Sorry to say,our brains naturally start slowing down at the Cruelty 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,”saying 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 distinguish(辨别) 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(受到挑战).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.

Dr.Merzenich’s training method mainly depends on ______.

A.speech training

B.computer languages

C.the activities one joins in

D.the information being dealt with

By saying “the brain at any age is highly plastic”,the writer probably means the brain can be ______.

A.used                                                            B.mastered

C.developed                                                     D.researched

What can we learn from the text?

A.Practice makes a quick mind.

B.Brain research started ten years ago.

C.Dr. Merzenich is a scientist in computer.

D.People believed nothing could stop the brain slowing down.

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

A.The training methods work better for the old.

B.People should use the brain to stop it from ageing.

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

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

Last night we met with _________ accident on the way home.

  A. a quite strange  B. too strange an     C. such strange an     D. a so strange

We had wanted to finish our task by noon,but it didn’t quite ___ as planned.

A.find out                                                       B.give out

C.hand out                                                       D.work out

The melon the Smiths served at dinner would have tasted ___ if it had been put in the fridge for a little while.

A.good                                                            B.better

C.best                                                             D.well

He was down with the flu, and ____ couldn’t come to the party.

A. moreover B. meanwhile    C. therefore   D. otherwise

Experience the newly opened Grand Canyon(大峡谷)West Skywalk in Colorado.Departing from Grand Canyon’s South Rim by Airplane to Grand Canyon’s West Rim,you will land and take a ground tour to the Skywalk!Walk on air for 70 feet over the edge of Grand Canyon West.

This Skywalk has been open since March 28,2007.Daily visitorship to the Skywalk has been over 4000 people.Please be patient to enjoy your moment on the Skywalk.

After you have experienced the one and only Grand Canyon Skywalk Glass Bridge,you will return to the Grand Canyon West Airport and take your Airplane for a flight back to the South Rim of the Canyon.This is a tour never to be forgotten as you will have walked on air over the Grand Canyon.

Tour Itinerary(行程)

This advertisement is for_______.

A.Grand Canyon West                                      B.Grand Canyon South

C.Grand Canyon                                              D.the Skywalk

The package fee does NOT cover the cost of_______.

The Grand Canyon Skywalk Bridge is made of glass because_______.

A.it looks stronger                                            B.it is cheaper to build

C.it looks more beautiful                                          D.it gives you a better view

According to the Tour Itinerary,the route is_______.

A.South Rim→Guano Point→West Airport→Eagle Point→West Airport→South Rim

B.South Rim→West Airport→Guano Point→Eagle Point→West Airport→South Rim

C.South Rim→West Airport→Eagle Point→Guano Point→West Airport→South Rim

South Rim→West Airport→Eagle Point→West Airport→Guano Point→South Rim

  短文改错(共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分)

此题要求改正所给短文中的错误。对标有题号的每一行作出判断：如无错误，在该行右边横线上画一个勾(√);如有错误(每行只有一个错误)，则按下列情况改正：

此行多一个词：把多余的词用斜线(\\)划掉，在该行右边横线上写出该词，并也用斜线划掉。

此行缺一个词：在缺词处加一个漏字符号(∧)，在该行右边横线上写出该加的词。

此行错一个词：在错的词下画一横线，在该行右边横线上写出改正后的词。

注意：原行没有错的不要改。

One day in the restaurant where I worked,I am serving a                               76._______

table of four and each person had ordered the different                                          77._______

kind of fish.Three plate were already on the table when                                  78._______

the man closest to me pointing to one plate and asked me                               79._______

the name of the fish on it.Before I could answer him,he                                 80._______

continued to ask me the name of the fish on another one                                 81._______

plate.I was about to answer him while I noticed that the                                 82._______

last plate on my tray(托盘) began to fall.They fell noisily                               83._______

to the floor seconds late,spreading its contents on the                                     84._______

carpet.Everyone stared me and I stood there with a red face.                                  85._______

—Have you handed in your schoolwork yet?

—Yes,I have.I guess it _______ now.

A.has graded                                                    B.is graded

C.is being graded                                             D.is grading

As the years passed,many occasions—birthdays,awards,graduations—_______with Dad’s flowers.

A.are marked                                                   B.were marked

C.have marked                                                 D.had marked

Despite such a big difference in ___ towards what one eats,there is no doubt that people in the west regard the Chinese food as something special.

A.point                                                                  B.idea

C.attitude                                                                      D.sight