Question

Picture the scene: It’s midnight. You’re very hungry after studying for a long time. Then you see a nice pie in the fridge. Do you eat it? It seems that you shouldn’t, for many reasons, including its influence on your studies.

Scientists have long known that eating late at night can make us gain weight. But now a new study has shown that late-night eating can also have a bad influence on our brains — it might hurt our ability to learn new things and store memories.

“We believe that late-night eating may affect (影响) our learning by affecting the parts of the brain that control learning and memory,” Dawn Loh, PhD, a project scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles, said, “We believe the timing of when we eat is the main cause of the damaged (受损的) memory.”

For the study, the researchers looked at mice with strict feeding plans. For two weeks, the mice were either allowed to eat during the time when they are usually the most active, or during the time when they usually sleep. The mice received the same amount(数量) of sleep and calories.

Then the researchers tested the brains of the mice. In one test, the researchers tried to find out whether the mice could remember that a room was connected to an electric shock(电击) after 24 hours had gone by.

The researchers noticed that, when the mice were put in the room again, those mice that ate when they should have been sleeping were less likely(可能的) to get scared than those mice that ate during usual hours. It means that they didn’t remember.

So think twice before the midnight snack — it might be bad for more than your weight.

1.What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 2 refer to（指代）?

A. Studying for long.    B. A nice pie.    C. A new study.    D. Late-night eating.

2.For the study, the researchers need                         .

A. to check the brains of the mice before the test started

B. to feed the mice only during the time when they usually sleep

C. to keep the mice in a room with an electric shock all the time .

D. to let the mice receive the same amount of sleeep and calories.

3.According to the passage, which of the following sentences is TRUE?

A. A recent study shows late eating affects weight.

B. What we eat can affect learning and memory.

C. The mice that ate during sleeping hours didn’t remember.

D. The mice that ate during usual hours didn’t remember.

4.Which of the following could be the best title of the passage?

A. Eating snacks affects memory    B. Late eating hurts brain

C. Never stay up late    D. Keep away from snacks

Answer

1.D

2.D

3.C

4.B

【解析】本文主要告诉我们深夜吃东西会使我们增加体重，而且对我们的大脑有坏的影响，这可能会伤害我们学习新东西和储存记忆的能力。

1.D

词义猜测题。根据第二段的But now a new study has shown that late-night eating can also have a bad influence on our brains可知深夜吃东西也对我们的大脑有坏的影响，故猜测伤害我们的学习能力的，应是指深夜吃东西。故选D。

2.D

细节理解题。根据第四段的The mice received the same amount(数量) of sleep and calories.可知在研究中，研究人员让老鼠接收同样的睡眠和能量。故选D。

3.C

推理判断题。根据倒数第二段的The researchers noticed that, when the mice were put in the room again, those mice that ate when they should have been sleeping were less likely(可能的) to get scared than those mice that ate during usual hours. It means that they didn’t remember.可知那些在理应睡觉的时候吃东西的老鼠，不害怕屋里的电击，这意味着他们没有记住。故推断睡觉时间吃东西的老鼠记不住。故选C。

4.B

标题归纳题。根据第二段的Scientists have long known that eating late at night can make us gain weight. But now a new study has shown that late-night eating can also have a bad influence on our brains — it might hurt our ability to learn new things and store memories.可知本文主要介绍深夜吃东西会使我们增加体重，而且对我们的大脑有坏的影响，这可能会伤害我们学习新东西和储存记忆的能力，故表示应是晚吃饭伤害大脑。故选B

点睛：根据提干要求，在文中找到相应的语句和段落，进行分析理解，推理判断，词义猜测和归纳总结，选出正确的选项。例如小题1，根据第二段的But now a new study has shown that late-night eating can also have a bad influence on our brains可知深夜吃东西也对我们的大脑有坏的影响，故猜测伤害我们的学习能力的，应是指深夜吃东西。故选D。