As scientists probe(探究) the mysteries inside our heads, their discoveries are proving new insights into how we can all sharpen our mental machinery.
Your brain is fat
In fact, you brain is the fattiest organ in your body, consisting of a minimum of 60 percent fat. Fat carries, absorbs and stores vitamins in your bloodstream.1..
We can get smarter as we get older
Rawan Tarawneh, an assistant professor, points out that although some mental processes decline as we age, not all does.2., On the other hand, language functions tend to remain well preserved as we get older, peaking even into our early 70s.
3.
Comparing the brains of great thinkers, writers, and mathematicians hasn’t yielded conclusive evidence that the size of the brain has a connection to intelligence.
Intelligence might start with ignoring distractions
Intelligent people were better at detecting movements of small objects on a screen but worse at movements of large background objects. This may be because in nature, large movements such as the wind in the trees are irrelevant, but the harder-to-see animals is essential.4.
5.
For example, experiments have shown that people who were born blind use the visual parts of their brains for tasks other than seeing.
A.Fat is essential for brain.
B.In our information-laden world, focusing on only what’s important may give some people an edge (优势).
C.The close connection between brain’s size and intelligence.
D.It also helps the immune system function properly.
E.You brain can adapt itself.
F.Some of our brain functions, such as short term memory show some decline with aging.
G.Bigger isn’t necessarily better.
For more than twenty years scientists have been searching for signs of life on other planets. Most of these searches have been done over the radio. The hope is that someone in outer space may be trying to get in touch with us. Scientists also have sent radio and television messages on spaceships traveling through space, on the chance that someone may be receptive to such messages.
Scientists are using powerful radio telescope to listen to signals from about 1,000 stars, all within 100 light years of earth. In addition, they will scan (扫视) the entire sky to “listen” for radio messages from more distant stars. Using a computer, they will be able to monitor more than eight channels at one time. Scientists are looking for any signal that stands out from the background noise.
Of the 200 billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy, scientists find that five percent are like our sun. Perhaps half of them have a planet like earth. Such a planet would be a reasonable distance from the star for temperatures to be right for the evolution (进化) of life. Based on the inhabitable (that can be lived in) planets in our galaxy, most scientists agree that chances are likely that one or more of these planets support some life.
However, many scientists wonder whether intelligent life exists on other planets. Some believe that twenty years of searching without any intelligible messages shows that no one is out there. They say that the evolution of intelligence comparable to ours is unlikely.
Other scientists believe that our search hasn’t been long enough to rule out the possibility that intelligent life exists in our galaxy. Although our sun family in only about five billion years old, our galaxy is about 20 billions years old. In that time, some scientists think it is likely that civilizations are much more advanced than ours. Perhaps these civilizations send us no signals; perhaps we have not recognized the signals they have sent us. If we hope to find intelligent life, these scientists believe that we have to keep looking.
1.According to the passage, how many planets in our galaxy might be inhabitable?
A.15 billion. B.10 billion.
C.5 billion. D.200 billion
2.The first paragraph in this passage is mainly about ________.
A.why scientists are looking for signs of life on other planets
B.how scientists are looking for signs of life on other planets
C.where scientists are looking for signs of life on other planets
D.when scientists are looking for signs of life on other planets
3.The underlined word “monitor” in the passage means “________”.
A.find B.follow
C.form D.check
4.Which of these statements is True based on the information in the passage?
A.Scientists are tying different ways to find signs of life on other planets.
B.Most scientists believe that there is intelligent life on other planets.
C.The earth is one of the oldest planets in our galaxy.
D.Scientists don’t believe that there might be life on other planets.
“Could your weekend lie-in(睡懒觉) kill you?, asked the Daily Mail. It is said in a study that sleeping more at weekends can increase the risk of heart disease. Since most of us change our sleep schedule depending on whether it’s a work or non-work day, it’s an interesting question. Is the lie in really so dangerous? Researchers say that changing sleep pattern cause social jet lag. Is that even a thing?
Changing our sleeping hours causes the effect of crossing a time zone-it makes us sleepy the day. People who changed their sleep patterns were also more likely to gain weight during the study and more suited to going to bed and waking late because of the change of their biological clock. They were more at risk of these changes than earlier sleepers and risers. The study also shows an association switching sleep patterns and changes in some blood results. It does not show that anyone’s developing heart disease was because they had lie-ins.
Jim Horne, one of the professors of the Sleep Research Center, says the concept of social jet lag is likely to feed our anxiety about sleep, so we should really stop worrying so much and have a limited weekend lie-in. Worry is bad for sleep and we naturally compensate for not getting enough rest in the week by lying-in at weekends, so we shouldn’t stop doing it. However, we should limit the time.
Studies show that if you accumulate a five-hour sleep debt during the week, then you only need one and a half hours of extra sleep on your days off to make up for it. It would be a shame to be scared of lie-in. Studies of sleep and risk factors for heart disease can struggle to tell between poor sleep causing stress and stress disrupting sleep. Sleep is the test for the state of one’s health, and the most important thing that happens when you don’t get enough of it is that you feel sleepy.
1.What’s the consequence of switching sleep patterns?
A.You’ll feel more energetic.
B.Some blood results will change adversely.
C.You will become earlier sleepers and risker.
D.The chance of putting on weight will enhance.
2.What does the underline phrase “doing it” refer to?
A.Lying-in. B.Worrying.
C.Limited Sleeping. D.Compensating for the limit.
3.What is Horne’s attitude to the weekend lie-in?
A.Negative. B.Doubtful.
C.Ambiguous. D.Supportive.
4.What can we infer from the text?
A.The sleep debt should be paid off completely.
B.The weekend lie-in is more healthy than harmful.
C.Social jet lag occurs when you don’t get enough sleep.
D.Poor sleep may result from and cause stress in turn.
Alibaba co-founder and chairman Jack Ma on Monday announced in an open letter that he would step down, with the company CEO Daniel Zhang taking over as the chairman of the board. Zhang, is known as a key architect of Alibaba’s “Singles Day”, the Nov. 11 event that has become the world’s largest online shopping event. In the letter entitled “Happy Teachers’ Day,” Ma said he would retire as the chairman of the board on Sept. 10, 2019. Ma said he would work closely with Zhang to ensure a smooth transition and stay on the Alibaba board of directors until the annual shareholders meeting in two years. After he steps down, he will continue to be part of the “Alibaba Partnership”, which has the ability to nominate the majority of directors on the company’s board. He also wants to return to education and charity, which gives him excitement and blessings.
“There’s only Bill Gates who has done the same. No other tech founder in the world has just resigned like that at the top,” said Rupert Hoogewerf, which publishes an annual influential list of China’s richest people. Hoogewerf added that in China, Ma was a figure like no other, with friends ranging from movie stars to billionaires, though he often outshone them all. “He’s the big one, he’s the one that brings them together.”
The company was founded at a time when the industry was still dominated by state-owned firms and entrepreneurship was seen as a risky career path. Alibaba, previously recognized as an on-line shopping company, also has investments in sports content, microchips and facial recognition technology and has been positioning itself as a serious player in cloud computing. Mr. Ma said in the letter, “The one thing I can promise everyone is this: Alibaba was never about Jack Ma, but Jack Ma will forever belong to Alibaba.”
1.What do we learn about Abibaba from this passage?
A.It was founded by Jack Ma alone.
B.It is nothing more than an on-line shopping company.
C.It was founded at the time when private-owned firms was in a minority.
D.Its shareholders meeting holds twice a year.
2.What can we infer from paragraph 2?
A.Hoogewerf speaks highly of Jack Ma’s firm.
B.Bill Gates and Jack Ma have a lot in common.
C.Other than stars and billionaires, Jack Ma makes few friends.
D.Jack Ma is an influential person to unite his friends.
3.Jack Ma will do the following things after stepping down except________.
A.Helping people in need.
B.Ensuring the company’s transition.
C.Education career.
D.Suggesting candidates for the board.
4.What’s the best title for this passage?
A.The Brief Introduction of Jack Ma
B.Daniel Zhang to Take Over Alibaba
C.Alibaba’s Development
D.Jack Ma to Step Down as Alibaba’s Head
China’s Scariest Outdoor Attractions
As the world’s most populous nation with the world’s second-biggest economy, China is finding new and increasingly adventurous ways to attract and entertain tourists.
Fuxi Mountain, Henan
Guinness World Records receives 2,000 applications from China a year -- more than any other country. And the latest potential record-breaker is the 3,000-ton glass-and-steel skywalk at Fuxi Mountain in Henan province, central China. Visitors who dare walk on this U-shaped bridge can look straight through the glass to the valley floor about 360 meters below. The new bridge extends 30 meters beyond the cliff edge, trumping other U-shaped wonders such as Arizona’s Grand Canyon Skywalk over the epic US gorge.
Shilinxia, Beijing
32.8 meters over the edge of a 396-meter valley, the Shilinxia Viewing Platform stretches a whole 11 meters farther than Grand Canyon Skywalk. It’s constructed with titanium alloy, the material used in airplanes and space shuttles, so it can apparently hold a maximum load of 150 tons and 2,000 people. It’s a hefty 1.5-hour hike from the valley floor to the platform. Or taking the cable car up is an option.
East Taihang, Hebei
The glass walkway at the East Taihang Scenic Area in northern Hebei Province gained popularity last year when video emerged showing a terrified tour guide falling to his hands and knees as the glass apparently started cracking under his weight. Shattered glass fragments were placed underneath solid panels to make the walkway look and sound as though it’s cracking when trodden upon. While the unique walkway of Taihang Mountain is therefore safe to traverse, tourists were quick to point out that at 1,180 meters above sea level, it could still induce thrill.
1.To arrive at the platform in Shilinxia, you can .
A.walk B.take cars
C.take cable cars D.both A and C
2.Which of the following attractions is likely to break the world record?
A.Grand Canyon Skywalk
B.Walkway at East Taihang
C.U-shaped bridge at Fuxi Mountain
D.Viewing platform at Shilinxia
3.What do we know about the tourist attractions mentioned in the passage?
A.Travelers won’t feel frightened since the glass walkway at Taihang isn’t cracking.
B.Both attractions at Fuxi Mountain and Shilinxia extend farther than Grand Canyon skywalk.
C.The viewing platform at Shilinxia can hold more than 2000 people.
D.The material used in airplanes is applied to the glass walkway at East Taihang.
阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。续写的词数应为150左右。
We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.
Growing up, I wanted to be just like my mom. Kind and caring, she always seemed to make people comfortable in her presence. For years she was a volunteer in our community. I loved going to the local nursing home to help with her until I hit my preteen years. Suddenly, I was too caught up in my adolescent world to worry about helping others.
One particular summer day when I was twelve, Mom came into my room and told me to get up and meet her at the car. I had planned to spend the day at the lake with friends. Why did she have to ruin everything? Eventually, I made my way outside. I imagined the lake water cooling my skin. Annoyed, I climbed into the car and slammed the door shut. I sat in silence, too upset to make a conversation.
“Tasha, would you like to know where we are going?” Mom asked calmly.
“I guess. . . ” I murmured under my breath.
“Sweetheart, we are going to a children's shelter, I have been there before and I think it would benefit you，”she explained.
I felt a knot slowly form in my stomach. How was I supposed to help there?
When we reached the shelter, I was rather surprised. It was a large white Victorian home. As we approached the large front porch, wind bells played a calming tune while trees and blossoms welcomed us. Maybe this wasn't going to be so bad.
Mom rang the doorbell. The door flew open and we were led to the front room , where all of the children were playing. Toys were spread out across the floor. I noticed a baby whose body was scarred with wounds. The majority of the children had noticeable physical scars（伤疤）such as cuts, scratches and bums. What a terrible life they had had before they moved here! My heart sank.
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