Older people with hearing loss may suffer faster rates of mental decline. People who have hearing trouble suffered meaningful impairments in memory, attention and learning about three years earlier than people with normal hearing, a study published online January 21 in JAMA Internal Medicine reveals.
The finding supports the idea that hearing loss can have serious consequences for the brain，says Patricia Tun of Brandeis University in Waltham，Mass., who studies aging. “I'm hoping it will be a real wake-up call in terms of realizing the importance of hearing. ”
Compared with other senses, hearing is often overlooked, Tun says. “We are made to interact with language and to listen to each other, and it can have damaging effects if we don't.”
Frank Lin of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and colleagues tested the hearing of 1,984 older adults. Most of the participants, who averaged 77 years old, showed some hearing loss — 1,162 volunteers had trouble hearing noises of less than 25 decibels, comparable to a whisper or rustling leaves. The volunteers; deficits reflect the hearing loss in the general population: Over half of people older than 70 have trouble hearing.
Over the next six years, these participants underwent mental evaluations that measured factors such as short-term memory, attention and the ability to quickly match numbers to symbols. Everybody got worse at the tasks as time wore on, but people with hearing loss had an especially sharp decline, the team found. On average, a substantial drop in performance would come about three years earlier to people with hearing loss.
Lin cautions that the study has found an association between hearing loss and mental abilities; the researchers can't conclude that hearing loss directly causes the decline. Yet more and more studies are turning up ways that diminished hearing could damage the brain.
A person who can't hear well might avoid social situations, and isolation(孤立)is known to be bad for the brain. “You gradually become more socially withdrawn, ” Lin says. “Social isolation is a major, major factor for dementia(痴呆)and cognitive decline. ”
Other studies suggest that when people struggle to interpret and decode(译解）words, their brains divert energy away from other tasks, such as memory. Audiologist and psychologist Kathy Pichora — Fuller says that this brain drain happens to everyone, even people without hearing loss. Studies have shown that people are worse at remembering things when they're in a noisy room, for instance. People with hearing loss may be constantly diverting a large swath(—大片)of their brainpower，leaving less for other mental tasks, says Pichora— Fuller, of the University of Toronto Mississauga. Mass does the research to _____ .
| A．present the mental decline |
| B．attach importance to hearing |
| C．compare hearing with other senses |
| D．exaggerate the damaging effects |
What is paragraph 4 mainly about?
| A．The outcome of the test. |
| B．The design of the test |
| C．The participants of the test. |
| D．The purpose of the test. |
Dementia and cognitive decline mainly result from ____ .
| A．social isolation | B．hearing loss |
| C．memory loss | D．speech impairment |
The underlined word “divert” probably means _____ .
| A．block | B．accumulate | C．shift | D．change |
Companies can increase the money with which they run their business in a number of ways. One way is borrowing money, and another way is buying things with the agreement that payment would be made later. There are also other processes for providing money for use by a company. Two of these processes are described here.
One process the company may use is to issue bonds(债券). Bonds are a special kind of promissory note. They are issued in different values, in the forms of money used in different countries, such as the pound in England or the euro in Europe. These bonds can easily be sold again to other people or to other companies. The company that issues the bonds promises to pay a particular amount of money as interest regularly for a certain period of time. This continues until when the company has to pay back the principal(本金) of the bond. Payments of principal and interest must be made on time whether the company has been earning money or not. If these payments are not made on time, it means that the company has not done what it agreed to do and can be sued(控告，起诉).
Another process companies may use is to issue other forms of promissory notes called stocks(股票). Bonds and stocks are opposite methods of providing money for a company. The people who buy stocks provide money that is earned and take part in deciding how the company will conduct its business. They must also take part in the losses. The people who own stocks receive dividends only after the company has paid all of its debts to the people who own bonds. On the other hand, the persons who own bonds have no right, according to the law, to help decide how the company will handle its business, unless it is bankrupt or in danger of becoming so.
1. Which of the following statement is not the way for companies to increase their capital?
A. Borrowing money. B. Buying materials without paying.
C. Issuing bonds D. Issuing stocks
2 As to bonds, we know from the passage that ________.
A. they are cheques like bank notes
B. the company only pays back the principal
C. they are issued in the forms of money
D. if a company is bankrupt, it needn’t pay back the interest
3. According to this passage, who have the legal control over the decisions of the business?
A. Stockholders B. Bondholders
C. The government D. The workers in the company
4. It can be inferred from this passage that ________.
A. to issue bonds is a better way than to issue stocks
B. stockholders can sue the company when it is bankrupt
C. bondholders have the same rights as stockholders
D. investing in stocks has more risk than in bonds
第三部分：阅读理解（共20小题，每小题2分，满分40分）
As China’s women’s gymnastics team enjoyed the glory of winning the country’s first team Olympic gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games，the young gymnasts took the opportunity to remind the world that they are old enough to compete．
Weeks before the Beijing Games, some international media raised questions about the ages of some of the members of China’s gymnastics team, particularly He Kexin and Jiang Yuyuan. They said the girls might be younger than 16, the minimum age for the Olympics. But the Chinese Gymnastics Association quickly provided copies of the gymnasts’ ID cards and passports, proving they are indeed old enough to compete.
In the final, He Kexin gave a clean performance on her favorite uneven bars（高低杠）, earning the second highest score after falling from the bars during qualification. “Although I fell down in the qualification, I became more confident today to make up for my mistake and I finally made it.”She said. It was a great moment for head coach Lu Shanzhen. “Our team made history today and proved to the world that we are the best.” the coach said, “The gold medal is not only for the gymnastics team，but also for the whole Chinese delegation at the Beijing Games.”
The coach owed the team’s success to a series of reforms. The Chinese team used to train a 1ot, but competed less, which led to poor results in international competitions. To improve their ability to compete and to strengthen their psychological power, the Chinese team sent more team members to compete abroad, so they could bring a competitive spirit back to the team. All six gymnasts in the Olympic team final were selected from fierce competition, and they proved themselves today.
1. Before the Beijing Games started，some international media doubted whether ________.
A. Chinese women gymnasts could win the team gold medal
B. He Kexin would fall from the bars during qualification
C. Chinese women gymnasts could make history at the Beijing Games
D. some Chinese women gymnasts were old enough for the Games
2. Which of the following statements is NOT true?
A. The international media’s doubts proved to be true.
B. He Kexin’s fall in the qualification had no bad effect on her performance in the final competition.
C. Chinese women gymnasts’ success at the Beijing Games proved that the reforms did work.
D. Each team is made up of 6 members to compete for the team gold medal in women gymnastics.
3. In the opinion of Lu Shanzhen, the key to achieving success for athletes is to________.
A. practice harder than ever B. experience more competitions abroad
C. have strong psychological power D. have a competitive spirit
4. The main purpose of the text is to________.
A. tell a story B. provide evidence C. give a report D. compare opinions
Board, But Not Boring
Roll the Dice and Take a Chance on Something New…
Are you vacationed-out, tired of video-gaming, waterlogged by too many trips to the pool and ready to scream if you see one more “SpongeBob” rerun?
In other words, are you bored with summer?
We’ve got a suggestion: Kill that boredom with some great board boredom games. We went to game expert Lizzy Palmer of Barston’s Child’s Play in the District and ask for suggestions. All the games you see on this page are a ton of fun, she said, and there are sure to be at least one or two that you don’t already have.
Maptangle
Borderline Games
Ages 7 and older, 4 to 6 players, $24.95
This clever take on the classic game of Twister
challenges your gymnastic and geographic
skills at the same time. A huge floor map of
the world serves as the game board. There are
lots of geographic elements: countries, oceans,
rivers, deserts, even man-made landmarks. A
deck of cards tells you where to put one foot,
then the other. The round is over when someone falls.
Jungle Speed
Ages 7 and older, 2 to 8
players, $25.99
This is a fast-paced shape-
recognition game. A wooden totem
(图腾柱) sits in the middle. Players flip
(翻) over cards one at a time. When your
card matches another, be the first to grab
the totem so that you can give your card to the loser. But be careful: Some cards look the same but aren’t!
Enchanted Forest
Ravensburger Ages 6 and older, 2 to 6 players,
$24.99
A classic memory game. Take a winding path
through the forest and check under the trees for
fairy-tale treasure. Remember what you saw so
that when you need a particular treasure you can
go back to that tree to get it. Cool rule: You can split your dice (骰子) roll—for example, move five spaces in one direction and two in the other to land at the right tree.
Go fish for Wildlife Birdcage Press All ages, $9.95
Birdcage has several decks (副) of cards that are
more like trading cards. You fish for sea creatures,
reptiles, wild animals. Each deck has instructions
for several card games, and each card has great
photos and fun facts. Great for a trip.
HedBanz Funrise Ages 6 and older, 2 to 6
players, $13.99
Put on a headband and slip in a card that shows an
animal or thing. Everyone else can see it but you.
Ask questions until you guess what it is—but do it
before time runs out!
1. What’s the purpose of writing the article?
A. To advertise several board games to attract potential consumers.
B. To introduce several board games for readers to pass the summer.
C. To try to persuade readers to give up video games and choose board games.
D. To make some suggestions on how to spend the long summer.
2. Suppose Doris, a mother with a six-year old boy, wants to buy some board games for her child. How many kinds of board games can she choose?
A. 2 B. 3 C. 4 D. 5
3 Which of the following games will be the best choice for Mr Smith who wants to find an indoor game that can benefit both his daughter’s mind as well as her body?
A. Go Fish for Wildlife B. Jungle Speed
C. Maptangle Borderline Games D. Hedbanz
4. Which of the following can match the games with their benefits to players?
(1) Enchanted Forest a. to practice your quick response
(2) Maptangle Borderline Games b. to practice your memory
(3) Jungle Speed c. to practice your geographic knowledge
(4) Go fish for Wildlife d. to increase the knowledge about animals
A. bacd B. bcad C. cbad D. cdab
I have a friend who lives by a three-word philosophy: seize the moment. Just possibly, she may be the wisest woman on this planet. Too many people put off something that brings them joy just because they haven’t thought about it, don’t have it on their schedule, didn’t know it was coming or are too strict to depart from their routine.
I can’t count the times I called my siste
r and said, “How about going to lunch in half an hour?” She would gasp and stammer (结结巴巴地说), “ I can’t . I have clothes on the line. My hair is dirty. I wish I had known yesterday. I had a late breakfast. It looks like rain.” And my personal favo
rite response: “It’s just Monday.” She died a few years ago. We never did have lunch together. From then on, I’ve tried to be a little more flexible.
Life has a way of going faster as we get older. The days get shorter, and the list of promises made to ourselves gets longer. One morning, we awake, and all have to show for our lives is repetition of “I’m going to”, “I plan on” and “someday”, when things are settled down bit.
When anyone calls my “seize the moment” friend, she is open to adventure and available for trips. She keeps an open mind on new ideas. Her enthusiasm for life is contagious. You talk with her for five minutes, and you’re ready to trade your bad feet for a pair of Rollerblades and skip an elevator for a bungle cord.
My lips have not touched ice cream in 10 years. I love ice cream. The other day, I stopped the car and bought a triple-decker. If my car had hit an iceberg on the way home, I would have died happy.
Now…go on and have a nice day. Do something you WANT to…not something on your SHOULD DO list.
1. The example of the writer’s sister serves as ____.
A. an argument B. an introduction C. a support D. a conclusion
2. The writer thinks that the underlined excuse “It’s just Monday.” is acceptable,
because ____.
A.it is still likely that they can have lunch together some time later
B.it sounds most reasonable of all the excuses
C.it shows respect for the writer’s suggestion
D.it indicates the time when they can have lunch together
3. The underlined word “contagious” in the fourth paragraph means “______”.
A. appropriate B. influential C. practical D. evident
4. What did the purpose of the writer by writing this passage?
A. To suggest how time flies. B. To persuade busy people to relax.
C. to advise people to keep their promise.
D. To convince readers to be flexible on their schedule for practical joy.
Some people look at a hole and see empty space. Others see opportunity. That’s what Sheri Schmelzer spotted a few years ago when everyone—including her three children—started wearing Crocs, the colorful shoes dotted with holes.
“My kids and I were clowning around, and my eldest daughter, Lexie, got
the sewing kit out. I brought one of the Crocs, pulled some buttons, rhinestones, and fabric out of the kit, and stuck them in the holes. Lexie said, ‘Mom, I love that!’”
Sheri and Lexie, then seven, spent the rest of the day filling holes in the family’s 12 pairs of Crocs. Every look-alike shoe was suddenly unique. When her husband, Rich, experienced in setting up businesses, came home later that day, says Sheri, “I could see the light bulb go on over his head,” Crocs had sold millions of pairs of shoes; the couple figured they could create a business simply by riding the wave. Rich refused to let a decorated Croc leave their Boulder, Colorado, house until he’d filed a patent.
But first they needed a name. “Rich and I had seen a movie where Meg Ryan says to Tom Hanks, ‘I’m such a flibbertigibbet!’ That became my nickname, so I called the business Jibbitz.” While Sheri designed, Rich strategized. They decided to sell the charms through a website, Jibbitz.com
Six months later, in February 2006, Sheri was doing so well that Rich left his business to work with her full-time. She was making hundreds of Jibbitz to order, by hand, by herself, in their basement. And filling those holes wasn’t as easy as it looked. The bigger the shoe, the bigger the holes; it took six models before Sheri figured out how to make her charms one-size-fits-all. Later Rich found a way to get plastic Jibbitz manufactured in China.
Someone at Crocs was sure going to notice the charms—after all, the company was headquartered (总部设在) just ten miles down the road. Duke Hanson, one of Crocs’ founders, spotted Lexie and her Jibbitz at the local pool, handed her his business card, and said, “Have your mom call me.”
Sheri and Rich met with Crocs executives, but no one suggested buying the company. Sheri was actually relieved because she wanted to see if she, not Crocs, could make it big. And she did. In December 2006, Crocs bought Jibbitz for $20 million, with the Schmelzers staying on board.
1. The passage is mainly about ____.
A. how the Schmelzers found opportunities out of nothing.
B. how the Schmelzers found opportunities and developed their business
C. how creativity matters to a successful business
D. how the business of Crocs became successful.
2. When Sheri said, “I could see the light bulb go on over his head”, she meant that ____.
A. Rich was really excited B. Rich liked their shoe charms
C. saw this as a business opportunity
D. Rich wasn’t satisfied with the decorations
3. From Paragraph 5, we can learn that ____.
A. the Schmelzers kept improving to make their business successful
B. Sheri does not trust others when it comes to designing Jibbitz
C. making the products unique is key to business success
D. Rich made a lot of sacrifices for their family business
4. Which of the following is arranged in the right order according to the text?
a. the Schmelzers applied for a patent b. Crocs’ shoes sold well
c. the Schmelzers set up their website
d. by making their products in China, the Schmelzers spread their business.
A. acdb B.bacd C. bcad D. adcb