1 . Learning a second language is difficult at any age and it only gets harder the longer you wait to open that dusty French book. Now, in a new study, scientists have pointed the exact age at which your chances of reaching fluency（流利）in a second language seem to rise： 10.

The study, published in the journal Cognition, found that it's "nearly impossible” for language learners to reach native-level fluency if they start learning a second language after 10. But that doesn't seem to be because language skills go downhill “It turns out you're still learning fast. It's just that you run out of time, because your ability to learn starts dropping at around 17 or 18 years old,“ says study co-author Joshua Hartshorne, an assistant professor of psychology at Boston College.

Kids may be better than adults at learning new languages for many reasons. Children's brains are more plastic than those of adults, meaning they're better able to adapt and respond to new information. "All learning involves the brain changing,“ Hartshorne says, “and children's brains seem to be a lot more skilled at changing. "

These findings may seem discouraging, but it was heartening for scientists to learn that the critical （关键的）period for fluent language acquisition might be longer than they previously thought. Some scientists believed that the brief window closes shortly after birth, while others stretched it only to early adolescence. Compared to those estimates, 17 or 18 when language learning ability starts to drop off——seems old.

“People progress better when they learn by immersion （沉 浸）rather than simply in a classroom. And moving to a place where your desired language is spoken is the best way to learn as an adult. If that's not an option, you can create an immersive environment by finding ways to have conversations with native speakers in their own communities," Hartshorne says. By doing so, it's possible to become conversationally fluent——even without the advantage of a child's brain.

1. What is the most important finding of the new study?

A．The best age to learn a second language.

B．The possibility of speaking fluent language.

C．The change of language skills over the time.

D．The great approaches to learning a language.

2. Why do kids seem better than adults at learning new languages?

A．Their focus is language learning only.

B．They are more interested in languages.

C．They are more adaptable to new things.

D．Their brain always ignores big changes.

3. What is Hartshorne's advice on becoming fluent in a second language?

A．Joining friends in their learning.	B．Turning to immersive learning.
C．Studying in a quiet classroom.	D．Training the brain to a kid's brain.

4. From which part of a newspaper is the text most probably taken?

A．Science.	B．Travel
C．Health.	D．Education.

2 . Monster Zoo

Monster Zoo is one of the largest zoos in the world, covering more than 15 km squares. It is home to more than 50 species of rare and native animals. The zoo is located 70 km from the city New South Australia.

Monster zoo was founded in 1983 as a breeding area (繁殖区). Officially open to the public in October 1993, Monster Zoo is now home to more than 500 animals.

Opening Hours

Monster zoo is open daily from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm with last entry at 3:00 pm. The zoo is open every day of the year, including Christmas Day and all public holidays. The exception to this is if the forecast temperature for Monster Zoo is 40 degrees or above, it will be closed.

To get the most out of your visit we recommend setting aside a minimum of four to five hours to fully enjoy the Monster zoo.

Tickets

Child (4-14 years old) : AU $28.50

Adult (15 years old and over) : AU $ 51.75

Family / Mini Group: AU $132.75

Meet the Keeper

Monster zoo offers various daily zoo keeper talks and animal feeds that give guests the chance to interact (互动) with our friendly workers and learn about the zoo’s unique residents.

Looking for a more unique animal experience? Consider booking a Behind the Scenes Animal Experience to come face to face with some of our special animal residents.

Café

Ketabi Café is open from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm daily and offers a variety of tasty treats, small snacks and hot meals.

Picnics

For those who prefer to bring their own meals, special picnic areas are available close to the Visitor Center. Please note that due to fire risk, the zoo does not allow for the use of BBQs.

1. What can we learn about the zoo from the text?

A．It is the largest zoo in the world.

B．It is open daily all year except Christmas Day.

C．It is open to the public ten years after it was founded.

D．It is home to 500 species of animals.

2. If three young men aged 12, 14 and 19 visit the zoo, how much will they pay?

A．AU $155.25.	B．AU $108.75.
C．AU $85.25.	D．AU $132.75.

3. Where does this text most probably come from?

A．A health newspaper.	B．An animal book.
C．A travel website.	D．A fashion magazine.

3 . Do you like running enough to make it a habit? Tierney Wolfgram does; she has made running a lifelong career and isn't stopping.

In February, the 16-year-old from a high school, US, competed at the 2020 US Olympic Trials. She finished the marathon(42.195 km)with a time of 2:42:47 as the youngest competitor in the race and ranked 76th out of 390 runners. However, the cross-country(越野的)season was postponed to winter because of the COVID-19. So she jumped at the opportunity to train for another race-the Parkway Marathon in California. In November, Wolfgram broke the Women's American Junior marathon record with her time of 2:31:49. The old record was 2:34:32, which had stood since 1984.

“I'm completely stunned, ”said Wolfgram's coach.   “I knew she was going to break it, but she really showed out！”

During the run, Wolfgram once hit a wall pretty hard, but she overcame it to finish. “I guess I can say I gave it my all, ”she told Runner's World. “When I finished, all I was thinking was I felt super happy,” Wolfgram said This was only her third marathon. In 2018, when Wolfgram was 15 years old, she ran her first marathon just because she wanted to see if she had the ability to do it. “I believed that I would get faster as the distances got longer. . . I'm still glad that I did it. ”

When preparing for that first marathon, she ran up to 120 miles per week. Although her parents didn't have any background in running, they helped Wolfgram train. At first, her dad would take her out in the morning and run about 13 miles. The distance would gradually increase each day. On top of her runs in the morning, she would do cross-country practice after school.

Now Wolfgram will consider attending the Olympics Games in 2024 after it's scheduled.

1. What can we learn about Wolfgram from Paragraph 2?

A．She was the champion at the 2020 US Olympic Trials.

B．She put off the cross-country season for the COVID-19.

C．She broke an Olympic marathon record in November.

D．She prepared for the Parkway Marathon in California.

2. What does the underlined word “stunned”in paragraph 3 refer to?

A．Doubtful

B．Worried.

C．Shocked.

D．Interested

3. What inspired Wolfgram to run her first marathon?

A．Her parents' encouragement.	B．Her desire to prove she could do it.
C．Her coach's support and help.	D．Her hope to break the national record

4. Which section of a newspaper does the passage probably come from?

A．Sports.

B．Lifestyle

C．Culture.

D．Opinion

4 . I sometimes feel left out with my friends at the party. What can I do?     

— Susan

Alice: Speak to your best friend before you arrive and ask her to make sure you don’t get left out of the group. That way, she will know to include you in all the fun. Make the effort to speak to some other people at the party. You might even make a new friend or two.

Sometimes I think parties get boring and I want to go home!     

— Jenny

Alice: Even a great party will drag if you’re not enjoying yourself. Making the effort to dance and have a chat with your friends will beat the boredom! You don’t have to stay to the very end of the party.

Our school is having a Christmas dance party but I’m really shy. Shall I go or not?

— Emma

Alice: Part of you would like to go to the party, so give it a try. Let good friends know how you feel and make sure you’ll have people to dance with when the evening comes. Practice some fun dances so you’ll feel comfortable on the dance floor.

Whenever I go to a party, my dad comes to pick me up at 8 pm. I always have to leave earlier than the rest of my friends and I get really angry with my dad.        

— Anny

Alice: Talk with your dad and let him know how you feel. It feels hard to have different rules from your friends but don’t worry too much — your friends are probably picked up soon after you anyway.

1. Alice advises Susan to _____.

A．stay with her friends.	B．ask her friend for help.
C．leave the party at once.	D．make fun of her friends.

2. The underlined word “drag” is closest in meaning to “_____”.

A．fail.	B．improve.
C．be boring.	D．be pleasant.

3. What worries Anny?

A．Her dad is strict with her.	B．She always argues with her dad.
C．Nobody picks her up after the party.	D．She can’t go to the party with her friends.

4. Where can you probably find the text?

A．In a notice.

B．In a guidebook.

C．In a famous novel.

D．In a popular magazine.