Many of us believe that a person’s mind becom...

Many of us believe that a person’s mind becomes less active as he grows older. But this is not true, according to Dr Jarvik, professor of psychiatry at the University of California. She has studied the mental functioning of aging persons for several years. For example, one of her studies concerns 136 pairs of twins (双胞胎), who were first examined when they were already 60 years old. As Dr Jarvik continued the study of the twins into their 70s and 80s, their minds did not generally decline (衰弱) as was expected.

　However, there was some decline in their psycho-motor speed. This means that it took them longer to finish mental tasks than it used to. But when speed was not a factor, they lost very little intellectual (智力的) ability over the years. In general, Dr Jarvik’s studies have shown that there is no decline in knowledge or reasoning ability. This is true not only with those in their 30s and 40s, but with those in their 60s and 70s as well.

　It is true that older people themselves often complain that their memory is not as good as it once was. However, much of what we call “loss of memory” is not that at all. There usually was incomplete learning in the first place. For example, the older person perhaps had trouble hearing, or poor vision, or was trying to learn the new thing at too fast a speed. In the cases where the older person’s mind really seems to get worse, it is not necessarily a sign of decline due to old age. Often it is simply a sign of a sad emotional state.

1. This passage is mainly about _______.

A. what caused mental decline

B. a new discovery about mental decline

C. the difference between middle-aged and older persons

D. how Dr Jarvik studied mental functioning of the twins

2.The word “psychiatry” in paragraph 1 most probably means _______.

A. the study of diseases of the mind

B. the study of physical diseases

C. the study of twins’ growth

D. the study of human behavior

3.More often than not, what we call mental decline is actually a sign of _______.

A. a worsening state of health               B. old age

C. nervous tension                         D. a state of unhappiness

高一英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Sometimes we can get so caught up in the stress and worry of our personal lives that our minds become too confused to operate effectively.This is especially dangerous in a test-taking situation.After hours of reading and studying,our brains can lock up in a state of overload.

In a stressful situation it's often a must to clear your mind completely to allow your brain to refresh itself and recalibrate all of its functions.But when you're tense,clearing your mind isn't so easy!Try this relaxation technique if you think your brain has seized up from information overload.

1.Set aside at least five minutes for quiet "clearing" time.If you're at school,see if you can put your head down somewhere or find an empty room or quiet space.If necessary,set a watch (or phone) alarm or ask a friend to tap you on the shoulder at a designated time.

2.Think of a time or place that puts you into a complete state of peace.This place will vary from person to person.Have you ever sat on the beach watching the waves come in and realized you've "zoned out" fora while?This is the sort of experience you're looking for.Other experiences that make us zone out could be: Sitting in the dark and staring at Christmas tree lights—remember how peaceful that feels?

3.Cover your eyes and go to your "place".If you are at school preparing for a test before class,you may simply rest your elbows on the desk and put your hands over your eyes.For some people,it may not be a good idea to put your head down.(You might fall asleep!)

Don't let any thoughts creep into your head.As soon as you start to think about a test problem,clear away the thought and concentrate on your peaceful place.

4.Snap out of it!Remember,this is not nap time.The point here is to refresh your brain.After five or ten minutes of clearing time,take a brisk walk or take a drink of water to re-energize your mind and body.Stay relaxed and resist the urge to think about the things that are stressing you out or clogging your brain.Don't let your brain go back to freeze-out.

Now go on with your test or study session refreshed and ready!

高一英语任务型阅读中等难度题查看答案及解析

People tend to become more personal and hide less of themselves when using email. Researchers from Open University in Britain have found in a recent study that there are good reasons for this.

The team of researchers asked 83 pairs of students, all strangers to each other, to solve a problem. They had to discuss this question: If only five people in the world could be saved from a world disaster, who should they be? The pairs of students had to talk over the problem either face to face or by computers. Dr. Johnson said, “They told their partners four times as much about themselves when they talked over the Internet as when they talked face to face. When the computers were fitted with cameras so that students could see each other, this limited the personal side of the conversation.”

Generally the information was not extremely personal. It was mainly about things such as where they went to school, or where they used to live. But some students discussed their love stories, and personal childhood experiences.

Dr Johnson believes that emailing encourages people to focus on themselves. And when they do this, they become more open, especially if there are no cameras. “If you cannot see the other person, it becomes easier to talk about yourself. This is because you are not thinking what the other person is thinking of you. So emailing has become the modern way of talking,” said Dr. Johnson. However, this style of talking is not entirely new. “In the 19th century people started to use the ‘telegraph’ to communicate. Now the same kind of thing has happened and people ended up speaking more freely.”

Dr. Johnson thinks that emailers need to know about these effects of emailing, especially when they start work in a company. “ If you don’t know about it, you could find yourself saying more about yourself than you wanted to.”

1.The subject discussed in this passage is _______.

A.how people open up when emailing B.how people do research studies

C.how to communicate at work D.how to discuss and solve a problem

2.The reason that some couples talked freely about themselves is that _______.

A.they didn’t talk about very personal things B.they couldn’t see each other

C.the cameras on the computers were turned on D.they had to discuss a question

3.What does the underlined sentence refer to?

A.The telegraph. B.The computer. C.Emailing. D.Face-to-face talk.

4.In the writer’s opinion, one should ______.

A.focus on oneself when emailing B.talk more freely in emails than usual

C.discuss any subject that one wants to D.consider how one uses email at work

高一英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Now that newsrooms(新闻编辑室) are becoming less popular in the US，young people have begun to tell their own stories．

GlobalGirl Media，an organization that teaches teenage girls digital(数码的) storytelling skills for free，was started by award-winning filmmakers Amie Williams and Meena Nanji in Los Angeles in 2010．

“By giving girls a voice，you introduce a different story，and change the existing one,”said Danny Glover，a member of the GlobalGirl Media organization．

“When the camera’s in my hands，I feel like I can’t lose，”Said Cheyenne Grisez，14．“It makes me happy and I feel like I can do anything．”

On the final day of the summer academy in California,Williams worked with Grisez and Camila Prado,15, on a short film about Prado’s fight against an eating disorder(紊乱). In the film，Prado bravely interviewed her parents and sister about how she was able to beat her bad feelings and eating disorder. This film and others the girls had made were shown to parents and friends on the last day of the academy, celebrating their hard work．

“It’s their story，and nobody knows how to tell it better than they do.”Williams said．

“These girls are from really difficult backgrounds. They feel trapped sometimes. They feel alone．”Williams said．“The camera gives them a way to look at their world in a different way and get out of that feeling.’’

Girls in the program practice their skills and build confidence by going out in the community and interviewing people for the short films．Many of them had no experience, but found they had good storytelling skills．

“I work with these girls. Every day I leave gratefully，because I know that．due to the work we're doing with them，things will be better，”said GlobalGirl Media summer academy project director Heather Faison．

1.Why do many American girls like to tell stories using the camera?

A．Their parents hate to give them a hand．

B．They desire to improve their photo skills．

C．They can make profits from their documentaries．

D．The camera can help them out of their trouble．

2.What do we learn about GlobalGirl Media from the text?

A．It was founded by the government．

B．It gets much money from girl students．

C．It gives girls digital storytelling skills．

D．It has newsrooms in California．

3.What difficulty did Prado overcome by making her film?

A．Self-harm．　　　　　　　　　　 B．Poor school scores．

C．An eating disorder.　　　　　 D．Teenage difficulty．

4.Who directed GlobalGirl Media summer academy project in California?

A．Heather Faison　　　　　　 B．Amie Williams．

C．Danny Glover．　　　　　　 D.　 Meena Nanji

高一英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

Now that newsrooms(新闻编辑室) are becoming less popular in the US，young people have begun to tell their own stories．

GlobalGirl Media，an organization that teaches teenage girls digital(数码的) storytelling skills for free，was started by award-winning filmmakers Amie Williams and Meena Nanji in Los Angeles in 2010．

“By giving girls a voice，you introduce a different story，and change the existing one,”said Danny Glover，a member of the GlobalGirl Media organization．

“When the camera’s in my hands，I feel like I can’t lose，”Said Cheyenne Grisez，14．“It makes me happy and I feel like I can do anything．”

On the final day of the summer academy in California,Williams worked with Grisez and Camila Prado,15, on a short film about Prado’s fight against an eating disorder(紊乱). In the film，Prado bravely interviewed her parents and sister about how she was able to beat her bad feelings and eating disorder. This film and others the girls had made were shown to parents and friends on the last day of the academy, celebrating their hard work．

“It’s their story，and nobody knows how to tell it better than they do.”Williams said．

“These girls are from really difficult backgrounds. They feel trapped sometimes. They feel alone．”Williams said．“The camera gives them a way to look at their world in a different way and get out of that feeling.’’

Girls in the program practice their skills and build confidence by going out in the community and interviewing people for the short films．Many of them had no experience, but found they had good storytelling skills．

“I work with these girls. Every day I leave gratefully，because I know that．due to the work we're doing with them，things will be better，”said GlobalGirl Media summer academy project director Heather Faison．

1.Why do many American girls like to tell stories using the camera?

A．Their parents hate to give them a hand．

B．They desire to improve their photo skills．

C．They can make profits from their documentaries．

D．The camera can help them out of their trouble．

2.What do we learn about GlobalGirl Media from the text?

A．It was founded by the government．

B．It gets much money from girl students．

C．It gives girls digital storytelling skills．

D．It has newsrooms in California．

3.What difficulty did Prado overcome by making her film?

A．Self-harm．　　　　　　　　　　 B．Poor school scores．

C．An eating disorder.　　　　　 D．Teenage difficulty．

4.Who directed GlobalGirl Media summer academy project in California?

A．Heather Faison　　　　　　 B．Amie Williams．

C．Danny Glover．　　　　　　 D.　 Meena Nanji

高一英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

Researchers found that people become happier and experience less worry after they reach the age of fifty. In fact, they say by the age of eighty-five, people are happier with their life than they were when they were eighteen years old.

The findings came from a survey of more than 340,000 adults in the United States. The Gallup(民意调查) Organization questioned them by telephone in 2010. At that time, the people were between the ages of eighteen and eighty-five.

The researchers asked questions about emotions like happiness, sadness and worry. They also asked about mental or emotional stress.

Arthur Stone at Stony Brook University in New York led the study. His team found that levels of stress were highest among adults between the ages of twenty-two and twenty-five. The findings showed that stress levels dropped sharply after people reached their fifties. Happiness was highest among the youngest adults and those in their early seventies. The people least likely to report feeling negative emotions were those in their seventies and eighties.

Researchers say they do not know why happiness increases as people get older. One theory is that, as people grow older, they grow more thankful for what they have and have better control of their emotions. They also spend less time thinking about bad experiences.

Professor Stone says the emotional patterns could be linked to changes in how people see the world, or maybe even changes in brain chemistry.

The researchers also considered possible influences like having young children, being unemployed or being single. But they found that influences like these did not affect the levels of happiness and well-being related to age.

The study also showed that men and women have similar emotional patterns as they grow older. However, women at all ages reported more sadness, stress and worry than men.

1.

What can be the best title of the text?

2.

We can learn from the research that _________.

3.

According to the research, when people get older, _________.

4.

What would the author probably talk about next?

5.

The purpose of the passage is to _________.

高一英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

It is generally believed that humans can’t live without sleep. As any person suffering from lack of sleep knows, dark circles under the eyes usually stand out after a bad night’s sleep.

But why do people get these dark eye bags? The answer is both genetic (that is, relating to your DNA) and environmental (a result of your everyday living, such as rubbing your eyes or getting too little sleep), said Dr. Carol Clinton, a skin-care researcher in Dublin, Ohio.

But “the biggest reason is genes,” Clinton told Live Science. Eye bags are generally more noticeable in people who, because of genes, have thin or pale skin. When people are tired or very nervous, blood circulation in the eye area becomes slow, allowing blood to pool there, Clinton said. Capillaries（毛细血管）stand out, leading to dark eye circles, she said.

Besides, eye bags result from eyes’ fat moving forward. An age-connected increase in fat beneath the eyeballs leads to eye bags. “Anyway, when your eyes’ fat is moving forward, you may think about having an operation in that area,” Clinton said, “A person can get 9 hours of sleep a night, but still have eye bags because of a genetic development.”

In other cases, environmental problems cause eye bags. For example, allergies（过敏）—especially seasonal allergies—can cause capillaries to stand out. Getting too much sun can also damage and thin the skin, making dark circles under the eyes easy to see. Besides, eating salty foods can cause the body to hold more water, which makes eye bags worse, according to the Mayo Clinic.

1.In Clinton’s opinion, what is the main cause of the formation of dark eye bags?

A. Genes.　　 B. Habits.

C. Age.　　 D. The environment.

2.What can remove your eye bags according to the text?

A. Getting much sun.

B. Drinking plenty of water.

C. Having an operation on the fat in the eye area.

D. Slowing your blood circulation in the eye area.

3.What can we learn from the text?

A. It’s possible to change genes.

B. Rubbing your eyes might cause dark eye bags.

C. People with thick skin don’t get dark eye bags.

D. You can’t get dark eye bags if you get enough sleep.

4.What’s the best title for the text?

A. What Can You Do to Protect Your Eyes?

B. The Importance of Sleep to People’s Health

C. Several Measures to Remove Your Eye Bags

D. Why Do People Get “Bags” Under Their Eyes?

高一英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

College students constantly hear the praises of education. We have all become used to believing that a college education is always a guarantee of an easier life. I was nine years old when my fourth-grade teacher presented me with a task, to write down all of the things I wanted in my life. I filled my paper with things like: own a big house and have servants; be rich and have a good job. The next day my teacher handed back my paper and in red ink she wrote: “GO TO COLLEGE.” For a long time, I was convinced that once I obtained an education, BAM! Life would be easier.

However, education cannot promise all wishes, dreams, and desires. Society must reject the foolish idea that a college education’s main purpose is to satisfy our desires and secure success. Like most challenging things, education is a gamble (赌博) in which results depend entirely on people’s ability to look past their wants to see the realism and reason behind their wants.

For instance, my first year of college, I took a sociology class. In class, we were taught that Third World countries were poor. We learned that our quality of life would be almost impossible for an average person in those countries. I began to examine my own desire to be rich. To always go after money felt selfish when knowing others had none at all. Learning about other society’s financial situations forced me to look beyond what I wanted.

Through the process of education, everything once desired is tested. Wanting something no longer is enough; it’s more important to examine why we want it and whether we really want it. When my desire for money changed, everything changed. I stopped longing for money-driven careers and stopped valuing the people who had them. I began to examine the things I purchased and my reason for wanting them.

Education is a tool to be used to develop and advance our desires, so we can discover the things that are truly significant in life. Education is a source to expand our society to see beyond the superficial (表面的) appeals and the “quick fixes”, leaving the belief of an effortless life behind in order to desire a meaningful one.

1.The author’s fourth-grade teacher probably agreed that ______.

A.the author was an ambitious student

B.the author should set more realistic goals

C.a college student would lead an easier life

D.a college degree was the key to the author’s dreams

2.Why does the author mention her sociology class?

A.To share her learning experiences with readers.

B.To support her new understanding about education.

C.To express her sympathy for people in Third World.

D.To stress the importance of taking a sociology course.

3.With a college education, the author ______.

A.envied rich people

B.lost interest in career

C.desired more material things

D.stopped always seeking more wealth

4.What’s the main idea of the passage?

A.College education promises an effortless life.

B.College education tests and guides our life desires.

C.College education offers solutions to social problems.

D.College education turns young people into gamblers.

高一英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

The American believe that anybody can become President of the United States. In a recent Hollyhood comedy(喜剧), that is exactly what happens.

Dave Kovic, played by Kevin Kline, is a kind-hearted man who runs a business that finds people jobs. He leads a typical(典型的) American way of life, except for one thing— he looks exactly like the President, Bill Mitchell. In fact, the only thing that makes him different from the nation’s leader is that he is very nice!

The president has started using look-alikes during some public appearance. Dave is offered a chance to “serve his country” by becoming one. However, things go wrong. The President becomes very ill and Dave ends up acting as the President forever.

Director Ivan Reitman, who made the popular and successful comedies like Twins, Ghostbusters and Legal Eagles, could have gone for easy laughs by making fun of the American government. Instead, Dave is an attractive comedy about an ordinary man in extraordinary situations. Kevin Kline gives a double performance as Dave and the President, and Sigourney Weaver is at her best as his First Lady. The love story that develops between her role and Dave is a real classic(经典).

The film is 100% American. However, if you’ve ever felt that anybody could do a better job running the country than the people in power, then you’ll enjoy Dave!

1. What is the purpose of the text?

A. To tell the reader about the American government　

B. To discuss the Americans’ ideas about the President

C. To make a comparison(对比) between Dave and other film.　

D. To introduce a new film to the reader.

2.Who plays the role of the President in the film?

A. Sigourney Weaver　　　　　　　 　 B. Kevin Kline

C. Bill Mitchell　　　　　　　　　　　 D. Ivan Reitman

3.The underlined word “one” in the 3rd paragraph refers to __________.

A. the President　　　　　　　　　　 B. the director　　

C. an actor　　　　　　　　　　　 　 D. a look-alike

4. Which of the following is best supported by the text?

A. The author makes fun of the President.　

B. The author thinks highly of the film

C. The author is a fan of Hollywood comedies.

D. The author wishes to become the American President.

高一英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Some people believe that greed and selfishness has become the basis of modern society, and we should return to the old traditions of family and community, then we will have a better life. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the above opinion?

In this fast-paced world, many values are undergoing major changes. While people traditionally prioritize caring, sharing and generosity in life and work, modern people seem to be more self-absorbed and self-concerned.

Modern people act selfishly to survive the harsh competition of life. They say that it is a jungle out there. To survive, you have to fight with whatever means that come handy. Obviously greed and selfishness go perfectly well with such ideas. In a company, employees do everything they can to get better pay and higher position, even at the cost of colleagues. We are in any way advocating（拥护）any selfish conduct. It is just that people are pressured to behave in a different way due to outside influences.

Are we happier to share with others and be generous to them? There is no fixed answer, either. Some people take great pleasure helping and giving to others while others feel happy doing the opposite. But I personally think that people should not be too selfish. Caring for others can actually encourage the development of a friendly relationship.

In conclusion, modern people appear to be more self-centered than those in the past due to strong outside pressure. However, we should encourage people to know the importance of being caring and generous and to build a friendly relationship with others.

Are modern people becoming more selfish?

高一英语填空题中等难度题查看答案及解析