A new study says one part of the human brain may become smaller as the result of a condition known as jet lag. Jet lag results from flying long distances in an airplane. People with jet lag feel extremely tired for several days. They may also have problems in thinking clearly and remembering.

Recently a researcher at the University of Bristol in Britain reported the findings of his jet lag study, which involved twenty women who worked for international airlines. They had served passengers on airplanes for five years. These flight attendants flew across many countries and at least seven time zones. In the study, the flight attendants had different amounts of time to recover from jet lag. Half the women spent five days or fewer in their home areas between long flights. The other half spent more than fourteen days in their home areas.

The researcher took some saliva from the women’s mouths to measure levels of a hormone  (荷尔蒙 ) that increases during stress . He tested them to see if they could remember where black spots appeared on a computer screen .And he took pictures of their brains to measure the size of the brain’s temporal lobes. (脑叶).

It was found that the women who had less time between flights had smaller right temporal lobes. This area of the brain deals with recognizing and remembering what is seen. The same group performed worse and had slower reaction times on the visual memory test. And their saliva samples showed higher levels of stress hormones.

The researcher believes the brain needs at least ten days to recover after a long trip. He says airline workers told him their ability to remember got worse after working on planes for about four years. Other studies have shown that increased feelings of stress can cause a loss of cells in the part of the brain that controls memory.

Scientists say more tests are needed to study the effects of jet lag on the brain. They want to find out if too much jet lag could permanently affect memory.

47．According to the text, jet lag _____.

A. can cause difficulties in speaking  

B. can make people feel tired for a few weeks

C. can be only found in flight attendants

D. can be caused by flying over several time zones

48．It can be inferred from the text that ______.

A. the conclusion is refused by many scientists

B. scientists fear that this research is not done properly

C. every scientific conclusion needs the support from many tests

D. the women who were examined in the research were not healthy

49．From the result of the research we can see that _____.

A. the women who have longer rest at home perform better on the test.

B. the women who fly in short time have smaller right temporal lobes

C. the women who have longer flights fail the memory test

D. the women who rest more than 14 days produce more hormones

50．What is the subject discussed in the test?

A. The cause of jet lag.

B. A story of a group of flight attendants.

C. The importance of having enough rest after flights.

D. A research about the effects of jet lag on the brain.

I’m _____ at sums than Jean, but better at history.

A．more	B．less
C．worse	D．cleverer

 

Most American kids love Halloween treats，but a bucket of Halloween candy can be a dentist’s nightmare．Some parents try to get rid of half of the candy after their children go to bed，but dentists say parents also need to separate the good kinds of treats from the bad．

      It is not exactly what a child eats that truly matters，but how much time it stays in his mouth．According to pediatric dentist Dr. Kaneta Lott，the most damaging stuff is something that is sticky or very hard and thus stays in his mouth for a long time This is because we all have bacteria in our mouths．When we eat, the bacteria take our food as their food and produce an acid that destroys the surface of the teeth，causing cavities to form The longer the food stays in the mouth，the more likely cavities will develop．Therefore，potato chips are worse than candy because they get stuck between teeth．For the same reason，raisins and crackers are not the best choice．Hard candies take a long time to consume and are also a bad choice for Halloween treats．

   I f children really love candy, dentists recommend that they eat chocolate instead．Unlike hard candies，chocolate dissolves quickly in the mouth．Besides，chocolate contains tannins，which help to kill some of the bacteria in the mouth．But no matter what a child eats，brushing after each meal is still the best way to fight cavities

1．What is the main purpose of the passage?

      A．To discuss how cavities can be treated．

      B．To point out the problems with Halloween celebration

      C．To tell parents what sweets are less damaging to their children’s teeth．

      D．To teach parents the meaning of Halloween candies for their children．

2．Why are hard candies especially bad for teeth?

A．They may break the child’s teeth．

B．They help bacteria to produce tannins

      C．They contain too much sugar．

D．They stay in the mouth for a long time．

3．According to the passage，which of the following is a better choice for Halloween meats?

A．Chocolate              B．Crackers               C．Raisins                   D．Potato chips

4．According to the passage，which of the following is true of tannins?

A．They are produced when the bacteria digest the food．

B．They help to get rid of some bacteria in the mouth．

C．They help chocolate to dissolve more quickly．

D．They destroy the surface of the teeth．