If you want to stay young, sit down and have a good think. This is the research finding of a team of Japanese doctors, who say that most of out brains are not getting enough exercise, and as a result, we are growing old unnecessarily soon.
Professor Taiju Matsuzawa wanted to find out why quite healthy farmers in northern Japan appeared to be losing their ability to think and reason at a rather early age, and how the speed of getting old could be slowed down.
With a team of researchers at Tokyo National University, he set about measuring brain sizes of a thousand people of different ages with different jobs.
Computer technology helped the researchers to get most exact measurements of the sizes of the front and side parts of the brain, which have something to do with thinking and feeling, and decide the human character. As we all know, the back part of the brain, which controls task like eating and breathing, does not contract(萎缩) with age.
Contraction of front and side parts, as cells(细胞) die off, was seen in some people in their thirties, but it was still not found in some sixty and seventy-year-olds.
Matsuzawa concluded from his tests that there is a simple way to prevent the contraction---using the head.
The findings show that contraction of the brain begins sooner in people in the country than those in the towns. Those with least possibility, says Matsuzawa, are lawyers, followed by university professors and doctors. White-collar workers doing the same work day after day in government offices are, however, as possible to have contracting brains as the farm workers, bus drivers and shop assistants.
1. The team of doctors wanted to find out ____.
A. at what point people grow live longer.
B. how to make people live longer
C. the size of certain people’s brains.
D. which group of people are the busiest
2.Their research findings are based on ______.c
A. an examination of farmers in northern Japan
B. using computer technology
C. examining the brain sizes of different people
D. tests given a thousand old people
3.The doctor’s tests show that ______.
A. our brains contract as we grow older
B. one part of the brain does not contract
C. sixty-year-olds have better brains than thirty-year-olds
D. contraction of the brain begins sooner in people in the country
4. According to the article, _____ are growing mentally old earlier.
A. engineers B. office clerks C. professors D. researchers
5.The most possible conclusion of the article is that ____.
A. most of us should take more exercise
B. it’s better to live in the towns
C. the brain contracts if it is not used
D. the more one uses his brain, the sooner he becomes old
Nowadays, any traveler might be treated as a terrorist (恐怖分子) by the immigration (入境) officers in the USA.
We returned from Iraq and landed safely. My heart 16 when I was asked to the back room by the immigration officer. My 17___, with his very American last name, had no trouble at all. In fact, I am 18____ American born and raised, but they weren’t quite ready to let me in yet. The only reason was 19___ they thought my name looked like the one of 20___ who’s on their wanted list (通缉令) and I had to wait till they checked me out 21___ Washington.
Time passed 22___ . One hour, one hour and a half…I could not wait any longer and 23___ my cellphone out to call the friend I had planned to meet that evening. An officer 24___ over. “No Phone!” he said, “For all we know you could be calling terrorists and giving them 25___.”
Oh, my God! I was just a university professor. I had no 26___ but to put my phone away. My husband and I were getting hungry and 27_____. I wanted to cry, to 28____ onto a chair and shout: “I am nothing but an American professor!”
After two hours in the back room, without explanation and 29____, I was allowed to go after he gave me a piece of paper with a(n) 30_____ on it and told me I could write to the department if I wasn’t 31____ with the treatment. He also 32___ that nothing could stop it from happening again.
I shared my experience with my friends and the 33____ was I should change my name. But name is personal, like the town you were born in.
Even though I had a troublesome experience at the airport, which made me realize being American could ever be so 34_____, like my father, I’ll keep the 35____.
1.A. ached B. beat C. sank D. rose
2.A. son B. daughter C. friend D. husband
3.A. still B. also C. already D. never
4.A. that B. because C. why D. whether
5. A. everyone B. anyone C. someone D. all
6. A. with B. to C. through D. of
7. A. quickly B. carefully C. dangerously D. slowly
8. A. put B. pulled C. used D. caught
9.A. went B. came C. cried D. rushed
10.A. news B. truth C. information D. reply
11.A. response B. voice C. choice D. face
12. A. silent B. tired C. comfortable D. clear
13. A. sit B. run C. jump D. lie
14. A. expressions B. words C. thanks D. apologies
15. A. address B. name C. number D. map
16. A. sad B. disappointed C. happy D. angry
17.A. added B. spoke C. talked D. argued
18.A. advice B. result C. way D. agreement
19.A. easy B. long C. hard D. high
20.A. experience B. name C. story D. passport
--- It’s more expensive to live in the city than to live in the country, I think.
--- ____ . Living in the city brings people better conditions, though.
A.That’s all right. B.I’m sorry to hear that
C.That is really necessary D.I couldn’t agree more.
____ abroad for two years, the two astronauts went back home last year.
A. Educating B. Educated C. Having been educated D. being educated
________ the normal condition, he can read 150 words a minute.
A. Below B. Under C. With D. In
He left ________any of his friends _________ him _________.
A. with; seeing; of B. without; seeing; off
C. without; see; / D. with; see; out
