When older people can no longer remember names at a cocktail party, they tend to think that their brainpower is declining. But a growing number of studies suggest that this assumption is often wrong. Instead, the research finds, the aging brain is simply taking in more data and trying to sift through a clutter of information, often to its long-term benefit. The studies are analyzed in a new edition of a neurology book, "Progress in Brain Research. "
Some brains do deteriorate with age. Alzheimer’s disease, for example, strikes 13 percent of Americans 65 and older. But for most aging adults, the authors say, much of what occurs is a gradually widening focus of attention that makes it more difficult to latch onto just one fact, like a name or a telephone number. Although that can be frustrating, it is often useful. "It may be that distractibility is not, in fact, a bad thing," said Shelley H. Carson, a psychology researcher at Harvard whose work was cited in the book. "It may increase the amount of information available to the conscious mind. "
For example, in studies where subjects are asked to read passages that are interrupted with unexpected words or phrases, adults 60 and older work much more slowly than college students. Although the students plow through the texts at a consistent speed regardless of what the out-of-place words mean, older people slow down even more when the words are related to the topic at hand. That indicates that they are not just stumbling over the extra information, but are taking it in and processing it. When both groups were later asked questions for which the out-of-place words might be answers, the older adults responded much better than the students.
"For the young people, it’s as if the distraction never happened," said an author of the review, Lynn Hasher, a professor of psychology at the University of Toronto and a senior scientist at the Rotman Research Institute. "But for older adults, because they’ve retained all this extra data, they’ re now suddenly the better problem solvers. They can transfer the information they’ve soaked up from one situation to another. "
Such tendencies can yield big advantages in the real world, where it is not always clear what information is important, or will become important. A seemingly irrelevant point or suggestion in a memo can take on new meaning if the original plan changes. Or extra details that stole your attention, like others’yawning and fidgeting, may help you assess the speaker’s real impact.

Older adults tend to be forgetful because of（）

A:their broader range of attention B:the harm of Alzheimer’s disease C:their wide information D:their frustration from limited attention

All day long, you are affected by large forces. Genes influence your intelligence and willingness to take risks. Social dynamics unconsciously shape your choices. Instantaneous perceptions set off neutral reactions in your head without you even being aware of them.
Over the past few years, scientists have made a series of exciting discoveries about how these deep patterns influence daily life. Nobody has done more to bring these discoveries to public attention than Malcolm Gladwell.
Gladwell’s new book Outliers seems at first glance to be a description of exceptionally talented individuals. But in fact, it’s another book about deep patterns. Exceptionally successful people are not lone pioneers who created their own success, he argues. They are the lucky beneficiaries of social arrangements.
Gladwell’s noncontroversial claim is that some people have more opportunities than others. Bill Gates was lucky to go to a great private school with its own computer at the dawn of the information revolution.
Gladwell’s book is being received by reviewers as a call to action for the Obama Age. It could lead policy makers to finally reject policies built on the assumption that people are coldly rational profit-maximizing individuals. It could cause them to focus more on policies that foster relationships, social bonds and cultures of achievement.
Yet, I can’t help but feel that Gladwell and others who share his emphasis are preoccupied with the coolness of the discoveries. They’ve lost sight of the point at which the influence of social forces ends and the influence of the self-initiating individual begins.
Most successful people begin with two beliefs: the future can be better than the present, and I have the power to make it so. They were often showered by good fortunes, but relied at crucial moments upon achievements of individual will. These people also have an extraordinary ability to consciously focus their attention. Control of attention is the ultimate individual power. People who can do that are not prisoners of the stimuli around them. They can choose from the patterns in the world and lengthen their time horizons.
Gladwell’s social determinism overlooks the importance of individual character and individual creativity. And it doesn’t fully explain the genuine greatness of humanity’s talents. As the classical philosophers understood, examples of individual greatness inspire achievement more reliably than any other form of education.
According to the author, the most fundamental individual power is ______.

A:control of attention B:individual will C:a good character D:exceptional creativity

Muhammad Ali is probably the most famous sports figure on earth: he is recognized on every continent and by all generations. The diagnosis of his illness (51) Parlonson’s disease after his retirement fuelled the debate about the dangers of boxing and criticism (52) the sport. That, plus his outspoken opposition (53) women’s boxing, made people wonder how he would react when one of his daughters decided to take (54) the sport. His presence at Laila’s first professional fight, (55) _, seemed to broadcast her father’s support. Of course Muhammnad Ali wanted to watch his daughter fight. The ring announcer introduced him as the "the greatest" and as he sat down at the ringside the crowd chanted.
Twenty-one-year-old Laila’s debut fight was a huge success and there was as much publicity for the fight (56) her father’s fights once attracted. (57) , Laila’s opponent was much weaker than she was and the fight lasted just 31 seconds. Since then, Laila has won most of her fights by knocking out her opponent. "She knows (58) she’s doing, all fight, "said one referee about her. "She knows about moving well. You can see some of her dad’s moves."
Laila Ali would rather not compare herself (59) her father. She prefers to make her own (60) . Her father supports her decision to enter the sport but he has not spared her the details of what can happen. Laila realizes that her father wants her to understand the (61) possible scenario to see (62) she still wants to go forward with it. She knows she’s going to get hit hard at times, that she may get a broken nose or a swollen face, but at least she is prepared for it.
Laila’s decision to start boxing (63) her father’s struggle with the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease has of course sparked a mixture of debate and (64) . But Laila is a feisty and determined individual and it is that as much as her famous last name that has made her a magnet for worldwide media attention. Of course, the (65) on the boxing scene of a woman
with her family history attracts even more questions about whether women’s boxing is sport or spectacle．

A:arrival B:birth C:departure D:attention

Muhammad All is probably the most famous sports figure on earth: he is recognized on every continent and by all generations. The (51) of his illness as Parkinson’s disease after his retirement fuelled the debate about the dangers of boxing and criticism (52) the sport. That, plus his outspoken opposition (53) women’s boxing, made people wonder how he would react when one of his daughters decided to (54) up the sport. His presence at Laila’s first professional fight, however, seemed to broadcast a father’s support. Of course Muhammad All wanted to (55) his daughter fight. The ring announcer introduced him as the "the greatest" and as he sat down at the ringside the crowd chanted.
Twenty-one-year-old Laila’s debut fight(首次亮相) was a huge success and there was as much publicity for the (56) as her father’s fights once attracted. (57) , Laila’s opponent was much weaker than she was and the fight lasted just 31 seconds. Since then, Laila has won most of her fights by knocking out her opponent. "She knows (58) she’s doing," said one referee about her. "She knows about moving well. You can see some of her dad’s moves. "
Laila Ali would rather not (59) herself to her father. She prefers to make her own (60) . Her father supports her decision to enter the sport but he has not spared her the details of what can hap pen. Laila (61) that her father wants her to understand the worst possible scenario(局面)to see (62) she still wants to go forward with it. She knows she’s going to get hit hard at times, that she may get a broken nose or a swollen(肿胀的)face, but at least she is prepared for it.
Laila’s decision to start boxing despite her father’s (63) with the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease has of course sparked a mixture of praise and (64) . But Laila is a determined individual and it is her famous last name that has made her a magnet for worldwide media attention. Of course, the (65) on the boxing scene of a woman with her family history attracts even more questions about whether women’s boxing is sport or spectacle.

A:arrival B:birth C:departure D:attention

Doing homework not only can help children master the knowledge they have learned, but aslo can train their abilities of doing the work alone, planning the time and doing the duties. But some children don’ t like to complete the work. Why There are some reasons.
Some children feel it is very difficult to do their homework, because they can’ t understand their teacher clearly, and can not follow their teacher’ s teaching process (过程). Maybe there is something wrong with their intelligence.
But some children’ s intelligence is normal. They are even cleverer, but they don’ t listen to the teacher carefully. It is hard for them to sit well and pay attention to anything. It needs to carry on the attention centralized(集中精力) training to help the children.
Some children love their teacher and then they like the subject. Their interest depends on the teacher who teaches them. So every teacher should be helpful and kind. It can make children love you and the subject you teach. So they can do their homework happily.
According to the last paragraph (段落) ,the writer thinks ______ is very important.

A:a teacher B:a subject C:attention D:homework

Doing homework not only can help children master the knowledge they have learned, but aslo can train their abilities of doing the work alone, planning the time and doing the duties. But some children don’ t like to complete the work. Why There are some reasons.
Some children feel it is very difficult to do their homework, because they can’ t understand their teacher clearly, and can not follow their teacher’ s teaching process (过程). Maybe there is something wrong with their intelligence.
But some children’ s intelligence is normal. They are even cleverer, but they don’ t listen to the teacher carefully. It is hard for them to sit well and pay attention to anything. It needs to carry on the attention centralized(集中精力) training to help the children.
Some children love their teacher and then they like the subject. Their interest depends on the teacher who teaches them. So every teacher should be helpful and kind. It can make children love you and the subject you teach. So they can do their homework happily.
According to the last paragraph (段落) ,the writer thinks ______ is very important.

A:a teacher B:a subject C:attention D:homework

Doing homework not only can help children master the knowledge they have learned, but aslo can train their abilities of doing the work alone, planning the time and doing the duties. But some children don’ t like to complete the work. Why There are some reasons.
Some children feel it is very difficult to do their homework, because they can’ t understand their teacher clearly, and can not follow their teacher’ s teaching process (过程). Maybe there is something wrong with their intelligence.
But some children’ s intelligence is normal. They are even cleverer, but they don’ t listen to the teacher carefully. It is hard for them to sit well and pay attention to anything. It needs to carry on the attention centralized(集中精力) training to help the children.
Some children love their teacher and then they like the subject. Their interest depends on the teacher who teaches them. So every teacher should be helpful and kind. It can make children love you and the subject you teach. So they can do their homework happily.
According to the last paragraph (段落) ,the writer thinks ______ is very important.

A:a teacher B:a subject C:attention D:homework