If you don’t have a college degree, you’re at greater risk of developing memory problems or even Alzheimer’s (老年痴呆). Education plays a key role in lifelong memory performance and risk for mental disorder, and it's well documented that those with a college degree possess a cognitive（认知的） advantage over those less educated in middle and old age.
Now, a large national study from Brandeis University published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry shows that those with less schooling can significantly make up for poorer education by frequently engaging in mental exercises such as word games, puzzles, reading, and lectures.
“The lifelong benefits of higher education for memory in later life are quite impressive, but we do not clearly understand how and why these effects last so long,” said lead author Margie Lachman, a psychologist. She suggested that higher education may encourage lifelong interest in cognitive efforts, while those with less education may not engage as frequently in mental exercises that help keep the memory agile (敏捷地).
But education early in adulthood does not appear to be the only route to maintain your memory. The study found that intellectual activities undertaken regularly made a difference. “Among individuals with low education, those who are engaged in reading, writing, attending lectures, doing word games or puzzles once a week or more had memory scores similar to people with more education,” said Lachman.
The study, called Midlife in the United States, assessed 3,343 men and women between the ages of 32 and 84 with an average age of 56 years. Almost 40 percent of the participants had at least a 4-year college degree. The researchers evaluated how the participants performed in two cognitive areas, verbal (言语的)memory and executive function --- brain processes involved in planning, abstract thinking and cognitive flexibility. Participants were given a series of tests, including tests of verbal fluency, word recall, and backward counting.
As expected, those with higher education said they engaged in cognitive activities more often and also did better on the memory tests, but some with lower education also did well, explained Lachman.
“The findings are promising because they suggest there may be ways to level the playing field for those with lower educational achievement, and protect those at greatest risk for memory declines,” said Lachman. “Although we can not rule out the possibility that those who have better memories are the ones who take on more activities, the evidence is consistent with cognitive plasticity (可塑性), and suggests some degree of personal control over cognitive functioning in adulthood by adopting an intellectually active lifestyle.” What is the text mainly about?
| A．Higher education has a better cognitive advantage. |
| B．Better memories result from college degree. |
| C．Cognitive activity does good to one’s mind. |
| D．Poor education has more risk of memory declines. |
According to the result of Margie Lachman’s study, we can conclude that ________.
| A．education is responsible for the lifelong memory performance and risk for mental disorder |
| B．education early in adulthood can be the only route to maintain your memory |
| C．those with higher education did better on the memory tests than those with lower education |
| D．an intellectually active lifestyle does help to maintain your memory |
What do we know about the study called Midlife?
| A．Participants each were given a battery to test their memory. |
| B．The average age of the participants are 56 years old. |
| C．Participants had to perform in one of the two cognitive areas. |
| D．One in four of the participants had a 4-year college degree. |
Why are the findings of the Lac
hman’s study promising?
| A．The lower educated may have the same opportunities to keep up memory. |
| B．We may have ways to cure the people who have memory declines. |
| C．Adopting a different lifestyle can control cognitive functioning. |
| D．We can find out the possibility to have better memories. |
C
Tokyo is one of those places that you can love and hate at the same time.
In Tokyo there are always too many people in the places where I want to be. Of course there are too many cars. The Japanese drive very fast, but in Tokyo they often spend a long time in traffic jams(拥挤).Tokyo is not different from London, Paris and New York in that. It is different when one wants to walk.
At certain times of the day there are a lot of people on foot in London’s Oxford Street. But the streets near the Ginza in Tokyo always have a lot of people on foot, and sometimes it is really difficult to walk. People are very polite; there are just too many of them.
The worst time to be in the street is at 11:30 at night. That is when the night-clubs are closing and everybody wants to go home. There are 35 000 night-clubs in Tokyo, and you do not often see one that is empty.
During the day, most people travel to and from work by train. Tokyo people buy six million train tickets every day. At most stations, trains arrive every two or three minutes but at certain hours there do not seem to be enough trains. Although they are usually crowded, Japanese trains are very good. They always leave and arrive on time. On a London train you would see everybody reading a newspaper. In Tokyo trains everybody in a seat seems to be asleep, whether his journey is long or short.
In Tokyo, I stood outside the station for five minutes. Three fire-engines(消防车) race past on the way to one of the many fires that Tokyo has every day .Tokyo has so many surprises that none of them can really surprise me now.
48.Tokyo is different from London in that___________.
A. it has a larger population
B. there are more traffic jams
C. it is more difficult to go somewhere on foot
D. night clubs are sometimes empty
49.Japanese trains _____________.
A. often leave and arrive on time
B. are often crowded
C. are the main means(手段，方法) people use to travel to and from work
D. all of the above
50.Where can you find everybody reading a newspaper? _____________.
A. At most London train stations B. At most Tokyo train stations
C. On a Tokyo train D. On a London train
51.Fires break out _______ in Tokyo according to the writer.
A. quite frequently (频繁) B. only several times a day
C. not very often D. very seldom
52.Which of the following is NOT true about Tokyo? ___________.
A. The streets become more crowded at 11:30 at night
B. There are more trains than cars
C. Fire-engines are very busy in the city
D. Tokyo people are polite
B
A beggar（乞丐） followed a lady and asked her for some money. She refused, so he turned away sadly and said he must do what he had made up his mind to do.
At this word, the lady was greatly frightened (害怕) for she was afraid for his life. So she called him back and gave him a dollar. The beggar took the money, put it into his pocket, and thanked her a great deal. “You have saved me from a terrible fate,” he said. The lady asked him what he meant. The beggar replied, “Madame, I have been begging all day, but only you have taken pity on me. Without this dollar you gave to me, I should have had to go to work now.
44. Before meeting the lady, the beggar ________.
A. had already received some dollars B. had been thinking of taking his own life
C. had received no money for that day D. had acted as if he was looking for a job
45. If the woman had understood the beggar’s words correctly, she would probably _____.
A. have given him one more dollar
B. have persuaded him to give up begging
C. have gone away without giving him any money
D. have offered him some work
46. In the story, “a horrible fate” means _______
A. to beg B. to go to work C. to die D. to live a hard life
47. The best headline(标题) for the story is ______.
A. How to Beg B. Money before Everything
C. Anything except Work D. Work for Money
第二部分阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
A
Dear Betty,
My roommate’s family wants me to celebrate Thanksgiving Day with them in their home. I accepted the invitation, and I’m excited about going, but I’m a little nervous about it, too. The social customs in my country are different from those here, so I’m a little worried about making mistakes.
Should I bring a gift, such as candy or flowers? Should I arrive on time or a little late? At the dinner table, how can I know which fork or knife to use? How can I let the family know that I’m thankful for their kindness?
Yours,
Knowing Nothing
Dear Knowing Nothing,
It’s a good idea to bring a gift when you go to a dinner party. Flowers are always welcome, or you can bring a bottle of wine if you know the family drink it.
You should arrive on time or five to ten minutes late. Don’t get there early. If you are going to be more than fifteen minutes late, you should call and tell them.
Try to relax at the dinner table. If you don’t know how to use the right fork, knife or spoon, just watch the other guests, and follow them. If you still have no idea of what to do, don’t be shy about asking the person next to you; it’s better to ask them than to be silently uncomfortable and nervous.
If you like the food, say so. Of course, you’ll thank the host and hostess for the meal and for their kindness. It’s also a good idea to send a card to thank them the day after.
Yours,
Betty
41. Knowing Nothing wrote a letter to Betty to _____.
A. tell Betty some good newsB. ask for some advice
C. answer some questions D. invite her to dinner
42. According to Betty, Knowing Nothing ______ when going to a dinner party.
A. can only bring some flowers
B. can’t bring wine
C. should arrive on time or five to ten minutes late
D. should arrive twenty minutes late
43. Betty does NOT advise Knowing Nothing to _____.
A. relax at the dinner table B. watch the other guests
C. ask the person beside himD. keep silent at table
Plastic is one of the most important technological discoveries of the 20th century. However, it may soon be replaced. The new development- liquid wood- can replace plastics in all branches of modern-day industries.
Plastic as a material enjoys the biggest demand in the modern world, but it does have a number of drawbacks. First and foremost, plastic isn’t recyclable. Secondly, it contains toxins (毒物) helping develop cancerous diseases. Finally, it’s made of oil and oil reserves aren’t endless.
The liquid wood technology is likely to replace plastic and providing mankind with new materials for many years ahead. Norbert Eisenfreich, a senior researcher at the Faunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology in Germany (ICT), said that arboform, the new material, is made of lignin(木素质）, which can be obtained from soft tissues of wood. Once mixed with several other matenals, it turns into solid and non-toxic alternative for plastics.
ICT team leader Emilia Regina Inone-Kauffmann said the wood-working industry separates wood into three basic components, including lignin. Lignin isn’t used for the production of paper. Specialists of ICT mixed lignin with several natural materials and thus invented the material which could be melted and molded (铸型）.
When solid, arboform looks like plastic and possesses tho qualitie of polished wood. It can be used for the production of any items. Arboform is already used for the production of car parts which require extra strength. In addition, liquid wood can be recycled repeatedly. The material preserved all of its qualities even if it’s reprocessed ten times.
However, the new invention doesn’t enjoy an extensive use due to the high content of sulfur(硫) in it. German researchers are sure to reduce the amount of sulfur by 90% very soon to make arboform usable for home needs.According to the passage, plastic_______.
| A．helps us to reduce the use of petrol |
| B．helps to protect our environment in some way |
| C．does harm to our society in some way |
| D．has been replaced by the newly discovered material |
What’s the advantage of arboform over plastic?
| A．It is easier made from natural oil. |
| B．It is more widely used in household |
| C．It is recyclable and friendly to environment. |
| D．It contains no poisonous materials. |
The underlined word “altemative” in Paragraph 3 means_______.
| A．lignin or arboform | B．soft tissues of wood |
| C．plastics or wood | D．mixture of several materials |
It can be concluded that German researchers will focus their future work firstly on_______
| A．the material’s extensive use | B．the content of sulfur in arboform |
| C．the production cost of arboform | D．the qualities of liquid wood |
The main purpose of the text is to___________.
| A．introduce liquid wood which will replace plastic |
| B．show readers how to produce arboform |
| C．advertise the new material-arboform |
| D．advertise new products made of arboform |
The day before the deadline for this article,I had no clue what I was going to write about. I took my problem to the editor-in-chief, and.he said to me:“Don’t worry; you’re creative. ”
I’m not sure where the editor-in-chief reached the conclusion that I was “creative”. Maybe it was through the poems I wrote. Personally, I simply enjoy writing because it’s fun. There’s also the fact that I can’t draw or do anything else creatively, I’m equally sure that there are people in the boat on the other side who can make things look excellent, but can’t write a poem.
At this point you probably want to ask me what poetry and art have to do with engineering. For one, it makes you a more rounded person, making you a better engineer. More importantly, as an engineer, you will be faced with many problems every day. There are some that can be solved by consulting a textbook, but more often than not, you will need that thing in your brain to put together things in a completely original combination to solve the problem at hand.
Think of the wonderful things that creative engineers have done. Civil engineers have made the road more long-lasting so we don’t have to close them for repairs as often. Coming up with a new innovation (创新) is similar to writing a good poem. It’s not some-thing you plan to do. The critical moment comes unexpectedly in the middle of nowhere. You don’t think about what you’re doing, you simply do. After some mad struggling you take a look at the end product and say to yourself, “This is a masterpiece. ” This is perhaps the greatest personal satisfaction one can
experience.
So all you engineers out there get out and do something creative. I don’t care if it’s writing a poem or a computer program, just be natural and do something creative.This passage mainly deals with_______.
| A．the creativity of engineers | B．the power of editor-in-chief |
| C．engineering in general | D．a way of thinking |
In the author’s opinion, writing poems can_______.
| A．show one is creative | B．make him happy |
| C．bring him in lots of money | D．have an effect on one’s mental health |
According to the author, art can help an engineer to_______.
| A．find the solutions to problems | B．learn to write poetry |
| C．be courageous in face of challenges | D．get along well with others |
Coming up with a new innovation is similar to writing a good poem in that both are_______.
| A．logically developed | B．strictly planned |
| C．experience- based | D．naturally creative |
The greatest personal satisfaction of an engineer comes from_______.
| A．planning his work successfully | B．building things quickly |
| C．finishing his work innovatively | D．writing good poems naturally |