① Some people have said aging is more a slide into forgetfulness than a journey towards wisdom. However, a growing body of research suggests that late-in-life learning is possible. In reality, education does an aging brain good.

② Throughout life, people’s brains constantly renovate themselves. In the late 1960s, British brain scientist Geoffrey Raisman spied growth in damaged brain regions of rats through an electron microscope; their brains were forging new connections. This meant brains may change every time a person learns something new.

③ Of course, that doesn’t mean the brain isn’t affected by the effects of time. Just as height usually declines over the years, so does brain volume: Humans lose about 4 percent every decade starting in their 40s. But that reduction doesn’t necessarily make people think slower; as long as we are alive and functioning, we can alter our brains with new information and experiences.

④ In fact, scientists now suspect accumulating novel experiences, facts, and skills can keep  people’s minds more flexible. New pathways can strengthen our ever-changing mental structure, even as the brain shrinks.

⑤ Conventional fixes like word puzzles and brain-training apps can contribute to mental durability. Even something as simple as taking a different route to the grocery store or going somewhere new on vacation can keep the brain healthy.

1. 1. What do some people think of aging adults?（细节理解）

A    Their wisdom grows as time goes by.

B    Their memory gradually deteriorates.

C    They can benefit from late-in-life learning.

D    They are likely to have mental health issues.

2. 2. What can we conclude from Geoffrey Raisman’s finding?（细节理解）

A    Brain damage seriously hinders one’s learning.

B    Brain power weakens slower than we imagine.

C    Brains can refresh and improve with learning.

D    Brains forge connections under new conditions.

3. 3. What is one thing that helps maintain the health of our brain even as it shrinks?（细节理解）

A    Doing daily routines by conventional means.

B    Avoiding worrying about our mental durability.

C    Imitating old dogs’ way of learning new tricks.

D    Approaching everyday tasks in novel ways.

4. 4. What does the author say can contribute to the improvement of brain function?（细节理解）

A    Being curious and desiring knowledge.

B    Being eager to pass brain tests at an old age.

C    Rising to life’s challenges and avoiding risks.

D    Boosting immunity to serious mental diseases.

5. 5. What is the finding of the 2012 study in the journal Psychology and Aging?（细节理解）

A    Wishing to solve puzzles enhances one’s reasoning power.

B    Playing number games unexpectedly stimulates one’s memory.

C    Desiring new experiences can help to renovate the brain.

D    Learning new tricks should not be confined to old dogs only.