One in five people carry a 'smart gene' variant linked to long lifespan, bigger forebrains and enhanced mental ability, researchers have found. 'We've known for a long time that people lose cognitive abilities as they age, but now we're beginning to understand that factors like KLOTHO can give people a boost in aging. Genetic variation in KLOTHO could help us predict brain health and find ways to protect people from the diseases that happen to us as we grow old, like Alzheimer's disease ," said senior author, Dena Dubal of University of California. The KLOTHO gene affects a protein found in the kidneys and the brain that regulates many different body processes. About one in five people carry a single copy of the varian, known as KL-VS,which boosts levels of the protein and is associated with a longer lifespan and improved heart and kidney function. A small minority, 3% of the population, has two copies, which is linked to a shorter lifespan. In the new study scientists scanned the brains of 422 men and women aged 53 and over who were also tested for the KLOTHO gene. They found that participants with a single copy of the gene variant also had a larger brain region known as RDLPFC, which is especially likely to shrink with age. Loss of neurons in this area may be one reason why older people are sometimes easily distracted and find it difficult to do more than one task at the same time. Researcher Dr Jennifer Yokoyama said, " The brain region enhanced by genetic variation in KLOTHO is vulnerable in aging and some mental disease. In this case, bigger size means better function. It will be important to determine whether the structure increase associated with carrying one copy of KL-VS can _ the cognitive shortage caused by disease."[:] People who have one copy of a variant KL-VS tend to live longer and have lower chances of suffering a stroke ,whereas people who have two copies may live shorter lives and have a higher risk of stroke. The reason why older people's attention is easily distracted may be that _ . A) they have fewer neurons in the RDLPEC B) their brain region is too large C) they have two copies of the gene variant D) they have more neurons in the RDLPEC
A
(Question)
For thousands of years, people have seen things they didn't understand in the sky. The United States Air Force first used the words "Unidentified Flying Object" to describe them. Today everyone uses the term UFO. When people see a UFO, it is usually no more than a weather balloon or an airplane. But the Center for UFO Studies goes on to receive hundreds of reports each year. In 1947 a businessman and pilot, Kenneth Arnold, was flying near Mount Rainier, Washington when he saw nine shiny, round objects flying through the air. He told a newspaper reporter they looked like "pie plates skipping over water." The reporter used the words "flying saucer " in his story and today that is the popular name for UFOs. The Center for UFO Studies lists three kinds of contacts with flying saucers. "Encounters of the first kind" are reports of unknown objects or lights in the sky. People have "Encounters of the second kind" when a UFO leaves burn marks or other signs on the ground. People report "Close encounters of the third kind" when they see aliens in or near a UFO. Who used the term UFO first? A) The United States Air force. B) The Center for UFO Studies. C) Kenneth Arnold. D) A report.
(Answer)
A
Ques: Do you often find yourself crying in arguments? Does it feel like you just can't stop your emotions defeating you completely when you are in the middle of a heated discussion with someone, and you particularly want to make clear strong points and express yourself effectively? Many people think that someone who bursts into tears during an argument or a quarrel is 9 / 17 trying to handle the situation by bringing emotion into it. But the person who wells up tears during some heated discussion is not in control of those tears. They just can't control blushing or stop themselves breaking out in a sweat if they feel nervous. The body has a number of such automatic responses that switch on without your decision that you want to respond like this. These instinctive behaviors have evolved over millions of years to protect us. Basically, our brains make associations between things that seem similar, which is important for automatic responses. For example, a snake is a potentially dangerous creature, and you can see why it might be useful if, whenever you see a snake, you will run like crazy. And you can see why it might still be useful if you see a flexible stick and get the same reaction. However, these very simple associations can sometimes be really unhelpful. It's not useful to try to calmly argue an important point with someone, and suddenly find tears running down your cheeks. Tears can generally make you seem weak, or foolish, and less credible. Who's going to take what you say seriously if you're crying? But if these reactions are not under your control, what can you do about it? The good news is that although you can't control automatic reactions directly, you can unlink unhelpful associations. And that means that an unwanted reaction won't get started, and so won't happen. Besides, you can try the following: Begin to notice a change in how you feel about previous times when you were defeated by emotion; Develop a growing sense of confidence and optimism about how things will go in the future. What can we infer from the passage? A) Arguments should be avoided. B) Social activities are vital for mental health. C) Automatic responses don't always make a difference. D) Tears can help people handle arguments more calmly.
Ans: C
Singing had always been an important part of Gloria Estefan's life. " Since I was three years old, I sang. I sang everything," Gloria said. "Gubans," she added, "are a musical people." Gloria was born in Cuba in 1957. Her family left the country just before Fidel Castro came to power. In Miami, where the family settled, many people did not accept Cuban immigrants. In first grade, she spoke little English, but she worked hard to learn the language. Six months after she entered school, she won an award for reading in English! When Gloria was ten , her father returned from the Vietnam War. Soon, the family realized he wasn't well. They soon found out that he was badly ill. Her mother went back to teaching at school to support the family. Gloria cared for her father and her younger sister. She still made the honor roll, and she still had her music, but Gloria was lonely. However, when the band leader Emilio Estefan came to speak at her high school, Gloria sang for him. He asked her to join his band. It was the beginning of the Miami Sound Machine. Within a few months, the Miami Sound Machine was the top band in Miami. In 1978, Gloria and Emilio married. At first, the Miami Sound Machine was known only in Miami. Then the band signed with CBS Records. Estefan and his band became stars. Since then, the Miami Sound Machine has sold millions of records. Estefan has done more than just singing when Hurricane Andrew hit central Florida in 1992. She used only two weeks to organize an all-star concert that raised $ 2 million for the people who suffered in the hurricane. "We needed a party after that _ ," she said. Estefan said, "You have to stay true to the music you really love to do. There will always be people who will tell you, 'that won't work.' You've got to be firm in spite of difficulties. Stick to it----that's the main thing." Estefan's father was ill _ . A) after he returned from Vietnam War B) before they left their home country C) when they settled down in Miami D) as soon as she finished high school
A