Question

Losing weight comes with a lot of health benefits—including making your brain sharper.

Yes, it turns out that overweight may damage cognitive functions (認(rèn)知功能) such as memory and attention. There have been few studies of overweight and cognitive functioning, possibly because it is generally believed that it is not a primary risk cause for poor cognitive performance. Losing weight, therefore, may help improve these mental functions, according to a new research led by John Gunstad, assistant professor of psychology at Kent State University.

Growing evidence suggests that being fat is linked to cognitive deficits (缺陷). So Gunstad and his team guessed that losing weight might improve mental function. For their study, they measured memory and attention in a group of 150 overweight participants, some of whom had some kind of operation for weight loss and some did not. All of the volunteers completed mental skills tests to assess their abilities of memory and attention at the beginning of the study, and again 12 weeks later. To begin with, about 24% of the patients showed damaged learning and 23% showed signs of poor memory when tested. At the end of the study, those who had lost weight after operation improved their scores into the average or above average range for cognitive functions. Scores for the volunteers who didn’t lose weight dropped even further.

The study helped Gunstad to find out whether losing weight had any effect on mental function. Now that he’s seen the positive effect that weight loss can have on memory and attention, he says he will next study those who choose to lose weight by the traditional way—eating healthier and getting more active. He expects that losing weight in this way will have a similarly positive effect on the brain. “If we can improve the condition with operations, then we can probably produce the same change with behavioral weight loss as well,” he says.

1. There is less research on overweight and cognitive functions because researchers _____.

A. believe overweight only affects our body

B. have focused on ways to sharpen people’s mind

C. do not consider overweight a main cause for low cognitive ability

D. are clear about the relation between weight and mental functions

2. The result of Gunstad’s study shows that ______.

A. losing weight has little effect on people’s memory

B. losing weight can improve people’s mental functions

C. overweight people are likely to have psychology problems

D. overweight people’s abilities of concentration differ greatly

3. What is Gunstad planning to prove next in his research?

A. Slim people are smarter than overweight people.

B. Healthy diet is better than exercise in losing weight.

C. Traditional ways of losing weight are better than operation.

D. Overweight people will get smarter by taking more exercise.

4. Which of the following is the best title for the text?

A. Body Weight and Health

B. Losing Weight by Operation

C. Ways to Improve Mental Functions

D. Losing Weight to Sharpen Your Mind

 

Answer 1

1.C

2.B

3.D

4.D

【解析】本文告訴我們減肥也會(huì)給我們帶來很多的好處，也會(huì)讓我們的大腦更為敏銳。并通過一個(gè)實(shí)驗(yàn)來證明這一點(diǎn)。

1.C

【試題解析】推理題。根據(jù)第二段2,3行. There have been few studies of overweight and cognitive functioning, possibly because it is generally believed that it is not a primary risk cause for poor cognitive performance.可知可能是因?yàn)槿藗儾徽J(rèn)為肥胖是認(rèn)知功能缺陷的一個(gè)原因，所以才沒有進(jìn)行這樣的研究。故C項(xiàng)說法正確。

2.2】B

【試題解析】推理題。根據(jù)文章第三段最后3行At the end of the study, those who had lost weight after operation improved their scores into the average or above average range for cognitive functions. Scores for the volunteers who didn’t lose weight dropped even further.可知那些減肥的人在后來的測(cè)試?yán)锾岣吡俗约旱某煽�，都高于平均水平。而那些沒有減肥的人的成績卻下降地更快。說明減肥可以提高人們的認(rèn)知功能。故B正確。

3.3】D

【試題解析】推理題。根據(jù)文章倒數(shù)3,4行, he says he will next study those who choose to lose weight by the traditional way—eating healthier and getting more active可知吃得更為健康，同時(shí)行動(dòng)上更為積極會(huì)讓我們的精神更為健康。說明在接下來的文章中可能會(huì)討論這個(gè)話題。故D正確。

4.4】D

【試題解析】主旨大意題。根據(jù)文章的主題段第一段Losing weight comes with a lot of health benefits—including making your brain sharper.可知減肥也會(huì)給我們帶來很多的好處，也會(huì)讓我們的大腦更為敏銳。故D正確。

【長難句解析】

Now that he’s seen the positive effect that weight loss can have on memory and attention, he says he will next study those who choose to lose weight by the traditional way—eating healthier and getting more active.

【翻譯】既然他已經(jīng)看見了減肥對(duì)于記憶力和注意力的積極影響，他說在下一個(gè)研究中他將研究那些那些使用傳統(tǒng)方法減肥的人，傳統(tǒng)方法也就是吃得更健康并且多鍛煉。

【分析】本句中的連詞now that既然，引導(dǎo)的是一個(gè)原因狀語從句，本從句中有一個(gè)定語從句that weight loss can have on memory and attention修飾前面的先行詞effect；后面的主句中也有一個(gè)定語從句who choose to lose weight by the traditional way—eating healthier and getting more active.修飾先行詞those。