The two economists call their paper “Mental Retirement,” and their argument has aroused the interest of behavioral researchers. Data from the United States, England and 11 other European countries suggest that the earlier people retire, the more quickly their memories decline. The implication, the economists and others say, is that there really seems to be something to the “use it or lose it” notion—if people want to preserve their memories and reasoning abilities, they may have to keep active. “It’s incredibly interesting and exciting,” said Laura L. Carstensen, director of the Center on Longevity at Stanford University. “It suggests that work actually provides an important component of the environment that keeps people functioning optimally (最佳地).” While not everyone is convinced by the new analysis, published recently in The Journal of Economic Perspectives , a number of leading researchers say the study is, at least, a bit of evidence for a hypothesis that is widely believed but surprisingly difficult to demonstrate. Researchers repeatedly find that retired people as a group tend to do less well on cognitive (认知的) tests than people who are still working. But, they note, that could be because people whose memories and thinking skills are declining may be more likely to retire than people whose cognitive skills remain sharp. And research has failed to support the premise that mastering things like memory exercises, crossword puzzles (纵横字谜) and games like Sudoku carry over into real life, improving overall functioning. “If you do crossword puzzles, you get better at crossword puzzles,” said Lisa Berkman, director of the Center for Population and Development Studies at Harvard. “If you do Sudoku, you get better at Sudoku. You get better at one narrow task. But you don’t get better at cognitive behavior in life.” The study was possible, explains one of its authors, Robert Willis, a professor of economics at the University of Michigan, because the National Institute on Aging began a large study in the United States nearly20 years ago. Called the Health and Retirement Study, it surveys more than 22,000 Americans over age 50 every two years, and administers memory tests. 1 According to the data from America and some European countries, retired people ____ . A have aroused the interest of many psychologists B are more forgetful than they were at work C don’t have a functioning mind any more D can have much better cognitive skills 2 In Laura L. Carstensen’s opinion, what is the relationship between work and mental function? A Work has nothing to do with people’s mental function. B Work has a positive effect on people’s mental function. C People’s mental function decreases gradually after work. D People’s mental function has no influence on people’s work. 3 Lisa Berkman claimed that Sudoku could ____ . A improve man’s overall functioning greatly B make people good at this narrow task C help develop man’s cognitive skills D help people live much longer 4 What can we learn about the Health and Retirement Study? A It has been carried out for about 20 years. B It surveys Americans under the age of 50. C It is led by Robert Willis in the National Institute. D It gets support from the University of Michigan. 5 According to the passage, what does “Mental Retirement” mean? A People are reluctant to retire at an early age. B People have to retire earlier than expected. C People’s mental functions will decline even though they are still working. D People’s memories and reasoning abilities decline if they are not working.