It's long been understood that there is a connection between memory problems and diabetes(糖尿病), a disorder characterized by excessively high blood sugar.Sugar provides the body with fuel for various processes, including memory processing. In fact, glucose(葡萄糖)carried in the blood stream supplies the brain with 90 percent of the energy it requires to function properly.
In order to fuel those processes, glucose has to get from the blood to the tissues, where it can be broken down and put to work. High blood sugar levels, such as in diabetes, are an indicator that a body is experiencing difficulty moving sugar from the blood to the tissues.
However, some non-diabetics have a less severe form of high blood sugar, a condition called impaired glucose tolerance. And it is this condition that seems to be the cause of memory problems in a significant number of non-diabetic elderly people who experience memory difficulties.
Subjects were given glucose intravenously(静脉注射), and then researchers measured how quickly glucose moved from the blood to the tissues. Next, the subjects were tested for overall cognitive functioning and the ability to recall short paragraphs. It turned out that subjects who scored lowest in memory recall tests also showed impaired glucose tolerance.
In addition, brain scans demonstrated that these same subjects each had a significantly smaller hippocampus, a brain area important to learning and memory. The researchers hypothesize that impaired glucose tolerance may over time cause damage and atrophy (萎缩) to the hippocampus.
What can a body do to prevent this? A healthy diet and exercise can help maintain good glucose tolerance, perhaps preventing gradual memory decline.
1. What does a high blood sugar level suggest?| A．A body has already developed diabetes. |
| B．Problems arise when glucose is transported. |
| C．Glucose begins to reproduce itself in the blood stream. |
| D．Fewer fuels are needed for a body to function properly. |
| A．It may gradually cause damage to people's brains. |
| B．It is associated with a minor disorder of blood pressure. |
| C．People with this condition have a high risk of falling down. |
| D．It is an acute disease caused by a shortage of regular workout. |
| A．Explain in detail. | B．Jump to a conclusion. |
| C．Make an assumption. | D．Declare with certainty. |
| A．The causes and symptoms of diabetes. |
| B．An experiment to find a cure for diabetes. |
| C．The connection between memory and sugar. |
| D．A study to differ diabetes from impaired glucose tolerance. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】The pangolin might be a potential intermediate host of the novel coronavirus, as genome sequences of the disease strain separated from the animals were 99 percent identical to those found in infected people, a study has discovered.
The study, jointly conducted by researchers from South China Agricultural University and related scientific research institutes, will be of great significance to prevention and control of the source of novel coronavirus.
The study, announced at a press conference on Friday, analyzed more than 1,000 metagenomic samples by researchers.
Through molecular biological testing, it revealed the positive rate of beta coronavirus in pangolins was 70 percent.
By further isolating and identifying the virus, electron microscopy shows a typical coronavirus particle structure in pangolins, according to the study.
Researchers found genomic sequence similarities between the isolated virus strain and the currently infected human strain to be as high as 99 percent.
"We hope the study will be helpful for scientific prevention and control of the disease, as well as providing references for further scientific research," said Liu Yahong, president of South China Agricultural University.
1. What might be a potential intermediate host of the novel coronavirus according to the latest research? And why?2. What is the significance of the latest research result?
【推荐2】Researchers set out to understand more about the connection between people’s emotions and behavior at bird feeders and how that may impact conservation in a study published in People and Nature.
“We know that bird feeding is popular across the world, but not a lot is known about people who feed birds,” said lead author Ashely Dayer, an assistant professor at Virginia Tech.
In the study, Dayer and her workmates made use of Project Feeder Watch, a citizen science program from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. The team sent an email to a subset of the project participants in all U.S. states and asked them questions about observations made at their feeders, how those observations made them feel and any management actions they took.
“Those who fed birds seemed to notice whether the predator(捕食者) near their feeders was a cat, which is non-native, or a hawk(鹰), which is native. They also had different emotional responses to the two. About half the people studied thought hawks were interesting. Cats, on the other hand, tended to cause anger,” said Dayer.
Researchers also determined that people changed their actions after noticing changes at their feeders. People tended to scare off cats, move their feeders or provide shelter for birds when they spotted cats around their feeders. When people saw sick birds, which caused emotions like sadness and worry, they often provided more food.
Another thing they found surprising was the factors that impact people’s decisions about how much to feed birds. “Cold weather mattered more than what’s usually predictive of human behavior—time and money,” Dayer said. Feeding birds when it was colder outside was more important to the participants, which showed their commitment to bird feeding, despite the cost of bird food.
Dayer said the next step would be looking at the impacts of feeders on birds themselves including disease risk and how feeders may influence bird behavior.
“Being able to understand how people decide what to do and what effects these actions have on birds can help answer bird conservation questions and help bird conservation organizations work with people that feed birds to ensure their activity has the most benefit,” Dayer said.
1. How was the study conducted?| A．By observing the participants. |
| B．By surveying the participants online. |
| C．By interviewing the participants face-to-face, |
| D．By studying the previous data from Project FeederWatch. |
| A．They scared off hawks at their feeders. |
| B．They provided less food for sick birds. |
| C．They became angry with cats near their feeders. |
| D．They felt sad when seeing predators attack birds. |
| A．They had great influence over bird behavior. |
| B．They showed great commitment to bird feeding. |
| C．They had different responses to cats and hawks. |
| D．They gave priority to cold weather when feeding birds. |
| A．To aid bird conservation. |
| B．To promote bird feeding. |
| C．To analyze ways of feeding birds. |
| D．To stress the importance of bird feeders. |
【推荐3】Five Health Facts Your Doctor Wants You to Know
1. Cold weather makes you sick.
Myth! Germs (病菌) are the only thing that can make you sick. You can go out in the freezing cold with wet hair, and if there aren’t any germs around, you'll stay sniffle-free. But there is a correlation:
2. You shouldn’t ice a burn.
Truth! Most skin damage from a burn comes from the inflammatory (发炎) response, and ice can damage cells and make it worse.
3. Antiperspirants (止汗剂) cause cancer.
Myth! Antiperspirants temporarily keep sweat from escaping, and some scientists have suggested that letting it build up in the ducts could cause tumors(肿瘤).
4.
Truth! A 2017 study found that when bystanders gave CPR to people in cardiac arrest (心脏停搏), survival rates were higher when they employed uninterrupted chest compressions rather than pausing for rescue breaths.
5. Eating too much sugar will give you diabetes.
Myth! Sweet foods don’t directly lead to chronically (慢性地) high blood sugar. But they can contribute to obesity, which is a risk factor for diabetes.
| A．Germs are active if you have a cold. |
| B．But research hasn’t confirmed that theory. |
| C．CPR doesn’t require mouth-to-mouth breathing. |
| D．Therefore, it’s inappropriate to deal with the burn with ice. |
| E．Instead, first immerse the burn in cool water for about five minutes. |
| F．So keeping a well-balanced diet and limiting treats is still the right idea. |
| G．The germs that cause the common cold grow energetically in low temperatures. |
Today，we are told，children don’t spend enough time in the fresh air．Many of them are addicted to a screen either on a computer or a TV—they seem to be living in a virtual world．They have lost touch with nature．But now 400 organizations in the UK，from playgroups to the National Health Service，are encouraging children to have some “wild time”．They want kids to exchange at least 30 minutes of watching TV or playing computer games for time to play outside．Activities such as building dens, climbing trees, and playing hide and seek are just some of the things kids can do. Even if they live in a city，they can go on adventures in the garden or the park．
Children often need a helping hand from mum and dad．They need to be shown what to do and where to go．Andy Simpson from National Health Service says，“We want parents to see what this magical wonder product does for their kids’ development，independence and creativity，by giving wild time”．
So in spite of the complicated world that young people grow up in now，it seems that going back to basics and experiencing “nature’s playground” is what modern children need．David Bond from Project Wild Thing says，“We need to make more space for wild time in children’s daily routine，freeing this generation of kids to have the sort of experiences that many of us took for granted”．
This might sound a bit old fashioned to you or maybe，like me，and it has made you think about putting on your boots, getting outdoors and recalling your childhood．There’s no age limit on enjoying yourself!
1. What is the best title of the text?
| A．Adventures of children |
| B．Kinds of wild time |
| C．More space for children |
| D．Wild time for children |
| A．building dens | B．climbing trees |
| C．watching TV | D．playing hide and seek |
| A．wild time is good for children |
| B．wild time is hard to design |
| C．parents know the importance of wild time |
| D．parents like keeping their children indoors |
| A．People like recalling the past. |
| B．It is out of date to go outdoors. |
| C．It is too late for adults to enjoy nature. |
| D．People at any age can enjoy wild time. |
【推荐2】In 1986, when he was only a prince. King Charles told a television interviewer that it was important to talk to plants. He was widely laughed at. But his wisdom seems to have been ahead of its time, for there is now plenty of evidence that plants can detect (察觉) sound, react to it, and even perhaps produce it.
Scientists have been experimenting with playing sounds to plants since at least the 1960s, during which time they have been exposed to everything from Beethoven to Michael Jackson. Over the years, evidence that this sort of thing can have an effect has been growing. One paper, published in 2018, announced that an Asian plant grew much larger leaves when exposed to 56 days of Buddhist chants — but not if it was exposed to Western pop music, or silence. Another, published last year, found that plants exposed to the noise of traffic from a busy motorway suffered slow growth, and produced a range of stress compounds (成分).
Another research reports that certain frequencies (频率), played in some environments like greenhouses, can affect seed growth and even improve crop production. And plants can make noises, too. Earlier this year a group of researchers at Tel Aviv University published an article in Cell Press, reporting that several plants gave out different noises in response to different stresses — although not at the sorts of frequencies that humans can hear. Humans can only hear frequencies of up to 16 kilohertz. Scientists discovered sounds given out by plants were up to 250 kilohertz.
If all that sounds strange, perhaps it should not. After all, sound carries useful information.
From an evolutionary point of view, there is no reason to expect that information to be applied only by animals.
1. What was most people’s attitude to Charles’ opinion?| A．Unclear. | B．Positive. | C．Cautious. | D．Negative. |
| A．Different sounds have different effects on plants. |
| B．Buddhist chants don’t make a difference to plants. |
| C．Western pop music does good to plants’ growth. |
| D．The noise of traffic produces stress compounds. |
| A．The sounds are strange. | B．The plants grow in greenhouses. |
| C．The plants are under great stress. | D．The sounds are at high frequencies. |
| A．It’s the important to talk to plants. |
| B．Sounds make a difference to plants. |
| C．Plants can discover and even make sound. |
| D．Humans can’t hear sounds produced by plants. |
【推荐3】Do you sometimes ignore your mom while chatting with friends? If you’re a teen, that’s fairly common. And a new study may explain why so many adolescents tune out their mom’s voice.
Science has shown that young children’s brains are well adapted to their mothers’ voices. But as children grow into teenagers, everything is changing. The latest research shows that teenagers’ brains are now more adapted to the voices of strangers than their own mothers. This is what Daniel Abrams explains, who is a neuroscientist at Stanford University School of Medicine in California.
Abrams and his colleagues already knew that younger kids’ brains respond more strongly to their moms’ voices than to a stranger’s.” In adolescence, we show the exact opposite of that, “ Abrams says. For teens, these brain regions respond more to unfamiliar voices than to their moms’. This shift in what voice piques interest most seems to happen between ages 13 and 14. That’s when teenagers are in the midst of puberty (青春期), a roughly decade-long transition to adulthood.
These areas in the adolescents’ brains don’t stop responding to their moms, Abrams says. It’s just that unfamiliar voices become more rewarding and worthy of attention. Here’s why: As kids grow up, they expand their social connections way beyond their family. So their brains need to begin paying more attention to that wider world.
“As we mature, our survival depends less and less on maternal support,” says Leslie Seltzer. She’s a biological anthropologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She was part of the team that carried out that 2011 study. Instead, she says, “We rely more and more on our peers—friends and others closer to our own age.”
Abrams said that although teenagers and their parents sometimes feel frustrated with missing information, it doesn’t matter. “This is the way the brain connects, and there is good reason.”
1. What may the new study explain?| A．What many adolescents are interested in. |
| B．How teenagers adapt to new surroundings. |
| C．When adolescents don’t like listening to parents. |
| D．Why many teenagers ignore their mothers’ voices. |
| A．We think little of what our mom says. |
| B．We begin to challenge our mother’s authority. |
| C．We always do something opposite to our mom’s view. |
| D．We respond more strongly to a stranger’s voice than our mom’s. |
| A．Their peers. | B．Their teachers. | C．Their mothers. | D．Their colleagues. |
| A．Worried. | B．Positive. | C．Negative. | D．Indifferent. |
【推荐1】It is a fact that people die every moment of every day. However, the deaths of those who have done great work in the public realm (领域) can be especially shocking and heartbreaking---even to those of us who don't know them personally.
On Jan 26, Kobe Bryant（科比·布莱恩特）, one of the most legendary NBA players in history, died in a terrible accident. He was 41 years old when a helicopter he was riding in crashed, killing him and eight others, including his 13-year-old daughter Gianna Bryant.
Following Bryant's death, people from all walks of life have paid tribute (敬意) to the late basketball superstar --- not just for his achievements on the court (球场), but also for his personality and the inspiration he has given to us.
In the basketball world, Bryant ranks (排名) among the top players of all time. He entered the NBA directly from high school as a basketball prodigy (神童). He played his whole 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers and helped the team win five NBA championships. He was fast, skillful and aggressive, which earned him the nickname Black Mamba, one of the most deadly snakes in the world. That's why his competitive philosophy is known as the "Mamba Mentality".
"Mamba mentality is you're going, you're competing, you're not worried about the end result," Bryant said. "It's all about focusing on the process and trusting in the hard work when it matters most."
Off the court, Bryant was known as a successful businessman, an Oscar-winning filmmaker, and a proud father of four daughters.
The fact that Bryant is no longer with us is sad. We'll never see him give another interview or play in another game. But the work he has done will keep inspiring us years after his death.
1. Kobe Bryant died while he was_______| A．driving a car | B．riding in a helicopter |
| C．playing basketball | D．sending his daughter to school |
| A．we should learn from snakes |
| B．we should always be the best |
| C．we should work hard without worries |
| D．we can get better results by working hard |
| A．He was successful in many fields. |
| B．He was the best basketball player ever. |
| C．Not many people have focused on his death. |
| D．He was the only one who died in the accident. |
| A．explain Bryant’s dreams. | B．remember Kobe Bryant |
| C．explain the “Mamba Mentality” | D．tell people the death of Bryant |
【推荐2】Amazon wants to be able to answer the troublesome question: Did I leave the stove on? The latest home security tool by Ring,a home security company owned by Amazon, is the Always Home Cam, a flying drone that can help homeowners check their apartments whenever they’re not in.
The Always Home Cam is a lightweight, self-docking, flying indoor camera that can take a predetermined path set by its user.When used with Ring’s proprietary home alarms systems like the Ring Alarm, the Always Home Cam will take flight and check the house for any potential disturbances. The drone unit can also be controlled remotely and manually. After a flight, the Always Home Cam automatically returns to its station itself for charging. It only records while in flight, too.
You can ask it to fly to check the stove while you’re out, or to see if you left the windows open. It’s also great for checking on naughty pets. The drone has obstacle avoidance technology built-in, and hidden propellers(螺旋桨) to mitigate any damage to household furnishing in the event of a collision. Amazon says the drone will automatically take flight if there’s movement in the house to show you what’s going on.
The device was one of several that Amazon unveiled Thursday as part of its annual appliance event. Due to the pandemic, this year’s version was held online instead of at Amazon’s Seattle headquarters.
The indoor flying camera, called the Ring Always Home Cam, still needs approval from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, but Amazon said it expects to sell it next year at $250. It will also launch a camera and alarm system for cars next year under its Ring brand.
Critics have raised privacy concerns about Ring, which is best known for its doorbell cameras, citing the company’s close relationship with police departments. Amazon said the drone only records when it is in the air, and that it makes a sound when it flies so any people in the house knows its recording.
1. What’s the main idea of the text?| A．Amazon’s camera can check whether your stove is on. |
| B．New devices were unveiled on Amazon’ annual appliance event. |
| C．Critics raised privacy concerns about the Always Home Cam. |
| D．The Always Home Cam can ensure your safety. |
| A．It can take a path set by computer. |
| B．It can record when you are out. |
| C．It can get charged by itself. |
| D．It can take flight at any time. |
| A．It was unveiled at Amazon's Seattle headquarters. |
| B．It will be sold at $250 next year. |
| C．It can lessen damage to furniture for its obstacle avoidance technology. |
| D．It records in the air,not found by anyone. |
| A．favorable | B．critical | C．doubtful | D．objective |
【推荐3】This past Columbus Day, my husband and I went fishing with some friends on their boat while our 10 and 8-year-olds were in school. We left the house all at the same time, about 7 am. My children walked to and from school every day and we knew they were OK for a couple hours by themselves anyway so we told them to go inside after school and we would be home around 4 pm.
The adults decided to go fishing offshore: we live on the Gulf Coast, since it was a beautiful day in the normally still very humid Texas fall. At around 2 pm we started back to shore and wouldn't you know, we ran out of gas. We were out of cell phone service, even 911 wasn't working, and we didn't have a radio so we were stuck waiting for someone to come by. We were out there until 10 pm. All-the-while, my children were at home, expecting us to return shortly after they got home. At about 7 pm, when it was getting dark, my 10-year-old thought something might he wrong so she walked to each house on the street until someone answered the door and asked them what they should do. This was how we were found by the game warden and “rescued”.
Talking with that neighbor the next day, I never took such pride in my children. This neighbor explained to me how calm both my children were when explaining the situation and how impressed they were with my children seeking help, even though they didn't know these particular neighbors. I never doubled them for a minute, though next time we go fishing, we'll monitor the gas more carefully.
1. How did the children go to school?| A．Bu bus. | B．By car. |
| C．By boat. | D．On foot. |
| A．They used up their gas. | B．They lost their cell phones. |
| C．They found a radio on shore. | D．They fell into the water. |
| A．Worried. | B．Proud. |
| C．Doubtful. | D．Confident |
| A．It is wonderful to raise free-range kids. |
| B．One should keep calm in face of danger. |
| C．A good neighbour is better than a brother far off. |
| D．Parents should pay more attention to their children. |
【推荐1】Are you thinking about what to do in your free time? Come and join us —Youth Club! Join in lessons and activities. It’s fun! For more information, call 34789256!
Lessons | Activities |
| Monday~Friday 6:00 p.m. ~7:30 p.m. Computer lessons for beginners | Saturday and Sunday 8: 00 a.m. ~9:00 p.m. Basketball and volleyball playgrounds open |
| Monday and Wednesday 7:30 p.m. ~9:30 p.m. Dance lessons for dancer-lovers You can learn and enjoy wonderful dances | Monday ~Sunday Swimming pool open |
| Tuesday , Thursday and Friday 6:30 p.m.~7:30 p.m. Cooking lessons Learn to cook delicious dishes from all over China | The second and last Saturdays of every month 7:00 p.m. ~9:30 p.m. Concert time Enjoy Swedish rock, American jazz and beautiful songs from different parts of the world! |
1. On which of the following days can’t you have computer lessons?
| A．Monday | B．Sunday | C．Friday | D．Wednesday |
| A．Computer lessons.. | B．Cooking lessons |
| C．Dance lessons. | D．Both computer and cooking lessons. |
| A．Monday and Wednesday. | B．Monday and Sunday. |
| C．Friday and Saturday. | D．Saturday and Sunday. |
【推荐2】Warm weather gets thousands of people to gather outdoors and celebrate for various events. Here are a few fun festivals that you should travel to see this summer.
Naadam (Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia)
Naadam,also known as “the three games of men”,is the biggest traditional festival held in Ulaanbaatar,the Mongolian capital.Each July,men compete in Mongolian wrestling,horse racing and archery (射箭).Today,women also take art in the archery and girls in the horse racing.
Elvis Week (Memphis)
If moving your body to Blue Suede Shoes this summer sounds good to you,then head to Memphis for Elvis Week,usually held in August.Movies,special performances and the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest are just a few activities to keep fans busy. The week of events is held to mark the anniversary (周年纪念日) of the death of Elvis Presley,the “King of Rock and Roll”.
Glastonbury Festival (Somerset, England)
Around 175,000 people gather on a dairy farm in Somerset,England every year for the Glastonbury Festival.Famous bands and singers appear at the 5-day music celebration.The ticket for the festival was £1 when the festival started in 1970,but today,full-weekend general tickets go for about £248.
World Bodypainting Festival (Klagenfurt, Austria)
During the annual World Bodypainting Festival in Austria, artists from as many as 50 countries compete using a variety of techniques, including brushes, sponges and airbrushes. Alex Barendregt organized the first festival in 1998, when he was tasked with organizing a new summer event.
1. Where can we watch exciting games when attending the festival?| A．Peru. | B．Austria. |
| C．England. | D．Mongolia. |
| A．Naadam. |
| B．Elvis Week. |
| C．Glastonbury Festival. |
| D．World Bodypainting Festival. |
| A．It is held to celebrate the harvest. |
| B．It is held in the downtown area of a city. |
| C．Its ticket price has greatly increased since it started. |
| D．It offers actors a good chance to show their talents. |
【推荐3】Schuylerville High School students have a broad range of interests, which are reflected by the number of clubs and organizations in which our pupils participate. Here are some of the most popular clubs.
Environmental Club
Open to students in grades 9-12
Advisor: Mrs. Flores
The High School Environmental Club is open to all students interest increasing environmental awareness throughout the school. Activities include: recycling, environmental competitions, volunteering with green schools and outdoor events. This run student club collects and recycles paper products throughout the school building.
Freshman Class
Open to students in grades 9-10
Advisor: Mr. winslow
The freshmen class participates in several activities throughout the year to raise money for the class account. The class officers meet once a month to discuss business that affects the entire class. All members of the freshman class are encouraged to participate in some type of community service during the year.
Literary magazine
Open to students in grades 10-12
Advisor: Mr. Sgambati
Members of the Literary Magazine collect, edit and often contribute to the body of student work. Literary Magazine meetings will also give students the opportunity to share and receive feedback on the creative pieces that they re working on, as well as the chance to learn about writing practices and strategies.
Mock Trial Team
Open to students in grades 11-12
Advisor: Mrs. Lewis
Mock Trial is an after-school activity that helps students develop useful knowledge about the law. Students play out all the roles and use general rules of evidence and fact explanations in a school court. They will work with a real lawyer and an advisor to further understand the court process.
1. At which club can you take part in the community service?| A．Environmental Club. | B．Freshman Class. |
| C．Literary Magazine. | D．Mock Trial Team. |
| A．To encourage students to be lawyers. | B．To develop students’ writing skills. |
| C．To explain all kinds of facts at school. | D．To help students learn more about laws. |
| A．A news report. | B．A school website. |
| C．A research paper. | D．A science magazine. |
