Question

Motherhood may make women smarter and may help prevent dementia(癡呆) in old age by bathing the brain in protective hormones(荷爾蒙) , U.S. reseachers reported on Thursday.

Tests on rats show that those who raise two or more litters of pups do considerably better in tests of memory and skills than rats who have no babies, and their brains show changes that suggest they may be protected against diseases such as Alzheimer’s(早老癡呆癥). University of Richmond psychology professor Craig Kinsley believes his findings will translate into humans.

“Our research shows that the hormones of pregnancy(懷孕) are protecting the brain, including estrogen(雌激素), which we know has many neuroprotective (保護神經的) effects,” Kinsley said.  

“It’s rat data but humans are mammals just like these animals are mammals,” he added in a telephone interview. “They go through pregnancy and hormonal changes.”

Kinsley said he hoped public health officials and researchers will look to see if having had children protects a woman from Alzheimer’s and other forms of age-related brain decline.

“When people think about pregnancy, they think about what happens to babies and the mother from the neck down,” said Kinsley, who presented his findings to the annual meeting of the Society of Neuroscience in Orlando, Florida.

“They do not realize that hormones are washing on the brain. If you look at female animals who have never gone through pregnancy, they act differently toward young. But if she goes through pregnancy, she will sacrifice her life for her infant—that is a great change in her behavior that showed in genetic alterations(改變) to the brain.”

1. How do scientists know “Motherhood may make women smarter”?

A. Some researchers have told them.

B. Many women say so.

C. They know it by experimenting on rats.

D. They know it through their own experience.

2. What does the phrase “litters of pups” mean in the second paragraph?

A. Baby rats.         B. Animals.    C. Old rats.            D. Grown-up rats.

3. What can protect the brain of a woman according to the passage?

A. Estrogen.                            B. The hormones of pregnancy.    

C. More exercise.                     D. Taking care of children.

4. “It’s rat data but humans are mammals just like these animals are mammals.” What does the sentence suggest?

A. The experiments on the rats have nothing to do with humans.

B. The experiments on the rats are very important for animals.

C. The experiments on the rats are much the same on humans.

D. The experiments on the rats are much the same on other animals.

5. Which title is the best for this passage?

A. Do You Want to Be Smarter?

B. Motherhood Makes Women Smarter

C. Mysterious Hormones  

D. An Important Study

Answer 1

1--5         CABCB        

解析:

本文介紹了一個觀點：母性特點能使婦女變得更加聰明靈敏。

1. C。細節題。根據Tests on rats show… 可知科學家是通過做老鼠實驗得出這個結論的。

2. A。詞義猜測題。后面的對比who have no babies，實際上提供了一個相反的情況，所以我們可以推測those who raise two or more litters of pups中的litters of pups指的是“剛出生不久的小老鼠”。

3. B。細節題。根據文章第 3 段中的 …the hormones of pregnancy(懷孕) are protecting the brain可得出答案。

4. C。句意理解題。科學家通過用老鼠做實驗來說明人的問題。因為人和老鼠都屬于哺乳動物，很多生理機能都相同。

5. B。主旨題。短文第 1 句 Motherhood may make women smarter 是主題句，據此我們可以得出答案。