1 . 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 (脑灰质). This is the area of the brain which processes (加工) information. It is similar to the way that exercise builds muscles (肌肉).
The study also found the effect is great 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 that 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 (结构) 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 relationship 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.
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．that language can help brain power | D．language learning and maths study |
| A．a researcher on language learning | B．a second language learner |
| C．a person who can speak two languages | D．an active language learner |
| A．say language is also a kind of physical (身体的) labor |
| B．show that one needs more practice when he (she) is learning a language |
| C．show the importance of using the language when you learn the language |
| D．make people believe language learning helps grey matter work well |
| 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 influence on people’s brain |
| D．the ability of learning a second language is changing all the time |
| 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 |
| 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 |
2 . Students learn their lessons in class. In class, teachers teach them. Students sit in the classroom, listening to the teacher. This is a way of learning. Is this the only way for students to learn something? Of course not, there is another way to learn. That is — students can teach themselves. For example, if you cannot remember something when you are doing homework, you can look at your book to find the answer. This is a way to teach yourself. And it is not a difficult thing. We can do this at any place and at any time.
How do you teach yourself? The first thing you must do is reading. Read something you are interested in, or you have to read. The second is that you must ask yourself questions. The question is something you don't understand, or you want to know more about. You can write down these questions. A clever student is usually good at asking questions. The third is to answer the questions by yourself by thinking hard, by reading the text or other books, and sometimes by asking other people. This is the way of teaching yourself. And you must do this all by yourself. If you keep doing like this for a long time, you are sure to succeed(成功) in your study.
1. Listening to the teacher is ________for students to learn something.| A．the best way | B．the only way | C．not the only way | D．the simplest way |
| A．A student can teach himself only in class. | B．It is a bad way to learn from the teacher. |
| C．A student can learn to teach himself if he wants to. | D．Listening to the teacher is the only way of learning. |
| A．writing | B．reading | C．asking | D．listening |
| A．asking questions | B．answering questions | C．teaching others | D．reading books |
| A．how to teach yourself | B．to read and write carefully |
| C．how to ask questions | D．to remember new words |
3 . People used to wonder how fish can hear sounds without ears. But the fact is that fish do have ears. We can't see the ears because they are inside fish's bodies, and they hear very well with them. Their listening is actually much better than man's.
Many water animals make noises while they are doing something. Sounds are real words for them. By sounds, they know where they are and which way to go. When they face dangers or find food, they always make sounds to tell others the news.
A new field in science is to learn the meanings of underwater sounds. People use the same method that they have used in learning the secrets of birds' calls. But this method is more difficult to use in the sea because many of the sea animals can't be easily followed and studied. But we have no any other better way to study the sounds in the sea. Perhaps the meanings of the calls of the sea animals will be known more clearly someday. It will be useful for us to learn the secrets of the sounds in the sea.
根据短文内容判断正误，正确的写T，错误的写F。
1. Fish have ears outside their bodies.
2. Studying fish's sounds is more difficult than that of birds.
3. Fish can make sounds to tell others the danger they meet.
4. It will be useless to learn the secrets of the sounds in the sea.
5. The passage is mainly about how to study the sounds on the land.
4 . If cars could drive themselves, what would the world be like? Imagine（设想）seeing an empty car passing by on its way to pick up its owner, or a car full of passengers who are reading, listening to music or even sleeping. But none of them are worried about the road ahead.
Well, all of this could be the future of driving. There are several companies, including Google, working on driverless（无人驾驶的）cars. So far, no Google self-driven car has gotten a traffic ticket, but some of them have been in accidents when other cars hit them. These cars are now still in the testing stages（阶段）.But, if the tests are successful, these electric self-driven cars could be put into use very soon.
The cars already have many features（特点）allowing them to take over from drivers during certain situations. Some features include cars being able to park（停车）themselves, or slow down when they notice objects close by. They can also control the speed if there are dangerous conditions.
Scientists and engineers believe, with the help of wireless signals（无线信号）, cameras and GPS, we are now at a stage where creating a safe self-driven car might be possible.
The cause of deadly road accidents is usually careless drivers or dangerous conditions. The self-driven car may be able to prevent（阻止）these. However, some people do not like the idea. American lawyer Whit Drake, for example, doesn't believe these cars are safe. He thinks that technologies（技术）can also be mistakes.
1. The main purpose of the first paragraph is to __________.| A．tell readers what self-driven cars look like | B．tell readers to keep away from heavy traffic |
| C．get readers to pay attention to road safety | D．make readers wonder about self-driven cars |
| A．direct the way for | B．take the place of |
| C．work better than | D．make use of |
| A．parking itself | B．controlling itself in dangerous situations |
| C．slowing itself down near an object | D．avoiding car accidents 100% |
a. e-reading b. wireless signals c. cameras d. GPS
| A．a, b, c | B．a, b, d | C．b, c, d | D．a, c, d |
| A．Advantages of self-driven cars | B．Different opinions on self-driven cars |
| C．Possibilities of self-driven cars | D．Google's new technology-self-driven cars |
5 . High-speed trains, Alipay ( 支付宝), shared bikes and online payment are seen as the new Four Great Achievements of China by young foreigners, according to a video survey by the Silk Road Research Institute of Beijing Foreign Studies University. In the video, young people from 20 countries along Belt and Road Routes were asked to name great inventions that had influenced their lives in China. The following is what they said from 4 young people of them.
“I’m Yala. I'm Nepal. I always go out by bike. Bicycle-sharing system allows people to borrow a bike from point “A” and return it at point “B”. It’s not only cheap but also a low-carbon and healthy way of life. I like it very much.”
“I’m Justin. I’m from Romania. China is really a great country and it’s high-speed railways are very fast, convenient and tidy. It takes me only about 6 hours from Beijing to Shanghai by train. It serves a lot of time and it’s cheaper than airplane. I wish we would have high-speed railways in our country someday.”
“I’m Archana. My life in Beijing is quite different from that in India. Here in China, I seldom take money with me when I go out. I can pay for almost everything by Zhi Fu Bao. Oh, it's amazing. However, in India, if you don't take a wallet with you, you'll be in a tough spot. ”
“I am Bond. You can find many wonderful things that we don’t have in Thailand. We don’t have Alipay or other online payment Apps with which I can go shopping without stepping out of the doors. If only I could bring them back to my country.”
1. What does Yala think of the bicycle-sharing system in China according to his words?| A．Convenient and relaxing. | B．Healthy and amazing |
| C．Fast and tidy. | D．Cheap and low-carbon |
| A．迷路 | B．陷入困境 | C．保持沉默 | D．付账单 |
| A．Bicycle- sharing system provides bikes for free. |
| B．Zhi Fu Bao is the only way of paying for things. |
| C．There is no Alipay in Thailand now. |
| D．There are high-speed railways in Romania. |
| A．They are the signs that China is improving rapidly. |
| B．They were created by young foreign people. |
| C．They were brought to the countries along Belt and Road Routes. |
| D．They are great inventions outside China. |
| A．introduce some wonderful things in China |
| B．teach us how to use the new great inventions |
| C．tell us the differences among the new Four Great Achievements |
| D．show the new Four Great Achievements that influence people’s lives |
6 . Can you imagine astronauts’ everyday life in space? They also need to eat, sleep, exercise and relax. They do the same things as us, but they do them differently.
On Earth, we put food on a plate. Gravity holds the food down and keeps it on a place. But there is almost no gravity in space, so food can float away, and astronauts must eat carefully.
Sleeping is very different in space. Some astronauts like to float in the air, but most like to be in a sleeping bag. They tie（系；系住）the bag to a wall so that they won't float away at night.
Exercise is very important in space. On Earth, your legs carry your body, but in space, astronauts float, so they don’t use their legs often. This is very bad for their legs, so they must exercise for thirty minutes every day.
After a day’s work, astronauts relax. They may listen to music, read, watch film, play games, or talk to their friends and family on the radio. Sometimes they just enjoy floating in the air.
1. On Earth, food can be put on a plate because ______.| A．there is gravity | B．the food is light |
| C．the food is heavy | D．the plate is heavy enough |
| A．Because in that way they won’t float away |
| B．Because that makes them sleep well |
| C．Because they can’t get to sleep if they don’t do that |
| D．Because the sleeping bag is not safe enough |
| A．It is about the importance of gravity. |
| B．It is about astronauts’ everyday life in space. |
| C．It is about the differences between space and Earth. |
| D．It is about how to avoid floating away while sleeping. |
7 . Jerome Johnstone is good at running．He always wins the races at Serpentine Primary School in Serpentine，Western Australia．However，after giving up winning a school running race，the boy has won the hearts of thousands of people．In the race，the kind boy ran back to walk with his god friend Seth Johnstone and let him cross the finishing line first．
Seth was born with cerebral palsy（大脑性瘫痪）．Since he moved to the school，he has got a lot of problems．Luckily，Jerome was chosen to help him with things like going to the toilet and showing him around．The two boys soon became good friends．With Jerome’s help，Seth fits in well with his new school now．Because of his illness，Seth has a big head and some of the students laugh at him and make fun of his look．Jerome often has a word with them one by one，asking them not to do that again．Together with Seth’s younger sister，the kind-hearted boy takes good care of Seth at school．
Seth’s father can’t thank Jerome enough for looking after his son and protecting Seth against bullies（恃强凌弱者）．“Jerome is just such a good kid，”Seth’s father said．The two boy’s story has spread quickly after Jerome’s mother Susan shared it on social media．“These boys are champions even though they didn’t win，”said the proud mother．
根据材料内容选择最佳答案。
1. Why did Jerome give up winning the race？
| A．Because he hurt his leg that day． | B．Because he wanted to help his friend． |
| C．Because Seth doesn’t want him to win． | D．Because he was born with cerebral palsy． |
| A．He gets into a fight with them． | B．He fights against the bullies． |
| C．He keeps silent and does nothing． | D．He asks others to stop to do that． |
| A．His sister and his father． | B．His father and Jerome． |
| C．His sister and Jerome． | D．His sister and teachers． |
| A．Jerome’s mother was proud of her son． | B．Seth’s father stops the students laughing at his son． |
| C．Seth still can’t fits in well with his school． | D．Seth’s mother shared the story on social media． |
| A．A secret to win champions in running． | B．A good way to look after disable schoolmates． |
| C．A race at the Primary School in Serpentine． | D．A heart-warming story between two boys． |
8 . Life is full of surprises and you never know how things will turn out.
Sir John Gurdon is a good example of this. As a boy, he was told he was hopeless in science and finished bottom of his class. However, aged 79, the very same Gurdon shared the 2012 Nobel Prize in Medicine with Japanese stem cell(干细胞) researcher Shinya Yamanaka.
Like so many scientists, Gurdon shows us where the power of curiosity and perseverance(坚持不懈) can lead.
At the age of 15 in 1948, Gurdon ranked last out of the 250 boys at his high school in biology and every other science subject. Gurdon's high school science teacher even said that his dream of becoming a scientist was quite ridiculous．
In spite of his teacher's criticism（批评）, Gurdon followed his curiosity and kept working hard. He went to the lab earlier and left later than anyone else. He experienced thousands of failures.
“My own belief is that we will, in the end, understand everything about how cells actually work，” Gurdon said.
In 1962, Gurdon took a cell from an adult frog and moved its genetic(基因的) information into an egg cell. The egg cell then grew into a clone(克隆) of the adult frog. This technique later helped to create the sheep Dolly in 1996, the first cloned mammal(哺乳动物) in the world.
In 2006, Gurdon's work was developed by Yamanaka to show that a sample(样本) of a person's skin can be used to create stem cells. Using this technique, doctors can repair a patient's heart after a heart attack.
“Luck favors the prepared mind，”Gurdon told the Nobel Prize Organization. “Ninety percent of the time things don't work, but when they do, you have to seize (抓住) the chance.”
1. Who won the 2012 Nobel Prize in Medicine?| A．Sir John Gurdon. | B．Shinya Yamanaka. |
| C．Sir John Gurdon and Shinya Yamanaka. | D．Gurdon's science teacher. |
| A．无知的 | B．无畏的 | C．荒废的 | D．荒谬的 |
| A．As a boy, Gurdon was told he was hopeful. |
| B．Gurdon ranked first at his high school in biology. |
| C．It's impossible for the doctors to repair a patient's heart after a heart attack. |
| D．In spite of his teacher's criticism, Gurdon kept working hard. |
| A．Ninety percent of the time things don't work. | B．Luck favors the prepared mind. |
| C．Life is full of surprises. | D．How cells actually work. |
9 . Confidence is very important in daily life. It can help you to develop a healthy attitude. A study shows that the people who are more confident are much happier. They can have more chances to make themselves successful. But how to be more confident? Here are some suggestions.
Speak loudly. When you are not confident, you can’t do well what you want to do. You speak in a voice so low that other people can hardly hear you. Try to speak loudly enough so that people can hear you clearly. The high voice can help you become more confident.
Play sports. Physical exercise makes you tired but completely relaxed. When you are athletic, you will be full of confidence.
Encourage yourself. Write down a list of things you did during the day and see how many things you have done well. Did you finish your homework? Did you tell a joke that made everybody laugh? Give yourself praise for the good things you’ve done.
Get rid of (消除)fear. Fear comes along with failure. But it’s easy to get over if you know that failure is a part of your life. Don’t hide your head just because you said something foolish last time. Try to start again and believe you can do better.
Pick up a hobby. If you like singing, sing as much as you can. In some ways, a hobby can make you outstanding. And it will make you happy and confident.
1. Confidence can help you ________ .| A．to get completely successful | B．to develop a healthy attitude |
| C．to have a hobby | D．to play sports |
| A．Finish your homework. | B．Make everybody laugh |
| C．Tell a joke. | D．Give yourself praise for the good things you’ve done |
| A．When you are confident, you can’t do well what you want to do. |
| B．Physical exercise makes you tired but not relaxed. |
| C．Fear is easy to get over if you know that failure is a part of your life. |
| D．A hobby can make you outstanding, but it won’t make you happy or confident. |
| A．Encourage yourself | B．How to be more confident |
| C．Pick up a hobby. | D．Get rid of fear |
10 . Several years ago, I was shopping in a store with my best friend in California. There we saw a young lady with a small boy moving in the opposite direction. The lady didn’t see us because she was so angry with her little boy, who kept pulling things off the lower shelves. As the mother became more and more irritated, she started to shout at the child. However, it was no use. So the mother began to shake the boy by the arm and tried to take him away.
Seeing this my friend spoke up—-she was a wonderful mother of three and founder of a famous school. She had never treated a child so hard once in her life. I expected my friend to give the boy’s mother a serious mother-to-mother talk about controlling herself and about the effect such behaviour would have on a child. But she didn’t do that. Instead, my friend said, “What a beautiful little boy! How old is he?”
The young lady answered cautiously, “He’s three.”
My friend told the mother how curious the boy seemed and how her own three children were just like him, pulling things off shelves in stores and so interested in all wonderful colors and packages. “He seems so bright and intelligent”. my friend said.
Finally, a shy smile came upon the young lady’s face. Then she had the boy in her arms. Gently brushing her hair out of her eyes, she said, “ Yes, he’s very smart and curious, but sometimes he wears me out.”
My friend nodded in agreement, “Yes, they always do that .They are so full of energy”.
As we walked away, I heard the mother speaking kindly to the boy, “Let’s go home for dinner, honey. I’ll have your favorites—macaroni(通心面）and cheese.”
1. The mother was angry with the child because_____.| A．he threw too many things into the shopping carts. |
| B．he always asked for more things. |
| C．he ran around the store madly . |
| D．he kept pulling the goods off the shelves. |
| A．bored | B．angry | C．interested | D．pleased |
| A．stop the boy in a proper way and set a good example for the young lady. |
| B．buy the things for the boy. |
| C．have a serious talk with the mother. |
| D．leave it alone. |
| A．was always tired of her three children as well. |
| B．told the mother something valuable in a special way. |
| C．taught the mother how to deal with her boy’s problem. |
| D．always wanted to help others. |
| A．Parents should be more patient and respect children’s nature. |
| B．Parents should try to make friends with their kids. |
| C．Children should be allowed to do anything they want. |
| D．Every mother is kind and gentle by nature. |
