Tips for developing an exercise plan for your brain
You know that eating a sensible diet and getting plenty of exercise help your body healthy and strong. But did you know that there are ways to make your brain healthier and smarter?
Studies show that when the brain is compelled to do something new, it creates new neural pathways（神经通路）. The more pathways you have, the faster you can think and the better memory you will have.
Ten steps toward a smarter brain
Limit your TV time
Watching an average TV show requires very little brain power and brings the same result as neglecting physical exercise. Your brain will become weak just as your muscles do. If you watch TV, choose something educational and informative.
Travel
Traveling to a new country forces you to see and do things in a new way, providing stimulation（刺激） to the brain.
Learn a new language
Acquiring a new language involves different learning methods. Learning a language sharpens your brain and helps prevent memory problems in later years.
Master a new subject
Each week, select an animal, a bird or a fish, and read everything you can about it. Stretch （最大限度利用）your brain as you become an expert on the subject.
Use your non-dominant hand
If you are right-handed, use your left hand for everyday activities, or use your right hand if you are left-handed. Doing familiar things in a new way will cause your brain to create new neural networks.
Read often
As you read, take the time to look up people or places that aren’t familiar. Reading expands your vocabulary if you search for words and definitionsthat you don’t know.
Do puzzles
According to the Mayo Clinic, doing sudoku and crossword puzzles keeps the brain sharp into your senior years.
Calculate while you shop
As you put things in your grocery cart, total everything in your head. See how much close you get to the actual total.
Play video games
Studies have found that certain video games force you to use critical decision-making skills and can even improve students’ math scores.
Tweet!（推特，类似中国的微信）
Read messages from people who represent a wide range of interests. And some say that learning to express yourself in just 140 characters is a great brain challenge!
So get in the habit of challenging your brain, and make yourself smarter!What’s the main idea of the passage?
Get in the habit of learning something new
Develop an exercise plan
Make Your Brain Smarter
Tips to make yourself healthierWhat does the underlined word “compelled” mean?
| A．requested | B．allowed |
| C．completed | D．forced |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．Educational and informative TV shows are helpful to limit your TV time. |
| B．Doing sudoku and crossword puzzles may make you confused. |
| C．Playing certain video games may help you sharpen your mind. |
| D．Writing short messages often can also make you healthier . |
In today’s world of cellphones, mini laptops and MP3 players, most people have at least one timetelling tool with them. Since these devices are so common, is time running out for the 500yearold watch? According to some consumers, yes. New Jersey teenager Charlie Wollman says a watch is “an extra piece of equipment with no necessary function”. Many young adults agree — and use their cellphones to tell time. Louis Galie, a senior vice president at Timex, said that fewer young people wear watches today than five years ago. As a result, some people claim that the watch industry is at a crossroads.
However, watchmakers optimistically say that watches regain popularity when consumers reach their 20s and 30s. By then, they are willing to spend money on a quality timepiece that doesn't just keep good time. Fifty years ago, watchmakers boasted about their products' accuracy. But in recent years, the watch industry has transformed itself into an accessory business. And for many today, the image a watch communicates has become more important than the time it tells.
“Complications” — features that go beyond simple timekeeping — are an important part of a watch's image. Today's watches offer a lot of features that suit almost any personality. These features include altitude trackers, compasses, lunar calendars, USB drives, and even devices that measure the effectiveness of golf swings!
Creativity is also a key element in today's watches. For example, Japanese watchmaker Tokyoflash makes watches that don't even look like watches. The company's popular Shinshoku model uses different color lights to tell time. It looks more like a futuristic (未来主义的) bracelet than a watch. Another Japanese watchmaker, EleeNo, makes a “handless” watch. Using a ring of circles to keep time, this watch makes an excellent conversation piece.
Whether a watch communicates fashion sense, creative flair or a love of sports, consumers want their timepieces to stand out. Nowadays, everyone has the same kind of gadget (小玩意儿) in their bags, so people want to make a statement with what's on their wrists. Will this interest in wrist fashion last? Only time will tell!Why aren't watches popular with young people as before?
| A．Because watches cannot keep good time as cellphones, mini laptops and MP3 players. |
| B．Because watches are featured by the disadvantages of simple function. |
| C．Because watches are too expensive to afford. |
| D．Because watches don't have beautiful appearance as other modern timetelling tools. |
What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 1 mean?
| A．Watchmaking becomes the sunrise industry. |
| B．Watchmaking is faced with the developing opportunity. |
| C．Watchmaking is facing a survival crisis challenge. |
| D．Watchmaking has a specific development target. |
It can be implied that ________.
| A．people will gradually lose interest in watches as they grow older |
| B．watchmakers scarcely change the development strategy for watches |
| C．today's watches are better than those in the past in quality |
| D．customers used to be more concerned with the quality of a watch than with its image |
The following qualities can make a watch popular EXCEPT ________.
| A．multifunction | B．accuracy |
| C．nice design | D．low price |
There were smiling children all the way. Clearly they knew at what time the train passed their homes and they made it their business to stand along the railway，wave to complete strangers and cheer them up as they rushed towards Penang. Often whole families stood outside their homes and waved and smiled as if those on the trains were their favorite relatives. This is the simple village people of Malaysia. I was moved.
I had always traveled to Malaysia by plane or car，so this was the first time I was on a train. I did not particularly relish the long train journey and had brought along a dozen magazines to read and reread. I looked about the train. There was not one familiar face. I sighed and sat down to read my Economics.
It was not long before the train was across the Causeway and in Malaysia. Johore Baru was just another city like Singapore, so I was tired of looking at the crowds of people as they hurried past. As we went beyond the city, I watched the straight rows of rubber trees and miles and miles of green. Then the first village came into sight. Immediately I came alive；I decided to wave back.
From then on my journey became interesting. I threw my magazines into the waste basket and decided to join in Malaysian life. Then everything came alive. The mountains seemed to speak to me. Even the trees were smiling. I stared at everything as if I was looking at it for the first time.
The day passed fast and I even forgot to have my lunch until I felt hungry. I looked at my watch and was surprised that it was 3:00 p. m.. Soon the train pulled up at Butterworth. I looked at the people all around me. They all looked beautiful. When my uncle arrived with a smile，I threw my arms around him to give him a warm hug. I had never done this before. He seemed surprised and then his weatherbeaten face warmed up with a huge smile. We walked arm in arm to his car.
I looked forward to the return journey.he author expected the train trip to be ________.
| A．exciting | B．pleasant |
| C．dull | D．adventurous |
What did the author remember most fondly of her train trip?
| A．The friendly country people. |
| B．The mountains along the way. |
| C．The crowds of people in the streets. |
| D．The simple lunch served on the train. |
Which of the following words can best take the place of the word“relish” in the second paragraph?
| A．choose | B．enjoy |
| C．prepare for | D．carry on |
What can we learn from the story?
| A．Comfort in traveling by train. |
| B．Pleasure of living in the country. |
| C．Reading gives people delight. |
| D．Smiles brighten people up. |
Many people go to work each day to a job they hate. The harmful feelings influence their entire life, putting a negative cloud over the home, their friends and many of their other activities. There is a better way to live your life. Meaningful purpose is a driving force that adds enthusiasm to your days. Here are a few steps to get the new career rolling:
Do some self-analysis. Ask yourself --- What really matters to me? What problem or wrong would I like to fix? What do I enjoy? Where are my interests and hobbies? What are my strengths? What is my secret passion(激情)? What do I want to do with the rest of my life? Reviewing these questions can give you new insight to where you want to go.
Use your unique genius and talents. Every person is born with a unique set of natural abilities. Talents, such as managing, creating, researching, training others, drawing, can all seem like easy work because you have a natural flair（才能）for them. True happiness comes from combining your natural talents, developing and excelling(胜过) in them, and working in a field, job, industry that you have a passionate interest in.
Make a decision. Only action can change your life. Read a book. Take vocational tests. Use a good career-management professional. Do some career exploration and gather all the information you need. Then make a decision and go forward. Outline the action steps to reach your career goal. Finding meaning, passion and purpose every day you go to work is the wonderful reward, so don’t wait any longer. Begin right now and set in motion your own plan to live a happier, more satisfying life.Which is the best title of the passage?
| A．Do not Hate Your Job Any Longer. |
| B．Steps on How to Live Happily and Comfortably |
| C．Suggestions on How to Build a More Meaningful Career |
| D．Find Out Your Natural Talents and Make a Success. |
According to the passage, by analyzing ourselves, we can .
| A．know the true meaning of our life |
| B．understand better about the career we want |
| C．find out our own unique genius and talents |
| D．improve relations with our family and friends |
According to the passage, it’s easier to make success in the work which we .
| A．have much experience at |
| B．have professional knowledge about |
| C．have been performing for a long time |
| D．have a natural talent for |
The purpose in writing this passage is to _____.
| A．direct people to choose their career |
| B．reveal some wrong-doings at work |
| C．give some solutions to deal with troubles at work |
| D．persuade people to work hard to make a happier life |
Outdoor picnics and parties are very popular in America in the summertime. Visit any park between Memorial Day (end of May) and Labor Day (beginning of September) and you'll find families and groups of friends enjoying the warm weather and sharing a meal. Birthday celebrations, family reunions, sporting events and holidays are all common reasons to host a get-together. But just wanting to be outside on a nice summer day is the best reason!
Food is an important part of any gathering, and in the summer Americans love to cook outside on grills（烧烤架）. All kinds of meats, such as hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken and sausages, and even vegetables like corn, peppers or potatoes can be cooked on the grill. Many typical families have grills in their yards, and many parks also have grills for public use. Men seem to particularly like to do the job of barbecuing the food, even if they don't usually cook at any other time. Many have “secret recipes” for a delicious barbecue sauce（调味料）.
Other guests at the party will often be asked to “ bring a dish to share”. This means that they will make some kind of side dish (a salad or vegetable) or dessert, and share it with the others. If you make something very delicious, people may want you to make it every time! Fried chicken and sandwiches are popular at picnics too, because you eat them with your hands. Potato salads and baked beans are favorite side dishes.According to the passage, Americans hold outdoor activities in ______.
| A．January | B．April |
| C．June | D．October |
According to the passage, who generally barbecues the meat at gatherings?
| A．women | B．men |
| C．the old | D．the young |
Which of the following statements is True?
| A．It is forbidden to barbecue in all American parks . |
| B．Americans don’t like beans at all. |
| C．Americans don’t like outdoor activities very much. |
| D．If your friends like your side dish very much , they will want you to cook it again next time. |
Lions are opportunists. They prefer to eat without having to do too much work. When resting in the shade, they are also watching the sky to see what is flying by, and even in the heat of the day they will suddenly start up and run a mile across the plains to find out what is going on. If another animal has made a kill, they will drive it off and take the kill for themselves. A grown lion can easily eat 60 pounds of meat at a single feeding. Often they eat until it seems painful for them to lie down.
The lionesses (母狮) , being thinner and faster, are better hunters than the males (雄狮). But the males don’t mind. After the kill they move in and take the best share.
Most kills are made at night or just before daybreak. We have seen many, many daylight attempts but only ten kills. Roughly, It’s about twenty daytime attempts for one kill.
When lions are hiding for an attack by a water hole, they wait patiently and can charge at any second. The kill is the exciting moment in the day-to-day life of the lion, since these great animals spend most of their time, about 20 hours a day, sleeping and resting.
Lions are social cats, and when they are having a rest, they love to touch each other. After drinking at a water hole, a lioness rests her head on another’s back. When walking, young lions often touch faces with older ones, an act of close ties among members of the group.By describing lions as “opportunists” in the first paragraph, the author means to say that lions _______________ .
| A．are cruel animals |
| B．are clever animals |
| C．like to make use of other animals |
| D．like to play with other animals |
According to the text, which of the following is true?
| A．Lions make most kills in the daytime. |
| B．Males care more about eating than active killing. |
| C．Lions are curious about things happening around them. |
| D．It doesn’t take lions too much time to make a kill. |
Lions spend most of their time, about 20 hours a day, ______________.
| A．playing and killing | B．sleeping and resting |
| C．eating and sleeping | D．playing and sleeping |
How can we know that lions are social animals?
| A．They depend on each other. |
| B．They look after each other well. |
| C．They readily share what they have. |
| D．They enjoy each other’s company陪伴. |
What would be the best title for the text?
| A．Powerful Lions | B．Lions at Work and Play |
| C．Lions, Social Cats | D．Lions, Skilled Hunters |