Today’s article

“Language skills stay strong in older adults, even while other cognitive abilities decline” — Anne Trafton, MIT News, August 24, 2026.

Original article: https://news.mit.edu/2026/language-skills-stay-strong-older-adults-even-while-other-cognitive-abilities-decline-0824

The full article is freely available without login. Read it at the source; this page provides a reading guide and original practice questions.

Suggested level: IELTS 6.5–7.5 · Time: 12–15 minutes

Introduction

年龄增长时，语言与其他认知功能会怎样变化？练习辨认对比关系，并区分研究结果和推测。先读原文，再答题。

Vocabulary

  1. retain — 保留
  2. resilient — 有韧性的；能承受不利影响的
  3. elicit — 引出反应
  4. synchronized — 同步的
  5. definitive — 结论性的
  6. susceptible — 容易受影响的
  7. accumulate — 积累
  8. deploy — 运用；调动

Reading comprehension

For questions 1–3, choose TRUE, FALSE, or NOT GIVEN according to the original article. Answer questions 4–5 briefly in English.

1. The two age groups showed similar language-network responses.

Reference answer
TRUE. Responses were similar across age groups.

2. This study directly assessed participants’ language ability.

Reference answer
FALSE. The study examined brain activity, not language ability.

3. The older group included exactly 60 participants.

Reference answer
NOT GIVEN. Group sizes are not stated in the article.

4. What did participants remember during the spatial-memory task?

Reference answer
The positions of squares in a grid.

5. What might explain improved language processing in some older people?

Reference answer
Vocabulary and reading skills may grow through continued experience.

Reading strategy

FALSE 需要原文反驳；信息缺失才是 NOT GIVEN。第 5 题保留 may，别把可能解释写成已证实的因果关系。

Expression of the day

may be less susceptible to… — 可能较不容易受到……的影响。

Original practice sentence: A well-tested system may be less susceptible to unexpected failures.

Use may when presenting a plausible explanation rather than an established cause.