江苏2018年高考英语复习增分篇专题巧突破专题四任务型阅专题限时检测二十四任务型阅读一
专题限时检测(二十四) 任务型阅读(一)(限时24分钟)A(2017·苏、锡、常、镇高三三模)When It's Not Quite a Wonderful LifeA 2011 study by researchers might make you think twice about difficult holiday emotions. They followed dozens of bus drivers for two weeks, looking to see when they flashed fake versus sincere smiles at their passengers. The results showed that on days when the drivers tried to put on an act and pretend to be in a good mood, their actual moods got worse. This was especially true for women. And another research suggests that people who really want to be happy actually obtain less happiness from positive experiences, apparently because their expectations are too high. Again and again, trying to gain happiness despite no preference seems to have the opposite result.The results of the bus driver study can be explained by researchers Oliver John and James Gross, who found that negative feelings like sadness or anger only intensify when we try to suppress (压制) them. That's because we feel bad about ourselves when our outward appearance contradicts how we truly feel inside. What's more, when we suppress emotions like sadness, we deny them the important function they serve. If we don't recognize sadness we might not take the necessary steps to improve the situation. Expressing our sadness can also get comfort and compassion from those who care about us, strengthening our bonds.Recently, scientists have also been paying special attention to the benefits of mindfulness. When you respond mindfully to an emotional trigger (诱因), you pause rather than react, and then you can escape getting troubled by thoughtfulness. Rather than scold yourself, you simply notice what you're feeling without judging that response as right or wrong. Studies suggest that a mindful response to a negative event reduces the amount of sadness we experience, is associated with less depression and anxiety, and may even carry physiological benefits, such as lowering our heart rates.Unavoidably, the holidays will bring a mix of highs and lows. Perhaps the most important lesson to keep in mind is that this variety of emotions might be the bestthing possible for your overall wellbeing.That was the key insight from a study published in 2014 by a team of researchers from Yale University. Their survey of more than 37,000 people found that, after experiencing a greater variety and abundance of emotions consistently linked to lower depression, people took less medication, visited doctors less frequently, spent fewer days in hospitals, practiced better dietary and exercise habits, and smoked less.In other words, sadness, anger, and other difficult emotions are like so many other parts of the holidays, they're nothing to fear. Just make sure you're balancing them with lighter experiences.语篇解读：本文是一篇说明文，主要介绍了一项关于消极情感的研究。
1．opposite/opposing 直接信息题。
根据第一段的内容，尤其是最后一句中的“opposite”可知答案。
2．higher信息转换题。
根据第一段倒数第二句“And another research ... apparently because their expectations are t oo high.”可知答案。
3．contradiction 信息转换题。
根据第二段前两句话，尤其是第二句的“... when our outward appearance contradicts how we truly feel inside”可知答案。
4．deny/refuse/reject 直接信息题。
根据第二段中的“What's more, when we suppress emotions like sadness, we deny them the important function th ey serve.”可知答案。
5．solution 信息概括题。
根据表格右边对应的信息可知，这里指的是解决问题的办法，又根据空后的to为介词可知，应填solution。
6．interpretation/meaning/explanation 信息概括题。
根据第三段的内容并结合本空下面列出的两条信息可知，这里表示“mindfulness”的含义，也可以理解为对其意义的理解或解释。
7．scolding/blaming 信息转换题。
从第三段第三句中的“Rather than scold yourself, you simply ...”可知答案。
8．saves/frees 信息概括题。
根据第三段的内容可知，“mindfulness”可以使人们避免很多麻烦。
save/free sb. from sth.的意思是“使某人免于某事”。
9．visits 信息转换题。
从倒数第二段中的“... visited doctors less frequently”可知答案。
10．balance 信息转换题。
从文章最后一句“Just make sure you're balancing them with lighter experiences.”可知答案。
B(2017·江苏省六市高三二模)The Science Behind SmilingNot only does smiling reward our brain's feelgood system, it also makes us look more attractive and lowers stress levels.In stressful situations, smiling is a great way to relieve extreme levels of stress and to keep your cortisol (皮质醇) levels under control.Naturally, happiness can result in smiling. Also, smiling can actually create happiness. Smiling tricks our brains into believing we are happy, and one way it does this is by making us think of happier memories, which improve our moods.When the smiling muscles in our face contract, it sends a signal to the brain to encourage the reward system that further increases our levels of endorphins, or happiness hormones (荷尔蒙). It can have the same effect on our happiness as eating chocolate or receiving a monetary prize.Even though the exact relationship behind facial expression and mental state is largely unknown, it has been suggested that smiling reduces levels of the stressinducing hormone cortisol. Increased levels of cortisol could potentially lead to cardiovascular disease, mental illness, and obesity, so it's worth every effort to try to decrease our cortisol levels.Research shows that when you smile, people treat you differently. Smiling instantly makes you appear more reliable, relaxed, sincere, and attractive. A study found that people who smiled more were rated as more attractive than those who avoided eye contact and didn't smile at all.Perhaps this is why celebrities (名人) invest in perfect smiles, often looking for porcelain veneers to give them flawlessly straight, white teeth. According to a cosmetic (化妆用的) dentistry practice in Boston, broken and stained teeth can make a person look older, while a brighter smile gives a look of health and youthfulness. Anyone you spot on television will more likely than not have a perfect to smile. This gives them a youthful shine while at the same time making them look more attractive.Smiling is an act that many of us may have to practice in order to make a regular habit. However, it's a habit worth investing in, as smiling, happiness, and health have a scientifically proven link to one other. If you find it hard to smile, try being around people who tend to smile a lot.According to a Swedish study, it is difficult to keep a straight face when constantly faced with people who are smilingat you.Title：The Science Behind Smiling语篇解读：本文是一篇说明文，讲述了微笑背后的科学。
2018年高考英语专题复习[江苏]_任务型阅读[有详细的答案解析]
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专题10—任务型阅读1.【2017年高考江苏卷英语】任务型阅读（共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分）请认真阅读下面短文，并根据所读内容在文章后表格中的空格里填入一个．．最恰当的单词。
注意：请将答案写在答题卡上相应题号的横线上。
每个空格只填一个单词。
Population ChangeWhy is the world’s population growing? The answer is not what you might think. The reason for the explosion is not that people have been reproducing like rabbits, but that people have stopped dropping dead like flies. In 1900, people died at the average age of 30. By 2000 the average age was 65. But while increasing health was a typical feature of the 20th century, declining birth rate could be a defining one of the 21st.Statistics show that the average number of births per woman has fallen from 4.9 in the early 1960s to 2.5 nowadays. Furthermore, around 50% of the world’s population live in regions where the figu re is now below the replacement level (i.e. 2.1 births per woman) and almost all developed nations are experiencing sub-replacement birth rate. You might think that developing nations would make up the loss (especially since 80% of the world’s people now live in such nations), but you’d be wrong. Declining birth rate is a major problem in many developing regions too, which might cause catastrophic global shortages of work force within a few decades.A great decline in young work force is likely to occur in China, for instance. What does it imply? First, China needs to undergo rapid economic development before a population zxxk decline hits the country. Second, if other factors such as technology remain constant, economic growth and material expectations will fall well below recent standards and this could invite trouble.Russia is another country with population problems that could break its economic promise. Since 1992 the number of people dying has been bigger than that of those being born by a massive 50%. Indeed official figures suggest the country has shrunk by 5% since 1993 and people in Russia live a shorter life now than those in 1961. Why is this occurring? Nobody is quite sure, but poor diet and above all long-time alcoholism have much to do with it. If current trends don’t bend, Russia’s population will be about the size of Yemen’s by the year 2050.In the north of India, the population is booming due to high birth rates, but in the south, where most economic development is taking place, birth rate is falling rapidly. In a further twist, birth rate is highest inpoorly educated rural areas and lowest in highly educated urban areas. In total, 25% of India’s working-age population has no education. In 2030, a sixth of the country’s potential work forc e could be totally uneducated.One solution is obviously to import foreign workers via immigration. As for the USA, it is almost unique among developed nations in having a population that is expected to grow by 20% from 2010—2030. Moreover, the USA has a t rack record of successfully accepting immigrants. As a result it’s likely to see a rise in the size of its working-age population and to witness strong economic growth over the longer term.Population Change71. 【答案】lower【解析】根据＂declining birth rate could be a defining one of the 21st＂可知，21世纪的出生率比20世纪低，且much/ even/far/a lot/ a little等修饰比较级，故填lower。
江苏专版2018年高考英语二轮复习增分篇专题巧突破专题一语法专题限时检测四时态和语态
专题限时检测 ( 四)时态和语态(共 3组，限时20分钟)[ 模拟试题组一 ]1．(2017 ·通、泰、扬、徐、淮、宿高三一模 ) — The new machines have arrived andare being tested in the workshop.— I'm glad we ________them in the years ahead.A． will be operating B． have been operatingC． would be operating D． had been operating分析：选 A句意：“新机器已经运到并正在车间进行测试。
”“我很快乐我们能在今后的光阴里操作它们。
”时间状语in the years ahead 表示未来，联合“新机器已经运到并正在车间进行测试”，应当用未来进行时，表示按计划未来必然会发生的动作。
2．(2017 ·南通市高三一模) Quantities of soil________ in the area, resulting in the increasing number of natural disasters.A． is washed away C． was washed away B． have washed away D． have been washed away分析：选 D句意：该地域大批的土壤已被冲走，致使了愈来愈多的自然灾祸。
此处强调过去发生的事对此刻产生的影响，故应用此刻达成时，又因“土壤”与“冲走”之间为被动关系，故应选D。
注意： a quantity of和quantities of后可接复数可数名词或不行数名词，所组成的短语作主语时，谓语动词一般与quantity的单复数形式保持一致。
3．(2017 ·南通、泰州、扬州高三一模)I hope when you come tomorrow, you ________the reading and have something to share.A． didC． will be doing B． are doing D． will have done分析：选 D 句意：我希望你明日来的时候，你已经读完了，并且能分享一些内容。
江苏2018年高考英语复习增分篇专题巧突破专题一语法专题限时检测六情态动词和虚拟语气
专题限时检测(六) 情态动词和虚拟语气(共3组，限时20分钟)[模拟题组一]1．(2017·苏北四市高三一模) France has recently passed a law that says all supermarkets ________donate all of their unsold produce to charities.A．may B．shouldC．will D．shall解析：选D 句意：法国最近通过了一项法律，要求超市将所有无法售出的农产品捐赠给慈善机构。
shall用在条约、规章、法令等文件中可以用来表示义务或规定。
2．(2017·通、泰、扬、徐、淮、宿高三一模)—I have no idea what made the students so excited and crazy.—________ it have been their team's victory in the finals?A．Must B．CouldC．Would D．Should解析：选B 句意：“我不知道是什么让学生们如此兴奋和疯狂。
”“是不是有可能他们队在决赛中已经获胜了(的缘故)？”could＋have done表示对过去事实的推测，符合语境，故选B。
3．(2017·扬州高三一模) No wonder some people don't show sympathy for the victim of the accident. She ________have observed the traffic rules.A．must B．shouldC．need D．would解析：选B 句意：难怪一些人并不同情这次意外的受害者。
她本应该遵守交通规则。
should have done“本应当做而实际上未做”，符合语境。
4．(2017·南京、盐城、连云港高三一模)He was greatly shocked at the man taking office. Never did he expect that the voters ________be so unreasonable.A．should B．couldC．would D．might解析：选A 句意：他对这个人上台执政大为震惊。
(江苏专版)2018年高考英语二轮复习 增分篇 专题巧突破 专题四 任务型阅 专题限时检测(二十
专题限时检测(二十六) 任务型阅读(三)(限时24分钟)A(2017·苏、锡、常、镇高三三模)Molecules (分子) found on phonesreveal lifestyle secretsWhat does your phone say about you? Molecules found on mobile phones reveal an astonishing amount of information about the owner's health and lifestyle —including their food preferences and medication.Californian scientists found traces of everything from caffeine and spices to skin creams and antidepressants (抗抑郁药物) on 40 phones they tested. We leave traces of molecules, chemicals and bacteria on everything we touch. Even washing hands thoroughly would not prevent the transfer to everyday objects, the researchers said. Using a technique called mass spectrometry (光谱测定), the University of California, San Diego research team tested 500 samples taken from 40 adults' mobile phones and hands. They then compared them with molecules identified in a database and produced a “lifestyle profile” of each phone owner.Dr Amina Bouslimani, an assistant project scientist on the study, said the results were revealing. “By analysing the molecules they left behind on their phones, we could tell if a person is likely to be female, uses highend cosmetics (化妆品), dyes her hair, drinks coffee, prefers beer to wine, likes spicy food, is being treated for depression, wears sunscreen and bug spray — and therefore likely to spend a lot of time outdoors — all kinds of things，” she said.Most of the molecules are thought to be transferred from people's skin, hands and sweat to their phone. Mosquito repellents (驱蚊剂) and sunscreens were found to stay for a particularly long time on people's skin and phones, even when they had not been used for months. Previous research by the same team found that people who had not washed for three days still had lots of traces of health and beauty products on their skin.The study said the testing method could identify an object's owner without fingerprints. It could also check if patients were taking their medication. Besides, it could provide useful information about a person's exposure to pollution.The researchers now want to find out more about the great quantity of bacteria that cover our skin — and what they reveal about us. Senior author Prof PieterDorrestein said there were at least 1,000 different microbes living on the average person's skin, in hundreds of locations on the body.Molecules (分子) found on phones reveal lifestyle secretsResearch result Your mobile phones convey a large amount of information on your personal health and lifestyle.(1)______ research People who had not washed for three days still had lots of traces of health and beauty products on their skin.Research (2)______ ● Molecules, chemicals and bacteria can be traced on mobile phones (3)________the habit of washing hands thoroughly.●With the help of a(n) (4) ________， researchers tested 500 samples from 40 phones.●(5)________ the samples with molecules identified in a database, scientists produced a “lifestyle profile” of each phone owner.●Based on the (6)________ of the molecules, scientists could tell a person's gender, habits, hobbies, etc.Practical application ●The testing method can tell an object's owner's (7)________ in the absence of fingerprints.●Information about a person's medication can be checked.●How much a person is (8) ________to pollution can be traced.(9)______ research The researchers want to have a better (10) ________of bacteria covering our skin.语篇解读：本文是一篇说明文。
2018年高考英语江苏专用考前三个月文档：专题四+任务型阅读+第一步+技法精准剖析
(一)解题步骤与方法1．略读。
快速浏览全文，理清文章基本结构，了解文章的框架及各段大意。
2．扫读。
扫读图表，分析表格结构和内容，准确定位填空的要求，以便带着问题寻找答案。
3．细读。
深入理解文章内容，分析整合信息，准确表达。
归纳概括，转换信息寻找答案。
4．复查。
通观全篇，复读检查，尤其要注意大小写和拼写。
(二)复习中应注意培养解题能力1．培养词形和词性转换能力。
(1)用所给词的适当形式填空The car rushed down the road at astonishing(astonish) speed.The postal service(serve) here is very unreliable.The exam was relatively(relative) easy.(2)常见的词性转换有：2.培养英语释义与概括能力，如：根据提示用意义相同的词完成各句，每空一词。
The boy felt uncomfortable with his new classmates.(not comfortable)If you ignore your diet，trouble will follow.(pay no attention to)At any rate，the medical supplies will reach you within a week.(things such as food，medicines，etc.that are needed by a group of people)3．培养逆向思维能力。
如：根据提示用意义相反的词完成各句，每空一词。
I am unable to cycle to school because my bicycle is broken.(able)There has been a steady decrease in population in this city.(increase)The rough road made the car vibrate.(smooth)4．培养语篇结构解读能力。
2018版高考英语二轮(江苏专用)专题限时集训：24 任务型阅读(Ⅲ) Word版含解析
专题限时集训二十四任务型阅读(Ⅲ)(对应学生用书第163页)A【导学号：25874080】(2017·通、扬、泰、淮高三三模)We all need to feel understood，recognized and affirmed(证实)by our friends，family and romantic partners.We all need to find our tribe.Research has shown that among the benefits that come with being in a relationship or group，feeling accepted is regarded as the most important driver of meaning.When other people think you matter and treat you as if you matter，you believe you matter，too.Though we all share a need to belong，in the first decades of the 20th century，many influential psychologists and physicians did not acknowledge this fundamental aspect of human nature.The idea that children needed parental love and care to live a full and meaningful life was not only considered medically dangerous，but it was dismissed as immoral and disgusting.As behavioural psychology came into fashion and academic psychologists turned their attention to childraising，this view shifted and they began to examine and affirm the vital importance of attachment in early life.They discovered that people，whatever their age，needed more than food and shelter to live full and healthy lives.But，sadly，many of us lack close ties.At a time when we are more connected digitally than ever before，rates of social isolation(孤立)are rising.The results of an Age UK poll published recently suggest that half a million people over the age of 60 usually spend each day alone，and it's not unusual for another half a million people to go five or six days without seeing or speaking to someone.All these figures reveal more than a rise in loneliness—they reveal a lack of meaning in people's lives.In surveys，we list our close relationships as our most important sources of meaning.Research shows that people who are lonely and isolatedfeel their lives are less meaningful.While close relationships are critical for living a meaningful life，they are not the only important social bonds we need to cultivate(培养)．Psychologists have also discovered the value of small moments of intimacy(亲昵行为)．“High-quality connections”，as one researcher calls them，are positive，shortterm interactions between two people when a couple holds hands on a walk or when two strangers have an empathetic(移情作用的)conversation on a plane.High-quality connections have the potential to unlock meaning in our interactions with acquaintances，colleagues and strangers.We can't control whether someone will make a highquality connection with us，but we can all choose to start one.We can say hello to a stranger on the street rather than look away.We can choose to value people rather than devalue them.We can invite people to belong.动建立高质量的社会纽带。
(江苏专版)18年高考英语二轮复习增分篇专题巧突破专题五书面表达任务型阅读与书面表达组合练(一)
任务型阅读与书面表达组合练(一)(限时40分钟)Ⅰ.任务型阅读(2017·南通市高三第一次调研测试)Following one million middleaged women in Britain for 10 years, a study finds that the widely held view that happiness enhances health and longevity is unfounded.The results come from the socalled Mi llion Women Study, which took on women aged 50 to 69 from 1996 to 2001, and tracked them with questionnaires and official records of death and hospital admissions. The questionnaires asked how often the women felt happy, in control, relaxed and stressed, and also instructed them to rate their health and list ailments like high blood pressure, diabetes, depression or anxiety.When the answers were analyzed statistically, unhappiness and stress were not associated with an increased risk of death. It is not clear whether the findings apply to men.Professor Peto said particularly important data came from 500,000 women who reported that they were in good health, with no history of heart disease, cancer, or stroke. A minority of these healthy women said they were stressed or unhappy, he said, but over the next decade they were no more likely to die than were the women who were generally happy.“This finding refutes (驳斥) the large effects of unhappiness and stress on death rate that others have claimed，” Dr. Peto said. Unhappiness itself may not affect health directly, but it can do harm in other ways, by driving people to suicide, alcoholism or other dangerous behaviors, he warned.This type of study, in which people involved depends on their selfassessments, is not considered as reliable as a designed experiment where people involved are picked at random and assigned to a treatment or control group. But the huge number of people in this study gives it power. Still, some observers noted that measuring emotions is more nuanced (细微的) and complex than simply declaring happiness or unhappiness.“I would have liked to see more discussion of how people translate these complicated feelings into a selfreport of happiness，” said Baruch Fischhoff, a psychologist at Carnegie Mellon University.The results of earlier studies have been mixed, with some finding thatunhappiness causes illness and others showing no link, Dr. Fisch hoff said. “It looks to me like people have collected a lot of data without finding a clear signal，” he said. However, an editorial accompanying the study in The Lancet noted that it had the largest population so far in happiness studies and praised its statistical methods.Professor Peto said he doubted whether the new study would change many minds because beliefs ab out the risks of unhappiness are so rooted. “People are still going to believe that stress causes heart attacks，” he said.Topic Happiness Doesn't (1)________ Bring Good Health(2)________ of the research One million women aged 50 to 69(3)________ of the research ●Track the women with questionna ires.●Keep official records of deaths and hospital admission.●Make statistical (4)________ of the answers.Results of the research ●It lacks basis that unhappy people(5)__________ to suffer mortality more easily.●Unhappiness may (6)________ for some dangerous behaviors.●Whether the conclusion applies to men hasn't been (7)________.(8)________ of the research ●It just depends on how people involved(9)________ themselves.●Measuring emotion is more nuanced and complex.●The results of earlier studi es have been mixed.Significance of the research The largest population were involved. Statistical methods were used.Professor Peto's concern The study can (10)________ change people's minds as the beliefs about the disadvantages of unhappiness are so anchored.语篇解读：本文是说明文。
2018年高考英语专题复习(江苏)-任务型阅读(有详细答案解析)
专题10—任务型阅读1.【2017年高考江苏卷英语】任务型阅读（共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分）请认真阅读下面短文，并根据所读内容在文章后表格中的空格里填入一个．．最恰当的单词。
注意：请将答案写在答题卡上相应题号的横线上。
每个空格只填一个单词。
Population ChangeWhy is the world’s population growing? The answer is not what you might think. The reason for the explosion is not that people have been reproducing like rabbits, but that people have stopped dropping dead like flies. In 1900, people died at the average age of 30. By 2000 the average age was 65. But while increasing health was a typical feature of the 20th century, declining birth rate could be a defining one of the 21st.Statistics show that the average number of births per woman has fallen from 4.9 in the early 1960s to 2.5 nowadays. Furthermore, around 50% of the world’s population live in regions where the figure is now below the replacement level (i.e. 2.1 births per woman) and almost all developed nations are experiencing sub-replacement birth rate. You might think that developing nations would make up the loss (especially since 80% of the world’s people now l ive in such nations), but you’d be wrong. Declining birth rate is a major problem in many developing regions too, which might cause catastrophic global shortages of work force within a few decades.A great decline in young work force is likely to occur in China, for instance. What does it imply? First, China needs to undergo rapid economic development before a population zxxk decline hits the country. Second, if other factors such as technology remain constant, economic growth and material expectations will fall well below recent standards and this could invite trouble.Russia is another country with population problems that could break its economic promise. Since 1992 the number of people dying has been bigger than that of those being born by a massive 50%. Indeed official figures suggest the country has shrunk by 5% since 1993 and people in Russia live a shorter life now than those in 1961. Why is this occurring? Nobody is quite sure, but poor diet and above all long-time alcoholism have much to do with it. If current trends don’t bend, Russia’s population will be about the size of Yemen’s bythe year 2050.In the north of India, the population is booming due to high birth rates, but in the south, where most economic development is taking place, birth rate is falling rapidly. In a further twist, birth rate is highest in poorly educated rural areas and lowest in highly educated urban areas. In total, 25% of India’s working-age population has no education. In 2030, a sixth of the country’s potential work forc e could be totally uneducated.One solution is obviously to import foreign workers via immigration. As for the USA, it is almost unique among developed nations in having a population that is expected to grow by 20% from 2010—2030. Moreover, the USA has a track record of successfully accepting immigrants. As a result it’s likely to see a rise in the size of its working-age population and to witness strong economic growth over the longer term.Population Change71. 【答案】lower【解析】根据＂declining birth rate could be a defining one of the 21st＂可知，21世纪的出生率比20世纪低，且much/ even/far/a lot/ a little等修饰比较级，故填lower。
江苏省普通高等学校2018年高三英语招生考试资源练习：题型四任务型阅读试卷六含解析
试卷六(2016·南京调研卷）When it comes to being socially successful，the quantity of your relationships is irrelevant. The important thing is the quality of them. I would rather have a small team that works in concert than a big team so scattered（分散的）that nothing ever gets done. It's better to have a few close friends who love you for who you are than a lot of acquaintances who you're not so comfortable with.Here are five ways you can make people enjoy being around you。
1。
Be confident，but not cocky.There is a big difference between healthy confidence and arrogant （傲慢的) cockiness. A confident person，when complimented about a wonderful thing they did, would reply with a simple “thank you”。
A cocky person would take the opportunity to perform an unscheduled Academy Award acceptance speech。
A confident person would offer praise for everybody who contributed to their success。
江苏专版2018年高考英语二轮复习增分篇专题巧突破专题四任务型阅专题限时检测二十五任务型阅读二
专题限时检测(二十五) 任务型阅读(二)(限时24分钟)A(2017·南京、盐城高三一模) Until about 18 years ago, it was widely assumed that most of brain development occurs in the first few years of life. But recent research on the human brain has shown that many brain regions undergo prolonged development throughout adolescence and beyond in humans. This advancement in knowledge has increased old worries and given rise to new ones. It is hugely worrying that so many teenagers around the world don't have access to education at a time when their brains are still developing and being shaped by the environment. We should also worry about our lack of understanding of how our rapidly changing world is shaping the developing teenage brain.Decades of research on early neurodevelopment suggested that the environment influences brain development. During the first few months or years of life, an animal must be exposed to particular visual or auditory stimuli (听觉刺激) for the associated brain cells and connections to develop. In this way, neuronal circuitry (神经元回路) is shaped according to the environment during “sensitive periods” of brain development. This research has focused mostly on early development of sensory brain regions. What about later development of higherlevel brain regio ns, which are involved in decisionmaking, control and planning, as well as social understanding and selfawareness? We know these brain regions continue to develop throughout adolescence. However, we have very little knowledge about how environmental factors influence the developing teenage brain. This is something that should concern us.There's a lot of concern about the hours some teenagers spend online and playing video games. But maybe all this worry is misplaced. After all, throughout history humans have worried about the effects of new technologies on the minds of the next generation. When the printing press was invented, there was anxiety about reading corrupting young people's minds, and the same worries were repeated for the invention of radio and television. Maybe we shouldn't be worried at all. It's possible that the developing brains of today's teenagers are going to be the most adaptable, creative, multitasking brains that have ever existed. There is evidence —from adults —that playing video games improves a range of cognitivefunctions such as divided attention and working memory. Much less is known about how gaming, social networking and so on, influence the developing adolescent brain. We don't know whether the effects of new technologies on the developing brain are positive, negative or neutral. We need to find out.Adolescence is a period of life in which the brain is developing and shapable, and it represents a good opportunity for learning and social development. However, according to UNICEF, 40% of the world's teenagers do not have access to secondary school education. The percentage of teenage girls who have no access to education is much higher, and yet there is strong evidence that the education of girls in developing countries has multiple significant benefits for family health, population growth rates, child mortality rates, HIV rates as well as for women's selfesteem and quality of life. Adolescence represents a time of brain development when teaching and training should be particularly beneficial. I worry about the lost opportunity of denying the world's teenagers access to education.education on the developing brains.语篇解读：本文是一篇说明文，介绍了一项新的发现：人的大脑在青春期及以后会继续发育、成长。