If you are over 20, look away now. Your cognitive （认知的）performance is probably already on the wane. The speed with which people can process information decreases at a steady rate from as early as their 20s.
A common test of processing speed is the “digit symbol substitution test”, in which a range of symbols are paired with a set of numbers in a code. Participants are shown the code, given a row of symbols and then asked to write down the corresponding number in the box below within a set period. There is nothing cognitively challenging about the task: levels of education make no difference to performance. But age does. Speed declines as people get older.
Why this should be is still uncertain, but a range of tentative（尝试性的）explanations has been put forward. One points the finger at myelin, a white, fatty substance that coats axons, which carry signals from one neuron to another. Steady reductions in myelin as people age may be slowing down these connections. Another possibility, says Timothy Salthouse, director of the Cognitive Ageing Laboratory at the University of Virginia, is exhaustion of a chemical called dopamine（多巴胺）.
Fortunately, there is some good news to go with the bad. Psychologists distinguish between “fluid intelligence”, which is the ability to solve new problems, and “crystallised intelligence”, which roughly equates to an individual’s stock of accumulated knowledge. These reserves of knowledge continue to increase with age: people’s performance on vocabulary and cognitive decline. In an old but instructive study of typists ranging in age from 19 to 72, older workers typed just as fast as younger ones, even though their tapping speed was slower. They achieved this by looking further ahead in the text, which allowed them to keep going more smoothly.
What does all this mean for a lifetime of continuous learning? It is encouraging so long as people are learning new tricks in familiar fields. “If learning can be absorbed into an existing knowledge base, advantage favours the old,” says Mr Salthouse.
1.The phrase “on the wane” (in paragraph 1) is closest in meaning to _______.
A.declining B.improving
C.varying D.maintaining
2.By “age does” (in paragraph 2), the writer means that _______。
A.the level of a participant’s education is related to how old he is
B.the older a participant is, the more slowly he writes down the number
C.a participant’s age affects his ability to figure out what the symbol means
D.how much time a participant is given to finish the task depends on his age
3.What can be inferred from the passage?
A.Dopamine has been proved to be a chemical that affects people’s cognitive ability.
B.One way to avoid cognitive decline is to have as much experience as possible in life.
C.Moving older workers into an entirely new area of knowledge is less likely to go well.
D.Crystallised intelligence plays an important role in keeping people alert in new situations.
4.What is the passage mainly about?
A.Why the brain fails with the age needs to be explored.
B.“Digit symbol substitution test” proves to be groundless.
C.One’s knowledge base matters more than his cognitive ability.
D.The brain changes in both good and bad ways as one ages.
Lift Ev’ry Voice Lillian M. Whitlow $34.99 hc / $23.99 sc / $3.99 eb Lillian M. Whitlow’s Lift Ev’ry Voice is a collection that consists of short life stories of several African-Americans in history who have provided America with their extraordinary gifts and talents in music, sports, art, literary works, theatre, politics and other areas. | It Came by Loss Bill McCausland $34.99 hc / $23.99 sc / $3.99 eb It came by Loss is a tale about Pete Gordon and his struggles after the death of his mother and his friend and how he was able to rise from these tragedies. |
The Truth Won’t Help Them Now Joan Hunter and Steven Cobos $22.95 sc/ $3.99 eb Won’t Help Them Now is a fast-paced tale of murder and gangland intrigue, involving a gritty district attorney and a band of detectives on a quest to solve two separate crimes in 1939 Los Angeles. | “Through the eyes of the East” Inspirational poems Salma Hamid Hussain $27.99 sc Russain writes Through the eyes of the East in her hope to lead the younger generation in acquiring a spiritual perception in life. Her poems reflect traditional values pushed into the background by this world’s fast-changing landscape. |
*hc: hardcover
*sc: softcover
*eb: electronic business
1.Which of the following books only provides a printed version?
A.Lift Ev’ry Voice
B.It Came by Loss
C.The Truth Won’t Help Them Now
D.“Though the eyes of the East” Inspirational poems
2.If you want to read historical stories, you’d better choose the book written by _______.
A.Bill McCausland B.Lillian M. Whitlow
C.Salma Hamid Hussain D.Joan Hunter and Steven Cobos
P1Some people have lot of hair while others have a little. Some people have no hair on the top of their head; they are bald. The important thing is -- are you happy with the hair you have?
P2Problem hair is often a result of an unhealthy diet and lifestyle.
P3To ensure your hair looks its best, pay attention to what you eat. Lack of protein and iron makes your hair less shiny. So, you need adequate amounts of green vegetables, fruits and dairy products. Drink eight to ten glasses of water a day. This will help keep your hair from becoming dry. Avoid eating sweets or high-fat foods. They can slow hair growth.
P4Stress in your life can also secretly rob your hair of its shiny beauty. Relaxing music and more rest are both remedies for stress.
P5In addition, remember to rinse your hair thoroughly after you shampoo it. Brushing your hairregularly will help it grow. It will also make it look healthy. Do not rub your hair too quickly when you dry it. It could damage your hair.
P6Last, be sure to choose the right hair products. The choices you make are they key to healthy hair.
1.The author mentions the different people’s hair in paragraph 1 to ________.
A.introduce the following topic of hair care
B.show the importance of having a lot of hair
C.stress people’s dissatisfaction with their hair
D.describe the current situation of hair care market
2.According to the passage, if you want to fasten hair growth, you can ________.
A.have more green vegetables and dairy products
B.eat fewer candies or foods containing much fat
C.drink eight or more glasses of water a day
D.listen to relaxing music and take more test
3.The meaning of word “regularly” (in Para 5) is closest to ________.
A.often B.thoroughly
C.quickly D.happily
4.Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
A.Bald? It’s impossible! B.Healthy life, healthy hair!
C.To be bald or hairy? It’s a question. D.More Exercise, More Food, More Hair!
5.Which of the following structures matches the passage above?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Laugh-lab, an experiment set up more than a year ago, established that the British, Irish, New Zealanders and Australians prefer a play on words and that the French, Danes and Belgians have a taste for the surreal（超现实主义的）. Americans and Canadians, _______, laugh at jokes showing one group’s superiority over another. The Germans apparently have the _______ sense of humor -- if only because they have no national preference, and therefore find almost anything funny.
The winning joke was the product of international selection. It was posted by Gurpal Gosall, a 31-year-old psychologist from Manchester. This joke, according to Richard Wiseman, founder of Laugh-lab, _______ all. It also contained the three _______ that were found central to humor: a sense of superiority, an unexpected response, and a sad feeling. The joke was that:
A couple of New Jersey hunters are out in the woods when one of them falls to the ground. He doesn’t seems to be breathing, his eyes are rolled back in his head. The other guy whips out his mobile phone and calls the emergency services. He gasps to the operator: ‘My friend is dead! What can I do?’ The operator, in a clam, soothing voice says: ‘Just take it easy. I can help. First, let’s make sure he’s _______.’ There is a silence, then a shot is heard. The guy’s voice comes back on the line. He says: ‘OK, now that?’
Dr Gosall and _______ the joke for years. He said: ‘It makes people feel better ... reminds you that there’s always someone out there doing something more _______ than you.’ It was one of a series of jokes read to a volunteer who was being given a brain scan. With each joke, a specific area at the front of the volunteer’s brain lit up. There was also a reaction in an area linked to _______, showing recognition of an old joke. ‘It _______ other research, because if people have damage to that part of the brain, then they lose their sense of humor,’ Dr Wiseman said.
There were other ____________. The Laugh-lab computers counted the number of words in every joke that people submitted（提交）. According to the data, jokes containing 103 are the funniest. Interestingly, the winning joke is 102 words long-almost the ____________ length for a joke!
Many of the jokes submitted contained references to ____________. The researchers found that jokes mentioning ducks were seen as funnier than other jokes. Perhaps it’s because of their webbed feet or their odd shapes. ____________, the implication is clear -- if you are going to tell a joke involving an animal, make it a duck.
The Laugh-lab computer also recorded the date and time that each person from the UK ____________ the jokes in Laugh-lab. Careful analysis of the data revealed that people found the jokes funniest on the 7th October at 6:03 in the evening. Perhaps they have ____________ discovered the funniest moment of the year!
1.A.in addition B.on the other hand C.by all means D.to a certain degree
2.A.keenest B.broadest C.strangest D.worst
3.A.differed from B.relied on C.cared about D.appealed to
4.A.elements B.parts C.functions D.styles
5.A.kind B.alive C.dead D.quiet
6.A.liked B.made C.missed D.shared
7.A.violent B.helpful C.stupid D.sensible
8.A.language B.laughter C.memory D.analysis
9.A.dates back to B.keeps up with C.breaks away from D.fits in with
10.A.terms B.jokes C.discussions D.discoveries
11.A.perfect B.similar C.familiar D.expected
12.A.ducks B.animals C.shapes D.fears
13.A.Additionally B.Regardless C.Surprisingly D.Somehow
14.A.tested B.told C.searched D.rated
15.A.scientifically B.moderately C.separately D.occasionally
Darwin, _________ book On the Origin of Species probably ranks second only to the Bible, had great impact on Western thought.
A.who’s B.which C.for whom D.whose
Performances, ________ the public was admitted for free, were arranged fortnightly.
A.them B.in which C.to which D.when
