Speaking two languages can actually help offset(抵消) some effects of aging on the brain, a new study has found.
Researchers tested how long it took participants to switch from one cognitive(认知的) task to another, something that’s known to take longer for older adults, said lead researcher, Brian Gold, a neuroscientist at the University of Kentucky.
Gold’s team compared task-switching speeds for younger and older adults, knowing they would find slower speeds in the older population because of previous studies. However, they found that older adults who spoke two languages were able to switch mental activities faster than those didn’t. The study only looked at life-long bilinguals, defined in study as people who had spoken a second language daily since they were at least 10 years old.
Gold and his team asked 30 people, either bilingual or monolingual, to have a series of tests. They found that bilingual people were not only able to switch tasks faster, they had different brain activity than their monolingual peers.
Kristina called bilingualism "a beautiful natural experiment”, because people grow up speaking two languages, and studies have shown that they get certain cognitive benefits from switching between languages and determining which to respond with based on what's going on around them.
Gold said he grew up in Montreal, where he spoke French at school and English at home, prompting relatives to question whether his French language immersion（专心）would somehow hinder his ability to learn English.
"Until very recently, learning a second language in childhood was thought of as dangerous," he said. "Actually, it's beneficial.”
1. What’s the main idea of the passage?
A. Researchers found that bilingual people can slow down the speed or aging on the brain and respond fast.
B. Researchers found that bilingual people respond slowly.
C. Researchers found that speaking two languages is important.
D. Researchers found that bilingual people are great.
2.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Older bilinguals can’t respond faster in mind.
B. Young bilinguals can respond faster in mind than those monolinguals.
C. Older adults speaking a second language daily since they were at least 10 years old can respond faster than those who don't.
D. Bilingual children respond slower in mind than those monolinguals.
3. In Gold’s opinion, learning a second language in childhood is______.
A．dangerous to children
B. not beneficial to children
C. dangerous but beneficial to children
D. not dangerous but beneficial to children
American government suggests that children and teens should get 60 minutes of physical activity every day. But less than half of children and just 10% of teens meet these suggestions. What’s the deal?
It’s reported that about 44million US kids participate in organized sports(such as baseball, softball, soccer).But a new study says just one-quarter of kids get the government-recommended amount of exercise when they show up for team practices. The study, published online last month in a medical journal, says younger kids and boys do better than teens and girls.
The study looked at 200 kids aged 7 to 14 who played on soccer, baseball and softball teams. The kids wore sensors to measure their activity during practices.
During each practice, kids averaged 30 minutes of downtime(停工期). “It is not clear how much physical activity is provided by youth sports practices,” say the California-based authors of the study. “Much of the time may be inactive, such as receiving verbal instructions and waiting for turns.”
What’s a parent or coach—or kid—to do? The authors of the study suggest increasing the number of practices, extending the time of practices and changing it up(加快)during practices. For example, the coach could give each player a ball at the same time. Rather than focusing on one player’s skills, it’s best to get the whole team moving.
But, the study says, the bottom line is that team sports aren’t enough exercise. For a child to meet the US physical activity suggestions, the kid will have to do more than just join a team. Exercise is also necessary during breaks, during physical education class, after school and even on the way to school.
1.According to the text, which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. Only 10% of the teens can’t meet the suggestions about physical activity.
B. About 11 million US kids can get enough amount of exercise in team practices.
C. The new study was published on a famous magazine last month.
D. Teens do better than girls and younger kids in the new study.
2.The underlined word “extending” in Paragraph 5 means ..
A. giving support or confidence
B. becoming smaller or fewer
C. making something longer or larger
D. causing to move or go quickly
3.The passage is probably written for .
A. physical teachers and parents
B. doctors and nurses
C. class advisers and researchers
D. kids and headmasters
4.What’s the best title of the passage?
A. Necessary for Kids to Exercise
B. Kids for Fun?
C. How to Keep Fit
D. Not Enough Exercise?
I was never very neat, while my roommate Kate was extremely organized. Each of her objects had its place, but mine always hid somewhere. She even labeled everything. I always looked for everything. Over time, Kate got neater and I got messier. She would push my dirty clothing over, and I would lay my books on her tidy desk. So we both got tired of each other．
War broke out one evening. Kate came into the room．Soon，I heard her screaming，“Take your shoes away! Why under my bed!” Deafened，I saw my shoes flying at me．I jumped to my feet and started yelling．She yelled back louder．
The room was filled with anger．We could not have stayed together for a single minute but for a phone call．Kate answered it．From her end of the conversation，I could tell right away her grandma was seriously ill．When she hung up，she quickly crawled under her covers，sobbing．Obviously，that was something she should not go through alone．All of a sudden, a warm feeling of sympathy rose up in my heart．Slowly，I collected the pencils，took back the books，made my bed，cleaned the socks and swept the floor，even on her side．I got so into my work that I even didn’t notice Kate had sat up. She was watching，her tears dried and her expression was such disbelief．Then, she reached out her hands to grasp mine．I looked up into her eyes. She smiled at me，“Thanks．”
Kate and I stayed roommates for the rest of the year. We didn’t always agree，but we learned the meaning of living together：giving in, cleaning up and holding on．
1.What made Kate so angry one evening?
A. She couldn’t find her books．
B. She heard the author shouting loud．
C. She got the news that her grandma was ill．
D. She saw the author's shoes beneath her bed．
2.The author tidied up the room most probably because_____．
A. she was scared by Kate’s anger
B. she hated herself for being so messy
C. she was asked by Kate to do so
D. she wanted to show her care
3.How is Paragraph 1 mainly developed?
A. By showing differences．
B. By analyzing causes．
C. By describing a process．
D. By following time order．
4.What might be the best title for the story?
A. My Friend Kate
B. Hard Work Pays Off
C. Learning to be Roommates
D. How to be Organized
You may not pay much attention to your daily elevator ride. Many of us use a lift several times during the day without really thinking about it. But Lee Gray, PhD, of the University of North Carolina, US, has made it his business to examine this overlooked form of public transport. He is known as the “Elevator Guy”.
“The lift becomes this interesting social space where etiquette (礼仪) is sort of odd (奇怪的),” Gray told the BBC. “They are socially very interesting but often very awkward places.”
We walk in and usually turn around to face the door. If someone else comes in, we may have to move. And here, according to Gray, lift users unthinkingly go through a set pattern of movements. He told the BBC what he had observed.
He explained that when you are the only one inside a lift, you can do whatever you want – it’s your own little box.
If there are two of you, you go into different corners, standing diagonally (对角线地) across from each other to create distance.
When a third person enters, you will unconsciously form a triangle. And when there is a fourth person it becomes a square, with someone in every corner. A fifth person is probably going to have to stand in the middle.
New entrants to the lift will need to size up the situation when the doors slide open and then act decisively. Once in, for most people the rule is simple – look down, or look at your phone.
Why are we so awkward in lifts?
“You don’t have enough space,” Professor Babette Renneberg, a clinical psychologist at the Free University of Berlin, told the BBC. “Usually when we meet other people we have about an arm’s length of distance between us. And that’s not possible in most elevators.”
In such a small, enclosed space it becomes very important to act in a way that cannot be construed (理解) as threatening or odd. “The easiest way to do this is to avoid eye contact,” she said.
1.The main purpose of the article is to _____.
A. remind us to enjoy ourselves in the elevator
B. tell us some unwritten rules of elevator etiquette
C. share an interesting but awkward elevator ride
D. analyze what makes people feel awkward in an elevator
2.According to Gray, when people enter an elevator, they usually ___
A. turn around and greet one another
B. look around or examine their phone
C. make eye contact with those in the elevator
D. try to keep a distance from other people
3.Which of the following describes how people usually stand when there are at least two people in an elevator?
4.The underlined phrase “size up” in Paragraph 7 is closest in meaning to _____.
A. judge B. ignore
C. put up with D. make the best of
The word dream is probably heard most frequently from people in show business, where everyone dreams of standing under the spotlight and being somebody. But the truth is that most end up being nobodies. Hong Kong director Derek Yee’s latest film“ I Am Somebody” shows respect for these unknown extras(群众演员)in the film industry.
In the film, Wan Guopeng, son of a woodcutter, comes a long way from the Northeast with only 1,000 yuan to the dream factory of the East to become an actor. In real life, when the young man was chosen by the director to play the leading role, he had only 20 yuan left but still hadn’t considered giving up.
Famous Hong Kong actor Tony Leung remembered that 30 years ago, he was a salesman but knew that it was not the kind of life he wanted to live. “Wan is exactly like me back then…Only when I was in an acting training course did I realize that what I wanted to be was an actor, not a star winning the best actor awards.”
Yee chose real nobodies to play themselves in the movie. Their strength was their deep understanding of the feelings of the characters they played. But the disadvantage was also obvious: They lacked acting skills. When emotional performances were needed, their expressions and moves seemed unnatural.
The entertainment industry might be the field with the most broken hearts and most efforts gone in vain. Here luck, opportunity and physical appearance are probably much more important than hard work.
In the film, Qin Peijun, a survivor from a coal mine collapse(煤矿坍塌), goes all out to take hold of every possibility to appear in the lens of the camera, even if only as an extra. However, it is obviously much harder for him to realize the dream of becoming a professional actor than for Wang Zhao, who is a lazy bone with a pretty face.
Some critical comments are directed at the sudden inversion(反转) in the last part of the film. The two leading actors’ happy endings seem to disagree with the film’s realistic style. But anyway, this movie is not a documentary but a way to reinforce(硬化) that every brave heart deserves to have their dreams realized.
1.Which of the following can best describe Wan Guopeng?
A. Determined. B. Careful.
C. Intelligent. D. Easy-going.
2.Derek Yee chose real nobodies to play in the film because____.
A. he respected these people
B. they knew well about the characters
C. he needed emotional performances
D. they asked for less money
3.What does the underlined phrase “in vain” in Paragraph 5 mean?
A. Wrongly. B. Secretly.
C. Without success. D. Without consideration.
4.What’s the main idea of this passage?
A. It’s OK to be nobody.
B. It’s really hard to become a successful actor.
C. Live the dreams.
D. Be a person of dreams.
Summer Holiday Fun 2015!
The summer holidays are upon us again．Here is our guide to summer holiday fun in Peterborough!
Peterborough Museum
The Age of the Dinosaurs is the museum's main attraction this summer．Get up close to prehistoric creatures via some great hands-on exhibits！Watch out for monsters lurking around every ember！The museum is open from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday to Saturday，and from 12:00 pm to 4: 00 pm on Sundays in August. Call 01733 864663 for details.
Saxon Youth Club
School holiday fun：Young people aged 13—19 will be able to produce their own music，compete in sports activities，or try their hand at cooking at Saxon Youth Club，Saxon Community Centre，Norman Road，Peterborough every Monday and Wednesday from 3:00 pm．PLUS an aero ball tournament will take place on Thursday，12th August between 3:30 pm and 6:30 pm.
Call 01353 720274 for details.
Houghton Mill
Through the Looking Glass—a new production of the family favorite on Monday 30th，August．Bring rugs or chairs to sit on and a picnic if you wish to eat during the play．Gates open 5:30 pm，performance 6:30 pm—8:30 pm．Tea room will be open until the end of the interval．Adult ￡ 10．Child ￡7．Family ￡20. Booking advisable on 0845 4505157.
Farmland Museum and Denny Abbey
Farmland Games：From Wellie Wanging to Pretend Ploughing matches，come and join the Farmland Team．Collect your sporting stickers and create a colorful rosette that is fit for a winner！No need to book，just turn up between 12:00 pm and 4:00 pm on Thursday，19th August．Suitable for children aged four and above，each child should be accompanied by an adult and all activities are included in the normal admission price．Tickets Cost：￡ 7 per child.
For further information，call 01223 810080.
1.If you are interested in cooking，you can go to ________.
A．Peterborough Museum B．Houghton Mill
C．Saxon Youth Club D．Farmland Museum
2.You want to watch the new play with your parents，so it will cost you ________.
A．￡7 B．￡17 C．￡27 D．￡20
3.Which of the following activities needs parents' company?
A．Playing farmland games．
B．Watching the new play.
C．Competing in sports activities．
D．Visiting the dinosaur exhibition.
