Exercise seems to be good for the human brain, with many recent studies suggesting that regular exercise improves memory and thinking skills. But an interesting new study asks whether the apparent cognitive benefits from exercise are real or just a placebo effect — that is, if we think we will be “smarter” after exercise, do our brains respond accordingly? The answer has significant implications for any of us hoping to use exercise to keep our minds sharp throughout our lives.
While many studies suggest that exercise may have cognitive benefits, recently some scientists have begun to question whether the apparently beneficial effects of exercise on thinking might be a placebo effect. So researchers at Florida State University in Tallahassee and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign decided to focus on expectations, on what people anticipate that exercise will do for thinking. If people’s expectations jibe (吻合) closely with the actual benefits, then at least some of those improvements are probably a result of the placebo effect and not of exercise.
For the new study, which was published last month in PLOS One, the researchers recruited 171 people through an online survey system, they asked half of these volunteers to estimate by how much a stretching and toning regimens (拉伸运动) performed three times a week might improve various measures of thinking. The other volunteers were asked the same questions, but about a regular walking program.
In actual experiments, stretching and toning program generally have little if any impact on people’s cognitive skills. Walking, on the other hand, seems to substantially improve thinking ability.
But the survey respondents believed the opposite, estimating that the stretching and toning program would be more beneficial for the mind than walking. The estimates of benefits from walking were lower.
These data, while they do not involve any actual exercise, are good news for people who do exercise. “The results from our study suggest that the benefits of aerobic exercise are not a placebo effect,” said Cary Stothart, a graduate student in cognitive psychology at Florida State University, who led the study.
If expectations had been driving the improvements in cognition seen in studies after exercise, Mr. Stothart said, then people should have expected walking to be more beneficial for thinking than stretching. They didn’t, implying that the changes in the brain and thinking after exercise are physiologically genuine.
The findings are strong enough to suggest that exercise really does change the brain and may, in the process, improve thinking, Mr. Stothart said. That conclusion should encourage scientists to look even more closely into how, at a molecular level, exercise remodels the human brain, he said. It also should encourage the rest of us to move, since the benefits are, it seems, not imaginary, even if they are in our head.
1.Which of the following about the placebo effect is TRUE according to the passage?
A. It occurs during exercise.
B. It has cognitive benefits.
C. It is just a mental reaction.
D. It is a physiological response.
2.Why did the researchers at the two universities conduct the research?
A. To discover the placebo effect in the exercise.
B. To prove the previous studies have a big drawback.
C. To test whether exercise can really improve cognition.
D. To encourage more scientists to get involved in the research.
3.What can we know about the research Cary Stothart and his team carried out?
A. They employed 171 people to take part in the actual exercise.
B. The result of the research removed the recent doubt of some scientists.
C. The participants thought walking had a greater impact on thinking ability.
D. Their conclusion drives scientists to do research on the placebo effect.
4.What might be the best title for the passage?
A. Is it necessary for us to take exercise?
B. How should people exercise properly?
C. What makes us smarter during exercise?
D. Does exercise really make us smarter?
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题
Exercise seems to be good for the human brain，with many recent studies suggesting that regular exercise improves memory and thinking skills．But an interesting new study asks whether the apparent cognitive benefits from exercise are real or just a placebo effect — that is，if we think we will be “smarter” after exercise，do our brains respond accordingly？The answer has significant implications for any of us hoping to use exercise to keep our minds sharp throughout our lives．
While many studies suggest that exercise may have cognitive benefits，recently some scientists have begun to question whether the apparently beneficial effects of exercise on thinking might be a placebo effect．So researchers at Florida State University in Tallahassee and the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign decided to focus on expectations，on what people anticipate that exercise will do for thinking．If people’s expectations jibe (吻合) closely with the actual benefits，then at least some of those improvements are probably a result of the placebo effect and not of exercise．
For the new study，which was published last month in PLOS One，the researchers recruited 171 people through an online survey system，they asked half of these volunteers to estimate by how much a stretching and toning regimens (拉伸运动) performed three times a week might improve various measures of thinking．The other volunteers were asked the same questions，but about a regular walking program．
In actual experiments，stretching and toning program generally have little if any impact on people’s cognitive skills．Walking，on the other hand，seems to substantially improve thinking ability．
But the survey respondents believed the opposite，estimating that the stretching and toning program would be more beneficial for the mind than walking．The estimates of benefits from walking were lower．
These data，while they do not involve any actual exercise，are good news for people who do exercise．“The results from our study suggest that the benefits of aerobic exercise are not a placebo effect,” said Cary Stothart，a graduate student in cognitive psychology at Florida State University，who led the study．
If expectations had been driving the improvements in cognition seen in studies after exercise，Mr．Stothart said，then people should have expected walking to be more beneficial for thinking than stretching．They didn’t，implying that the changes in the brain and thinking after exercise are physiologically genuine．
The findings are strong enough to suggest that exercise really does change the brain and may，in the process，improve thinking，Mr．Stothart said．That conclusion should encourage scientists to look even more closely into how，at a molecular level，exercise remodels the human brain，he said．It also should encourage the rest of us to move，since the benefits are，it seems，not imaginary，even if they are in our head．
1.Which of the following about the placebo effect is TRUE according to the passage？
A．It occurs during exercise．
B．It has cognitive benefits．
C．It is just a mental reaction．
D．It is a physiological response．
2.Why did the researchers at the two universities conduct the research？
A．To discover the placebo effect in the exercise．
B．To prove the previous studies have a big drawback．
C．To test whether exercise can really improve cognition．
D．To encourage more scientists to get involved in the research．
3.What can we know about the research Cary Stothart and his team carried out？
A．They employed 171 people to take part in the actual exercise．
B．The result of the research removed the recent doubt of some scientists．
C．The participants thought walking had a greater impact on thinking ability．
D．Their conclusion drives scientists to do research on the placebo effect．
4.What might be the best title for the passage？
A．Is it necessary for us to take exercise？
B．How should people exercise properly？
C．What makes us smarter during exercise？
D．Does exercise really make us smarter？
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Exercise seems to be good for the human brain，with many recent studies suggesting that regular exercise improves memory and thinking skills．But an interesting new study asks whether the apparent cognitive benefits from exercise are real or just a placebo effect — that is，if we think we will be “smarter” after exercise，do our brains respond accordingly？The answer has significant implications for any of us hoping to use exercise to keep our minds sharp throughout our lives．
While many studies suggest that exercise may have cognitive benefits，recently some scientists have begun to question whether the apparently beneficial effects of exercise on thinking might be a placebo effect．So researchers at Florida State University in Tallahassee and the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign decided to focus on expectations，on what people anticipate that exercise will do for thinking．If people’s expectations jibe (吻合) closely with the actual benefits，then at least some of those improvements are probably a result of the placebo effect and not of exercise．
For the new study，which was published last month in PLOS One，the researchers recruited 171 people through an online survey system，they asked half of these volunteers to estimate by how much a stretching and toning regimens (拉伸运动) performed three times a week might improve various measures of thinking．The other volunteers were asked the same questions，but about a regular walking program．
In actual experiments，stretching and toning program generally have little if any impact on people’s cognitive skills．Walking，on the other hand，seems to substantially improve thinking ability．
But the survey respondents believed the opposite，estimating that the stretching and toning program would be more beneficial for the mind than walking．The estimates of benefits from walking were lower．
These data，while they do not involve any actual exercise，are good news for people who do exercise．“The results from our study suggest that the benefits of aerobic exercise are not a placebo effect,” said Cary Stothart，a graduate student in cognitive psychology at Florida State University，who led the study．
If expectations had been driving the improvements in cognition seen in studies after exercise，Mr．Stothart said，then people should have expected walking to be more beneficial for thinking than stretching．They didn’t，implying that the changes in the brain and thinking after exercise are physiologically genuine．
The findings are strong enough to suggest that exercise really does change the brain and may，in the process，improve thinking，Mr．Stothart said． That conclusion should encourage scientists to look even more closely into how，at a molecular level，exercise remodels the human brain，he said． It also should encourage the rest of us to move，since the benefits are，it seems，not imaginary，even if they are in our head．
1.Which of the following about the placebo effect is TRUE according to the passage？
A． It occurs during exercise．
B． It has cognitive benefits．
C． It is just a mental reaction．
D． It is a physiological response．
2.Why did the researchers at the two universities conduct the research？
A． To discover the placebo effect in the exercise．
B． To prove the previous studies have a big drawback．
C． To test whether exercise can really improve cognition．
D． To encourage more scientists to get involved in the research．
3.What can we know about the research Cary Stothart and his team carried out？
A． They employed 171 people to take part in the actual exercise．
B． The result of the research removed the recent doubt of some scientists．
C． The participants thought walking had a greater impact on thinking ability．
D． Their conclusion drives scientists to do research on the placebo effect．
4.What might be the best title for the passage？
A． Is it necessary for us to take exercise？
B． How should people exercise properly？
C． What makes us smarter during exercise？
D． Does exercise really make us smarter？
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Exercise seems to be good for the human brain，with many recent studies suggesting that regular exercise improves memory and thinking skills．But an interesting new study asks whether the apparent cognitive benefits from exercise are real or just a placebo effect — that is，if we think we will be “smarter” after exercise，do our brains respond accordingly？The answer has significant implications for any of us hoping to use exercise to keep our minds sharp throughout our lives．
While many studies suggest that exercise may have cognitive benefits，recently some scientists have begun to question whether the apparently beneficial effects of exercise on thinking might be a placebo effect．So researchers at Florida State University in Tallahassee and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign decided to focus on expectations，on what people anticipate that exercise will do for thinking．If people’s expectations jibe (吻合) closely with the actual benefits，then at least some of those improvements are probably a result of the placebo effect and not of exercise．
For the new study，which was published last month in PLOS One，the researchers recruited 171 people through an online survey system，they asked half of these volunteers to estimate by how much a stretching and toning regimens (拉伸运动) performed three times a week might improve various measures of thinking．The other volunteers were asked the same questions，but about a regular walking program．
In actual experiments，stretching and toning program generally have little if any impact on people’s cognitive skills．Walking，on the other hand，seems to substantially improve thinking ability．
But the survey respondents believed the opposite，estimating that the stretching and toning program would be more beneficial for the mind than walking．The estimates of benefits from walking were lower．
These data，while they do not involve any actual exercise，are good news for people who do exercise．“The results from our study suggest that the benefits of aerobic exercise are not a placebo effect,” said Cary Stothart，a graduate student in cognitive psychology at Florida State University，who led the study．
If expectations had been driving the improvements in cognition seen in studies after exercise，Mr．Stothart said，then people should have expected walking to be more beneficial for thinking than stretching．They didn’t，implying that the changes in the brain and thinking after exercise are physiologically genuine．
The findings are strong enough to suggest that exercise really does change the brain and may，in the process，improve thinking，Mr．Stothart said． That conclusion should encourage scientists to look even more closely into how，at a molecular level，exercise remodels the human brain，he said． It also should encourage the rest of us to move，since the benefits are，it seems，not imaginary，even if they are in our head．
1.Which of the following about the placebo effect is TRUE according to the passage？
A． It occurs during exercise．
B． It has cognitive benefits．
C． It is just a mental reaction．
D． It is a physiological response．
2.Why did the researchers at the two universities conduct the research？
A． To discover the placebo effect in the exercise．
B． To prove the previous studies have a big drawback．
C． To test whether exercise can really improve cognition．
D． To encourage more scientists to get involved in the research．
3.What can we know about the research Cary Stothart and his team carried out？
A． They employed 171 people to take part in the actual exercise．
B． The result of the research removed the recent doubt of some scientists．
C． The participants thought walking had a greater impact on thinking ability．
D． Their conclusion drives scientists to do research on the placebo effect．
4.What might be the best title for the passage？
A． Is it necessary for us to take exercise？
B． How should people exercise properly？
C． What makes us smarter during exercise？
D． Does exercise really make us smarter？
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Exercise seems to be good for the human brain, with many recent studies suggesting that regular exercise improves memory and thinking skills. But an interesting new study asks whether the apparent cognitive benefits from exercise are real or just a placebo effect — that is, if we think we will be “smarter” after exercise, do our brains respond accordingly? The answer has significant implications for any of us hoping to use exercise to keep our minds sharp throughout our lives.
While many studies suggest that exercise may have cognitive benefits, recently some scientists have begun to question whether the apparently beneficial effects of exercise on thinking might be a placebo effect. So researchers at Florida State University in Tallahassee and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign decided to focus on expectations, on what people anticipate that exercise will do for thinking. If people’s expectations jibe (吻合) closely with the actual benefits, then at least some of those improvements are probably a result of the placebo effect and not of exercise.
For the new study, which was published last month in PLOS One, the researchers recruited 171 people through an online survey system, they asked half of these volunteers to estimate by how much a stretching and toning regimens (拉伸运动) performed three times a week might improve various measures of thinking. The other volunteers were asked the same questions, but about a regular walking program.
In actual experiments, stretching and toning program generally have little if any impact on people’s cognitive skills. Walking, on the other hand, seems to substantially improve thinking ability.
But the survey respondents believed the opposite, estimating that the stretching and toning program would be more beneficial for the mind than walking. The estimates of benefits from walking were lower.
These data, while they do not involve any actual exercise, are good news for people who do exercise. “The results from our study suggest that the benefits of aerobic exercise are not a placebo effect,” said Cary Stothart, a graduate student in cognitive psychology at Florida State University, who led the study.
If expectations had been driving the improvements in cognition seen in studies after exercise, Mr. Stothart said, then people should have expected walking to be more beneficial for thinking than stretching. They didn’t, implying that the changes in the brain and thinking after exercise are physiologically genuine.
The findings are strong enough to suggest that exercise really does change the brain and may, in the process, improve thinking, Mr. Stothart said. That conclusion should encourage scientists to look even more closely into how, at a molecular level, exercise remodels the human brain, he said. It also should encourage the rest of us to move, since the benefits are, it seems, not imaginary, even if they are in our head.
1.Which of the following about the placebo effect is TRUE according to the passage?
A. It occurs during exercise.
B. It has cognitive benefits.
C. It is just a mental reaction.
D. It is a physiological response.
2.Why did the researchers at the two universities conduct the research?
A. To discover the placebo effect in the exercise.
B. To prove the previous studies have a big drawback.
C. To test whether exercise can really improve cognition.
D. To encourage more scientists to get involved in the research.
3.What can we know about the research Cary Stothart and his team carried out?
A. They employed 171 people to take part in the actual exercise.
B. The result of the research removed the recent doubt of some scientists.
C. The participants thought walking had a greater impact on thinking ability.
D. Their conclusion drives scientists to do research on the placebo effect.
4.What might be the best title for the passage?
A. Is it necessary for us to take exercise?
B. How should people exercise properly?
C. What makes us smarter during exercise?
D. Does exercise really make us smarter?
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Proper diet and regular exercise seem to be the only methods for losing weight.However,the importance of water should be added in the process.While medical science has proven the positive effects of water,most people still do not drink enough each day.
The reason why water is so important for weight loss has something to do with metabolism（新陈代谢）of fat. The liver（肝脏）is in charge of this process when it comes to turning stored fat in-to energy.However,the liver is also responsible for helping the kidneys（肾脏）that need enough water in order to function properly.The liver has to perform all the functions of the kidneys on its own when they are short of water.This means the liver doesn't have enough energy to metabolize fat.So,drinking water allows the kidneys to focus on their job and the liver to focus on its job.
Also,studies have shown that water can make us feel full when drunk before meals.Without even making an effort,most people who drink a glass of water before a meal will eat 33% less.This is due in part to the fact that they simply get fuller quicker because the water is taking up space.The other reason is that the food will expand as soon as it hits the water-filled stomach.
Water is important for every aspect of the health of the human body.By drinking more water and improving the health of the body,weight loss goals can be achieved with greater ease.
1.Which of the following is not mentioned in the passage as a way to lose weight?
A. Regular exercise. B. Drinking water. C. Balanced diet. D. Medical care.
2.The liver has to take over the job of the kidneys when .
A. the kidneys are lacking in water B. there is something wrong with the kidneys
C. the liver doesn't supply energy for the kidneys D. there is no fat for the liver to metabolize
3.Why can we lose weight by drinking water before meals?
A. Because we don't feel thirsty any longer. B. Because we eat much less than normal.
C. Because the water takes up too much space. D. Because the food becomes larger and larger.
4.Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
A. The Liver Is Important to the Kidneys. B. How the Digestive System Works.
C. Water for a Healthy Life and Losing Weight. D. Several Tips for Losing Weight.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
____ making decisions, the human brain cannot be compared with the computer because in the long process of evolution the slow pace of life didn't require such an ability of the human brain.
A. On behalf of B. In contrast to
C. In salute to D. In terms of
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
to the association of success with money that the thought of giving up good salary for an idea seems like a little bit crazy.
A.Accustomed as are most of us B.Accustomed as most of us are
C.So accustomed are most of us D.So accustomed most of us are
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Scientists have created a way to control a robot with signals from human brain.By generating the proper brainwaves—picked up by a cap with electrodes (电极) that sense the signals and reflect a person’s instructions—scientists can instruct a humanoid(类人的) robot to move to specific locations and pick up certain objects.
The commands are limited to moving forward，picking up one of two objects and bringing it to one of two locations.The researchers have achieved 94 percent accuracy between the thought commands and the robot’s movements.
“This is really a proofofconcept demonstration，” said Rajesh Rao，a researcher from the University of Washington who leads the project.“It suggests that one day we might be able to use semiautonomous robots for such jobs as helping disabled people or performing routine tasks in a person’s home.”
The person wearing the electrode cap watches the robot’s movements on a computer screen through two cameras installed on and above the robot.
When the robot’s cameras see the objects that are to be picked up they pass on the information to the user’s computer screen.Each object lights up randomly on the computer screen.When a person wants something picked up and it happens to light up，the brain registers surprise and sends this brain activity to the computer and then to the robot.The robot then proceeds to pick up the object.
A similar algorithm(计算程序) is used to decide where the robot will go.
“One of the important things about this demonstration is that we’re using a ‘noisy’ brain signal to control the robot，” Rao said.“That means we can only obtain brain signals indirectly from sensors on the surface of the head，not where they are generated deep in the brain.As a result，the user can only generate highlevel commands such as indicating which object to pick up or which location to go to，and the robot needs to be autonomous enough to be able to execute such commands.”
In the future，the researchers hope to make the robots more adaptive to the environment by having them carry out more complex commands.
1.What is special about the robot introduced in the passage?
A．It is controlled by human thoughts.
B．It can be made humanoid.
C．It can be used to help the disabled.
D．It has high intelligence itself.
2.Which of the following is TRUE about the robot?
A．It can move forward and backward and pick up two objects at the same time.
B．It can move forward，pick up both objects and bring them to either location.
C．It can only move forward，pick up one object and put it in one location.
D．It can read all human thought demands and do as instructed.
3.What Rao said suggests that the new robot________.
A．is still at its early stage of development
B．will be widely used in our daily routine soon
C．is autonomous enough to complete complex commands
D．is only limited to doing routine work at home
4.The sixth paragraph mainly describes ________.
A．how the robot reacts to a person’s instructions
B．how the robot picks up the right object
C．the functions of the computer
D．how the robot finds out where to go
5.The underlined word “registers” in the passage can be best replaced by “________”．
A．receives B．shows C．writes down D．picks up
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
—You seem to be familiar with the town. ---Yes, I _________ here for 4 years. It’s great to be back again
A.studied B.have studied C.am studying D.had studied
高三英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析
----You seem to be burning yourself out with the coming exam!
—--________. I'm dying for a thorough rest and a good workout.
A．Generally B．Actually C．Typically D．Exactly
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析