What a ______ smell! How long was it since you last cleaned the house?

A．smelly

B．tasty

C．sweet

D．disgusting

 

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, 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,”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 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.?

1... 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. language can help brain power?      D. language learning and maths study?

2...In the second paragraph, the writer mentions “exercise” in order to_______.

A. say language is also a kind of physical labor?

B. prove that one needs more practice when he (she) is learning a language?

C. to show the importance of using the language when you learn the language?

D. make people believe language learning helps grey matter work well?

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 study 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

 

If you want to become a fluent English speaker you should take some advice: There are four skills in learning English. They are reading, listening, speaking, and writing. The most important thing you must remember is that if you want to improve your speaking and writing skills you should first master the skills of reading and listening.
Read as much as you can. But your reading must be active. It means that you must think about the meaning of the sentence, the meanings of the unfamiliar words, etc. There is no need for you to pay much attention to grammars or try to understand all the unfamiliar words you come across, but the fact that you see them for the first time and recognize them whenever you see them, for example in other passages or books, is enough. It would be better to prepare yourself a notebook so you can write down the important words or sentences in it.
As for listening, there are two choices: besides reading, you can listen every day for about 30 minutes. You can only pay attention to your reading and become skillful at your reading, then you can catch up on your listening. Since you have lots of inputs in your mind, you can easily guess what the speaker is going to say. This never means that you should not practice listening.
For listening you can listen to cartoons or some movies that are specially made for children. Their languages are easy. Or if you are good at listening you can listen to VOA or BBC programs every day. Again the thing to remember is being active in listening and preferably taking some notes.
If you follow these pieces of advice, your speaking and writing will improve automatically, and you can be sure that with a little effort they will become perfect.
【小题1】According to the author, which should you improve first among the four skills?

A．Reading and listening.

B．Reading and writing.

C．Writing and speaking.

D．Speaking and listening.

【小题2】The underlined phrase “come across” in Paragraph 2 can probably be replaced by“          ”.

A．meet by accident

B．discover

C．find on purpose

D．look for

【小题3】The author seems to agree with the view that            .

A．everyone should listen to VOA or BBC programs every day

B．you needn’t practice listening if you keep on reading every day

C．being good at reading is helpful in improving your listening

D．you should take notes of whatever you are hearing

【小题4】The passage is mainly about how to            .

A．choose suitable listening materials

B．deal with new words in reading

C．improve your English as quickly as possible

D．become fluent in speaking and writing English

To son, Cecil,

Just a quick note before I start in earnest. When I wrote this, you were 8, still a little boy. In 2002, I was called to active duty in the Marine Corps in the war on Terrorism (恐怖主义). On the 11th of September 2001 when America was attacked, I knew that I would eventually(最终) have to go and I was filled with a deep sense of sadness. That night as you and Keiko were asleep, I looked at your little faces and couldn’t help but fight the tears. I knew it would be hard for you because I had a similar experience. When I was a little boy aged 6, my dad, your Grandpa Cawley, was sent to Vietnam during the war there. I remember how much I missed him, too. But now unfortunately I have come to realize just how difficult it must have been for Grandpa to be away from his children for a year. Thinking about this, I wanted to put my thoughts and feelings down for you and your sister. I am so sorry that I had to leave for such a long time. There is no place I would rather be than with you and Keiko. You two are the lights of my life. I have known no greater joy than in the few years since you two were born. I hope to have many more years with you. If this doesn’t happen, then know that I love you more than words can express. If for some reason I don’t make it home, I will need you to take care of your little sister and your Mom. You will be the man of the Cawley family. Be good my son and God will watch over you as he has me. I will be waiting impatiently for the time when we can all be together again.

1.The writer of the letter may be ______.

A．an American policeman

B．an American soldier in the battle field

C．a soldier in the Vietnam War

D．a postman working far away from home

2.Keiko is the ______ of the writer.

A．wife

B．son

C．daughter

D．sister

3.One of the experiences the writer and his son had in common is that ______.

A．they both experienced the Vietnam War

B．their fathers had to leave them and fight abroad.

C．they used to study in the same school

D．they were both eight when the fathers had to leave them

4.We can infer(推断) that ______.

A．the writer was a devoted son

B．the writer was a brave soldier

C．the writer realized he might die in the battle field

D．the writer’s wife was suffering from a terrible illness.

 

请认真阅读下列短文，并根据所读内容在文章后表格中的空格里填入一个最恰当的单词。

注意：每个空格只填1个单词。请将答案写在答题卡上相应题号的横线上。

Enjoy English Books on Vacation

Everyone needs a break, and vacations are not meant for serious study. Instead, they’re a great way to take a break and enjoy a good book. The Spring Festival is coming up so this is the perfect time to discuss some great English language literature to take on a long train journey or while you’re hanging out with the family.

Before getting into the recommendations, we need to determine your English reading comprehension level so you don’t pick a book which is so challenging that it’s stressful or so simple that it’s boring.

If you’re at the beginner level, there are two options: reading a children’s book or reading a book that you’ve read in Chinese translation. This will help you get over any unfamiliar words or phrases, since you’re already familiar with the story. If you’re at the intermediate level, popular books like pop fiction, mysteries and thrillers are good options, as they’ll be guaranteed page turners and that will increase the possibility of your getting all the way through the book. For advanced readers, classic works of literature or modern prize winners （Booker, Nobel, Pulitzer） are good options.

The most important thing is to pick a book that you’re really interested in. When I pick up a new book in Chinese, the first few chapters are always really hard to get through, as I have to get accustomed to the way the individual author uses the language. But after the first few chapters, things get a lot easier, especially if I get involved in the story. Some of my favorite Chinese-language eye candy are books that are series like Brothers by Yu Hua or The Dancer by Hai Yan. I like them because there’s always a lot of action and story development to keep me involved, which helps me make it through those first few chapters.

Another great way to keep yourself motivated over the holiday is to find a friend who’s interested in reading the same book. You can make goals that you both want to achieve and discuss plot lines or vocabulary issues with each other by SMS or e-mail. I’m currently doing that with my friend Laura. We’ve been doing this since we were classmates in Chinese at college.

Some quick recommendations: Harry Potter, start with the first book and go on from there; the Narnia series; anything by US writer Michael Crichton or British writer Agatha Christie; and if you like horror, US writer Stephen King is always unusual and fun. But really you should just find a topic or author that you’re interested in, and the rest will go from there. Happy reading!

（1） ?▲	Enjoy English books on vacation
Theme	Find a good book to read on your journey to a distant place or while spending time with your family.
（2） ?▲    of proper books	●Beginners may pick a children’s book or a book whose story is （3）  ▲    to them. ●Intermediate-level readers will find it (4)  ?▲    to read popular books from cover to cover. ●Advanced readers may feel classic works of literature or modern prize winners（5）?▲    for their level.
Ways to keep up your （6） ?▲   for reading	● Choose a book that is interesting enough to （7） ?▲  you in the story and help you get through some difficult chapters . ●Read along with a friend a book you both feel interested in and （8） ?▲    views on plot lines or vocabulary to achieve your common goals.
Books （9）   ▲	● Harry Potter series ● Narnia series ● Works by Michael Crichton ● Works by Agatha Christie ●（10） ?▲    fiction by Stephen King