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*第二十四篇 Sleep Lets Brain File MemoriesTo sleep. Perchance to file? Findings published online this week by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences further support the theory that the brain organizes and stows memories formed during the day while the rest of the body is catching zzzs.Gyorgy Buzsaki of Rutgers University5 and his colleagues analyzed the brain waves of sleeping rats and mice. Specifically, they examined the electrical activity emanating from6 the somatosensory neocortex (an area that processes sensory information) and the hippocampus, which is a center for learning and memory. The scientists found that oscillations in brain waves from the two regions appear to be intertwined. So-called sleep spindles (bursts of activity from the neocortex) were followed tens of milliseconds later by beats in the hippocampus known as ripples. The team posits that this interplay between the two brain regions is a key step in memory consolidation. A second study, also published online this week by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, links age-associated memory decline to high glucose levels.Previous research had shown that individuals with diabetes suffer from increased memory problems. In the new work, Antonio Convit of New York University School of Medicine and his collaborators studied 30 people whose average age was 69 to investigate whether sugar levels, which tend to increase with age, affect memory in healthy people as well. The scientists administered11 recall tests, brain scans and glucose tolerance tests, which measure how quickly sugar is absorbed from the blood by the bodys tissues. Subjects with the poorest memory recollection, the team discovered, also displayed the poorest glucose tolerance. In addition, their brain scans showed more hippocampus shrinkage than those of subjects better able to absorb blood sugar.Our study suggests that this impairment12 may contribute to the memory deficits13 that occur as people age. Convit says. And it raises the intriguing possibility that improving glucose tolerance could reverse some age-associated problems in cognition.14 Exercise and weight control can help keep glucose levels in check15, so there may be one more reason to go to the gym.词汇：perchance p?t?:ns adv. 偶然；可能online ?nlain n. 在线的stow st?u vt. 贮藏，堆装emanate em?neit vi. 发源somatosensory ,s?um?t?sens?ri adj. 体觉的neocortex ,ni:?uk?:teks n. 新（大脑）皮质oscillation ,?silei?n n. 振荡intertwine ,int?twain v. 缠绕spindle spindl n. 纺锤体ripple ripl n. 波动，脉动diabetes ,dai?bi:ti:z n. 糖尿病recollection ,rek?lek?n n. 回忆shrinkage ?ri?kid? n. 收缩impairment imp?m?nt n. 损伤intrigue intri: n. 引起。兴趣（或好奇心）cognition k?ni?n n. 认识注释：1. file memories：归档并储存记忆。 file：意为 to put or keep (papers,etc. ) in useful order for storage or reference（把归档）。2. To sleep. Perchance to file? ：从莎士比亚笔下哈姆雷特的独白中的名句 To sleep: perchance to dream. 改编而来。3. the Proceedings: (科学文献、会议文献)汇编，常用复数形式。4. zzz：（拟声词）打鼾声 5. Rutgers University：美国新泽西州立大学 (the State University of New Jersey)。6. emanating from：发源于。7. neocortex：新(大脑)皮质，尤指大的高等哺乳动物大脑中新生长的部分，也叫做 neopallium。neo-：前縀，意思是新的。8. thehippocampus：大脑侧面脑室壁上的隆起物，也称海马状突起，在泛记过程中起主要作用。9. tens of milliseconds：几十毫秒10. age-associated memory decline：与年龄相关的记忆衰退11. administer：实施12. this impairment：指上句中 hippocampus shrinkage.13. memory deficits：记忆衰退14. the intriguing possibility that improving glucose tolerance could reverse some age-associated problems in cognition：令人兴奋的可能性，即不断改善葡萄糖容许量可以完全改变对某些与年龄相关的认知问题。15. keep glucose levels in check：限制葡萄糖水平。 in check：在控制中，被阻止。练习：1. Which of the following statements is nearest in meaning to the sentence To sleep. Perchance to file? A Does brain arrange memories in useful order during sleep?B Does brain have memories when one is sleeping?C Does brain remember files after one falls asleep?D Does brain work on files in sleep?2. What is the result of the experiment with rats and mice carried out at Rutgers University?A The electrical activity is emanating from the somatosensory neocortex.B Oscillations in brain waves are from hippocampus.C Somatosensory neocortex and hippocampus work together in memory consolidation.D Somatosensory neocortex plays it primary role in memory consolidation.3. What is the relation of memory to glucose tolerance, as is indicated by a research mentioned in paragraph 4?A People with poor memory have high glucose tolerance.B People with good memory have low glucose tolerance.C Memory level has nothing to do with glucose tolerance.D The poorer the memory, the poorer glucose tolerance.4. In what way is memory related to hippocampus shrinkage?A There is no relation between memory and hippocampus shrinkage.B The more hippocampus shrinks, the poorer ones memory.C The more hippocampus shrinks, the better ones memory.D The less hippocampus shrinks, the poorer ones memory.5. According to the last paragraph, what is the ultimate reason for going to the gym? A To prevent hippocampus shrinkage. B To control weight.C To exercise.D To control glucose levels.答案与解释 :1. A文章第一段告诉我们，科学新发现进一步支持了一种理论，即，当人体进入睡眠状态时，大脑对在白天形成的记忆进行组织和储存。 To sleep. Perchance to file?见注释 1和注释 2。2. C 第二段告诉我们，科学家分析了老鼠的脑电波，尤其是从 somatosensory neocortex和 hippocampus两个区域发出的脑电波。该段是后两句指出，这两个大脑区域的活动是互相作用的。第二段并没有说 somatosensory neocortex或 hippocampus起主导作用。3. D 该段倒数第二句提供了答案。4. B 第四段的后一句中 their brain scans，指上句中的 subjects 5. D 锻炼身体和体重控制能保持葡萄糖水平，闲此，去健身房就有了另外一个理由。+第三十四篇 Who Want to Live Forever?If your doctor could give you a drug that would let you live a healthy life for twice as long ，would you take it?The good news is that we may be drawing near to that date，Scientists have already extended the lives of flies ，worms and mice in laboratories. Many now think that using genetic treatments we will soon be able to extend human life to at least 140 years. This seems a great idea. Think of how much more time we could spend chasing our dreams，spending time with our loved ones，watching our families grow and have families of their own.Longer life would give us a chance to recover from our mistakes and promote long term thinking, says Dr Gregory Stock of the University Of California School Of Public Health. It would also raise productivity by adding to the year we can work.Longer lives dont just affect the people who live them. They also affect society as a whole. We have war，poverty，all sorts of issues around，and I dont think any of them would be at all helped by having people live longer, says US bioethicist Daniel Callahan.The question is What will we get as a society? I suspect it wont be a better society.It would certainly be a very different society. People are already finding it more difficult to stay married. Divorce rates are rising. What would happen to marriage in a society where people lived for 140 years? And what would happen to family life if nine or 10 generations of the same family were all alive at the same time?Research into ageing may enable women to remain fertile for longer. And that raises the prospect of having 100-year-old parents，or brothers and sisters born 50 years apart. We think of an elder sibling as someone who can protect us and offer help and advice. That would be hard to do if that sibling came from a completely different generation.Working life would also be affected，especially if the retirement age was lifted. More people would stay in work for longer. That would give us the benefits of age-skill，wisdom and good judgment.On the other hand，more people working for longer would create greater competition for jobs. It would make it more difficult for younger people to find a job. Top posts would be dominated by the same few individuals，making career progress more difficult. And how easily would a 25-year-old employee be able to communicate with a 125-year-old boss?Young people would be a smaller part of a society in which people lived to 140. It may be that such a society would place less importance on guiding and educating young people，and more on making life comfortable for the old.And society would feel very different if more of its members were older. There would be more wisdom，but less energy. Young people like to move about. Old people like to sit still. Young people tend to act without thinking. Old people tend to think without acting. Young people are curious and like to experience different things. Old people are less enthusiastic about change. In fact ，they are less enthusiastic about everything.The effect of anti-ageing technology is deeper than we might think. But as the science advances，we need to think about these changes now. If this could ever happen，then wed better ask what kind of society we want to get， says Daniel Callahan. We had better not go anywhere near it until we have figure those problems out.词汇:mice / mais / n. 老鼠(复数)sibling / sibli? / n. 兄弟姐妹bioethicist / n. 生物伦理学家注释:1. brothers and sisters born 50 years apart 出生年份相隔50年的兄弟姐妹2. We had better not go anywhere near it 我们最好离它远点，这里的it指代前面讲的 anti-ageing technology.练习:1. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as one of the things that living longer might enable an individual to do?A Spending more time with his family.B Having more education.C Realizing more dreams.D Working longer.2. Which of the following is implied in the sixth paragraph?A Marriages in the US today are quite unstable.B More and more people in the US today want to get married.CLiving longer would make it easier for people to maintain their marital ties.DIf people live longer ，they would stay in marriage longer.3. All of the following are possible effects living longer might have on working life EXCEPT ACommunication between employers and employees would be more difficult.BMore money would be used by employees in payment of their employees.CThe job market would be more competitive.D It would be more difficult for young people to be promoted to top positions.4. An important feature of a society in which people live a long life is thatAit places more emphasis on educating the young.Bit is both wise and energetic.C it lacks the curiosity to experiment what is new.D it welcomes changes.5. Which of the following best describes Callahan s attitude to anti-ageing technology ?A Optimistic.B Pessimistic.C Reserved.D Negative.答案与题解：1. B 长寿使个人能做的事主要在第三、四段里讲到，作者没有提到长寿可以让人更多地接受教育。2. A本题答案以下面的这两句话为依据:People are already finding it more difficult to stay married. Divorce rates are rising. 暗示美国人目前的婚姻关系已经十分脆弱。3. B 文章的第九段讲了寿命延长、退休推迟可能带来的种种问题，但作者没有提到雇佣者需要更多的钱来支付员工的工资。4. C 答案可以在第十、十一这两段里找到。5. C 本题的答案依据可以在最后一段里找到。Callahan 认为在搞清楚长寿社会会给我们带来哪些问题之前，最好不要急着搞抗衰老的技术。可见他对抗衰老技术的发展是有保留的。
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