The next time your brain refuses to recall a ...

The next time your brain refuses to recall a simple fact or name, be thankful. That could be a sign that your brain is getting rid of unnecessary information so that it can operate more efficiently, and help you make better decisions.

The researchers say there are numerous neurobiological(神经生物学的)studies conducted on how the brain stores information, a process called persistence (暂留). However, scientists also assumed that our occasional inability to recall facts was due to a are an the brain. In 2013, scientists discovered that as new neurons combine with the hippocampus(海马区)----a region of the brain that plays a significant role in learning and remembering---they overwrite old memories, making them harder to access. There is also evidence that the brain weakens or removes connections between neurons, in which memories are encoded.

The scientists have a theory on why the brain spends so much energy erasing memories. They say what the brain decides to forget is determined by our daily life. An example is that our brains remember phone numbers according to the need. Instead of storing this irrelevant information that our phones can store for us, our brains are freed up to store the memories that actually do matter for us. They also believe that memorizing too much detail could prevent us from making good decisions.

So the next time you are unable to recall a seemingly important fact, don’t be hard on yourself. Just throw it to your brain’s “rubbish can” to make room for information that can contribute to making you smarter! Remember, even Albert Einstein was absent-minded!

1.What can we know from the first two paragraphs?

A. Persistence is not a process to store information

B. Once information is stored in the brain, it will last forever

C. Learning and memorizing take place in the hippocampus

D. New neurons will strengthen old memories

2.The brain has to erase memories to __________.

A. recall important information

B. store more important information

C. store detail

D. remember phone numbers

3.If some unimportant information is stored, it will be _________.

A. combined with the hippocampus

B. processed and memorized permanently

C. stored and decoded immediately

D. removed and forgotten soon

4.What is the best title of the passage?

A. Scientists encourage us to forget things

B. The way our brains memorize and encode

C. Forgetting things may make you smarter

D. Why was Albert Einstein absent-minded?

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Think twice the next time you decide to copy your boss in an email. That simple little “CC” box (抄送框) could send a message that ruins your relationship with the other receivers.

A study in Harvard Business Review asked working adults to imagine that their coworker always, sometimes, or rarely CC’ed their boss in emails. The study results show that employees felt less trusted when their coworker “always’’ copied the boss than when they ‘‘sometimes” or “almost never” did. The results of the survey aren’t surprising, says career expert Bruce Tulgan. Sometimes the boss really does need to stay in the loop (在圈内) with an email chain. But most times, employees are purposely sending the message that they don’t think the receiver follow through with what they’re asking unless the boss gets involved, says Tulgan. “That is an expression of lack of trust,’’ he says.

Breaking down that trust level in your office can have serious consequences. Like in any relationship, coworkers need trust to keep things running smoothly. “When people have trust, there is a much higher level of wanting to deliver for each other,” says Tulgan. “When people have enthusiasm, they try harder.” That means more willingness to take risks and make decisions, he says. Even if you don’t trust your coworker to follow through for you, copying the boss in an email is not the best strategy, says career expert Todd Dewett, PhD. “CC’ing is the adult version of being a tattletale (告密者),” he says. “It tells your colleague you didn’t agree without telling it to their face, and you want your boss to know without talking about it.”

As a rule of thumb, only about 20 percent of what you do in the office is truly urgent, and those are the only times you should consider getting your boss involved in, says Tulgan. “The most important people, the most important project, key relationship,” she says. “That’s when you might consider the occasional use of CC.”

1.Why could CC’ing ruin your relationship with your coworkers?

A. It makes the boss join the loop.

B. Your coworkers would try harder.

C. It makes the boss satisfied with you.

D. Your coworkers would feel less trusted.

2.What does Paragraph 3 mainly talk about?

A. When we can copy the boss in an email.

B. How lack of trust can lead to bad results.

C. Why trust keeps people working smoothly.

D. What can be done to avoid CC’ing the boss.

3.What does the underlined phrase “As a rule of thumb” in the last paragraph mean?

A. Needless to say.　　 B. Generally speaking.

C. In conclusion.　　 D. In turn.

4.What is Bruce Tulgan’s advice on the use of CC?

A. Consider the use of CC accordingly.

B. CC after negotiating with coworkers.

C. It is wise for you to always copy the boss.

D. You’d better never copy your boss in an email.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

It is vital to ________ to teenagers the simple fact that ________ the Internet will more or less do harm to both mental and physical health.

A. get across; being addicted to　　 B. get over; addicted to

C. get through; addicting to　　 D. get down; addicting themselves to

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

.To improve your health, you can _________ 25— 30 minutes three or four times a week to do simple things such as walking ,cycling or running .

A. give off          B. turn down         C. take over        D. set aside

高三英语单项填空困难题查看答案及解析

Next time you raise an eyebrow at the views of your friend, brother, sister or colleague, remember they could be helping to make you smarter. New research shows that intelligence is not fixed but can be improved throughout adulthood by family members, bright mates and intellectually challenging careers. The study challenges the commonly held belief that intelligence is fixed by the age of about 18.

Scientific consensus (共识) suggests intelligence is controlled by genes, with environmental factors such as schooling and nutrition playing a part up to this age. After this point, IQ scores become steady. But James Flynn, professor at the University of Otago in New Zealand, argues that people can “upgrade” their intelligence throughout their lives. He believes intellectual stimulation (刺激)from other people is important as the “brain seems to be rather like a muscle—the more you use it, the stronger it gets”. However, the opposite is also true—so people who share a home or workplace with the intellectually challenged risk seeing their IQ levels nosedive as a result.

Professor Flynn analyzed US intelligence tests from the last 65 years and created new IQ “age tables”. He found a bright ten-year-old with brothers and sisters of average intelligence will suffer a five to ten point IQ disadvantage compared to a similar child with equally bright brothers and sisters. However, children with a low IQ could gain six to eight points by having brighter brothers and sisters and special educational treatment to help pull them up.

Professor Flynn concluded that although genetics and early life experiences determine about 80% of intelligence, the remaining 20% is linked to lifestyle. This means people can raise their IQ, or allow it to fall, by ten points or more. He suggests the best way to improve IQ levels is to socialize with bright friends, and find an intellectually challenging job.

1.What do people commonly believe?

A.People1 s IQ levels fall as they get older and older.

B.It’s wise for people to share family members’ views.

C.The intelligence changes no more during adulthood.

D.Doing challenging deeds is good for one’s intelligence.

2.The underlined word “nosedive” in Paragraph 2 most probably means ________.

A.vary B.fall C.change D.develop

3.Which of the following can help improve one’s intelligence according to Professor Flynn?

A.Staying with smart people. B.Making many friends.

C.Doing exercise every day. D.Learning from parents.

4.The purpose of the text is to ________.

A.persuade B.advertise C.entertain D.inform

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

The next time a giant Big Mac or Coke flashes into your mind when you’re walking home from the pub, you may not simply have the snacks. And that picture of the model putting on Chanel — no, you’re not daydreaming.

A British startup has created a new advertising system that uses lasers to project images up to 200 metres tall from the sides of tall buildings, enabling advertisers to reach people from virtual billboards（广告牌）in the sky. Passers-by will see each image for only between one tenth and quarter of a second, as their eye eye catches the light from certain angles.

Advertising agencies and big businesses have already signalled their interest, but Skyline campaigners have branded the technology “greedy” and said that it could fill our skies with showy and tasteless brands.

The Echo system, from Lightvert, uses a high laser projector to bounce light off a narrow reflective strip fixed to the side of a building, visible up to 1km away. This creates large-scale images that are captured briefly in the viewer’s eye as a result of the “persistence of vision” effect: the same effect that leaves an imprint of a light source on your vision after you’ve turned away.

Daniel Siden, the technology’s inventor, explained: People often think this could be subversive, but it’s not subliminal advertising（隐性广告）as the imagery registers on the conscious level. It’s actually less invasive and more fun than traditional advertising. Mr.Siden said that planning experts have indicated that planning permission should not be a problem outside of conservation area. He said that the system was safe because of the distance between the projector and passers by. And images would be above the line of sight of drivers and cyclists

and below the field of vision of airline pilot. The images have been tested and shown not to cause epileptic seizures（癫痫发作）.

Because it uses only one strip of reflected light, the system needs a small amount of the power, about one-twentieth of a standard 96-sheet digital outdoor display for an image of the same height.

The owners of high-rise properties could use the system to make large returns from installing the laser projector and reflective strip. The company puts the cost of a unit measuring 100 metres at under ￡750,000, based on the present design, anticipating that costs will drop.

Still, some Skyline campaigners dislike the technology and believe it delivers subliminal advertising. Barbara Weiss of the Skyline Campaign, said: “It’s actually offensive. London’s latest tall buildings are not particularly well-built or well designed, but unfortunately people are forced to look at them. Adding stupid advertising that’s invasive in its nature will only make it worse.”

1.Why does the writer cite the example of Big Mac, Coke and Chanel in paragraph 1?

A.Because he attempts to promote these products to potential consumers.

B.Because he studies the association between products and images in advertising.

C.Because he tries to illustrate the effectiveness of flashing images of advertised goods.

D.Because he wants to introduce a new advertising technology to readers.

2.Which of the following statements about the Echo system is true according to the passage?

A.Pedestrians can see the flashing images on one side of the building from specific angles.

B.The system is composed of a laser projector, a reflective strip and a physical billboard.

C.The image lasts between one tenth and quarter of a second in vision even if you turn away.

D.It’s a new advertising system developed by a time-honored British company.

3.The underlined word “subversive” in paragraph 5 probably means ________.

A.Subconscious B.trouble making

C.harmless D.imaginative

4.Which party is likely to set obstacles to the application of the Echo System?

A.Environmentalists worried about energy consumption.

B.Drivers, cyclists and pilots whose sight might be affected.

C.The Skyline Campaign regarding the image as flashy.

D.The patients who suffer from epileptic seizures.

高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

Sudoku (数独) puzzles give your brain a hard time: Every number from 1 to 9 must appear in each of the nine horizontal (横向的) rows, in each of the nine vertical columns and in each of the nine boxes.

For many of us, this can be a reason for a headache, but in the very rare case of a German man, a Sudoku puzzle even caused seizures (痉挛).

In a new case study from the University of Munich, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Dr. Berend Feddersen introduces a student who was 25 years old when he was buried by a snow slide during a ski tour. For 15 minutes, he didn’t get enough oxygen, which severely damaged certain parts of his brain. “He had to receive treatment on the scene. Luckily he survived,” says Feddersen, the author of the study.

Weeks after the accident, when the young man was ready for recovery treatment, something bizarre happened: When the patient solved Sudoku puzzles, he suddenly had seizures of his left arm — something the medical world hadn’t seen before.

Feddersen explains: “In order to solve a Sudoku, the patient used parts of his brain which are responsible for vision-space tasks. But exactly those brain parts had been damaged in the accident and then caused the seizures once they were used.”

This particular case is an example of what doctors call reflex epilepsy (反射性癫痫), according to Dr. Jacqueline French, professor from NYU Langone School of Medicine.

“You have to have an injury of your brain first, and then seizures like that can happen,” she says.

In the meantime, the patient from the case study stopped solving Sudoku puzzles forever and has been seizure-free for more than five years. “Fortunately, he can do crossword puzzles. He never had problems with those,” Feddersen says.

1.In the accident, the student ______.

A. began to experience seizures in his left arm

B. got the vision-space part of his brain damaged

C. had to be sent to hospital as soon as possible

D. found his Sudoku ability seriously weakened

2.It can be learned from the text that ______.

A. the man cannot complete crossword puzzles now

B. it is Sudoku playing that brings about his seizures

C. the man’s symptoms are common and widely observed

D. the seizures cause much trouble to the man’s daily life

3.This text can be best described as______.

A. a medical test B. a warning to skiers

C. a news report D. a research paper

高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

1.In fact, your ___________(模棱两可的) words amounted to a refusal.

2.They have campaigned strongly for ___________(强制的) registration of dogs.

3.The majority of Scots favor an ___________(自制的) Scotland involving devolution or complete independence.

4.Because of the extreme cold, the Antarctic is a uniquely ___________(脆弱的) environment.

5.In this company you have to go through complex ___________(官僚主义的) procedures just to get a new pencil.

6.He's a very a___________ athlete and he wants to play at the highest level.

7.The Government of Jamaica considered it improper to a___________ the death sentence as it might cause more violent murders.

8.They are not optimistic about a peaceful s___________ of the eleven-year conflict.

9.Archeologists unearthed an old English dictionary d___________ back to the year 1236.

10.Everyone looks up to him as his actions are always c___________ with his principles.

高三英语单词拼写中等难度题查看答案及解析

The fact is that your passport has been________.So you can't use it.

A．ahead of time　         B．up to date

C．out of reach　             D．out of date

高三英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析

Work Your Mind

Here’s something to think about the next time you ask your teacher for help: struggling with schoolwork on your own can help you learn. According to a recent study, the more you struggle while you are learning new information, the better you can remember it later.

This theory might surprise you. When teachers are presenting new information, they often give students lots of help. But a new study shows this may not be the best way to support learning. “Don't be too quick to get help when learning something new,” education expert Manu Kapur told TFK. “Try to work on it yourself even if it means trying different ways.”

Kapur came up with the idea that struggling can lead to better learning. Then he tested it out on students in Singapore. He separated students into two groups. In the first group, students were asked to solve math problems with the teacher’s help. In the second group, students were asked to solve the same problems by helping one another, instead of getting help from the teacher.

With the teacher’s help, students in the first group were able to find the correct answers. Students in the second group did not solve the problems correctly. But they did come up with a lot of good ideas. The students were then tested on what they had learned. The group without any help from a teacher scored much higher than the group who had help. Kapur said working to find the answers helped students understand the process, not just the solution.

Kapur’s advice for kids is to put a lot of effort into learning something new rather than going to your teacher for help. “Simply doing a little work or nothing at all won’t work,” says Kapur. “The struggle needs to be a genuine attempt to figure out or solve a problem in as many ways as possible.”

1.When you have doubt on schoolwork, you’d better ____________.

2.What’s Manu Kapur educational idea on learning new knowledge?

3.How did Kapur check his idea on better learning?

4.What is most important in learning knowledge?

高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析