If English means endless new words，difficult gramrnar 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 goup 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，”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．The main subject talked about in this passage is
| A．language can help brain power |
| B．man's ability of learning a second language |
| C．science on learning a second language |
| D．language learning and maths study |
In the second paragraph，the writer mentions “exercise” in order to
| A．say language is also a kind of physical labor |
| B．make people believe language learning helps grey matter work well |
| C．show the importance of using the language when you learn the language |
| D．prove that one needs more practice when he(she)is learning a language |
The underlined word‘‘bilinguals”in Paragraph 4 probably means
| A．people who can speak two languages |
| B．second language learners |
| C．researchers on language learning |
| D．active language learners |
We may know from the scientific findings that
| A．the experience of learning a second language has bad effect on people’s brain |
| B．there is no difference between a later second language learner and one who doesn’t know a second language |
| C．the earlier you start to learn a second language，the higher the grey matter density is |
| D．the ability of learning a second language is changing all the time |
In the last two paragraphs，the author wants to tell us that
| A．learning a second language is the same as studying maths |
| B．Italian is the best choice for you as a second language |
| C．you’d better choose the ages between 2 and 34 to learn a second language |
| D．early learning of a second language helps you a great deal in studying other subjects |
When I was seven years old my mom was diagnosed(诊断) with cancer. For this type of cancer the survival rate was low. My family was extremely upset and shocked. I was too young to understand. I had no idea that everyday with my mom had to be the absolute best because we didn’t know if it would be our last. I didn’t understand why everyone was suddenly taking time out of their busy lives to come over and sit on our couch.
The doctors told us my mom might survive with surgery(外科手术). But it could also kill her. She agreed to have it. The surgery was scheduled for the day after the Columbus Day. The day before the surgery I had off from school, and my mom planned the best day of my life. The day began with her waking me up saying, “Kate, I have a surprise for you. Come see.” The surprise was a doll I had wanted for the longest time. Throughout the day, she told me everything that she thought I would need to know to grow up and be a good person; she told me to be the best I could be and that I would always make her proud. The day was filled with laughter. For the first time in a long time I could see she was happy. Really happy.
The day passed and the next day, it was time for the surgery. There were no tears; I think I understood that I could lose my mom, because they did tell me she could die. We waited all day for news from the doctor. Everyone jumped when a door opened or anyone walked into the waiting room. Finally the doctor came in, and the news was what we had prayed (祈祷) for.
The experience that my family went through was truly a roller coaster. I will never forget that day together, and how her illness pulled our family closer. I understand now how lucky we were. I truly appreciate life and honor my mom for being so strong.After the author’s mother fell ill, people _____.
| A．took turns to look after the author |
| B．tried to spend more time on their work |
| C．spared more time to stay with the mother |
| D．asked the doctors to operate on the mother at once |
It can be inferred that the author’s mother ______.
| A．tried to show her love to her daughter before the operation |
| B．didn’t agree to have the operation |
| C．had always been happy before the operation |
| D．was very nervous the day before the operation |
What is the third paragraph mainly about?
| A．How the doctors operated on the mother. |
| B．How the family prayed for the mother. |
| C．How the mother struggled against cancer. |
| D．How the family waited for the operation result. |
What does the author mean by the underlined sentence in the text?
| A．Life is always full of hardships. |
| B．Life is full of both pain and happiness. |
| C．Life is always filled with pleasure. |
| D．Life is fair for everyone all the time. |
Marie Curie was a Polish-born physicist and chemist and one of the most famous scientists of her time. Together with her husband Pierre, she won the Nobel Prize in 1903, and another one in 1911.
Marie Sklodowska was born in Warsaw on 7 November 1867, the daughter of a teacher. In 1891, she went to Paris to study physics and maths at the Sorbonne where she met Pierre Curie, professor of the School of Physics. They married in 1895.
The Curies worked together studying radioactivity(放射性), building on the work of the German physicist Roentgen and the French physicist Becquerel. In July 1898, the Curies announced the discovery of polonium(钋). At the end of the year, they announced the discovery of another, radium(镭). The Curies, along with Becquerel, won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1903.
Pierre’s life was cut short in 1906 when he was knocked down and killed by a carriage. Marie took over his teaching post, becoming the first woman to teach at the Sorbonne, and devoted (献身于) herself to continuing the work that they had begun together. She received a second Nobel Prize, for Chemistry, in 1911.
The Curies’ research was important in developing X-rays in surgery. During World WarⅠ, Marie helped fixed X-ray equipment, which she herself drove to the front lines. She helped train doctors for the International Red Cross.
Although she achieved much success, men scientists in France were still against Marie, and she never received any financial help from her work. By the late 1920s her health was beginning to become worse. She died on 4 July 1934 from her dangerous research. The Curies’ eldest daughter Irene was a scientist and winner of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry.All the following people contributed to Marie’s first Nobel Prize EXCEPT _____.
| A．Irene | B．Pierre | C．Becquerel | D．Roentgen |
We can know from the text that Marie’s work______.
| A．won her respect from men scientists |
| B．brought her some financial help |
| C．had a bad effect on her health |
| D．had no influence on her children |
Which is the right order of the following events?
①Marie became a teacher at the Sorbonne.
②Marie helped train doctors.
③The Curies discovered polonium.
④The Curies won the Nobel Prize for Physics.
⑤The Curies discovered radium.
| A．①④⑤③② | B．③⑤④①② | C．⑤④①③② | D．②③⑤①④ |
Which of the following about Marie is NOT true?
| A．She married at the age of 28. |
| B．Her parent was a teacher. |
| C．She was the first woman teacher at the Sorbonne. |
| D．She helped the International Red Cross fix X-ray equipment. |
During communication, “words” express only 7% of meanings between people. About 23% of meanings are from the “tone of voice” and 70% of meanings come from “body language”. So next time you want someone’s attention—try body language instead.
Everyone does it, and most interestingly—most do it unconsciously. You may wonder: “Does that mean I have to study psychology to succeed in reading body language?” The answer is “no” because most people are already body language readers.
It’s a skill developed since we’re babies—think of how most babies can recognize facial expressions and get attention without saying anything. That is, you needn’t spend most of your time practicing some of your body language cues(暗示)!
However, you should know that the context(语境) is king. It suggests that, depending on the context of the situation, people will hide body language cues. So sometimes cues can be tricky: a woman who locks her arms may think you are boring—or she may just feel cold. You must learn to read into the context as well as the cues. Sometimes people care more about their body language cues. For example, poker(扑克牌戏) players will consciously hide more of their body language cues.
The first place to start when reading a person’s body language is the face. The easiest way to hide your feelings is to cover your face. This is why it’s sometimes hard to tell if an Islamic girl likes you.
If the eyes are the windows of the mind, the eyebrows(眉毛) are the windows of the eyes. So, notice how a person’s eyebrows will generally rise when they meet someone, see something they like or are surprised at. Eyes generally smile along with the mouth when someone is happy, so everyone knows “^ . ^”.The first paragraph is mainly to show _____.
| A．how to express your meanings clearly |
| B．how to draw other’s attention |
| C．the importance of body language |
| D．the role of words in communication |
Most of the time in our daily life, we ______.
| A．find body language very interesting |
| B．don’t realize we’re using body language |
| C．hardly use any body language |
| D．use body language on purpose |
What does the saying “the context is king” suggest?
| A．The context results from body language. |
| B．The context makes body language difficult. |
| C．The context helps when reading body language. |
| D．The context is more important than body language. |
Who will hide their body language cues on purpose according to the text?
| A．Scientists | B．Farmers. | C．Teachers. | D．Poker players. |
Four strange scholarships that actually exist
The scholarship for the tall
If you find yourself having to lower your head to enter doorways then you might get this unusual scholarship. If you are a boy 6'2" or taller, or a girl 5'10" or taller, then you can be in the running for the Tall Clubs International Scholarship. All you have to do is write a simple message titled “What being tall means to me,” and you could get $1,000.
The scholarship for the fat
This unusual scholarship is made available to New England high school seniors who are single, overweight, and have maintain(保持) at least a 2.5 GPA. Every year two people are awarded the $500 prize. It’s kind of like saying being fat and unpopular is not that bad after all.
The scholarship for the short
If you aren’t tall enough for the tall scholarship, maybe you are short enough for the short one. The Billy Party Foundation offers this unusual scholarship to students who are short. One needs to be shorter then 4'10" and have a medical certificate as proof of dwarfism.
The scholarship for golf caddies(球童)
Did you know that you could get a free ride to college for being a golf caddie? Okay, it’s a little harder than that, but each year the Evans Scholars Foundation covers tuition(学费) and housing for hundreds of student caddies from all over the country. Most Evans scholars go to one of the fourteen universities where the Evans Scholar Foundation owns and operates a scholarship house.The person running for the Tall Clubs International Scholarship _____.
| A．should pay $1,000 at first |
| B．should write a long passage |
| C．should be tall enough |
| D．could get $10,000 |
How many conditions should a student have for the scholarship for the fat?
| A．Five. | B．Four. | C．Three. | D．Two. |
The underlined word “dwarfism” in the text refers to the condition of being ____.
| A．short | B．tall and fat | C．clever | D．thin and tall |
Students caddies who win the scholarship for golf caddies can _____.
| A．get $1,000 for housing and tuition |
| B．get $500 for housing and tuition |
| C．only go to fourteen universities |
| D．be free from housing and schooling costs |
Can you become a creative person? Can you learn to come up with great ideas or learn to create new things? The answer is yes.
The first step to becoming creative is to remove the words “I am not creative” from your vocabulary. Seriously, do not say them or do not say them even inside your head.
Now you need to start looking what other people are doing. The more you see what they are doing, the more you can get a feel for how they think, and how they come up with creative ideas.
Find a way or a place where you feel totally relaxed. This is important so you can let your mind come up with ideas. Write them down as you get them. For me a relaxing place is outside in nature where it is quiet and sunny, or when I take a long drive in my car by myself.
The last step is to write down a few ideas every day.
Repeat the process of reading and observing what similar people are doing and how they are being creative, finding a relaxing place to write down your thoughts, and writing down a few ideas every day until you start seeing this kind of results you are happy with. It may take a few weeks to a few months, but this is the training process you need to put your mind through to become creative.
Remember, looking at things from different angle(角度) can also make a big difference to creativity. Question the way that everyone else is doing something using the same method and see if being different and doing it another way will produce something cool.The first step to be creative is to _____.
| A．have confidence in yourself |
| B．look up “creativity” in the dictionary |
| C．understand the meaning of being creative |
| D．learn many new words by heart |
The writer develops the fourth paragraph by ______.
| A．the order of time | B．the order of space |
| C．giving examples | D．explaining reasons |
It can be inferred that ______.
| A．creativity is a gift people are born with |
| B．not everyone can be creative |
| C．it is a piece of cake to be creative |
| D．creativity can be gained through practice |
The purpose of writing this text is to tell us how to _____.
| A．learn to be creative |
| B．solve problems easily |
| C．come up with good ideas |
| D．improve the ability of thinking |
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