People with mentally taxing jobs, including lawyers and graphic designers, may end up having better memory in old age, research suggests.
A study of more than 1,000 Scottish 70-year-olds found that those who had had complex jobs scored better on memory and thinking tests.
One theory is that a more stimulating environment helps build up a “cognitive reserve” to help buffer the brain against age-related decline. The research was reported in Neurology.
The team, from Heriot-Watt University, in Edinburgh, is now planning more work to look at how lifestyle and work interact to affect memory loss. Those taking part in the study took tests designed to assess memory, processing speed and general thinking ability, as well as filling in a questionnaire about their working life.
The analysis showed that those whose jobs had required complex skills in dealing with data or people, such as management and teaching, had better scores on memory and thinking tests than those who had done less mentally intense jobs such as factory workers, bookbinders, or carpet layers.
While the study did not look at biological reasons for the protective effect of certain jobs, potential explanations include that structural changes within the brain mean less damage is accumulated over time.
Study leader Dr Alan Gow said: “Our findings have helped to identify the kinds of job demands that preserve memory and thinking later on.” “However,” He added, “while it is true that people who have higher cognitive abilities are more likely to get more complex jobs, there still seems to be a small advantage gained from these complex jobs for later thinking skills.”
Dr Simon Ridley, head of research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said the study added to the growing evidence about factors that affected brain health as we aged.
“Keeping the brain active throughout life could be helpful and different types of work may play a role. However, it’s important to note that this study points to a small and subtle association between occupation and later-life cognition rather than offering proof that people’s occupation has a direct influence.”
1. According to the research, who may have the best memory in old age?
A. Taxi drivers. B. Computer programmers.
C. Supermarket cashiers. D. Motor mechanics.
2. Which of the following about the research work is TRUE?
A. The research team studied both environmental and biological factors.
B. The researchers filled in a questionnaire about their working life.
C. The research objects included people from various jobs and of different ages.
D. The research is helpful to the study of brain health and is still under way.
3. What Dr Alan Gow said implies that __________.
A. their findings are helpful to identifying the kinds of job demands
B. people who do more complex jobs may benefit later thinking skills greatly
C. there exist links between job demands and preservation of memory
D. he didn’t confirm the links between complex jobs and later thinking skills
4.We can learn from Dr Simon Ridley that __________.
A. different occupations may make a difference in keeping the brain active
B. people’s occupation has a direct influence on later-life cognition
C. the study added more evidence about the factors affecting aging
D. the study denied the association between jobs and later-life memory
5. What is the best title of the passage?
A. Aging affects brain health
B. Complex jobs may protect memory
C. Occupations influence aging
D. Complex jobs demand complex skills
高三英语阅读理解简单题
People with mentally taxing jobs, including lawyers and graphic designers, may end up having better memory in old age, research suggests.
A study of more than 1,000 Scottish 70-year-olds found that those who had had complex jobs scored better on memory and thinking tests.
One theory is that a more stimulating environment helps build up a “cognitive reserve” to help buffer the brain against age-related decline. The research was reported in Neurology.
The team, from Heriot-Watt University, in Edinburgh, is now planning more work to look at how lifestyle and work interact to affect memory loss. Those taking part in the study took tests designed to assess memory, processing speed and general thinking ability, as well as filling in a questionnaire about their working life.
The analysis showed that those whose jobs had required complex skills in dealing with data or people, such as management and teaching, had better scores on memory and thinking tests than those who had done less mentally intense jobs such as factory workers, bookbinders, or carpet layers.
While the study did not look at biological reasons for the protective effect of certain jobs, potential explanations include that structural changes within the brain mean less damage is accumulated over time.
Study leader Dr Alan Gow said: “Our findings have helped to identify the kinds of job demands that preserve memory and thinking later on.” “However,” He added, “while it is true that people who have higher cognitive abilities are more likely to get more complex jobs, there still seems to be a small advantage gained from these complex jobs for later thinking skills.”
Dr Simon Ridley, head of research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said the study added to the growing evidence about factors that affected brain health as we aged.
“Keeping the brain active throughout life could be helpful and different types of work may play a role. However, it’s important to note that this study points to a small and subtle association between occupation and later-life cognition rather than offering proof that people’s occupation has a direct influence.”
1. According to the research, who may have the best memory in old age?
A. Taxi drivers. B. Computer programmers.
C. Supermarket cashiers. D. Motor mechanics.
2. Which of the following about the research work is TRUE?
A. The research team studied both environmental and biological factors.
B. The researchers filled in a questionnaire about their working life.
C. The research objects included people from various jobs and of different ages.
D. The research is helpful to the study of brain health and is still under way.
3. What Dr Alan Gow said implies that __________.
A. their findings are helpful to identifying the kinds of job demands
B. people who do more complex jobs may benefit later thinking skills greatly
C. there exist links between job demands and preservation of memory
D. he didn’t confirm the links between complex jobs and later thinking skills
4.We can learn from Dr Simon Ridley that __________.
A. different occupations may make a difference in keeping the brain active
B. people’s occupation has a direct influence on later-life cognition
C. the study added more evidence about the factors affecting aging
D. the study denied the association between jobs and later-life memory
5. What is the best title of the passage?
A. Aging affects brain health
B. Complex jobs may protect memory
C. Occupations influence aging
D. Complex jobs demand complex skills
高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
_____ wealthy people with the business tax instead of the individual income tax weakens government efforts _____ the wealth gap.
A.Taxing, closing B.Taxing, to close
C.Tax, to close D.Having taxed, closing
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
With these increased pressures and difficulty in ensuring a graduate job, more people are turning to recruitment(招聘) agencies for help. Luke Harper wrote for the Independent warning students to be cautious when using graduate recruitment agencies in their job hunt. The article’s main argument against graduate recruitment agencies is that they are looking to sign people up to the agency and harvest data, without having any real intention to personally find them a job.
The fundamental problem with this approach is a basic misunderstanding of how the recruitment sector works. One of the more common ways is that recruitment agencies aim to find you a job to secure a fee from their clients. Recruitment agencies operate as a business, not a careers service and are not expected to find you a job while you wait around.
There is no denying that amongst the recruitment agencies, there are some CV(简历) hungry, cut and shut agencies that are uninterested in the candidates they have on their books. However, nowadays these are in the minority and don’t tend to last very long.
Paul Farrer, Chief Executive of a leading recruitment agency is worried that a few bad apples are ruining the reputation of what is an excellent sector. Farrer said “The trouble with such an imbalanced and misleading article is that some graduates may now be put off approaching recruitment agencies who may well be able to help them.”
Professionals in the industry are cautious of how some of the less respectable agencies operate. Earnest recruiters believe that graduates should be aware that some of these agencies will take on graduates for all their details rather than helping them find a job, like Harper mentioned. To fight this, Farrar advises that “Graduates should have a simple checklist before approaching any agency. Has the agency taken the time to talk to me? Have they invited me to a face-to-face meeting? Have they guaranteed not to forward my CV to any employer without my permission? These three steps will safeguard every application.”
Farrer also pointed out that that is not the only safety net that graduates can rely on. He said “Graduates can also check to see if the agencies are members of either APSCo or the REC, the two trade bodies they can make an official complaint to. The vast majority of recruitment agencies are professional organizations that help place thousands of graduates every year and poorly researched articles help no one.”
1.The main purpose of this passage is ______ graduate recruitment agencies.
A. to advise readers to be cautious of
B. to argue against some misjudgment against
C. to explain why there is a prejudice against
D. to seek the solutions to the problems caused by
2.Which of the following is RIGHT according to the passage?
A. Luke Harper holds the same idea about jobs with Paul Farrer.
B. Recruitment agencies actually do the same work as a careers service.
C. Job hunters’ detailed information is of value to recruitment agencies.
D. A member of APSCo or the REC will not cheat its clients.
3.What advice does Paul Farrer give graduates to avoid less respectable agencies?
A. Consulting professionals before giving their personal details to an agency.
B. Making a face-to-face investigation into an agency before approaching it.
C. Guaranteeing that the agency will not forward their CV to any employer.
D. Selecting some agencies that are monitored by official trade bodies.
4.What is the author’s attitude towards graduate recruitment agencies?
A. Neutral. B. Positive. C. Negative. D. Not Clear.
高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
Eliza worked in an office with twenty other people, and she liked her job. Getting ahead in her career wasn’t _______ to her. But she suddenly changed ______ the promotion of her friend and co-worker Betty who couldn’t have gotten the _______ if Eliza had tried to. In the eyes of the other co-workers, Betty was ______ cheerful, hardworking and ambitious, while Eliza was low-key and easy-going.
Before Betty got the promotion, Eliza had been satisfied with her ______, even if she had not been ______ happy. But once Betty was made head, Eliza began to fill up with resentment (怨恨) and she disliked her job and ______ Betty. Finally she developed a big mistake ______ she was filled with anger all the time. Eliza began to see Betty as the source of all her problems, and she ________to remember that she had not particularly wanted the promotion anyway. Now she just thought that it should be hers. Instead of ______ herself to see what her real goal was in life, she tried to ______ how to trap Betty and regarded Betty as her enemy. Eliza became ______ focused on her resentment, and she couldn’t get out of the ________ situation.
One of the major problems with resentment is that you ______ that your anger is completely caused by others. You ______ looking for what you can do to improve your situation, because you decide that your ______ feelings are the result of someone else’s fault. You give up trying to find real ______ to solve your problem. Dealing with resentment needs ______. Because of that, you are able to have a clear mind so that you can admit you are feeling resentful. Then try hard to force yourself ______ ready to be less resentful. You believe you are to blame for resentment, and you actively look for the way that can _______the problem in your life.
1.A. ordinary B. important C. simple D. challenging
2.A. during B. before C. until D. after
3.A. chance B. agreement C. prize D. business
4.A. always B. sometimes C. seldom D. never
5.A. partner B. work C. teammates D. leader
6.A. mainly B. perfectly C. exactly D. extremely
7.A. supported B. disclosed C. hated D. forced
8.A. because B. if C. but D. while
9.A. decided B. started C. managed D. failed
10.A. noticing B. warning C. persuading D. ensuring
11.A. get at B. deal with C. figure out D. make up
12.A. partly B. completely C. finally D. usually
13.A. strange B. boring C. funny D. dangerous
14.A. doubt B. analyze C. believe D. find
15.A. mind B. stop C. enjoy D. keep
16.A. negative B. inspiring C. childish D. social
17.A. details B. effects C. solutions D. causes
18.A. freedom B. calmness C. experiment D. courage
19.A. luckily B. hurriedly C. truly D. strongly
20.A. solve B. avoid C. predict D. face
高三英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
完形填空
Eliza worked in an office with twenty other people, and she liked her job. Getting ahead in her career wasn’t to her. But she suddenly changed the promotion of her friend and co-worker Betty who couldn’t have gotten the if Eliza had tried to. In the eyes of the other co-workers Betty was cheerful, hardworking and ambitious, while Eliza had been low-key and easygoing.
Before Betty got the promotion, Eliza had been satisfied with her , even if she had not been happy. But once Betty was made head, Eliza began to fill up with resentment(怨恨)and she disliked her job and Betty. Finally she developed a big mistake she was filled with anger all the time. Eliza began to see Betty as the source of all her problems, and she to remember that she had not particularly wanted the promotion anyway. Now she just thought that it should be hers. Instead of herself to see what her real goal was in the life, she tried to how to trap Betty and regarded Betty as her enemy. Eliza became________focused on her resentment, and she couldn’t get out of the situation.
One of the major problems with resentment is that you ________ that your anger is completely caused by others. You ________ looking for what you can do to improve your situation, because you are sure that your ________ feelings are the result of someone else’s fault. You give up trying to find real ________ to solve your problem. Dealing with resentment needs ________ . Because of that, you are able to have a clear mind so that you can admit you are feeling resentful. Then try hard to force yourself ________ready to be less resentful. You believe you are to blame for resentment, and you actively look for the way that can ________ the problem in your life.
1.A. important B. ordinary C. simple D. challenging
2.A. during B. before C. after D. until
3.A. agreement B. chance C. prize D. business
4.A. always B. sometimes C. seldom D. never
5.A. partner B. work C. teammates D. leader
6.A. mainly B. perfectly C. exactly D. extremely
7.A. supported B. disclosed C. hated D. forced
8.A. because B. if C. but D. while
9.A. decided B. started C. managed D. failed
10.A. noticing B. ensuring C. persuading D. warning
11.A. get at B. deal with C. figure out D. make up
12.A. partly B. completely C. finally D. usually
13.A. strange B. boring C. funny D. dangerous
14.A. doubt B. analyze C. believe D. find
15.A. mind B. stop C. enjoy D. keep
16.A. negative B. inspiring C. childish D. social
17.A. details B. effects C. solutions D. causes
18.A. freedom B. calmness C. experiment D. courage
19.A. luckily B. hurriedly C. strongly D. truly
20.A. solve B. avoid C. predict D. face
高三英语完形填空简单题查看答案及解析
For many years, machines have been doing work that people once did, including some dit- ficutt jobs. Search and rescue operations in dangerous environments are often seen as the first areas that will employ high technology robots. But there is another area where they may soon take jobs traditionally held by human beings: the restaurant industry.
Teams from around the world competed in early June at the DARPA Robotic Challenge Finals in California. A team from South Korea and its robot, called DRC-Hubo,won the first place in the competition. The second and third place winners were from the United States. The robots were required to drive a vehicle, climb up steps and do mechanical work. Such activities are easy for humans to perform,but more difficult for machines. Not all of the competitor were successful. The failures showed how difficult it is to design effective walking
machines.
Akihiro Suzuki works at Yaskawa Electric,a company that develops robots. He says robots cannot do everything a human can,but they are able to work without becoming tired. He says robots cannot taste food,change heating levels or seasonings to get the best flavor (风 味).But he says if a food can be easily prepared,a robot can repeat the same movement to reproduce the same meal.
One Japanese woman who saw the robots working wanted to bring them home. Masayo Mori says she would like to have a husband who could work like a robot. Suzumo Machinery showed its sushi (寿司)maker robot. It performs the often difficult work of wrapping the popular Japanese food. Hiroshi Monden is an official with the company. He says people all over the world now eat sushi,but there are not enough skilled workers to prepare it. He says his machine can help anyone make sushi.
1.In Paragraph 1,the author tells us .
A. robots just do difficult jobs
B.robots are sometimes dangerous
C. robots are widely used in our life
D. robots are gradually replacing humans
2.Why did some teams fail at the DARPA Robotic Challenge Finals?
A.Their robots cannot be applied at home.
B. Preparing food is really difficult for robots.
C. Their robots can just repeat the same movement.
D.They failed to design effective walking robots.
3.We can infer from the last paragraph that .
A. Japanese men are lazy
B. robots are popular in Japan
C. Japan has advanced high technology
D.robots usually take the job of making sushi in Japan
4.In which column can we probably see the text?
A.Education. B. Culture. C. Health. D. Science.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
For many years, machines have been doing work that people once did, including some difficult jobs. Search and rescue operations in dangerous environments are often seen as the first areas that will employ high technology robots. But there is another area where they may soon take jobs traditionally held by human beings: the restaurant industry.
Teams from around the world competed in early June at the DARPA Robotic Challenge Finals in California. A team from South Korea and its robot called DRC-Hubo,won the first place in the competition. The second and third place winners were from the United States. The robots were required to drive a vehicle, climb up steps and do mechanical work. Such activities are easy for humans to perform,but more difficult for machines. Not all of the competitors were successful. The failures showed how difficuit it is to design effective walking machines.
Akihiro Suzuki works at Yaskawa Electric,a company that develops robots. He says robots cannot do everything a human can,but they are able to work without becoming tired. He says robots cannot taste food,change heating levels or seasonings to get the best flavor (风 味).But he says if a food can be easily prepared,a robot can repeat the same movement to reproduce the same meal.
One Japanese woman who saw the robots working wanted to bring them home. Masayo Mori says she would like to have a husband who could work like a robot. Suzumo Machinery showed its sushi (寿司)maker robot. It performs the often difficult work of wrapping the popular Japanese food. Hiroshi Monden is an official with the company. He says people all over the world now eat sushi,but there are not enough skilled workers to prepare it. He says his machine can help anyone make sushi.
1.In Paragraph 1,the author tells us .
A.robots just do difficult jobs
B.robots are sometimes dangerous
C.robots are widely used in our life
D.robots are gradually replacing humans
2.Why did some teams fail at the DARPA Robotic Challenge Finals?
A.Their robots cannot be applied at home.
B.Preparing food is really difficult for robots.
C.Their robots can just repeat the same movement.
D.They failed to design effective walking robots.
3.We can infer from the last paragraph that .
A.Japanese men are lazy
B.robots are popular in Japan
C.Japan has advanced high technology
D.robots usually take the job of making sushi in Japan
4.In which column can we probably see the text?
A.Education. B. Culture. C. Health. D. Science.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Older people with hearing loss may suffer faster rates of mental decline. People who have hearing trouble suffered meaningful impairments in memory, attention and learning about three years earlier than people with normal hearing, a study published online January 21 in JAMA Internal Medicine reveals.
The finding supports the idea that hearing loss can have serious consequences for the brain,says Patricia Tun of Brandeis University in Waltham,Mass., who studies aging. “I'm hoping it will be a real wake-up call in terms of realizing the importance of hearing. ”
Compared with other senses, hearing is often overlooked, Tun says. “We are made to interact with language and to listen to each other, and it can have damaging effects if we don't.”
Frank Lin of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and colleagues tested the hearing of 1,984 older adults. Most of the participants, who averaged 77 years old, showed some hearing loss — 1,162 volunteers had trouble hearing noises of less than 25 decibels, comparable to a whisper or rustling leaves. The volunteers; deficits reflect the hearing loss in the general population: Over half of people older than 70 have trouble hearing.
Over the next six years, these participants underwent mental evaluations that measured factors such as short-term memory, attention and the ability to quickly match numbers to symbols. Everybody got worse at the tasks as time wore on, but people with hearing loss had an especially sharp decline, the team found. On average, a substantial drop in performance would come about three years earlier to people with hearing loss.
Lin cautions that the study has found an association between hearing loss and mental abilities; the researchers can't conclude that hearing loss directly causes the decline. Yet more and more studies are turning up ways that diminished hearing could damage the brain.
A person who can't hear well might avoid social situations, and isolation(孤立)is known to be bad for the brain. “You gradually become more socially withdrawn, ” Lin says. “Social isolation is a major, major factor for dementia(痴呆)and cognitive decline. ”
Other studies suggest that when people struggle to interpret and decode(译解)words, their brains divert energy away from other tasks, such as memory. Audiologist and psychologist Kathy Pichora — Fuller says that this brain drain happens to everyone, even people without hearing loss. Studies have shown that people are worse at remembering things when they're in a noisy room, for instance. People with hearing loss may be constantly diverting a large swath(—大片)of their brainpower,leaving less for other mental tasks, says Pichora— Fuller, of the University of Toronto Mississauga.
1. Mass does the research to _____ .
A. present the mental decline
B. attach importance to hearing
C. compare hearing with other senses
D. exaggerate the damaging effects
2.What is paragraph 4 mainly about?
A. The outcome of the test.
B. The design of the test
C. The participants of the test.
D. The purpose of the test.
3.Dementia and cognitive decline mainly result from ____ .
A. social isolation B. hearing loss
C. memory loss D. speech impairment
4.The underlined word “divert” probably means _____ .
A. block B. accumulate C. shift D. change
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Mental illness and disability were family problems for English people living between 1660 and 1800. Most women and men who suffered from mental illness were not institutionalized as this was the period before the extensive building of mental hospitals. Instead, they were housed at home, and cared for by other family members.
Now a new study by Cambridge historian Dr. Elizabeth Foyster will reveal the impact on families of caring for mentally ill and disabled relatives.
Much has been written about the insane themselves but few studies have considered mental illness from the perspective of the carers. The lifetime burden of caring for those individuals whose mental development did not progress beyond childhood, and who contemporaries labeled as ‘idiots’ or ‘fools’, has been little explored by historians. Foyster’s research, which has been funded by the Leverhulme Trust, will carefully examine the emotional and economic consequences for families at a time when the Poor Law bound them to look after their mentally ill and disabled family members.
By asking key questions about the impact of ‘care in the community’ in the 18th century, Foyster hopes that her research will bridge social and medical history. Specifically, she aims to provide an historical perspective for contemporary debates such as how resources can be stretched to provide for children with learning difficulties and an aging population.
“The stresses and strains of family were worsened by high infant mortality and low life expectancy, and many individuals were pushed towards mental breakdown,” she explained. “Moreover, inherited conditions, senility(高龄) and what today would be described as ‘special needs’ could put great emotional demands on family members who had primary responsibility for their sick or disabled relatives.”
The research will shed light upon how caring for the mentally ill and disabled raised difficult issues for families about the limits of intergenerational responsibility, and whether family ties were weakened or strengthened by the experience. The questions of how far shame was attached to having insanity or idiocy within a family, and at what point families began to seek outside help, will also be addressed.
“The family must have seemed an inescapable feature of daily life between 1660 and 1800,” said Foyster. “Although there were those who were abandoned and rejected, for the majority, mental disability was accommodated within the family unit. I aim to get to the heart of what this really meant for people’s lives.”
1.Which is NOT the reason why those mentally ill and disabled were not institutionalized from 1660 to 1800?
A.Mental illness and disability were family problems then.
B.The extensive building of mental hospitals didn’t start yet.
C.They were abandoned by the government and the family.
D.The family would be found guilty if they didn’t care for them.
2.Why does Foyster want to carry out this study?
A.Because it can provide some food for thought for some current social issues.
B.Because the stresses and strains of family life have driven many people crazy.
C.Because she’s looking for ways to communicate with the sick or disabled people.
D.Because the limits of intergenerational responsibility in such families, interest her.
3.Which question will NOT be studied in the research?
A.How should resources today be stretched to provide for an aging population?
B.How did caring for the sick and disabled affect the family’s earning power?
C.How shameful did a family feel when their insane or disabled relatives were found out?
D.At what point did those families have to begin to look for outside help?
4.The passage is written in order to ________.
A.reveal the impact on families of caring for mentally ill and disabled relatives
B.provide an historical perspective to contemporary debates
C.shed light upon whether family ties were weakened or strengthened
D.introduce a new historical study carried out by a Cambridge historian
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
Summary Writing
An Extension of the Human Brain
Other people can help us compensate for our mental and emotional deficiencies (欠缺),much as a wooden leg can compensate for a physical deficiency . To be exact , other people can extend our intelligence and help us understand and adjust our emotions. When another person helps us in such ways , he or she is participating in what I’ve called a “ social prosthetic (义肢的) system.” Such systems do not need to operate face-to face , and it’s clear to me that the Internet is expanding the range of my own social prosthetic system . It’s already a big bank of many minds . Even in its current state , the Internet has extended my memory and judgment .
Regarding memory : Once I look up something on the Internet , I don’t need to keep all the details for future use ------I know where to find that information again and can quickly and easily do particularly striking when I’m writing ; I ‘m no longer comfortable writing if I ‘m not connected to the Internet. It’s become natural to check facts as I write, taking a minute or two to dip into PubMed, Wikipedia , or other websites.
Regarding judgment: The Internet has made me smarter in matters small and large . For example , when I ‘m writing a textbook , it has become second nature to check a dozen definitions of a key term , which helps me dig into the core and understand its meaning . But more than that , I now regularly compare my views with those of many others . If I have a “ new idea”, I now quickly look to see whether somebody else has already thought of it , or something similar-and I then compare what I think with what others have thought . This certainly makes my own views clearer . Moreover , I can find out whether my reactions to an event are reasonable enough by reading about those of others on the Internet .
高三英语概要写作困难题查看答案及解析