Talking on video-conference software like Zoom during the coronavirus pandemic has helped older people stave off the effects of dementia, a new study has suggested.
Researchers found that regular communication helps maintain long-term memory, and elderly people who often use online tools showed less decline in memory than those who don’t.
The study, by the University of West London’s Geller Institute of Ageing and Memory, studied the communication of 11,418 men and women over the age of 50. They were asked how often they interacted with friends and family online, on the phone and in person, and then completed memory tests that involved recalling a list of 10 words at various intervals. The participants who only used traditional, face-to-face communication showed more signs of cognitive (认知) decline than those who used technology to keep in touch with friends and family.
“This shows for the first time the impact of diverse, frequent and meaningful interactions on long-term memory, and specifically, how supplementing (补充) more traditional methods with online social activity may achieve that among older adults,” the study’s leader Snorri Rafnsson said.
“With more and more older adults now using online communication so frequently, especially during the past year of global lockdowns, it poses the question as to what extent technology can help sustain (维持) relationships and overcome social isolation, and how that can also help maintain brain health,” he also said.
A study last year found that negative thinking is linked to dementia later in life. And separate research found that the decrease in motivation and goal-directed behavior could also be a trigger (起因) in older adults.
1. What does the study mainly find about online social activities?| A．They help treat memory loss. |
| B．They reduce the risk of dementia for seniors. |
| C．They attract more senior citizens than before. |
| D．They offer more benefits than traditional activities. |
| A．Its real-world applications. | B．Explanations for the findings. |
| C．Its importance to dementia research. | D．Recommendations for future studies. |
| A．Favorable. | B．Intolerant. |
| C．Cautious. | D．Surprised. |
| A．To encourage seniors to improve their digital skills. |
| B．To argue for the benefits of online social interaction. |
| C．To share a study on seniors’ virtual interaction and dementia. |
| D．To describe the connections between dementia and technology. |
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【推荐1】Some creatures have developed ways to protect the most valuable in their group by practicing social distancing strategically. The most impressive examples occur in social insects, where different members of the group have different roles.
Nathalie Stroeymeyt, a professor of the University of Bristol in England used tiny digital tags to track the movements of garden ant groups during an outbreak of a deadly fungus(真菌). The fungi are passed from ant to ant through physical contact.
To measure how ants respond when disease first invades(入侵) their group, the researchers applied the fungi directly to a small group of the worker ants that regularly leave the group. The worker ants are most likely to accidentally encounter fungi while out searching for food. The researchers used the natural way this fungus would be introduced. The behavioral responses of ants in 11 fungus-treated groups were then compared with the same number of control groups, where a harmless liquid was applied to worker ants. Ants in fungus-exposed groups started rapid and strategic social distancing after treatment. Within 24 hours those worker ants self-isolated by spending more time away from the group compared with control-treated worker ants.
Healthy ants in fungus-treated groups also strongly reduced their social interaction. Uninfected worker ants, which interact frequently with other worker ants that might carry disease, kept their distance from the group, when disease was present. This prevents them from putting the valuable group members (the queen and “nurses”that care for young ants) at risk. The nurses also took actions, moving young ants farther inside the nest and away from the worker ants once the fungus was detected in the group. The signals that the ants use to detect and rapidly respond to fungus exposure are still unknown. This strategic group was so effective that all queens and most nurses from the study groups were still alive at the end of the experimental outbreaks.
1. What aspect does the first paragraph discuss about the research?| A．Its background. | B．Its findings. | C．Its significance. | D．Its process. |
| A．To compare how differently ants respond to the invasion. |
| B．To watch how worker ants send signals to others. |
| C．To do the research in a natural and convincing way. |
| D．To prevent fungi from spreading in the ant group. |
| A．In fungus-treated groups. | B．In garden ant groups. |
| C．In 11 control groups. | D．In social insects. |
| A．All queens and most nurses survived the invasion. |
| B．All the worker ants spend more time outside the nest. |
| C．Researchers have found how the ants found fungus exposure. |
| D．Worker ants in both study and control groups self-isolated. |
【推荐2】75 years after humans successfully put their first object into space, it’s much easier to launch a satellite, but a lot messier once we’re up there.”
So space sustainability has become a big concern.
First why should we keep things clean in orbit? We use satellites to check the weather, find our way around, and for financial purposes. Space data gives us not just beautiful pictures of the earth, but also information about climate change, natural disasters and other things that can help humans with earthbound challenges.
Then how can we humans think as one big community? Governments should make powerful regulations. Companies ought to engage in shared practices and scientists are expected to think up practical methods.
| A．They provide services closely related to our life. |
| B．This is hard both technically and politically, though. |
| C．Anyway, we should quicken the pace of clearing up. |
| D．Space is getting increasingly crowded and dangerous. |
| E．So we depend largely on space and it needs to be tidied up. |
| F．Scientists are struggling for strategies to tackle the problem. |
| G．All of these have been integrated into the solutions we really need. |
【推荐3】What is IQ—and how much does it matter?
IQ tests can also help identify students who would do well in fast-paced “gifted education” programs.
| A．IQ plays a role in how successful we become. |
| B．IQ is a measure of a person’s reasoning ability. |
| C．Every student can learn, no matter how intelligent. |
| D．Intelligence helps, but so does interest and patience. |
| E．It’s tempting for people to read a lot into someone’s IQ score. |
| F．In a word, intelligence matters, but not as much as you might think. |
| G．Many colleges and universities also use exams similar to IQ tests to select students. |
【推荐1】Sportsnet recently released a brand new interactive and immersive（沉浸式的）studio for "Hockey Night in Canada" and national NHL on Sportsnet broadcasts，which features display technology from Samsung.
"We are thrilled to partner with Sportsnet and help deliver an immersive experience for fans as part of the network's new broadcast studio," said Mary Peterson, Vice President, IT &. Enterprise Solutions, Samsung Electronics Canada. "Taking sports broadcast technology to the next level, our innovative display technology will provide Sportsnet Studios with high picture quality, different design and strong reliability to engage viewers."
Located at the Rogers Campus in Toronto, Sportsnet Studios is a complete facility for the network and will serve hockey coverage from pre-game to overtime.
Samsung IER-series LED Displays make up 13 dynamic（动态的）video walls across two studios，providing a stunning large-scale viewing experience that allows for re-imagined story telling. Great for play-by-plays and game highlights，the displays combine innovative video processing technologies with High Dynamic Range（HDR）picture improvement，showcasing clear，high-quality content. Obtained，fixed and entrusted by technology solutions provider Diversified，Samsung QHR and QMT series displays contribute to Sportsnet Studios ‘versa-tile，interactive and future-forward environment. Details are exciting to watch with UHD level picture quality and ultra high-definition 4K resolution（分辨率），creating sharp，lifelike images.
"Sportsnet Studios offers the most advanced technology and display diversity that allows our creative teams to deliver immersive and innovative content for Canadian sports fans.” said Pierre Fortin, VP Media Technology &. Innovation, Rogers Sports &. Media. "In addition to providing unique storytelling ways for our viewers, Sportsnet Studios' displays open up countless opportunities for the network's advertisers to activate in broadcast and cooperate with Sportsnet's content creators. We truly thank Samsung and all the world-class companies involved in bringing our vision of Sportsnet Studios into reality."
1. What is the function of paragraph 1?| A．To predict a future product. | B．To advertise a sports event. |
| C．To raise the theme of the text. | D．To define Samsung's display technology. |
| A．To attract viewers who are crazy about sports. | B．To carry out their immersive experiences. |
| C．To build another TV station. | D．To make high definition. |
| A．Viewers enjoying exciting visual feast. | B．The advantages that Samsung could offer to Sportsnet. |
| C．Sources of Samsung's advanced technology. | D．The agreement between Samsung and Sportsnet. |
| A．Careless. | B．Grateful. | C．Doubtful. | D．Opposed. |
【推荐2】Tesla, an electric car maker, announced a software update in July that allows games to be played on the cars’ central touchscreens while they are moving.
Tesla regularly sends updates, much like a smartphone update. At first it was only possible to play games on the touchscreen when the car was parked, but this has changed following the “2021.12.25.6” update, which was sent to owners in the UK, Europe and the US. Drivers can play games while moving. A notice appears on the touchscreen when a game is first chosen asking the player to prove that they are not the driver, but this can be avoided by simply pressing the “I am a passenger” option.
Tesla has provoked negative response. Road safety groups say that even if it is the passenger rather than driver playing, the game takes up the entire touchscreen and could take the driver’s attention from driving.
People have expressed worries about the update. In one YouTube video, by the channel The MegaWatts, which mostly reviews new Tesla characters, a driver going through the latest Tesla updates in his Model 3 car is shocked to find he can play games while driving with no one sitting in the passenger seat.
The update appears to break British law, which states drivers can only use screens when “viewing driving information related to the state of the car or its equipment, when navigation is shown, or when assisting in viewing the road around the car”, and that screens used for anything else “should not be seen by the driver while the car is being driven”.
In the US the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said what it was looking into the new update and was in discussions with Tesla about the changes. “Distraction-affected crashes are a concern, particularly in cars equipped with a group of convenience technologics such as entertainment screens.” it said.
1. Which of the following can properly describe the “2021.12.25.6” update?| A．It can promise safety to drivers’ life. | B．It is actually a kind of smartphone update. |
| C．It allows drivers to play games while driving. | D．It has been offered to people all over the world. |
| A．Skipped. | B．Exploded. | C．Balanced. | D．Caused. |
| A．To attract readers’ attention to You Tube videos. |
| B．To indicate the power of the channel The Mega Watts. |
| C．To give an example to support the topic of this paragraph. |
| D．To make a comparison between the latest and the past Tesla updates. |
| A．Concerned. | B．Amazed. | C．Satisfied. | D．Curious. |
【推荐3】Learning a foreign language can broaden career opportunities in the USA. Here’s the reason why learning some of the popular foreign languages can help you.
Chinese
Chinese is considered as an important language to enhance business prospects across the globe. It has the largest number of speakers. More than 1. 4 billion people speak Chinese. Chinese companies have invested in various industries in other countries. There are great opportunities for employment in Chinese companies if you can master Chinese.
Spanish
Spanish is spoken by about 580 million speakers across the world. It has the second largest number of speakers. Furthermore, many Spanish companies are rapidly increasing their presence in various industries like travel and tourism, translation, teaching, and international business.
Portuguese
Spoken by about 230 million people, Portuguese is the sixth most widely spoken language in the world. It is the official language of eight countries. There’s a great demand for Portu-guese language experts in various industries.
German
German is the third most popular foreign language taught worldwide and the second most popular in Europe and Japan, after English. German has between 89 and 110 million native speakers. German companies account for 700,000 jobs in the USA, so learning German can give people great job offers.
1. Why does the author advise people to learn Chinese?| A．They can further study global business. |
| B．They can have an opportunity to go to China. |
| C．They can get more job offers in various countries. |
| D．They can find a chance to travel to other countries. |
| A．Chinese. | B．Spanish. |
| C．Portuguese. | D．German. |
| A．Japanese dislike learning it. |
| B．It is the most popular language in Europe. |
| C．It is spoken by less than 89 million people. |
| D．Mastering it helps people get more job opportunities. |
