Sorry to say,our brains naturally start slowing down at the Cruelty young age of 30.It used to be thought that this couldn’t be helped,but new studies show that people of any age can train their brains to work faster.“Your brain is a learning machine,”saying University of California scientist Dr. Michael Merzenich.Given the right tools,we can train our brains to act like they did when we were younger.All that’s required is the practice designed just for the purpose:a few exercises for the mind.

Merzenich has developed a computer-based training method to speed up the process(过程) in which the brain deals with information (positscience.com).Since much of the data we receive comes through speech,the Brain Fitness Program works with language and hearing to better speed and accuracy(准确性).

Over the course of training,the program starts asking you to distinguish(辨别) sounds (between“dog”and“bog”,for example) at an increasingly faster speed.It’s a bit like tennis instructor,says Merzenich,hitting balls at you—faster and faster to keep you challenged(受到挑战).You may start out slow,but before long you’re pretty quick.

The biggest finding in brain research in the last ten years is that the brain at any age is highly plastic.If you ask your brain to learn,it will learn.And it may even speed up while in the process.

To keep your brain young and plastic you can do one of a million new activities that challenge and excite you:playing table tennis or bridge,doing crossword puzzles,learning a language...“When it comes to preventing ageing,you really do ‘use it or lose it’,”says Barbara Sahakian,professor at Cambridge University.

Dr.Merzenich’s training method mainly depends on ______.

A.speech training

B.computer languages

C.the activities one joins in

D.the information being dealt with

By saying “the brain at any age is highly plastic”,the writer probably means the brain can be ______.

A.used                                                            B.mastered

C.developed                                                     D.researched

What can we learn from the text?

A.Practice makes a quick mind.

B.Brain research started ten years ago.

C.Dr. Merzenich is a scientist in computer.

D.People believed nothing could stop the brain slowing down.

Which of the following agrees with the writer’s idea?

A.The training methods work better for the old.

B.People should use the brain to stop it from ageing.

C.The training of the brain should start at an early age.

D.It’s necessary to take part in as many activities as possible.

The Future Stars

General introduction

The Future Stars was set up in 1988 as a non-profit service center for child development devoted to providing quality childcare in a loving and educational environment for children 6 weeks to 6 years of age. Our funds mainly come from public donations.

A healthy curiosity about learning is the most important quality for early childhood development. We aim at offering high quality developmentally age-appropriate activities for early childhood, the most Important time of child development, so that they can do better after they start formal schooling.

Hours of operation

Childcare will be provided for the child from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm Monday through Friday except for holidays. Children may not arrive before 7:00 am or remain after 6:00 pm. Should an emergency arise, the parent should immediately make us know in consideration of our work arrangements. A late charge of $ 1.00 per minute will be assessed if the child is not picked up by 6:05 pm. Charges for these services are to be paid directly to the staff person that has been looking after your child until your arrival, not to the center. Failure to pay late charges may affect continued services with the center.

Tuition (学费)

When it has been confirmed that a position is available for your child, you must pay a registration (注册) fee of $200 per child.

The weekly tuition fee is $ 98.00. You can make payments either by credit card or in cash on Monday every week. If your payment is not made by Tuesday at 9:00 am, you will be charged a $ 25.00 late fee.

For more information, please call 434-293-6110 or visit www.childdevelopmentcenter.com.

1.The Future Stars is intended for______.

A. would-be parents        B. teenagers

C. child experts          D. pre-school children

2.What can we know about late pickups from the passage?

A. They may affect continued services with the center.

B. Parents have to pay late charges for them to the center.

C. Parents have to inform the center of them right away.

D. They greatly disturb the work arrangements of the center.

3.If you want your child to receive childcare services from the Future Stars，you must ___.

A. pay extra for delayed payment

B. pay every Tuesday

C pay $ 98 for registration

D. pay in cash

4.What is the purpose of the passage?

A. To attract public donations.

B. To promote early education.

C. To tell the benefits of childcare.   

D. To introduce a child development center.

 

Driving to a friend's house on a recent evening, I was attracted by the sight of the full moon rising just above my friend’s rooftops. I stopped to watch it for a few moments, thinking about what a pity it was that most city people? Myself included? Usually miss sights like this because we spend most of our lives indoors.　　

My friend had also seen it. He grew up living in a forest in Europe, and the moon meant a lot to him then. It had touched much of his life.

I know the feeling. Last December I took my seven-year-old daughter to the mountainous jungle of northern India with some friends. We stayed in a forest rest-house with no electricity or running hot water. Our group had campfires outside every night, and indoors when it was too cold outside. The moon grew to its fullest during our trip. Between me and the high mountains lay three or four valleys. Not a light shone in them and not a sound could be heard. It was one of the quietest places I have ever known, a bottomless well of silence. And above me was the full moon, which struck me deeply.　　  

Today our lives are filled with glass, metal, plastic and fibre-glass. We have televisions, cell phones, pagers, electricity, heaters and ovens and air-conditioners, cars, computers.

Struggling through traffic that evening at the end of a tiring day, most of it spent indoors, I thought: before long, I would like to live in a small cottage. There I will grow vegetables and read books and walk in the mountains And perhaps write, but not in anger. I may become an old man there, and wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled and measure out my life in coffee spoons. But I will be able to walk outside on a cold silent night and touch the moon.

1.The best title for the passage would be______.

A. Touched by the moon        B. The pleasures of modern life

C. A bottomless well of silence   D. Break away from modern life

2. What impressed the writer most in the mountainous jungle of northern India?

A. No modern equipment       B. Complete silence.

C. The nice moonlight          D. The high mountains

3.Modern things (Paragraph 4) are mentioned mainly to______.

A. show that the writer likes city life very much

B. tell us that people greatly benefit from modern life

C. explain that people have less chances to enjoy nature

D. show that we can also enjoy nature at home through them

4.The author wrote the passage to_______.

A. express the feeling of returning to nature

B. show the love for the moonlight

C. advise modern people to learn to live[来源:Z&xx&k.Com]

D. want to communicate longing for modern life

 

C
We all know that certain oils are healthier than others. but your oil health goes beyond just the type．The health of your oil can be related to how you use it too．
Each type of oil has what is called a“smoke point. ”The smoke point is the  specific temperature at which the oil starts to break down, or in more technical terms, its molecular structure begins to change. These molecular changes result in； changes in flavor, as well as W  ww.k s 5u.com changes in nutritional value，specifically，the nutritional value of the oil starts to reduce；changing what once may have been considered an especially healthy oil，like Olive，into one that is unhealthy．
The higher an oil’s smoke point is，the higher the temperature of the oil can be．As a result, each type of oil should be used for the cooking method that is most appropriate to its individual smoke point and heat tolerance. Here is a quick guide for the next time you reach for your favorite oil．

Heat During Cooking	Oil	Best Use
Low to Moderate	Coconut	Baking (low heat ) Light Sauteing Pressure Cooking Salads
	Corn
	Olive
	Peanut
	Sesame
	Walnut
Medium Heat	Macadamia Nut	Baking Sauteing Stir-Frying
	Safflower
High Heat	Grape-seed	Deep Browning Deep-Frying
	Sunflower
	Soybean/Soy

Note that the above table represents oils that are refined(精炼的)．Most oils we buy are refined．Refined oils tend to have much higher smoke points than when they are unrefined．They also differ in nutrition and flavor．Unrefined oils are more nutritious and they tend to be much richer in flavor．
When it comes to extremely high heat cooking，always choose oils which are refined．
62．What determines whether an oil is healthy or not?
A．Whether it’s refined or not．      B．Its smoke point．
C．Its molecular．                                               D．How you use it．
63．Which of the following might be a better choice to make a healthy salad?
A．Refined walnut oil．                                B．Safflower oil．
C．Unrefined olive oil．                                      D．Sunflower oil．
64．Healthy oil can become unhealthy if． according to the passage．
A．you keep it for too long         B．it is heated well beyond its smoke point
C．it is refined                D．its flavor is changed
65．The author wants to tell readers that               ．
A．oils are related to health  
B．oils’ value depends on their smoke points
C．“certain oils are healthier ”is relative
D．oils’ flavor and nutrition are connected

    Sorry to say, our brains pastorally start slowing down at the cruelly young age of 30. It used to be thought that this couldn’t be helped，but new studies show that people of any age can train their brains to work faster.“Your brain is a learning machine,” says University of California scientist Dr. Michael Merzenich. Given the right tools, we can train our brains to act like they did when we were younger. All that’s required is the practice designed just for the purpose: a few exercises for the mind.

    Merzenich has developed a computer-based training method to speed up the process (过程) in which the brain deals with information (positscience com ). Since much of the data we receive comes through speech, the Brain Fitness Program works with language mad hearing to better speed and accuracy (准确性).

    Over the course of training, the program starts asking you to distinguish (辨别)sounds (between “dog” and “bog”, for example) at an increasingly faster speed. It’s a bit like tennis instructor, says Merzenich, hitting balk at you faster and faster to keep you challenged(受到挑战). You may start out slow, but before long you’re pretty quick.

    The biggest finding in brain research in the last ten years is that the brain at any age is highly plastic. If you ask your blain to learn，it will learn. And it may even speed up while in the process.

    To keep your brain young and plastic you can do one of a million new activities that challenge and excite you：playing table tennis or bridge，doing crossword puzzles，learning a language....“When it comes to preventing ageing，you really do use it or lose it’s，”says Barbara Sahakian, professor at Cambridge University.

67. Dr. Merzenich’s training method mainly depends on______________.

A. speech training                                      B. computer languages

C. the activities one joins in                      D. the information being dealt with

68. By saying “the brain to any is highly plastic”, the writer probably means the brain can be___________.

A. used               B. mastered                    C. developed               D. researched

69. What can we learn from the text?

A. Practice makes a quick mind.

B. Brain research started ten yeas ago.

C. Dr. Merzenich is a scientist in computer.

D. People believed nothing could stop the brain slowing down.

70. Which of the following agrees with the writer’s idea?

A. The training methods work better for the old.

B. People should use the brain to stop it from ageing.

C. The training of the brain should start at an early age.

D. It’s necessary to take part in as many activities as possible.