Ever walked to the shops only to find, once there, you’ve completely forgotten what you went for? Or struggled to remember the name of an old friend? For years we’ve accepted that a forgetful brain is as much a part of aging as wrinkles and gray hair. But now a new book suggests that we’ve got it all wrong.
According to The Secret Life of the Grown-up Brain, by science writer Barbara Strauch, when it comes to the important things, our brains actually get better with age. In fact, she argues that some studies have found that our brain hits its peak between our 40s and 60s — much later than previously thought.
Furthermore, rather than losing many brain cells as we age, we keep them, and even produce new ones well into middle age. For years it’s been assumed that brain, much like the body, declines with age. But the longest, largest study into what happens to people as they age suggests otherwise.
This continuing research has followed 6,000 people since 1956, testing them every seven years. It has found that on average, participants performed better on cognitive (认知的) tests in their 40s and 50s than they had done in their 20s. Specifically, older people did better on tests of vocabulary, verbal memory (how many words you can remember) and problem solving. Where they performed less well was number ability and perceptual speed — how fast you can push a button when ordered. However, with more complex tasks such as problem-solving and language, we are at our best at middle age and beyond. In short, researchers are now coming up with scientific proof that we do get wiser with age.
Neuroscientists are also finding that we are happier with aging. A recent US study found older people were much better at controlling and balancing their emotions. It is thought that when we’re younger we need to focus more on the negative aspects of life in order to learn about the possible dangers in the world, but as we get older we’ve learned our lessons and are aware that we have less time left in life: therefore, it becomes more important for us to be happy.
1.Barbara Strauch probably agrees that ______.
A.the young are better at handling important things
B.wrinkles and gray hair are the only symbols of aging
C.aging leads to the decline of the function of the brain
D.people’s brains work best between their 40s and 60s
2.The continuing research has found older people perform better on ______.
A.vocabulary tests B.number ability
C.perceptual speed D.body balance
3.People are happier with aging because ______.
A.they know how to share feelings B.they learn to value the time left
C.they cannot focus on negative aspects D.they do not realize the possible dangers
4.What is the main idea of the passage?
A.People get happier with age. B.People get more forgetful with age.
C.People get wiser with age. D.People get more self-aware with age.
Earth Day was founded in 1970 as a day of education about environmental issues, and Earth Day 2020 occurs on Wednesday, April 22—the holiday’s 50th anniversary. The holiday is now a global celebration that’s sometimes extended into Earth Week, a full seven days of events focused on green living.
By the early 1960s, Americans were becoming aware of the effects of pollution on the environment. Rachael Carson’s 1962 bestseller Silent Spring pointed out the dangerous effects of pesticides(杀虫剂) on the American countryside. Later in the decade, a 1969 fire on Cleveland’s Cuyahoga River shed light on the problem of chemical waste disposal. Until that time, protecting the planet’s natural resources was not part of the national political plan. Only a small portion of the American population was familiar with environmental issues—let alone practiced-recycling.
Elected to the U.S. Senate in 1962, Senator(参议员) Gaylord Nelson was determined to convince the federal government that the planet was at risk. In the fall of 1969, Nelson, considered one of the leaders of the modern environmental movement, announced the Earth Day concept at a conference in Seattle and invited the entire nation to get involved. He later recalled: “The response was electric. Telegrams, letters and telephone inquiries poured in from all across the country. The American people finally had an opportunity to express their concern about what was happening to the land, rivers, lakes and air.”
The first Earth Day was effective at raising awareness about environmental issues and changing public attitudes. According to the Environmental Protection Agency(EPA), “Public opinions polls(投票) indicate that in May 1971, 25 percent of the U.S. public declared protecting the environment to be an important goal, a 2,500 percent increase over 1969.”
Earth Day kicked off the “environmental decade with a bang,” as Senator Nelson later put it. During the 1970s, a number of important environmental laws were passed, among them the Clean Air Act, the Water Quality Improvement Act and the Endangered Species Act, etc. Another key development was the establishment of the EPA in December 1970, which was tasked with protecting human health and safeguarding the natural environment—air, water and land.
1.What do we learn about the circumstances in America before Earth Day was founded?
A.The overuse of pesticides had little impact on the American countryside.
B.The fire on Cuyahoga River was caused by improper chemical waste disposal.
C.The government highly valued protecting the natural resources on this planet.
D.Only a few Americans were familiar with environmental issues and practiced-recycling.
2.It can be inferred from the third paragraph that ________.
A.Nelson convinced the federal government that the planet was at risk.
B.Nelson organized the modern environmental movement all by himself.
C.The Earth Day successfully aroused the public’s interest in environmental issues.
D.The electric power supply had been cut off due to numerous telephone inquiries poured in.
3.The EPA was set up to_______.
A.collect public opinions. B.kick off the environmental decade.
C.change public attitudes. D.protect human beings and nature.
4.What do you think the author will talk about later?
A.Earth Day celebrations have grown and spread around the globe.
B.EPA protect human health and our natural environment.
C.The environmental laws come into effect.
D.Senator Nelson’s remarkable achievements.
Earl Forlales, a graduate in Materials Science and Engineering, took inspiration from the bamboo hut his grandparents lived in outside Manila and created a house made of bamboo that can be put together in four hours to solve the chronic(长期的) shortage of affordable accommodation in the Philippines. His design won a £50.000 top prize from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) in its Cities for our Future competition.
His house, known as Cubo, could be produced in a week, constructed in four hours and costs £60 per square meter. Its use of bamboo—which releases 35％ more oxygen into the environment than trees—was praised by the judges. The ability of the houses to be constructed in any bamboo-producing area was one of the key attractions.
“The world’s cities are growing all the time and there is a real need to make sure they are safe, clean and comfortable places to live in,”John Hughes, the competition’s head judge and then president at RICS, said. “As we look at our competitors, who are our next generation of leaders， I believe that real progress will be made in tackling the world’s biggest issues.
Forlales has already identified a suitable area of land to start building his Cubo houses. He plans to begin the work next year with experts from the RICS in an attempt to help relieve the huge pressure on housing in Manila, where a third of the 12 million population live in poor districts. He said, “I would like to thank RICS for the opportunity, and look forward to working with them to put this money to good use in Manila and then hopefully elsewhere around the world.”
1.What contributes most to Forlales’ winning the prize？
A.The material of his house. B.The shape of his house.
C.The design of his house. D.The expense of his house.
2.Which word can best replace the underline word “tackling” in Paragraph 3?
A.Facing. B.Treating
C.Covering. D.Handling.
3.What can we infer about the Cubo house？
A.It is created by Forlales and his parents
B.It is environmentally friendly and economical.
C.It has already been built in Forlales’ hometown.
D.It can be constructed in a week.
4.Which of the following can be a suitable title？
A.A Competition in House Building B.A Man Devoted to City Development
C.The Bamboo House Winning a top Prize D.The Way to Solve Housing Shortage
Urban household assets reach average of 3.18 million yuan in 2019
Editors note: Urban residents' average household assets（资产）were about 3.18 million yuan in China in 2019 and that of Beijing residents was about 8.93 million yuan, the highest in the country.
Distribution of household assets of urban residents
Urban residents' household assets are mainly physical assets with housing as the main part, accounting for about 80% of the total.
The housing ownership rate was 96%, 1.5 sets for each household on average.
58.4% families have one set of housing 31.0% families have two sets of housing
10.5% families have three or more sets of housing
Household average assets in eastern regions are higher than other parts of China, with the amount in Northeast China the lowest, accounting for about one third of East China.
Top three regions with highest household assets in China in 2019 are Beijing, Shanghai and Jiangsu province.
Middle-aged and young people and well-educated people are more likely to have debts
Average household debt: 512,000 yuan
Families with householders aged 65 or above are more likely to invest in financial products including wealth management, asset management and trust.
The average value was about 239,000 yuan, about 1.4 times the average.
Household debt participation rate by householder's education level
Household debt participation rate by age
About 73. 1% of those aged between 26 and 35 have household debt.
1.How many families have more than two sets of housing, according to the passage?
A.58.4%. B.31.0%.
C.10.5%. D.96%.
2.Which region has the highest household assets in China in 2019?
A.Beijing. B.Shanghai.
C.Jiangsu. D.Northeast China.
3.Who does probably have the most household debt, according to the report?
A.Li Hua, graduating from high school, 37 years old, working as a self-employed.
B.Sun Yi, master’s degree, 35 years old, working in a IT company.
C.Zhang Yinyin, college degree, 18 years old, studying in a key university.
D.Chen Rui, Bachelor’s degree, 69 years old, retired from the work.
阅读下面短文，根据所给情节进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。
I stepped off the bus and headed for the pool with my friends, concentrating on what I needed to do to win this swimming competition.
I jumped in the water, amid(在. . . . . 中）screams of"Oh man, it's freezing", and found it wasn't too bad. I started to warm up, and noticed the sky getting gray. "It's going to rain, "my friend Ashley said behind me. "Let's pray for no thunder or lightning, "I replied. "This meet can't be canceled. "That was when I noticed his uneasiness. "What's wrong?"I asked.
He looked over at the other team and back at me, saying, "Their 50m freestyle swimmer, Jack, is talking something bad about you. He said you'd be a good swimmer if you didn't swim like a girl. And he's not only saying something bad about you, but everyone of us. "Ashley gave me a look of encouragement and added, "Tom, you'd better swim as fast as possible and beat him. Show him who's the boss!”
My event was third. By that time, all my friends had shown up and I was preparing for my 50m freestyle sprint(冲刺）。I walked over to the blocks(起跑器）and began to prepare myself.
“You think you actually have a chance?” came an aggressive voice from my side. I turned and recognized the guy who Ashley had pointed at. It was Jack, who added, "Don't even try. "Luckily, I was not alone. My friends were close by.
“My friend is going to beat you, "Ashley warned. Jack replied, “That's a good one. We'll settle this in the water. ”
“Swimmers up!" the official called. I stepped onto the starting block and prepared for the race.
That was when all my friends started to cheer me on. I focused all my attention and followed the official's order, "Take your mark. "I bent down into my starting position, the cheering around me growing louder.
注意：
1. 所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2. 至少使用5个短文中标有下划线的关键词语；
3. 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；
4. 续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。
Paragraph 1:
When the starting gun fired, I jumped into the water:_______________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:
All I heard was cheering. ________________________________________________________________________________
假定你是某国际学校学生会主席李华，在世界环境日（6月5日）到来之际，请你代表学生会向全校学生发出倡议，要点如下：
1. 环境现状；
2. 具体措施；
3. 发出倡议。
注意：
1. 词数100左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear schoolmates,
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The Students' Union
June 1, 2020
