You will spend hours at the gym training your body, but do you ever think about training your brain? Here are four ways to keep your brain mentally (脑力上地) active and healthy.
Play games
Your brain is a muscle just like the ones in the rest of your body. If you don’t use it, you will lose it. For example, doing a crossword puzzle (纵横填字游戏) once a day is a good way to give the brain the exercise it needs. This kind of puzzle is good at training different areas of the brain. But remember that when doing this puzzle, you should gradually increase the complexity (复杂度); otherwise, it will become repetitive (重复乏味的) and stop being mentally challenging.
Talk aloud
Although it might sound strange to you, talking aloud is a great way to boost your memory. A good exercise to try is counting to 99 in threes as fast as you can.
Be a team leader
If you find you can do your work very easily, you should find a new task. It is important that your job should be mentally challenging. Complex jobs are often more challenging and make the brain work a little harder.
Learn a language
A study found that, compared with those who could speak only one language, the people who could speak two languages had a slower rate of cognitive (认知能力) decrease. Learning a new language is very challenging and it makes sure that different areas of the brain have their lights on.
【小题1】What is the main idea of this passage?

You will spend hours at the gym training your body, but do you ever think about training your brain? Here are four ways to keep your brain mentally (脑力上地) active and healthy.
Play games
Your brain is a muscle just like the ones in the rest of your body. If you don’t use it, you will lose it. For example, doing a crossword puzzle (纵横填字游戏) once a day is a good way to give the brain the exercise it needs. This kind of puzzle is good at training different areas of the brain. But remember that when doing this puzzle, you should gradually increase the complexity (复杂度); otherwise, it will become repetitive (重复乏味的) and stop being mentally challenging.
Talk aloud
Although it might sound strange to you, talking aloud is a great way to boost your memory. A good exercise to try is counting to 99 in threes as fast as you can.
Be a team leader
If you find you can do your work very easily, you should find a new task. It is important that your job should be mentally challenging. Complex jobs are often more challenging and make the brain work a little harder.
Learn a language
A study found that, compared with those who could speak only one language, the people who could speak two languages had a slower rate of cognitive (认知能力) decrease. Learning a new language is very challenging and it makes sure that different areas of the brain have their lights on

1. 1.

   What is the main idea of this passage?

   1. A.
      Why you should train your brain
   2. B.
      How to be a good team leader
   3. C.
      Training the brain is more important than training the body
   4. D.
      How to make your brain healthy and work actively
2. 2.

   Which word can replace the word "boost" in the third paragraph?

   1. A.
      Change
   2. B.
      Promote
   3. C.
      Decrease
   4. D.
      Lose
3. 3.

   We should gradually increase the complexity when doing crossword puzzles because ______

   1. A.
      if we don’t use our brain, we will lose it
   2. B.
      we should make our brain face different challenges
   3. C.
      our brain is a muscle like other parts in our bodies
   4. D.
      these puzzles can work on different areas of the brain
4. 4.

   Which group of people have a slower rate of cognitive decrease?

   1. A.
      Those who don’t often do crossword puzzles
   2. B.
      Those who don’t often count to 99 in threes
   3. C.
      Those who do their work very easily
   4. D.
      Those who can speak more than one language

As an engineering student, I had a degree and three good job offers. I couldn’t help trembling when I heard about studies which showed that women are at a (n) 　1 when it comes to math. However, I discovered: just because a subject is 　2 to learn, it does not show you are not good at it. You just have to grit your teeth and work harder to get good at it. 　3 you do, there’s a (an) 　4 chance you will enjoy it more than anything else.

In eighth grade I took algebra (代数). On one test I got only 1 percent of the 　5 answers. I failed the next one, too. I started to 　6 maybe I’m just not good at this. I was lucky enough to have a teacher who didn’t take my bad grades as a judgment of my 　7 , but 　8 as an indication that I should study more. He 　9 me aside and told me he knew I could do better. Success grows out of struggles to overcome difficulties. I 　10 the following tests, and pulled my grade up to an A.

I studied a lot in college, too. I had moments of fear while sitting below the fluorescent lights in the 　11 library on Saturday afternoons, when I 　12 that the estrogen (雌性激素) in my body was 　13 me from understanding thermodynamics (热动力学). But the 　14 in my class had to work just as hard, and I knew that I couldn’t 　15 to lose confidence in myself. I didn’t want to choose between my femininity (女人气) and a good career. 16 I reminded myself that those 　17 , the ones that say math comes more naturally to men, are faulty.

Here’s a secret: math and science don’t go 　18 to most people. No one was 　19 born knowing calculus (微积分). But as a famous saying goes: Y nothing is difficult if you put your heart into it. A woman can learn anything a man can, but first she needs to know that she can do it, and then takes a leap of 　20 .

1．A．advantage　 B．disadvantage　　 C．trouble　　 D．discomfort

2．A．enjoyable　 B．humorous C．simple　　 D．difficult

3．A．Once　 B．Where　　 C．Although　 D．Until

4．A．strong B．poor C．impossible D．few

5．A．wrong B．complete　 C．correct　　 D．missing

6．A．think　 B．astonish　 C．know　　　 D．decide

7．A．marks B．standards C．characteristics D．abilities

8．A．extremely　 B．simply　　 C．slightly　　 D．especially

9．A．pulled B．led　　 C．put　 D．pushed

10．A．designed　 B．attended　 C．got　 D．took

11．A．chemistry B．engineering　　　 C．biology 　 D．geography

12．A．worried　 B．agreed　　 C．knew D．realized

13．A．protecting B．awaking　 C．preventing D．attempting

14．A．girls B．boys C．students　 D．classmates

15．A．afford　　　 B．try　　 C．help　 D．manage

16．A．Also B．But　 C．Though　 D．So

17．A．studies　　 B．grades　　 C．students　 D．experiments

18．A．actively　　 B．easily C．difficultly D．gradually

19．A．never B．ever　 C．even D．often

20．A．honesty　 B．knowledge　　　 C．reality　　　 D．faith

As an engineering student, I had a degree and three good job offers. I couldn’t help trembling when I heard about studies which showed that women are at a (n) 　1 when it comes to math. However, I discovered: just because a subject is 　2 to learn, it does not show you are not good at it. You just have to grit your teeth and work harder to get good at it. 　3 you do, there’s a (an) 　4 chance you will enjoy it more than anything else.

In eighth grade I took algebra (代数). On one test I got only 1 percent of the 　5 answers. I failed the next one, too. I started to 　6 maybe I’m just not good at this. I was lucky enough to have a teacher who didn’t take my bad grades as a judgment of my 　7 , but 　8 as an indication that I should study more. He 　9 me aside and told me he knew I could do better. Success grows out of struggles to overcome difficulties. I 　10 the following tests, and pulled my grade up to an A.

I studied a lot in college, too. I had moments of fear while sitting below the fluorescent lights in the 　11 library on Saturday afternoons, when I 　12 that the estrogen (雌性激素) in my body was 　13 me from understanding thermodynamics (热动力学). But the 　14 in my class had to work just as hard, and I knew that I couldn’t 　15 to lose confidence in myself. I didn’t want to choose between my femininity (女人气) and a good career. 16 I reminded myself that those 　17 , the ones that say math comes more naturally to men, are faulty.

Here’s a secret: math and science don’t go 　18 to most people. No one was 　19 born knowing calculus (微积分). But as a famous saying goes: Y nothing is difficult if you put your heart into it. A woman can learn anything a man can, but first she needs to know that she can do it, and then takes a leap of 　20 .

1．A．advantage　 B．disadvantage　　 C．trouble　　 D．discomfort

2．A．enjoyable　 B．humorous C．simple　　 D．difficult

3．A．Once　 B．Where　　 C．Although　 D．Until

4．A．strong B．poor C．impossible D．few

5．A．wrong B．complete　 C．correct　　 D．missing

6．A．think　 B．astonish　 C．know　　　 D．decide

7．A．marks B．standards C．characteristics D．abilities

8．A．extremely　 B．simply　　 C．slightly　　 D．especially

9．A．pulled B．led　　 C．put　 D．pushed

10．A．designed　 B．attended　 C．got　 D．took

11．A．chemistry B．engineering　　　 C．biology 　 D．geography

12．A．worried　 B．agreed　　 C．knew D．realized

13．A．protecting B．awaking　 C．preventing D．attempting

14．A．girls B．boys C．students　 D．classmates

15．A．afford　　　 B．try　　 C．help　 D．manage

16．A．Also B．But　 C．Though　 D．So

17．A．studies　　 B．grades　　 C．students　 D．experiments

18．A．actively　　 B．easily C．difficultly D．gradually

19．A．never B．ever　 C．even D．often

20．A．honesty　 B．knowledge　　　 C．reality　　　 D．faith

As an engineering student, I had a degree and three good job offers. I couldn’t help trembling when I heard about studies which showed that women are at a (n) 　1 when it comes to math. However, I discovered: just because a subject is 　2 to learn, it does not show you are not good at it. You just have to grit your teeth and work harder to get good at it. 　3 you do, there’s a (an) 　4 chance you will enjoy it more than anything else.

In eighth grade I took algebra (代数). On one test I got only 1 percent of the 　5 answers. I failed the next one, too. I started to 　6 maybe I’m just not good at this. I was lucky enough to have a teacher who didn’t take my bad grades as a judgment of my 　7 , but 　8 as an indication that I should study more. He 　9 me aside and told me he knew I could do better. Success grows out of struggles to overcome difficulties. I 　10 the following tests, and pulled my grade up to an A.

I studied a lot in college, too. I had moments of fear while sitting below the fluorescent lights in the 　11 library on Saturday afternoons, when I 　12 that the estrogen (雌性激素) in my body was 　13 me from understanding thermodynamics (热动力学). But the 　14 in my class had to work just as hard, and I knew that I couldn’t 　15 to lose confidence in myself. I didn’t want to choose between my femininity (女人气) and a good career. 16 I reminded myself that those 　17 , the ones that say math comes more naturally to men, are faulty.

Here’s a secret: math and science don’t go 　18 to most people. No one was 　19 born knowing calculus (微积分). But as a famous saying goes: Y nothing is difficult if you put your heart into it. A woman can learn anything a man can, but first she needs to know that she can do it, and then takes a leap of 　20 .

1．A．advantage　 B．disadvantage　　 C．trouble　　 D．discomfort

2．A．enjoyable　 B．humorous C．simple　　 D．difficult

3．A．Once　 B．Where　　 C．Although　 D．Until

4．A．strong B．poor C．impossible D．few

5．A．wrong B．complete　 C．correct　　 D．missing

6．A．think　 B．astonish　 C．know　　　 D．decide

7．A．marks B．standards C．characteristics D．abilities

8．A．extremely　 B．simply　　 C．slightly　　 D．especially

9．A．pulled B．led　　 C．put　 D．pushed

10．A．designed　 B．attended　 C．got　 D．took

11．A．chemistry B．engineering　　　 C．biology 　 D．geography

12．A．worried　 B．agreed　　 C．knew D．realized

13．A．protecting B．awaking　 C．preventing D．attempting

14．A．girls B．boys C．students　 D．classmates

15．A．afford　　　 B．try　　 C．help　 D．manage

16．A．Also B．But　 C．Though　 D．So

17．A．studies　　 B．grades　　 C．students　 D．experiments

18．A．actively　　 B．easily C．difficultly D．gradually

19．A．never B．ever　 C．even D．often

20．A．honesty　 B．knowledge　　　 C．reality　　　 D．faith