【真题例举】
As many people hit middle age, they often start to notice that their memory and mental clarity are not what they used to be. We suddenly can't remember 1 we put the keys just a moment ago, or an old acquaintance's name, or the name of an old band we used to love. As the brain 2 , we refer to these occurrences as "senior moments." 3 seemingly innocent, this loss of mental focus can potentially have a(an) 4 impact on our professional, social, and personal 5 .
Neuroscientists, experts who study the nervous system, are increasingly showing that there's actually a lot that can be done. It 6 out that the brain needs exercise in much the same way our muscles do, and the right mental 7 can significantly improve our basic cognitive 8 . Thinking is essentially a 9 of making connections in the brain. To a certain extent, our ability to 10 in making the connections that drive intelligence is inherited. 11 , because these connections are made through effort and practice, scientists believe that intelligence can expand and fluctuate 12 mental effort.
Now, a new Web-based company has taken it a step 13 and developed the first "brain training program" designed to actually help people improve and regain their mental 14 .
The Web-based program 15 you to systematically improve your memory and attention skills. The program keeps 16 of your progress and provides detailed feedback 17 your performance and improvement. Most importantly, it 18 modifies and enhances the games you play to 19 on the strengths you are developing--much like a(n) 20 exercise routine requires you to increase resistance and vary your muscle use.
1.[A]where [B]when [C]that [D]why
2.[A]improves [B]fades [C]recovers [D]collapses
3.[A]If [B]Unless [C]Once [D]While
4.[A]uneven [B]limited [C]damaging [D]obscure
5.[A]wellbeing [B]environment [C]relationship [D]outlook
6.[A]turns [B]finds [C]points [D]figures
7.[A]roundabouts [B]responses [C]workouts [D]associations
8.[A]genre [B]functions [C]circumstances [D]criterion
9.[A]channel [B]condition [C]sequence [D]process
10.[A]persist [B]believe [C]excel [D]feature
11.[A]Therefore [B]Moreover [C]Otherwise [D]However
12.[A]according to [B]regardless of [C]apart from [D]instead of
13.[A]back [B]further [C]aside [D]around
14.[A]sharpness [B]stability [C]framework [D]flexibility
15.[A]forces [B]reminds [C]hurries [D]allows
16.[A]hold [B]track [C]order [D]pace
17.[A] to [B]with [C]for [D]on
18.[A]irregularly [B]habitually [C]constantly [D]unusually
19.[A]carry [B]put [C]build [D]take
20.[A]risky [B]effective [C]idle [D]familiar
考查逻辑关系
第1题，答案A
【解析】空白处的词语作“We suddenly can't remember ”的宾语，同时在宾语从句“we put the keys just a moment ago”中作状语。需要注意的是：put sth.后常跟介词短语、形容词或副词作状语，不接状语时其意义不完整。四个选项中，A 项where 指代地点，放在空白处与文意相符，所以是正确选项。B 项when 指代时间，与从句中的a moment ago 冲突，可以排除。C 项that 虽然可以引导宾语从句，但无实意，在从句中不起作用，放在空白处从句的意义不完整，可以排除。D 项why 引导原因，虽然也可用于引导宾语从句，但与that 一样，用在空白处从句的意义不完整，所以可以排除。 考查词义辨析
第2题，答案B
【解析】A 项improves 表示“改善，增进，提高”;B 项fades 表示“褪色，衰老”;C 项recovers 表示“恢复，重新获得”;D 项collapses 表示“崩塌，晕倒，瘫倒”。由上文可知，记忆力和思维能力退化不可能是大脑功能改善或者恢复的结果，所以A 项和C 项可以排除。而D 项collapses 表示大脑功能彻底崩溃，描述过于严重，与文意不符，所以可以排除。只有B 项fades 表示衰老，与文章中提到的“步入中年”这一情况相吻合，指的是大脑功能的退化导致的记忆力和思维能力减弱。因此，正确答案是B 项。
考查上下文语义连贯
第7题，答案C
【解析】根据上文，我们已知，大脑需要像肌肉一样得到足够的锻炼，空白出现的分句由and 引导，表明这句话与前面的分句是并列关系，应该是对上文的进一步说明，主题应该还是围绕“锻炼(exercises)”。A 项responses 表示“反应，响应”;B 项roundabouts 表示“迂回路线”;C 项workouts 表示“锻炼，练习，实验”;D 项associations 表示“关联，社团”。四个选项中最符合文章意思的是C 项，意思是“恰当的精神训练可以在很大程度上提高我们基本的认识功能”。
考查短语
第12题，答案B
【解析】由第二自然段的第一句话可知，本自然段强调的是大脑训练对提高基本认知功能的重要性，即虽然我们在大脑中建立联系的能力天生有差异，但实际上通过大脑训练我们可以改变智力的状态，这是因为“这些联系是通过努力和练习建立的(because these connections are made through effort and practice) ”。由此不难看出，科学家们相信智力可以提高或者变化实际上是基于努力的程度(mental effort)，所以正确答案应该选B 项according to“根据”。A 项instead of表示“而不是”;C 项apart from表示“除了„„之外”;D 项regardless of表示“不顾”。
考查词语搭配
第17题，答案D
【解析】本题考查名词与介词的搭配。根据文意，大脑训练程序提供关于参与者的表现和进步的详细反馈。四个选项中常与feedback 搭配的是D 项on ，因此正确答案是D 项。