Exercise seems to be good for the human brain, with many recent studies suggesting that regular exercise improves memory and thinking skills. But an interesting new study asks whether the apparent cognitive benefits from exercise are real or just a placebo effect — that is, if we think we will be “smarter” after exercise, do our brains respond accordingly? The answer has significant implications for any of us hoping to use exercise to keep our minds sharp throughout our lives.
While many studies suggest that exercise may have cognitive benefits, recently some scientists have begun to question whether the apparently beneficial effects of exercise on thinking might be a placebo effect. So researchers at Florida State University in Tallahassee and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign decided to focus on expectations, on what people anticipate that exercise will do for thinking. If people’s expectations jibe (吻合) closely with the actual benefits, then at least some of those improvements are probably a result of the placebo effect and not of exercise.
For the new study, which was published last month in PLOS One, the researchers recruited 171 people through an online survey system, they asked half of these volunteers to estimate by how much a stretching and toning regimens (拉伸运动) performed three times a week might improve various measures of thinking. The other volunteers were asked the same questions, but about a regular walking program.
In actual experiments, stretching and toning program generally have little if any impact on people’s cognitive skills. Walking, on the other hand, seems to substantially improve thinking ability.
But the survey respondents believed the opposite, estimating that the stretching and toning program would be more beneficial for the mind than walking. The estimates of benefits from walking were lower.
These data, while they do not involve any actual exercise, are good news for people who do exercise. “The results from our study suggest that the benefits of aerobic exercise are not a placebo effect,” said Cary Stothart, a graduate student in cognitive psychology at Florida State University, who led the study.
If expectations had been driving the improvements in cognition seen in studies after exercise, Mr. Stothart said, then people should have expected walking to be more beneficial for thinking than stretching. They didn’t, implying that the changes in the brain and thinking after exercise are physiologically genuine.
The findings are strong enough to suggest that exercise really does change the brain and may, in the process, improve thinking, Mr. Stothart said. That conclusion should encourage scientists to look even more closely into how, at a molecular level, exercise remodels the human brain, he said. It also should encourage the rest of us to move, since the benefits are, it seems, not imaginary, even if they are in our head.Which of the following about the placebo effect is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．It occurs during exercise. |
| B．It has cognitive benefits. |
| C．It is just a mental reaction. |
| D．It is a physiological response. |
Why did the researchers at the two universities conduct the research?
| A．To discover the placebo effect in the exercise. |
| B．To prove the previous studies have a big drawback. |
| C．To test whether exercise can really improve cognition. |
| D．To encourage more scientists to get involved in the research. |
What can we know about the research Cary Stothart and his team carried out?
| A．They employed 171 people to take part in the actual exercise. |
| B．The result of the research removed the recent doubt of some scientists. |
| C．The participants thought walking had a greater impact on thinking ability. |
| D．Their conclusion drives scientists to do research on the placebo effect. |
What might be the best title for the passage?
| A．Is it necessary for us to take exercise? |
| B．How should people exercise properly? |
| C．What makes us smarter during exercise? |
| D．Does exercise really make us smarter? |
Ibrahim became disabled after contracting polio (小儿麻痹症) when he was three years old. At first his parents, like many other parents of disabled children in Niger, did not want to send him to school. They were worried he would be laughed at by his classmates.
Despite his disability, and his parents’ doubts, Ibrahim was determined to go to school. “When I was eight,” Ibrahim says, “other kids of my age were going to school while I stayed at home. I did not like that. So, I pestered (缠着) my parents until they finally let me go to school.”
Ibrahim’s parents sent him to a private school nearby. Although the journey to and from school was a short one, it still wasn’t easy for Ibrahim. He had to use his hands to help him move along, protecting them with plastic slippers. But at least he was getting an education.
However, after only a year in school, Ibrahim’s education was interrupted when his parents separated. His mother did not have the means to continue paying for his tuition.
In 2007, Ibrahim received some money to be fitted with a leg brace (支架), corrective shoes and his first pair of crutches (拐杖). Now that he was more mobile than before, the most important thing for him was to find a way to go back to school.
“I wanted to start school again last October,” Ibrahim says. “After my mother told me she could not afford it, I went to visit some of my relatives for support. And I collected 5,000 francs CFA (US $8) to pay my tuition for half a year. I will find the rest of the money somehow.”
Ibrahim attends a school in which he is the only disabled student. According to his teacher, he is among the top five students in a class of 55. Why did Ibrahim’s parents prefer Ibrahim to stay at home?
| A．There was a lot of housework for him to do. |
| B．They had no money to pay for his tuition. |
C．There were not enough schools in the  country. |
| D．They were afraid the students would make fun of him. |
How did Ibrahim go to school before his parents separated?
| A．He went to school on his wheelchair. |
| B．He went to school on his parents’ bicycle. |
| C．He walked to school with the support of his hands. |
| D．He walked to school using a pair of crutches. |
Ibrahim’s education was interrupted because of his _____.
| A．parents’ doubts | B．lack of tuition | C． physical disability |
D．terrible mood |
The best title for the passage might be _____.
| A．A long way to go | B．Determined to learn |
| C．The only disabled student | D．I did not like that |
The days of Europeans relaxing in the cafe with a newspaper and a seemingly endless cup of coffee appear to be numbered．A new English expression is popular in Europe these days：“coffee to go．”
“Five or ten years ago it was much more normal to sit in a cafe for several hours than it is nowadays，”says Joann，who works in a central Berlin coffee bar owned by the Canadian coffee and bakery chain Tim’s.
“There is a trend towards a more fast-paced life．But people still act surprised when you ask if the coffee is‘to go’．You mean I can take it with me? they ask..”
“Europe is often five or eight years behind trends in America，”says Joann.“In the States.‘coffee to go’is part of everyday life.”
Owing in part to Starbucks，it appears to be very much part of everyday life in many other countries too．
The Seattle-based group compete with a growing number of global chains in attempting to reshape coffee drinking cultures in regions including Asia and the Middle East．
The US is the model for continental Europe’s new“coffee to go”culture：Each of the new cafe bars offers bagels，muffins，brownies and cookies to go with the coffee.
But then,“coffee to go’’might sound a little odd to English ears used to the words “takeaway”or take one．
It does sum up the brisker pace of life since the city resumed its status as the German capital following the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989.
As one more sign of the changing times，one of Berlin’s most venerable(古老而庄重的)coffee houses，cafe Einstein，has followed the trend by opening a small chain of coffee shops across the city．
Taking coffee,slowly and in decorous（端正的）surroundings,has been a feature of European coffee houses,particularly in German speaking countries,for decades.
For the elderly citzens of Vienna it amounts to a ritual（仪式）when they gather in coffee houses around the city for a cup of their favovrite drink and a piece of rich,creamy cake.From the passage,we can see that .
| A．“coffee to go” springs in Europe these days |
| B．Europe is often a few years before trends in America |
| C．America often follows Europe’s “coffee to go”culture |
| D．it’s easy to reshape coffee drinking cultures in the Middle East |
Every new cafe bar offers some to go with the coffee
| A．food | B．newspaper | C．drink | D．music |
More and more Europeans have takeaway coffee because .
| A．Europeans live a more fast-paced life now |
| B．The coffee is much cheaper |
| C．Europeans are used to taking away the coffee |
| D．the coffee is easy to take away |
The characteristic of European coffee houses is .
| A．“coffee to go ”as part of daily life |
| B．sitting in a cafe bar for several hours |
| C．having coffee slowly in a pleasant atmosphere |
| D．taking away coffee in a hurry |
Advertisement is the difficult business of bringing information to great numbers of people.The purpose of an advertisement is to make people respond to make them react to an idea，such as helping prevent forest fires，or to make them want to buy a certain product or service.At the beginning of the 20th century，advertisement was described as“salesmanship in print”.If this definition were expanded to include radio and television，it would still stand today.The most effective way to sell something is through person-to-person contact.But the cost of person-to-person selling is high because it takes a great deal of time，and it increases the cost of the product or service.Advertising distributes the selling message to many people at one time.The first printed advertisement in the English language appeared in 1278，more than a century before Shakespeare’s first play was produced.This early advertisement was the work of William Caxton，England’s first printer，who used it to advertise religious books from his own workshop Caxton posted small printed notices along London’s main streets．Besides advertising his product，he identified his shop with a red-striped shield(盾形徽章)so that customers could find it easily．
This same sort of simple informational advertising is still used.Examples are the roadside signs that tell travelers that they can buy fresh corn just down the road or that there is a restaurant in the next town.
The Industrial Revolution，in the 18th and 19th centuries，brought a new kind of advertising.Large factories took the place of small workshops and goods were produced in large quantities.
Manufacturers used the newly built railroads to distribute(递送)their products over wide areas.They had to find many thousands of customers in order to stay in business.They couldn’t simply tell people where shoes or cloth or tea could be bought---they had to learn how to make people want to buy a specific product. Thus modern advertising was born．
Advertising created new markets and helped to raise standards of living as people came to feel that they had a right to new and better products.The passage mainly talks about .
| A．the development of advertisement |
| B．the first advertisement in the world |
| C．the difficulty in advertising |
| D．the advantages of advertisements |
Why is advertisement accepted by people?
| A．Because it can help to prevent forest fires. |
| B．Because it cand make people want to buy a certain product or service. |
| C．Because it can bring information to great numbers of people. |
| D．Because it can help people live longer. |
Modern advertisement was born as a result of .
| A．the Industrial Revolution |
| B．the newly built railroads |
| C．the appearance of the first printer advertisement |
| D．people’s need |
We can conclude from the passage that .
| A．red-striped shield is the best thing to use in advertising |
| B．main streets and television are used in advertising |
| C．person-to-person selling is the best way in advertising |
| D．people show little interest in advertisement |
There are some great differences between the traditional family and the modern family.
The first important difference is in the man’s role.The traditional husband was the head of the household because he was the only one who worked outside the home.If the wife worked for money,then the husband was not considered to be a good provider,In many families today,both husband and wife work for money.Therefore,they share the role of head of household.In addition,the traditional husband usually made big decisions about spending money.However,the modern husband shares these decisions with his working wife.Also,the traditional husband did not help his wife with housework or meal preparation. Dinner was ready when he came home,In contrast,the modern husband helps his working wife at home.He may do some of the household chores,and it is not unusual for him to cook.
The second difference is in the woman’s role. In the traditional family,the woman may have worked for miney during her first years of marriage.However,when she gave birth,she would usually give up her job. Her primary role would be to take care of her family and home.In contrast,in many families today,the modern woman works outside the home even after she has children .She’s doing two jobs instead of one,so she is busier than the traditional mother was.The traditional wife learned to live within her husband’s income.But the modern wife does not have to because the family has two incomes.
The final difference is in the role of the children .In the traditional family,the children were taken care of by the mother because she didn’t work outside.However,today pre-school children may go to a child-care center or to a baby-sitter regularly because the mother works.The school-age children of a traditional family were more dependent.Their mother was there to help them get ready for school and to make their breakfast.In conrtast,modern children are more independent.They have to get up early and get ready for school themselves,and they may even have to make their own breakfast.The main idea of the passage is .
| A．the change of the American society |
| B．the change of the American children |
| C．the change of the American family |
| D．the change of the American adults |
In the past,if the husband let his wife get a job, .
| A．people would not think highly of his wife |
| B．people would think little of him |
| C．people would refuse to be friends with him |
| D．people would look up to him |
The husband in the modern family .
| A．is still the boss of the family who decides all of the important things |
| B．lets the wife make all of the decisions alone |
| C．shares big decisions with his working wife |
| D．no longer works for money because the wife is working |
According to the passage,which of the following is true?
| A．The husband in the modern family does a lot of housework except cooking. |
| B．Modern wives have more free time because their husbands share housework. |
| C．Modern wives no longer cook dinners for husbands. |
| D．It’s common for men to buy dishes,send children to school ,and even cook in a modern family. |
A teddy bear from Cumbria is launching into space to raise cash for charity(慈善)
Terence,an experienced traveller who has been to Iraq,will be the guest of honour on aviation（飞行）legend Burt Rutan’s Spaceship One when it flies above Earth.The mission takes off from California on September 29, and on his return the loveable toy will be auctioned off（拍卖）in aid of the North AIR Ambulance Appeal(北部空中救护服务中心).
Spaceship One is the world’s first private spacecraft,and is competing for a prestigious space travel prize.Chief executive of the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS),Graham Pickering,said”flying officer”Terence had been handed over to the RAF six months ago and staff had been receiving postcards from him ever since.
He said,“Terence was a fundraising idea that really took off. We have received pictures of him in a U2 craft,trying parachuting and even looking drunk and disorderly.When the RAF finally discharege him he will be a very rare bear indeed‑--we just hope he does not bum up on re‑entry to Earth”.
GNAAS,which needs charitable donations of more than ￡2m a year,has three air ambulances(空中救护机).
Peter Bond,spokesman for the Royal Astronimical Society,said Terence’s safety was not guaranteed. He said,“This is a new experimental craft and this will only be the second time it has flown.During its first voyage it developed technical problems but hopefully they have now been resolved.”
Since May,Terence has spent time with members of 100 squadron（空军中队）based at RAF Leeming Basra.Iraq,and at air shows with performing fighter planes.
Spaceship One will fly 100km(62 miles) above the Earth’s surface,just breaking through the planet’s atmosphere.
If it repeats the feat（技艺）inside two weeks,it will claim the $ 10 million Ansari X-Prize set up to encourage the private space flight business.Which of the following is the best title?
| A．The Toy Bear Will Be Auctioned Off |
| B．Space Flight |
| C．Spaceship One to Lift Off |
| D．Teddy Bear Astronaut to Lift Off |
Terence is .
| A．an experienced astronaut |
| B．a toy bear |
| C．a real bear living in England |
| D．an air force officer |
Which of the following is true of Speaceship One?
| A．Spaceship One is the world’s first speacecraft. |
| B．The purpose of its flight is to collect money for the charity. |
| C．The purpose of its flight is to comepete for a prestigious space travel prize. |
| D．Spaceship One has never flown. |
We can infer that .
| A．after this space flight,Spaceship One will get the $ 10 million Ansari X-prize |
| B．it is dangerous for a spaceship to re-entre the earth atmosphere |
| C．Terence will be very safe on the flight |
| D．Spaceship One is just an ordinary plane |