Man still has a lot to learn about the most powerful and complex part of his body — the brain.
It may be surprising to learn that it isn’t age that makes you lose your memory. The reason could be that you have a "lazy" memory, not an old one. Like your body your memory improves with exercise. Once given plenty of exercise, the brain keeps its power. Before discussing how to improve the memory, let’s look at how the brain works. There are two sides to the brain, the left and the right. The right side deals with the senses (what we see, hear, feel and smell). It's the creative and imaginative side. The left side is concerned with logic. It analyzes information and puts it in order.
Some recent research suggests that we remember everything that happens to us. The problem most of us has is recalling events. Most forgetting takes place immediately after learning. An hour after learning something new, more than 50% has been forgotten. After a month, 80% has been forgotten, and so on.
This shows revision is very important. If you revise new material you have learnt, you remember much more. So it's of vital importance to revise newly learned material often, and have frequent breaks. We best remember what we learn at the beginning of a learning period and at the point where we stop. After the break, revise what was learned before the break and then continue learning the new material. These breaks should happen every 20 or 45 minutes.
Other experiments have shown the brain needs time to "digest" what has been learned. The time necessary for this is 5 to 10 minutes. After the break, the memory will have absorbed what it has just learned, and more will be remembered. During this period it is important to exercise the right side of the brain, because the left side is used during the learning period. Therefore you should relax. Listening to music, breathing in fresh air, and looking at a picture are all ways of using the other side of the brain. So when you are studying alone, make a plan which shows when to have breaks and to revise newly learned material immediately before you begin studying again. If you do in this way, your memory will improve.According to the text, you lose your memory by ________.
| A．getting too old | B．hardly using your brain |
| C．working too hard | D．using your brain too much |
To fight forgetting effectively, we're advised to ________.
| A．go back to what was learned regularly |
| B．break down materials into small pieces |
| C．focus on both ends of a learning period |
| D．take breaks to give the brain a good rest |
During the learning process the brain need breaks to ________.
| A．use the right side of the brain |
| B．revise newly learnt materials |
| C．take in what has been learnt |
| D．relax the left side of the brain |
Where is this text most probably taken from?
| A．Science fictions. | B．Students’ literature. |
| C．An advertisement. | D．A science report. |
A volcanic eruption in Iceland has sent ash across northern Europe. Airlines have stopped or changed the flights across the Atlantic Ocean, leaving hundreds of passengers stuck in airports.
Grimsvotn is one of the largest and most active volcanoes in Europe. What makes
Grimsvotn different is that it lies under a huge glacier（冰川）of ice up to 12 metres thick. The hot volcano heats up the ice above it, which then forms a layer(层)
of water between glacier and the volcano, keeping it stable. As the water flows out from under the glacier, the pressure lifts. The lava(岩浆) from the volcano then comes up to the surface. This is exactly what is happening today.
Now airlines have to make changes to their flights so as not to fly through the clouds of volcanic ash. According to KLM, one of Europe’s biggest airlines, airplanes cannot go under the cloud or over it. Going through the cloud can result in ash getting stuck in the airplane’s engines, causing damage to the plane.
The eruption has also caused problems for animals in Iceland. The volcano left ash and sharp, glass-like rocks all over the countryside. Farmers are keeping their animals inside to stop them eating ash-covered grass or the sharp objects.What makes Grimsvotn different from other volcanoes?
| A．It is under the sea. | B．Its lava affects the airlines. |
| C．It is the largest volcano. | D．It is below ice. |
What keeps Grimsvotn still?
| A．The slow flow of water.. | B．The thick glacier. |
| C．The water pressure. | D．The low water temperature. |
Which of the following is the result of the volcano eruption?
| A．It becomes dangerous for animals to eat outside. |
| B．Famers have lost many of their animals. |
| C．Airlines suffer from the loss of planes. |
| D．People stop traveling in Europe. |
how many passengers were forced to stay in the airport?
| A．thousands of passengers | B．hundreds of passengers |
| C．ten thousands of passengers | D．20000 of passengers |
Michael Joseph Jackson was born on August 29,1958 in Gary, Indiana. Being the seventh child in his family, Michael was often physically abused (虐待) by his father, beaten up and also orally abused. But Michael also owed his success to his father’s strict discipline.
Michael was always an entertainer. Even when he just started school, he would perform in front of his friends and classmates. He started his professional music career at the age of 11, as a member of The Jackson Five.
He is well-known for increasing the popularity of MTV through his music videos. Before this, music videos were made just to promote the album. But Michael’s videos managed to change that by making them an art and a big business. Some of the music videos that are good examples of this are Beat It, Billie Jean, and thriller。Through these works the world got caught onto the idea of music videos and focused on music video channels.
Michael enthralled his fans and audience with his style of singing, dressing, and his complex dance moves, especially the moonwalks all around the world to show their love for him.
Through his work and various foundations(基金会), Michael raised and donated millions to charity, which is much more than any showman. He supported 39 charities in all. Apart from that, he had a great love for children, especially the poor ones, and he felt that children were the best thing than God.
Michael planned to start a 50-concert tour in July 2009. Sadly on June 25th, 2009, Michael passed away at home. Besides a great performer, showman and entertainer, he was a good and charitable person. Nobody can be another graeter entertainer like Michael Jackson ever again.According to the passage, Michael Jackson _____.
| A．had nine brothers and sisters |
| B．live a happy life as a child |
| C．loved performing at school |
| D．fell in love with music at the age of 11 |
The underlined word “enthralled”in Paragraph 4 probably means ____.
| A．encouraged | B．puzzled | C．developed | D．attracted |
In the author’s opinion, Michael Jackson ‘s greatest contribution lies in _____.
| A．Five making MTV popular | B．creating music video channel |
| C．joining the Jackson | D．popularizing the moonwalk |
Five people are at our table, including myself. I’ve already learnt a great deal about them in the short time we’ve been at sea, although we rarely meet except at mealtimes.
First of all, there is Dr. Stone. He is a man of about sixty-five, with gray hair and a friendly face. He gave up his work a short while ago and is now traveling round the world before he retires to some quite country village. As a young man, he served for many years as a doctor in the army and visited many countries. He’s told us a great deal about the city to which they are going.
Then there is “Grandmother”. I call her that because her name escapes me. In spite of being a grandmother, she looks remarkable young, no more than fifty. She is on her way to visit a daughter who went to Australia some years ago. Naturally she is very excited at the thought of seeing her again, and her three grandchildren, whom she has never seen.
Then there is a man I don’t care for very much, the engineer by the name of Barlow. He has been on leave in England and is now returning to his work in Singapore.
The other person who sits at our table is Mrs. Hunt. I’ve found out hardly anything about her. She’s extremely quiet and rarely talks, except to consult the doctor about children’s various illnesses. She is on her way to join her husband in India.What can we know about Mr. Stone?
| A． He knows a lot about the city the author is going to visit. |
| B．He is going to give up his work. |
| C．He has been retired for many years. |
| D．He is a doctor in the army now |
Who lives in India?
| A．Mrs. Hunt | B．Grandmother | C．The doctor | D．Mr. Hunt |
The writer calls the second person “Grandmother”because _____.
A. She looks old. B. he can’t think of her name
C. She has three daughters D he respects herThe underlined phrase“on leave”in Paragragh 4 probably means _____.
| A．leaving | B．at home | C．about to leave | D．on vacation |
根据短文内容，从短文后的七个选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
Should Good Sportsmanship Be Taught in School?
Almost everyone feels that it is important for young people to win fairly and show respect toward others．Should good sportsmanship, then, be taught in school? Critics do not think so． 1Presented here are the most important benefits of teaching sportsmanship．
Teaching good sportsmanship and having a positive attitude in activities like sports, class elections, and science fair competitions are critical to success in school．2Acting calmly under pressure helps young adults succeed not only in sports but also in life．
3A person cannot play by the rules if he or she does not understand what the rules are．Knowing the rules also applies to other activities．If students enter a science fair competition, for example, they must follow the guidelines． Those who know the rules are much more likely to succeed．When students learn sportsmanship, they discover, how knowing the rules relates to achievement．
Good players become skilled at handling responsibility．When people accept responsibility, they achieve their best．Positive thinkers, moreover, influence others, especially those who are struggling with a problem．A gifted basketball player, for example, might teach skills to a less-talented player．Helping others raises the performance of the entire team．The team, consequently, could reach new heights and set new records． 4Those who do not practice sportsmanship pass off responsibility．For them, if an opportunity is lost, it is someone else' s fault．When students participate on a team, they benefit by learning to accept responsibility, encourage others and own up to（认错） mistakes．
Sportsmanship is a winning idea．It must be taught in school．Students need direction to become good sports"．Students will be responsible for their own actions and will have a positive influence on others．As students enter the workforce, businesses benefit．The community also benefits because these students will someday become leaders． 5
| A．We need to educate students about how sportsmanship pays off for everyone． |
| B．However, the stronger argument favors teaching good sportsmanship． |
| C．Sports help young adults learn how to team up with others． |
| D．Good sportsmanship also means admitting mistakes． |
E．Activities involving winning or losing can be tense．
F．It is natural that players should be eager to win．
G．Good team players know the rules of the game．
Learning to drive is important to the independence of teenagers, but it is also a great responsibility．Although having a law that keeps 16-year-old drivers from having more than one teenager in the car with them at first seems unfair, there are convincing reasons for this requirement．
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports that teens are four times more likely than older drivers to be involved in an automobile accident．It also reports that 16-and 17-year-old drivers are twice as likely to have an accident if they have two teenage friends in the car and four times as likely to have one if they have three or more teenage friends in the car with them．Fatal （ 致命的） crashes of 16-year-old drivers involve the highest percentage of speeding, driver error, and number of passengers．This information is enough to cause any reasonable person to wonder about the wisdom of allowing new teen drivers to take a carload of friends anywhere, even if the law permits it．
A study at the National Institutes of Health indicates that the part of the human brain that controls judgment and evaluates the consequences of our actions might not be fully formed until the age of 25．Until this study, researchers had placed the age at 18．If this is true, it could explain the reckless （鲁莽的） behavior of many teens, behavior that often extends into their twenties．It also could be a strong reason for being cautious about the driving circumstances of young people．
This is not the only study that indicates such caution is necessary．One study at Temple University in Philadelphia examines the results of peer（同龄人） pressure in risky driving situations．The study, which uses a driving game, has an individual guide a car through a course, both alone and in the presence of friends．Three different age groups participated in the study: 13-16, 18-22, and 24 and older．Members of the oldest group showed caution whether driving alone or with friends present, but the two younger groups took more chances when they were with their friends．Furthermore, because these drivers were accustomed to the noise and distraction of many passengers, they were unable to see their own mistakes．Once again, this is a good indication that a law restricting the number of teenagers in the car with a young driver is a good idea．What does the author mainly tell us in Paragraph 2?
| A．Many deaths have occurred because of inexperience and overconfidence． |
| B．It' s reasonable to severely limit the passenger number of teen drivers． |
| C．New teen drivers have to ask permission before driving with friends． |
| D．There are many causes behind the teens' driving accidents． |
From the two studies, the author probably suggests that ______．
| A．different age groups have different peer pressure |
| B．teenagers often give wrong judgments above passengers' noise |
| C．underdeveloped brain makes teens ignore their mistakes |
| D．driving circumstances are bound up with（与…密切相关） the risk of accidents |
We can infer that the law restriction can probably ______．
| A．protect teens on the highway |
| B．raise teens' sense of responsibility |
| C．reduce the number of fatal crashes |
| D．force teens to drive with caution |
With which statement would the author most likely disagree?
| A．Some teenagers have risky behavior while driving． |
| B．Certain laws treat teenagers and adults differently． |
| C．We still need more studies on teen driving． |
| D．Driving is important to a teenager' s sense of independence． |