Question

Parents who feel disappointed at their teenagers’ failure to pay attention in class, and inability to sit quietly long enough to finish homework or plan ahead, should take solace. Their children are not being lazy or careless, according to new research.
The research has found that teenagers’ brains continue developing far longer into adulthood than we used to think. Teens may look like young adults but their brain structure is similar to that of much younger children.
“It is not always easy for teens to pay attention in class without letting their minds wander, or to ignore distractions from their younger brothers or sisters when trying to solve a maths   problem,” said Dr Iroise Dumon-theil. “But it’s not the fault of teenagers that they can’t pay attention and are easily distracted. It’s to do with the structure of their brains. Teens simply can’t think as well as an adult.”
The research showed that the brain of a teenager works less effectively than that of an adult. “We knew that the front of the brain of teens functioned in a chaotic  (混乱的) way but we  didn’ t realize it continued until the late 20s or early 30s,” said Dr Sarah-Jayne Blakemore, who led the research.
Chaotic thought patterns are a result of teenagers’ brains containing too much grey matter — the cell bodies and connections which carry messages within the brain. As we age, the amount of grey matter in our brain reduces.
“What our research has shown is that there is simply too much going on in the brains of teens,” said Blakemore. “The result is that their brain energy and resources are wasted and their decision-making process is badly influenced. Adults, on the other hand, have less grey matter. This means that the brain works far more effectively.”

1. 1.
   The underlined word “solace” in Paragraph 1 may mean _____
   1. A.
      notice
   2. B.
      medicine
   3. C.
      comfort
   4. D.
      action
2. 2.
   When making decisions, _____
   1. A.
      teens’ brains continue to do much needless work
   2. B.
      the grey matter in young children’s front brain becomes active
   3. C.
      people are not likely to be distracted until their late 30s
   4. D.
      adults are more independent than teens
3. 3.
   What is the effect of having too much grey matter?
   1. A.
      It makes us always feel disappointed
   2. B.
      It makes us more intelligent
   3. C.
      It had a bad effect on the growth of teens
   4. D.
      It had a bad effect on decision-making
4. 4.
   What’s the text mainly about?
   1. A.
      Teens have different brains from those of children
   2. B.
      Adults work more effectively than teens
   3. C.
      Grey matter makes teens unable to pay attention
   4. D.
      Brain energy is wasted in the brain’s activity

Answer 1

CADC
试题分析：本文主要分析的就是青少年不能集中注意力的原因——大脑中的灰质层太多，影响了人们的正常思维。
1.C 推理题。根据下句Their children are not being lazy or careless, according to new research.说明他们孩子表现不好，这不是因为孩子懒或者粗心。这让那些父母感觉有所安慰，故C正确。
2.A 细节题。根据第三段前3行“It is not always easy for teens to pay attention in class without letting their minds wander, or to ignore distractions from their younger brothers or sisters when trying to solve a maths   problem,”说明孩子的脑海中会有很多其它的东西在干扰，故A项内容正确。
3.D 推理题。根据倒数第二段1,2行Chaotic thought patterns are a result of teenagers’ brains containing too much grey matter — the cell bodies and connections which carry messages within the brain.说明大脑中的灰质太多会影响我们的思维和决定，故D项正确。
4.C 主旨大意题。本文主要分析的就是青少年不能集中注意力的原因——大脑中的灰质层太多，影响了人们的正常思维。故C正确。
考点：考查科普类短文阅读
点评：科普类短文最大的障碍是词汇以及考生对阅读内容的不熟悉，需要考生在阅读的时候有足够的耐心。要养成在上下文串联中猜测词义的能力，根据上下文中出现的同义词，近义词，反义词，以及词义的解释来理解生词。同时要抓住文章的中心，不要受其他信息的影响。要根据题目及选项以及文章的上下文串联合理的判断推理。