Question

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 younger people learn a second language, the greater the effect is.

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(靈活的),”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 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. language can help brain power

C. man's ability of learning a second language

D. language learning and maths study

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

A. make people believe language learning helps grey matter work well

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. say language is also a kind of physical labor

3.The underlined word “bilingual” probably means ______.

A. a researcher on language learning

B. an English native speaker

C. an active language learner

D. a person who can speak two languages

4.We may know from the scientific findings that ______.

A. the ability of learning a second language is changing all the time

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 earlier you start to learn a second language, the higher the grey matter density is

5.In the last two paragraphs, the author wants to tell us that ______.

A. early learning of a second language helps you a great deal in studying other subjects

B. learning a second language is the same as studying maths

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

 

Answer 1

1.B

2.A

3.D

4.D

5.A

【解析】

試題分析： 學(xué)英語是一件很枯燥乏味的事情嗎？英語不僅僅代表了單詞，近日研究人員發(fā)現(xiàn)，學(xué)習(xí)外語可以幫助人們更聰明，就像鍛煉會促進(jìn)肌肉的生長一樣。

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考點：科普類閱讀。