The researchers only studied 32 employees, so the findings are debatable. But when they assigned one group to eat at their desks and another to dine with a colleague at a restaurant, the found those who ate lunch together showed a decline ____23____ their performance on tests that measured concentration, memory and the ability to catch errors and read emotions in facial expressions following lunch than before lunch. Both groups ate the same meals, but those who ate alone were only given 20 minutes to consume their food, ____24____ the paired participants were allowed one hour in the restaurant. Those who ate alone did not have as large a drop in their cognitive processing as those who ate in the restaurant.

What was responsible for the change? There were too many variables at play to determine which had the strongest influence on cognitive control-was it the companionship, or was it the restaurant environment ____25____ other diners were present, music was played and the meal was served by wait staff, or was it the longer time to enjoy the meal?

____26____ factor was responsible, the group that took: a restaurant lunch break came back more relaxed, say the authors, and that likely affected their cognitive sharpness. Sharing a meal aside the office with a friend appears to have a ____27____ (calm) effect, and while it reduces intellectual skills, it may develop social harmony and teamwork, which ____28____ be an important feature of some work tasks.

But don’t feel sorry for the lone lunchers. It turns out ____29____ since they were able to maintain their cognitive skills following the meal, they might be in a better position ____30____ (think) creatively for projects that require more innovative solutions or approaches. 【答案】21. are getting 22. asked 23. in

24. while 25. where 26. Whichever/Whatever 27. calming 28. can/may

29. that 30. to think 【解析】

本文属于说明文，介绍单独吃午餐和与其他人共进午餐对于上班的人来说影响不同，单独午餐维持一个人的智力水平，而共进午餐则能增加社会和谐和团队精神。 【21题详解】

考查现在进行时。句意：如今午餐时间越来越短，甚至在一些地方没有了午餐时间。分析句子可知，本句描述当今的午餐时间正在缩短，以及本句and even disappearing可知，用现在进行时，故用are getting。 【22题详解】

考查非谓语动词。句意：员工更少就要求在一天的时间完成更多的事情，美国人已经没有把午餐当作休息，而是另一项任务，努力塞入本已占满的时间表里。本句为with的复合结构，ask与其逻辑主语employee为动宾关系，故用过去分词asked。 【23题详解】

考查介词。句意：研究发现，那些在一起吃午餐的调查对象，在测量专注度、记忆等方面的测试分数在下降。分析句子可知，本句描述在专注度以及记忆方面的下降，故用in。 【24题详解】

考查状语从句。句意：独自吃午餐的给了20分钟，而在餐厅成对吃午饭的给了一个小时。根据文章可知，本句讲述对比试验的具体细则，表示对比，故用while。 【25题详解】

考查定语从句。句意：有很多变量决定了对认知控制的影响，比如陪伴，餐厅是否还有其他的食客，有没有放音乐，服务员在不在一旁，还是吃饭时间更长。分析句子可知，other diners were present为定语从句修饰先行词environment，从句缺

乏地点状语，故用关系副词where。 【26题详解】

考查状语从句。句意：无论是什么因素在起作用，研究团队发现，从餐厅吃饭回来的人更放松。分析前后句，研究人员没有发现具体的原因，但是观察到一个现象，故用Whatever或者Whichever。 27题详解】

考查形容词。句意：与朋友在办公室旁边的餐厅吃饭好像有镇定作用，尽管降低智力技能，但是促进了社交和谐和团队精神，这一精神可能是一些工作任务重要的特点。分析句子可知，修饰名词用形容词，故用calming。 【28题详解】

【may。 【29题详解】 【30题详解】

置定语，故用不定式，to think。

Section B

考查情态动词。句意：与朋友在办公室旁边的餐厅吃饭好像有镇定作用，尽管降低智力技能，但是促进了社交和谐和团队精神，这一精神可能是一些工作任务重要的特点。分析句子可知，有些工作任务可能需要团队精神，表示推测，故用can或者

考查主语从句。句意：结果是，既然在吃完午饭之后可以维持其智力水平，他们可能在需要创造性思维的工作方面占优势。分析句子可知，本句为it turns out，it作形式主语，从句是真正的主语，从句完整，故用引导词that。

考查非谓语动词。句意：结果是，既然在吃完午饭之后可以维持其智力水平，他们可能在需要创造性思维的工作方面占优势。分析句子可知，think作position的后

Direction: Fill in each blank with a proper word’ chosen from the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

Genes That Make You Smarter

The contributions genes make to intelligence increase as children grow older. This goes against the idea most people hold that as we age, environmental influences gradually overpower the genetic legacy (遗产) we are born with and may have ____31____ for education.

“People assume the genetic influence goes down with age because the environmental differences between people pile up in life,” says Robert Plomin. “What we found was quite ____32____ and goes in the other direction.”

Previous studies have shown variations in intelligence are ____33____ due to genetics. To find out whether this genetic contribution varies with age, Plomin’s team gathered data from six separate studies carried out in 4 countries, ____34____ a total of 11000 pairs of twins. The researchers tested twins on reasoning, arithmetics etc. to measure a quantity called “G”. Each study also included both identical twins, with the same genes, and fraternal twin (异卵双生) sharing about half their genes, making it possible to ____35____ the contributions of genes and environment to their G scores.

Plomin’s team calculated in childhood, genes account for about 4l percent of the variation in intelligence. In adolescence, this rose to 55 percent; by young adolescence, it was 66 percent.

No one ____36____ knows why the influence from genes should increase with age, but Plomin suggests that as children get older, they become better at handling their environment to suit their genetic needs, and says “kids with high G will use their environment to develop their cognitive ability and