Professor Taiju Matsuzawa wanted to find out why otherwise healthy farmers in northern Japan appeared to be losing their ability to think and reason at a relatively early age, and how the
process of aging could be slowed down.With a team of colleagues at Tokyo National University,
he set about measuring brain volumes of a thousand people of different ages and jobs.
Computer technology enabled the researchers to get right measurements of the volume of the front and side sections of the brain, which relate to intellect and emotion, and determine the human character. Contraction (收缩) of the front and side parts as cells died was observed in some subjects in their thirties, but it was still not clear in some sixty and seventy-year-olds.Matsuzawa concluded from his tests that there is a simple remedy (补救) to the contraction normally associated with age using the head.
The findings show in general terms that contraction of the brain begins sooner in people in the country than in towns. Those least at risk, says Matsuzawa, are lawyers, followed by university professors and doctors. White collar workers doing routine work in government offices are, however, as likely to have shrinking (萎缩) brains as farm workers, bus drivers and shop assistants.
Matsuzawa's findings show that thinking can prevent the brain from shrinking. Blood must circulate properly in the head to supply the fresh oxygen the brain cells need. "The best way to keep good blood circulation is through using the brain," he says, "Think hard and engage in conversation. Don't rely on pocket calculators."wThe team of doctors wanted to find out ______.
| A．why certain people age sooner than others | B．how to make people live much longer |
| C．the size of certain people's brains | D．the people with more intelligence |
On what are their research findings based?
| A．A survey of farmers in northern Japan. |
| B．Tests performed on a thousand old people. |
| C．The study of brain volumes of different people. |
| D．The latest development of computer technology. |
Matsuzawa thinks that _______.
| A．our brains grow as we grow older |
| B．the front section of the brain does not shrink |
| C．sixty-year-old people have better brains than thirty-year-olds |
| D．the contraction of brains is connected with brain exercise |
According to the passage, which people seem to age slower than others?
| A．Farmers. | B．Lawyers. | C．Government workers. | D．Shop assistants.w |
Do you love the holidays, but hate gaining weight? You are not alone. Holidays are times for celebrating. Many people are worried about their weight. With proper planning, though, it is possible to keep normal weight during the holidays. The idea is to enjoy the holidays but not to eat too much. You don’t have to turn away from the foods that you enjoy.
Here are some tips for preventing（阻止） weight gain and maintaining（维持） physical fitness:
Don’t skip meals. Before you leave home, have a small, low-fat meal or snack. This may help to avoid getting too excited before delicious foods.
Control the amount of food. Use a small plate (about 10 inches) and put aside the large ones that may encourage you to "load up". You should be most comfortable eating an amount of food about the size of your fist.
Begin with soup and fruit or vegetables. Fill up beforehand on water-based soup and raw fruit or vegetables. Or drink a large glass of water before you eat to help you to feel full.
Stick to physical activity. Don’t let exercise take a break during the holidays. A 20-minute walk help to burn off excess calories.
Avoid(避免) high-fat foods. Dishes that look oily or creamy may have large amount of fat. Choose lean meat (瘦肉).Fill your plate with salad and green vegetables. Use lemon juice instead of creamy food.Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．You should never eat delicious foods. |
| B．Drinking some water or soup before eating helps you to eat less. |
| C．Holidays are happy days but they may bring you weight problems. |
| D．Physical exercise can reduce the chance of putting on weight. |
Which of the following can NOT help people to lose weight according to the passage?
| A．Eating lean meat. | B．Creamy food. |
| C．Eating raw fruit or vegetables. | D．Physical exercise. |
Many people can’ t control their weight during the holidays mainly because they__________.
| A．can’ t help being tempted to eat constantly | B．take part in too many parties |
| C．enjoy delicious foods sometimes | D．can’t help turning away from foods. |
If the passage appeared(出现) in a newspaper , which section（专栏） is the most suitable one ?
| A．Holidays and Festivals section | B．Health and Fitness section |
| C．Fashion section | D．Student Times Club section. |
What is the best title of the passage ?
| A．How to avoid holiday feasting and celebrating . |
| B．Do’ s and don’ ts for keeping slim and fit. |
| C．How to avoid weight gain over holidays. |
| D．Wonderful holidays, boring weight. |
A student is learning to speak British English. He wonders(想知道): Can I communicate(交际) with Americans? Can they understand me? Learners of English often ask: What are the differences between British and American English? How important are these differences?
Certainly, there are some differences between British and American English. There are a few differences in grammar. For example, speakers of British English say “in hospital” and “Have you a pen?” Americans say “in the hospital” and “Do you have a pen?”.Pronunciation is sometimes different. Americans usually sound theirs in words like “bird” and “hurt”. Speakers of British English do not sound theirs in these words. There are differences between British and American English in spelling and vocabulary. For example, “colour” and “honour” are British, “color” and “honor” are American.
These differences in grammar, pronunciation, spelling and vocabulary are not important, however. For the most part, British and American English are the same language.According to this passage, a student who is learning to speak American English might be afraid that __________.
| A．British people cannot understand him |
| B．American people cannot understand him |
| C．the grammar is too hard for him |
| D．the spelling is too hard for him |
American English and British English are different in __________.
| A．spelling | B．pronunciation | C．grammar | D．all of the above |
What is NOT mentioned(提及) in the passage?
| A．Whether there are differences between British English and American English. |
| B．Whether British English and American English are one language or two. |
| C．How the differences between British English and American English came about. |
| D．How important the differences are. |
Most ______say “Do you have a watch?”
| A．British people | B．Americans | C．children | D．teachers |
According to this passage, British people and Americans have ______ difficulty in understanding each other.
| A．little | B．much | C．some | D．great |
In 1620, about half the USA was covered by forests． Today the forests have almost gone． A lot of good land has gone with them, leaving only sand． China doesn’t want to copy the USA’s example． We’re planting more and more trees． We’ve built the " Great Green Wall" of trees across northern part of our country．The Great Green Wall is 7,000 kilometres long, and between 400 and 1,700 kilometres wide． It will stop the wind from blowing the earth away． It will stop the sand from moving towards the rich farmland in the south． More "Great Green Walls" are needed． Trees must be grown all over the world． Great Green Walls will make the world better．In 1620, about ______ the USA was covered by forests．
| A．a third | B．half | C．two thirds | D．a fourth |
A lot of good land has gone with ______．
| A．sand | B．water | C．wind | D．forests |
The Great Green Wall in China is ______ long．
| A．7,000 kilometers | B．1,700 kilometers |
| C．7,000 meters | D．400 kilometers |
Trees must be grown in ______.
| A．China | B．the USA |
| C．some countries | D．every part of the world |
_____ will make the world better．
| A．The Great Wall | B．Tall buildings |
| C．Great Green Walls | D．Flowers and grass |
Looking back on China’s road to outer space, people can easily find it has not been very smooth. In the past years, Chinese people have made hard and determined efforts to realize the dream their ancestors had for thousands of years.
After China’s first satellite into the Earth’s orbit in 1970 came four flights of unmanned Shenzhou missions(飞行) from 1999 to 2002. The country carried out its first one-piloted space flight in October, 2003, making China the third country in the world to have independent human spaceflight ability after the Soviet Union and the United States. Then came another breakthrough on October 12, 2005, when Shenzhou 6, China’s second human spaceflight, was launched, with a crew of two astronauts. What’s more, the landmark(里程碑)spacewalk done by Zhai Zhigang, one of the three boarding Shenzhou 7, launched on Sept. 25, 2008, leads the country further in its space exploration.
Meanwhile, China’s moon exploration project, started in 2004, has also been progressing satisfactorily. Fifty years after the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the world’s first man-made satellite, China’s first circumlunar(绕月的)satellite Chang’e 1 took off on Oct.24, 2007, which became the third landmark in China’s space achievements after the above-mentioned manned flights. Chang’e 1 was expected to fulfill four scientific goals, one of which was to expore mineral elements on the moon, especially those not existent on Earth. It’s said that the lunar regolith(月壤) is abundant in helium-3, a clean fuel that may support the Earth’s energy demands for more than a century. Nearly 3 years later, Oct. 1, 2010 witnessed the launching of Chang’e 2, China’s 2nd unmanned lunar probe(勘探),marking another step forward in moon exp
loration. This time the aim is to test the key techniques of Chang’e 3 and Chang’e 4, as a preparation for a soft lunar landing in the future.
With great expectations, people all over the world are looking forward to China’s greater space achievements. According to the text, which of the following is TRUE?
| A．China sent its first satellite into the Moon’s orbit in 1970. |
| B．China is the third country in Asia to make human spaceflight. |
| C．By now, altogether 5 astronauts have made successful spaceflight by Shenzhou spaceship. |
| D．The launching of Chang’e 1 became the third landmark in China’s space achievements. |
Paragraph 2 mainly deals with information about China’s .
| A．landmark spacewalk | B．manned Shenzhou missions |
| C．first circumlunar satellite | D．unmanned Shenzhou missions |
We can infer from the text that .
| A．China’s road to outer spacehas not been very smooth for a long time |
| B．the lunar regolith is believed to be rich in a clean fuel called helium-3 |
| C．China’s lunar exploration project was started in 2004 and completed in 2007 |
| D．China’s scientists are researching into techniquesfor soft lunar landing |
What can be the best title for the text?
| A．Ancient Chinese’s Dream | B．China’s Major Space Achievements |
| C．China’s Moon Exploration | D．The World’s Great Expectations |
The auther’s attitude towards China’s space exploration is _________.
| A．negative | B．positive | C．critical | D．indifferent |
The UK has a wellrespected higher education system and some of the top universities and research i
nstitutions in the world. But to those who are new to it all， sometimes it can be confusing.
October is usually the busiest month in the college calendar. Universities have something called Freshers’ Week for their newcomers. It’s a great opportunity to make new friends， join lots of clubs and settle into university life.
However， having just left the comfort of home and all your friends behind， the prospect(前景) of meeting lots of strangers in big halls can be nervewracking(令人头痛的). Where do you start？ Who should you make friends with？ Which clubs should you join？
Luckily， there will be thousands of others in the same boat as you worrying about starting their university social life on the right foot. So just take it all in slowly. Don’t rush into anything that you’ll regret for the next three years.
Here are some top advice from past students on how to survive Freshers’ Week：
●Learn rules. Make sure you know British social manners. Have a few wine glasses and snacks handy for your housemates and friends.
●Be kind. Sometimes cups of tea or even slices of toast can give you a head start in making friends.
●Be sociable. The more active you are， the more likely you’ll be to meet new people than if you’re someone who never leaves their room.
●Bring a doorstop. Keep your door op
en when you’re in and that sends positive messages to your neighbors that you’re friendly.
So with a bit of clever planning and effort， Freshers’ Week can give you a great start to your university life and soon you’ll be passing on your experience to next year’s new recruits.Which of the following statements is FALSE according to the passage？
| A．October is generally the busiest month for universities. |
| B．It’s a good idea to put a doorstop in your suitcase. |
| C．A bit of planning can make Freshers’ Week easier. |
| D．The first week of your every year at university is called Freshers’ Week. |
The underlined word “recruits” in the last paragraph refers to .
| A．courses | B．freshers | C．neighbors | D．challenges |
We can infer from the 4th paragraph that .
| A．the newcomers usually miss the days living at home |
| B．most of the students in the UK spend three years in universities |
| C．many freshers are worried about how to fit university life |
| D．all the new students will make new friends and join certain clubs |
Why does the author suggest having wine glasses and snacks handy？
| A．To pass the busy university life. |
| B．To help make friends with other freshers. |
| C．To show yourself a drinker as others. |
| D．To pass the time in a happy way. |
The main purpose of the passage is to .
| A．tell the newcomers how to make a new start in universities |
| B．introduce something about higher education system of the UK |
| C．discuss something about the Freshers’ Week in the UK |
| D．advise the freshmen how to behave well in universities |