题目内容
Many people believe that you lose the ability to learn new languages as you get older. Language experts, however, will tell you that you’re never too old to learn a new language. As you get older, it can be more difficult to learn a new language, though.
Children and adults learn new languages in different ways. For children, language is their life. They study for thousands of hours every year, because they need to learn languages to become part of their communities. Adults, on the other hand, are already part of a language community. Learning a new language means becoming part of another language community, and adults rarely get the chance to practice as much as young children do.
Moreover, children learning a new language are expected to make mistakes. This gives them freedom when learning to be daring and confident. Adults, however, often feel pressured to be perfect when learning a new language. This can discourage many people and make it even harder to learn a new language.
When young children learn a new language, they come to see various languages as a “normal” part of society. This mindset (思维模式) helps them embrace learning a new language without feeling like they’re doing something unusual or “too hard”.
So if you want to learn a new language, go for it! It’s never too late to learn a new language. If you’re older, it may take more work, but it can be done. If you’re a young child, though, now is the time to step out and learn a new language!
1.By “Language is their life”, the author means that children ________.
A. can’t live without language
B. lead a happy life every day
C. practice a new language a lot
D. are taken good care of adults
2.What may make it hard for the old people to learn to a new language?
A. They are afraid of being laughed at.
B. They usually have too many interests.
C. They think making mistakes is natural.
D. They always make all kinds of mistakes.
3.Which of the following shows the difference between children and adults in learning a new language?
A. The behaviors they have.
B. The learning attitudes.
C. The future plans they have made.
D. The materials they are using.
4.According to the author, a new language ________.
A. can never be learned by the old people
B. can be grasped by the old people easily
C. can be understood only by the old people
D. can be learned by both the old and the young
Harvard University health policy researcher Ellen Meara says scholars have found some clues as to why some groups of people have more or less disease than others. She says one important factor in people's health is the amount of education they have.
In her most recent paper, Meara looked at data from the United States census(人口普查). These counts of people occur every 10 years. Meara and her colleagues examined data from several decades.
Meara says they found that in 1990, a 25-year-old who only had some secondary school could expect to live for a total of 75 years. In 2000, a 25 year old with some secondary education could also expect to live to the age of 75.
In contrast, for a better educated 25-year-old, they could expect to live to the age of 80 in 1990. Someone with a similar education level in the year 2000 could expect to live to be more than 81 years, 81.6 years to be exact.
Meara says, not only do better-educated people live longer to begin with, but in the past ten years, more educated people have made gains in the length of their lives. Meanwhile, the life expectancy hasn’t changed for less educated people.
Some of these gains can be explained. Meara says researchers know that people who are more educated are more likely to quit smoking cigarettes, or not start at all, compared to people with less education.
“I think it’s a reminder not to be satisfactory,” Meara says. “Just because a population overall appears to be getting healthier, it doesn't always mean that those advantages and successes that many people have enjoyed really extend into all parts of the population. And I think that's something to really pay attention to regardless of whether you live in the US or elsewhere.”
Meara points out that education can often determine income — people with more education frequently make more money. This makes them aware of health care, and purchase other resources and services that can keep them healthier. But the data on income do not show that people who make more money are automatically healthier. Meara says education is key. People need to be educated in order to take advantage of opportunities for better health.
Title: The Amount of Education 1. ____________ to People’s Health.
Groups of people | Less educated people | 2. __________ educated people | |
Analysis of the 3._________ from the census | In 1990 | They could live for 75 years. | They could live to the age of 80. |
In 2000 | Their life expectancy was the same as in 1990. | They could live 4.___________ to the age of 81.6. | |
In the past ten years | Their life expectancy remained 5. __________. | They made gains in the length of their lives partly 6.__________ to their quitting smoking or not smoking at all. | |
7. ____ of the research | People are getting healthier in general, but it doesn’t mean that all parts of the population are enjoying the advantages and successes. | ||
Income is 8._________ to education. People with more education make more money, which helps to 9. _________ their awareness of health care, keeping them healthier. | |||
10. _________ | Education is the key to better health. | ||