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. a person who can speak two languages                  D. an active language learner

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

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

第二节：语法填空 (共10小题；每小题1.5分，满分15分)

I have a 12-year-old son who is kind and helpful. And he is showing great interest  26  growing plants. I have been helping him plant flowers, vegetables and just plants in general since spring arrived.

When  27  (plant) a bunch of flowers one Saturday afternoon , I found that there were two flowers  28  (leave) in my son’s basket. My son decided to take them to the little house next door  29  an elderly woman lived by herself and didn’t seem to have much company. I watched him as he went up to her door, rather  30  (hesitant ) because he didn’t know her, and he quietly left the flowers  31  her doorstep so that she would get  32  the next time she went outside.

The next morning we were pleased to find that she  33  (plant) the flowers in a pot by the door. They looked really beautiful.  34  it was a small thing , it was important as my son has learnt to do good for  35 .  He said to me, “It feels really good to do things for other people.” 

 

Duke Ellington is known as one of the most important composers of his time, and his work has been enjoyed for more than 80 years by music lovers all over the world. During his lifetime Ellington turned musical sounds into many compositions, mostly in the style known as jazz.

The Early Years

Edward Kennedy Ellington was born in 1899 in Washington, D. C. It wasn’t until Ellington was a teenager that his interest in music grew. He taught himself to play the piano by listening to local piano players. Sometime around 1916 Ellington began playing the piano at high school parties. Ellington realized that he enjoyed entertaining people with his music. He soon became a very popular musician, playing at parties and other events in the Washington area. Young adults seemed especially delighted by the modern pieces he composed.

Success in New York

In 1923, when Ellington was almost 24 years old, he joined The Washingtonians, a five-piece group of musicians in Washington, and became the group’s leader in early 1924. In 1927 Ellington and his orchestra won an engagement（雇佣期）at Harlem’s famous Cotton Club. For the next three years, his orchestra played at the Cotton Club nearly every night.

The Influence of the Cotton Club

    Working at the Cotton Club encouraged Ellington’s creativity. Since the shows changed every six months, he was challenged by the need to continually develop new material. He had to compose a wide variety of music to accompany the various acts in the Cotton Club shows and to adapt that music to the strengths and weaknesses of the players in his orchestra.

By 1928 the popular nightspot began radio broadcasts. From the broadcasts Ellington and his orchestra gained a national reputation.

On the Road

As Ellington’s popularity increased, he realized that his orchestra could do well on concert tours. They left the Cotton Club in 1931 and toured America and Europe almost continually for the next 43 years. In addition to touring, Ellington made recordings and continued to compose music.

Duke Ellington played the piano, composed music, and led his famous orchestra for more than 50 years, until his death in 1974. Music lovers all over the world agree that the large quantity of music he created will be enjoyed for many years to come.

 1.From the second paragraph, we know that Ellington ____________.

    A. could sing as well as he played the piano

    B. preferred mature audiences to young adults

    C. had a natural talent for musical composition

    D. learnt to play musical instrument from very young age

2.Which of the following can show us Ellington’s leadership ability?

A. Ellington was very popular at parties in the Washington area.

B. Ellington took the responsibility for a band for a long time.

C. Ellington did live radio broadcasts in New York City.

D. Ellington continually developed new material.

3.We may infer from the passage that ____________.

    A. Ellington’s career took off overnight

    B. Ellington loves touring around the world

    C. Ellington could compose a wide variety of songs

    D. Ellington had a great effect on the world of music

4.Which of the following shows the order in which the events happened in the story?

    a. Ellington joined a five-piece group of musicians in Washington.

    b. Ellington’s orchestra played at the Cotton Club.

    c. Ellington and his orchestra gained a national reputation.

    d. Ellington began playing the piano at high school parties.

    e. Ellington’s orchestra went on concert tours.

    A. d-b-a-e-c        B. d-a-b-c-e        C. a-d-b-c-e        D. a-d-b-e-c

 

My friend Michelle is blind, but you’d never know it. She makes such good use of her other 36, including her “sixth sense”, 37 she rarely gives the impression she’s missed anything.

Michelle looks after her children pretty much like the rest of us, 38 that she doesn’t push too hard on them, 39 really benefit a lot from her relaxed attitude. She knows when to clean the house, she moves around so fast that often the 40 don’t realize she’s blind.

I 41 this the first time after my six-year-old daughter, Kayla, went to play there. When Kayla came home, she was very 42 about her day. She told me they had baked cookies, played games and done art projects. But she was 43 excited about her finger-painting project.

“Mom, guess what?” said Kayla, all smiles. “I learned how to 44 colors today! Blue and red make purple, and yellow and blue make green! And Michelle 45 with us.”

To my great 46, my child had learnt about color from a blind friend!

Then Kayla continued, “Michelle told me my 47 showed joy, pride and a sense of accomplishment. She really 48 what I was doing!” Kayla said she had never felt how good finger paints felt 49 Michelle showed her how to paint without looking at her paper.

I realized Kayla didn’t know that Michelle was blind. It had just never 50 in conversation.

When I told her, she was 51 for a moment. At first, she didn’t believe me. “But Mommy, Michelle knew exactly what was in my picture!” Kayla 52. And I knew my child was 53 because Michelle had listened to Kayla describe her artwork. Michelle had also heard Kayla’s 54 in her work.

We were silent for a minute. Then Kayla said slowly, “You know, Mommy, Michelle really did ‘see’ my picture. She just used my 55. ” Indeed, she uses a special type of “vision” that all mothers have.

A. ways          B. means               C. methods        D. senses

A. which         B. when                C. that            D. as

A. and           B. except               C. even           D. but

A. who          B. that                  C. she            D. which

A. guests         B. family               C. children        D. friends

A. realized       B. heard                 C. recognized      D. witnessed

A. excited        B. sad                  C. satisfied        D. enjoyed

A. especially      B. not so               C. a little          D. not at all

A. paint          B. draw                C. create          D. mix

A. stayed         B. painted              C. talked          D. played

A. excitement     B. encouragement        C. delight         D. surprise

A. attitude        B. color                C. picture         D. paper

A. touched        B. distinguished         C. saw            D. understood

A. after           B. before              C. until            D. when

A. referred to      B. turned out           C. come up         D. talked about

A. curious        B. quiet                C. puzzled         D. worried

A. cried          B. insisted              C. complained      D. informed

A. right          B. wrong               C. worried         D. uncertain

A. shortcomings    B. difficulties          C. pride            D. description

A. paper          B. pens               C. hands            D. eyes

"Time is a problem for children," states a news report for a new Swiss watch. Children in some countries" learn time slowly" because" they don’t wear watches" and " parents don’t really know how to teach them time. " The children grow up with this handicap and become adults (成人) —and then can’t get to work on time. Is there an answer to this problem? Of course — it’s the Flik Flak, made by a famous Swiss watch company.

The Flik Flak is being marketed as something teaching watch for children aged 4 to 10. The watch itself does not teach children how to tell time, of course; it merely " takes their imagination" by presenting the " hour" hand as a beautiful red girl named Flak and the " minute" hand as a tall blue boy named Flik. Flik points to related" blue" minutes on the dial, while Flak points to " red" hour numbers. The characters and colors combined with parental help, are supposed to teach young children how to tell time.

The watch comes equipped with a standard battery (电池) and a nylon band (尼龙表带). Peter Lipkin, the United States sales manager for the Flik Flak, calls it " childproof if it gets dirty you can throw the whole watch in the washing ma??chine. " The product is being sold in select department stores in Europe, Asia and the United States for a suggested price of $25. Parents who buy the watch may discover that it is one thing to tell time; it’s quite another for them to be on time.

1. From the news report we know that ______.

A. parents are patient when teaching children time

B. parents have little idea of how to teach children time

C. children are likely to learn time quickly

D. children enjoy wearing the Flik Flak watch

2. The author doesn’t seem to believe ______.

A. children will be on time if they have learnt how to tell time

B. a Flik Flak can help parents teach their children how to tell time

C. the Flik Flak can take children’s imagination

D. children usually have trouble telling time if they don’t wear watches

3. The underlined word handicap in Para. 1 means

A. displeasure        B. discouragement        C. disappointment     D. disadvantage

4. The United State sales manager calls the new watch " childproof" because ______.

A. it is designed to teach children to be on time

B. it proves to be effective in teaching children time

C. it is made so as not to be easily damaged by children

D. it is the children’s favorite watch