Directions: Read the following text. Choose the best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D on the ANSWER SHEET. (10 points)
Fluid intelligence is the type of intelligence that has to do with short-term memory and the ability to think quickly, logically, and abstractly in order to solve new problems. It ___1___ in young adulthood, levels out for a period of time, and then ___2___ starts to slowly decline as we age. But ___3___ aging is inevitable, scientists are finding out that certain changes in brain function may not be.
One study found that muscle loss and the ___4___ of body fat around the abdomen are associated with a decline in fluid intelligence. This suggests the ___5___ that lifestyle factors might help prevent or ___6___ this type of decline.
The researchers looked at data that ___7___ measurements of lean muscle and abdominal fat from more than 4,000 middle-to-older-aged men and women and ___8___ that data to reported changes in fluid intelligence over a six-year period. They found that middle-aged people ___9___ higher measures of abdominal fat ___10___ worse on measures of fluid intelligence as the years ___11___.
For women, the association may be ___12___ to changes in immunity that resulted from excess abdominal fat; in men, the immune system did not appear to be ___13___. It is hoped that future studies could ___14___ these differences and perhaps lead to different ___15___ for men and women.
___16___ there are steps you can ___17___ to help reduce abdominal fat and maintain lean muscle mass as you age in order to protect both your physical and mental ___18___. The two highly recommended lifestyle approaches are maintaining or increasing your ___19___ of aerobic exercise and following Mediterranean-style ___20___ that is high in fiber and eliminates highly processed foods.
解析动词搭配。后文“levels out for a period of time, and then... starts to slowly decline as we age”——先“达到顶峰”再保持后衰退，peaks“到达顶点”最贴合，故选 C。pauses“暂停”不合发展曲线起点；returns“返回”无所指；fades“衰退”应在后期，时序不合。
解析连接词。本句对比——“___ aging is inevitable, scientists are finding out that certain changes in brain function may not be”——“尽管/虽然衰老不可避免，但脑功能某些变化未必如此”，while 表让步“尽管”最贴切，故选 A。since 表因果、once 表“一旦”、until 表时间终点，均不构成此处让步对比。
4.
A) detection
B) accumulation
C) consumption
D) separation
答案 B
解析搭配/语义。the accumulation of body fat around the abdomen“腹部脂肪堆积”是地道表达，与“muscle loss”并列描述衰老身体变化，故选 B。detection“检测”、consumption“消耗”、separation“分离”均不能与 body fat 形成“堆积”一义。
5.
A) possibility
B) decision
C) goal
D) requirement
答案 A
解析搭配。suggests the possibility that... 表“暗示了……的可能性”，与“可能”含义贴合，故选 A。decision“决定”、goal“目标”、requirement“要求”均与“研究只是暗示、尚未证实”的语气不符。
6.
A) delay
B) ensure
C) seek
D) utilize
答案 A
解析并列动词。prevent or ___ this type of decline——“预防或延缓”这种衰退，delay 与 prevent 形成自然并列，故选 A。ensure“确保”、seek“寻求”、utilize“利用”均与“防止衰退”方向相反或不符。
7.
A) modified
B) supported
C) included
D) predicted
答案 C
解析搭配。data that included measurements of...“包含……测量值的数据”，与“researchers looked at data that ___ measurements”逻辑闭环，故选 C。modified“修改”、supported“支持”、predicted“预测”均与“数据所涵盖的内容”不符。
8.
A) devoted
B) compared
C) converted
D) applied
答案 B
解析动宾搭配。compared that data to... 表“把该数据与……进行比较”，与“看肌肉/脂肪数据如何对应流体智力变化”的研究方法吻合，故选 B。devoted to“致力于”、converted to“转换为”、applied to“应用于”均不合“数据比对”一义。
9.
A) with
B) above
C) by
D) against
答案 A
解析介词搭配。people with higher measures of abdominal fat“腹部脂肪指标较高的人”，with 引出特征，故选 A。above/by/against 与 measures of abdominal fat 不构成“具有某特征”这一关系。
10.
A) lived
B) managed
C) scored
D) played
答案 C
解析动宾搭配。scored worse on measures“在……量表上得分更差”，与“流体智力衰退”的考察结果一致，故选 C。lived/managed/played 与 worse on measures 不形成“测验得分”的标准搭配。
11.
A) ran out
B) set off
C) drew in
D) went by
答案 D
解析短语搭配。as the years went by“随着时间流逝”是固定表达，与“多年间得分变差”逻辑一致，故选 D。ran out“用尽”、set off“出发”、drew in“拉入”均不与 the years 搭配表“时间推移”。
解析近义复现。前句说女性的关联与免疫变化有关；本句对照——“in men, the immune system did not appear to be ___”——男性的免疫系统“未参与/未卷入”这一过程，involved“相关、卷入”最贴切，故选 C。restored“恢复”、isolated“被孤立”、controlled“被控制”均不能描述“是否在机制中起作用”。
14.
A) alter
B) spread
C) remove
D) explain
答案 D
解析动宾搭配。future studies could explain these differences“未来研究能解释这些性别差异”，与“perhaps lead to different treatments”因果推进一致，故选 D。alter“改变”、spread“传播”、remove“移除”均与“阐明差异”的科研目的不符。
15.
A) compensations
B) symptoms
C) demands
D) treatments
答案 D
解析语义推断。男女机制不同→“lead to different ___ for men and women”——可能引出针对性的不同“治疗方案”，treatments 最贴切，故选 D。compensations“赔偿”、symptoms“症状”、demands“需求”均与“医学方案”错位。
16.
A) Likewise
B) Meanwhile
C) Therefore
D) Instead
答案 C
解析连接副词。前文论证“锻炼、控腹脂或可保护大脑”，本句给出推导式结论“___ there are steps you can take to help reduce abdominal fat...”——Therefore“因此”最贴切，故选 C。Likewise“同样地”表并列；Meanwhile“同时”表时间；Instead“反而”表转折，均不合“由证据导出建议”。
解析近义复现。physical and mental ___——身心“健康/福祉”，well-being 最契合“身心健康”的整体概念，故选 A。process“过程”、formation“形成”、coordination“协调”均不能与 physical and mental 共指“健康”。
19.
A) level
B) love
C) knowledge
D) space
答案 A
解析搭配。maintaining or increasing your level of aerobic exercise“维持或提高你的有氧运动水平/量”，level 与 aerobic exercise 形成自然搭配，故选 A。love/knowledge/space of aerobic exercise 均不通顺。