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.

1.The main subject talked about in this passage is ________.

2.The underlined word “bilingual” probably means _______.

3.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

4.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

CItalian 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

In this century the traditional American family is constantly faced with the threat of breakdown. Some people suggest that one little – noticed cause may be the introduction of the TV dinner.

Before the appearance of television seats, the American dinner was a big event for the family. In many homes dinner time may be the only time when everyone got together. A typical dinner was usually in three periods In the preparation period, the children and Father frequently helped with setting while Mother put the last touches on the roast. In the eating period, family members shared the day’s experiences and more than food was eaten. In this period,families got to know one another and made joint decisions around the dinner table, and thus the family solidarity（团结） was strengthened. In the cleaning – up period,children or Father again gave their hands, so that their meaning to the home community was clear. Unfortunately, all of these have been abandoned by a product—the television set.

By the beginning of the 1980s, the typical American family dinner was just twenty minutes long. The speed – up of this once – leisurely experiences is clearly connected to the overall pace of modern life and maybe a model of the modern life is the TV dinners—meals designed to be used between the opening and closing credits of a half – hour program. The once family affair has now become nothing more than the use of a fork and knife.

1.According to the passage, the American family is now threatened by       .

2. In the past, Americans tended to        .

3.The shortening of the dinner time in America is related to        .

4.The best title for this passage might be       .

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1.The purpose of the advertisement is ______.

2. Which of the following is true according to the ad?

3.Where can we most probably read the ad?

4.A reader subscribed（订阅） PARENTS 3 months ago, but now he finds the magazine dissatisfying. What can he do?

In today’s Internet age, the demand for online games continues to grow. Online computer game centers exist in many cities and towns throughout Asia. Facing the pressures of school and life, people tend to the virtual world, expecting a diversion from these problems. Too often, however, they can lead to problems and unhealthy addictions 迷。

This is most clearly seen in the example of South Korea. The country has the world’s highest percentage of high-speed Internet services. It also has a high number of online game players and related problems. In 2002, a young man collapsed(突然晕倒) and died while playing online games. He had been playing almost nonstop for 86 hours at an Internet café. Another young man killed his sister after becoming confused between the online world and real life. A 12-year-old boy stole US $ 16,000 from his father and ran away from home. He did this to continue his obsession(着迷) with an online game. Such problems, however, don’t just happen in South Korea. They are spreading to other parts of Asia, as well.

What kinds of people develop online game addiction? What does the problem look like? Dr. SueHuei Chen, a clinical psychologist, researches Internet addiction. She discovered some signs of at-risk individuals such as lack friendships and good social skills. Those problem individuals feel it so compulsive 难控制的to play online games that they could sacrifice things such as school or family. They feel the need to spend more and more time online. And they become upset if anyone tries to limit限制 their online game playing.

How many problem game players are there? In mainland China, the potential number of problem online gamers is alarming. In 2004, the China daily reported that China had 13.8 million online game players. Furthermore, it stated that 80 percent of these were under 25 and had signs of addiction. Such numbers point toward a growing problem among Chinese young people.

Make sure to keep control over your online game playing. If you don’t control it, it can get control of you.

1.What is mainly discussed in the passage?

2.The underlined word “diversion” in the first paragraph is closest in meaning to __________.

3.According to Paragraph 2, which of the following statements is NOT true?

4.What can we learn from the passage?

Complete the sentence with the right word. The first letter of the word is given. (10 points)

1.There is n_______________ like a holiday to make us feel bored on the beaches.

2.He was deeply m______________ by the moving novel.

3.I will a____________________ it if you help me out of the difficulty.

4.Our a_________________ towards English learning should be improved usually.

5.The opening c__________________of the Olympic Games was so wonderful that it improved us with its fireworks.

6.The p__________________of our school is so strict that we dare not come to school late, or  we will be punished by our headteachers.

7.We often do much r______________ before exams to pass the exams.

8.He was a____________ to Beijing University this year,and he is the only one to study there.

9.In the lab , we do experiments following the i_________________ of our teacher.

10.My first day at senior high school was u______________________, and it will live in my heart.

Writing. (25 points)假如你是李华，是一名中学生，请根据下表内容写封信给你的老师Ralph，请求他帮忙解决一个长期困扰你的问题

注意：词数100~120,参考词汇：发脾气lose one’s temper

Dear Ralph，

___________________________________________________________________________

Best wishes

Yours

Li Hua.

China’s economic development has made ______ rapid progress in the past 10 years, and young people have made ______ great contribution to this progress.

A. a; a                         B. the; /                               C. /; a                                   D. /; /

Susan was expecting her favourite singers, but to her disappointment, _______ appeared.

A. some                  B. none                C. everyone                D. no one

Your essay is fairly good and yet it leaves something ______.

A. to desire                B. desire                              C. desiring                           D. to be desired

The police have offered a large _______ for information leading to the robber’s arrest.

A. prize                       B. compensation               C. price                                D. reward