Motherhood may make women smarter and may help prevent dementia(痴呆) in old age by bathing the brain in protective hormones(荷尔蒙) , U.S. researchers reported on Thursday.
Tests on rats show that those who raise two or more litters of pups do considerably better in tests of memory and skills than rats who have no babies, and their brains show changes that suggest they may be protected against diseases such as Alzheimer’s(早老痴呆症). University of Richmond psychology professor Craig Kinsley believes his findings will translate into humans.
“Our research shows that the hormones of pregnancy(怀孕) are protecting the brain, including estrogen(雌激素), which we know has many neuroprotective (保护神经的) effects,” Kinsley said.
“It’s rat data but humans are mammals just like these animals are mammals,” he added in a telephone interview. “They go through pregnancy and hormonal changes.”
Kinsley said he hoped public health officials and researchers will look to see if having had children protects a woman from Alzheimer’s and other forms of age-related brain decline.
“When people think about pregnancy, they think about what happens to babies and the mother from the neck down,” said Kinsley, who presented his findings to the annual meeting of the Society of Neuroscience in Orlando, Florida.
“They do not realize that hormones are washing on the brain. If you look at female animals who have never gone through pregnancy, they act differently toward young. But if she goes through pregnancy, she will sacrifice her life for her infant—that is a great change in her behavior that showed in genetic changes to the brain.”
51. How do scientists know “Motherhood may make women smarter”?
A. They know it by experimenting on rats. B. Many women say so.
C. Some researchers have told them. D. They know it through their own experience.
52. What does the phrase “litters of pups” mean in the second paragraph?
A. Old rats. B. Animals. C. Baby rats. D. Grown-up rats.
53. What can protect the brain of a woman according to the passage?
A. Estrogen. B. Taking care of children.
C. More exercise. D. The hormones of pregnancy.
54. “It’s rat data but humans are mammals just like these animals are mammals.” What does the sentence suggest?
A. The experiments on the rats are much the same on humans.
B. The experiments on the rats are very important for animals.
C. The experiments on the rats have nothing to do with humans.
D. The experiments on the rats are much the same on other animals.
55. Which title is the best for this passage?
A. Do You Want to Be Smarter? B. An Important Study
C. Mysterious Hormones D. Motherhood Makes Women Smarter
The Doll and the White Rose
I was walking around in a mall, when I saw a cashier(出纳员) hand this little boy some money back．The cashier said, “I'm sorry, but you don't have enough money to buy this doll．”The little boy seemed very disappointeD.
I walked toward him and asked him who he wished to give this doll to．"It's the doll that my sister wanted so much for Christmas．She was sure that Santa Claus would bring it to her: But Santa Claus can't bring it to her where she is now．I have to give the doll to my mommy so that she can give it to my sister when she goes there．"His eyes were so saD."My sister has gone to be with GoD.Daddy says that Mommy is going to see God very soon too, so I thought that she could take the doll with her to give it to my sister．"
My heart nearly stoppeD.The little boy looked up at me and continued, "I told Daddy to tell Mommy not to go yet．I need her to wait until I come back from the mall．"
I quickly reached for my wallet and said," Suppose we check again, just in case you do have enough money for the doll．"
"OK, I hope I do have enough," he saiD.I put some of my money with his without him seeing and we started to count it．There was enough for the doll and even some spare money．
Surprisingly, the little boy cried, "Thank you God for giving me enough money!" Then he looked at me and added, "I asked last night before I went to sleep for God to make sure I had enough money to buy this doll, so that Mommy could give it to my sister．He heard me! I also wanted to have enough money to buy a white rose for my mommy, but I didn't dare to ask God for too much．But he gave me enough to buy the doll and a white rose ! "
Then I remembered two days before a local newspaper reported an accident in which a woman and a little girl were badly injureD.The little girl died right away, and the mother was left in a critical state．Was this the family of the little boy?
Two days after I met the little boy, I read in the newspaper that the woman had passed away．I couldn't stop myself from going to the funeral．Teary-eyed, I felt that my life had been changed forever．The boy wanted to buy the doll because ．
| A．he had always been eager for such a doll |
| B．Santa Claus didn't give him any Christmas gift |
| C．he would give it to his mother as a birthday surprise |
| D．he wanted to turn his sister's Christmas wish into reality |
We can learn from the story that ．
| A．the boy's sister died after staying in hospital for two weeks |
| B．the boy's family were all seriously injured in a car accident |
| C．the author gave the boy some extra money without his notice |
| D．the boy's mother always wished to receive a white rose on Christmas |
The story most probably conveys the message that ．
| A．a kind act can bring joy and hope to others |
| B．a gift is a perfect way to express love for others |
| C．losing a family member is a heavy blow to children |
| D．a religious belief can help one solve problems in his life |
Sunday, 31 August
We’ve been in China for a month now. Dad, Mom, Harry and I moved to Tianjin on 25 August. We’re not very far from Beijing. Two days ago, we celebrated my 16th birthday. It was great celebrating in China; the only thing that was strange was the cake--here they’re not as sweet as the ones in New York. On Monday school starts—I wonder what it will be like.
Monday, 1 September
On my first day I was looking around for a locker to put my books in. However, here all the students keep all of their books at their desks--we stay in the same classroom because apparently we don’t have to go from class to class--teachers come to us!
Today we selected teacher assistants for each subject. Their duties are to collect homework, make announcements, and do other stuff for the teacher and the students. It’s kind of a big deal here! Since I am from the US, I was asked to be the English assistant. I felt so proud but quite nervous at the same time because I wasn’t sure what I had to do, but I accepted the job anyway.
Friday, 3 October
Boy, what a week! Now we have nine classes every day, including the morning class, a combination of our American schools’ “Homeroom” and “Study Hall”. I think Chinese students work too much! I have to do my homework when I get back home. I don’t even have time to watch TV or surf the Internet like before. I sometimes miss New York and my school because we didn’t have to study so much. We had more time to hang out with our classmates and neighbors; here, besides their usual classes, students are involved in weekend classes in subjects such as English, Chinese and math.
I get a lot of attention, being from another country. Everyone wants to practice English with me! A really cute girl even asked me for my phone number on my second day and sent me a text message! I’m making a lot more friends now. I just need a lot of help to improve my Chinese. Some students want to do a language exchange program with me. Nice!The passage mentions all the following points EXCEPT
| A．physics study | B．teacher assistants |
| C．free time activities | D．language exchange program |
According to the passage, which of the following is NOT the teacher assistant’s duty?
| A．Collecting homework. |
| B．Making announcements. |
| C．helping teachers with small errands（差事） |
| D．Teaching classmates. |
Where is this passage most probably from?
| A．A story book. | B．A guide book. |
| C．A diary. | D．A magazine. |
The passage is best described by ________.
| A．culture shock. | B．multi-culture. |
| C．unique culture. | D．culture background |
Since the Internet came into homes, the daily life has never been the same again. But the thing that worries most of us is that we can get viruses from the Internet. But can we catch viruses on our cell phones? A new study in the journal Science says yes, but the spread of such mobile software that can bring harm to our cell phones won’t reach dangerous levels until more cell phones are on the same operating system.
Computers are easily attacked by viruses because they share data, especially over the Internet. Of course, nowadays, more people are using their cell phones more and more frequently. They use them for emailing, text messaging and downloading troublesome ring tones, etc.,so it is obvious that cell phone viruses are a threat as well.
Scientists used nameless call data from more than six million cell phone users to help model a possible outbreak. And they concluded that viruses that spread from phone to phone by Bluetooth are not much concerned, because users have to be in close physical relation for their phones to “see” one another. However, viruses that spread through multimedia messaging services can move much faster, because they can come in disguise（伪装）, such as a cool tune sent by a friend. The good news is that to be effective, these viruses need their victims(受害人) to all use the same operating system, which not enough of us do. Because there is no Microsoft operating system for mobile phones, yet. Thank goodness.What is the passage mainly about?
| A．The operating system of cell phones. |
| B．The threat of cell phone viruses. |
| C．The wide use of cell phones. |
| D．Computer viruses. |
When ______, cell phone viruses can be dangerous.
| A．all the cell phones work on the same operating system |
| B．Microsoft operating system for cell phones is created |
| C．users can see each other on the phones |
| D．Bluetooth is widely used |
What can we infer about Bluetooth according to the scientists?
| A．It can increase the chances of cell phone viruses greatly. |
| B．It can help us to stop the spreading of cell phone viruses. |
| C．It won’t possibly cause the outbreak of cell phone viruses. |
| D．It can make users have close physical relation with one another. |
We can learn from the passage that ______.
| A．it is impossible to catch viruses on our cell phones |
| B．cell phones are not well connected with the Internet |
| C．it is dangerous for people to download ring tones to cell phones |
| D．more than one operating system is used for cell phones now |
Every New Year brings renewed(更新的) expectation for a change, for a better life and for a better you. That’s a wonderful thing, because this fresh start gives us a chance to reinvent our lives and ourselves. Here’s how.
Let go
Many times we are held back by our previous failures,emotions and barriers(障碍). This is all old baggage. Let everything unhappy from the past go. Let go of failures. Let go of fears you’ve built up. Let go of your ideas about what your life has to be like. Let go of long-held beliefs and habits which seem to be burdens(负担) to you.
Clear away distractions(分心)
Clear away email, your favourite blogs and news websites. Clearaway the iPhone or Blackberry, and clear away all the chores that pull at your attention. In fact, if you can, shut off the Internet for a while. You can come back to it after you take a break.
Decide what matters most today
Forget about your goals for all of this year. Instead, decide what you want to do today. What matters most to you and your life? What are you most passionate(热情的) about right now? What excites you? What gives you the most fulfillment(满足感)? Often the answer would be in creating something, making something new, helping others, becoming a better person, and working on a project that you will be proud of. But whatever your answer, have it clear in your mind at the beginning of the day.
Reinvent yourself every day
Every day, you are reborn.Reinvent yourself and your life. Do what matters most to you. It might be the same thing that mattered most yesterday, or it might not be. That isn’t important. What’s important is today---right now! Be passionate, and be happy!
You’ll have a fresh start every single day---not just on January 1 of a new year.Writing this passage, the author seems to be ________.
| A．strict | B．peaceful | C．nervous | D．confident |
The underlined word “chores” refers to ______.
| A．modern technology | B．unimportant things |
| C．online information | D．fashinable devices |
Which of the following is the writer’s suggestion according to the passage?
| A．Stopping using hi-tech devices to avoid troubles in your life. |
| B．Seizing the moment, but not to make a plan for the far future. |
| C．Forgetting everything about and from the past |
| D．Making yourself a person reborn every day. |
The most suitable title for the passage is “ ________”.
| A．Work Effectively in a New Year |
| B．Reduce Stress in a New Year |
| C．Freshen the Start of Every New Day |
| D．Live a Better Life in Every New Day |
When I was about 12, I had an enemy, a girl who liked to point out my shortcomings(缺点). Week by week her list grew: I was very thin, I wasn’t a good student, I talked too much, I was too proud, and so on. I tried to hear all this as long as I could. At last, I became very angry. I ran to my father with tears in my eyes.
He listened to me quietly, and then he asked, “Are the things she says true or not? Janet, didn’t you ever wonder what you’re really like? Well, you now have that girl’s opinion. Go and make a list of everything she said and mark the points that are true. Pay no attention to the other things she said.”
I did as he told me. To my great surprise, I discovered that about half the things were true. Some of them I couldn’t change (like being very thin), but a good number I could—and suddenly I wanted to change. For the first time I got a fairly clear picture of myself.
I brought the list back to Daddy. He refused to take it. “That’s just for you,” he said. “You know better than anyone else the truth about yourself. But you have to learn to listen, not just close your ears in anger and feel hurt. When something said about you is true, you’ll find it will be of help to you. Our world is full of people who think they know your duty. Don’t shut your ears. Listen to them all, but hear the truth and do what you know is the right thing to do.”
Daddy’s advice has returned to me at many important moments. In my life, I’ve never had a better piece of advice.What did the father do after he had heard his daughter’s complaint?
| A．He refused to take the list and have a look at it. |
| B．He told her not to pay any attention to what her “enemy” had said. |
| C．He was angry and told her to overcome her shortcomings. |
| D．He told her to write down all and pay attention only to the things that were true. |
What does “Week by week her list grew” mean?
| A．Week by week she discovered and pointed out more shortcomings of mine. |
| B．She kept on adding new ones to the list so it was growing longer and longer. |
| C．I was having more and more shortcomings as time went on. |
| D．Week by week, my shortcomings grew more serious. |
Which do you think would be the best title for this passage?
| A．My Father |
| B．My Childhood |
| C．The Best Advice I’ve Ever Had |
| D．Not an Enemy, but the Best Friend |