Losing weight comes with a lot of health benefits—including making your brain sharper.
Yes, it turns out that overweight may damage cognitive functions (认知功能) such as memory and attention. There have been few studies of overweight and cognitive functioning, possibly because it is generally believed that it is not a primary risk cause for poor cognitive performance. Losing weight, therefore, may help improve these mental functions, according to a new research led by John Gunstad, assistant professor of psychology at Kent State University.
Growing evidence suggests that being fat is linked to cognitive deficits (缺陷). So Gunstad and his team guessed that losing weight might improve mental function. For their study, they measured memory and attention in a group of 150 overweight participants, some of whom had some kind of operation for weight loss and some did not. All of the volunteers completed mental skills tests to assess their abilities of memory and attention at the beginning of the study, and again 12 weeks later. To begin with, about 24% of the patients showed damaged learning and 23% showed signs of poor memory when tested. At the end of the study, those who had lost weight after operation improved their scores into the average or above average range for cognitive functions. Scores for the volunteers who didn’t lose weight dropped even further.
The study helped Gunstad to find out whether losing weight had any effect on mental function. Now that he’s seen the positive effect that weight loss can have on memory and attention, he says he will next study those who choose to lose weight by the traditional way—eating healthier and getting more active. He expects that losing weight in this way will have a similarly positive effect on the brain. “If we can improve the condition with operations, then we can probably produce the same change with behavioral weight loss as well,” he says. There is less research on overweight and cognitive functions because researchers _____.
| A. believe overweight only affects our body |
| B. have focused on ways to sharpen people’s mind |
| C. do not consider overweight a main cause for low cognitive ability |
| D. are clear about the relation between weight and mental functions |
The result of Gunstad’s study shows that ______.
| A. losing weight has little effect on people’s memory |
| B. losing weight can improve people’s mental functions |
| C. overweight people are likely to have psychology problems |
| D. overweight people’s abilities of concentration differ greatly |
What is Gunstad planning to prove next in his research?
| A. Slim people are smarter than overweight people. |
| B. Healthy diet is better than exercise in losing weight. |
| C. Traditional ways of losing weight are better than operation. |
| D. Overweight people will get smarter by taking more exercise. |
Which of the following is the best title for the text?
| A. Body Weight and Health |
| B. Losing Weight by Operation |
| C. Ways to Improve Mental Functions |
| D. Losing Weight to Sharpen Your Mind |
| LOST AND FOUND |
ROOMATES |
| FOUND: Cat, 6 months old, black and white marking. Found near Linden and South U.Steve, 800---4661 |
FEMAL ROOMATE WANTED Own room near campus. Available December 1st. Rent $80 per month until March 1st.$129 there after. Call Jill for details,800—7839. |
| LOST: Gold wire rim glasses in brown case. Campus area. Reward. Call Gregg 800---2896 |
NEED PERSON to assume lease for own bedroom in apt. near campus, $92/mo. Starting Jan. 1st. Call 800---6157 after 5:00 |
| FOR SAIL |
HELP WANTED |
| MOVING: Must sell.TV b/w2 seconds, $50; AM/FM transistor radio A/c or battery, $15;cassette tape recorder,$10; music records.Call John or Pat, 800—0739 after 5 or weekends. |
BABYSITTER-MY HOME If you are available a few hours during the day, some evenings and occasional weekends to care for 2 school-age children, please call Gayle Moore days 800—1111, evenings and weekends 800—4964. |
| USED FUR COATS and JACKETS GOOD CONDITION. $50---¥125. Call 800---0436 after 12 noon. |
WAITRESS WANTED: 10 a.m.—2 p.m. or 10:30 a.m.---5 p.m. Apply in person, 207 s. Mai.Curtis Restaurant. |
73. If you want a job of taking care of children, which ad will you answer?
A.LOST AND FOUND B. ROOMMATES C. FOR SAIL D.HELP WANTED
74. You will call____ if you want to buy a radio.
A. 800---0436 B. 800—0739 C.800—4661 D.800—4964
75. If your aunt wants to rent a room from Feb.1st to Apri.1st, how much money should she pay?
A. $160 B. $ 129 C. $ 209 D. $418
B
Hundreds of years ago, Native-American tribes lived in Mexico. The Aztecs built beautiful cities. They had a calendar (历法) and a written language. However, the Spanish destroyed the Aztecs in l521. For the next 300 years, Spain ruled over Mexico. That’s why Mexicans speak Spanish.
Every September l6 the Mexican people hold a celebration in Mexico City, their country’s capital. It is their Independence Day. On that date in 1821 they told Spain they would no longer be ruled. Breaking free from Spain caused a war. When it was over, the Mexicans had their own government. They made their own laws.
Today America and Mexico are friends, but it wasn’t always that way. President James Polk wanted America to reach from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. He tried to buy what is now the American southwest from Mexico. Mexico would not sell. So from l846 to 1848 Mexico and America fought a war to ascertain where their borders would be. When the war ended, Mexico had lost a lot of land. Now the Rio Grande River forms the border between the two nations. America is on the north side of the river. Mexico is on the south side.
Mexico has mountains and a hot, dry climate. Crops can grow on only a small part of the land. Still, Mexicans grow much of the coffee, oranges, and sugar used in the US. Mexicans have influenced building styles in southwestern US and added words such as patio and canton to American English. Americans also enjoy eating many Mexican foods like burritos, tacos, tortillas, and tamales.
6. According to the passage, what happened second on historical timeline?
A. Mexicans declared their independence from Spain.
B. The Spanish ruled Mexico.
C. The Aztecs lived in Mexico.
D. Americans fought a war with Mexico.
7. The passage says that President Polk wanted ______.
A. the US to expand its borders to the Pacific Ocean
B. Mexico to change its Independence Day to July 4th
C. Mexico to become one of the states of the Union
D. Americans to adopt the Mexican language
8. Another word for the underlined word “ascertain” is ______.
A. inspect B. coverC. change D. determine
9. Mexicans have the following influences on America EXCEPT ______.
A. building styles B. vocabulary C. clothes D. food
10. Before the Aztecs were conquered(征服), these Native Americans probably ______.
A. didn’t speak Spanish B. couldn’t read or write any language
C. didn’t have tools D. didn’t understand the concept of time
七．阅读理解 (20分)
A
February has long been a month of romance. With the sweet smell of roses in the air, romantic films hit cinemas and love stories fill newspapers and magazines.
On the 14th day, it is a custom for a boy to take his girlfriend out to dinner, buy her flowers and chocolates, write poems, sing to her or even spell out her name with rose petals! This is what you see on Valentine’s Day, a day named after Valentine who was a priest in the third century Rome. When the emperor decided that single men could become better soldiers than those with wives, he didn’t allow marriage. But Valentine continued to perform marriage ceremonies for young lovers in secret. When his actions were discovered, the emperor sentenced him to death. While in prison, it is said that Valentine fell in love with the daughter of his prison guard. Before his death, he wrote her a letter, which he signed “From your Valentine”, an expression that is still in use today. Valentine died for what he believed in and so he was made a Saint (圣徒), as well as becoming one of history’s most romantic characters. Nowadays, Valentine’s Day is also popular among Chinese young people. Some students are planning to make Valentine’s cards for parents, teachers and friends. Others want to hold parties at which they will exchange small gifts and eat heart-shaped cakes. The idea is to have fun and encourage people to share in the spirit of St. Valentine.1. Which of the following is not a custom for a boy to do on Valentine’s Day? A. to take his girlfriend out to dinner B. to buy his girlfriend flowers and chocolates C. to make Valentine’s cards for teachers and friends D. to spell out his girlfriend’s name with rose petals2. Why did the emperor in Rome not allow marriage in his country? A. Because there were few women in his country at that time. B. Because he thought men without wives could be better soldiers. C. Because there wasn’t enough food for so many people. D. Because he wanted to control the birth rate.3. Valentine was put into prison because ______. A. he killed one of the soldiers B. he stole a lot of food C. he didn’t obey the emperor’s order D. he didn’t want to be a soldier4. The last paragraph mainly tells us ______. A. students in China send cards to their teachers B. it is a good idea to celebrate Valentine’s Day in China C. it is interesting to celebrate Valentine’s Day in China D. Valentine’s Day is also popular in China now5. The best title for this passage should be ______. A. Valentine’s DayB. A Brave Priest C. Valentine’s Day in ChinaD. A Romantic Man
D
Having an interview（面试）doesn’t sound like a big deal, just like getting good marks in college. You simply go in and meet someone, talk for a while, and then leave. Nothing to stress over, not the end of the world, but I’ve never been interviewed and I have my first one tomorrow for my job in Columbia.
I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about it and have decided that it shouldn’t matter all that much. It seems that the interview would only make a difference if the company is on the fence about you, or if the interview was unpleasant and they walk away thinking that you are too, then the officers might be encouraged to think about your request again. On the other hand, if you were in the “maybe” pile, a good interview could push you onto the list of accepted candidates（候选人）.
I know I shouldn’t worry. After all, they probably have already made up their minds about me. My essay was, to say the least, unique. The interview is at Starbucks. What does that mean? My friend, who did a lot of these interviews last year (and who was accepted to the company there), told me to wear jeans and a nice sweater. I was going to go with a skirt. The fact that it’s at Starbucks, however, is making me think that jeans might be more proper. And then there’s the other problem of knowing who my interviewer is. I discussed this with my music teacher, who suggested, “They'll probably be wearing something.” That good idea hadn’t crossed my mind, which just goes to show that my brain has stopped to function. Stress is taking over my life.
Tonight I will prepare. I will choose what to wear and what, if anything, to bring. I like to talk, so this should not be a problem. Hopefully when I get there I’ll find that this is actually the part of the process I’m most comfortable with. Until then I’ll spend my time preparing and hoping.
73. Before the interview, the author feels quite .
A. lucky B. easy C. hopeless D. excited
74. The author wants to wear jeans mainly because .
A. the interviewer is fond of them
B. her friend likes them very much
C. her music teacher suggests her doing so
D. they are proper at Starbucks
75. The author seems to feel her can do best to the interview.
A. clothes B. degree C. talking ability D. college marks
76. The best title for the passage would be “ ”.
A. My learning trouble B. A good college
C. An interview D. Stress of life
C
Why do men die earlier than women? The latest research makes it known that the reason could be that men’s hearts go into rapid decline when they reach middle age.
The largest study of the effects of ageing on the heart has found that women’s longevity may be linked to the fact that their hearts do not lose their pumping power with age.
“We have found that the power of the male heart falls by 20-25 percent between 18 and 70 years of age,” said the head of the study, David Goldspink of Liverpool John Moores University in the UK.
“Within the heart there are millions of cells that enable it to beat. Between the age of 20 and 70, one-third of those cells die and are not replaced in men,” said Goldspink. “This is part of the ageing process.”
What surprises scientists is that the female heart sees very little loss of these cells. A healthy 70-year-old woman’s heart could perform almost as well as a 20-year-old one’s.
“This gender difference might just explain why women live longer than men,” said Goldspink. They studied more than 250 healthy men and women between the ages of 18 and 80, focusing on healthy persons to remove the confusing influence of disease. “The team has yet to find why ageing takes a greater loss on the male heart,” said Goldspink.
The good news is that men can improve the health of their heart with regular exercise. Goldspink stressed that women also need regular exercise to prevent their leg muscles becoming smaller and weaker as they age.
69. The underlined word “longevity” in the second paragraph probably refers to “________”.
A. health B. long life C. ageing D. effect
70. The text mainly talks about ________.
A. men’s heart cells B. women’s ageing process
C. the gender difference D. hearts and long life
71. According to the text, the UK scientists have known that ________.
A. women have more cells than men when they are born
B. women can replace the cells that enable the heart to beat
C. the female heart loses few of the cells with age
D. women never lose their pumping power with age
72. If you want to live longer, you should ________.
A. enable your heart to beat much faster
B. find out the reason for ageing
C. exercise regularly to keep your heart healthy
D. prevent your cells from being lost