【文章內(nèi)容簡(jiǎn)介】 ch has followed 6,000 people since 1956, testing them every seven years. It has found that on average, participants performed better on cognitive(認(rèn)知的 ) tests in their 40s and 50s than they had done in their 20s. Specifically,older people did better on tests of vocabulary, verbal memory (how many words you can remember) and problem solving. Where they performed less well was number ability and perceptual speed— how fast you can push a button when ordered. However, with more plex tasks such as problemsolving and language, we are at our best at middle age and beyond. In short, researchers are now ing up with scientific proof that we do get wiser with age. Neuroscientists are also finding that we are happier with ageing. A recent US study found older people were much better at controlling and balancing their emotions. It is thought that when we’re younger we need to focus more on the negative aspects of life in order to learn about the possible dangers in the world, but as we get older we’ve learned our lessons an d are subconsciously aware that we have less time left in life: therefore, it bees more important for us to be happy. 55. Barbara Strauch probably agrees that ______. A. people’s brains work best between their 40s and 60s B. the young are better at handling important things C. ageing leads to the decline of the function of the brain D. wrinkles and grey hair are the only symbols of ageing 56. The continuing research has found older people perform better on _____ . A. number ability B. vocabulary tests C. perceptual speed D. body balance 57. People are happier with age because ______. A. they know how to share feelings B. they learn to value the time left C. they cannot focus on negative aspects D. they do not realize the possible dangers 58. What is the main idea of the passage? A. People get more fetful with age. B. People get wiser with age. C. People get happier with age. D. People get more selfaware with age. C The Inter has revolutionized our lives to such an extent that for most people, the global work has bee more than just a tool but rather an indispensable aid in everyday life. More and more people go online as wireless works have brought the Inter closer and closer: it39。s on our mobile phones, in our cars and TV sets, in hospital surgery rooms and in fishing boats that battle the waves of the Atlantic. And this revolution has brought along with it a new way of shopping. Both big and small, emerce websites have literally flooded the Inter by the hundreds of thousands. Anything you can buy from a brick and mortar store(實(shí)體店 ) you can also buy online: from food and clothes to guns and bombs, no matter what you39。re looking for, you39。re bound to find the right online store with just a few clicks of the mouse. This revolution has sent cold trembles down the backbones of brick and mortar business owners. And what was their reaction? They39。ve opened online stores to go hand in hand with their conventional businesses. Nowadays, every Mom and Pop39。s cheesecake store also has a website. In a recent survey, 68% of small business owners have stated that they are scared of being put out of business by the powerful flood that emerce has bee. So it39。s no wonder many of them have decided to join the revolution and establish some kind of an online presence even though most of them have stated that they dislike the Inter. But do the big players have reasons to be afraid? Are we going to start seeing ghostly, deserted WalMarts across the country? Probably not in the near future but the day will e when most people will just stop shopping offline anymore. A trip to WalMarts wastes time, burns gas and sometimes adds a few extra dots on the stress counter. The recent advancements in mobile technology and the introduction of mobile phones with improved web capabilities has even made some people order their groceries when they get out from work and have them delivered at their doorstep by the time they get home. And as Time is money, this practice is lifesaving for people who work two jobs. Technology will continue to advance and emerce will follow closely in its footsteps. Everything will bee easier and less time consuming, leaving us more time to enjoy the things that really matter in life: the ones we love, our friends and hobbies. 59. What is Para. 1 mainly about? A. The popularity of mobile phones. B. The function of the global work. C. The importance of the Inter. D. The great impact of the Inter. 60. In response to the threat of online business, the brickandmortar store owners . A. have stopped their traditional businesses B. have stated their dislike of the Inter C. have opened their online stores D. have established their own website 61. According to Para 5 and Para 6, the greatest benefit of online shopping is . A. to save time B. to follow the fashion C. to release pressure D. to protect environment 62. What would be the best title for the passage? A. A New Way of Shopping. B. The Inter Revolution. C. What is the Reaction to Online Shopping? D. Is Online Shopping the Future of Emerce? D You either have it, or you don’t a sense of direction. But why is it that some people could find their way across the Sahara without a map, while others can lose themselves in the next street? Scientists say we’re all born with a sense of direction, but it is not properly understood how it theory is that people with a sense of direction have simply worked harder at developing it. Research being carried out at Liverpool University supports this idea and suggests that if we don’t use it, we lose it. “Children as young as seven have the ability to find their way around,” says Jim