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A new study says one part of the human brain may become smaller as the result of a condition
known as jet lag. Jet lag results from flying long distances in an airplane. People with jet lag feel
extremely tired for several days. They may also have problems in thinking clearly and remembering.
Recently a researcher at the University of Bristol in Britain reported the findings of his jet lag study,
which involved twenty women who worked for international airlines. They had served passengers on
airplanes for five years. These flight attendants flew across many countries and at least seven time zones.
In the study, the flight attendants had different amounts of time to recover from jet lag. Half the women
spent five days or fewer in their home areas between long flights. The other half spent more than fourteen
days in their home areas.
The researcher took some saliva from the women's mouths to measure levels of a hormone (荷尔
蒙 ) that increases during stress . He tested them to see if they could remember where black spots
appeared on a computer screen .And he took pictures of their brains to measure the size of the brain's
temporal lobes. (脑叶).
It was found that the women who had less time between flights had smaller right temporal lobes. This
area of the brain deals with recognizing and remembering what is seen. The same group performed worse and had slower reaction times on the visual memory test. And their saliva samples showed higher levels
of stress hormones.
The researcher believes the brain needs at least ten days to recover after a long trip. He says airline
workers told him their ability to remember got worse after working on planes for about four years. Other
studies have shown that increased feelings of stress can cause a loss of cells in the part of the brain that
controls memory.
Scientists say more tests are needed to study the effects of jet lag on the brain. They want to find ou
t if too much jet lag could permanently affect memory.
1. According to the text, jet lag _____.
A. can cause difficulties in speaking
B. can make people feel tired for a few weeks
C. can be only found in flight attendants
D. can be caused by flying over several time zones
2. It can be inferred from the text that ______.
A. the conclusion is refused by many scientists
B. scientists fear that this research is not done properly
C. every scientific conclusion needs the support from many tests
D. the women who were examined in the research were not healthy
3. From the result of the research we can see that _____.
A. the women who have longer rest at home show better memory
B. the women who fly in short time have smaller right temporal lobes
C. the women who have longer flights fail the memory test
D. the women who rest more than 14 days produce less hormones
4. What is the subject discussed in the test?
A. The cause of jet lag.
B. A story of a group of flight attendants.
C. The importance of having enough rest after flights.
D. A research about the effects of jet lag on the brain.
