【正文】 nature improve brain performance, it seems, because they provide a mental break from the urban life. This research arrives just as humans cross an important milestone (里程碑 ). For the first time in history, the majority of people live in cities. Instead of inhabiting wideopen spaces, we39。re crowded into concrete jungles, surrounded by traffic and millions of Strangers. In recent years, it39。s bee clear that such unnatural surroundings have important implications for our mental and physical health, and can powerfully alter how we think. This research is also leading some scientists to dabble (涉足 ) in urban design, as they look for ways to make the city less damaging to the brain. (79) The good news is that even slight alterations, such as planting more trees in the inner city or creating urban parks with a greater variety of plants, can significantly reduce the negative side effects of city life. The mind needs nature, and even a little bit can be a big help. 6. Which of the following is the main idea of this passage? A. The city inspires talented people. B. The city hurts your brain. C. The city has many pleasures and benefits. D. The city seriously affects the natural balance. 7. The word “ metropolis” in the first paragraph is closest in meaning to_______. A. citizen B. nature C. city D. stress 8. People have just e to realize that_______. A. human attention is a scarce resource B. city life can make people very tired C. the city is an engine of intellectual life D. an urban environment is damaging to the brain 9. What is the factor mentioned in the third paragraph that helps the hospital patients recover more quickly? A. Nature. B. Better treatment. C. Experienced doctors. D. Good medicine. 10. According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE? A. Different aspects (方面 ) of an urban environment, such as the crowded streets, can lead to an increase in selfcontrol. B. Small changes in urban design, cannot reduce the negative side effects of city life. C. For the first time in history, the earth39。s population is more urban than rural. D. A walk down a busy city street will improve brain performance. Passage 3 Questions 11 to 15 are based on the following passage: Breastfeeding (母乳喂養(yǎng) ) for a month or longer appears to reduce a woman39。s risk of getting diabetes (糖病 ) later in life, according to a new study. The breastfeeding and diabetes link has been reported in other studies, according to researcher Eleanor Schwarz. Yet, her study makes the link easier to believe. Her study is published in a journal of medicine in America. Schwarz and her colleagues looked at data about breastfeeding practices. They evaluated data on 2,233 women f~om Califomia. Of those, 405 were not mothers, 1,125 were mothers who breastfed for at least a month, and 703 were mothers who had never breastfed. They were 40 to 78 years old. According to Schwarz39。s study, the risk of getting a diagnosis (診斷 ) of Type 2 diabetes for women who breastfed all their children for a month or longer was similar to that of women who had not given birth. But mothers who had never breastfed were nearly twice as likely to develop diabetes as women who had never given birth. Mothers who never breastfed were about times as likely to develop diabetes as women who breastfed for one to three months, Schwarz found. While one month of breastfeeding appears to make a difference, Schwarz says, even longer is better. (80) “ Previous studies have shown the longer the mom breastfeeds, the more benefit for her body.” Many experts remend breastfeeding for six months and continuing for a year, she says. The diabetesbreastfeeding link is probably explained by belly fat. Mothers, who don39。t breastfeed, as they get older, may have more belly fat, as breastfeeding helps new mothers take off weight. “ Belly fat increases the risk of diabetes as you get older,” she says. The finding isn39。t surprising at all, says Kimberly Gregory. She often gives advice to women who get diabetes (occurring during pregnancy (懷孕 )) that they are at risk for later getting Type 2 diabetes and suggests they breastfeed. The new findings will probably inspire Gregory to add to theadvice she gives momstobe about the benefits of breastfeeding. She often focuses on the benefits to the baby. 11. According to the first paragraph, which of the following statements is TRUE? A. About two thousand and two hundred old women took part in the study. B. Eleanor Schwarz39。s research program was about men and women who suffered from diabetes. C. Over one fifths of the women never got married. D. Eleanor Schwarz39。s results seem more reliable. 12. According to Schwarz39。s findings, who are more likely to get diabetes later i