1 . When we talk about learning a foreign language, we often talk about different methods and do our best to look for ways to improve it, but often forget the most important thing—motivation.
Woody Allen once said, “80% of success in life is showing up.” Now, that is an interesting quote and what do I want to tell with it? It’s really simple, actually.
When you’re not motivated, you won’t show up to learn your target language(or anything else in fact). Unfortunately, it’s not possible to learn a language through osmosis (潜移默化); you need to work, and you need to show up. We try to motivate ourselves for many things, but somehow we only look at methods when learning a foreign language.
That’s why I think being motivated is the most important thing in language learning. It’s possible to learn many things in a short amount of time, but to truly learn a language to fluency you need years of input, study and practice.
So, before you begin, ask yourself: Why do I want to learn this language? Can I actually use it? Are there enough materials to learn it from? Am I sure I still want to be learning this language three years from now? If your answer to those questions is yes, you’re probably motivated enough to go on and learn that language you want to learn.
Now, why do you need to have a strong motivation to learn a foreign language? Simply because it isn’t an easy task. It will take several years to become fluent, and several years more to completely master it. This isn’t something you just do.You need to have a dream, a goal to work towards.
1. What does “quote” in Paragraph 2 mean?| A．A cited statement. |
| B．A punctuation mark. |
| C．An interesting activity. |
| D．A humorous cartoon. |
| A．To see whether you are motivated. |
| B．To check whether you are qualified. |
| C．To prove whether you can learn it. |
| D．To show whether you can succeed. |
| A．Because it’s meaningful to learn a foreign language. |
| B．Because it’s necessary to have a dream. |
| C．Because it’s difficult to master a foreign language. |
| D．Because it’s easy to have a strong motivation. |
2 . I’ve learned seven languages well. Now I’m working on my eighth language. Many people ask me why I’ve learned so many languages well.
In order to learn a language well, it’s important to find enjoyment in the process of learning. I’ve kept learning new languages because I really enjoy doing that. My enjoyment in the process keeps me going.
First of all, you need useful methods to memorize words. If you try to memorize a list of words for a test tomorrow, the words will be stored in your short-term memory.
And finally, if you want to learn a language fluently, you also need a bit of patience.
| A．But joy itself is not enough. |
| B．You’ll forget them after a few days. |
| C．You should find your own enjoyment. |
| D．The second principle is to make a plan. |
| E．Today I’d like to share my secrets with you. |
| F．Don’t lose hope if you make progress slowly. |
| G．It’s impossible to learn a language within two months. |
3 . When leaning a foreign language, most people fall back on traditional methods: reading, writing, listening and repeating. But if you also gesture with your arms while studying, you can remember the vocabulary better, even months later. Linking a word to brain areas responsible for movement strengthens the memory of its meaning.
As neuroscientist Brian Mathias and his colleagues describe in the Journal of Neuroscience, they had 22 German-speaking adults learn a total of 90 invented artificial words (such as “lamube” for “camera,” and “atesi” for “thought”) over four days. While the test subjects first heard the new vocabulary, they were simultaneously (同时地) shown a video of a person making a gesture that matched the meaning of the word. When the word was repeated, they were supposed to perform the gesture themselves. Five months later, they were asked to translate the vocabulary they had learned into German in a multiple-choice test.
At the same time, they had a device attached to their heads that sent weak pulses to their primary motor cortex (皮层) — the brain area that controls voluntary arm movements. When these interfering (干扰) signals were active, the subjects found it harder to recall the words accompanied by gestures. When the device sent no interfering signals (but still appeared to the subjects to be active), they found it easier to remember the words. The researchers concluded that the motor cortex contributed to the translation of the vocabulary learned with gestures. This applied to concrete words, such as “camera,” as well as abstract ones, such as “thought”.
“Our results provide evidence for why learning techniques that involve the body’s motor system should be used more often,” says Mathias. “I think we underuse gesture in our classrooms. People use it spontaneously (自发地), if they’re good teachers and good listeners. But we don’t necessarily bring it into the class if we don’t think about it.”
1. What were the subjects required to do in the test?| A．Repeat what other subjects describe. |
| B．Follow what the person in the video did. |
| C．Match the vocabulary with relative pictures. |
| D．Translate the vocabulary into a foreign language. |
| A．To control their body movements. |
| B．To shelter other interfering signals. |
| C．To identify the function of the motor cortex. |
| D．To confirm the abstract thoughts in their mind. |
| A．It will be carried out more frequently. |
| B．It will involve more concrete objects. |
| C．It will be plied to classroom teaching. |
| D．It will motivate his colleagues to participate. |
| A．Good Learning Techniques Matter More |
| B．Repeating Strengthens Memory |
| C．Body Language Betters Communication |
| D．Gestures Help Learn New Words |
1. What is the speaker probably?
| A．A teacher. | B．A student. | C．A host. |
| A．Explaining English words. |
| B．Offering listening practice. |
| C．Showing English grammars. |
| A．Guess the meanings. |
| B．Use them in spoken English. |
| C．Keep a diary with them. |
| A．Remembering words as many as possible. |
| B．Reciting more English sentences. |
| C．Sticking to reading and learning. |
1．尽可能的背诵单词，扩大词汇量；
2．阅读英文报纸和杂志；
3．听英文歌，观看英文电影；
4．多说多练。
字数：100字左右
提示：杂志magazine 词汇量vocabulary 背诵recite/keep sth. in mind
Dear Li Hua,
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Yours,
John
Hello everyone! It’s my pleasure to share some experience with you about
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7 . If you are currently learning English, 1 highly recommend you check out the apps below.
Quizlet
When learning English, you probably have to memorize a lot of words. If you want to grow your vocabulary as fast as possible, a flashcard app like Quizlet is a great shortcut. With Quizlet, you can create a set of flashcards with new English words you are trying to learn, and practice typing them out until you know them by heart. It's a simple concept, but it's highly effective.
Spotify
Spotify is not a language learning app. But chances are that you already use it or a similar app for listening to music or podcasts（播客）, and one of the effective ways to study is combining something you already use into your existing habits. If Spotify is already on your phone, you can subscribe to some podcasts for English learners or download playlists of songs for learning English, or make your own.
Beelinguapp
Beelinguapp makes reading in English as convenient as possible. It shows you a text in your own language with the English translation side-by-side. Texts are short enough so that you can really dig into every word. They cover topics from fairytales, to science, to current news articles. There's even a "karaoke" feature where you can read along to audio, which helps you match up the English pronunciation with the English spellings.
Tandem
Tandem is a language exchange app which connects learners from all over the world. It can help you find a native English speaker who is trying to learn your native language, so you can swap language skills. If you only have five minutes to spare, you can simply exchange messages with a native English speaker. If you have more time, you can have a longer, digital language exchange" by sharing voice notes, or using video chat. It's a great way to test your English skills out with real people.
1. What is Spotify intended to help people do?| A．Develop a good habit. | B．Listen to music or podcasts. |
| C．Learn a foreign language. | D．Memorize words with flashcards. |
| A．Learners can use their native language as a reference. |
| B．It's convenient for learners to translate voice notes. |
| C．It provides learners a chance to tell their own stories. |
| D．Learners can sing English songs along to the music. |
| A．Quizlet. | B．Spotify. | C．Beelinguapp. | D．Tandem. |
