Question

【題目】Sorry to say, our brains naturally 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 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 in which the brain deals with information. Since much of the data we receive comes through speech, the Brain Fitness Program works with language and hearing to better speed and accuracy.

Over the course of training, the program starts asking you to distinguish 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. You may start out slow, but before long you’re pretty quick.”

The biggest finding in brain research in 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 aging, you really do “do it or lose it”, says Barbara Sahakian, professor at Cambridge University.

【1】Dr. Merzenich’s training method mainly depends on ________.

A. the information being dealt with

B. computer languages

C. the activities one joins in

D. speech training

【2】By saying “the brain at any age is highly plastic”, the writer probably means the brain can be____

A. developed B. mastered

C. used D. researched

【3】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 used to believe nothing could stop the brain slowing down.

【4】Which of the following agrees with the writer’s idea?

A. The training methods work better for the old

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

C. People should use the brain to stop it from aging.

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

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】D

【2】A

【3】D

【4】C

【解析】

試題分析：人的大腦并不是我們以前所認為的會退化，只要我們加以鍛煉和運用，是可以阻止它衰退的。

【1】細節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)“Since much of the data we receive comes through speech, the Brain Fitness Program works with language and hearing to better speed and accuracy.”可知，因為我們所接受到的大部分數(shù)據(jù)都來源與語言，所以，這個程序是通過訓(xùn)練語言和聽力提高大腦運行速度和精確度的。故選D。

【2】句意猜測題。由下文“If you ask your brain to learn, it will learn.”可知，人的大腦在任何年齡段都是極為可塑的，假如你讓你的大腦學(xué)習(xí)，它就會學(xué)習(xí)。故選A .developed開發(fā)，發(fā)展；B. mastered控制；C. used使用；D. researched研究。故選A。

【3】判斷推理題。由第一段開頭 “It used to be thought that this couldn’t be helped,”可知。過去人們認為大腦會衰退，而且沒有什么可以幫助我們不讓大腦衰退。故D正確。

【4】判斷推理題。由文章最后一段 “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 aging, you really do “do it or lose it”, says Barbara Sahakian, professor at Cambridge University.”可知為了讓你的大腦年輕化且可塑，你可以做諸多挑戰(zhàn)類的活動中的一種，例如：打乒乓球，橋牌，迷宮，學(xué)語言等等，當(dāng)我們說到要嚴防衰老，你真的得做一做“非做即失”的游戲了。故選C，人們應(yīng)該使用大腦來防止它的衰退。