Older people with hearing loss may suffer faster rates of mental decline. People who have hearing trouble suffered meaningful impairments in memory, attention and learning about three years earlier than people with normal hearing, a study published online January 21 in JAMA Internal Medicine reveals. The finding supports the idea that hearing loss can have serious consequences for the brain,says Patricia Tun of Brandeis University in Waltham,Mass., who studies aging. "I'm hoping it will be a real wake-up call in terms of realizing the importance of hearing. " Compared with other senses, hearing is often overlooked, Tun says. "We are made to interact with language and to listen to each other, and it can have damaging effects if we don't." Frank Lin of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and colleagues tested the hearing of 1,984 older adults. Most of the participants, who averaged 77 years old, showed some hearing loss -- 1,162 volunteers had trouble hearing noises of less than 25 decibels, comparable to a whisper or rustling leaves. The volunteers; deficits reflect the hearing loss in the general population: Over half of people older than 70 have trouble hearing. Over the next six years, these participants underwent mental evaluations that measured factors such as short-term memory, attention and the ability to quickly match numbers to symbols. Everybody got worse at the tasks as time wore on, but people with hearing loss had an especially sharp decline, the team found. On average, a substantial drop in performance would come about three years earlier to people with hearing loss. Lin cautions that the study has found an association between hearing loss and mental abilities; the researchers can't conclude that hearing loss directly causes the decline. Yet more and more studies are turning up ways that diminished hearing could damage the brain. A person who can't hear well might avoid social situations, and isolation is known to be bad for the brain. "You gradually become more socially withdrawn, " Lin says.... Mass does the research to _ . A) present the mental decline B) attach importance to hearing C) compare hearing with other senses D) exaggerate the damaging effects
B
(Question)
High-quality customer service is preached by many, but actually keeping customers happy is easier said than done. Shoppers seldom complain to the manager or owner of a retail store, but instead will alert their friends, s, co-workers, strangers--and anyone who will listen. Store managers are often the last to hear complaints, and often find out only when their regular customers decide to frequent their competitors, according to a study jointly conducted by Verde Group and Wharton School. "Storytelling hurts retailers and entertains consumers," said Paula Courtney, President of the Verde Group. "The store loses the customer, but the shopper must also find a replacement." On average, every unhappy customer will complain to at least four others, and will no longer visit the specific store. For every dissatisfied customer, a store will lose up to three more due to negative review. The resulting "snowball effect" can be disastrous to retailers. According to the research, shoppers who purchased clothing encountered the most problems. Ranked second and third were grocery and electronics customers. The most common complaints include filled parking lots, cluttered shelves, overloaded racks, out-of-stock items, long check-out lines, and rude salespeople. During peak shopping hours, some retailers solved parking problems by getting moonlighting local police to work as parking attendants. Some hired flag wavers to direct customers to empty parking spaces. This guidance eliminated the need for customers to circle the parking lot endlessly, and avoided confrontation between those eyeing the same parking space. Retailers can relieve the headaches by redesigning store layouts, pre-stocking sales items, hiring speedy and experienced cashiers, and having sales representatives on hand to answer questions. Most importantly, salespeople should be diplomatic and polite with angry customers. "Retailers who're responsive and friendly are more likely to smooth over issues than those who aren't so friendly,"... To achieve better shopping experiences, customers are advised to _ . A) exert pressure on stores to improve their service B) settle their disputes with stores in a diplomatic way C) voice their dissatisfaction to store managers directly D) shop around and make comparisons between stores
(Answer)
C
Ques: The best way to cure sadness is not shopping, according to a recent study. The so-called shopping method has become common practice these days, but that can put your wallet under a lot of pressure. So if you are sad and feel like shopping, don't! According to the recent study, sadness leads to self-focus thinking. In other words, sad people are willing to spend more money on the same thing than calm people. "It is the result of sadness and self-focus, and it turns out that sadness leads to an increase in self-focus," said Cynthia Cruder. "What we think is that sad and self-focused people are feeling pretty bad about themselves, and one way to deal with this is buying material goods." In a perfect situation, when you know you are sad, you should avoid making decisions and spending money. Sounds simple? Sadly, it is not. Most people don't even know they're sad, the study shows, and they are not aware that their feelings influence their decisions. What to do? The study showed that those who watched a tragedy were more likely to spend three times more money for a simple bottle of water than those who watched a comedy. The solution: well, for starters, don't go shopping! If you can't help it, it is probably better to see a doctor. What would be the best title for this passage? A) The Loss of Money Caused by Sadness B) Shopping is Not the Best Way to Cure Sadness C) A Study About How to Stay in a Good Mood D) How to Make Decisions When You Are Sad
Ans: B
Security guard, truck driver, salesperson--year after year, these jobs appear on lists of the unhappiest careers. Although many factors can make a job unhappy, unusual hours, low pay, nochance for advancement -- these three gigs stand out for another reason: a lack of small talk. Psychologists have long said that connecting with others is central to well-being, but just how much conversation we require is under investigation. In one study, researchers eavesdropped on undergraduates for four days, then cataloged each overheard conversation as either small talk (What do you have there? Popcorn?(Yummy!) or serious (So did they get divorced soon after?). They found that the second type related with happiness--the happiest students had roughly twice as many serious talks as the unhappiest ones. Small talk, meanwhile, made up only 10 percent of their conversation, versus almost 30 percent of conversation among the least content students. However, don't just consider chat worthless yet. Scientists believe that small talk could promote linking. Chatting with strangers could brighten your morning. In a series of experiments, psychologists gave Chicago travelers varying directions about whether to talk with fellow train passengers something they typically avoided. Those told to chat with others reported a more pleasant journey than those told to enjoy your being alone or to do whatever they normally would. None of the chatters reported being rejected. And the results held for introverts and extroverts alike which makes sense, since acting extroverted has a positive effect on introverts. Small talk can also help us feel connected to our surroundings. People who smiled at, made eye contact with, and briefly spoke with their Starbucks reported a greater sense of belonging than those who rushed through the business. Similarly, one not yet published paper found that when volunteers broke the silence of the Tate Modern to chat with gallery goers, the visitors felt happier and more connected to the exhibit than those who... The author attributes the unhappiness felt by security guards, truck drivers and sales people to _ . A) unusual hours and low pay B) a lack of small talk C) no chance for advancement D) an absence of serious conversation
B