Question

Until just a few years ago，we doctors believed that the brain stopped making new neural(神經(jīng)系統(tǒng)的)connections (meaning that your memory began to get worse)when the body stopped developing，usually in your early 20s. And we knew that，like any other body part，neurons weaken as we age. Loss of brain function due to neural breakdown was assumed to be a normal，unavoidable part of aging.

It turns out that we were wrong. In the past few years，it has been discovered that you can，in fact，make new neurons starting in your 20s and continuing well into old age. You can literally rewire the brain with new parts as the older parts wear out. How？Simple：Keep learning. Just as your body can pack on and condition new muscle，your brain can rebuild used-up neurons.

How strong is the evidence for this？Strong enough that a $200 million industry devoted to brain boosting software (products like Brain Age，MindFit，and Lumosity that supposedly improve your memory function)has sprung up out of nowhere. All“mental fitness”means are keeping your memory intact(everything from phone numbers to how to throw a football)．So what can you do to stay smart?

Keep blood pressure down. People with high blood pressure are more likely to develop cognitive impairment later in life.

Eat more vitamins. Like E(in nuts and sunflower seeds)，B6 and B12(beef，tuna)，and folic acid(leafy greens，citrus，berries)，which help keep your brain’s chemistry in balance.

Exercise your brain. This is the best way to rebuild and strengthen those precious neurons. Learn to play chess or the guitar. When you’re at a stoplight，try to recall the starting lineup of the 1983 Celtics. See a movie that doesn’t feature Ben Stiller. Or read，like，a book.

Title：How to keep the 1.________smart？

Previous 2.____	The brain no longer makes new neural connections once the 3.________ of one’s body has stopped.
New 4. ________	●New neurons continue to occur even in one’s old age. ●5.________contributes to the development of the new parts of your brain. ●Many products which claim to improve your brain function appear in 6.the _________.
7. _______	●Keep yourself away from 8._________blood pressure. ●9._________in more vitamins for the needs of your brain. ●10._______your brain as much as you can.

Answer 1

1.brain

2.belief

3.growth/development

4.discoveries

5.Learning

6.market

7.Suggestion/Advice/Tips

8.high

9.Take

10.Exercise/Use

【解析】

試題分析：本文主要介紹了保持大腦聰明的方法。介紹了以前的發(fā)現(xiàn)以及現(xiàn)在的研究和小技巧。

1. can literally rewire the brain with new parts as the older parts wear out. How？可以知道講述的是如何使大腦保持聰明的方法。

2. ;文中第一段中we doctors believed that the brain stopped making new neural醫(yī)生們相信大腦停止……，而這里需要believe的名詞形式。所以填belief。

3. ;文中第一段第一句話we doctors believed that the brain stopped making new neural(神經(jīng)系統(tǒng)的)connections (meaning that your memory began to get worse)when the body stopped developing，當(dāng)身體停止發(fā)育的時候，而這里需要developing的名詞形式或者同義詞。

4. 文中第二段第二句話it has been discovered that you can，同樣地，這里也需discover的名詞形式且復(fù)數(shù)形式。

5. ;文中第二段最后一句話Keep learning. Just as your body can pack on and condition new muscle，your brain can rebuild used-up neurons.可以知道學(xué)習(xí)也可以重塑神經(jīng)系統(tǒng)。

6. ;文中第三段第二句話Strong enough that a $200 million industry devoted to brain boosting software (products like Brain Age，MindFit，and Lumosity that supposedly improve your memory function)has sprung up out of nowhere.工廠投入生產(chǎn)，生產(chǎn)產(chǎn)品投入市場，所以推知產(chǎn)品出現(xiàn)在市場上。

7. ;由文中第三段最后一句話So what can you do to stay smart?講的應(yīng)該是建議或者方法。

8. ;由技巧1People with high blood pressure are more likely to develop cognitive impairment later in life.人們應(yīng)該讓自己遠(yuǎn)離高血壓。

9. 由技巧2 Like E(in nuts and sunflower seeds)，B6 and B12(beef，tuna)，and folic acid(leafy greens，citrus，berries)，which help keep your brain’s chemistry in balance.推知應(yīng)該吸收此類營養(yǎng)。Take in表示吸收。

10. 由技巧3 Exercise your brain.可知要多用腦。

考點(diǎn)：考查學(xué)生對信息的掌握。