Jealous of the kids at school who are smarter than you and seem to learn more quickly? Don’t worry． 71
72 However, according to a recent study, IQ can rise—not just by one or two points, but by as many as 21 points!
Scientists have found that IQ changes are linked to changes in part of the brain called gray matter, which was seen to grow and become denser （更加密集） in the brains of people whose IQs improved greatly．
73 One is to train your short-term memory． Previous research has proven that short-term memory is the basis for intelligence, so trying to recognize or retell something that you have seen or heard can help raise your overall brain power． 74
A good night’s sleep will also help improve your concentration． 75 It helps you stay focused for longer the next day．
Scientists have also found that exercise helps． Walking 30 minutes a day five times a week and doing exercise will help you become more knowledgeable—as well as healthier and fitter．
| A．There are several ways of increasing your brain’s gray matter． |
| B．Your brain deals more efficiently with things you truly like． |
| C．With a bit of brain training, the chances are that you can be as smart as they are． |
| D．So maybe it’s a good idea to get your brain in training right away． |
E． Getting enough sleep is like pushing the reset button in your brain．
F． The more you work on it, the better you will become．
G． People used to assume that a person’s IQ was unchangeable．
Rabbits are easy to raise. The long-eared animals are clean and quiet. They do not need a lot of room. And you do not have to spend a lot of money to feed them.
One male and two females will produce in a year as many as fifty more rabbits. That is enough to provide a good supply of meat for a family.
Rabbit houses are easy to make with wood and wire fencing material. They do not have to be very big. But each rabbit must have its own little room in the house. This is very important. Each room should be about 75 centimeters wide, 60 centimeters high and one meter deep. Fencing is used for the sides and floor of the rabbit house. The holes in the wire fencing should be about one centimeter square. This keeps the rabbit house clean and dry. Rabbits need a lot of fresh air and sunlight. Cover the sides of the rabbit house only to protect it from rain.
Feeding containers hung on the outside of the house let the rabbits eat whenever they want. They simply pull the grass and leaves through the holes in the wire fence.
Each room should have fresh water. The water containers should be heavy so the rabbits cannot turn them over.
One month after mating, female rabbits give birth to about eight babies. In two months, a baby rabbit should weigh about two kilograms. This is big enough to make a meal for a small family.
| A．Rabbits eat mostly grass and leaves. |
| B．Rabbits are also valuable for their fur. |
| C．Or you can tie the containers to the wire. |
| D．Rabbit meat is high in protein and low in fat. |
E. Many people enjoy keeping rabbits as friendly pets.
F. Wastes from the animals will drop through the holes.
G. With rabbits, you get a big return from a small investment.
A major source of teen stress is school exams, and test anxiety is not uncommon. When you recognize your teen is under stress, how can parents help your teen stay calm before an exam?
Be involved (介入，参与). Parents need to be involved in their teen’s work. What they look for is your patience—to talk, to cry, or simply to sit with them quietly. Communicate openly with your teen. Encourage your teen to express her worries and fears, but don’t let them focus on those fears.
Help them get organized. Together, you and your teen can work out a timetable in which she can study for what she knows will be on the test.
Provide a calm setting. Help your teen set up a quiet place to study and protect her privacy. Give them a nutritious diet. It is important for your teen to eat a healthy, balanced diet during exam times to focus and do her best. If this happens, encourage your teen to eat light meals or sandwiches.
Persuade your teenager to get some sleep and/or do something active when she needs a real break from studying. Help your teen balance her time so that she will feel comfortable taking time out from studying to spend time with friends or rest.
Show a positive attitude. Your panic, anxiety and blame contribute to your teen’s pressure. Make your teen feel accepted and valued for her efforts. Most importantly, reassure your teen that things will be all right, no matter what the results are.
| A．Exam stress can make some teens lose their appetite. |
| B．Help your teen think about what she has to study and plan accordingly. |
| C．They will only make the situation worse. |
| D．Encourage your teen to relax |
E. Your teen may also make negative comments about themselves.
F. A parent’s attitude will affect their teen’s emotions.
G. The best thing is simply to be there.
Although many Chinese students say that their knowledge of English grammar is
good, most would admit that their spoken English is poor. Whenever I speak to a Chinese student, they
always say “My spoken English is poor.”I would like to suggest that there may be some reasons for their problems with spoken English.
First, they fail to find suitable words to express themselves due to a limited vocabulary.
However, you can speak with a limited vocabulary, if you choose a positive attitude. Others will follow
You as long as you use the words that you know._. Sometimes they make mistakes
when they are speaking because they are shy and nervous. Yet students should remember
that their goal should be FLUENCY NOT ACCURACY. Your aim in writing is to be accurate
following the rules for grammar and using the right words and spelling them correctly.
However, in speaking your aim is fluency. You want to get your message across, to talk
to someone in English, as quickly and as well as you can, even though sometimes you may
use a wrong word or tense , but it doesn’t matter..
The third reason is that not enough attention is paid to listening . You have one mouth but two
ears！All that hearing is necessary for you to start speaking .
Actively seeking out opportunities to improve their spoken English they passively wait for speaking opportunities to come to them and wonder why their English always remains poor..
| A．The person you are speaking to will understand you and make allowances for any mistakes he hears. |
| B．They may try to avoid making similar mistakes next time. |
| C．Obviously the better answer is to expand their vocabulary . |
| D．If you have this proactive outlook, then you will see English opportunities wherever you go. |
E. However, their spoken English does not have to remain “poor”！
F. Second , they are afraid of making mistakes.
G. The second reason lies in the reluctance of using what has just been learned.
Easy Ways to Keep Your Brain Sharp
Everyone is forgetful, but as we age, we start to feel like our brains are slowing down a bit—and that can be a very annoying thing. Read on for some techniques worth trying.
1．
People who regularly made plans and looked forward to upcoming events had a 50 percent reduced chance of Alzheimer's disease (早老性痴呆症), according to a recent study. Something as simple as setting a goal to have a weekly coffee date with a friend will do. There's evidence that people who have a purpose in life or who are working on long or shortterm goals appear to do better. In other words, keep your brain looking forward.
2．Go for a walk.
Mildly raised glucose (葡萄糖) levels can harm the area of the brain that helps you form memories and physical activity can help get blood glucose down to normal levels. In fact，exercise produces chemicals that are good for your brain.
3．Learn something new.
Take a Spanish class online, join a drawing club, or learn to play cards. A study found that mental stimulation (刺激) limits the weakening effects of aging on memory and the mind. But the best thing for your brain is when you learn something new and are physically active at the same time. Or go dancing with your friends.
| A．Focus on the future. |
| B．This can be especially harmful to the aged. |
| C．It should be something like learning gardening. |
| D．So take a few minutes each day to do some reading. |
E．But don't worry if your schedule isn't filled with lifechanging events.
F．Luckily, research shows there is a lot you can do to avoid those moments.
G．In other words, when you take care of your body, you take care of your brain.
A major source of teen stress is school exams, and test anxiety is not uncommon. When you recognize your teen is under stress, how can parents help your teen stay calm before an exam?
Be involved. Parents need to be involved in their teen’s work. ______ What they look for is your presence—to talk, to cry, or simply to sit with them quietly. Communicate openly with your teen. Encourage your teen to express her worries and fears, but don’t let them focus on those fears.
Help them get organized. ________ Together, you and your teen can work out a time-table in which she can study for what she knows will be on the test.
Provide a calm setting. Help your teen set up a quiet place to study and protect his privacy. Give them a nutritious diet. It is important for your teen to eat a healthy, balanced diet during exam times to focus and do her best. _________ If this happens, encourage your teen to eat light meals or sandwiches. A healthy diet, rather than junk food, is best for reducing stress.
________ Persuade your teenager to get some sleep or do something active when she needs a real break from studying. Making time for relaxation, fun, and exercise are all important in reducing stress. Help your teen balance her time so that she will feel comfortable taking time out from studying to spend time with friends or rest.
Show s positive attitude. _________ Your panic, anxiety and blame contribute to your teen’s pressure. Make your teen feel accepted and valued for her efforts. Most importantly, reassure your teen that things will be all right, no matter what the results are.
| A．A parent’s attitude will affect their teen’s emotions. |
| B．Exam stress can make some teens lose their appetite(胃口). |
| C．They will only make the situation worse. |
| D．Encourage your teen to relax. |
E. The best thing is simply to listen.
F. Help your teen think about what she has to study and plan accordingly.
G. Your teen may also make negative comments about themselves.