Question

    A new study says one part of the human brain may become smaller as the result of a condition known as jet lag which results from flying long distances in an airplane. People with jet lag feel extremely tired for several days. They may also have problems in thinking clearly and remembering.

Recently a researcher at the University of Bristol in Britain reported the findings of his jet lag study, which involved twenty women who worked for international airlines. They had served passengers on airplanes for five years. These flight attendants flew across many countries and at least seven time zones. In the study, the flight attendants had different amounts of time to recover from jet lag. Half the women spent five days or fewer in their home areas between long flights. The other half spent more than fourteen days in their home areas.

The researcher took some saliva from the women’s mouths to measure levels of a hormone (荷尔蒙) that increases during stress. He tested them to see if they could remember where black spots appeared on a computer screen. And he took pictures of their brains to measure the size of the brain’s temporal lobes (脑叶).

It was found that the women who had less time between flights had smaller right temporal lobes. This area of the brain deals with recognizing and remembering what is seen. The same group performed worse and had slower reaction times on the visual memory test. And their saliva samples showed higher levels of stress hormones.

The researcher believes the brain needs at least ten days to recover after a long trip. He says airline workers told him their ability to remember got worse after working on planes for about four years. Other studies have shown that increased feelings of stress can cause a loss of cells in the part of the brain that controls memory.

Scientists say more tests are needed to study the effects of jet lag on the brain. They want to find out if too much jet lag could permanently affect memory.

1.What causes jet lag according to the passage?

A.Having a long trip. B.Flying across many countries.

C.Making lengthy flight journeys. D.Traveling across several time zones.

2.What are the second and third paragraphs about?

A.The process of the study. B.The result of the study.

C.The meaning of the study. D.The preparation of the study.

3.What did the researcher find about his jet lag study?

A.The women who have longer flights fail the memory test.

B.The women who have longer rest at home show better memory.

C.The women who rest more than 14 days produce more hormones.

D.The women who have less time in flight have smaller right temporal lobes.

4.What can be the best title for the text?

A.Solution to Jet Lag B.Influences of Jet Lag on the Brain

C.Jet Lag PermanentlyAffects Memory D.FlightAttendants’BrainsAre in Danger

Answer

1.C

2.A

3.B

4.B

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。文章讲述的是“时差对大脑的影响”。实验表明长时间乘坐飞机会导致大脑变小，但是最终的结论还需要大量的实验。

1.细节理解题。根据第一段第一句中jet lag which results from flying long distances in an airplane.可知，这是由于乘坐飞机长途飞行导致的时差反应。可知，长途飞行会引起时差反应。故选C。

2.主旨大意题。根据第二段第一句Recently a researcher at the University of Bristol in Britain reported the findings of his jet lag study, which involved twenty women who worked for international airlines.“最近，英国布里斯托尔大学(University of Bristol)的一名研究人员报告了他的时差反应研究结果，该研究涉及20名在国际航空公司工作的女性。”和第三段第一句The researcher took some saliva from the women’s mouths to measure levels of a hormone (荷尔蒙) that increases during stress.“研究人员从这些女性的嘴里提取了一些唾液，以测量在压力下增加的荷尔蒙水平。”可知，这两段讲述的是“研究的过程。”故选A。

3.推理判断题。根据倒数第三段中It was found that the women who had less time between flights had smaller right temporal lobes. This area of the brain deals with recognizing and remembering what is seen.(研究发现，飞行间隔时间较短的女性右颞叶较小。大脑的这个区域负责识别和记忆所看到的东西。)可知，在家休息时间越长的女性记忆力越好。故选B。

4.主旨大意题。根据第一段的A new study says one part of the human brain may become smaller as the result of a condition known as jet lag which results from flying long distances in an airplane. People with jet lag feel extremely tired for several days. They may also have problems in thinking clearly and remembering.(一项新的研究表明，人类大脑的一部分可能会变小，这是由于乘坐飞机长途飞行导致的时差反应的结果。有时差反应的人会连续几天感到非常疲倦。他们也可能在思维清晰和记忆方面有问题。)，结合下文内容可推断，文章讲述的是“时差对大脑的影响”。故选B。