Until just a few years ago, we doctors believed that the brain stopped making new neural(神经系统的) connections (meaning that your memory began to get worse) when the body stopped developing, usually in your early 20s. And we knew that, like any other body part, neurons weaken as we age. Loss of brain function due to neural breakdown was assumed to be a normal, unavoidable part of aging.
It turns out that we were wrong. In the past few years, it has been discovered that you can, in fact, make new neurons starting in your 20s and continuing well into old age. You can literally rewire the brain with new parts as the older parts wear out. How? Simple: Keep learning. Just as your body can pack on and condition new muscle, your brain can rebuild used-up neurons.
How strong is the evidence for this? Strong enough that a $200 million industry devoted to brain boosting software (products like Brain Age, MindFit, and Lumosity that supposedly improve your memory function) has sprung up out of nowhere. All “mental fitness” means are keeping your memory intact(everything from phone numbers to how to throw a football). So what can you do to stay smart?
Keep blood pressure down. People with high blood pressure are more likely to develop cognitive impairment later in life.
Eat more vitamins. Like E(in nuts and sunflower seeds), B6 and B12(beef, tuna), and folic acid(leafy greens, citrus, berries), which help keep your brain’s chemistry in balance.
Exercise your brain. This is the best way to rebuild and strengthen those precious neurons. Learn to play chess or the guitar. When you’re at a stoplight, try to recall the starting lineup of the 1983 Celtics. See a movie that doesn’t feature Ben Stiller. Or read, like, a book.
Title: How to keep the ________smart?
| Previous |
The brain no longer makes new neural connections once the |
| New |
●New neurons continue to occur even in one’s old age. ● ●Many products which claim to improve your brain function appear in the |
| ●Keep yourself away from ● ● |
Frankenstein, dreams to give life to a____ body. Finally, using bones from dead bodies, he creates a Monster that ___
_a human being. But when he finishes, the beauty of the dream __
__, and horror and ____
___ fill his heart. The creature is extremely ugly, __
___ anyone who sees it. His black hair and his white teeth ___
___ horribly with his yellow eyes, his __
___ yellow skin. However, he is intelligent and has human __
___. When Frankenstein ___
___ to create a wife for him, he ___
___ the scientist's brother, his best friend and his wife. Thus, the scientist ___
___ the monster to destroy him. In the end, both of them die in the snow.
用所给词的适当形式填空：
cheer, classical, relieve, compose, generally, rhythm, instrument, come from, be true of, regard as
Life without music is like a severe winter without sunshine. I realize that this ___ everyone. Music can be _____
___ a good lifetime companion. It helps you ease your strained feelings, _
___ the tension from the problems of a hard day, and ___
__ you up when you sad.
Music is often divided into several categories. Some of the categories are _____ music, traditional music, rock music and jazz music. Most of the original classic music was __
___ in Italy, Germany, Austria and Russia. Beethoven and Bach were two famous composers of classical music. Each culture has its own traditional music that is played by special __
____. Rock is __
______ a loud kind of music, played with a strong beat. Jazz probably __
_____ Africa originally. It has a different kind of ___
__ from other kinds of music.
Liu Fang is an international musical star, __________ for her work with traditional Chinese instruments. Her parents played an important part in her musical ____
______. For her, the biggest ____
______ is to ____
____ the traditions but to add her own style. The same is ____
______ of her second instrument, guzheng. Chinese music is ___
_______ to the Chinese language, poetry and art. Listeners can ____
______ the power and beauty of the music, like enjoying a beautiful poem or painting. She enjoys playing and performing in __
________. Since she moved to Canada, she has had ______
____ to make __
________ with other musical traditions. Liu Fang wishes to ___
_______ classical Chinese pipa and guzheng music to every corner of the world.
The most world famous novel Harry Potter is written by a British gifted __________, J. K. Rowling, who wrote a
__________ of seven books. It was said that she had the extra
__________ of looking after baby daughter when she was writing the novel and she mainly wrote
__________ __________ for
__________ of money. So it was difficult for her to be successful and she even might have given up before she overcame all the difficulties. She had
__________ to publish a book every year, but
__________ __________ it took her about ten years to complete. Finally her books
__________ __________ readers of all ages.
And the Harry Potter effect is not only in the English-speaking countries. Her books had been __________ __________ more than 55 languages, and thus, Rowling became the first writer
__________ __________ a billionaire.
Weibo, or micro-blogs, the Chinese version of Twitter, has be-come a way of life in China, especially for the young. Our train bumped into something. Our carriage has fallen onto its side. Children are screaming. Come to help us please ！ Come fast ！
This is the first message sent from a high-speed train that crashed on July 23rd，2011 in China's Zhejiang province.
Not only was it a cry for help, which saved tens of lives, but it also contributed to a wave of unprecedented（史无前例的）"citizen journalism" on China's micro-blogs. Within ten hours, the message was reposted over one-hundred-thousand times, which was something the girl, Xiao Yang, who wrote it had never imagined. She said，" I just wanted to survive at that moment, so I posted a message on Weibo. I didn't know it would help us to be rescued so quickly. "After the crash, China's twenty million strong microbloggers demonstrated tremendous （巨大的）and unfamiliar power. They joined rescue efforts, helped survivors and monitored the officials investigating the accident.
As with traditional media, Weibo functions as a mirror on society, sparking debates and enlightening discussions. But what's different about the micro-blogging site is that anyone-not just journa-lists-can take a photo, record a video clip or write a quick note about what is happening around them.
I can fully accept this new Weibo lifestyle. Almost everyone has Weibo now. I read news on Weibo and it helps me with my life. I also write or repost news sometimes.
Clearly, Weibo enables millions of Chinese to become " citizen journalists"，opening them up to fresh news and views on their community, country and world.
This has led to many micro-bloggers keeping a closer eye on the authorities. In response, the government is also using Weibo as a tool to respond to citizens' queries（疑问）. And in Beijing, microbloggers have already left thousands of messages, urging the government to solve problems they consider urgent.
Wang Hui, general director of Beijing Information Office, said，"Weibo has created a platform for government officials to better understand what the citizens are thinking about and what they really need. This bottom-to-top information transmission channel is innovative and will become a new trend for government officials to provide better services for the people. "
But, however compelling （引人注目的）Weibo may be, much information it provides turns out to be rumors. Weibo, as a platform, not only helps the Chinese people express their views, but also trains the government in facing public opinion. Meanwhile, for Xiao Yang, a simple message saved her life. And for millions of others, Weibo means much more than just a simple touch on a smart phone.
| Weibo helps Chinese |
||
| Passage outline The Chinese version of Twitter |
Supporting details |
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| Weibo has become a new way of life, especially for young |
||
| One example |
Process of the event |
• A message from a crashed train for • The message was immediately reposted over one-hundred-thousand times. • Rescue efforts were joined |
| Effects and results of the event |
• Some people were saved. • A wave of "citizen journalism" was • How officials responded to and dealt with the accident was also monitored. |
|
| Comparisons between traditional media and Weibo |
They both function as a mirror on society. |
|
| Difference |
Any micro-blogger can be a |
| Discussion between traditional media and Weibo |
• It enables millions of Chinese to become supervisors of society as well as the authorities. • People have new views. • The government feels services more effective. |
| Something more about Weibo |
• It sometimes provides rumors. • It means much more than just a simple touch on the smart phone. |