported the Chevy stolen didn’t have much tolerance for a stubborn 16 year old , while you were so tolerant about it , Dad , and I think that was probably what made it the worst night of my life.
Our relationship picked up when I married a man you liked , and things really turned around when we began making babies right and left . Somewhere along the line , the generation gap disappeared . I suppose I saw us and our relationship as aging together , rather like a fine wine.
But the strangest thing happened last week . I was at a stop sign and I watched as you turned the corner in your car . It didn’t immediately occur to me that it was you because the man driving looked so elderly and fragile behind the wheel of that huge car . It was rather like a slap in the face delivered from out of nowhere. Perhaps I saw your age for the first time that day.
I guess what I’m trying to say , Dad , is what every son and daughter wants to say to their Dad today . Honoring a father on Father’s Day is about respect and sharing and acceptance and tolerance and giving and taking . It’s about loving someone more than words can say , and it’s wishing that it never had to end.
I love you , Dad.
Love,
JennyWhat caused Jenny to write the letter ?
| A．Getting along well with her father . |
| B．Being away on previous Father’s Day . |
| C．Visiting a card exhibition at a mall . |
| D．Failing to find a satisfactory card . |
What does the underlined phrase “ turned around ” in Para. 5 mean ?
| A．Because better . | B．Changed unexpectedly . |
| C．Went worse . | D．Progressed unsteadily . |
What can we learn from Para. 6 ?
| A．Jenny seldom saw her father drive that huge car . |
| B．Jenny had never realized her father’s being weak . |
| C．Jenny’s father slapped her on the face somewhere . |
| D．Jenny knew her father’s real age from that day on . |
Jenny wrote her father this letter to __________ .
| A．inform him of their conflicts |
| B．apologize for her being stubborn |
| C．express her genuine love to him |
| D．remind him of the early incident |
Despite the high technology and investment in flood defences by the Environment Agency, there is no way to stop all flooding -- sooner or later nature will produce something that will beat even the strongest defences.
Warning people of this danger is very important if we are to prevent the great loss of life seen fifty-three years ago. Indeed if the Flood Warning System that currently exists had been around on that cold, stormy night in January 1953, many lives would have been spared.
The Environment Agency took over the role of flood warning in 1995 from the police who had to go door to door or sound alarms to get the news out. The service is being constantly improved and a combination of better technology and increased investment following the Easter Floods of 1998 has led to the creation of Floodline and an automatic messaging system that can warn thousands of people in very little time.
Floodline 0845 988 1188 offers information and advice 24 hours a day and if warnings are in place, callers can get information either from local updates or by using a quickdial code for their area.
The Flood Warning team in Kent has also sent letters to the people living close to the rivers or the sea and invited them to join the AVM (automated voice messaging) system. Anyone choosing to take up this free service will receive a recorded message directly to their home, business or pager telling them of the level of warning, giving them as much time as possible to carry out their flood plan and save items that cannot be replaced if lost or damaged, such as photographs or children’s favorite toys.Choose the correct statements from the following according to the passage.
a. Many people lost their lives in the flood in 1953.
b. The Flood Warning system was already in use in 1953.
c. Flood defences can stop all flooding.
d. The Environment Agency began to warn people of flood in 1995.
e. Floodline was created after the Easter Floods of 1998.
| A．a, b, c | B．b, c, d |
| C．a, d, e | D．a, c, e |
What does the underlined word "pager" mean in the passage?
| A．A piece of equipment designed to receive and show messages. |
| B．A boy employed to carry luggage in hotels. |
| C．A page of papers written to offer messages. |
| D．A person, invited to write pages of messages. |
People can easily get information and advice about flood any time of the day from____.
| A．automatic messaging system |
| B．automated voice messaging system |
| C．the Flood Warning team in Kent |
| D．Floodline 0845 988 1188 |
The best title for this passage may probably be ____.
| A．Environment Agency | B．Flood Warning System |
| C．Technology In Flood Defences | D．Easter Floods |
Researchers are placing robotic dogs in the homes of lonely old people to determine whether they can improve the quality of life for humans. Alan Beck, an expert in human-animal relationship, and Nancy Edwards, a professor of nursing, are leading the animal-assisted study concerning the influence of robotic dogs on old people's depression, physical activity, and life satisfaction. “No one will argue that an older person is better off being more active, challenged, or stimulated (刺激),” Edwards points out. “The problem is how we promote that, especially for those without friends or help. A robotic dog could be a solution.”
In the study, the robot, called AIBO, is placed for six weeks in the houses of some old people who live alone. Before placing AIBO in the home, researchers will collect baseline data for six weeks. These old people will keep a diary to note their feelings and activities before and after AIBO. Then, the researchers will review the data to determine if it has inspired any changes in the life of its owner.
“I talk to him all the time, and he responds to my voice,” says a seventy-year-old lady. “When I'm watching TV, he'll stay in my arms until he wants down. He has a mind of his own.”
The AIBOs respond to certain orders. The researchers say they have some advantages over live dogs, especially for old people. Often the elderly are disabled and cannot care for an animal by walking it or playing with it. A robotic dog removes exercise and feeding concerns.
“At the beginning, it was believed that no one would relate to the robotic dog because it was metal and not furry,” Beck says. “But it's amazing how quickly we have given up that belief.”
“Hopefully, down the road, these robotic pets could become a more valuable health helper. They will record their masters’ blood pressure, oxygen levels, or heart rhythms. AIBOs may even one day have games that can help stimulate older people's minds.”The purpose of Beck and Edwards’ study is to ____.
| A．understand human-animal relationship |
| B．find the causes of old people’s loneliness |
| C．make lonely old people’s life better |
| D．promote the animal-assisted research |
In the research, the old people are asked to ____.
| A．note the activities of AIBOs |
| B．keep AIBOs at home for 12 weeks |
| C．analyze the collected information |
| D．record their feelings and activities |
What is the advantage of AIBO over live dogs?
| A．It can watch TV with its owner. |
| B．It can help the disabled people. |
| C．It responds to all the human orders. |
| D．It is easier to keep at home. |
The author seems to suggest that the future robotic dogs may ____.
| A．keep old people active |
| B．cure certain diseases |
| C．change people's beliefs |
| D．look more like real dogs |
The historic center of Vienna has been added to UNESCO's World Cultural Heritage list. Thus, St. Stephen's Cathedral, the Imperial Palace and many other historic buildings are now recognized as being among the 700 outstanding cultural and natural monuments of mankind - others include the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur, the historic center of Rome, the Kremlin with the Red Square, the Chinese Wall, the Taj Mahal and the Grand Canyon.
Vienna's historic center, in its unity, is considered one of the most beautiful city landmarks in Europe. Three eras left their mark on the former residence of the Habsburgs: the Middle Ages with Gothic St. Stephen's Cathedral whose spire points toward heaven, one of Vienna's landmarks; the Baroque whose most important achievement is the Imperial Palace with its sumptuous cupolas (奢华的圆顶). And the Ring Boulevard era of the late nineteenth century, when such splendid buildings as the Vienna State Opera and the Museum of Fine Arts were built to replace the former city walls.
The imperial flair of the center of Vienna is enhanced (加强) by numerous churches, mansions and parks, as well as by rich art collections gathered by wealthy rulers. And the centuries-old musical tradition ranges from the Court Chapel of the Imperial Palace to Mozart's immortal (不朽的) music and the waltzes of Johann Strauss. Also inseperably linked to the center of the city are the delights of Viennese cuisine, the gemütlichkeit of Viennese coffeehouses and nostalgic shopping at former purveyors (伙食承办商) to the imperial court.Which of the following is not mentioned as cultural and natural monuments ofman-kind?
| A．the Taj Mahal |
| B．the Pyramid Fields |
| C．the Kremlin with the Red Square |
| D．the Court Chapel |
The second paragraph is developed mainly by ____.
| A．following the order of place | B．providing examples |
| C．making comparisons | D．analyzing causes |
What does the underlined words “imperial flair” in the last paragraph mean?
| A．culture atmosphere | B．art style |
| C．royal style | D．royal palace |
What is the passage mainly about ?
| A．The universal value of the world heritage in Vienna |
| B．Vienna’s becoming one of the cultural and natural monuments of mankind |
| C．The introduction of the historic center of Vienna |
| D．The special culture atmosphere of the historic center of Vienna |
Experience the newly opened Grand Canyon (大峡谷) West Skywalk in Colorado. Departing from Grand Canyon's South Rim by Airplane to Grand Canyon's West Rim, you will land and take a ground tour to the Skywalk! Walk on air for 70 feet over the edge of Grand Canyon West.
This Skywalk has been open since March 28, 2007. Daily visitorship to the Skywalk has been over 4,000 people. Please be patient to enjoy your moment on the Skywalk.
After you have experienced the one and only Grand Canyon Skywalk Glass Bridge, you will return to the Grand Canyon West Airport and take your Airplane for a flight back to the South Rim of the Canyon. This is a tour never to be forgotten as you will have walked on air over the Grand Canyon.
Tour Itinerary (行程)
| Tour Duration |
5.7 Hours |
The Grand Canyon Adventure Skywalk |
| Flight from Grand Canyon South Rim to Grand Canyon West |
1 Hour |
Experience a bird's-eye view of the Grand Canyon as you make your way to Grand Canyon West. |
| Light Lunch at Guano Point at Grand Canyon West |
2 Hours |
You'll be taken by bus to Guano Point with breathtaking views of the western part of the Grand Canyon where the Calorado River makes its way into Lake Mood. Every table for lunch has a view. |
| Walk on the World Famous Skywalk |
1.5 Hours |
Finally you'll board your bus to Eagle Point, home of the Grand Canyon Skywalk. Now it is time for you to walk on air for 70 feet over the Grand Canyon. |
| Flight Back to Grand Canyon South Rim |
1.2 Hours |
After time on the Skywalk, you'll return to the Grand Canyon West Airport and return to Grand Canyon South Rim in time for dinner and sunset. |
This advertisement is for ____.
| A．Grand Canyon West | B．the Skywalk |
| C．Grand Canyon | D．Grand Canyon South |
The package fee does NOT cover the cost of ____.
The Grand Canyon Skywalk Bridge is made of glass because ____.
| A．it looks stranger |
| B．it is cheaper to build |
| C．it gives you a better view |
| D．it looks more beautiful |
According to the Tour Itinerary, the route is ____.
| A．South Rim→West Airport→Guano Point→Eagle Point→West Airport→South Rim |
| B．South Rim→Guano Point→West Airport→Eagle Point→West Airport→South Rim |
| C．South Rim→West Airport→Eagle Point→Guano Point→West Airport→South Rim |
| D．South Rim→West Airport→Eagle Point→West Airport→Guano Point→South Rim |
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