Bilinguals are smarter, says science. But the idea is relatively new. Up until the 1970s, most educators had believed that learning two languages at the same time would confuse children and slow their cognitive growth.
Science disagreed with these opinions, says Ellen Bialystok, a professor of psychology. The arrival of new technology in the 1970s allowed scientists a new way to investigate how different brains process language.
Bialystok has been researching the bilingual brain for decades. She firmly believes bilinguals aren’t smarter than the single-language learners, but bilingual brains differ in their use of executive function-a system that both helps the brain access particular regions or memories and allows a person to switch between tasks.
Contrary to media reports, executive function is not the same as intelligence, Bialystok adds. Even if the relationship between bilingualism and actual intelligence is unclear, executive function can help people do a lot of things that may make them seem smarter, such as doing more things at the same time and cancelling out things that take their attention away.
Many people believe that knowing at least one other language makes it easier to learn a new one, and cognitive function may play a part in that-the equivalent of good study habits for your brain. But Bialystok thinks cognitive function has less impact on language learners than the similarities between languages’ structure and vocabulary. “In learning those patterns, you can get a bit of a free ride in learning a new language,” she says. Despite the overall cognitive benefits, bilingualism may present some disadvantages. When children learn vocabulary, monolinguals can spend more time remembering words in one language, while bilinguals have to construct two different vocabularies.
“The biggest advantage in being bilingual is the same as having great international friends: It allows a person to understand a different way of thinking, with unique philosophies and assumptions about how others see the world,” Bialystok adds.
1. What did most educators think of children’s bilingualism before the 1970s?| A．It surely made kids smarter. | B．It could be a terrible experience. |
| C．It should be taught separately. | D．It may promote cognitive growth. |
| A．Executive function. | B．Cognitive function. |
| C．Similar language patterns. | D．Good study habits. |
| A．Skeptical. | B．Conservative. | C．Tolerant. | D．Objective. |
| A．Are bilinguals really smarter? | B．Should kids learn another language? |
| C．Why do bilinguals have an advantage? | D．What factors affect language learning? |
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【推荐1】Experts analyzed how language can affect children’s lives and the role it plays in everyday life They also determined which languages tend to lead to the best career opportunities as an adult. “We believe that language learning is hugely beneficial for children’s development and it is a real investment for the future,” said Antonella Sorace, professor of developmental linguistics (语言学) at Edinburgh University. The study involved a survey of 2,001 parents with children under the age of 18, as well as another survey of more than 500 business leaders.
So which languages took the top spot? Results indicated that children should be learning French, German, and/or Chinese if they want to be successful within the next ten years. Mastering a second language opens the door to new markets for businesses and allows them to create new relationships with potential partners. Besides being able to speak another language, the academic and interpersonal skills that can be acquired from learning a new language are important as well. “Children who are exposed to different languages become more aware of different cultures, other people, and other points of view. They also tend to be better than monolinguals (只用单语的人) at multitasking and are often more advanced readers,” said Sorace.
A vast majority of parents surveyed in this study (85 percent) believe it is important for their children to learn a second language, and about one in four believe it will increase their child’s career opportunities and improve their chance of being employed. The future employment markets are in need of space tour guides, robot coaches, front-line e-commerce workers, nurses etc. No matter what a child choose to be, multilinguals and cross-culture talents will probably have a good chance to take the lead. However, 45 percent of parents surveyed admit that their child or children cannot speak a second language.
If you want your child to stand out from the crowd, follow the habits of parents of successful people-give children chores, set high but realistic expectations, get yourself educated, make time for bonding, accept and recognize their feelings—and, of course, make sure they learn one of the three success languages!
1. Who might be a person that took part in the survey?| A．A young technician with no child. | B．A farmer with a 19-year-old child. |
| C．A librarian with a 16-year-old child. | D．A middle-aged reporter with no child. |
① Developing one’s strong will.
② Improving the ability to observe things.
③ Acquiring academic and interpersonal skills.
④ Having access to new markets for businesses.
⑤ Forming new relationships with potential partners.
| A．①③⑤ | B．③④⑤ | C．①②④ | D．②③④ |
| A．About 500. | B．About 600. | C．About 700. | D．About 800. |
| A．To present some parents’ opinions. | B．To offer readers some suggestions. |
| C．To explain some concepts. | D．To tell readers a story. |
【推荐2】The human nose has given to the languages of the world many interesting expressions. Of course, this is not surprising. Without the nose, we could not breather or smell. It is part of the face that gives a person special character. Cyranode Bergerac said that a large nose showed a great man----brave, polite, manly and intellectual.
Afamous women poet wished that she had two noses to smell a rose! Blaise Pascal, a French philosopher, made an interesting comment about the Cleopatra’s nose. If it had been shorter, he said, it would have changed the whole face of the world.
Historically, man’s nose had had a principalrole in his imagination. Man has referred to the nose in many ways to express his emotions. Expressions concerning the noserefer to human weakness: anger, pride, jealousyand revenge.
In English there are a number of phrases about the nose. For example, to hold up one’s nose expresses a basic human feeling----pride. People can hold up their noses at people, things and places.
The phrase, to be led around by the nose, shows man’s weakness. Aperson who is led around by the nose lets other people control him. On the other hand, a person who follows his nose lets his instinct guide him.
For the human emotion of rejection, the phrase, to have one’s nose put out of joint, is very descriptive. The expression applies to persons who have been turned aside because of a competitor. Their pride is hurt and they feel rejected. This expression is not new. It was used by Erassmus in 1542.
This is only a sample of expressions in English dealing withthe nose. There are a number of others. however, it should be as plain as the nose on the face that the nose is more than an organ for breathing and smelling!
1. Which of the following is TRUE?| A．A person who holds up his nose is easier to get angry. |
| B．A person who is proud of himself is to hold up his nose. |
| C．A person who is satisfied with himself always follows others. |
| D．A person who hopes to have two noses is strong-minded. |
| A．To be followed by somebody. |
| B．To be controlled by somebody. |
| C．To be under your nose. |
| D．To pay through the nose. |
| A．Worried. | B．Pleased. | C．Proud and happy. | D．Hurt and unaccepted. |
| A．It is hard to know that the nose is not only for smelling. |
| B．The nose is really just an organ for breathing and smelling. |
| C．It’s clear that a nose’s function is more than breathing and smelling. |
| D．Itis not important that a nose has other functions except these two. |
【推荐3】Recently, a research team from Nanjing Agriculural University has rolled out Xunzi — a large language model (LLM)
Wang Dongbo, the leader of the research team, said that the large language model was named after Xunzi because Xunzi was not only an outstanding Confucian philosopher during the late Warring States Period (475 — 221 BC), but also a pioneer in presenting and explaining theories of linguistics in ancient China.
When asked why he and his team made the large language model, Wang explained, “Traditional Chinese characters, vertical layout (竖版), the absence of pausing and punctuation are all barriers that readers have to overcome when they read traditional texts.”
To create Xunzi the LLM,Wang and his team first needed to do a lot of research. Since 2013, his team has worked tirelessly to digitize Chinese classics like the Siku Quanshu.
“The hard work involves a large-scale corpus (语料库) of two billion Chinese characters, which has laid a solid foundation for the large language model,” said Wang. But their efforts seem to have paid off.
Now Xunzi the LLM can tag (标记), translate, punctuate, and understand scraps (片段) of ancient Chinese texts. It can even do part-of-speech analysis and retrieve (检索) specific information, such as names, events, and places from a text.
Through Xunzi's retrieval function,users can get more specifie cultural information. “The model can help us mine for more information hidden in our cultural legacy and find unnoticed models and connections,” said Wang. But Wang and his team aren't simply focused on target users in China. They are aiming at the rest of the world as well. They have shared the LLM on GitHub and other websites, allowing users to download and use it for free.
“Our team is committed to the philosophy of making our data and model globally accessible. We hope this will encourage more people to appreciate traditional Chinese culture,” Wang explained.
1. Why was the language model created?| A．To appreciate the philosophy of Xunzi. | B．To simplify traditional Chinese characters. |
| C．To help read ancient Chinese texts easily. | D．To digitize more ancient Chinese classics. |
| A．Establish a large-scale corpus. |
| B．Correct people's pronunciation. |
| C．Recommend the works of Xunzi. |
| D．Turn ancient texts into modern versions. |
| A．Dig out. | B．Look through. |
| C．Turn to. | D．Put forward. |
| A．Xunzi: An Influential Scholar in Ancient China |
| B．LLM Released for Ancient Chinese Book Research |
| C．Traditional Chinese Culture Regaining Attention |
| D．An Innovative Way to Know about Chinese History |
【推荐1】Do you intend to study at an American university? It takes a long time to get accepted at most American schools, perhaps as much as a year. That’s why you should start choosing a school as soon as possible. It’s a good idea to apply to several different institutions, so that you’ll have a better chance of acceptance at one. You should start looking for information now, because the more information you have about each college, the better choice you can make.
There are two good ways to get information you need. One is a general reference (参考) book, called Guide to American Colleges and Universities. The other good source of information is the catalogue (目录) published by each school.
You can study the general guide in almost any American library. This book has many useful statistics, such as the number of students, the average test scores for people accepted to the school, the number of books in the library, and the number of teachers. You can also find the address of each school in this book.
Although the general guidebook has helpful information, some of the facts may be out-of-date. For example, many schools raise their tuition every year. Since you’ll need to know what your education will cost, out-of-date information will not be good enough. Also, schools sometimes change their requirements for entrance. To be sure that you are getting present information, write to the university and ask for its catalogue. The catalogue not has more detailed information. For example, the catalogue can tell you if there is a special foreign student advisor, what kind of courses are offered, and what kind of housing is available. Some universities have dormitories, but at others you have to find your own place to live.
With all of this information, you should be able to pick out several good schools.
1. You should decide which university to go as soon as possible because you ______.| A．need a year to make your decision |
| B．need enough time to get accepted |
| C．need to apply to a few universities |
| D．need to read a lot of information |
| A．From a reference book. |
| B．From any library in the world. |
| C．From a textbook of the school. |
| D．From the lists of schools. |
| A．The cost of living abroad. |
| B．The list of library books. |
| C．Students’ activities at school. |
| D．The address of a school. |
| A．By reading guidebooks. |
| B．By visiting its website. |
| C．By writing to the school. |
| D．By asking a student advisor. |
| A．An English teacher in Japan. |
| B．A high school student in China. |
| C．A university student in America. |
| D．A school headmaster in Britain. |
【推荐2】It might seem an unlikely place to be growing fruit, but deep beneath a South Korearn mountain, a hightech farm has been built inside an abandoned (废弃的) tunnel.
Once a functioning highway in the province of North Chungcheong, now this 2, 000footlong tunnel is being used to grow salads, leafy greens, and strawberries.
It’s an example of “vertical farming”—a method of growing food without soil or natural light, in a controlled environment.
More unusually, the music of Beethoven and Schubert is piped into the tunnel, because it encourages the produce to grow, according to Choi Jaebin, CEO of NextOn, the company that created the farm.
With the world’s population predicted to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, and cities predicted to become more crowded, indoor vertical farming has become an appealing idea.
Food grown from indoor farming is more nutritious and safer, said Dickson Despommier, professor emeritus of public and environmental health at Columbia University, as there isn’t the same risk of foodborne illnesses, pollution, and pesticides. Plus, if a traditional farmer were to lose a crop they would often have to wait until the following year for a new harvest. With indoor farming, it’s the next week, he said.
Critics said one of the biggest problems of vertical farming is that maintaining a controlled environment and providing artificial light use lots of energy, which can mean a big carbon (碳) footprint. But that can be reduced by powering farms using renewable energy, and increasing the efficiency of their LED lights.
Choi said his underground tunnel system has a naturally steady (稳定的) temperature, which means it needs less energy for cooling or heating.
“Our company aims to build many more farms using the same technology, in cities. Plants easily grown at nearby stores, at hamburger restaurants, or even at metro stations, ”said Choi. “I think the system to grow crops far away from a city and transport them will disappear.”
1. What is special about the farm beneath the South Korean mountain?| A．It is technology free. | B．It is inside an unused tunnel. |
| C．It is used to produce unusual plants. | D．It is owned by two famous musicians. |
| A．It is a threat to traditional farming. | B．It can ensure farmers a quick harvest. |
| C．It is less practical than traditional farming. | D．It can promote the use of organic pesticides. |
| A．Unclear. | B．Supportive. | C．Uninterested. | D．Opposed. |
| A．It will disappear some day. | B．It will be a costly alternative. |
| C．It will be used widely in urban locations. | D．It will become acceptable to village farmers. |
【推荐3】For those who’ve always wanted to walk the halls of Hogwarts or explore the shops of Diagon Alley (对角巷)，Universal Orlando offers the next best thing. The theme park opened every Harry Potter fan’s dream place back in 2010.
For Potterheads everywhere, however, deciding when to make the trip to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is not easy. These tips will help you experience the best of the Wizarding World, whether you’re looking to save money, avoid the busy season, or simply experience the most magical times of the year.
The cheapest times to visit Harry Potter’s world
The cheapest (and least busy) months to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter are January and most of February, except the days surrounding the New Year and winter break. Other inexpensive times include the beginning of March and most of September and October.
The best Harry Potter events at Universal
While they may not be the quietest times to explore Harry Potter’s world, Universal holds many events throughout the year that fans won’t want to miss.
A Celebration of Harry Potter
For a weekend every January, Universal hosts A Celebration of Harry Potter. Guests (wearing their class robes, no doubt) will join other diehard Potter fans for three days of exhibits, discussions and cast Q&A activities. For anyone who really loves the books and the films, this may be one of the best times of the year to visit.
Christmas in the Wizarding World
Universal’s new additions to their holiday entertainment lineup make Hogwarts the perfect place to be around Christmastime. Decorations add beauty to the shops of Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade, the Frog Choir sings Christmas carols (颂歌)，and snow falls on Hogwarts as a festive show takes place in front of the castle.
Halloween in the Wizarding World
Lastly (and perhaps most surprisingly), Halloween season is also a good time for a magical visit to the Wizarding World. Universal’s main Halloween event, Halloween Horror Nights, produces a special Harry Potter-related surprise.
1. Which times costs most to visit Harry Potter’s world?| A．January and most of February. |
| B．New Year and winter break. |
| C．The beginning of March. |
| D．Most of September and October. |
| A．They will join other Potter fans for various activities. |
| B．They will decorate the shops and sing Christmas carols. |
| C．They will watch a festive show taking place in front of the castle. |
| D．They will get a special Harry Potter-related surprise. |
| A．To inform readers of some events about Harry Potter. |
| B．To introduce the Universal Orlando to readers. |
| C．To help experience the best of Wizarding World. |
| D．To advertise the books and films of Harry Potter. |
