For three days a week, Wayne Garcia has been taking part in a nontraditional exercise. He starts by putting on virtual reality (VR) equipment on his head. He then gets on a specially designed exercise bicycle and starts riding it. Faster and faster he goes. 

Garcia is taking part in a study at the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine. Researchers want to see if just a small amount of VR can help prevent memory loss as people grow older. Garcia says he remembers how his parents and grandparents all suffered from dementia. “It’s very scary that one day that could be me.”

Judy Pa is part of the team of researchers leading the study. She says the actual definition of “dementia is when a person is no longer able to take care of themselves, things like paying the bills, driving, cooking for themselves, dressing themselves.” 

She added that the break down and death of cells in the nervous system take 10 to 20 years. Pa also said that unlike usual games, VR provides a first-person, three-dimensional experience that is important to memory training. “Our goal is to prevent dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, which have no effective treatments yet. We hope that we will get there eventually, but the research that we do in my laboratory at USC is really surrounding prevention.”

The VR study exercises the subjects’ body and brain at the same time, testing the memory and decision-making part of their brain. Subjects have to ride the exercise bike and keep their heart rate up. In the VR experience, they are trying to learn and remember directions while collecting food items, and then feeding the food to some animals.

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1.According to Judy Pa, a man who suffers with dementia ______.

A can take good care of himself

B can’t take care of himself

C can do many things for himself

D just can’t drive his car

解析：选B。推理判断题。由第三段可知：Judy Pa认为，痴呆症的真正定义是一个人不再能够照顾自己，不能做如付账单、开车、自己做饭、自己穿衣等事情，故选B。

2.Which of the following might the author disagree with?

A Researchers hope a small amount of VR can help prevent memory loss.

B Garcia’s parents and grandparents all suffered from dementia.

C The break down and death of cells in the nervous system take 30 to 50 years.

D VR provides a first-person, three-dimensional experience that is vital to memory training.

解析：选C。细节理解题。由第四段第一句可知：神经系统细胞的分解和死亡需要10到20年的时间。故选C。

3.The underlined word “they” in the last paragraph refers to_______ .

A Garcia’s parents

B people like Garcia

C patients with dementia

D researchers like Judy Pa

解析：选B。词意指代题。由划线单词前后的句意：受试者必须骑健身自行车，并保持心率。在VR体验中，他们试图在收集食物的同时学习和记住方向，然后把食物喂给一些动物。故they指的是跟Garcia一样参加这项研究的受试者，故选B。

4.The passage mainly tells us ________.

A Wayne has taken part in a nontraditional exercise

B the actual definition of “dementia”

C VR provides us a first-person, three-dimensional experience

D scientists study whether virtual reality can prevent memory loss

解析：选D。主旨大意题。通读全文，文章主要介绍了科学家研究虚拟现实是否能防止记忆丧失，故选D。