Learning a second language can improve brain power, scientists believe. US researchers from Northwestern University say bilingualism(双语) is a form of brain training — a mental "work out" that adjusts the mind finely.
Speaking two languages well affects the brain and changes how the nervous system reacts to sound, lab tests showed. Experts say the experiment performed by the National Academy of Sciences provides "biological" evidence of this.
In an attempt to prove the guess that speaking two languages is good for one's mind, the team monitored how the brain of 48 healthy student volunteers reacted to different sounds. Twenty three of these volunteers were bilingual.
The scientists used special equipment to trace the pattern of brainwaves. Under quiet, laboratory conditions, the bilingual students responded in a similar way to the English-only-speaking students, who formed the control group. But the bilingual group were far superior at processing sounds even when there were a lot of people talking in the room. They were better able to focus on to the important information — the speaker's voice — and block out other distracting noises.
Prof Nina Kraus, who led the research, said: "The bilingual's better experience with sound results in a hearing system that is highly efficient, flexible and focused in its automatic sound processing, especially in challenging or novel listening conditions."
Co-author Viorica Marian said: "People do crossword puzzles and other activities to keep their minds sharp. But the advantages we've discovered in double language speakers come automatically simply from knowing and using two languages.''
Musicians appear to gain a similar benefit when rehearsing(彩排), say the researchers. According to some theories, being bilingual might help avoid dementia（痴呆）.What’s the purpose for the lab test led by Prof Nina Kraus?
| A．To find how better the bilingual students can react to sound than other students. |
| B．Just to find scientific proof for a previous guess. |
| C．To show the students how good it is to learn a second language. |
| D．To find a way to prevent dementia. |
What does the underlined word “distracting” mean?
| A．tiring | B．exciting |
| C．interesting | D．disturbing |
What does Viorica Marian seem to believe?
| A．People should do crossword puzzles to keep their minds sharp. |
| B．Bilingual students have more advantages in study than non-bilingual ones. |
| C．Speaking two languages is an easier way for people to increase their brain power. |
| D．Bilingual students are better at solving crossword puzzles. |
What conclusion could be drawn from the passage?
| A．Being bilingual strengthens brain power. |
| B．Speaking a second language can change your nervous system. |
| C．Bilingual musicians perform better on stage. |
| D．The English-only-speaking students can concentrate easily. |
How was the bilingual group better at processing sounds?
| A．They were the control group. |
| B．They could better fix their attention on something of importance. |
| C．They were able to find the speaker’s voice quickly. |
| D．They had better nervous system. |
October 15, 1970 was declared International White Cane Safety Day (IWCSD) for the first time by the President of the International Federation of the Blind (IFB). This date was adopted at the first convention of the IFB, held in Colombo on October 4, 1969. The object of the exercise is to enable the general public to have a better understanding of blindness and visual handicap, and to make people more aware of the white cane as a mobility aid.
Peguilly d’Herbemont was born on 25th June 1888 into an old French noble family of the same name. In her youth she led the conventional and protected existence, lack of great activity, of a girl from a “good family”, an existence reminding of the life of the aristocracy(贵族) before the French Revolution. She never visited a public school, but was educated by German and English governesses and nuns. Her movements were restricted and were mainly confined to the family positions in Paris and Belgium, but she spent most of her time at the castle of Charmois not far from Verdun.
In the process of helping individual blind people across the road, Peguilly d’Herbemont was made aware by narrow scrapes(刮擦) which almost led to accidents, of the dangerous situation of the visually impaired brought about by the steadily increasing traffic on the roads. She first spoke about measures to protect the blind against street hazards to her mother in 1930, but she was of the opinion that it was unfit for a lady of good society to create a public outcry and advised her to stick to the transcription of books, a popular pastime of ladies of rank at the time.
But the idea did not leave her. The urgent wish to encourage the integration(成为一体) of the blind into society by providing them with a means of moving about more freely without endangering others, and at the same time attracting the attention of passers-by ready to offer assistance, caused her to take the unusual step of writing to the editor of the Paris daily Echo de Paris in which she suggested issuing the blind of the Paris region with white sticks similar to those used by the traffic police.
The editor took up the idea, published it in November 1930 and saw to it that the relevant authorities acted with atypical speed. Thus it was that the white cane received official backing, and on 7th February 1931.The underlined words “the exercise” here refer to _____.
| A．the founding of the IFB | B．the declaration of IWCSD |
| C．the convention of the IFB | D．the first convention of the IFB |
Which of the following is true about Peguilly d’Herbemont?
| A．She led a typical aristocrat life when she was young. |
| B．Though she could travel around Europe, she spent most time at Charmois. |
| C．She was taught German and English at a public school. |
| D．She worried about possible street hazards for the blind, witnessing many traffic accidents. |
_____ gave her the white cane idea.
| A．Her concern about the dangerous situation for the blind caused by the increasing traffic |
| B．The accident she had when helping blind people across the road |
| C．The scrapes she got when crossing the road |
| D．Her urgent wish to integrate into society together with the blind |
According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．Peguilly d’Herbemont’s mother didn’t want her to draw the public’s attention. |
| B．It was common for people to write to newspapers to voice their opinion at the time. |
| C．Peguilly’s strong desire to help the blind made her not a looker-on but an advocate. |
| D．The editor contributed a lot to the declaration of International White Cane Safety Day. |
This passage mainly wants to tell us _____.
| A．Peguilly d’Herbemont’s achievements |
| B．how to care for the blind |
| C．the function of the white cane |
| D．how International White Cane Safety Day came into being |
On his bench in Madison Square Soapy moved uneasily, and he realized the fact that the time had come for him to provide against the coming winter.
The winter ambitions of Soapy were not of the highest. In them there were no dreams of Mediterranean voyages or blue Southern skies. Three months on the Island was what his soul desired. Three months of assured board and bed and good company, safe from north winds seemed to Soapy the most desirable thing.
Just as the more fortunate New Yorkers had bought their tickets to Palm Beach each winter, Soapy had made his arrangements for his annual journey to the Island. And now the time had come.
There were many institutions of charity in New York where he might receive lodging and food, but to Soapy’s proud spirit the gifts of charity were undesirable. You must pay in humiliation of spirit for everything received at the hands of mercy. So it was better to be a guest of the law.
Soapy, having decided to go to the Island, at once set about accomplishing his desire. He left his bench and went up Broadway. He stopped at the door of a glittering cafe. He was shaven and his coat was decent. If he could reach a table in the restaurant, the portion of him that would show above the table would raise no doubt in the waiter’s mind. A roasted duck, with a bottle of wine, a cigar and a cup of coffee would be enough. Such a dinner would make him happy, for the journey to his winter refuge.
But as Soapy entered the restaurant door, the head waiter’s eye fell upon his shabby trousers and old shoes. Strong hands pushed him in silence and haste out into the street.
Some other way of entering the desirable refuge must be found.
At a corner of Sixth Avenue Soapy took a stone and sent it through the glass of a glittering shop window. People came running around the corner, a policeman at the head of them. Soapy stood still, with his hands in his pockets, and smiled at the sight of the policeman.
“Where is the man that has done that?” asked the policeman.
“Don’t you think that I have had something to do with it?” said Soapy, friendly.
The policeman paid no attention to Soapy. Men who break windows don’t remain to speak with policemen. They run away. He saw a man running and rushed after him, stick in hand. Soapy, disgusted, walked along, twice unsuccessful.
On the opposite side of the street was a restaurant for people with large appetites and modest purses. Soapy entered this place without difficulty. He sat at a table and ate beefsteak and pie. And then he told the waiter he had no money.
“Go and call a cop,” said Soapy. “And don’t keep a gentleman waiting.”
“No cop for you,” said the waiter. “Hey!”
Then Soapy found himself lying upon his left ear on the pavement. He arose with difficulty, and beat the dust from his clothes. Arrest seemed a rosy dream. The Island seemed far away.
After another unsuccessful attempt to be arrested for harassing a young woman, Soapy went further toward the district of theatres.
When he saw a policeman standing in front of a glittering theatre, he thought of “disorderly conduct”. On the sidewalk Soapy began to sing drunken songs at the top of his voice. He danced, cried, and otherwise disturbed the peace.
The policeman turned his back to Soapy, and said to a citizen, “It is one of the Yale boys celebrating their football victory. Noisy, but no harm.”
Sadly, Soapy stopped his useless singing and dancing. The Island seemed unattainable. He buttoned his thin coat against the north wind.
In a cigar store he saw a well-dressed man who had set his silk umbrella by the door. Soapy entered the store, took the umbrella, and went out with it slowly. The man with the cigar followed hastily.
“My umbrella,” he said.
“Oh, is it?” said Soapy. “Well, why don’t you call a policeman? I took your umbrella! Why don’t you call a cop? There stands one on the corner.”
The umbrella owner slowed his steps. Soapy did likewise. The policeman looked at them curiously.
“Of course,” said the umbrella man, “well, you know how these mistakes occur…if it’s your umbrella I hope you’ll excuse me – I picked it up this morning in a restaurant – if it’s yours, I hope you’ll…”
“Of course it’s mine,” said Soapy.
The ex-umbrella man retreated. The policeman hurried to help a well-dressed woman across the street.
Soapy threw the umbrella angrily. He was angry with the men who wear helmets and carry clubs. They seemed to regard him as a king who could do no wrong.
At last Soapy stopped before an old church on a quiet corner. Through one window a soft light glowed, where, the organist played a Sunday anthem. For there came to Soapy’s ears sweet music that caught and held him at the iron fence.
The moon was shining; cars and pedestrians were few; birds twittered sleepily under the roof. And the anthem that the organist played cemented Soapy to the iron fence, for he had known it well in the days when his life contained such things as mothers and roses and ambitions and friends.
The influence of the music and the old church produced a sudden and wonderful change in Soapy’s soul. He thought of his degraded days, dead hopes and wrecked faculties.
And also in a moment a strong impulse moved him to battle with his desperate fate. He would pull himself out of this pit; he would make a man of himself again. Those sweet notes had set up a revolution in him. Tomorrow he would be somebody in the world. He would…
Soapy felt a hand on his arm. He looked quickly around into the broad face of a policeman.
“What are you doing here?”
“Nothing.”
“Then come along,” said the policeman.
“Three months on the Island,” said the Judge the next morning.Soapy regarded the Island as his winter ambition because _____.
| A．he wanted to go on Mediterranean voyages and enjoy blue Southern skies |
| B．he wanted to spend the cold winter somewhere warm other than New York |
| C．he wanted to be put into prison to survive the coming winter |
| D．he wanted to buy a ticket to the Island to spend the cold winter |
Which of the following is the reason for Soapy’s not turning to charity?
| A．His pride gets in the way. |
| B．What the institutions of charity offer isn’t what Soapy needs. |
| C．He wants to be a citizen who obeys the law. |
| D．The institutions of charity are not located on the island. |
How many times did Soapy try to accomplish his desire?
| A．4. | B．5. | C．6. | D．7. |
From the passage, we can see what the two restaurants have in common is that _____.
| A．they are both fancy upper class restaurants |
| B．neither of them served Soapy |
| C．they both drove Soapy out of the restaurant after he finished his meal |
| D．neither of them called cops |
Hearing the Sunday anthem at the church, Soapy _____.
| A．was reminded of his good old days and wanted to play the anthem again |
| B．was reminded of his unaccomplished ambition and was determined to get to the Island |
| C．was reminded of his disgraceful past and determined to transform himself |
| D．was reminded of his rosy dream and wished to realize it |
By ending the story this way, the author means to _____.
| A．show that one always gets what he/she wants with enough efforts |
| B．make a contrast and criticize the sick society |
| C．surprise readers by proving justice was done after all |
| D．put a tragic end to Soapy’s life and show his sympathy for Soapy |
Attractions in Wisconsin
Wisconsin Historical Museum
30 N. Carroll Street on Madison's Capitol Square
Discover Wisconsin's history and culture on four floors of exhibits. Open for public program.
Admission is free.Open the second day of a week through Saturday, 900 a．m.400 p．m.Swiss Historical Village
612 Seventh Ave., New Glares
The Swiss Historical Village offers a delightful look at pioneer life in America's heartland. 14 buildings in the village give a full picture of everyday life in the nineteenth century Midwest.
Tue.Fri., May 1st October 31st, 1000 a．m.400 p．m. Admission is $20.
(608)5272317 www.__swisshistoricalvillage.com
Artisan Gallery & Creamery Café
6858 Paoli Rd., Paoli, WI
One of the largest collections of fine arts and crafts in Wisconsin. Over 5000 sq. ft. of exhibition space in a historic creamery. While visiting, enjoy a wonderfully prepared lunch at our café overlooking the Sugar River. Just minutes from Madison!
Gallery open Tue.Sun., 1000 a．m.500 p．m. Café open Wed. Sat., 1100 a．m.300 p．m.
Sun. brunch with wine, 1000 a．m.300 p．m. (608)8456600__www.__artisangal.__com
Christopher Columbus Museum
239 Whitney St., Columbus
Worldclass exhibit—2000 quality souvenirs marking Chicago's 1893 World Columbian Exhibition. Tour buses are always welcome.
Open daily, 815 a． m.400 p．m. (920)6231992 www.__columbusantiquemall.__comWhich of the following is on Capitol Square?
| A．Wisconsin Historical Museum. | B．Swiss Historical Village. |
| C．Artisan Gallery & Creamery Café. | D．Christopher Columbus Museum. |
Where can you go for a visit on Monday?
| A．Wisconsin Historical Museum. | B．Swiss Historical Village. |
| C．Artisan Gallery & Creamery Café. | D．Christopher Columbus Museum. |
Where can visitors have lunch?
| A．At Wisconsin Historical Museum. | B．At Swiss Historical Village. |
| C．At Artisan Gallery & Creamery Café. | D．At Christopher Columbus Museum. |
A funny thing happened on the way to the communications revolution: we stopped talking to one another.
I was walking in the park with a friend recently, and his cell phone rang, interrupting our conversation. There we were walking and talking on a beautiful sunny day and... I became invisible, absent from the conversation. The telephone used to connect you to the absent. Now it makes people sitting next to you feel absent. Why is it that the more connected we get, the more disconnected I feel? Every advance in communications technology is a tragedy to the closeness of human interaction（互动）. With email and instant messaging over the internet, we can now communicate without seeing or talking to one another. With voice mail, you can conduct entire conversations without ever reaching anyone. If my mom has a question, I just leave the answer on her machine.
As almost every contact we can imagine between human beings gets automated（自动化）, the alienation index（疏远指数） goes up. You can't even call a person to get the phone number of another person any more. Directory assistance is almost always fully automated.
I am not against modern technology. I own a cell phone, an ATM card, a voice mail system, and an email account. Giving them up isn't wise... they're a great help to us. It's some of their possible consequences that make me feel uneasy.
More and more. I find myself hiding behind email to do a job meant for conversation. Or being relieved that voice mail picked up because I didn't really have time to talk. The industry devoted to helping me keep in touch is making me lonelier ...or at least facilitating my antisocial instincts.
So I've put myself on technology restriction: no instant messaging with people who live near me, no cell phoning in the presence of friends, no letting the voice mail pick up when I'm at home.Which of the following would be the best title of the passage?
| A．The Advance of Communications Technology |
| B．The Consequences of modern Technology |
| C．The Story of Communications Revolution |
| D．The Automation of Modern Communications |
The sentence “Now it makes people sitting next to you feel absent” means that ________.
| A．the people sitting beside you have to go away to receive a phone call |
| B．you can hardly get in touch with the people sitting beside you |
| C．modern technology makes it hard for people to have a face-to-face talk |
| D．people can now go to work without going to the office |
The writer feels that the use of modern communications is ________.
| A．satisfying | B．encouraging | C．disappointing | D．embarrassing |
The passage implies that ________.
| A．modern technology is bridging the people |
| B．modern technology is separating the people |
| C．modern technology is developing too fast |
| D．modern technology is interrupting our communication |
Having one of those days or weeks when everything seems to annoy you? Even if you do nothing about it, your bad mood(心情) will probably go away after some time. But with a little effort, you can forget it much faster—often within a day or two.
Walk it off
Exercise is the most popular bad mood buster. A person who's in a bad mood has low energy and high tension. Taking a fast ten-minute walk, or doing some quick exercises can do wonders towards changing the bad mood.
Tune it out
Listening to your favorite music for a while can also make tension go away quickly, because music starts connection with past positive experiences we've had.
Give yourself a paper talk
Stop and listen to what's on your mind. Bad moods are often started by too many negative thoughts. Write them all down on paper, the pessimistic(悲观的) messages you've been giving yourself, and then give optimistic answers. (“I still don't have a job.” vs “I have two interviews next week.”)
Reduce your stress
Relaxation techniques are wonderful moodlifters. These include deep breathing, stretching and visualizing(想像), all of which sound complicated(复杂的) but aren't. One easy way to visualize: close your eyes and picture a favorite place, such as the beach. Another simple way to distress is to make a todo list. One reason for being in a bad mood is feeling you have no options. By taking control over certain areas, you realize you're not helpless. You can make changes in your mood and life.
Avoid things that won't improve your mood
TV may not help much: you need to increase your energy level and stimulate(刺激) your mind—something that the TV show “Neighbors” won't do. And before you reach for that piece of cake and coffee, think about how mood and food are linked. Sugar and caffeine contribute to depressed moods. The better choice? Research shows that carbohydrates, such as potatoes and pasta(面食), produce calming effects in people who have a desire for them.Which of the following may help us stop a bad mood?
| A．Doing nothing about it |
| B．Exercising and enjoying music. |
| C．Writing down negative thoughts |
| D．Talking about it with neighbors. |
Why is it suggested that you close your eyes and picture the beach?
| A．It helps remove bad mood. |
| B．It brings us a new technique. |
| C．It is not complicated to do so. |
| D．It is an area to be easily controlled. |
TV may not improve your mood because it ________.
| A．shows what happens around you | B．does not energize you |
| C．reminds you of eating and drinking | D．produces a calming effect |
Which would be the best title for this passage?
| A．Energy Level and Stress | B．How to Beat a Bad Mood |
| C．Bad Mood and Our Life | D．How to Control Your Feeling |
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