阅读理解 If English means endless new words, difficult grammar and sometimes str
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| 阅读理解 |
If English means endless new words, difficult grammar and sometimes strange pro- nunciation, 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 (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 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. Tire 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. 1anguage can help brain power
D. 1anguage 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. The underlined word "bilingual"" probably means ______.
A. a researcher on language learning
B. a person who is good at learning foreign languages
C. a person who can speak two languages
D. an active language learner |
答案
| 1-4: CDAC |
举一反三
The owls (猫头鹰) were not what they seem, or so many people seem to think ...
For centuries, owls have been feared and seen as signs of evil or death.But they are also seen as
symbols of intelligence. The bird"s ability to see well in the night means that it is closely associated with
Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, She is frequently described as an owl perched (栖息) on her
head.
So humanized owls are often used to indicate that someone is intelligent and educated - a pair of
eyeglasses or a mortarboard, the square, flat cap worn by college graduates. According to an article in
The Guardian, owls are among the most popular birds in British culture. You see them in Harry Potter
series, delivering letters and parcels. They are also the stars of Legend of the Guardians, a 3D animated
film that cam out on September 24, 2010.
Mark Cocker, a columnist (专栏作家) with the paper, notes that many TV dramas use owls. Why?
The answer, according to Cocker, is that owls belong to nighttime. It"s a time of mystery. Owls fly in
silence, kill small animals for food and scream with a terrible voice. These facts made people associate
the birds with the dark and dangerous.
Cocker believes that it is this "slight tremble of danger" that means the bird is often found on T-shirts
and bags. "Of all widespread British birds, they are still the species we hear most, but see the least,"
writes Cocker. "The owl reminds us as we lie in our beds that in the darkness…is a life and a beating
heart that we can never quite know." |
| 1. Owls are regarded as symbols of intelligence mainly because ______. |
A. they can see very well
B. they are connected with Athena
C. they are able to deliver letters and parcels
D. they remind us what college graduates wear |
| 2. According to Mark Cock, many TV dramas use owls because ______. |
A. they scream with a frightful voice at night
B. British people are familiar with them
C. they create a feeling of mystery and danger
D. they awake the desire to take risks |
| 3. The underlined word "the paper" in Paragraph 6 most probably refers to ______. |
A. The Guardian
B. Harry Potter
C. Legend of the Guardians
D. Athena |
| 4. What is the writing purpose of this passage? |
A. To explain why owls are so associated with evil or death.
B. To analyze why owls are so common in British culture.
C. To tell readers not to be afraid of owls.
D. To recommend some movies related to owls. |
| 阅读理解。 |
In college , Spring Break (春假) is usually associated with the beach, parties and sleepless nights,
bringing about relaxation, free time and friends. Students who wish to spend their break doing
something productive and rewarding, however, may choose to participate in the Altemative Break
Program. It places college students in communities both at home and abroad.
The Program allows students to take part in various projects dealing with issues such as
literacy (识字 ) , homelessness and the environment. It includes helping kids with their lessons,
raising money for families in need and collecting data for environmental research.
The hope is that, by getting themselves involved in different environments, students will have the
opportunity to learn about members of communities and broaden their view. In turn, they will
incorporate (融合) their experiences and lessons learned into their own communities. In a word ,
the Program aims to encourage students to be active citizens and engage themselves in making a
difference in society.
In the spring of 2006, about 36, 000 students in the USA participated in the Altemative Break
Program.
Samantha Giacobozzi, now director of the Program, has been on five alternative break trips herself,
including trips to New Orleans, India and Dominican Republic. "I was a student who went on alternative
break trips and had my life totally transformed by that experience , " she said. " Every year , we meet
many students who have attended the Program. You can see changes in their life that are connected
with their altemative break experiences. "
The Program began in 1991. Today , it has become increasingly popular with college students
in the United States. |
1. Who may choose to participate in the Altemative Break Program?
( No more than 10 words)
___________________________________________________________________
2. What is the aim of the Program? ( No more than 15 words)
____________________________________________________________________
3. What is the meaning of the underlined word "transformed" in
Paragraph 5? (1 word)
_____________________________________________________________________
4. What is Samantha"s attitude toward the Program? ( No more than
10 words)
______________________________________________________________________
5. If you take part in the Program,which project are you interested
in? And why? ( No more than 25 words)
_______________________________________________________________________ |
Certainly no creature in the sea is stranger than the common sea cucumber (海参). All living
creatures, especially human beings, have their features, but everything about the little sea cucumber
seems unusual. What else can be said about an unusual animal that eats mud, feeds almost continuously
day andnight but can live without eating for long periods, and can be poisonous but is considered
eatable?
For some fifty million years in spite of all its strange features, the sea cucumber has lived on its diet of
mud. It is adaptable enough to live attached to rocks by its tube feet, under rocks in shallow Water, or
on the surface of mud flats. Common in cool water on both Atlantic and Pacific shores, it has the ability
to suck up mud or sand and digest whatever nutrients are present.
Sea cucumbers come in a variety of colors, black to reddish-brown to sand-color and nearly white.
One form even has vivid purple feelers. Usually the creature are cucumber-shaped — where their name
comes from - and because they live in rocks, this shape, combined with flexibility, enables them to press
into crevices (缝隙) where they are safe from animal eater and ocean currents.
Although they have greedy desire for food, eating day and night, sea cucumbers have the ability to
become still and live at a low metabolic (新陈代谢) rate — feeding s little or not at all for long periods,
so that the living things in the ocean that provide their food have chance to increase by a large amount.
If it were not for this natural ability, they would swallow all the food available in a short time and would
probably starve themselves out of existence.
But the most impressive thing about the sea cucumber is the way it defends itself. Its major enemies
are fish and crabs. When attacked, it forces all its organs in its body out into water. It also removes
attached structures such as feelers. The sea cucumber will get rid of its organs and grow itself again if it
is attacked or even touched; it will do the same if the surrounding water temperature is too high or if the
water becomes too polluted. |
| 1. According to the passage, why is the shape of sea cucumbers important? |
A. It makes them attractive to fish.
B. It helps them to digest their food.
C. it helps them to protect themselves from danger.
D. it makes it easier for them to move through the mud. |
| 2. The fourth paragraph of the passage mainly discusses ______. |
A. the reproduction of sea cucumbers
B. the food sources of sea cucumbers
C. the eating habits of sea cucumbers
D. the danger to sea cucumbers" existence |
| 3. What can he inferred about the defense system of the sea cucumber? |
A. They are similar to those of most sea creatures,
B. They are very sensitive to the surroundings.
C. They require group cooperation.
D. They are almost useless. |
| 4. What would be the best tithe for the text? |
A. The Variety of Sea Cucumbers
B. The Sources of Sea Cucumbers
C. The Similarity of Sea
D. The Strange Creature — Sea Cucumbers |
Educating girls quite possibly gets a higher rate of reward than any other investment (投资) available
in the developing world. Women"s education may be an unusual field for economists (经济学家), but
increasing women"s contribution to development is actually as much an economic as a social issue. And
economics, with its focus on encouragement, provides all explanation for why so many girls fail to receive
an education.
Parents in low-income countries don"t invest willingly in their daughters because they do not expect
them to make an economic contribution to the family: girls grow up only to marry into somebody else"s
family and bear children. Girls are thus seen as less valuable than boys and usually have to stay at home
to do housework while their brothers are sent to school.
An educated mother, on the other hand, has greater earning abilities outside the home and faces an
entirely different set of choices. She is likely to have fewer but healthier children and can insist on
developing all her children, ensuring that her daughters are given a fair chance. The education of her
daughters then makes it much more likely that the next generation of girls, as well as of boys, will be
educated and healthy.
Few will argue that educating women has great social benefits. But it has huge economic advantages
as well. Most obviously, there is the direct effect of education on the wages of female workers. Wages
rise by 10 to 20 percent for each additional year of schooling. Such big returns are impressive by the
standard of other available investments, but they are just the beginning. Educating women also has a
significant influence on health practices, including family planning.
| Topic | The significance of female 1. ____ in developing countries | | Viewpoint | Educating girls 2. __ __ a family more than any other investment. | | 3. __ __ in different families | ◆ Girls are of less 4. _ _ than boys.
◆ Girls and boys should have 5. __ __ chances.
◆ 6. ___ _ should be for all children. | | practice in low -income countries | ◆ Parents are 7.__ to invest in daughters.
◆ Girls are 8. __ __ to stay at home to do" housework. | | Significance | Educating girls 9. __ __ to .social benefits, economic
advantages and health practices, including family planning. | | 10. ____ | Educating girls in developing countries is important and rewarding. | | 阅读理解。 | Salvation Army Angel Program
Angel Tree collects gifts for children and families in need. Participate by selecting an angel from
any Angel Tree at all Cyprus Credit Union location or any Utah Macy"s Department store. Shop for
your angel, then return your new, unwrapped gift to the same Angel Tree. Gifts must be returned
before December 14. For more information, call (801) 988-5678 in the Salt Lake area,(801) 374
-2588 in the Provo area.
Utah Association for People with Intellectual Disabilities Holiday Gift Box Program
The program serves primarily low-income adults with intellectual disabilities who don"t qualify for
other programs because of age limits, said Joyce Whalen, the association"s board president. To donate,
visit the association at 1326 S.2100 East from 9am to about 5:30 pm to choose an ornament(装饰物)
that provides information about an individual who will benefit from the program. Shop for new items
and return them by December 14. Donations of generic items, such as towels, socks and hygiene
products also accepted, as are monetary donations. For more information, call 801-440-1674.
Utah Foster Care Foundation"s Giving Tree Program
The program seeks new gifts and cash donations to fulfill the holiday wishes of more than 1,000
children in state-licensed foster homes." Many of the children in care have been removed from their
biological homes because of neglect or abuse," said Nikki Mackay, the foundation"s director. "
Christmas can be a difficult time for them." To learn how to support the program, call 877-505-5437.
Utah State Hospital Forgotten Patient Program
The program provides Christmas gifts for hundreds of patients with mental illness. In the history
of the program--which may go back as far as 60 years, organizer Shawna Peterson said, "we"ve never
had a forgotten patient." And she doesn"t want this year to change that. To support the program,
contact Peterson at 801-344-6088. | | 1.After you buy an angel, you should ________. | A..post it to where you bought
B. open its package to examine it
C. send it to families in need for yourself
D. bring it back in its original form | | 2.If you want to help adults with intellectual disabilities, you should call_____. | A. 801-440-1674
B.801-988-5678
C. 877-505-5437
D. 801-344-6088 | | 3.The underlined phrases "biological homes" in the third program refers to ______. | A..homes where they are just brought up
B.homes where their natural parents live
C.homes where they learn biology
D.homes where are related to bacteria | | 4.From the last program, we can infer that ______. | A..the patients often forgot to come to the hospital
B.the patients are often forgotten to be looked after
C.the patients are being taken good care of
D.the patients had a poor memory in the hospital | 最新试题
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