If English means endless new words, difficult grammar 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 when 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 group 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 (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 two and thirty-four. 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．science on learning a second language |
| B．man’s ability of learning a second language |
| C．that language can help brain power |
| D．language learning and maths study |
The underlined word “bilingual” probably means _______.
| A．a researcher on language learning |
| B．a second language learner |
| C．an active language learner |
| D．a person who can speak two languages |
We may know from the scientific findings that ________.
| A．the earlier you start to learn a second language, the higher the grey matter density is |
| B．there is no difference between a later second language learner and one who doesn’t know a second language |
| C．the experience of learning a second language has bad effect on people’s brain |
| 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．early learning of a second language helps you a great deal in studying other subjects |
| C．Italian is the best choice for you as a second language |
| D．you’d better choose the ages between 2 and 34 to learn a second language |
Why do you think people who live in some hot countries eat very spicy(辛辣的)food? Is it because the spices make the food taste better? Is it just because their parents and grandparents and great-grandparents liked hot food，or is there some connection between spices and healthy food? Researchers from Cornell University think that it is because spice plants have some important chemicals. These chemicals can kill bacteria(细菌)which spoil food．
“Most common spices can kill 75 to 100 percent of the bacteria in food，”explains one of the scientists．The bacteria grow more easily and spoil(变质)food more quickly at higher temperatures．For this reason，it is more difficult to keep food from spoiling in hot climates，
Do you like your food spicy? Your answer probably tells something about the country you come from．If you like spicy food，it is possible that hundreds of years ago，when there were no fridges，people in your country started using spices to keep the food from spoiling．The traditional spicy dishes helped those people to live longer，healthier lives．Today，in a time of fridges，the spices just make the food taste good．The chemicals in spices keep food from spoiling by_________．
| A．making food taste better |
| B．making food hotter |
| C．preventing bacteria getting into food |
| D．killing bacteria in food |
Food goes bad more quickly in hot climates because_______．
| A．cold temperature makes bacteria |
| B．bacteria get used to hot food |
| C．high temperature helps bacteria grow faster |
| D．bacteria spoil food only at high temperature |
According to the passage，spices are useful in the following things except_____．
| A．helping you to live longer |
| B．helping to keep you healthier |
| C．making your food taste better |
| D．taking the place of fridges |
Mario Green and Mary Brown from Riverside High School give up several hours each week to help others.Mario热爱动物并且想成为一名兽医。 He volunteers at an animal hospital every Saturday morning.Mario believes it can help him to get his future dream job. “It’s hard work,” he says, “but I want to learn more about how to care for animals. I get such a strong feeling of satisfaction when I see the animals get better and the look of joy on their owners’ faces.”
Mary 是一个读书爱好者.。She could read by herself at the age of four. Last year, she decided to try out for a volunteer after--school reading program.She still works there once a week to help kids learn to read. “The kids are sitting in the library, but you can see in their eyes that they’re going on a different journey with each new book. Volunteering here is a dream come true for me. I can do what I love to do and help others at the same time._________________________
_________________________
_________________________
________________________
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Bikes are popular in the Dutch. In fact, nearly half of all travel in the Dutch is by bike. Now, one Dutch bike designer (设计师), Thomas, has taken the country’s interest in bikes by making a school bus bike.
The big bike has eight sets of pedals (踏板) for kids, a driver seat for an adult, and three other seats, comfortably letting little kids for their trip to and from school. The bike even has a motor, which can help with high hills or at times when few kids on it.
So far, Thomas tells Fast Company, he’s sold 25 school-bikes, at a price of $ 25,000 each—less than it would cost to buy a traditional school bus with the same number of seats. Along with the traditional color, the bikes are colored yellow so that they can be seen easily.
Thomas says he’s sold school bus bikes to neighboring countries such as Belgium. England and Germany, but so far, the school bus bike hasn't been sold in the United States. If the U.S. agrees to buy this kind of school bus bike, it could do a lot of good to improve exercise for a young age and help them keep healthy.Where is the school bus bike designer from?
How many seats does the school bus bike have?
Why are the school buses colored yellow?
How much does the school bus bike cost?
What do you think of the school bus bike?
阅读下列图表，做1-2小题。
The pet sitter will get ___ for working every weekend.
A. ＄30 B. ＄40 C. ＄20What is NOT the pet sitter’s job?
A. Giving food to the dog
B. Taking a walk with the dog
C. Cleaning the dog’s house
阅读下面的图表，做1-3小题。
This picture is probably from ______.
A. a story book B. a math book C a newspaper What’s a “Coupon” used for?
A. To invite a friend
B. To save money
C. To get a VIP cardWhich of the following is NOT true?
A. People can’t go to Sweet Tomatoes for a meal on Monday.
B. People can enjoy delicious chicken and hamburgers in Sweet Tomatoes.
C .First Ten on 2nd Sunday each month can get one free tasty chocolate.
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