Work your brain!

Between 2 and 3 pounds of wonder，it controls everything we say，do or think，who we are and what we care about. The way we walk or laugh or figure out things. What we like and the talents we possess. How we see and talk and run and jump and process our food.

The brain uses 20 percent of our body's oxygen and 20 percent of its blood. Somewhere within its protein，fat, 100,000 miles of blood vessels and 100 billion nerve cells，it helps us remember where we put our gym shoes. Change our temperature so we don't die because of the heat or cold. Speed us up or slow us down. Help us choose between orange juice or orange­flavored drinks.

Its intricacies(复杂性)are stunning，far beyond anything most of us can imagine. To keep this work of art as polished(有光泽的) as possible we need to eat right，exercise and keep mentally stimulated(刺激)．

Good nutrition helps brain cells communicate with each other. Exercise stimulates a hormone(荷尔蒙)in our brain that improves memory. Mental stimulation keeps you sharp even as you age.

“It's very important that we tell people to be physically active and mentally active，” said neurologist Malcolm Stewart.

“People cannot stop aging，but you're able to reduce the damage；you're able to keep the function up.”

Following are Dr.Stewart's advice for improving brain health：

Nutrition	Avoid fast food. Follow the old adage(格言，谚语)：For breakfast，eat like a king；for lunch，like a queen；for supper，like a beggar.
Exercise	Do a combination of stretching aerobic and muscle­strengthening every day.
Mental games	Try to have a sense of hope about the future. Do puzzles. Listen to music. Reach out to others to make their lives better.

1.The purpose of the author in writing this passage is to ______.

A. inform us how the brain works

B. give us advice on how to keep the brain healthy

C. tell us that the brain plays an important role in our lives

D. show how special the brain is to us

2.The word “stunning” in Paragraph 5 means ______.

A. interesting 　       B. strange              C. significant　        D. amazing

3. According to the text，more exercise ______.

A. keeps our mind sharp 　　 

B. helps improve our memory

C. gives our brain a rest 　　 

D. is good for brain cells communicating with each other

4. In order to keep brain healthy，we should avoid ______.

A. eating a good lunch                      B. doing puzzles

C. eating a large supper                    D. taking aerobic exercise

 

Work your brain!

   Between 2 and 3 pounds of wonder, it controls everything we say, do or think, who we are and what we care about. The way we walk or laugh or figure out things. What we like and the talents we possess. How we see and talk and run and jump and process our food.

    The brain uses 20 percent of our body’s oxygen and 20 percent of its blood. Somewhere within its protein, fat, 100,000 miles of blood vessels and 100 billion nerve cells, it helps us remember where we put our gym shoes. Change our temperature so we don’t die because of the heat or cold. Speed us up or slow us down. Help us choose between orange juice or orange­flavored drinks.

    Its complexity are stunning, far beyond anything most of us can imagine. To keep this work of art as polished as possible we need to eat right, exercise and keep mentally stimulated. Good nutrition helps brain cells communicate with each other. Exercise stimulates a hormone in our brain that improves memory. Mental stimulation keeps you sharp even as you age.

“It’s very important that we tell people to be physically active and mentally active,” said neurologist Malcolm Stewart.“People cannot stop aging, but you’re able to reduce the damage; you’re able to keep the function up.”

Following are Dr. Stewart’s advice for improving brain health：

Nutrition	Avoid fast food. Follow the old adage(格言): For breakfast, eat like a king; for lunch, like a queen; for supper, like a beggar.
Exercise	Do a combination of stretching aerobic and muscle strengthening every day.
Mental games	Try to have a sense of hope about the future. Do puzzles. Listen to music. Reach out to others to make their lives better.

1.The purpose of the author in writing this passage is to ______.

A. inform us how the brain works

B. give us advice on how to keep the brain healthy

C. tell us that the brain plays an important role in our lives

D. show how special the brain is to us

2.The underlined word “stunning” means ______.

A. interesting 　               B. strange                          C. significant　                  D. amazing

3.According to the text，more exercise ______.

A. keeps our mind sharp             

B. helps improve our memory

C. gives our brain a rest 　           

D. is good for brain cells communicating with each other

4.In order to keep brain healthy，we should avoid ______.

A. eating a good lunch                                     B. doing puzzles

C. eating a large supper                                  D. taking aerobic exercise

 

What an exciting day it was for Jennifer and Valerie! They　26　　friends since Grade Three and had  27　many of their high school experiences. Now they were driving together to their final high school event. Today was　28　day at Laman High School.　 29　they were close friends, they were different in many ways. Jennifer was a fairly　30　　student while Valerie did just enough to get by and was mainly　31　　in a good social life.

"Isn't it　32　　that we're all finished?" said Valerie. "I'm really looking forward to having a　33　　time this summer."

"　 34　　be nice,"　Jennifer replied. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to work most of the summer to help pay for my college expenses. "

Jennifer's parents had only a small　35　　and she had made up her mind to have a career in which he could　36　　all the things her　37　　could not.

Valerie,　 38　　, came firm a fairly wealthy family. She had little desire to work hard for　　39　　she had always taken for granted.

"I really don't want to go to college for a while," she　40　 . "My uncle　41 a restaurant in the Bahamas and he has　42　　me to spend a year there　43　　a waitress. That should give me plenty of　44　　for the beach. "

"It seems　45　　will really be going different ways now," thought Jennifer.

1.A.has been　　     B. were　C. had been　　　         D. would be

2.A.learned　　　    B. obtained　 C. remembered　　    D. shared

3.A.exam　　　　    B. sports　　   C. graduatioD. working

4.A.If　　　　　    B. Because　　   C. Although　　　 D. When

5.A.diligent　　        B. polite　　 C. active　　　　    D. favorite

6.A.specialized　       B. relievedC. envied　  D. interested

7.A.certain　　　       B. great　　　  C. unfortunate  　　    D. annoying

8.A.nice　　　　    B. high         C. bad　　　　　　  D. happy

9.A.Can　　　　　   B. Shall　　　  C. Must　　　　　   D. Need

10.A.income　　　   B. problem  　  C. family　　　　   D. difference

11.A .afford　　　      B. give　　　   C. support　　  　　    D. send

12.A .teachers　    B. parents　　  C. friends　　　 　 D. relatives

13.A.in fact　　　B. in a way  C. as a result　       D.on the contrary

14.A.what　　　         B. whom　　　   C. that　　　　　   D. these

15.A.admitted　B. complain　    C. proposed　　　   D. screamed

16.A.opens　　  B. runs　　　   C. works　　　　        D. makes

17.A.helped　　B. assured　　   C. invited　　　　      D. promised

18.A.on　　　　　   B. do　　　　   C. like　　　　         D. as

19.A.peace　　　　  B. work　　　   C. energy　　　         D. time

20.A.I　　　　　　  B. we　　　　   C. she　　　　　        D. they

 

What makes a good teacher? Generally speaking, you need some of the gifts of a good actor: you must be able to 　36 the attention and interest of your students; you must be a 　37 speaker, with a good, strong, 　38 voice which is fully under your control; and you must be able to 　39 what you are teaching in order to make its meaning clear. 　40 a good teacher and you will see that he does not sit still 　41 his class: he stands the whole time when he is teaching; he walks about, using his 　42　 , hands and fingers to help him in his explanations, and his face to express feelings. Listening to him, you will 　43 the loudness, the quality and the musical note of his voice always 　44 according to what he is 　45 about. The fact that a good teacher has some of the gifts of a good actor doesn’t 　46 that he will indeed be able to act 　47 on the stage, for there are very important 　48 between the teacher’s work and the actor’s. The actor has to speak words which he has learnt by heart; he has to repeat exactly the 　49 words each time he plays a certain part; 　50 his movements and the ways in which he uses his voice are usually 　51 before hand. What he has to do is to make all these carefully learnt words and actions seem 　52 on the stage. A good teacher 　53 in quite a different way. His students take an active part in his 54 : they ask and answer questions; they obey orders; and if they don’t understand something, they will say so. The teacher therefore has to suit his act to the needs of his students. He cannot learn his part by heart, but must 　55 it as he goes along.

36. A. pay 　　　　　　　　 B. give　　　　 　 C. hold 　　　　　　　 D. know

37. A. slow 　　　　　　　 B. clear　　　　 　 C. quick 　　　　　　 D. loud

38. A. frightening 　　　　 B. fearing 　　 　　C. surprising　　　 D. pleasing

39. A. say　　　　　　　　　 B. talk 　　　　 　 C. act 　　　　　　　 　 D. repeat

40. A. Watch　　　　　　　　 B. Change 　 　 C. Respect　　　　　 D. Love

41. A. for 　　　　　　　　 B. before 　　 　 C. behind 　 　 D. with

42. A. tongue 　　　　　　 B. words 　　 　 C. arms 　　　　　　 D. sound

43. A. hear　　　　　　　　 B. see 　　　　　 　　C. think 　　　 　 D. guess

44. A. making 　　　　　 B. changing 　　　 C. expressing 　 D. giving

45. A. worrying　　　　　 B. thinking 　 C. hearing 　 　 D. talking

46. A. tell 　　　　　　　　 B. express 　 　 C. mean 　　　　　　 D. show

47. A. good 　　　　　　　 B. well　　　　 　 C. badly 　　　　　　 D. actively

48. A. things 　　　　　　 B. jobs　　　　 　 C. points　　　　　　 D. differences

49. A. different 　　　　　 B. same 　　　　　　 C. above 　　　　　 D. following

50. A. Even 　　　　　　　 B. Only　　　　　　　 C. Still 　　　　　　　 D. Just

51. A. read 　　　　　　　　　　　 B. known 　 　 C. fixed 　　　　　　 D. found

52. A. natural 　　　　　　　　　　 B. frequent　　　　　 C. false 　　　　 　　D. clear

53. A. argues 　　　　　　 B. works 　　　　　 C. walks 　　　　　 D. speaks

54. A. group 　　　　　　 B. party 　　　　　　 C. class 　　　　　　 D. play

55. A. continue 　　　　 B. discover 　　　　 C. teach 　　　　　　 D. invent

   There are many kinds of friends. Some are always    36    you, but don't understand you. Some say only a few words to you, but understand you. Many people will step in your life, but only    37    friends leave footprints.

    I shall always recall（回忆）the autumn and the girl with the    38 . She will always bring back the friendship between us. I know she will always be my best friend.

    It was the golden season. I could see the yellow leaves    39    on the cool   40  . In such a season, I liked walking alone in the leaves,   41  to the sound of them.

    Autumn is a   42  season and life is uninteresting. The free days always get me   43  . But one day, the sound of a violin   44   into my ears like a stream (小溪) flowing in the mountains. I was so surprised that I jumped to see what it was. A young girl, standing in the wind, was   45   in playing her violin.

    I had   46   seen her before. The music was so nice that I listened quietly. Lost in the music, I didn't know that I had been   47   there for so long but my existence (存在) did not seem to disturb her.

    Leaves were still falling. Every day she played the violin in the corner of the building   48  I went downstairs to watch her performance. I was the only listener. The autumn seemed no longer lonely and life became   49   .  50   we didn't know each other, I thought we were already good friends. I believe she also loved me.

    Autumn was nearly over. One day, when I was listening carefully, the sound suddenly 51 . To my astonishment (惊讶), the girl came over to me.

   “You must like violin.” she said.

   “Yes. And you play very well. Why did you stop?” I asked.

    Suddenly, a  52   expression appeared on her face and I could feel something unusual.

    “I came here to see my grandmother, but now I must leave. I once played very badly. It was your listening every day that   53   me.” she said.

    “In fact, it was your playing  54   gave me a meaningful autumn,” I answered, “Let's be friends.”

    The girl smiled, and so did I.

    I never heard her play again in my life. I no longer went downstairs to listen like before. Only thick leaves were left behind. But I will always remember the fine figure (身影) of the girl. She is like a  55   —so short, so bright, like a shooting star giving off so much light that it makes the autumn beautiful.

36. A. for        B. against     C.to        D. with

37. A. good      B. true        C. new      D. old

38. A. sound     B. song        C. violin    D. play          

39. A. shaking    B. hanging     C. falling    D. floating

40. A. wind      B. snow       C. air       D. rain

41.A.watching 　 B. seeing      C.listening   D. hearing

42. A. lively  　  B. lovely      C. harvest    D. lonely

43. A. up        B. down       C off        D. over

44. A. flowed     B. grew       C. entered    D. ran

45. A. active      B lost        C. busy       D. interested

46.A. never       B. once       C. often      D. usually

47. A. waiting     B. stopping    C. standing    D. hearing

48. A. because     B. so         C. when      D. but

49. A. moving     B. encouraging   C . exciting  D. interesting

50. A. But        B. Though      C. However   D. Even          

51. A. stopped      B. began       C. gone      D. changed

52. A. happy        B. sad        C. strange     D. surprised

53. A encouraged    B. surprised    C. excited     D. interested

54. A. which        B. it          C. that       D. who

55. A. song         B. fire         C.  sister    D. dream