Stress in middle age can make your brain shri...

Stress in middle age can make your brain shrink and make your memory worse, scientists have discovered. The brain-reducing effects of stress, identified in people in their 40s free from dementia - a serious mental disorder caused by brain disease or injury, were found to be caused by cortisol(皮质醇). The high levels of the stress hormone may be an early warning “sign that someone may end up with dementia, the research suggests.

Stress also made people's thinking skills worse, which the Harvard Medical School study, published in the journal Neurology found. For the research, scientists led by Dr. Justin B. Echouffo-Tcheugui studied 2,231 people with an average of 49 and free of dementia. He said." Our research detected memory loss and brain shrinkage in middle-aged people before symptoms started to show. So it's important for people to find ways to reduce stress, such as getting enough sleep, taking part in moderate exercise, making relaxation techniques part of their daily lives or asking their doctor about their cortisol levels and taking a cortisol-reducing medication if needed. "He also added, "It's important for physicians to give professional advice to all people with high cortisol levels."

Researchers found lower scores on tests of memory and thinking in people with higher levels of cortisol than those with average levels. In addition, people with higher cortisol levels had a smaller brain volume, with those with high cortisol levels having brains that were 88.5 per cent of the total cranial(颅骨的) volume. This was compared to 88. 7 percent of the total cranial volume for people with normal levels of the hormone. No links were found between low levels of cortisol and brain size.

Cortisol helps the body respond to stress and when we are stressed, cortisol levels increase because that is our fight - or - flight(战或逃) response. It can also help reduce inflammation(发炎) and control blood sugar and blood pressure. High cortisol levels can be caused by stress, medical conditions or medications.

“Cortisol affects many different functions so it is important to fully investigate how high levels of the hormone may affect the brain," Dr Echouffo-Tcheugui said, “While other studies have examined cortisol and memory, we believe our large, community-based study is the first to explore, in middle-aged people, cortisol levels and brain volume, as well as memory and thinking skills. ”

1.What may Dr. Echouffo-Tcheugui suggest people do about stress-reducing?

A.Early to bed and early to rise. B.Strengthen the social network.

C.Eat food with more protein. D.Ride a bicycle around a lake.

2.Which statement about cortisol may the author agree to?

A.Higher cortisol levels are associated with larger brain volume.

B.The more stressed one feels, the higher his cortisol levels are.

C.Age and gender play a big role in the participants' brain volume.

D.People with high cortisol levels will suffer from low blood pressure.

3.What's the possible direction for future research according to Dr. Echouffo-Tcheugui?

A.How high cortisol levels affect human brains.

B.The link between cortisol levels and memory

C.The link between cortisol levels and brain size.

D.How cortisol affects peoples response.

4.Why does the author write this passage?

A.To suggest the efficient ways to reduce stress.

B.To prevent the features and functions of cortisol.

C.To explain how cortisol affects people s stress level.

D.To show stress can cause memory loss and brain shrinkage.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Everybody can suffer from stress. No matter what your age is, you can feel stressed out by things that are happening in your life. Teenagers, however, have many more opportunities to get stressed than people in any other age group. Being a teenager is hard. You are not a child any more, but you are not an adult，even though you have to deal with some very grown-up problems and decisions. Families can be one of the biggest causes of stress, such as problems with parents arguing at home or problems with brothers and sisters. Teenagers also have a lot of stress from school, either from their teachers or from their friends. Some teenagers also feel stressed about choosing their education after high school. Getting a place at university can be very difficult and some cannot afford to go to university. The stress about getting a job when finishing school is hard for some teenagers. There are so many young people finishing school and not enough jobs for them. Sadly, there is nothing we can do to remove these causes of stress from the 1ives of teenagers, but you can learn the best way to deal with it. Talking to people is one of the best ways to deal with stress. It may sound simple, but it is true. A problem shared is a problem halved.

1.Why is being a teenager often difficult?

A. Because even though you are not an adult, you must deal with adult problems.

B. Because even though you are an adult, you must deal with children's problems.

C. Because even though you are a teenager, you must do a lot of homework.

D. Because adults often make them feel stressed.

2.Families can add to the stress a teenager might experience ______.

A. by asking them to go to university.

B. by helping them with their homework.

C. as teenagers quarrel with their parents, and their brothers or sisters

D. as families never support their children enough.

3.We can deal with the stress in our life ______.

A. by not trying to find a job.　　 B. by forgetting about our problems.

C. by getting a place at university.　　 D. by sharing our problems with our friends.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Motherhood may make women smarter and may help prevent dementia(痴呆) in old age by bathing the brain in protective hormones(荷尔蒙) , U.S. researchers reported on Thursday.

Tests on rats show that those who raise two or more litters of pups do considerably better in tests of memory and skills than rats who have no babies, and their brains show changes that suggest they may be protected against diseases such as Alzheimer’s(早老痴呆症). University of Richmond psychology professor Craig Kinsley believes his findings will translate into humans.

“Our research shows that the hormones of pregnancy(怀孕) are protecting the brain, including estrogen(雌激素), which we know has many neuroprotective (保护神经的) effects,” Kinsley said.

“It’s rat data but humans are mammals just like these animals are mammals,” he added in a telephone interview. “They go through pregnancy and hormonal changes.”

Kinsley said he hoped public health officials and researchers will look to see if having had children protects a woman from Alzheimer’s and other forms of age-related brain decline.

“When people think about pregnancy, they think about what happens to babies and the mother from the neck down,” said Kinsley, who presented his findings to the annual meeting of the Society of Neuroscience in Orlando, Florida.

“They do not realize that hormones are washing on the brain. If you look at female animals who have never gone through pregnancy, they act differently toward young. But if she goes through pregnancy, she will sacrifice her life for her infant—that is a great change in her behavior that showed in genetic alterations(改变) to the brain.”

1.What does the phrase “litters of pups” mean in the second paragraph?

A. Baby rats.                 B. Animals.                C. Old rats.                 D. Grown-up rats.

2.What can protect the brain of a woman according to the passage?

A. Estrogen.                                        B. The hormones of pregnancy.

C. More exercise.                                    D. Taking care of children.

3.“It’s rat data but humans are mammals just like these animals are mammals.” What does the sentence suggest?

A. The experiments on the rats have nothing to do with humans.

B. The experiments on the rats are very important for animals.

C. The experiments on the rats are much the same on humans.

D. The experiments on the rats are much the same on other animals.

4.Which title is the best for this passage?

A. Do You Want to Be Smarter?           B. Motherhood Makes Women Smarter

C. Mysterious Hormones                 D. An Important Study

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Motherhood may make women smarter and may help prevent dementia (痴呆) in old age by bathing the brain in protective hormones (荷尔蒙) , U.S. researchers reported on Thursday.

Tests on rats show that those who raise two or more litters of pups do considerably better in tests of memory and skills than rats who have no offsprings, and their brains show changes that suggest they may be protected against diseases such as Alzheimer’s (早老痴呆症). University of Richmond psychology professor Craig Kinsley believes his findings will translate into humans.

“Our research shows that the hormones of pregnancy are protecting the brain, including estrogen(雌激素), which we know has many neuroprotective (保护神经的) effects,” Kinsley said.

“It’s rat data but humans are mammals just like these animals are mammals,” he added in a telephone interview. “They go through pregnancy and hormonal changes.”

Kinsley said he hoped public health officials and researchers will look to see if having had children protects a woman from Alzheimer’s and other forms of age-related brain decline.

“When people think about pregnancy, they think about what happens to babies and the mother from the neck down,” said Kinsley, who presented his findings to the annual meeting of the Society of Neuroscience in Orlando, Florida.

“They do not realize that hormones are washing on the brain. If you look at female animals who have never gone through pregnancy, they act differently toward young. But if she goes through pregnancy, she will sacrifice her life for her infant—that is a great change in her behavior that showed in genetic alterations to the brain.”

1.How do scientists know “Motherhood may make women smarter”?

A. Some researchers have told them.

B. Many women say so.

C. They know it by experimenting on rats.

D. They know it through their own experience.

2.What does the underlined phrase “litters of pups” mean in the second paragraph?

A. Baby rats.　　 B. Animals.　　 C. Old rats.　　 D. Grown-up rats.

3.“It’s rat data but humans are mammals just like these animals are mammals.” What does the sentence suggest?

A. The experiments on the rats have nothing to do with humans.

B. The experiments on the rats are very important for animals.

C. The experiments on the rats are much the same on humans.

D. The experiments on the rats are much the same on other animals.

4.Which title is the best for this passage?

A. Do You Want to Be Smarter?　　 B. Being Mother Makes You Brighter

C. Mysterious Hormones　　 D. An Important Study

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Motherhood may make women smarter and may help prevent dementia(痴呆) in old age by bathing the brain in protective hormones(荷尔蒙) , U.S. researchers reported on Thursday.

Tests on rats show that those who raise two or more litters of pups do considerably better in tests of memory and skills than rats who have no babies, and their brains show changes that suggest they may be protected against diseases such as Alzheimer’s (早老痴呆症). University of Richmond psychology professor Craig Kinsley believes his findings will translate into humans.

“Our research shows that the hormones of pregnancy (怀孕) are protecting the brain, including estrogen (雌激素), which we know has many neuroprotective (保护神经的) effects,” Kinsley said.

“It’s rat data but humans are mammals just like these animals are mammals,” he added in a telephone interview. “They go through pregnancy and hormonal changes.”

Kinsley said he hoped public health officials and researchers will look to see if having had children protects a woman from Alzheimer’s and other forms of age-related brain decline.

“When people think about pregnancy, they think about what happens to babies and the mother from the neck down,” said Kinsley, who presented his findings to the annual meeting of the Society of Neuroscience in Orlando, Florida.

“They do not realize that hormones are washing on the brain. If you look at female animals who have never gone through pregnancy, they act differently toward young. But if she goes through pregnancy, she will sacrifice her life for her infant—that is a great change in her behavior that showed in genetic alterations(改变) to the brain.”

1.How do scientists know “Motherhood may make women smarter”?

A．Some researchers have told them.

B．Many women say so.

C．They know it by experimenting on rats.

D．They know it through their own experience.

2.What does the phrase “litters of pups” mean in the second paragraph?

A．Baby rats.         B．Animals.           C．Old rats.          D．Grown-up rats.

3.What can protect the brain of a woman according to the passage?

A．Estrogen.                             B．The hormones of pregnancy.

C．More exercise.                         D．Taking care of children.

4.“It’s rat data but humans are mammals just like these animals are mammals.” What does the sentence suggest?

A．The experiments on the rats have nothing to do with humans.

B．The experiments on the rats are very important for animals.

C．The experiments on the rats are much the same on humans.

D．The experiments on the rats are much the same on other animals.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Motherhood may make women smarter and may help prevent dementia（痴呆） in old age by bathing the brain in protective hormones（荷尔蒙） , U．S．researchers reported on Thursday．

Tests on rats show that those who raise two or more litters of pups do considerably better in tests of memory and skills than rats who have no babies, and their brains show changes that suggest they may be protected against diseases such as Alzheimer’s（早老痴呆症）．University of Richmond psychology professor Craig Kinsley believes his findings will translate into humans．“Our research shows that the hormones of pregnancy（怀孕） are protecting the brain, including estrogen（雌激素）, which we know has many neuroprotective （保护神经的） effects,” Kinsley said．

“It’s rat data but humans are mammals just like these animals are mammals,” he added in a telephone interview．“They go through pregnancy and hormonal changes．” Kinsley said he hoped public health officials and researchers will look to see if having had children protects a woman from Alzheimer’s and other forms of age-related brain decline．

“When people think about pregnancy, they think about what happens to babies and the mother from the neck down,” said Kinsley, who presented his findings to the annual meeting of the Society of Neuroscience in Orlando, Florida．

“They do not realize that hormones are washing on the brain．If you look at female animals that have never gone through pregnancy, they act differently toward young．But if she goes through pregnancy, she will sacrifice her life for her infant—that is a great change in her behavior that showed in genetic alterations（改变） to the brain．”

1.How do scientists know “Motherhood may make women smarter”?

2.What does the phrase “litters of pups” mean in the second paragraph?

3.What can protect the brain of a woman according to the passage?

4.“It’s rat data but humans are mammals just like these animals are mammals．” What does the sentence suggest?

5.Which title is the best for this passage?

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

When you're on the go, your best friend and resource can be your phone. In the age of smart phones, apps are like guiding stars: They can point you in the right direction for a hotel, list expenses, send postcards, and much more. When used together, these apps can be the basic travel tool, placing a wealth of information at your fingertips no matter where you are on the planet. U.S. News Travel has picked the essential travel apps, known for their utility and reliability. Best of all, they cost absolutely nothing.

Trip It

Your Personal Travel Agent

Be your own travel agent and plan every detail of your trip—from car rental to accommodating restaurants—with Trip It. You can make travel schedule by hand, or simply forward the email confirmations of your flight, rental car, train tickets, and hotels to plans.

Weather Free

Your Go-To Meteorologist(气象学者)

Stop trying to explain the weather forecast on the evening news (particularly when it's in a foreign language). The Weather Free app informs you (in English) of the climate in various locations. It features the local weather, and other key factors that will inform your decision about what to wear before stepping outside.

Goby

Your Event Guru

When you're in a foreign city, you sometimes look around and ask: Where are all the people? Goby has the answer. This app pinpoints the neighborhood hot spots (including museums, hotels, eateries, and more) in your neighborhood. But its true value comes in finding nearby events. You'll discover concerts, plays, and more right around the corner.

1.What is the advantage of using travel apps picked by the U.S. News Travel?

A. They can solve any problem you come across.

B. They reduce your travel budget.

C. They exercise your fingertips.

D. They are reliable and free of charge.

2.With the help of the travel apps used together, travelers can do the following things EXCEPT ________.

A. rent a car

B. decide what to wear

C. look for a friend while traveling

D. find the nearby museums

3.Where are the readers likely to read the passage above?

A. In a geography textbook                B. In a science fiction

C. On a popular website                    D. In a business report

高三英语听力第三部分中等难度题查看答案及解析

When you're on the go, your best friend and resource can be your phone. In the age of smart phones, apps are like guiding stars: They can point you in the right direction for a hotel, list expenses, send postcards, and much more. When used together, these apps can be the basic travel tool, placing a wealth of information at your fingertips no matter where you are on the planet. U.S. News Travel has picked the essential travel apps, known for their utility and reliability. Best of all, they cost absolutely nothing.

Trip It

Your Personal Travel Agent

Be your own travel agent and plan every detail of your trip—from car rental to accomadating restaurants—with Trip It. You can make travel schedule by hand, or simply forward the email confirmations of your flight, rental car, train tickets, and hotels to plans.

Weather Free

Your Go-To Meteorologist(气象学者)

Stop trying to explain the weather forecast on the evening news (particularly when it's in a foreign language). The Weather Free app informs you (in English) of the climate in various locations. It features the local weather, and other key factors that will inform your decision about what to wear before stepping outside.

Goby

Your Event Guru

When you're in a foreign city, you sometimes look around and ask: Where are all the people? Goby has the answer. This app pinpoints the neighborhood hot spots (including museums, hotels, eateries, and more) in your neighborhood. But its true value comes in finding nearby events. You'll discover concerts, plays, and more right around the corner.

1.What is the advantage of using travel apps picked by the U.S. News Travel?

A. They can solve any problem you come across.

B. They reduce your travel budget.

C. They exercise your fingertips.

D. They are reliable and free of charge.

2.With the help of the travel apps used together, travelers can do the following things EXCEPT__________.

A. rent a car

B. decide what to wear

C. look for a friend while traveling

D. find the nearby museums

3.Where are the readers likely to read the passage above?

A. In a geography textbook

B. In a science and technology magazine

C. On a popular website

D. In a business report

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

By making positive changes in your life you can become better. 1.Here are some quick and easy ways to help you become a better person.

2.

Recognize what areas you are lacking. For this you can ask a trusted friend or family member for help. Being unaware of your weaknesses makes it hard for you to improve. The successful people know where they aren’t strong and they use their strengths to make up for it.

Quit a bad habit.

Quitting a bad habit is good for you. 3.If you aren’t ready to quit your bad habits right away, start out with small steps. Find a trusted friend that can give you encouragement if you’re struggling.

Break up with negative thinking.

4.This can have a bad influence on your life. Negative thinking really makes you down mentally and physically. Trying to think more positively helps you reduce stress and requires you to stop making excuses.

Treat others with kindness.

Showing other people that you care for them is a great way to be a better person. 5.Something just like buying a coffee for your classmates can make a huge positive impact on their and your day.

A. Know your weaknesses.

B. Take better care of yourself.

C. Negative friends often complain about things.

D. Do you always see the negative side of things?

E. It not only makes you a better person, but it makes you more confident.

F. However, it may be tough sometimes to figure out how to do it.

G. Small acts of kindness will make other people feel better and lift your spirits as well.

高三英语七选五简单题查看答案及解析

As you get older, your memory declines, and constant stress and unhealthy lifestyles can also cause it to decline too soon. Even memory strategies won’t save you if you don’t know how to keep a good memory. 1. The following can be tried.

Exercise regularly

That’s right, we mean physical exercise. Leading a lifestyle spending a lot of time sitting down and not moving can also lead to memory loss. 2. It’s healthy for both your mind and your body.

Play video games

Yes, you heard us. Get on that controller and spend a couple of hours playing your favorite video game.3. A recent study illustrated how these pastimes can help improve the functioning of various memory-associated regions in the brain. But don’t go overboard, too much of a good thing can be bad for you.

Eat your vegetables

This is a no-brainer since it’s a well-known fact eating vegetables can help keep you and your body healthy, and that includes your brain. Various research papers state that fruits and vegetables can help lower oxidative (氧化的) stress in your brain. 4.

Reduce stress level

5. Intense and persistent stress, especially at high levels, can easily impair our memory and disrupt our cognitive skills. You can do this by meditating, taking a walk or by taking mindfulness-based stress reduction methods.

A.It’s sometimes good for your mind.

B.Sharpen your brain with advanced devices.

C.Go ahead and practice whenever possible.

D.So go outside and start working up a good sweat.

E.They as well as help keep healthy brain functions.

F.Slow down, and ease yourself into taking a short rest.

G.Some scientific methods can improve your memory effectively.

高三英语七选五简单题查看答案及解析