“At almost any given age，most of us are getting better at some things and worse at others，”Joshua Hartshorne，an MIT cognitive(认知的)science researcher and the lead author of a study looking at how intelligence changes as we age，told Business Insider.His team quizzed thousands of people aged 10—90 on their ability to do things like remembering lists of words，recognizing faces，learning names，and doing math.Their results suggest that no matter your age，there’s almost always a new peak on the horizon.
The human brain has a remarkable capacity to recognize and identify faces，and scientists are just beginning to learn why.On average，we know that our ability to learn and remember new faces appears to peak shortly after our 30th birthday.
Having trouble focusing? The study suggests that our ability to maintain attention improves with age，reaching its peak around age 43.While younger adults may excel in the speed and flexibility of information processing，adults approaching their mid-years may have the greatest capacity to remain focused.
Dating is tough.One of the reasons could be that we’re generally bad at reading other people’s emotions until we reach our late 40s.That’s according to one component of Hartshorne’s study，which involved showing thousands of people images of faces cropped tightly around the eye area.Participants were asked to describe the emotion the person in the photo was feeling.Performance peaked for people aged around 48.
Many people believe that their math skills decline after they leave school and stop practicing arithmetic.But the next time you try to split up a check，keep this in mind:your ability to do basic subtraction and division doesn’t reach its apex until your 50th birthday.
Ever wonder why you always lose at Scrabble? Good news:Your best days may be ahead.According to people’s scores on multiple—choice vocabulary tests，most of us don’t reach our peak wordsmithing abilities until we’re in our late 60s or early 70s.
1.What did the scientists mainly test during the research?
A. Communication ability. B. Athletic ability.
C. Intelligence ability. D. Reading ability.
2.What does the underlined word“apex”in paragraph 5 mean?
A. Destination. B. Top. C. Goal. D. Minimum.
3.Who is most likely to succeed according to the text?
A. Lucy，72，trying to win at Scrabble.
B. Tom，26，trying to identify strangers’ faces.
C. Jack，48，trying to focus his attention for a long time.
D. Lily，43，trying to read the emotions in different eyes.
4.What does Hartshorne’s study mainly tell us?
A. There is no end to learning.
B. Constant dropping wears away the stone.
C. Genius is nothing but labor and diligence.
D. A foot may prove short while an inch may prove long.
Five thousand square meters of old damaged cars，motorcycles and boats fill this junkyard.For a casual onlooker，this might be a very sad sight.But for Andy.it's a real treasure.“I’ve been a junk hoarder(囤积者)for my whole life and I like fixing up what shouldn’t be thrown away.Around 200 old cars end up in this junkyard every week.Some of them are sold for parts，others get repaired，and still others are beyond repair.”
His father Bobby started the business some 50 years ago and still spends every morning there.The father and son have very different approaches to their work.They got a Dean cab that was getting thrown away and that was the father’s project，which Andy did not want him to do.“He did basically the opposite of everything I told him and I think he did it just to make me mad.He dumped a ton of money into this car，but in the end it wouldn’t run.”Andy said jokingly.
The unusual family business attracted the attention of a TV crew.That’s how the show Janka Empire came to be featured on a network of the Discovery Channel.This show，five years of shooting，five seasons and 60 episodes(集)，is popular.“There are hundreds of junkyards throughout the United States.I think what’s interesting is that it is a family business.My father and I started the business and we joke very well back and forth and I think that's what people like.The cars that end up at the junkyard come out with endless surprises.See，this was a junk car and we restored it with a blown motor.Yet I don’t get a chance to ride around it too often.Because despite its shining appearance，the noise of the engine is truly deafening and I worry my neighbors will not put up with it.”
1.What does Andy seem to like about his junkyard?
A. He is proud of its large scale.
B. He is addicted to collecting things.
C. He enjoys creating value out of the waste.
D. He has the passion to take over the business one day.
2.What can we infer from the“one Dean cab”case?
A. The father is ready to follow his son’s advice.
B. The father goes against his son deliberately.
C. The son is impatient and fed up with his father.
D. The father and son often disagree with each other.
3.Why is the show Janka Empire popular?
A. There are few junkyards in the United States.
B. The father and son work together in a fun way.
C. The show is a series of 5 seasons and 60 episodes.
D. The family business shows much concern for their neighbors.
4.What does the underlined word“it”refer to in the last paragraph?
A. Janka Empire. B. The family business.
C. The shining appearance. D. The noise of the engine.
Some people might dream of splendid surroundings—but also need a reasonably affordable cost of living.Try one of these four astonishing spots for a magical retirement，from an International living.com report，where retirees can live well on less.
Sintra，Portugal
A favorite summer retreat of former royalty，which is just a 40-minute train ride from Lisbon，is the pastel-painted Palace of Pena，a 19th-century Romanticist marvel with pink turrets and daffodil-yellow tower on a hill surrounded by pine forests.A couple could live well in this arts-rich tourist town，though pricier than other cities in Portugal，on a budget of $ 3,065 a month.
Cusco，Peru
Cusco，Peru’s most historic city，is a UNESCO World Heritage site.Once an Incan capital.Cusco has clear，sunny days.Colonial structures have been changed into fashionable restaurants，shops and even homes.Superfoods，like chia seeds，quinoa and maca，are inexpensive and plentiful.A retired couple could enjoy a good life on$ 1,700 a month.
The West Coast，Ireland
The Wild Atlantic Way is a cycling or driving route that stretches across the west coast of Ireland.At the heart of the route is one of the most amazing natural wonders，the landmark Cliffs of Moher in County Clare—one of Ireland’s most visited natural attractions.On a budget of around $ 2，800 a month，a retired couple could live quite comfortably.
San Miguel de Allende，Mexico
San Miguel was declared a UNESCO World Heritage City in 2008.The colonial centro has much to offer retirees:low cost of living，arts，charming local cultural traditions and mild weather year-round.San Miguel is a few hours’ drive from Mexico City.The days are comfortably warm and the nights blessedly coo1.A retired couple could live comfortably on a monthly budget of $ l，650.
1.Who is the text intended for?
A. Adventurers. B. Photographers. C. Retirees. D. Artists.
2.Where will you go if you want to taste the local foods at a reasonable price?
A. Sintra，Portugal. B. Cusco，Peru.
C. The West Coast，Ireland. D. San Miguel de Allende.Mexico.
3.How much can a couple save monthly at most if they choose the cheapest site?
A. $1,650. B. $1,150. C. $1,365. D. $1,415.
在我国，部分地区已实行学生课本的回收再利用．很多人都认为这是件好事．你校英语月报的Our Voices栏目就这个问题展开讨论．请你以"Isn't Recycling Textbooks a Good Idea？"为题，写一篇英文稿件．内容要点如下：
益处 | 减少经济负担； |
节约自然资源； | |
保护环境． | |
你的观点 | …… |
注意：1． 不要逐字翻译，可以适当增加细节，使行文连贯．
2． 词数100左右，文章开头已写好，不计入总词数．
Is Recycling Textbooks a Good Idea？
Recently， the Ministry of Education has decided to recycle textbooks in schools nationwide． I think this is a wonderful idea．
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文．文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处．每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改．
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（︿）， 并在其下面写出该加的词．
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉．
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词．
注意：1． 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2． 只允许修改10处， 多者（从第11处起）不计分．
There are many people think that wealth is better than health．I used to think so until one day I had read a story about Howard Joyce．He was an European billionaire who got everything he wanted． Therefore， in the last twenty years of his life， his health began to get worse and he led a miserably life．Although the best doctors called for him， he could still find no relief．I have realized that health is worth all the money in the world．If you have million of dollars but you are at poor health，you will not be able to do what you want to do．So I would like to advise you not to hurt yourself to trying to make money．Instead，take care of your body and be happy with which you do． Health is more important．
阅读下面材料，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式．
The cheongsam is a female dress with distinctive Chinese features and enjoys growing 1. （popular） in the international world of high fashion． The name "cheongsam"2. （mean） simply "long dress" entered the English vocabulary from the dialect of China's Guangdong Province． In other parts of the country including Beijing，however，it3. （know） as "qipao"，which has a history behind it．
After the early Manchu（满族的）rulers came to China，the Manchu women wore 4. （normal） a onepiece dress which came to be called"qipao"． 5. the 1911 Revolution ended the rule of the Qing Dynasty，the female dress survived the political change and，with later improvements，has become the traditional dress for Chinese women．
The cheongsam，6. neck is high，collar closed，fits well the Chinese female figure，and its sleeves may be either short，medium or full 7.（long），depending on seasons or tastes．In addition，it is not too complicated 8. （make）．Nor 9. it need too much material．Another beauty of the cheongsam is that it can be worn either 10.casual or formal occasions．In either case，it creates an impression of simple and quiet charm，elegance and neatness．
