If English means endless new words,difficult grammar and sometimes strange pronunciation,you are wrong.Haven't you noticed that you have become smarter since you started to learn a language?

According to a new study by a British university,learning a second language can lead to an increase in your brain power.Researchers found that learning other languages changes grey matter.This is the area of the brain which processes information.It is similar to the way that exercise builds muscles.

The study also found the effect is greater,the younger people learn a second language.

A team led by Dr Andrea Mechelli,from University College London,took a group of Britons who only spoke English.They were compared with a group of "early bilinguals" who had learnt a second language before the age of five,as well as a number of later learners.

Scans showed that grey matter density (密度) in the brain was greater in bilinguals than in people without a second language.But the longer a person waited before mastering a new language,the smaller the difference.

"Our findings suggest that the structure of the brain is changed by the experience of learning a second language," said the scientists.

It means that the change itself increases the ability to learn.

Professor Dylan Vaughan Jones of the University of Wales,has researched the link between bilingualism and maths skills."Having two languages gives you two windows on the world and makes the brain more flexible (灵活的),"he said."You are actually going beyond language and have a better understanding of different ideas."

The findings were matched in a study of native Italian speakers who had learned English as a second language between the ages of two and 34.Reading,writing,and comprehension were all tested.The results showed that the younger they started to learn,the better."Studying a language means you get an entrance to another world," explained the scientists.

1.The main subject talked about in this passage is ______.

A. science on learning a second language

B. man’s ability of learning a second language

C. 1anguage can help brain power

D. 1anguage learning and maths study

2.In the second paragraph,the writer mentions “exercise” in order to ______.

A. say language is also a kind of physical labor

B. prove that one needs more practice when he (she) is learning a language

C. to show the importance of using the language when you learn the language

D. make people believe language learning helps grey matter work well

3.The underlined word “bilingual'’ probably means ______.

A. a researcher on language learning

B. a person who is good at learning foreign languages

C. a person who can speak two languages

D. an active language learner

根据短文内容,从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。

Although problems are a part of our lives, it certainly doesn’t mean that we let them rule our lives forever. One day or the other, you’ll have to stand up and say—problem, I don’t want you in my life.

__1..Problems with friends, parents, girlfriends, husbands, and children—the list goes on. Apart from these, the inner conflicts within ourselves work, too. These keep adding to our problems. Problems come in

different shapes, colors and feelings.

But good news is that all problems can be dealt with. Now read on how to solve your problems.

Talk about your problems. What most of us think is that our problem can be understood only by us and that

no talking is going to help. __2.__ Talking helps you move on and let go.

Write your problems. __3.__ When you write down your problems, you are setting free all the tension from your system. You can try throwing away the paper on which you wrote your problems. By doing this, imagine yourself throwing away the problems from your life.

Don't lose faith and hope. No matter what you lose in life, don’t lose faith and hope. Even if you lose all your

money, family…you should still have faith. __4.

Your problems aren’t the worst. No matter what problem you get in life, there’re another one million people whose problems are huger than yours. _5._ Your problems might just seem big and worse, but in reality they can be removed.

Go about and solve your problems because every problem,however big or small,always has away out.

A. But the truth is that when you talk about it, you’re setting free the negative energies that have been gathering within you.

B. When we have a pressing, critical, urgent, and life-threatening problem, how do we try to solve it.

C. Tell yourself: when they can deal with them, why can't I?

D. Of course, we’ve been fighting troubles ever since we were born.

E. We can often overcome the problem and achieve the goal by making a direct attack.

F. Having a personal diary can also be of huge help if you don't want a real person to talk with.

G. With faith and hope, you can rebuild everything that you lose.

完形填空

One day in 11th grade, when I went into a classroom to wait for a friend of mine, Mr. Washington, the math teacher, suddenly and asked me to go to the board to write down a math problem and it out. I told him that I couldn’t do it. And he asked, “Why not?” I said, “Because I’m not one of your students.” He said, “It doesn’t matter. Go the board .” I said, “I can’t do that.” He asked, “Why not?” I paused for I was somewhat

I said, “Because I’m the so called student.” He

He came from behind his desk and looked at me and said. “Don’t ever say that again. Someone’s opinion of you does not have to become your . Look at a man the that he is, he only becomes worse. But look at him he were what he could be, then he becomes what he should br.” It was a very moment for me. For one thing, I was because the other students me. They knew that I was “incurably poor” in academic learning. But for another, I felt because he began to bring to my attention that I did not have to live within the of other people.

Mr. Washington’s words made difference to me. I start to believe everyone has certain________ within them, and so in me. I used to do in the fifth grade and was put from the fifth grade into the fourth grade and then failed again in the eighth grade. But I know all these in the past. So I’m happy to that I’m a brand new person now and I will be someone who can something in the future.

1.A. turned on B. turned up C. turned down D. turned over

2.A. set B. write C. settle D. work

3.A. anyway B. anymore C. somehow D. somewhat

4.A. guilty B. optimistic C. embarrassed D. ambitious

5.A. incurable B. innocent C. excellent D. independent

6.A. eagerly B. mistakenly C. happily D. determinedly

7.A. nature B. reality C. stability D. ability

8.A. person B. character C. way D. future

9.A. even though B. if only C. as if D. even if

10.A. inspiring B. frightening C. disappointing D. unwilling

11.A. pleased B. ashamed C. puzzled D. confused

12.A. pointed at B. stared at C. laughed at D. glared at

13.A. relieved B. scared C. concerned D. stressed

14.A. variety B. enthusiasm C. judgment D. complaint

15.A. no B. huge C. less D. little

16.A. thoughts B. shortcomings C. greatness D. limits

17.A. poorly B. randomly C. carefully D. attentively

18.A. refreshed B. died C. approved D. formed

19.A. pretend B. expect C. insist D. admit

20.A. accomplish B. assess C. supply D. remove

People like different kinds of vacations. Some go camping. They swim, fish, cook over a fire and sleep outside. Others like to stay at a hotel in an exciting city. They go shopping all day and go dancing all night. Or maybe they go sightseeing to places such as Disneyland, the Tai Mahal or the Louvre.

Some people are bored with sightseeing trips. They don’t want to be “tourists”. They want to have an adventure— a surprising and exciting trip. They want to learn something and maybe help people too. How can they do this? Some travel companies and environmental groups are planning special adventures. Sometimes these trips are difficult and full of the world. Some volunteers spend two weeks and study the environment. Others work with animals. Others learn about people of the past.

Would you like an adventure in the Far North? A team of volunteers is leaving from Murmansk, Russia. The leader of this trip is a professor from Alaska. He’s worried about chemicals from factories. He and the volunteers will study this pollution in the environment. If you like exercise and cold weather, this is a good trip for you. Volunteers need ski sixteen kilometers every day. -

Do you enjoy ocean animals? You can spend two to four weeks in Hawaii. There, you can teach language to dolphins. Dolphins can follow orders such as “Bring me the large ball”. They also understand opposites. How much more can they understand? It will be exciting to learn about these intelligent animals. Another study trip goes to Washington State and follows orcas. We call orcas “Killer Whale”, but they’ re really dolphins—the largest kind of dolphin.. These beautiful animals travel together in family groups. They move through the ocean with their mothers, grandmothers and great-grandmothers. Ocean pollution is chasing their lives. Earthwatch is studying how this happens.

Are you interested in history? Then Greece is the place for your adventure. Thirty-five hundred years ago a volcano exploded there, on Santorini. This explosion was more terrible than Krakatoa or Mount Saint Helens. But today we know a lot about the way of life of the people from that time. There are houses, kitchens, and paintings as interesting as those in Pompei. Today teams of volunteers are learning more about people from the past.

Do you want a very different vacation? Do you want to travel far, work hard and learn a lot? Then an Earthwatch vacation is for you.

1.The Tai Mabal may be _________.

A. a shopping center B. a hotel

C. a dancing ball D. a place of interest

2.From the passage, on an adventure trip, people ______________.

A. may not spend much time on sightseeing

B. won’ t meet some difficulties or hardships

C. can’t enjoy themselves -

D. can’t learn something

3.If you want to learn something about people of the past, you can ___________

A. join the team to Hawaii B. join the team to the Far North

C. join the team to Washington D. join the team to Greece

4.The word “intelligent” in paragraph 4 means __________________.

A. exciting B. beautiful C. large D. clever

5.Which of the following is false ?

A. Some people find sightseeing trips boring.

B. Earth watch is planning all these special adventures

C. The number orcas is decreasing.

D. 3 volcano explosions in all broke out 3, 500 years ago in Greece.

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