Question

    Learning a foreign language is more than just a help to your CV(简历) or convenient for travelling. It will make you smarter, more perceptive(透视的) and even better at English. 1.

You become smarter

Speaking a foreign language improves the ability of your brain by challenging it to recognize, understand meaning, and communicate in different language systems. Students who study foreign languages will score better on standardized tests than their monolingual (单语的) classmates, particularly in maths, reading, and vocabulary.

You become more perceptive

A study from Spain shows that multilingual(多种语言的) people are better at observing their surroundings. They are better at focusing related information and editing out the unrelated. 2. Is it any surprise that Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot know several kinds of languages?

You build multitasking skills

Multilingual people, especially children, are skilled at switching between two systems of speech, writing, and structure. 3. The research found that people who spoke more than one language made fewer errors in their driving.

4.

Educators often compare the brain to a muscle, because it functions better with exercise. Learning a language involves memorizing rules and vocabulary, which helps strengthen that mental “muscle.” This exercise improves overall memory, which means that multiple language speakers are better at remembering lists or sequences.

If you haven’t spoken a foreign tongue since your A levels, your brain might not be gaining these bilingual benefits. 5. People who begin language study in their adult lives can still achieve the same levels of fluency as a young learner, and still gain the same mental benefits, too.

A. However, it’s never too late to learn a foreign language.

B. In one study, participants used a driving simulator(模拟器) while doing separate, distracting tasks at the same time.

C. Your muscle improves.

D. Below are several advantages of learning a foreign language.

E. They’re also better at discovering misleading information.

F. Language speakers also develop a better ear for listening.

G. Your memory improves.

Answer

1.D

2.E

3.B

4.G

5.A

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。主要说明了学习外语的一些好处。

1.本句为第一段最后一句，有承上启下的作用，结合下文论述的是学习外语的好处。故D选项“以下是学习外语的几个好处。”符合上下文语境，故选D。

2.结合上文They are better at focusing related information and editing out the unrelated.(他们更善于关注相关信息，并将无关信息剔除)可知，是在论述多种语言的人的优点，they对应到E选项中“They’re also”，且表示“他们也更善于发现误导信息。”符合上下文语境，故选E。

3.结合下文The research found that people who spoke more than one language made fewer errors in their driving.(研究发现，会说一种以上语言的人在开车时犯的错误更少)可推知，本句是在说明一项研究，research可对应到B选项中的“one study”，且表示“在一项研究中，参与者使用驾驶模拟器，同时进行分散注意力的单独任务。”符合上下文语境，故选B。

4.本句为本段的小标题，结合本段中Learning a language involves memorizing rules and vocabulary, which helps strengthen that mental “muscle.” This exercise improves overall memory, which means that multiple language speakers are better at remembering lists or sequences.（学习一门语言需要记忆规则和词汇，这有助于增强大脑的“肌肉”。这种练习可以提高整体记忆力，也就是说，说多种语言的人更善于记住列表或序列）可知，学习一门语言能够增强大脑的记忆力，帮助提高记忆。故G选项“你的记忆力提高。”符合上下文语境，故选G。

5.根据下文People who begin language study in their adult lives can still achieve the same levels of fluency as a young learner, and still gain the same mental benefits, too.(在成年后开始学习语言的人仍然可以达到和年轻学习者一样的流利程度，并且仍然可以获得同样的心理益处)可知，不管是成年人还是年轻人学习一门外语永远都不会太迟。故A选项“然而，学习一门外语永远不会太迟。”符合上下文语境，故选A。