Question

【題目】Some kinds of mental skills naturally decrease as people get older. Yet research seems to show that some training can improve such skills. A recently published study also appears to attest that the good effects of training can last for many years after that training has ended.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland wanted to learn how long memory and thinking skills would last in older people who were trained to keep them. The people were part of the ten-year research project. They were taught methods meant to improve their memory, thinking and ability to perform everyday tasks.

More than 2,800 volunteered for the study called ACTIVE — short for Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly. Most were studied when they were more than 70 years old.

The volunteers took one of several short training classes meant to help them keep their mental abilities. One class trained participants in skills including how to remember word lists. Another group trained in reasoning. A third group received help with speed-of-processing — speed of receiving and understanding information. A fourth group — the control group did not get any training.

Earlier results had established that the training helped the participants for up to five years. Now, leading study writer George Rebok says, the research showed most of the training remained effective a full ten years later.

Professor Rebok and his team found that the people trained in reasoning and speed-of- processing did better on tests than the control group.

“We are wondering whether those which endured over time would still be there ten years following the training, and in fact, that's exactly what we found.,,

The effect on memory, however, seemed not to last as long. Still, the old people in any of the three classes generally reported less difficulty in performing daily activities than the control group.The total training time for the older people was between 10 and 15 hours.

【1】 Which statement is false according to the text?

A. This kind of training can only have effects on people for a few years.

B. The people were trained during a period of ten years.

C. Most of the people who were studied were more than 70 years old.

D. The first group were trained how to remember word lists.

【2】 How would the old in the second group perform after receiving the trauung?

A. Remember more words.

B. Understand information more quickly.

C. Act as poorly as before.

D. Perform daily activities better.

【3】 What does the underlined word "attest" in the first paragraph mean7

A-Affect. B. Deny.

C. Prove. D. Improve.

【4】 Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?

A. Some Kinds of Mental Skills Naturally Decrease.

B. Mental Training Helped Elderly Stay Sharp for Years.

C. Four Groups of Old People Were Trained Mentally.

D. A Ten-year Research Affects Elderly.

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】A

【2】D

【3】C

【4】B

【解析】

試題分析：本文是一篇說(shuō)明文。隨著年齡的增長(zhǎng)，人們的某些心理機(jī)能也在衰退，然而最近有研究表示這些機(jī)能可以通過(guò)訓(xùn)練重新獲得，而且通過(guò)訓(xùn)練后這些機(jī)能保持很長(zhǎng)一段時(shí)間。

【1】A細(xì)節(jié)辨析題。根據(jù)第一段A recently published study also appears to attest that the good effects of training can last for many years after that training has ended.“最近一項(xiàng)已發(fā)表的調(diào)查證明，訓(xùn)練帶來(lái)的好處將在訓(xùn)練結(jié)束后的多年后持續(xù)存在。”故答案A是錯(cuò)誤的。

【2】D細(xì)節(jié)辨析題。根據(jù)第八段Still, the old people in any of the three classes generally reported less difficulty in performing daily activities than the control group.“據(jù)報(bào)道，在這三組的老人們?cè)谕瓿扇粘；顒?dòng)方面仍然比控制組的老人要好。”故答案為D。

【3】C詞義辨析題。Attest“證明，作證”；A.Affect.“影響，感動(dòng)，作用”； B. Deny“否認(rèn)，拒絕承認(rèn)，自制”；C. Prove“證明，檢驗(yàn)，結(jié)果是”；D. Improve“改善，改進(jìn)，提高”；故答案為C。

【4】B主旨大意題。通讀全文，主要內(nèi)容為科學(xué)家發(fā)現(xiàn)對(duì)老年人進(jìn)行相關(guān)訓(xùn)練以彌補(bǔ)其因年老而帶來(lái)的心理機(jī)能衰退，故答案為B。