Motherhood may make women smarter and may help prevent dementia(痴呆) in old age by bathing the brain in protective hormones, U.S. reseachers 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 are protecting the brain, including estrogen(雌激素), which we know has many neuroprotective effects,” Kinsley said.
“It’s rat data but human
s 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 alterations(改变) to the brain.” How do scientists know “Motherhood may make women smarter”?
| A．Some researchers have told them. |
| B．Many women say so. |
| C．They know it by experimenting on rats. |
| D．They know it through their own experience. |
What does the phrase “litters of pups” mean in the second paragraph?
| A．Baby rats. | B．Animals. | C．Old rats. | D．Grown-up rats. |
What can protect the brain of a woman according to the passage?
| A．Estrogen. | B．The hormones of pregnancy. |
C．More  exercise. |
D．Taking care of children. |
“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 have nothing to do with humans. |
| B．The experiments on the rats are very important for animals. |
| C．The experiments on the rats are much the same on humans. |
| D．The experiments on the rats are much the same on other animals. |
Which title is the best for this passage?
| A．Do You Want to Be Smarter? |
| B．Motherhood Makes Women Smarter |
| C．Mysterious Hormones |
| D．An Important Study |
From the earliest times，man has been interested in art．People have often worked together to collect and save the world's art treasures．
Fine art treasures from many countries are kept in an art museum called the Louvre in Paris，France．The works of art have been collected by the people of France over many centuries．
The Louvre has not always been a museum．The first building was a fort（炮台）．In 1190，it was the king's castle with high walls and a round tower．It had a moat to prevent his enemies from walking in ．
Over the years，the number of buildings around the castle grew．By 1350，the castle was no longer needed as a fort．The Louvre became a palace home for French kings and queens．
During times of peace，new treasures were brought in．Du
ring days of war，many treasures were stolen，and the buildings were damaged．
When Francis I became king of France in 1515，he brought in artists from many countries．One of the artists was Leonardo da Vinci from Italy．Da Vinci's"Mona Lisa"is the best known painting in the museum today．
In 1793，the Louvre became a public museum，just as it is now．It is a place where art treasures have been saved for everyone to enjoy．On the whole，this passage is mainly about____.．
| A．an art museum called the Louvre |
B．an Italian artist named Leonardo da Vinci |
C．a king of France named Francis I |
D．the best known painting in Louvre |
Why is it good for great art to be kept in public museums？
| A．It helps people remember who the King of France is． |
B．It keeps people out of the palaces． |
C．It gives everyone a chance to enjoy good art． |
D．It helps people to know who is the greatest artist． |
From the passage we know that _____．
| A．it is not possible for treasures to be stolen |
B．old forts always make the best museums |
C．great art should be shared with all the people |
D．king Francis I of France brought in artists from an old fort |
In the third paragraph the word"moat"probably means_____．
| A．a high tower built in former times where soldiers watched out for enemies |
B．a long and deep ditch（沟） dug round a castle and was usually filled with water |
C．a cart pulled by horses on which soldiers fought |
D．a long and high wall around castle |
阅读下列短文，根据所读内容在表格中的空白处填入恰当的单词。
注意：每个空格只填一个单词。
Some people believe that greed and selfishness has become the basis of modern society, and we should return to the old traditions of family and community then we will have a better life．To what extent do you agree or disagree with the above opinion?
In this fast-paced world, many values are undergoing major ch
anges．While people traditionally prioritize caring, sharing and generosity in life and work, modern people seem to be more self-absorbed and self-concerned．
Modern people act selfishly to survive the harsh competition of life．They say that it is a jungle out there．To survive, you have to fight with whatever means that come handy．Obviously greedy and selfishness go perfectly well with such ideas．In a compan
y, employees do everything they can to get better pay and higher position, even at the cost of colleagues．We are in any way advocating any selfish conduct．It is just that people are pressured to act in a certain way due to outside influences．
In spite of common practice, it is hard to conclude that modern society is built on greed and selfishness, both of which are not newly invented vocabulary．In ancient times people also did greedy and selfish things though such behaviors were more condemned then．But we can not ignore the fact that people in the past lived a relatively more isolated life and faced less pressure compared with their modern counterparts．
Are we happier to share with others and be generous to them? There is no fixed answer either．Some people take great pleasure helping and giving to others while others feel happy doing the opposite．But I personally think that people should not be too selfish．Caring for others can actually encourage the development of a mutually beneficial relationship．
In conclusion, modern people appear to be more self-centered than those in the past due to strong outside pressure．However, we should encourage people to 
know the importance of being caring and generous and to build a mutually beneficial relationship with others．
Are Modern People Becoming More Selfish?
| Main comparisons |
Contexts |
| __ |
In the past people put caring, sharing and generosity in the first ____ |
| Nowadays, people seem to be more ___ |
|
| ___ |
People in the past appeared to be modest and self-effacing（谦让的）． |
| People may strive to achieve their own |
|
| The author’s understanding |
|
| __ |
Fierce |
| The author’s __ |
A relationship which can __ |
A popular saying goes, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me．” However, that’s not really true．Words have the power to build us up or tear us down．It doesn’t matter 
if the words come from someone’s else or ourselves --- the positive and negative effects are just as lasting．
We all talk to ourselves sometimes．We’re usually too embarrassed to admit it, though．In fact, we really shouldn’t be because more and more experts believe talking to ourselves out loud is a healthy habit．
This “self-talk” helps us motivate ourselves, remember things, solve problems, and calm ourselves down．Be aware, though, that as much as 77% of self-talk tends to be negative．So in order to stay positive, we should only speak words of encouragement to ourselves．We should also be quick to give ourselves a pat on the back．The next time you finish a project, do well in a test, or finally clean your room, join me in saying “Good job!”
Often, words come out of our mouths without us thinking about the effect they will have．But we should be aware that our words cause certain responses in others．For example, when returning an item to a store, we might use warm, friendly language during the exchange．And th
e clerk will probably respond in a similar manner．Or harsh（刻薄的）and critical language will most likely cause the clerk to be defensive．
Words possess power because of their lasting effect．Many of us regret something we once said．And we remember unkind words said to us! Before speaking, we should always ask ourselves: Is it loving? Is it needed? If what we want to say doesn’t pass this test, then it’s better left unsaid．
Words possess power: both positive and negative．Those around us receive encouragement when we speak positively．We can offer hope, build self-esteem（自尊）and motivate others to do their best．Negative words destroy all those things．Will we use our words to hurt or to heal? The 
choice is ours．The main idea of the first paragraph is that ________．
| A．not sticks and stones but words will hurt us |
| B．inspiring words give us confidence |
| C．negative words may let us down |
| D．words have a lasting effect on us |
There is no sense for us to feel embarrassed when we talk to ourselves because _______
| A．almost everybody has the habit of talking to themselves |
| B．we can benefit from talking to ourselves |
| C．talking to ourselves always gives us courage |
| D．it does no harm to have “self-talk” when we are alone |
The underlined part in the third paragraph means that we should also timely _______ ．
| A．praise ourselves | B．remind ourselves |
| C．make ourselves relaxed | D．give our selves amusement |
The author would probably hold the view that ___________
| A．encouraging words are sure to lead to kind offers |
| B．negative words may encourage us to make more progress |
| C．people tend to remember friendly words |
| D．it is better to think twice before talking to others |
In so many ways, cyberspace（网络空间） mirrors the real world．People ask for information, play games, and share hobby tips．Others buy and sell products．Still others look for friendship, or even love．
Some Internet users want more than just someone to chat with．They’re looking for serious love relationships．Is cyberspace a good place to find love? That answer depends on whom you ask．Some of these relationships actually succeed．Others end in tears．
Unlike the real world, however, your knowledge about a person is limited to words on a computer
screen．Identity and appearance mean very little in cyberspace．Rather, a person’s thoughts or at least the thoughts they type are what really counts．So even the shyest person can become a chat-room star．
Usually, this “faceless” communication doesn’t create problems．Identity doesn’t really matter when you’re in a chat-room discussing politics or hobbies．In fact, this emphasis on the ideas themselves makes the Internet a great place for exciting conversation．Where else can so many people come together to chat?
Suppo
rters of online relationships claim that the Internet allows couples to know how intelligent they are first．Personal appearance doesn’t get in the way．
But critics（批评者）of online relationships argue that no one can truly know another person in cyberspace．Why? Because the Internet gives users a lot of control over how others view them．Internet users can carefully choose their words to fit whatever image they want to give．And they don’t have to worry about what their “non-verbal ” communication is doing for their image．In a sense, they’re not really themselves．All of this may be fine if the relationship stays in cyberspace．But not knowing a person is a big problem in a love relationship．With so many unknowns, it’s easy to let one’s imagination “fill in the blanks”．This surely leads to disappointment when couples meet in person．How someone imagines an online friend is often quite different from the real person．
So, before looking for love in cyberspace, remember the advice of Internet pioneer Clifford Stoll, “Life in the real world is far richer than anything you’ll find on a computer screen．”Which would the critics of online relationships most probably disagree to?
| A．Nobody can truly know another person in cyberspace． |
| B．Internet users can choose words to create any image they like． |
| C．The Internet allows couples know how intelligent they are． |
| D．In a sense, Internet users are not really themselves． |
Even the shyest person can become a chat-room star because what really counts is a person’s ______．
| A．non-verbal communication | B．thoughts typed on the screen |
| C．knowledge and appearance | D．identity shown in the chat |
The underlined word “This” （Paragraph 6） refers to ______．
| A．having exciting conversations online |
| B．forming personal relationship in cyberspace |
| C．imagining online friends with so many unknowns |
| D．knowing a person in a love relationship |
What’s the writer’s attitude towards finding love in cyberspace?
| A．Positive | B．Negative | C．Interested | D．Disinterested |
College libraries are designed primarily for research and study．To explain its use, let us choose a research topic and follow the step-by-step procedure of looking up the material for the paper．
Suppose your assignment is to write a paper on a novel called “The Sun Also Rises” by American writer Hemingway．The first step is to go to the main catalog．Many small drawers on the large wooden cabinets are lined up in alphabetical（字母的） order．Each of the drawers contains hundreds of alphabetical ordered cards．These cards are printed ref
erences to all material available in the library．Title cards are cataloged （为…编目录） by the firs
t word of the book title, leaving out the articles like “a”, “an” and “the”．And then you get the cards for the books you need．On the upper left corner of each card is the call number．This is the numerical code that shows where the book is located in the library．The library has open and closed stacks．If your book is on the open stacks, you can go to the open-stack room, and according to the call number find it out by yourself．There are only about 30,000 books on open stacks, while most of the 800,000 books in our library are kept in closed stacks, which are accessible only to teachers and graduate students．
For undergraduates like you, borrowing books from the closed stacks have to be done with the help of our librarian．In that case, you must fill out a call slip（纸条） for the book, showing the call number, author and title．You can get call slips on tables near the catalog cabinets．You show your call slip together with your library card to a librarian at the information desk．He or she will help you find the book out in the closed stacks．What is the main purpose of this text?
| A．To present readers a brief introduction to a college library． |
| B．To guide readers how to find books needed in a college library． |
| C．To tell readers how to fill out a call slip in a college library． |
| D．To show readers where to find books in a college library． |
What letter you should look for on the title card for the book “The Old Man and the Sea” by the Hemingway?
| A．The letter “t”． | B．The letter “h”． | C．The letter “s”． | D．The letter “o”． |
How are books arranged and shelved in the library?
| A．By call numbers． | B．By call slips of authors’ names． |
| C．In alphabetical order． | D．By the first word of book title． |
Supp
ose you are an undergraduate and you want to borrow a book from the closed stacks, which is the correct order to do it?
a．go to the main catalog b．show your call slip and library card
c．find out the call number d．fill out a call slip
e．get the cards for 
the books
| A．a-b-e-d-c | B．a-e-c-d-b |
| C．b-a-c-d-e | D．b-c-a-e-d |