People with mentally taxing jobs, including lawyers and graphic designers, may end up having better memory in old age, research suggests.
A study of more than 1,000 Scottish 70-year-olds found that those who had had complex jobs scored better on memory and thinking tests.
One theory is that a more stimulating environment helps build up a “cognitive reserve” to help buffer the brain against age-related decline. The research was reported in Neurology.
The team, from Heriot-Watt University, in Edinburgh, is now planning more work to look at how lifestyle and work interact to affect memory loss. Those taking part in the study took tests designed to assess memory, processing speed and general thinking ability, as well as filling in a questionnaire about their working life.
The analysis showed that those whose jobs had required complex skills in dealing with data or people, such as management and teaching, had better scores on memory and thinking tests than those who had done less mentally intense jobs such as factory workers, bookbinders, or carpet layers.
While the study did not look at biological reasons for the protective effect of certain jobs, potential explanations include that structural changes within the brain mean less damage is accumulated over time.
Study leader Dr Alan Gow said: “Our findings have helped to identify the kinds of job demands that preserve memory and thinking later on.” “However,” He added, “while it is true that people who have higher cognitive abilities are more likely to get more complex jobs, there still seems to be a small advantage gained from these complex jobs for later thinking skills.”
Dr Simon Ridley, head of research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said the study added to the growing evidence about factors that affected brain health as we aged.
“Keeping the brain active throughout life could be helpful and different types of work may play a role. However, it’s important to note that this study points to a small and subtle association between occupation and later-life cognition rather than offering proof that people’s occupation has a direct influence.”According to the research, who may have the best memory in old age?
| A．Taxi drivers. | B．Computer programmers. |
| C．Supermarket cashiers. | D．Motor mechanics. |
Which of the following about the research work is TRUE?
| A．The research team studied both environmental and biological factors. |
| B．The researchers filled in a questionnaire about their working life. |
| C．The research objects included people from various jobs and of different ages. |
| D．The research is helpful to the study of brain health and is still under way. |
What Dr Alan Gow said implies that __________.
| A．their findings are helpful to identifying the kinds of job demands |
| B．people who do more complex jobs may benefit later thinking skills greatly |
| C．there exist links between job demands and preservation of memory |
| D．he didn’t confirm the links between complex jobs and later thinking skills |
We can learn from Dr Simon Ridley that __________.
| A．different occupations may make a difference in keeping the brain active |
| B．people’s occupation has a direct influence on later-life cognition |
| C．the study added more evidence about the factors affecting aging |
| D．the study denied the association between jobs and later-life memory |
What is the best title of the passage？
| A．Aging affects brain health |
| B．Complex jobs may protect memory |
| C．Occupations influence aging |
| D．Complex jobs demand complex skills |
Can you believe your eyes? A recent experiment suggests that the answer to that question may depend on your age.
Martin Doherty, a psychologist at the University of Stirling in Scotland, led the team of scientists. In this experiment, Doherty and his team tested the perception(观察力) of some people, using pictures of some orange circles. The researchers showed the same pictures to two groups of people. The first group included 151 children aged 4 to 10, and the second group included 24 adults aged 18 to 25.
The first group of pictures showed two circles alone on a white background. One of the circles was larger than the other, and these people were asked to identify the larger one. Four-year-olds identified the correct circle 79 percent of the time. Adults identified the correct circle 95 percent of the time.
Next, both groups were shown a picture where the orange circles, again of different sizes, were surrounded by gray circles. Here’s where the trick lies in. In some of the pictures, the smaller orange circle was surrounded by even smaller gray circles — making the orange circle appear larger than the other orange circle, which was the real larger one. And the larger orange circle was surrounded by even bigger gray circles — so it appeared to be smaller than the real smaller orange circle.
When young children aged 4 to 6 looked at these tricky pictures, they weren’t fooled — they were still able to find the bigger circle with roughly the same accuracy as before. Older children and adults, on the other hand, did not do as well. Older children often identified the smaller circle as the larger one, and adults got it wrong most of the time.
As children get older, Doherty said, their brains may develop the ability to identify visual context. In other words, they will begin to process the whole picture at once: the tricky gray circles, as well as the orange circle in the middle. As a result, they’re more likely to fall for this kind of visual trick.
55．Doherty and his team of scientists did an experiment to evaluate________.
A．children’s and adults’ eye-sight
B．people’s ability to see accurately
C．children’s and adults’ brains
D．the influence of people’s age
56．When asked to find the larger circle,___________.
A．children at 6 got it wrong 79 % of the time with no gray ones around
B．only adults over 18 got it right 95% of the time with gray ones around
C．children at 4 got it right about 79 % of the time with gray ones around
D．adults got it right most of the time with gray ones around
57．Visual context may work when children get older than________.
A．4 B．6 C．10 D．18
58．Why are younger children not fooled ?
A．Because they are smarter than older children and adults.
B．Because older people are influenced by their experience.
C．Because people’s eyes become weaker as they grow older.
D．Because their brain can hardly notice related things together.
第二部分: 阅读理解(共16小题,每小题2分,满分32分)
第一节（共12小题：每小题2分，满分24分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
On September 22, 1986, Jay Brunkella, a police officer in the Rogers Park district in Chicago, was shot during a drug arrest and died. Shortly afterwards, fellow officer Ken Knapcik, a 20-year veteran（老警官）of the force, returned home after work to find a note from his 15 year old daughter on the dining table.
Dad—This poem came directly from my heart. I love you so much! It scares and amazes me that you go out every day and risk everything to provide us with all that we have. I wrote this to express how much I love you and how much lost I’d be without you ---Laura. PS: Hey, let’s be careful out there.
Titled The Ultimate Cop, Laura’s poem was dedicated “To all the cops in the world who have daughters who love them with all their hearts. And especially to my dad”. It was about a police officer’s daughter who sees on the night time news that her father has been shot. Part of poem: “Daddy, my Daddy, can you hear me cry? Oh, God, I need my Daddy, please don’t let him die.”
Ken Knapcik stood alone as he read the poem. “It took me several minutes,” he said. “I’d get through part of it and have to stop before I could go on. I was weeping. She had never told me she was scared.” He took the poem to work the next day and showed it to his fellow officers. I’ve never seen so many grown men cry. Some couldn’t finish it.”
Knapcik keeps Laura’s poem in the pocket of his police jacket. He takes it with him every time he leaves the house for a new shift. “I don’t want to be out there without it,” he said. “I’ll probably carry it with me forever.”
51. Laura wrote the poem ____________.
A. in memory of her father who was shot in the drug arrest
B. to show her great sorrow in losing her father
C. to show her respect to all the cops who lost their lives
D. to tell Officer Ken Knapcik how much she loved him
52. All the officers cried because ____________.
A. Jay Brunkella was shot and died
B. they were greatly touched by the poem
C. the poem was so sad that they couldn’t hold back their tears
D. they thought of their dangerous life
53. Knapcik keeps Laura’s poem in his pocket ______________.
A. to treasure her daughter’s love and to value his own life
B. to keep it from getting lost
C. because he can’t go out without it
D. to mourn over the death of Officer Jay Brunkella
54. Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
A. Poem for a cop B. An officer’s death
C. A cop’s daughter D. Love my job, love my daughter
As we all know, it was Thomas Jefferson who wrote the Declaration of Independence (《独立宣言》). He wrote it in two weeks, and after a few changes, it was accepted by the Congress (国会). As a result, he became famous.
Born in Virginia, Thomas Jefferson, a brilliant student at school and almost talented lawyer later, was much interested in politics.
Jefferson was elected the Governor of Virginia in 1779, and he was sent to France as the representative of the American government in 1784. Sixteen years later, at the age of 57, he was elected president after Washington and Adams.
Far from a handsome man, he was tall with long arms and big hands. Jefferson, who was an amusing talker in conversation but a poor speaker, was generally good-natured.
Jefferson was regarded as a defender of freedom in America. As a president, he protected the right of free speech. Interestingly enough, in his eight years as president, Jefferson never vetoed (否决) a bill which the Congress had passed. He did a lot in organizing the new University of Virginia.
Thomas Jefferson died on July the fourth, 1826, the fiftieth anniversary of American Independence.
5. From the passage we can infer that America won its independence in _______.
A. 1786 B. 1800 C. 1842 D. 1776
6. How old was Thomas Jefferson when he became the Governor of Virgina?
A. He was 26. B. He was in his forties.
C. He was 36. D. We don’t know.
7. Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. Jefferson wan an amusing talker, but not good at speaking in public.
B. Jefferson was not an easy person to get along with.
C. Jefferson was not only very talented but also very handsome.
D. Not being politically minded, Jefferson never vetoed a bill passed by the Congress.
4. Jefferson died when he was ________.
A. 72 B. 83 C. 73 D. 92
8. Jefferson’s greatest contribution in American history should be that ________.
A. he did a lot in organizing the new University of Virginia.
B. he was strongly against the slavery
C. he wrote the Declaration of Independence
D. he was for the right of free speech
阅读文章，选择正确答案，回答问题。
It was a very foggy day in London. The fog was so thick that it was impossible to see more than a foot or so. Buses, cars and taxis were not able to run and were standing by the side of the road. People were trying to find their way about on foot but were losing their way in the fog. Mr. Smith had a very important meeting at the House of Commons and had to get there but no one could take him. He tried to walk there but found he was quite lost. Suddenly he bumped into a stranger. The stranger asked if he could help him. Mr. Smith said he wanted to get to the Houses of Parliament. The stranger told him he would take him there. Mr. Smith thanked him and they started to walk there. The fog was getting thicker every minute but the stranger had no difficulty in finding the way. He went along one street, turned down another, crossed a square and at last after about half an hour’s walk they arrived at the Houses of Parliament. Mr. Smith couldn’t understand how the stranger found his way. “It is wonderful,” he said. “How do you find the way in the fog?”
“It is no trouble at all to me,” said the stranger, “I am blind.”
1. According to the passage, we can infer that bump into means _______.
A. knock off B. meet by chance
C. strike D. traffic accident
2. Which of the following statements are NOT true?
A. The stranger has a better sight than Mr. Smith.
B. Heavy fog can cause traffic accidents.
C. It’s easy to get lost in a foggy day.
D. The fog was getting thicker and thicker.
3. Why is it no trouble at all to the stranger to find the way in the fog?
A. Because he is a local inhabitant of London.
B. Because he lives next to the Houses of Parliament.
C. Because he is familiar with the route.
D. Because he finds the way not by sight but by heart.
4. This article mainly tells us that ________.
A. London is a foggy city.
B. Mr. Smith works for the government.
C. A blind stranger led the way for Mr. Smith in a foggy day.
D. Mr. Smith had a very important meeting and lost his way in the fog.
John Steinbeck once said, “All Americans believe they are born fishermen. For a man to admit to a distaste in fishing would be like denouncing (公开指责) mother – love or hating moonlight.”
I can’t say that I’m the biggest John Steinbeck fan. Actually, the only thing I can ever remember reading by him was “The pearl” when I was in middle school, but I couldn’t agree more with the man when it comes to fishing. Whether I am on a boat in the middle of the Lay Lake, fishing off the shores of the Florida Keys for tarpon (大海鲢) or catching rainbow trout (红鲭鱼) in the Shoshone River of Wyoming, fishing is my life.
According to the American Sports Fishing Association, the fishing industry brings in more than $ 116 billion per year from fishermen across the country.
Though a beautiful picture to imagine fishing is much more than that. Fishing is a way of life for many people and a way to escape everyday stress. Being a fisherman makes me a member of a wonderful group of people extending to all walks of life. Even President Bush can be found fishing on his farm in Texas with his good friend Roland Martin when the job gets too stressful.
I can remember fishing with my grandfather when I was 5 years old on his boat at Lake Mitchell. Although I didn’t understand what I doing. I did know that my grandfather was happy and that made me happy. Since then I’ve spent the past 16 years on the rivers and lakes of Alabama.
After days of practice, before and after work, I slowly developed an understanding of fishing. My boss. Ric Horst, took me back to the Shoshone, and I managed to bring in a 19 – inch cutthroat trout. Fishing with Ric was a life – changing experience for me. He not only showed my how to fish correctly, but also told me how fishing could be a way to escape your problems.
Since then, prime – time (黄金时间) season seems to take forever to arrive.
Now, with the ending of February and beginning of March in sight, the excitement of heading out Lake Tuscaloosa or Lake Lurleen before classes and catching something has finally returned.
51．What John Steinbeck said in the first paragraph implies that .
A．Americans are believed to be the offspring (后代) of fishermen
B．it is unthinkable for an American to admit his dislike of fishing
C．all Americans are expert at fishing
D．those who dislike fishing would not love their mother
52．The writer came to understand the real meaning of fishing .
A．when he was reading “The pearl” by John Steinbeck
B．when he went fishing with his grandfather at Lake Mitchell
C．after he had spent 16 years on the rivers and lakes of Alabama
D．after he went fishing with his boss, Ric Horst on the Shoshone
53．What can be inferred from the text?
A．The author is at most 21 years old.
B．The author regards fishing as a very important part in his life.
C．The author agreed with John Steinbeck the most when he was in middle school.
D．President Bush often goes fishing in public in order to collect idea for his job.
54．According to the author, .
A．people can get to know VIPs when fishing.
B．people can smooth away all the troubles by fishing
C．Fishing is a way of communication
D．Fishing is a way to make a living for most American people
55．What is the purpose of the writing?
A．To describe the writer’s experience and understanding of fishing.
B．To explain the reason why so many Americans like fishing.
C．To make others understand the industry of fishing.
D．To express his opinions about fishing in different time of the year.