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
The best selling children’s book, Pipilu Sending You 100 Lives, has been adapted into a homonymous play that will be put on for the first time next March and tour around 50 cities in China.
The book was adapted by the Hangzhou based Star Dream Factory.
“We don’t want to descend to the average children’s dramas that are overly eager to please the kids,” said Huang Qin, director of Star Dream Factory. “We want to provide something practically useful and mystically entertaining.”
The original book by Chinese children’s book writer Zheng Yuanjie focuses on safety tips for kids. With Zheng’s usual candor and simplicity, the book avoids sugar-coating reality. Instead, it illustrates the potential dangers in everyday life and provides possible solutions.
Zheng recalled that when he saw his new-born baby in the hospital, the first thought that hit him was to do his utmost to guarantee his son’s safety.
“Safety is of the greatest importance to a human being,” said Zheng. “If the person is gone, nothing else will matter.”
According to Zheng, there is no preaching or soapboxing in his book. He said that he just wanted to talk and tell the plain truth to the children in an easily understandable way.
This line of thought will be echoed in the theatrical reproduction, said director Guo Yan. She also said that the play will place emphasis on multimedia effects and the interaction with the families.
“Theatre may not ensure the children a path to professional esteem and better jobs in society, but it does have the power to give them strength (at heart),” said Huang Qin.
Huang also calls for consistent attention to child safety, pointing out the lack of universal education and effective legal channels.
The show is expecting an estimated audience of more than 100,000 people during its domestic tour in the upcoming year.
1. Pipilu Sending You 100 Lives has been adapted into a play by ____.
A. Huang Qin . B. Zheng Yuanjie.
C. Guo Yan. D. Star Dream Factory
2. Which of the following words has the closest meaning to the underlined word candor in paragraph 4?
A. difficulty. B. safety
C. responsibility D. honesty
3. The book Pipilu Sending You 100 Lives is trying to tell the readers __________.
A. how Pipilu give you 100 lives in a clear way
B. how Pipilu can live a more interesting life in a simple way
C. how we can live a safer life in an understandable way
D. how we can have 100 lives in a pleasing way
4. According to Zheng,safety __________.
A. is more important to people than any other things
B. is an essential part only to all the children
C. is more important to the old than the young
D. is more important to the young than the old
5. The purpose of the passage is to______？
A. introduce a play to remind children of the importance of safety
B. introduce a book and its homonymous play to the readers
C. tell the readers how to keep safe
D. tell the readers how important safety is
Speed-reading is an indispensable skill in the Internet age. We skim over articles, e-mails and tweets to try to grasp key words and the essential meaning of a certain text. Bombarded with information from our electronic devices, it would be impossible to cope（应付）if we read word by word, line by line.
But a new trend calls on people to unplug and enjoy reading slowly, listing benefits beyond intellectual stimulation.
A recent story from The Wall Street Journal reported on a book club in Wellington, New Zealand, where members meet in a cafe and turn off their smart phones. They sink into cozy chairs and read in silence for an hour.
Unlike traditional book clubs, the point of the Slow Reading Club isn’t exchanging ideas about a certain book, but to get away from electronic devices and read in a quiet, relaxed environment. According to the Journal, the Wellington book club is just one example of a movement initiated (发起) by book lovers who miss the old-fashioned way of reading before the Internet and smart phones.
Slow readers, such as The Atlantic’s Maura Kelly, say a regular reading habit sharpens the mind, improves concentration, reduces stress levels and deepens the ability to empathize.
Some of these benefits have been backed up by science. For example, a study of 300 elderly people published by the journal Neurology last year showed that regular engagement in intellectually strenuous activities like reading slowed the rate of memory loss later in life.
Slow reading means a return to an uninterrupted pattern in a quiet environment free of distractions. “Aim for 30 minutes a day,” advises Kelly from The Atlantic. “You can squeeze in that half hour pretty easily if only during your free moments – whenever you find yourself automatically firing up your laptop to check your favorite site, or scanning Twitter for something to pass the time – you pick up a meaningful work of literature,” Kelly said. “Reach for your e-reader, if you like. Kindles make books like War and Peace less heavy, not less substantive(真实的), and also ensure you’ll never lose your place.”
1.We prefer speed –reading because ____.
A. we rely on e-mails and tweets too much.
B. we are busier than before
C. we have to read faster to get more information
D. we do not enjoy reading any more
2.The aim of setting the Slow Reading Club is to encourage people to _____.
A. share their ideas about a certain book
B. read old-fashioned books
C. read as many books as possible
D. to enjoy slow reading
3.We can learn from the passage that __________.
A. the benefits of regular reading hasn’t been proved
B. for elderly people ,a good reading habit helps slow memory loss
C. speed reading can improve concentration and reduce stress levels
D. more elderly people enjoy slow reading now
4.According to the last paragraph, a kindle is probably ________.
A. a software for downloading e-books
B. a software that helps people read slowly
C. a website for people to exchange books
D. a website for people to share their ideas about a book
5.What can be the best title of the passage？
A. Enjoy Speed-reading B. Enjoy Slow-Reading
C. Enjoy Effective Reading D. Enjoy Online Reading
Half a year before graduation from college, my son began to seek a job and soon got an interview. There were only three people____1.___ the final interview. The interview was very simple, during __2.__ time the interviewer only chatted with them for a while. The interviewer said to them, “All of you are very good. Please go home and wait for our _3.__(respond).
Three days later, my son received a message from the company saying that he had not been offered _4.__job. My son felt deeply disappointed. But later in the evening, he told me he had received __5.message saying that he had been employed by the company.
Actually, the first text__6.__ (send)to my son was also part of the test in the interview. The three men received the same message, __7.__ only my son’s reply satisfied the company, so he _8._(give)the job. I asked my son, “How did all of you reply?” My son said, “One did not reply, the other said ‘goodbye’, and I said’ thank you’ .” .
Only then did I know that my son’s job came in that way. That is, when you feel disappointed, do not forget to say “thank you” to the one __9.__ disappoints you. _10._(say) “thank you” shows respect for others’ work and shows your grand generosity. Therefore, while under the same condition, you may get more chances compared with others!
An optimistic attitude is not a luxury; it’s a necessity. The way you look at life will determine how you , how you perform, and how well you will get along with other people. , pessimism creates a sad and hopeless place where no one wants to live. thoughts, attitudes, and expectations feed on themselves.
Years ago, I into a service station to get some gas. It was a day, and I was feeling great. As I walked into the station to pay for the gas, the attendant said to me, “You don’t look well.” This took me completely by . A little less confidently, I told him that I had never felt better. Without hesitation, he continued to tell me how bad I looked and that my skin appeared .
By the time I left the service station, I was feeling a little . About a block away, I pulled over to the side of the road to look at my face in the mirror. How did I feel? Did I look that ? Was everything all right? By the time I got home, I was beginning to feel a little . Had I picked up some rare disease?
The next time I went into that gas station, feeling again, I figured out what had happened. The place had recently been painted a bright but disgusting yellow, and the light reflecting off the walls made everyone inside as though they had hepatitis(肝炎)! I wondered how many other folks had reacted the way I did. I had let one short with a total stranger change my for an entire day. He told me I looked sick, and before long, I was actually feeling sick. That single negative observation had a(n) effect on the way I felt and acted.
1.A. learn B. exercise C. behave D. feel
2.A. Certainly B. Additionally C. Contrarily D. Actually
3.A. Negative B. Impractical C. Sensitive D. Indifferent
4.A. drove B. walked C. rushed D. ran
5.A. common B. beautiful C. busy D. dull
6.A. accident B. mistake C. surprise D. chance
7.A. rough B. pale C. hurt D. yellow
8.A. tired B. uneasy C. bored D. angry
9.A. well B. ugly C. strange D. bad
10.A. upset B. sad C. sorry D. sick
11.A. ill B. fine C. regret D. lost
12.A. behave B. believe C. look D. pretend
13.A. conversation B. visit C. bargain D. stay
14.A. work B. confidence C. health D. attitude
15.A. reasonable B. serious C. temporary D. slight
There was a story about Ken Davis, a man who found a simple way to enjoy his work. Ken just couldn’t find a suitable job. He worked at a variety of jobs and disliked them at all. While Ken was working as a door-to-door salesman, he noticed that at least half of his customers had broken-down doorbells. And suddenly, Ken’s life career became clear. He opened his own doorbell repair service.
Ken’s wife laughed when she first heard his idea. When she realized he was serious, she cried. Whoever heard of making a living by repairing doorbell? But Ken was making a comfortable living at his unique job, and he was happier than he’d ever been.
Ken didn’t enjoy what he was doing, but now he is enjoying what he is doing because he has got to realize that he is working for himself. Because of his passion for work, he is more devoted to it and does his work more creatively and efficiently.
The biggest mistake that you can make is to believe that you are working for somebody else. Remember, jobs are owned by the company; you own your career!
No matter where you work, you work for yourself! With a little creativity and imagination, your work can seem less like boring work and more like play. To enjoy your work more, it helps to put some play in what you do. Wouldn’t you rather have it that way?
【写作内容】
1．以约30个词概括上文的主要内容；
2．以约120个词就“享受你的工作和学习”这一话题谈谈你的看法，内容包括：
(1) 读完上文后你的感受；
(2) 描述你所熟悉的一个会享受工作或学习的人；
(3) 作为高三的学生，你如何享受你的学习。
【写作要求】
1．可以使用亲身经历或虚构的故事，也可以参照阅读材料的内容，但不得直接引用原文中的句子；
2．作文中不能出现真实姓名和学校名称。
【评分标准】
概括准确，语言规范，内容合适，语篇连贯。
