题目内容

E

Speaking two languages can actually help offset(抵消) some effects of aging on the brain, a new study has found,

Researchers tested how long it took participants to switch from one cognitive(认知的) task to another, something that-s known to take longer for older adults, said lead researcher, Brian Gold, a neuroscientist at the University of Kentucky.

Gold’s team compared task-switching speeds for younger and older adults, knowing they would find slower speeds in the older population because of previous studies. However, they found that older adults who spoke two languages were able to switch mental activities faster than those didn’t . The study only looked at life long bilinguals(会说两种语言的人) defined in study as people speaking a second language daily since they were at least 10 years old.

Gold and his team asked 30 people, either bilingual or monolingual(只僮一种语言 人) , to have a series of tests. They found that bilingual people were not only able to switch tasks faster they had different brain activity than their monolingual peers.

Kristina called bilingualism "a beautiful natural experiment”, because people grow up speaking two languages,and studies have shown that they get certain cognitive benefits from switching between languages and determining which to respond with based on what's going on around them.

Gold said he grew up in Montreal, where he spoke French at school and English at home, prompting relatives to question whether his French language immersion would somehow hinder his ability to learn English.

"Until very recently, learning a second language in childhood was thought of as dangerous," he said. "Actually, it's beneficial. "

1.What-s the main idea of the passage?

A. Researchers found that speaking two languages is important.

B. Researchers found that bilingual people respond slowly.

C. Researchers found that bilingual people can slow down the speed or aging on the brain and respond fast.

D. Researchers found that bilingual people are great.

2.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A. Older bilinguals can-t respond faster in mind.

B. Older adults speaking a second language daily since they were at least 10 years old can respond faster than those who don't

C. Young bilinguals can respond faster in mind than those monolinguals.

D. Bilingual children respond slower in mind than those monolinguals.

3.Kristina called bilingualism "a beautif'ul natural experiment" because

A. people grow up, benefiting from speaking two languages

B. people speaking two languages are natural

C. people speaking two languages are beautiful

D. people speaking two languages like the experiment

4.We can learn from the last paragraph that learning a second language in childhood is________

A. dangerous to children

B. not beneficial to children

C.dangerous but beneficial to children

D. not dangerous but beneficial to children

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Gandi wanted so badly to help the world that he devoted himself to removing self-interest out of his heart and mind, leaving them pure, healthy, and free to love. It took him nearly twenty years to gain such control of his process.

When in South Africa, Gandi would sometimes walk fifty miles a day and only a few hours a night. into his seventies Gandi wrote hundreds of letters every week; when his right hand became , he learns to write with his left. Once, while he was writing a letter, the lantern giving light , in which case most of us would have and gone to bed, Gandi, knowing his timely reply would be particularly to those who had written to him, went and finished writing by moonlight. If asked to live like this, we would say,“Impossible!”Gandi would , “Oh, no. It’s possible, when your mind is flooded with 46 for all.”

Late in Gandi’s a Western journalist asked, “Mr. Gandi, you’ve been fifteen hours a day for fifty years. Don’t you ever taking a few weeks off and going for a vacation?” Gandi laughed and said, “Why? I’m on vacation.” This world-famous figure, who could have been prime minister of India and one of the richest men in Asia, announced he wasn’t on becoming rich or famous. He wanted something far – to place all his talents, resources, time, and energy in a trust for the world.

“You needn’t be if you’ve made mistakes. Just continue to try your . If you fall, pick yourself up and march on. If you cannot run, walk. If you cannot walk, crawl. The alone brings a continuing wave of joy in which every personal problem and every suffering is forgotten.” said Gandi.

1.A. thinking B. drawing C. growing D. learning

2.A. read B. run C. exercise D. sleep

3.A. Also B. Even C. Indeed D. Only

4.A. tired B. lazy C. relaxed D. hopeless

5.A. sank B. failed C. flashed D. shook

6.A. screamed B. waited C. escaped D. stopped

7.A. for B. or C. and D. but

8.A. important B. difficult C. friendly D. exciting

9.A. around B. instead C. outside D. alone

10.A. object B. attack C. fight D. lie

11.A. love B. freedom C. courage D. doubt

12.A. class B. life C. past D. mind

13.A. working B. writing C. caring D. imagining

14.A. turn to B. insist on C. feel like D. put off

15.A. finally B. always C. straight D. still

16.A. interested B. keen C. successful D. experienced

17.A. wiser B. tougher C. truer D. greater

18.A. troubled B. dismissed C. defended D. bored

19.A. change B. strength C. best D. advice

20.A. choice B. voice C. effort D. comfort

E

People talk about energy everywhere.Green energy, for example.Then, energy independence.It has a nice ring to it.Doesn' t it? If you think so, you' re not alone, because energy independence has been the dream of American president for decades, and never more so than in the past few years, when the most recent oil price shock has been partly responsible for kicking off the great recession(经济衰退).

"Energy independence" and its rhetorical (修辞的) companion "energy security" are, however, unreliable concepts that are rarely thought through.What is it that we want independence from, exactly?

Most people would probably say that they want to be independent from imported oil.But there are reasons that we buy all that oil from elsewhere.

The first reason is that we need it to keep our economy running.Yes, there is a trickle ( 涓涓细流) )of biofuel ( 生物燃料 )available, and more may become available, but most biofuels cause economic waste and environmental destruction.

Second, Americans have basically decided that they don't really want to produce all their own oil.They value the environmental quality they preserve over their oil imports from abroad.Vast areas of the United States are off-limits to oil exploration and production in the name of environmental protection.To what extent are Americans really willing to tolerate the environmental influence of domestic(国内的) energy production in order to cut back imports?

Third, there are benefits to trade.It allows for eoonomic efficiency, and when we buy things from places that have lower production costs t1i;m we do, we benefit.And although you don't read about this much, the United States is also a large exporter of oil products, selling about 2 million barrels of petroleum products per day to about 90 countries.

There is no question that the United States imports a great deal of energy and, in fact, relies on that steady flow to keep its economy stable.When that flow is interrupted, we feel the pain in short supplies and higher prices.At the same time, we get massive economic benefits when we buy the most affordable energy on the world market and when we engage in energy trade around the world.

1.What does the author say about energy independence for America?

A.It sounds very attractive.

B.It ensures national security.

C.It will bring oil prices down.

D.It will protect the environment.

2.Why does America rely heavily on oil imports?

A.It wants to expand its storage of raw oil.

B.Its own oil reserves are quickly running out.

C.Its own oil production falls short of demand.

D.It wants to keep its own environment untouched.

3.What does the author say about oil trade?

A.It improves economic efficiency.

B.It makes for economic recession.

C.It brings benefit only to the sellers.

D.It saves the cost of oil exploration.

4.What is the author' s purpose in writing the passage?

A.To explain the increase of international oil trade.

B.To raise Americans' awareness of the energy crisis.

C.To argue for America' s dependence on oil imports.

D.To stress the importance of energy protection.

The weather predictions for Asia in 2050 read like a script from a doomsday movie, which has aroused more experts' concern about this serious problem.

Many climatologists and green groups fear they will come true unless there is a concerted global effort to rein in greenhouse gas emission 排放).

In the decades to come, Asia --- home to more than half the world's 6.3 billion people – will lurch (突然倾斜) from one climate extreme to another, with poor farmers battling droughts, floods, disease, food shortages and rising sea levels.

"It's not a pretty picture:' said Steve Sawyer, climate policy adviser with Greenpeace in Amsterdam. Global warming and changes to weather patterns are already occurring and there is enough excess carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere to drive climate change for decades to come.

Already, changes are being felt in Asia but worse is likely to come, Sawyer and top climate bodies say, and could lead to mass migration (移民)and widespread humanitarian crises.

According to predictions, glaciers will melt faster, some Pacific and Indian Ocean islands will have to be abandoned or build sea defenses, storms will become more violent and insect and water-borne diseases will move into new areas as the world warms.

All this comes on top of rising populations and increasing demand for food, water and other resources. Experts say environmental degradation(退化)such as deforestation and pollution will likely increase the influences of climate change.

In what could be a foretaste of the future, Japan was hit by a record 10 typhoons and tropical storms in this year, while two-thirds of Bangladesh, parts of Nepal and large areas of northeastern India were flooded, affecting 50 million people, destroying livelihoods and making tens of thousands ill. The year before, a winter cold snap and a summer heat wave killed more than 2,000 people in India.

1.In the passage, the author indicates that the weather predictions for Asia are _ _

A. frightening B. exciting

C. surprising D. satisfying

2.Which of the following is NOT included in the weather prediction?

A. Some Pacific islands will have to build sea defenses.

B. Storms will become stronger.

C. The diseases spread by water will move into new areas.

D. Two-third of Bangladesh will be flooded.

3.The passage is intended to_ _ .

A. tell people not to believe in the weather prediction for Asia

B. inform people of natural disasters that happened in Asia

C. increase people's awareness of the severe consequence of gas emissions

D. introduce a movie to environmental experts

4.The passage is probably taken from__ _ .

A. a newspaper B. a trade journal

C. a biology book D. a fashion magazine

C

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