同等学力英语每日一练：2017年1月3日
If those “mad moments”-when you can’t remember what your friend has told you or where you left your keys-are becoming more frequent,mental exercises and a healthy brain diet may help.
Just as bodies require more maintenance with the passing years,so do brains,which scientists now know show sighs of aging as early as the 20s and 30s. “Brain aging starts at a very young age,younger than any of us had imagined and these processed continue gradually over the years”said Dr.Gary Small,thedirector of the Center on Aging at the University of California,Los Angeles. “I’m convinced that it is never too early to get started on a mental or brain-fitness program.”he added.
In his book,The Memory Bible,the 51-year-old neuroscientist(神经学家) lists what he refers to as the 10 suggestions for keeping the brain young.They include training memory,building skills,reducing stress,mental exercises,brain food and a healthy lifestyle.It’s a game plan for keeping brain cells sparking and neural networks in perfect shape.
“Misplacing your keys a couple of times don’t mean you should start labeling your cabinets.Memory loss is not an inevitable consequence of aging.Our brains can fight back.”he said.Small provides the weapons for a full-scale attack.
Simple memory tests give an indication of what you are up against and tools such as “look”and “connect”are designed to make sure that important things such as names and dates are never forgotten. “So if you wanted to learn names and faces,for example,you meet Mrs.Beatty and you notice a distinguishing facial feature,maybe a high eyebrow,”said Small. “You associate the first thing that comes to mind.I think of the actor Warren Beatty so I create a mental picture of Warren Beatty kissing her brow.”Small admits it may sound a bit strange but he says it works. “Mental exercises could be anything from doing crossword puzzles and writing with your left hand if you are right handed or learning a language.It could be anything that is fun that people enjoy doing.”he added.
He also recommends physical exercise,a low-fat diet and eating foods rich in fatty acids,such as fish,nuts,and fruits and vegetables high in antioxidants(抗氧化剂)including blueberries and onions in addition to reducing stress.
1. The “mad moment” in the first paragraph refers to the time when we ______.
A. don’t listen to our friends
B. have lost our important things
C. have some mental problems
D. have a bad memory
2. In this passage，the author mainly tells us ______.
A. everyone has bad memories sometimes no matter how old he is
B. we can prevent our mind from aging with various methods
C. brain aging starts at the time when we are in the 20s and 30s
D. memory lost is not the sign that we are getting old
3. By giving the example” you meet Mrs. Beatty and you notice a distinguishing ...eyebrow”，Dr. Small is trying to explain the memory tool of ______.
A. look
B. physical exercises
C. connect
D. mental exercises
4. By saying “I think of the actor Warren BEATTY so I create...her brow” Dr. Small is trying
to explain the memory tool of ______.
A. remembering facial features
B. reducing stress
C. connecting related things
D. observing carefully
5. Mental exercises do NOT include ______.
A. writing with one’s left hand
B. learning a foreign language
C. doing crossword puzzles
D. taking pictures
【答案解析】
1．选D。细节题,本文开头：“If those‘mad moments’—when you can’t remember what your friend has told you or where you left your keys.”（假如你忘记了朋友给你说过的话或者你不记得把钥匙放在什么地方。）此句中破折号后面就是 mad moments的进一步解释，can’t remember意思就是 a bad memory。
2．选B。主旨题,文章第三段开始提到了一本书The Memory Bible（记忆宝典），主要介绍如何保持大脑年轻，接下来详细地阐述了几种方法，如training memory，building skills，reducing stress，mental exercises，brain food and a healthy lifestyle.（训练记忆能力，提高技巧，减少压力，活跃思维，营养大脑和健康生活方式等）故正确选项为B项。其他三个选项都属于文章的细节，不是本文的主旨。
3．选A。细节推断题,答案在第六段。“Simple memory tests give an indication of what you are up against and tools such as‘look’and‘connect’are designed to make sure that important things”和“So if you wanted to learn names and faces，for example，you meet Mrs. Beatty and you notice a distinguishing facial feature，maybe a high eyebrow.”可见此例子是针对前面的look和connect两个工具的，而通过“notice a distinguishing facial feature...”（注意到一个奇特的面部特征……）可推知答案为look.
4．选C。细节推断题,答案也在第六段，可参照上题分析。针对look举例后，又针对connect进行举例。故答案为选C项。
5．选D。细节题,答案在第七段：“Mental exercises could be anything from doing crossword puzzles and writing with your left hand if you are right handed or learning a language. It could be anything that is fun that people enjoy doing.”（思维的锻炼可以多种多样，只要你能从中获得乐趣即可，如字谜游戏、左手写字、学习一种语言等。）A、B、C三个选项均可在本句中找到，只有D项不包括在内。
