If you want to stay young, sit down and have a good think. This is the research finding of a team of Japanese doctors, who say that most of our brains are not getting enough exercise and as a result, We are aging unnecessarily soon. Professor Taiju Matsuzawa wanted to find out why otherwise healthy farmers in northern Japan appeared to be losing their ability to think and reason at a relatively early age. With a team of colleagues at Tokyo National University, he set about measuring brain volumes or a thousand people of different ages and varying occupations. Computer technology enabled the researchers to obtain precise measurements of the volume of the front and side sections of the brain, which relate to intellect and emotion, and determine the human character. The rear (后方的) section of the brain, which controls functions like eating and breathing, does not contract with age, and one can continue living without intellectual or emotional faculties or functions. Contraction of front and side parts--as cells die off--was observed in some subjects in their thirties, but it was still not evident in some sixty-and-seventy-year-olds. Matsuzawa concluded from his tests that there is a simple remedy to the contraction normally associated with age-using the head. The findings show in general terms that contraction of the brain begins sooner in the country than in the towns. Those least at risk says Matsuzawa, are lawyers, followed by university professors and doctors, white collar workers doing routine work in government offices are, however, as likely to have shrinking brains as the farm worker, bus driver and shop assistant. Matsuzawa’s findings show that thinking can prevent the brain from shrinking. Blood must circulate properly in the head to supply the fresh oxygen the brain cells need. "The best way to maintain good blood circulation is through using the brain," he says, "Think hard and engage in conversation. Don’t rely on pocket calculators.\ We should not rely on pocket calculators because ______.
A. [A] they are not clever as our brains [C] they are harmful to our brains
B. [B] we need to use our brains to prevent it from shrinking [D] we could not get enough practice on mathematics
查看答案
Home. Few words in the English language have such a special meaning. Home is a place where you can relax, kick back and just be yourself. Just about everyone has a strong opinion of what makes a house a home. And for most people in America, home should be, above all, comfortable. Americans like their homes to reflect their personal tastes. Many do-it-yourselfers enjoy fixing up their house and making it more "livable." They often try to create a cozy atmosphere so that when they’re at home, they’ll really feel "at home." Sofas and lounge chairs may be heavily padded and arranged in groupings conducive ( 有益于 ) to relaxed conversation. The bathroom even receives special attention. Carpeted floors, scented soaps, colorful wallpaper and decorative curtains adorn the "comfort room" in many homes. And on average, Americans have more bathrooms than any other people in the world. Americans try to make the most of their space, too. The majority of homes have built-in closets and shelves, and people spare no pains to add dressers, filing cabinets and closet organizers to maximize their storage space. Although keeping the house neat is often a constant battle, Americans feel it’s a battle worth fighting. People in America keep an eye on the latest trends in interior design. In the 80s, the "country" look dominated the home decorating scene. Rustic furniture and shelves full of old-fashioned knick-knacks created a homey atmosphere reminiscent of rural America several generations back. The 90s have brought in another longing for the past: the retro ( 怀旧的 ) 50s and 60s look——plain and simple furniture with square backs and arms and block-style legs. With all this attention to their homes, you would think Americans place a high premium on housekeeping. In fact, however, keeping house doesn’t receive as much attention as it used to. Why The fast-paced lifestyles of the 90s allow little spare time for dusting, vacuuming and scrubbing the tub. Ironically, however, even though more and more women work outside the home, women still do twice as much housework as men. Modem conveniences like the washing machine, the vacuum cleaner, and the dishwasher have taken some of the drudgery (苦差事) out of household chores. But in general, Americans these days take their cue from books like How to Avoid Housework. Popularity of rustic furniture in 1980s and plain and simple furniture in 1990s reflect Americans’ attention to ______________________________.
Questions 11 to 18 are bused on the conversation you have just heard.
A. [A] Because she was not at home. [C] Because she was washing her hair.
B. [B] Because she didn’t hear the telephone ting. [D] Because she didn’t want to answer.
Home. Few words in the English language have such a special meaning. Home is a place where you can relax, kick back and just be yourself. Just about everyone has a strong opinion of what makes a house a home. And for most people in America, home should be, above all, comfortable. Americans like their homes to reflect their personal tastes. Many do-it-yourselfers enjoy fixing up their house and making it more "livable." They often try to create a cozy atmosphere so that when they’re at home, they’ll really feel "at home." Sofas and lounge chairs may be heavily padded and arranged in groupings conducive ( 有益于 ) to relaxed conversation. The bathroom even receives special attention. Carpeted floors, scented soaps, colorful wallpaper and decorative curtains adorn the "comfort room" in many homes. And on average, Americans have more bathrooms than any other people in the world. Americans try to make the most of their space, too. The majority of homes have built-in closets and shelves, and people spare no pains to add dressers, filing cabinets and closet organizers to maximize their storage space. Although keeping the house neat is often a constant battle, Americans feel it’s a battle worth fighting. People in America keep an eye on the latest trends in interior design. In the 80s, the "country" look dominated the home decorating scene. Rustic furniture and shelves full of old-fashioned knick-knacks created a homey atmosphere reminiscent of rural America several generations back. The 90s have brought in another longing for the past: the retro ( 怀旧的 ) 50s and 60s look——plain and simple furniture with square backs and arms and block-style legs. With all this attention to their homes, you would think Americans place a high premium on housekeeping. In fact, however, keeping house doesn’t receive as much attention as it used to. Why The fast-paced lifestyles of the 90s allow little spare time for dusting, vacuuming and scrubbing the tub. Ironically, however, even though more and more women work outside the home, women still do twice as much housework as men. Modem conveniences like the washing machine, the vacuum cleaner, and the dishwasher have taken some of the drudgery (苦差事) out of household chores. But in general, Americans these days take their cue from books like How to Avoid Housework. According to the passage, Americans’ homes usually can reflect ______________________________.
If you want to stay young, sit down and have a good think. This is the research finding of a team of Japanese doctors, who say that most of our brains are not getting enough exercise and as a result, We are aging unnecessarily soon. Professor Taiju Matsuzawa wanted to find out why otherwise healthy farmers in northern Japan appeared to be losing their ability to think and reason at a relatively early age. With a team of colleagues at Tokyo National University, he set about measuring brain volumes or a thousand people of different ages and varying occupations. Computer technology enabled the researchers to obtain precise measurements of the volume of the front and side sections of the brain, which relate to intellect and emotion, and determine the human character. The rear (后方的) section of the brain, which controls functions like eating and breathing, does not contract with age, and one can continue living without intellectual or emotional faculties or functions. Contraction of front and side parts--as cells die off--was observed in some subjects in their thirties, but it was still not evident in some sixty-and-seventy-year-olds. Matsuzawa concluded from his tests that there is a simple remedy to the contraction normally associated with age-using the head. The findings show in general terms that contraction of the brain begins sooner in the country than in the towns. Those least at risk says Matsuzawa, are lawyers, followed by university professors and doctors, white collar workers doing routine work in government offices are, however, as likely to have shrinking brains as the farm worker, bus driver and shop assistant. Matsuzawa’s findings show that thinking can prevent the brain from shrinking. Blood must circulate properly in the head to supply the fresh oxygen the brain cells need. "The best way to maintain good blood circulation is through using the brain," he says, "Think hard and engage in conversation. Don’t rely on pocket calculators.\ According to the third paragraph, ______.
A. the volume of the side section of the brain determines the human character
B. the front section of the brain controls function of eating
C. the front section of the brain does not contract with age
D. human can live without intellectual or emotional functions