When I was a teenager I volunteered to work at the water station at a 10,000m race. My job was to 34 water to the runners. I remember being so 35 to see all the different kinds of people who passed by and grabbed a cup of water. Some ran past, some walked past and a few wheeled past. I saw so many types of people doing it. I thought maybe I could do it too! So the next year I 36 up for the race.
That first 10,000m race was quite an experience. I jogged, I walked, I jogged and I walked 37 , I didn’t know if I could finish. Then came a defining (决定性) 38 .
At one point near the end, a 70-year-old man ran past me, very, very fast, and I felt 39 because I was 50 years younger than he but I couldn’t even keep up with him. I felt 40 for a second.
But then I realized something. He was running his race and I was running mine. He had 41 abilities, experience, training and goals for himself. I had mine. Remember my 42 was only to finish.
After a minute, it 43 me that this was a lesson I could draw from. I learned something about myself in that moment. I turned my embarrassment into 44 .
I decided that I would not give up on running races. In fact, I would run even more races and I would learn how to train and prepare 45 and one day I would be one of those 70-year-old persons who were still running. As I crossed the finish line, I was proud of my accomplishment. In life we all have those moments where we 46 ourselves to others. It’s only natural . Don’t allow those moments to 47 you. Turn them into motivation and let them inspire you. With the proper preparation and training, you can improve your result to 48 anything you want in life.
1.A. bring out B. pass out C. take out D. pick out
2.A. excited B. worried C. concerned D. anxious
3.A. gave B. made C. signed D. dressed
4.A. At times B. In time C. In all D. After all
5.A. victory B. decision C. moment D. conclusion
6.A. embarrassed B. annoyed C. moved D. thrilled
7.A. relaxed B. defeated C. puzzled D. inspired
8.A. special B. evident C. common D. different
9.A. motto B. plan C. goal D. direction
10.A. worried B. hit C. reached D. hurt
11.A. attraction B. devotion C. inspiration D. expectation
12.A. slightly B. hardly C. clearly D. properly
13.A. introduce B. relate C. present D. compare
14.A. weaken B. wound C. amuse D. cheer
15.A. reserve B. deliver C. achieve D. abandon
---Where is my pen?
--- I _____it.
A. might lose B. wouldn’t have lost C. should have lost D. must have lost
The man ______ you are talking is in the next room.
A. to whom B. about whom C. who D. whom
— I feel really disappointed not to have got that job.
— Don't worry. Maybe something better will ______.
A. go by B. take on C. turn up D. fall down
We_____ the old scientist________ his contribution________ the country.
A.admire；for；to B.admire；at；to C.respect；on；for D.respect；on；at
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. 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 Michelle, 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.The main subject talked about in this passage is ______.
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A．science on learning a second language |
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B．man’s ability of learning a second language |
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C．language can help brain power |
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D．language learning and maths study |
2.In the second paragraph, the writer mentions “exercise” in order to ______.
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A．say language is also a kind of physical labor |
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B．prove that one needs more practice when he (she) is learning a language |
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C．to show the importance of using the language when you learn the language |
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D．make people believe language learning helps grey matter work well |
3.We may know from the scientific findings that ______.
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A．the earlier you start to learn a second language, the higher the grey matter density is |
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B．there is no difference between a later second language learner and one who doesn’t know a second language |
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C．the experience of learning a second language has bad effect on people’s brain |
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D．the ability of learning a second language is changing all the time |
4.The underlined word “bilingual” probably means ______.
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A．a researcher on language learning |
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B．a person who is good at learning foreign languages |
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C．a person who can speak two languages |
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D．an active language learner |
