1、江苏省南京市重点中学20052006学年度第一学期高三年级统一测试试题英语第一卷（三部分，共115分）第一部分：听力（共两节，满分30分）第一节（共5小题：每小题1.5分，满分7.5分）听下面5段对话。每段对话后有一个小题，从题中所组的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项，并标在试卷的相应位置。听完每段对话后，你都有10秒钟的时间来回答有关小题和阅读下一小题。每段对话仅读一遍。1What are the man and woman talking about?ABuildings.BUniversity.CNew laboratories.2What does the man mean?AThe
2、son is not doing well.BThe son is as smart as his father.CThe soon is very poor.3What does the man mean?AIts too far away to walk to.BIts within walking distance.CIts not far, but too far to walk to.4Where does this conversation most probably take place?AAt home.BAt a restaurant.COn a party.5What do
3、es the man mean?AHe moved the desk alone.BHe had some classmates move the desk.CHis classmates helped him.第二节（共15小题：每小题1.5分，满分22.5分）听下面5段对话或独白。每段对话或独白后有几个小题，以题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项，并标在试卷的相应位置。听每段对话或说独白前，你将有时间阅读各个小题，每小题5秒种；听完后，各小题将给出5秒钟的作答时间。每段对话或独白读两遍。听第6段材料，回答第6、7题。6Whose mother was ill?AJeffs.BJack
4、s.CRichards.7With whom did the man go traveling?AMaria.BHis dog.CJeff and Richard.听第七段对话，回答第8至11题。8What kind of food will the man and woman eat?AAmerican food.BIndian food.CChinese food.9Where is the restaurant?AOn Queen Street.BOn Main Street.COn Rain Street.10How does the woman know that the Easte
5、rn Palace is a good Chinese restaurant?AShe has been there several times.BShe has tried it once.CShe has been told about it.11What time will they most likely meet?A7:00.B7:15.C6:45.听第八段对话，回答第12至14题。12Where does this conversation take place?AIn a restaurant.BIn a hospital.CAt the office.13The woman g
6、ets a pain in stomach _.Aabout an hour after she has eaten.Babout an hour before she has eaten.Cjust when she begins to eat.14What can you conclude about the womans husband from this conversation?AHe eats very quickly.BHe doesnt eat as quickly as his wife.CHe sometimes eats more slowly than his wife
7、.听第九段对话，回答第15、16题。15According to the woman, _.Ashe was born in Hawaii.Bshe has never been to Hawaii.Cshe has been working in Hawaii for many years.16In order to travel round the island, its most likely that the woman will_.Arent a car.Btake a bus.Ctravel on foot.听第十段对话，回答第17至20题。17What did the 19th
8、century scientists think?ADifferent part of the brain functions differently.BIt is not easy to say what is not so simple as people may think.CThe way the brain works is not so simple as people may think.18How many chemical changes take a place in the brain?A10,000 every second.B6,000,000 every minut
9、e.C100,000 every hour.19How can the brain keep its power?ATo increase the amount of research done on the brain.BTo say exactly what each part of the brain does.CTo give the brain plenty of exercise.20Which of the following statements is true?AWe can remember everything that happens to us.BThe power
10、of ones brain gets weaker as one grows older.CWe should use our brain less so that it can work better.第二部分：英语知识应用（共两节，满分45分）第一节：单项填空（共15小题；每小题1分，满分15分） 从A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。21、Shall I take your_ now?Yes, a glass of beer, beefsteak, crisp skin chicken and mushroom soup.A. menuB. orderC. billD
11、. food22、Please have a seat, Mr Broom.Mr Smith will be _ immediately.Thank you.A. alongB. onC. offD. at23、The train they are talking about is _ at 11:20.A. setB. leftC. arrivedD. due24、The high building stands out _ the sky.A. inB. underC. againstD. of25、Please let me know _ he comes.A. for a moment
12、B. in a momentC. the momentD. at the moment26、I think the Red Team will win the find game.Its _ that they will.A. almost surelyB. quite certainlyC. rather possiblyD. very likely27、He _ a sum of money every month for his age.A. sets upB. sets asideC. takes awayD. has saved28、You cant be _ careful in
13、making the decision as it is much a critical case.A. veryB. alwaysC. tooD. so29、_ the water is anything but blue, I still enjoyed gliding by villages and vineyard covered hillside.A. WhileB. WhenC. BecauseD. If30、The letter I had been anxiously waiting for _ me just now.A. reachingB. reachedC. arriv
14、edD. passing31、Sorry to have hurt you._. You didnt mean to, did you?A. Dont worry.B. Take it easyC. Dont say soD. Forget it32、The doctor _ she sent is very well known.A. for whomB. at whomC. to whomD. about whom33、I promise you that I _ an answer tomorrow.A. shall be givingB. shall giveC. will giveD
15、. am going to give34、Mary _ to college last year. Unfortunately, she couldnt take the examination because of a sudden illness.A. could goB. cant have goneC. could have goneD. should have gone35、I dont like the noise of these jet aircraft, but Ive learned to _ it.A. stand withB. stay withC. live with
16、D. work with第二节完形填空（共20小题，每小题1.5分，满分30分）阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从3655各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中选出能填入相应空白处的最佳选项。Scientists in the United States are using teat-tube baby techniques to try to save wild animals _36_ extinction（灭绝）. The test-tube technique, or in-vitro fertilization, _37_ involves fertilizing eggs（使卵子受精
17、）in the laboratory and then _38_ them inside the female, became famous when human babies were conceived（怀孕）in this way. The technique is now helping another mammal-the tiger. _39_ the process is successful, it could prevent many species dying _40_ . At Minnesota Zoo, in the US, scientists have taken
18、 semen from a male tiger and eggs from a female tiger, and _41_ them together in the _42_. These men fertilizes the eggs and, after a period of about 36 hours, the new embryos（胚胎）can be implanted in the uterus（子宫）of a tigress. This technique _43_ the baby tiger to develop naturally _44_ the uterus.A
19、 big _45_ of this method is that the female tiger does not even have to be the same _46_ as the embryo. The zoo team found _47_ could use a Siberian tiger as a surrogate mother（替身母亲）for Bengali tiger embryos. The test-tube tiger technique could _48_ in a bank of embryos of _49_ animals. An embryo st
20、ore would help _50_ a healthy genetic mixture within _51_ groups of animals.Many species today are threatened by hunting, or by the _52_ of their habitat（居住环境）and food chains. Threatened animals are often _ 53_ in numbers and left in isolated groups. Away from other herds or family groups of their o
21、wn kind, they are _54_ to breed with close relatives（近亲繁殖）and this produces many more unhealthy off-spring （后代）than _55_ normally occur.36AfromBinCofDwith37AwhereBwhatCwhichDwhen38AputsBequippingCplacesDplacing39AIfBSinceCWhenDAs40AawayBoutCupDdown41AmatchedBstirredCmixedDput42AfactoryBlaboratoryCli
22、braryDtube43AmakesBletsChelpsDallows44AoutsideBinto CinsideDwithin45AadvantageBproblemCweaknessDimportance46AgroupsBkindsCsortsDspecies47AheBtheyCsheDit48AreachBleadCresultDend49AendangeredBextinctCallDsome50AremainBpreventCencourageDmaintain51AremarkableBparticularCconsiderableDdistinct52Adestructi
23、onBinjuryCdevelopmentDchange53AreducingBfallenCreducedDseparated54AencouragedBforcedCallowedDforbidden55AshouldBmightCcouldDwould第三部分：阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分） 阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卷上将该项涂黑。APackaging is an important form of advertising. A package can sometimes motivate someone to buy
24、 a product. For example, a small child might ask for a breakfast food that comes in a box with a picture of a TV character. The child is more interested in the picture than in breakfast food. Pictures for children to color or cut out, games printed on a package, or a small gift inside a box also mot
25、ivate many children to buy products-or to ask their parents to buy for them.Some packages suggest that a buyer will get something for nothing. Food products sold in reusable containers are examples of this. Although a similar product in a plain container might cost less, people often prefer to buy t
26、he product in a reusable glass or dish, because they believe the container is free. However, the cost of the container is added to the cost of the product.The size of a package also motivates a buyer. Maybe the package had “Economy Size” or “Family Size” printed on it. This suggests that the larger
27、size has the most product for the least money. But that is not always true. To find it out, a buyer has to know how the product is sold and the price of the basic unit.The information on the package should provide some answers. But the important thing for any buyer to remember is that a package is o
28、ften an advertisement. The words and pictures do not tell the whole story. Only the product inside can do that.56、From the passage we know the buyer pays more attention to _.A. the size of a containerB. a container with attractive pictureC. a well-designed containerD. a plain container with low cost
29、57、What suggestion does the author give in the passage?A. Its not good to buy the product which is sold in a glass or dish.B. The quality of a container has nothing to do with the quality of the product.C. The best choice for a buyer is to buy a product in a plain package.D. A buyer should buy what
30、he needs most rather than a well-designed package.58、Which of the following sentences is NOT TRUE according to the passage?A. Actually glasses or dishes used for packaging do not cost money at all.B. “Family Size” printed on the package means that it is rather economic.C. To a child, even to an adul
31、t, the form is far more important than the content.D. Words and pictures written on the package are thought to be an advertisement.59、What is the best title for the passage?A. How to Package a Product.B. How to Make an Advertisement.C. How to Sell Product.D. How to Treat the Package Wisely.BMarshall
32、 Fields, a department store in Chicago, has long used the motto, “Give the lady what she wants.” Finding out what the customer wants is one of the problems marketing research tries to solve. Marketing research has been defined as trying to analyze marketing problems scientifically. It studies people
33、 as buyers and sellers, examining their habits, attitudes, preferences, dislikes, and purchasing power. It often studies specific groups of people, such as teenagers, high-income groups, or senior citizens. Marketing research also investigates distribution systems, pricing, promotion, product design
34、, packaging, brand names, and almost every aspect of the seller-buyer relationship.Marketing research is divided into a number of sub-areas. Advertising research attempts to find out the effectiveness of advertising. It also seeks to learn the best media for advertising specific products：television,
35、 newspapers, radio, magazines, billboards, and others. Market analysis tries to identify and measure markets for specific products and to estimate sales potential. Markets may be differentiated by population groups or by geography. Some types of clothing are more likely to sell in Florida and Califo
36、rnia than in the northern Midwest. Some cosmetics will appeal more to black customers than to white customers. Performance analysis helps a company learn how well it is meeting its goals of sales and profits. Product research analysis covers the whole area of new-product development. Marketing resea
37、rch is an expensive undertaking, and its costs are built into the prices of products.60、As far as advertising is concerned, television _.A. is the best medium for direct advertisingB. is the best medium for indirect advertisingC. is a suitable medium only for certain goodsD. is the quickest and chea
38、pest means of advertising61、Sweaters produced for and sold to young women are examples of market differentiation according to _.A. age and educationB. population groupC. quality and sizeD. gender（性别） and occupation62、Performance analysis and product research differ in that _.A. the former aims to fi
39、nd out how a goal is met in a more efficient wayB. the former is to find out if the present performance is directed to the goalC. the latter aims to find out how the present product is marketedD. the latter aims to find out whether a product is being sold well63、According to the last paragraph, the
40、cost of marketing research _.A. is supplied by the producer and seller togetherB. is met by increasing the price of the productC. is too expensive to be met only by the producerD. is high but the price of the product should be kept lowCIn the latter part of the 20th century, child labor remains a se
41、rious problem in many parts of the world. Studies carried out in 1979, the International Year of the Child, showed that more than 50 million children below the age of 15 were working in various jobs often under dangerous conditions. Many of these children live in underdeveloped countries in Latin Am
42、erica, Africa, and Asia. Their living conditions are crude and their chances for education minimal. The small income they bring in, however, is necessary for the survival（生存）of their families. Frequently, these families lack the basic necessities of life-adequate food, decent clothing and shelter, a
43、nd even water for bathing.In some countries industrialization has created working conditions for children that are comparable to the worst features of the 19th-century factories and mines. In India, for example, some 20,000 children work 16-hour days in match factories.Child-labor problems are not,
44、of course, limited to developing nations. They occur wherever poverty exists in Europe and the United States. The most important efforts to eliminate（根除） child-labor abuses throughout the world come from the International Labor Organization (ILO), founded in 1919 and now a special agency of the Unit
45、ed Nations. The organization has introduced several child-labor conventions（规定） among its members, including a minimum（最低） age of 16 years for admission to all work, a higher minimum age for specific types of employment, compulsory（强制的） medical examinations, and regulation（规定） of night work. The ILO
46、, however, does not have the power to enforce these conventions. It depends on voluntary obedience（服从） of member nations.64、The use of children workers is the most serious _.A. in the latter part of the 20th centuryB. in the International Year of the Child in 1979C. in some areas of Latin AmericaD.
47、in the poorest and backward parts of the world65、Often children have to work because _.A. they have to provide for their familiesB. they can not afford to go to schoolC. they are forced to work by their parentsD. there is no organization to protect them66、According to the UN conventions, _.A. childr
48、en can not be employedB. employers should provide medical care for children workersC. children should never be arranged to work at nightD. all countries should give children workers regular physical examinations67、As far as child labor is concerned, in India, _.A. children workers work the longest h
49、oursB. most children workers are employed in match factoriesC. the working conditions for children are really very badD. there has been great improvement in the working condition since the last centuryDGovernment policy is made by elected officials who are members of political parties. In the United
50、 States most elected officials are members of either the Democratic or Republican party, though occasionally members of smaller parties are also elected.Political parties are organizations that wish to achieve control of the process of government. They differ from interest groups that only want to h
51、ave an influence on government policy through influence of education of the public. A party gains control of government by getting more of its candidates（候选人） elected to office than its opposition parties do. In Great Britain, for example, more Conservative party（保守党）candidates won representation（代表
52、） in Parliament in the elections of April 1992 than did Labor party candidates. The Conservatives, therefore, were able to have their leader John Major continue in office as prime minister. They were also able to decide which programs the government should adopt, and they had enough votes in Parliam
53、ent（议会、国会） to pass their legislation.（法规）In the earliest decades in which political parties existed, their memberships were quite small. In the United States and England, for example, most citizens were not allowed to vote. Party membership, therefore, consisted mainly of landowners, members of the
54、nobility, factory owners, merchants, and other wealthy individuals. By the third decade of the 19th century in the United States, and somewhat later in Europe, the right to vote was extended to include most white males. When more people could vote, party memberships increased. By the middle of the 2
55、0th century, after women had gained the right to vote in most nations, political parties became more dependent upon mass support.68、A political party is different from an interest group in that _.A. the former is usually formal and the latter informalB. both political party and interest party want p
56、owerC. the latter can control government policy in an indirect wayD. the latter often uses their money to influence political life69、How did a party get control of the government?A. By going into political life of the country.B. By educating the public in times of election.C. By getting more of its
57、members into government.D. By enlarging the membership of the party.70、What happened in 1992 in Great Britain?A. John Major became the prime minister in place of the Labor Party leader.B. The Conservative Party forced parliament member to pass their legislation.C. More seats in the parliament were t
58、aken by the Conservative Party.D. The Labor Party prime minister was driven out of office.71、The parties became large when _.A. more and more people became rich enoughB. more and more people were granted the right to voteC. more and more white people went into political lifeD. the government machine
59、 became more complicatedEUnder the 1944 act, primary and secondary education became a local responsibility. Local Education Authorities（主管部门）（LEAs）employ the teachers and are the major providers of education. In addition, a few schools are run by voluntary bodies, mostly religious. There is also a s
60、mall private sector.Primary education is free and compulsory from age 5 to 11. Secondary education, which is organized in a variety of ways, is provided by LEAs for children aged 11 to 19；it is free and compulsory to age 16（the minimum leaving age being raised from 15 in 1972）. Teachers employed by
61、the LEAs are paid on an agreed national scale.（尺度） Primary and secondary education is financed（提供资金） almost entirely by the state out of central and local tax revenues（收入）.Under the 1944 act children were examined at age 11（the so-called eleven plus）, on the basis of which they were assigned（分配） eit
62、her to grammar schools, which prepared them for higher education, or to secondary modern schools, which they usually left at the minimum leaving age, often without having passed pubic examinations or having been awarded a certificate. In1964 the Labor government reorganized secondary education on co
63、mprehensive lines, that is, each school accepted pupils of all abilities. The eleven plus was abolished（废除） in many areas, and the great majority of children now go to comprehensive schools.The Education Reform Act of 1988 brought about great changes. Of its provisions（条款） for school, five were part
64、icularly important. It laid on the secretary of state a duty to establish a national curriculum（教学大纲）, applicable to（适用于） all state schools, introduced a system by which individual schools controlled their own management and finance and permitted schools to apply to get out of control by local autho
65、rities. In addition, schools were required not overly to restrict（限制） numbers, and the Inner London Education Authority, which provided education in the inner London boroughs（区）, was abolished.72、The first paragraph tells the reader that in Britain, in accordance with the 1944 act, _.A. the governme
66、nt no longer cared about the secondary and primary educationB. Scotland had to be responsible for its secondary and primary educationC. there were more schools run by voluntary religious organizationsD. private organization and institutions could also run their own schools73、Before 1972, _.A. childr
67、en under the age of 15 must go to schoolB. only children under 16 did not pay for their educationC. children could choose not to receive secondary educationD. secondary education was not completely free74、The eleven-plus examination was one _.A. that tested the students on their grammar knowledgeB.
68、that prepared the students for higher educationC. that prepared the students for secondary modern schoolsD. that placed children into different secondary schools75、Why was the Inner London Education Authority abolished?A. Because it refused to carry out education reform.B. Because it limited school
69、enrollment to a certain district.C. Because it failed to follow the national curriculum.D. Because it applied to get out of control by local authorities.第二卷（二部分，共35分）第一部分：短文改错（共10小题，每小题1分；满分10分）此题要求改正所给短文中的错误，对标有题号的每一行作出判断；如无错误，在该行右边横线上画一个勾（）；如有错误（每行只有一个错误），则按下列情况改正：此行多一个词：把多余的词用斜线（/）划掉，在该行右边横线上写出该词
70、，并也用斜线划掉。此行缺一个词：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（），在该行右边横线上写出该加的词。此行错一个词：在错的词下划一横线，在该行右边横线上写出改正后的词。注意：原行没有错的不要改。Althea sometimes gets to school early as 76._eight oclock. Classes dont start at nine,77._but she uses the extra hour to complete78._her work after classes begin. She also uses79._the time to talk to parents c
71、ant come to80._see them in the afternoon. At lunchtime she81._usually eats and the children to make sure82._whether they get a proper meal. After school,83._she corrects homeworks or make out lesson84._plans for the next day. Its busy life, but 85._Althea is happy because she feels that sheis helpin
72、g her children.第二部分：书面表达（满分25分）字数100左右。阅读下面漫画，先对漫画的内容进行描述，然后对这一现象发表自己的看法。（100词左右）Words for possible use:西瓜：water-melon清洁工人：dustman垃圾箱：dustbin参考答案一、听力：15BABBC610ABCBC1115CBABB1620 BABCA二、单项选择：2125 BADCC2630 DBCAB3135 DACCC三、完形填空：3640 ACDAB4145 CBDCA4650 DBCAD5155 BACBD四、阅读理解：5660 CBADC6165 BBBDA6670
73、BCCCC7175 BBADB五、改错：Althea sometimes gets to school early as 76. as early as eight oclock. Classes dont start at nine,77. until but she uses the extra hour to complete78. her work after classes begin. She also uses79. before the time to talk to parents cant come to80. who/that cant see them in the a
74、fternoon. At lunchtime she81. her usually eats and the children to make sure82. with whether they get a proper meal. After school,83. that she corrects homeworks or make out lesson84. homework plans for the next day. Its busy life, but 85. a busy life Althea is happy because she feels that sheis hel
75、ping her children.六、书面表达：The boy and the girl in the picture sat on a bench talking merrily while eating a water-melon. When they went away they left the melons skin on the bench, making it very dirty. They didnt want to take any trouble throwing it into the dustbin although it was very near where t
76、hey were sitting. Instead, they said that there would be someone who should clean the rubbish.However, what they did violate public morality. If everyone behaves in this way, the world will be a big rubbish dump with files flying round and people will live in a world of diseases. Besides, dustmen wi
77、ll have a very very hard job to clean the world we live in.录音稿：1W: Herry, how do you like your university?M:I just love it. We have such beautiful and comfortable buildings. We have new laboratories, too.2W: Hows your son doing in school? Is he smart as his father?M: He had a promising start, but no
78、w hes doing poorly. To make things worse, hes stopped going to classes.3W: Could you tell me how to get to the train station? I hear that its in this direction.M: Yes, it is. You can either take a bus or taxi heading south, but it is not too far. If I were you, Id prefer to walk.4W: Would you like a
79、nything to drink, sir?M: Yes, I think so. This lady will have a cup of tea and Ill have a beer.5W: How on earth did you move that heavy desk to the room upstairs?M: My classmates carried it with me.6M: Hello, Maria.W: Hello, Jack. I heard that you went on a trip last month.M: Thats right. I was away
80、 for ten days, just to have a change.W: Oh, ten days! How wonderful! Did you go alone or with your friends?M: I was planning to go together with Jeff and Richard, but they both couldnt make it in the end.W: What happened?M: Jeffs mother was ill, so he must stay home to take care of her. Richard got
81、a new task and couldnt spare time.M: I see. And what did you do with your dog while you were away?W: Oh, hes a good traveler, as long as he gets a chance to play.7M: Why dont we go out for dinner sometime this week?W: Thatd be nice. I havent been to a restaurant for ages. Do you have any place in mi
82、nd?M: Not really. Lets think. How about Indian food?W: Mmm, that would be Okey, It can be a bit hot, though.M: Yeah, thats true. Then how about Chinese food?W: I love Chinese food. But Im never sure what to order!M: Well, why dont we try that Chinese restaurant on Main Street? Have you ever eaten th
83、ere?W: You mean the Eastern Palace? Is that the one?M: Thats right.W: No, Ive never tried it. I hear its very good.M: Yes, Ive eaten there several times, so I know the menu quite well.W: Sounds great! So when do you want to go?M: Is Friday okay with you?W: Sure, Im not doing anything on Friday.M: Wo
84、uld 7:00 be okay?W: Yeah, that would be g good idea.M: Then lets meet in front of the restaurant just before seven.W: All right. I look forward to it. Thanks.8M: Hello, Mrs. Thomas. What can I do for you?W: Well, Ive been having bad stomach pains lately, doctor.M: Oh, Im sorry to hear that. How long
85、 have you been having them?W: Just in the last few weeks. I get a very sharp pain about an hour after Ive eaten.M: I see. Do you get this after every meal?W: Let me think. No, its usually in the afternoons, after lunch.M: Well, what do you have for lunch?W: Oh, I mostly just have a quick hamburger a
86、nd rush back to the office. Were very busy at the moment.M: Well, I dont think its anything serious. Maybe you eat too quickly. Its bad for your health.W: My husband is always telling me that.M: Anyway, Ill give your something for it and well see what happens. Take the medicine three times a day.W:
87、After meals or before.?M: After eating.W: Thank you, doctor.M: Youre welcome.9W: Do you live in Hawaii?M: Yeah, Ive been working in Honolulu for the last couple of years.W: Great. This will be my first visit. I hear it is beautiful.M: Yes, it is. So what do you plan to do there?W: First, Im going to
88、 go to the beach. Then , I though Id visit some of the other islands.M: Thats a good idea. Theres plenty to do there, though!W: Really? What should I see?M: Well, you should try to see a Hawaiian show if you can. Theres a good one at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. Then if you like museums, theres the Bis
89、hop Museum, which is very interesting.W: I should write this down. Is it very to get around the island? By the way, do you think I should rent a car?M: Its up to you. Public transportation is pretty good, though. There are plenty of buses, and you can take a bus trip around the whole island for only
90、 60 cents.10 During the 19th century scientists thought that each part of the brain does a different job. But modern research has found this is not so, for it is easy to say exactly what each part of the brain does. In the past fifty years there has been a great increase in the amount of research do
91、ne on the brain. Scientists have discovered that the way the brain works is not so simple as people may think. Chemists tell us that 100,000 chemical changes take place in the brain every second. Some recent researches also suggest that we can remember everything that happens to us. We may not be ab
92、le to think back the things weve heard and seen, but it is all kept there in the storehouse of the human mind. Earlier scientists thought that power of ones brain got weaker and weaker as one grew older. But it is now thought that that is not true. As long as the brain is given plenty of exercise it keeps its power. It has been proved that an old person who has always been active in the mind has a quicker mind than a young person who has only done physical work without using much of his brain. It is now thought that the more work we given our brains, the more work they are able to do.
