If English means endless new words and difficult grammar, you are wrong. Haven’t you noticed that you have become more 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 (中枢神经系统的灰质). 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 earlier people learn a second language, the greater the effect.

A team of experts from London took a group of Britons who only spoke English. They were compared with a group of “early bilinguals” (能说两种语言的人) 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 Walse has researched the link between bilingualism and math skills.” Having two languages dives 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 2 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.

68. What does the underlined word “ grey matter” (in Paragraph 2)refer to ?

A.grey hair 　 B. intelligence 　 C. material of the brain 　　D.difficult situations

69. The experience of learning a second language can__________.

A.change one’s brain completely 　　B. increase the ability to learn.

C.make one smarter than others　 　 D. improve one’s maths skills

70. We can learn from the passage that_________.

A.the researchers from UCL did another study in Italian

B. it will be easier for one to travel around the world by learning a second language

C.the research done on the Italians shows a totally different result.

D. a similar study was done on native Italian speakers who learn English as a second language

71. What ’s the main idea of the passage?

A.Learning a foreign language can help improve your brain power.

B.You should learn a second language if English is not your native language.

C.If you want to learn a second language, you should do it at a certain age.

D.The research done by the researchers from UCL is very successful.