Question

【題目】Ever walked to the shops only to find, once there, you’ve completely forgotten what you went for? Or struggled to remember the name of an old friend? For years we’ve accepted that a forgetful brain is as much a part of aging as wrinkles and gray hair. But now a new book suggests that we’ve got it all wrong.

According to The Secret Life of the Grown-up Brain, by science writer Barbara Strauch, when it comes to the important things, our brains actually get better with age. In fact, she argues that some studies have found that our brain hits its peak between our 40s and 60s — much later than previously thought.

Furthermore, rather than losing many brain cells as we age, we keep them, and even produce new ones well into middle age. For years it’s been assumed that brain, much like the body, declines with age. But the longest, largest study into what happens to people as they age suggests otherwise.

This continuing research has followed 6,000 people since 1956, testing them every seven years. It has found that on average, participants performed better on cognitive (認(rèn)知的) tests in their 40s and 50s than they had done in their 20s. Specifically, older people did better on tests of vocabulary, verbal memory (how many words you can remember) and problem solving. Where they performed less well was number ability and perceptual speed — how fast you can push a button when ordered. However, with more complex tasks such as problem-solving and language, we are at our best at middle age and beyond. In short, researchers are now coming up with scientific proof that we do get wiser with age.

Neuroscientists are also finding that we are happier with aging. A recent US study found older people were much better at controlling and balancing their emotions. It is thought that when we’re younger we need to focus more on the negative aspects of life in order to learn about the possible dangers in the world, but as we get older we’ve learned our lessons and are aware that we have less time left in life: therefore, it becomes more important for us to be happy.

【1】Barbara Strauch probably agrees that ______.

A. the young are better at handling important things

B. people’s brains work best between their 40s and 60s

C. aging leads to the decline of the function of the brain

D. wrinkles and gray hair are the only symbols of aging

【2】The continuing research has found older people perform better on ______.

A. perceptual speed B. number ability

C. vocabulary tests D. body balance

【3】People are happier with aging because ______.

A. they learn to value the time left

B. they know how to share feelings

C. they cannot focus on negative aspects

D. they do not realize the possible dangers

【4】What is the main idea of the passage?

A. People get happier with age.

B. People get wiser with age.

C. People get more forgetful with age.

D. People get more self-aware with age.

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】B

【2】C

【3】A

【4】D

【解析】試題分析: 本文講述了通過實驗，科學(xué)家們得出了這樣一個結(jié)論，隨著年齡的增長，我們會變得更加睿智而不是健忘。

【1】B 細(xì)節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)文中第二段中when it comes to the important things, our brains actually get better with age. In fact, she argues that some studies have found that our brain hits its peak between our 40s and 60s.可知，文章的意思是當(dāng)提到重要的事情時，我們的大腦隨著年齡的增長會變得更好。實際上，她主張很多研究已經(jīng)發(fā)現(xiàn)人們大腦的智力水平在40到60歲時達(dá)到頂峰。故選B。

【2】C 細(xì)節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)第四段第三句Specifically, order people did better on tests of vocabulary.可知，年長的人在詞匯測試上做的更好。故選C。

【3】A 細(xì)節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)最后一段中but as we get older we’ve learned our lessons and are sub-consciously aware that we have less time left in life: therefore, it becomes more important for us to be happy.可知，但是當(dāng)我們逐漸變老，我們已經(jīng)經(jīng)歷了很多且下意識的認(rèn)識到我們剩下的時間已經(jīng)不多了，因此快樂對我們而言變得更加重要。年老的人會更加快樂。故選A。

【4】B 主旨大意題。文章內(nèi)容講的是人隨著年齡的增長，大腦的智力水平能夠會更高，人也會更加快樂，故選B。