Some kinds of mental skills naturally decrease as people get older. Yet research seems to show that some training can improve such skills. A recently published study also appears to demonstrate that the good effects of training can last for many years after that training has ended.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland wanted to learn how long memory and thinking skills would last in older people who trained to keep them. The people were part of the ten-year research project. They were taught methods meant to improve their memory, thinking and ability to perform everyday tasks.
More than 2,800 volunteered for the study called ACTIVE - short for Advanced (Cognitive) Training for Independent and Vital Elderly. Most studied when they were more than 70 years old.
The volunteers took one of several short training classes meant to help them keep their mental abilities. One class trained participants in skills including how to remember word lists. Another group trained in reasoning. A third group received help with speed-of-processing - speed of receiving and understanding information. A fourth group - the control group did not get any training.
Earlier results had established that the training helped the participants for up to five years. Now, lead study writer George Rebok says, the research showed most of the training remained effective a full ten years later.
Professor Rebok and his team found that the people trained in reasoning and speed-of-processing did better on tests than the control group.
"We are wondering whether those effects which endured over time would still be there ten years following the training, and in fact, that's exactly what we found."
The effect on memory, however, seemed not to last as long. Still, the old people in any of the three classes generally reported less difficulty in performing daily activities than the control group. The total training time for the older people was between 10 and 15 hours. Which statement is true according to the text?
A.This kind of training can only have effect on people for a few years。 |
B.The people were trained during a period of ten years. |
C.All the people who were studied were more than 70 years old. |
D.The second group were trained how to remember word lists. |
What can be inferred from the passage?
A.There were four groups being trained. |
B.The old people trained can remember words better. |
C.The second and third group improved their skills better than the first one. |
D.The research showed that the effect of the training could absolutely last 10 years. |
What’s the main idea of the fourth paragragh?
A.What was the meaning of the research? |
B.How was the research conducted? |
C.Why was the mental training effective? |
D.How long did the research last? |
What is the best title of the passage?
A.Mental Training Helped Elderly Stay Sharp for Years |
B.How to improve our mental health |
C.Four groups of old people were trained mentally. |
D. The result of a ten-year research |
D
Are some people born clever, and others born stupid? Or is intelligence developed by our environment and experience? Strangely enough, the answer to these questions is yes. To some extent, person’s intelligence is fixed at birth, whether or not he reaches those limits will depend on his environment. This view, now held by most experts, can be supported in a number of ways.
It is easy to show that intelligence is to some extent something we are born with. The closer the blood relationship between two people, the closer they are likely to be in intelligence. Thus if we take two unrelated people at random(随意地) from the population, it is likely that their degree of intelligence will be completely different. If, on the other hand, we take two identical twins they will very likely be as intelligent as each other. Relations like brothers and sisters, parents and children, usually have similar intelligence, and this clearly suggests that intelligence depends on birth.
Imagine now that we take two identical twins and put them in different environments. We might send one, for example, to a university and the other to a factory where the work is boring. We should soon find differences in intelligence developing, and this indicates that environment as well as birth plays a part. This conclusion is also suggested by the fact that people who live in close contact with each other, but who are not related at all are likely to have similar degree of intelligence.
68. The writer is in favor of the view that man’s intelligence is given to him
A. at birth B. through education
C. both at birth and through education D. neither at birth nor through education
69. If a child is born with low intelligence, he is unlikely to
A. become a genius so long as he or she works hard enough
B. still become a genius if he should be given special education
C. go beyond his intelligence limits even in rich surroundings
D. never reaches his intelligence limits in his life
70. The example of the twins going to a university and to a factory separately shows
A. the importance of their intelligence
B. the role of environment on intelligence
C. the importance of their positions
D. the part that birth plays
71. What can be the best title for the text?
A. SurroundingsB. Intelligence
C. Dependence on EnvironmentD. Effect of Education
C.
Here are two letters from our readers expressing their concern about school assessment (评价):
(l)
Students should be allowed to study without worrying about grades (学习成绩). Fortunately, most educators realize that students have different interests and abilities. However, grade-based assessment is still very common. Grades often hold back creativity. Competing for better grades causes many students to turn down opportunities to go in for music, drama and sports. Grades are also an unfair measure of a student’s ability. I do not demand, as some extremists do, that grades should no longer be recorded. However, I do believe that less importance should be placed on. grades. I hope that someday grades will become optional(可选择的) at Village High School.
Magdalena Smith, President
Drama Club
(2)
Let’s face the facts about grades. Grades perform three basic functions( 功能). First, grades get students to work at their highest level of competence (能力 ). Second, they act as an encouragement for hard-working students and as a warming to those who are not. Finally, grades are an effective standard by which to measure students' achievement. Good grades help students to get jobs and to get into university.
I've spoken with a number of students who have jobs, and most of them say that they were hired mainly because of their grades. My grades helped me get a part-time job and will help me into university next year. I think grades are extremely important at Village High School.
Simon Harper, Member,
Science Club
64. Simon Harper writes from the viewpoint of someone who
A. insists grades should become optional in the near future
B. believe in the advantages of assessment based on grades
C. is concerned about improving students' creativity
D. supports using students' interests to measure their abilities
65. Magdalena Smith thinks it is important for .
A. educators to assess the students by grades
B. educators to pay more attention to grades
C. students to compete for better grades
D. students to take part in music, drama, and sports
66. According to the letters, which of the following is TRUE about Village High School?
A. Grades are effective in every way.
B. Grades hold back students' creativity. .
C. Grades bring about unnecessary worries.
D. Grades are still in use at present. .
67. What are the two letters mainly about?
A. The role that grades should play in assessing students.
B. The importance of art and music in students' life.
C. The need to have a standard measure for students' success.
D. The reasons why grades shouldn't be used to assess students.
B
Among all the fast growing science and technology, the research of human genes, or biological engineering as people call it, is drawing more and more attention now. Sometimes it’s a hot topic discussed by people.
The greatest thing that gene technology can do is to cure serious diseases that doctors at present can almost do nothing with, such as cancer and heart disease. Every year, millions of people are murdered by these two killers. And to date, doctors have not found an effective way to cure them. But if the gene technology is applied, not only these two diseases can be cured completely, bringing happiness and more living days to the patients, but also the great amount of money people spend on curing their diseases can be saved, therefore it benefits the economy as well. In addition, human life span(寿命)can be prolonged.
Gene technology can help people to give birth to more healthy and clever children. Some families, with the English imperial(皇帝的)family being a good example, have hereditary(遗传的)diseases. This means their children will for sure have the family disease, which is a great trouble for these families. In the past, doctors could do nothing about hereditary diseases. But gene technology can solve this problem perfectly. Scientists just need to find the wrong gene and correct it, and a healthy child will be born.
Some people are worrying that the gene research can be used to manufacture(生产)human beings in large quantities. In the past few years, scientists have succeeded in cloning a sheep; therefore these people predict that human babies would soon be cloned. But I believe cloned babies will not come out in large quantities, for most couples in the world can have babies in very normal way. Of course, the governments must take care to control gene technology.
60. What does "these two killers" in the second paragraph refer to?
A. Gene technology and another treatment of the two diseases.
B. The two murderers who killed the cloned baby.
C. The two diseases of cancer and heart disease.
D. Hereditary diseases and cancer.
61. What’s the main idea of the third paragraph?
A. Gene technology can help people to give birth to a baby.
B. Gene technology can be used to clone human babies.
C. How gene technology can be used to treat hereditary diseases.
D. Gene technology can solve all the problems of the English imperial family.
62. In what way can gene technology help to treat hereditary diseases?
A. Gene technology helps people with hereditary diseases to live longer.
B. Using gene technology, scientists find the wrong gene and correct it.
C. Using gene technology, human babies can be cloned.
D. Doctors can cure cancer and heart disease with the help of gene technology.
63. What is the main purpose of writing this passage?
A. Expressing the writer's idea that gene technology will benefit people.
B. Telling people the advantages and disadvantages of gene technology.
C. Telling the readers that gene technology will not benefit people.
D. Explaining that gene technology will also do harm to the humanity.
第三部分:阅读理解(共20小题,每小题2分,满分40分)
阅读下列短文,从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C、D)中,选出最佳选项。
A
A Subway Superhero
Wesley Autrey can't fly, but he is still being called a real-life Superman! Last week, the brave 50-year-old rescued Cameron Hollopeter, 20, from being hit by a train. The train was entering a subway station in New York City. The young man had fallen from the station's platform and onto the train tracks a few feet below.
Autrey, a construction worker and Navy veteran(老兵), was with his two young daughters when he saw Hollopeter fall. Autrey made a quick decision and jumped onto the tracks. He then rolled himself and Hollopeter into a gap, or opening, between the rails. Autrey used his own body to protect the young man.
Five of the train’s cars passed over the two before stopping completely. The two men were both unharmed. Hollopeter’s stepmother, Rachel Hollopeter, called Autrey an “angel”. Autrey visited the New York Film Academy student in the hospital on Wednesday.
For his bravery, Autrey was given a hero's welcome at City Hall. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg presented Autrey with the Bronze Medallion (铜奖章). It is the city'’s highest award for achievements by its citizens. Mayor Bloomberg called Audrey “ a great man-a man who makes us all proud to be New Yorkers."
After the ceremony at City Hall, a limousine (豪华轿车)took Autrey to a meeting with multimillionaire businessman Donald Trump. Trump awarded Autrey with $ 10,000. The heroic father also received $ 5,000 from the New York Film Academy, a trip to Disney World, and one year of free sub way rides.
Even after all this attention; Autrey still doesn't see himself as a Superman.” I did it out of a split-second reaction," Autrey said on CBS' The Early Show. "And if I had to do it again, I probably would."
56. Wesley Autrey is still being called a real-life Superman because
A. he can rescue anybody in danger as he has the ability to fly
B. he rescued a young man from being hit by a running train
C. he protected his daughters from harm in a subway station
D. he succeeded in stopping a train from running over a passenger
57. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A. When he saw Hollopeter fall, Wesley Autrey was waiting for someone alone.
B. When he saw Hollopeter fall, he thought over a long period of time before he jumped onto the tracks.
C. After he saw Hollopeter fall, he made a quick decision and pulled the young man out of the track as soon as possible.
D. After he saw Hollopeter fall, he quickly made a decision to protect Hollopeter from harm.
58. In order to honor Autrey's bravery,New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg gave Autrey_____as a reward.
A. a cheque of $10,000 B. a limousine
C. the Bronze Medallion D. a cheque of $5,000
59. It can be inferred that if Autrey met with another accident like this one, he
A. would not do it again for he was afraid of losing his own life
B. would do it again for getting another piece of Bronze Medallion
C. would do it again so as to get another 15000-dollar cheque as a prize
D. would also do it out of his own conscience
Third-generation mobile phones, known as 3G, are the next big step for the telecom(电信) industry. Data speed in 3G networks is much quicker than that in present technology. This means users can have high-speed Internet access(上网) and enjoy video and CD-quality music on their phones.
"Mobile data is not a dream; it's not an option(选择) but a requirement" said Len Lauer, head of a US communications company, Sprint PCS, at a 3G conference in Bangkok earlier this month.
With 3G, you can forget about text messages telling you yesterday's news; a 3G phone can receive video news programs, updated(更新) four times a day. Internet access will also be much quicker, making it easier to surf the Web on your phone than on your computer at home.
Don't worry about getting lost. 3G phones offer map services so you can find a new restaurant just by pressing a few keys on your handset(手持机).
However, the most impressive part of 3G technology is video calling. With live two-way video communication, you can have face-to-face talks with friends and family on your mobile phone.
Many European countries have already launched the service. In May 2000 the US Government issued five licenses(许可证) to run 3G wireless services, while the first 3G phones arrived in Italy in March this year.
International telecom companies can't wait to sell 3G in China, the world's largest mobile telecommunications market. But they will have to be patient. At the moment, China is busy testing its 3G-based technologies, networks and services. This will be followed by a trial period before the phones can finally hit the shops.
“We need to create a pool of 3G customers before the large-scale commercial launch(开始) of the service,” said Fan Yunjun, marketing manager for Beijing Mobile. “We expect that the 3G licenses will be issued(发行) late next year.”
We'll also see 3G services enter our daily lives in all-sorts of new ways, from shopping and banking to playing interactive computer games over the net. It won't be long before we think nothing of sitting on a train using a mobile palmtop(掌上型电脑) to check our bank accounts or pay bills. You might even click on an icon(图标) on the screen to set up an immediate video-conference with your bank clerk.
55. 3G is ______.
A. a kind of mobile phone that can send text message and make calls
B. a kind of technology that makes mobile data and video calling come true
C. a kind of player that can be used to listen to CD or MP3 music
D. a kind of system that makes it easy to surf the Internet
56. What does Len Lauer want to inform the readers?
A. Realizing the dream of mobile data based on the application of 3G is a must.
B. There is no need to send messages since 3G can receive video news programs.
C. 3G is supposed to own all the functions that a computer has.
D. It is a choice to carry mobile data with 3G phones.
57. The 3G services can be launched after the following steps EXCEPT that ________.
A. they have to test its 3G-based technologies, networks and services
B. they need to create a group of 3G customers
C. the 3G licenses are issued and 3G phones are tested
D. international telecom companies decide to sell 3G in China
58. The last paragraph shows us that ________.
A. 3G services bring a lot of convenience to us
B. we cannot live without 3G mobile phones
C. 3G services can change our life completely
D. 3G services will take the place of other technologies
59. What is the best title of the passage?
A. Face-to-face Video Calls B. The Future of 3G
C. The New Telecom Industry--3G D. The Use of 3G Mobile Phone