1 . Large Study Details Years of Brain Changes in Alzheimer’s Patients
A long-term study in China has shown that a series of changes take place in the brains of people who get Alzheimer’s disease long before they present signs of the sickness.
The researchers reported that the study subjects who later developed Alzheimer’s showed high levels of disease-linked protein in their spinal fluid.
Scientists still do not know exactly how Alzheimer’s forms. The disease slowly destroys the brain, affecting the ability to think. Alzheimer’s patients develop proteins called beta-amyloid and tau, which over time build up into plaques (斑块) that block brain processes. The new research, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, offers a timeline for how these proteins develop.
Scientists already knew that in rare, genetic forms of Alzheimer’s that affect young people, a poisonous form of amyloid starts developing about 20 years ahead of symptoms. At some point after that, tau develops as well.
“The more we know about Alzheimer’s treatment targets and when to address them, the better and faster we will be able to develop new therapies and preventions,” said Claire Sexton, director of scientific programs with the Alzheimer’s Association. She noted that blood tests are coming soon that promise to also help by making it easier to find amyloid and tau.
More than 6 million Americans, and millions more worldwide, have Alzheimer’s. There is no cure. But last year, Leqembi became the first approved drug that could slow the worsening of early Alzheimer’s for a few months.
| A．The drug works by clearing away some of the amyloid protein. |
| B．The large study followed middle-aged and older adults for 20 years. |
| C．Knowledge of the timing of these events is critical for preventing Alzheimer’s. |
| D．The new findings show the order of such biomarker changes common to age-related Alzheimer’s. |
| E．The higher levels were recorded as much as 18 years before the patients were identified as having Alzheimer’s. |
| F．The researchers compared 648 people who were later found with Alzheimer’s to an equal number who remained healthy. |
2 . For a long time, psychologists agreed with the findings of Roy Baumeister, whose research showed that willpower was a limited resource that could easily be exhausted through use. His book, Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength, has long been seen as the typical handbook on this subject. Plus, hundreds of experiments showed that when people had to complete two back-to-back tasks which both required willpower, they would demonstrate less willpower on the second task.
From this research, willpower came to be understood as a “brain muscle” that would grow more tired the longer you used it. With adequate rest and recovery, the muscle’s energy would be restored, and willpower levels would return to normal. This made sense and even opened the door for an optimistic long-term approach to willpower: You could improve your willpower by using it regularly, just as you can strengthen a muscle through exercise.
However, just because an idea sounds good doesn’t mean it’s true. Later research failed to find Baumeister’s willpower exhaustion effect. And other research even showed that willpower exhaustion can be reversed if you have a positive belief about what hard work does for you. If you believe using willpower is draining, you’ll experience it as draining, but if you believe it energizes you, you’ll be energized. In other words, what you believe about willpower might be a self-fulfilling prophecy.
The trouble is that studying a psychological quality like willpower in the lab is very difficult. Willpower experiments greatly oversimplify the human experience and don’t reflect how willpower is used in the real world. Sample sizes are usually small because of limited funding, and it’s difficult to find diverse subjects. It almost certainly matters how meaningful the willpower-requiring task is to the person doing it, and laboratory experiments generally don’t ask participants to perform meaningful tasks.
Furthermore, there are a great many factors that can affect how much willpower an individual has. Willpower levels change from moment to moment and day to day. Someone who has excellent willpower in one situation might have terrible willpower in another. You might have high self-control one day and low self-control another.
So we just don’t know how willpower really works, and we might never know. People may or may not have a limited amount of willpower. Believing you have unlimited willpower might help you work harder than you otherwise would, or it might lead to overconfidence.
1. Roy Baumeister’s book, Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength, is mentioned at the beginning of the passage in order to show that _____.| A．willpower as a limited resource has been widely accepted |
| B．his book is very popular among people in various fields |
| C．willpower is essential in completing back-to-back tasks |
| D．a great many experiments has been done on willpower |
| A．with enough rest, willpower can recover itself |
| B．with the right attitude, we can own our willpower |
| C．we can fulfil our dream as long as we have willpower |
| D．there is a fixed amount of willpower if we think positively |
| A．view willpower as unlimited to fully cultivate our potential |
| B．try doing different tasks when our willpower levels change |
| C．stop doing research on willpower since it is too changeable |
| D．treat willpower critically as it’s hard to get a full picture of it |
| A．The Definition of Willpower | B．The Great Willpower Debate |
| C．The Importance of Willpower | D．Strategies to Increase Willpower |
3 . On a rainy afternoon in Aspinwall, Pennsylvania, a group of amateur musicians gathered to lay down a few tracks. This wasn’t the first time the band had performed together, but it was their first time in a recording studio.
The band, which calls itself Infinity, first performed its work at the 2022 Pittsburgh Schizophrenia Conference in November. All four band members are diagnosed with schizophrenia, a mental disorder that can cause people to interpret reality in abnormal ways, which can cause many kinds of disordered thinking.
Infinity formed five years ago when Flavio Chamis, a Brazilian composer and conductor, began working with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) on how to use music to treat mental illness.
“Having a mental health diagnosis is not a reason to not have a creative life,” Chamis said. Schizophrenia can be disabling, but therapy, medication and even playing music can help, according to a growing body of research.
Chamis and K.N. Roy Chengappa, a professor of psychiatry (精神病学) at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital and the director of Pittsburgh’s schizophrenia conference, are continuing their efforts with the four musicians and to further investigate musical interventions in mental health outcomes.
As imaging techniques advance, scientists are working to answer precisely why music affects the brain in the ways that it does. Playing music seems to have an impact on timing systems in the brain, which are affected by major depression, schizophrenia and other illnesses. There is research indicating that training patients to play in rhythm can in fact help retrain the brain in other, less obvious ways. Interventions tend to have positive effects, but the research is still in early stages.
The band doesn’t have much formal music training, but they played and sang with touching sincerity. “It’s not supposed to be professional or perfect,” Chengappa said. “One of them has been my patient for 20 years. ... They’ve really blossomed.”
Chamis led the Infinity recording from the piano, with each musician in a separate sound-proof room listening to one another on headphones. The conductor and composer encouraged the musicians and gave advice after each take.
“It’s been great working on this with Flavio,” said guitarist David Baird. “I loved feeling like a professional. ... I want more.”
1. What is special about the band Infinity?| A．All the members were professional. | B．It performed for people with schizophrenia. |
| C．All the members have mental disorders. | D．It formed and gave its first performance in 2022. |
| A．investigate the causes of schizophrenia | B．study the effect of music on mental illness |
| C．stimulate the members’ creativity in music | D．obtain the opportunity to cooperate with UPMC |
| A．intervening its timing systems | B．employing imaging approaches |
| C．changing its reaction time | D．making its rhythm less obvious |
| A．sincere | B．professional | C．depressed | D．confident |
The best white noise machines for a good night’s sleep Sleep is crucial to health. But disruptive (扰乱的) noises can prevent you from falling asleep. White noise machines could help, according to one study. | |
| MASKS NOISE: LectroFan Classic helps block out disruptive environmental noises. It can help improve sleep, focus, privacy, and relaxation. 20 NON-REPEATING SOUNDS: A total of 20 unique non-repeating, digitally created sounds. 10 fan sounds & 10 white noise variations, including pink & brown noise. SAFE: Safe, solid-state design is powered by AC (交流电) or USB and dynamically creates unique, non-repeating sounds. VOLUME CONTROL: Precise volume control allows you to set the perfect level for your unique environment. |
| EFFECTIVELY MASKS NOISE: The Rohm effectively cancels out noises that may disturb or distract you for improved sleep and concentration. GENTLE SOUNDS: 20 different sounds including music, nature, white, pink, and brown noise, as well as Bluetooth speaker features to allow you to play your own music or sounds and to make a conference call on the road when you need. CRUSH (压坏) RESISTANT: Stylish, crush-resistant travel case fits perfectly with Yogasleep Rohm white noise machines. BATTERY OPERATED: Rechargeable through USB. |
| Hatch Rest+
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| FAVORITE CLOCK: Loftie Clock uses sound and lights to help ease you into and out of sleep. GENTLY UNWIND: Enjoy over 100 free tracks, from breathwork and sound baths to all kinds of white noise and nature sounds. AI-GENERATED PERSONAL STORIES: Loftie’s Magic Story Maker AI has an upgraded feature that lets you create sleep stories with Typeform. It then uses ChatGPT and ElevenLabs AI to craft your story. Unlocking the Magic Story Maker AI requires an upgrade to a Loftie+ account in the app ($5 per month). POWERED BY: AC power |
LectroFan Classic
Yogasleep Rohm+ 
Loftie Clock
| A．LectroFan Classic | B．Yogasleep Rohm+ |
| C．Hatch Rest+ | D．Loftie Clock |
| A．$34.95. | B．$40.03. | C．$159.99. | D．$149.00. |
| A．The four of them can all produce white noise and nature sounds. |
| B．One of them can help you create your own sleep stories for free. |
| C．Two of them can be powered by both AC and rechargeable batteries. |
| D．Two of them can not only help you fall asleep but also wake you up. |
5 . How to Become a Scientist
Here is some advice for students who think they might like to become scientists.
Become an observer. One of the most important things you can do to become a good scientist is to practice watching everything carefully. Find a comfortable chair and put it in the middle of your garden or a park. Sit in the chair for thirty minutes or an hour. Watch the insects that fly past or land on the plants. Look at the shapes of leaves and branches. Listen to the sounds of insects.
Learn everything you can about a topic that interests you. Suppose you’d like to explore flowers by using a microscope. Go to the library and check out some flower books. See what you can find on the Internet. Pick some flowers and carefully take them apart.
Ask for help from a knowledgeable person. After you’ve learned everything you can on your own, ask someone else to help with questions you still have. Maybe there’s someone at a nearby school or museum who knows about insects, spiders, or something else you’d like to learn about.
Find a scientist to talk to or find a place where scientific research is being done. If you still want to learn more, you can find a scientist to talk to at a nearby university, or research station.
| A．You may go to seek answers from him. |
| B．Write a letter or an e-mail message to the scientist. |
| C．Research your questions using the Internet or library. |
| D．See if you can find a sight or sound that surprises you. |
| E．Use a microscope to see how everything fits together. |
| F．Being a scientist is time-consuming and mentally demanding. |
6 . In my living room, there is a plaque (匾) that advises me to “Bloom where you are planted.” It reminds me of Dorothy. I got to know Dorothy in the early 1980s, when I was teaching Early Childhood Development through a program with Union College in Barbourville, Kentucky. The job responsibilities required occasional visits to the classroom of each teacher in the program. Dorothy stands out in my memory as one who “bloomed” in her remote area.
Dorothy taught in a school in Harlan County, Kentucky, Appalachian Mountain area. To get to her school from the town of Harlan, I followed a road winding around the mountain. In the eight-mile journey, I crossed the same railroad track five times, giving the possibility of getting caught by the same train five times. Rather than feeling excited by this drive through the mountains, I found it depressing. The poverty level was shocking and the small shabby houses gave me the greatest feeling of hopelessness.
From the moment of my arrival at the little school, all gloom (忧郁) disappeared. Upon arriving at Dorothy’s classroom, I was greeted with smiling faces and treated like a queen. The children had been prepared to show me their latest projects. Dorothy told me with a big smile that they were serving poke greens salad and cornbread for “dinner” (lunch). In case you don’t know, poke greens are a weed-type plant that grows wild, especially on poor ground.
Dorothy never ran out of reports of exciting activities of her students. Her enthusiasm never cooled down. When it came time to sit for the testing and interviewing required to receive he Child Development Associate Certification, Dorothy was ready. She came to the assessment and passed in all areas. Afterward, she invited me to the one-and-only steak house in the area celebrate her victory, as if she had received her Ph.D. degree. After the meal, she placed a little box containing an old pen in my hand. She said it was a family heirloom (传家宝), but to me it a treasured symbol of appreciation and pride that cannot be matched with things.
1. “Early Childhood Development” in Paragraph 1 refers to________| A．a program directed by Dorothy |
| B．a course given by the author |
| C．an activity held by the students |
| D．an organization sponsored by Union College |
| A．a warm welcome | B．the sight of poke greens |
| C．Dorothy’s latest projects | D．a big dinner made for her |
| A．She was invited to a celebration at a restaurant. |
| B．She got a pen as a gift from the author. |
| C．She passed the required assessment. |
| D．She received her Ph. D. degree. |
| A．Whatever you do, you must do it carefully. |
| B．Whoever you are, you deserve equal treatment. |
| C．However poor you are, you have the right to education. |
| D．Wherever you are, you can accomplish your achievement. |
7 . Have you ever dreamed of having a fashionable watch of great value?
A small watchmaker in Switzerland in 1922 designed the first automatic watch to show day, month, and date. Only seven of these splendid watches were ever made and these watches were almost lost to history. Today, it is so hard to get an original watch that some watch historians are even willing to offer $ 200,000 for one.
These watches attracted a lot of people for their splendid color, fashionable style, and uses in the 1920s.The owners of the watches were admired and set apart from the crowd. Because the number of the original watches is very limited, owning such a watch will make you feel very special.
Today, you are offered the same kind of watch with improvement. It has a 24-jet mechanical movement, the kind desired by watch collectors. The watchmaker has made movement of the watch much more modern with an automatic rotor (上弦装置) so that the watch never needs to be wound by hand. The watch comes in a very beautiful case with a crocodile design on it. To get a watch in such a perfect design means to get a chance to know a piece watch-making history and to wear such a watch will show your personal taste and social position.
You can get the watch either in person or by mail at an affordable price. You will also receive good service from the watch seller. If you are not satisfied with the watch after you get it, you simply return it within 30 days. Don’t miss the chance to realize your dream.
1. The original automatic watches are valuable because________.| A．the watches were made many years ago |
| B．the watches were made by a Swiss watchmaker |
| C．only rich people can afford the watches |
| D．only a few watches of the kind were made |
| A．mechanical movement | B．splendid color |
| C．fashionable style | D．new uses |
| A．buy the watch | B．return the watch |
| C．wear the watch | D．receive the service |
8 . Nightly Sleep Is Key to Student Success
For young adults, college is a time of transition. It may be the first time students have the freedom to determine how to spend their time, but this freedom comes with competing interests from academics, social events and even sleep.
A multi-institutional team of researchers conducted the first study to evaluate how the duration of nightly sleep early in the semester affects first year college students’ end-of-semester grade point average (GPA). Using sleep trackers, they found that students on average sleep 6.5 hours a night, but negative outcomes built up when students received less than six hours of sleep a night.
David Creswell, the William S. Dietrich II Professor in Psychology and Neuroscience at the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences, led a team of researchers to evaluate the relationship between sleep and GPA.
“Animal studies have shown how critical sleep is for learning and memory,” said Creswell. “
“Once you start dropping below six hours, you are starting to add massive sleep debt that can harm a student’s health and study habits, damaging the whole system,” said Creswell. “
“A popular belief among college students is valuing studying more or partying more over nightly sleep,” said Creswell. “Our work here suggests that there are potentially real costs to reducing your nightly sleep on your ability to learn and achieve in college. There’s real value in budgeting for the importance of nightly sleep.”
| A．Here we show how this work translates to humans. |
| B．Many college students experience irregular and insufficient sleep. |
| C．The study evaluated more than 600 first-year students across five studies at three universities. |
| D．Most surprising to me was that no matter what we did to make the effect go away, it persisted. |
| E．The results are available in the Feb. 13 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. |
| F．Total nightly sleep is a potentially important and underappreciated behavior supporting academic achievement. |
9 . More than three billion people rely on the ocean to make a living, most of whom are in developing countries. As the global population increases, the demand for seafood is expected to rise, too.
Although ocean ecosystems are stretched to the limit by climate change, overfishing and more, studies nevertheless suggest that seafood can be expanded sustainably to meet future food demands. Success will depend on small-scale fisheries. These fisheries can be remarkably efficient. Almost everything that hand-to-mouth fisheries catch is consumed. By contrast, around 20% of the fish caught by industrial ships is estimated to be wasted, mainly because of unwanted by-catch.
Small fishers rarely have the right resources to expand their operations, or even to survive. If they do scale up, they might lose some of their current advantages or engage in the same harmful practices as do large commercial fisheries. Managed with care, however, small fisheries could provide win-wins for livelihoods and the environment.
Most nations already have management policies for marine ecosystems that provide for small-scale fisheries. But small-scale fishers’ rights to access are often poorly defined, ineffectively enforced or unfairly distributed (分配). Government subsidies (补贴) also require reform. One estimate found that large-scale fishers receive about 3.5 times more subsidies than small-scale fishers do. Instead, subsidies and other funds should be directed towards small-scale fishers to let them expand their access to markets, while keeping them from adopting the negative practices of large-scale operations.
The total global loss and waste from fisheries is estimated at between 30% and 35% annually primarily due to a lack of technology, good manufacturing practices, and infrastructure such as decent roads and cold storage. Public and private investment in cold-storage facilities and processing equipment could help. One promising strategy is to pair international or national funding with direct contracts for feeding programmes linked to schools, hospitals and similar facilities. Such arrangements would provide small fisheries with large, consistent markets and storage infrastructure that boosts local consumption and does not incentivize (刺激) overfishing.
Moreover, simple incentive programmes could be conducted by funders, managers and local governments trying to promote sustainable fisheries. For example, local markets could display a rating system for individual fishers or small fisheries. This could include various elements of sustainability other than environmental ones — such as providing information on the type of fishing equipment, location of the catch and freshness. Promoting the rating as a social responsibility concept would inform consumers of the need to support sustainable fisheries.
Anyway, only joint problem-solving efforts can deliver seafood protein, sustainably, to a world that increasingly needs it.
1. The passage mainly tells us that ________.| A．small fisheries can help the world if managed with care |
| B．the global demand for seafood is increasing dramatically |
| C．small-scale fisheries need to be commercialised urgently |
| D．people in developing countries are more reliable on fishing |
| A．what they catch is hardly wasted | B．their by-catch accounts for a larger share |
| C．they catch fish by industrial means | D．their operation is limited within a small area |
| A．They gain no support from governments. | B．They are expanding to meet local demands. |
| C．They have little access to good resources. | D．They impact marine ecosystems negatively. |
| A．To initiate a rating system for small fishers to evaluate the local markets. |
| B．To provide technology for small fisheries to boost their fishing efficiency. |
| C．To inspire a sense of social responsibility in large-scale fishers and consumers. |
| D．To facilitate direct cooperation between small fisheries and feeding programmes. |
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