Researchers have established that when people are mentally engaged, biochemical changes occur in the brain that allow it to act more effectively in cognitive areas such as attention and memory. This is true regardless of age.
People will be alert and receptive if they are faced with information that gets them to think about things they are interested in. And someone with a history of doing more rather than less will go into old age more cognitively sound than someone who has not had an active mind.
Many experts are so convinced of the benefits of challenging the brain that they are putting the theory to work in their own lives. "The idea is not necessarily to learn to memorize enormous amounts of information," says James Fozard, associate director of the National Institute on Aging."Most of us don’t need that kind of skill. Such specific training is less interesting than being able to maintain mental alertness." Fozard and others say they challenge their brains with different mental skills, both because they enjoy them and because they are sure that their range of activities will help the way their brains work.
Gene Cohen, acting director of the same institute, suggests that people in their old age should engage in mental and physical activities individually as well as in groups. Cohen says that we are frequently advised to keep physically active as weage, but older people need to keep mentally active as well. Those who do are more likely to maintain their intellectual abilities and to be generally happier and better adjusted. "The point is, you need to do both," Cohen says, "Intellectual activity actually influences braincell health and size."
A．How biochemical changes occur in the human brain.
B．Why people should keep active not only physically but also mentally.
C．How intellectual activities influence braincell health.
D．Why people should receive special mental training as they age. 1．People who are cognitively healthy are that _______.
A．who can remember large amounts of information
B．who are highly intelligent
C．whose minds are alert and receptive
D．who are good at recognizing different sounds
2．According to Fozard’s argument，people can make their brains work more efficiently by _______.
A．constantly doing memory work
B．taking part in various mental activities
C．going through specific training
D．making frequent adjustments
3．The findings of James and other scientists in their work _______.
A．remain a theory to be further proved
B．have been challenged by many other experts
C．have been generally accepted
D．a(chǎn)re practised by the researchers themselves
4．Older people are generally advised to________.
A．keep fit by going in for physical activities
B．keep mentally active by challenging their brains
C．maintain mental alertness through specific training
D．maintain a balance between individual and group activities
5．What is the passage mainly about？
1. 第2段作者推論，一個過去樂于思考的人，當(dāng)他進(jìn)入老年時，將比一個缺少積極動腦習(xí)慣的人有較健全的認(rèn)知能力。答案是選項C。
2. 根據(jù)第3段，F(xiàn)ozard的論點有的以直接引語形式出現(xiàn)，也有的以間接引語形式出現(xiàn)，例如第3段的 ... they challenge their brains ..., both because ... and because ... 一句便是間接引語。選項B是答案。
3. 據(jù)第3段的第1句話“許多專家相信經(jīng)常刺激大腦是有益處的，于是他們要把這一理論在他們自己的生活中付諸實施。”這說明這種理論還不曾被前人驗證過，這種理論正是他們研究的成果。答案是選項D。
4. 第4段第5行的we are frequently advised ... 一句，自然會明白答案是A項。
5. 本文中心思想是為什么在保持身體活力的同時，還必須保持大腦的活力，因為身心健康是一個統(tǒng)一體。答案是選項B。
People will be alert and receptive if they are faced with information that gets them to think about things they are interested in. And someone with a history of doing more rather than less will go into old age more cognitively sound than someone who has not had an active mind.
Many experts are so convinced of the benefits of challenging the brain that they are putting the theory to work in their own lives. "The idea is not necessarily to learn to memorize enormous amounts of information," says James Fozard, associate director of the National Institute on Aging."Most of us don’t need that kind of skill. Such specific training is less interesting than being able to maintain mental alertness." Fozard and others say they challenge their brains with different mental skills, both because they enjoy them and because they are sure that their range of activities will help the way their brains work.
Gene Cohen, acting director of the same institute, suggests that people in their old age should engage in mental and physical activities individually as well as in groups. Cohen says that we are frequently advised to keep physically active as weage, but older people need to keep mentally active as well. Those who do are more likely to maintain their intellectual abilities and to be generally happier and better adjusted. "The point is, you need to do both," Cohen says, "Intellectual activity actually influences braincell health and size."
A．How biochemical changes occur in the human brain.
B．Why people should keep active not only physically but also mentally.
C．How intellectual activities influence braincell health.
D．Why people should receive special mental training as they age. 1．People who are cognitively healthy are that _______.
A．who can remember large amounts of information
B．who are highly intelligent
C．whose minds are alert and receptive
D．who are good at recognizing different sounds
2．According to Fozard’s argument，people can make their brains work more efficiently by _______.
A．constantly doing memory work
B．taking part in various mental activities
C．going through specific training
D．making frequent adjustments
3．The findings of James and other scientists in their work _______.
A．remain a theory to be further proved
B．have been challenged by many other experts
C．have been generally accepted
D．a(chǎn)re practised by the researchers themselves
4．Older people are generally advised to________.
A．keep fit by going in for physical activities
B．keep mentally active by challenging their brains
C．maintain mental alertness through specific training
D．maintain a balance between individual and group activities
5．What is the passage mainly about？
1. 第2段作者推論，一個過去樂于思考的人，當(dāng)他進(jìn)入老年時，將比一個缺少積極動腦習(xí)慣的人有較健全的認(rèn)知能力。答案是選項C。
2. 根據(jù)第3段，F(xiàn)ozard的論點有的以直接引語形式出現(xiàn)，也有的以間接引語形式出現(xiàn)，例如第3段的 ... they challenge their brains ..., both because ... and because ... 一句便是間接引語。選項B是答案。
3. 據(jù)第3段的第1句話“許多專家相信經(jīng)常刺激大腦是有益處的，于是他們要把這一理論在他們自己的生活中付諸實施。”這說明這種理論還不曾被前人驗證過，這種理論正是他們研究的成果。答案是選項D。
4. 第4段第5行的we are frequently advised ... 一句，自然會明白答案是A項。
5. 本文中心思想是為什么在保持身體活力的同時，還必須保持大腦的活力，因為身心健康是一個統(tǒng)一體。答案是選項B。