Sorry to say, our brains naturally start slowing down at the young age of 30. It used to be thought that this couldn't be helped, but new studies show that people of any age can train their brains to work faster. "Your brain is a learning machine," says University of California scientist Dr. Michael Merzenich. Given the right tools, we can train our brains to act like they did when we were younger. All that's required is the practice designed just for the purpose: a few exercises for the mind.

Merzenich has developed a computer-based training method to speed up the process（过程） in which the brain deals with information (positscience.com). Since much of the data we receive comes through speech, the Brain Fitness Program works with language and hearing to better speed and accuracy （准确性）.Over the course of training, the program starts asking you to tell sounds (between "dog" and "bog", for example) at an increasingly faster speed. It's a bit like tennis instructor, says Merzenich, hitting balls at you faster and faster to keep you challenged. You may start out slow, but before long you're pretty quick.

The biggest finding in brain research in the last ten years is that the brain at any age is highly plastic. If you ask your brain to learn, it will learn. And it may even speed up while in the process. To keep your brain young and plastic you can do one of a million new activities that challenge and excite you：playing table tennis or bridge, doing crossword puzzles, learning a language.... "When it comes to preventing ageing, you really do 'use it or lose it'," says Barbara Sahakian, professor at Cambridge University.

51. According to the new studies, what will happen to our brains?

A. They will not start slowing down until the age of 30

B. They will start working slowly after the age of 30

C. They can work as well as at a young age through certain exercises

D. They can not be improved once they start to slow down

52. The writer mentioned many ways to speed up your brain, EXCEPT_____

A. doing a million new activities　　

B. sleeping as much as possible　

C. playing some intelligent games

D. playing table tennis

53. What can we learn from the text?

A. Using right tools is important for brains’ work.　　

B. Brain research deals with information from the Internet　

C. Dr. Merzenich is a scientist in computer,

D. Many activities can keep our brains young.

54. Which of the following agrees with the writer’s idea?

A. The train methods work better for the old.

B. People should train the brain to stop it from aging.

C. The training of the brain should start at an early age.

D. It is necessary to take part in as many activities as possible.

55. Which one is TRUE according to the passage?

A. If you are 71 years old, your brain is too old to train.

B. You can eat the food to keep your brain young and plastic.

C. Merzenich has developed a computer-based training method to train brains.

D. You will feel younger when you train your brain.

阅读理解

　　Our village carpenter (木匠), John Hill, came one day and made a dining table for my wife. He made it just the right size to fill the space between the two windows. When I got home that evening, John was drinking a cup of tea and writing out his bill for the work.

　　My wife said to me quietly, “That is his ninth cup of tea today.” But she said, in a loud voice, “It's beautiful table, dear, isn't it?”

　　“I'll decide about that when I see the bill.” I said.

　　John laughed and gave me his bill for the work. I read:

　　One dinning table 10 November 1989

　　Cost (成本) of wood $ 17.00 Paint (油漆) $ 1.50

　　Work, 8 hours ($ 1 an hour) $ 8∶00 Total (合计) $ 36.50.

　　When I was looking at the bill, John said, “It's been a fine day, hasn't it? Quite sunny.”

　　“Yes,” I said, “I'm very glad it's only the 10th of November.”

　　“Me, too,” said John. “You waitit'll be a lot colder by the end of the month.”

　　“Yes. Colderand more expensive! Dining tables will be $ 20 more expensive on Nov. 30th, won't they, John?”

　　John looked hard at me for half a minute, was there a little smile in his two blue eyes. I gave his bill back to him.

　　“If it isn't too much trouble, John,” I said, “please add it up (加起来) again. You can forget the date ….”

　　I paid him $ 26.50 and he was happy to get it.

1．Why did John talk about the weather while the writer was looking at the bill?

[　　]

A．Because he didn't want the writer to go through (检查) the bill carefully.

B．Because it was really a find day.

C．Because he wanted to talk with the writer.

D．Because he wanted to tell the writer what the weather was like.

2．Why did the writer say that dining table would be $ 20 more expensive on Nov. 30th?

[　　]

A．Because it was difficult to make dining table in cold weather.

B．Because paint would be more expensive in November.

C．Because wood would be hard to buy in cold days.

D．Because he thought John would add the date to the cost of the dining table.

3．The writer thought John would ask for ________ if he made a dining table on the last day of November.

[　　]

4．From the story we know that ________.

[　　]

A．John made a mistake in the bill

B．John tried to get more money from the writer

C．John didn't write the bill until the writer came back

D．John got $ 10.00 more than what he should get