Parents who feel disappointed at their teenagers’ failure to pay attention in class, and inability to sit quietly long enough to finish homework or plan ahead, should take solace. Their children are not being lazy or careless, according to new research.
The research has found that teenagers’ brains continue developing far longer into adulthood than we used to think. Teens may look like young adults but their brain structure is similar to that of much younger children.
“It is not always easy for teens to pay attention in class without letting their minds wander, or to ignore distractions from their younger brothers or sisters when trying to solve a maths   problem,” said Dr Iroise Dumon-theil. “But it’s not the fault of teenagers that they can’t pay attention and are easily distracted. It’s to do with the structure of their brains. Teens simply can’t think as well as an adult.”
The research showed that the brain of a teenager works less effectively than that of an adult. “We knew that the front of the brain of teens functioned in a chaotic  (混乱的) way but we  didn’ t realize it continued until the late 20s or early 30s,” said Dr Sarah-Jayne Blakemore, who led the research.
Chaotic thought patterns are a result of teenagers’ brains containing too much grey matter — the cell bodies and connections which carry messages within the brain. As we age, the amount of grey matter in our brain reduces.
“What our research has shown is that there is simply too much going on in the brains of teens,” said Blakemore. “The result is that their brain energy and resources are wasted and their decision-making process is badly influenced. Adults, on the other hand, have less grey matter. This means that the brain works far more effectively.”
【小题1】The underlined word “solace” in Paragraph 1 may mean _____.

I was an introvert(内向的人) by  36 . For as long as I remember, putting on a sincere smile when meeting someone had  37  been easy. The key to a sincere smile,  38 , is simple. It’s to be  39 . But that’s the source of the problem. When meeting people,  40  being excited, I often felt upset.
But we all know  41  are important. The more friends you have, the more opportunities you get,  42  it’s job opportunities, a romantic relationship, or business partners. So a smile is important to make others feel  43 . Mother Teresa said, “Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a(an)  44  to that person, a beautiful thing.”
The smile I’m now talking about is not to make a face to cashiers or waiters. I’m talking about those  45  smiles you make when meeting old friends. So I’ve discovered a  46 . And I call this technique “Oh, it’s Jamie!” When I meet someone, I imagine an old friend of mine called Jamie who was my first friend when we were  47  kids. It’s  48  why my smile is as wide as I can possibly make. And it’s not just the smile, but my tone and attitude that turn warm as well.
And the best part, whenever you’re friendly to others, they turn friendly  49 . You’re not hearing this from me. Some research done by scientists actually  50  this claim. So do remember to give it a try.
Three years ago at the age of 23, I took a long hard look at my life and decided that I was  51 .  52  of my life, I set about  53  dramatic changes and now I have become a popular writer. My  54  reflects that nothing is too difficult if you  55  bravely.

阅读下面短文,掌握其大意,然后从 31～50 各题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出最佳选项,并在答题纸上将该选项标号涂黑。

   The other day, I happened to meet someone I hadn’t seen for many years. I couldn’t believe the change in him. As a matter of fact, he didn’t even seem like the     person.

 When I first knew Bill, back in     , he was one of the most carefree(无忧无虑的) people I had ever      . He was always ready to have a     . He usually went out for beer at three o’clock in the morning or drove 50 miles to see an old      he really liked. Bill and I were in the same class in college, and      was never dull when he was     . With him there was one wild      after another. Sometimes I wonder how we      to study for our exams.

 Last week I was in Houston on business, and I ran into Bill in the bar at the hotel.     , I wasn’t even      it was he. Was this short-haired businessman really the same person? I wasn’t really sure until I came near him, but it indeed was Bill. Now he works for a bank. He      most of the evening about his job, his new car and his house. How he had changed! Back when we were in college, the     thing Bill cared about was possessions. Now they seemed to be his main     . Although I have changed quite a bit myself, somehow, I never      Bill changing so much. My image of him      the one I had formed      the time when we were college students together.

 I suppose it’s      to expect people to remain the same, especially      I have changed so much myself. But I must say that I enjoyed the old Bill much more than the new Bill. Maybe he       the same way about me.

1.A. proper                         B. same                       C. regular                    D. common

2.A. childhood                    B. primary school      C. high school D. college

3.A. considered                B. supposed            C. met          D. expected

4.A. party                    B. quarrel                    C. meeting                 D. class

5.A. man                            B. hospital                  C. film                     D. hotel

6.A. study                  B. life                          C. work                       D. fun

7.A. in                         B. down                      C. away                  D. around

8.A. dream                         B. mistake                  C. chance             D. joke

9.A. decided              B. continued               C. managed         D. hoped

10.A. As usual           B. By accident            C. From then on  D. All the time

11.A. glad                   B. surprised                C. excited    D . sure

12.A. thought            B. talked            C. argued             D. spent

13.A. best                  B. last                          C. next                  D. only

14.A. interest            B. career                    C. subject             D. problem

15.A. forgot               B. minded          C. liked                 D. imagined

16.A. remained         B. reminded               C. suggested        D. became

17.A. since                 B. from                       C. at                    D. till

18.A. unnecessary   B. foolish                     C. common          D. unusual

19.A. because          B. that              C. how         D. when

20.A. felt                             B. acted                      C. looked             D. Discovered

Having put down your pens at the end of the college entrance exam, you have ended 12 years of hard study. Forget your studies for a while. It's time to enjoy yourselves!

There are many ways to celebrate this special month of graduation. You can have photos taken with your classmates and teachers, or dine out together and exchange gifts.

High school students in Western countries such as the United States and Canada usually have a prom to mark their graduation. It's to mark the time kids turn into young men and women. After the prom, teenagers either go to college or find a job. It means they are no longer as dependent on their parents as they were before.

At the prom, boys usually dress in dinner jackets and bow ties, though many different types of formal clothes are worn. Traditionally, girls give boys matching boutonnieres ( 佩带在扣眼上的花). Girls traditionally wear formal dresses, or dress to shock or be noticed, in shiny or brightly colored materials.

Common prom activities include dining, dancing, the crowning (加冠) of a prom king and queen, and just talking to friends.  In some cases, high school students collect funds for their class prom through the four years of their high school.

High schools in or near large cities may rent ballrooms at expensive hotels or, to be unusual, in a pleasure cruise boat.

But often costs are cut by simply using the school gym. Students make a lot of effort to decorate the gym to make the event special. The music played at the prom will be the most popular kinds, like rock and hip-hop.

The students elect the Prom Queen. She is partnered with a Prom King who is elected similarly. These are great honors that the pair take very seriously. The two dance with each other to celebrate their election.

1.The word "prom" is probably closest in meaning with________.

2.Which of the following is an economical way to hold the prom?

3. What clearly indicates that prom is very important to students?

4.For what do the students just talk to friends at a prom?

5.How is the prom significant to the students?

1.至少伤病让我有时间与我的朋友和家人呆在一起了。

At least the ______ gave me time to be with my friends and family.

2.发烧是生病的症状。

A fever is a ______ of illness

3.未经允许看别人的私人信件是不合法的。

It's ______ to read people's private letters without permission.

4.那位音乐家利用业余时间作诗。

The musician spent her spare time _______ poetry.

5.受伤的人不省人事但仍活着。

The old man is unconscious but still_____.

6.他注意到一个陌生人在商店附近闲逛。

He ______ a stranger hanging around the store.

7.他因作伪证而受到惩罚。

He was punished for giving false ______.

8.请接受我最衷心的祝贺。

Please accept my sincere _______.

9.他不是我们的亲儿子－－他三岁时我们领养的。

He's not our natural son we _______ him when he was three.

10.圣诞节时吃火鸡是英格兰的传统。

It's _________ in England to eat turkey on Christmas Dayhttp://www.zxxk.com/