Earlier research had suggested we're best at learning grammar in early childhood. Then we hit a dead end around age 5. It's supposed to be much harder for older kids. The time when people can learn the rules and structure of a language well appears to last until around age 17 or 18. “But that's not so, ”says psychologist（心理学家）Joshua Hartshorne.
Hartshorne asked friends to take an online English grammar test. After completing the test, volunteers answered questions about where they had lived, the languages they had spoken from birth and the age at which they first started learning English. Hartshorne also asked how long they had lived in an English-speaking country. As he had hoped, people shared the test widely online. This let Hartshorne's group study the answers from 669, 498 native and non-native speakers of English. The researchers used statistics to find out when people with different English-speaking experiences reached their top grammar ability.
If people moved to a new country and began speaking English by age 10 to 12, they finally spoke it as well as folks who had learned both English and another language from birth. But both groups scored a little worse than people who spoke English only, the researchers found. The test results showed that around age 17, people's ability to learn grammar took a sharp drop. And those who started learning English after age 10 or 12 never reached the same level of English skillfulness as people who started younger. Why？The researchers think it's because they had fewer years to practice before their skills dropped off at surprise：Language learning did not end at 17. People's English skills kept improving a little until around age 30, the new study found. And this was true among both native speakers and those who learned English as a second language. Still, most language learning happened by age 20, the new study decided.
1.What age period is best for grammar learning according to earlier research？
A.From 17 to 20. B.From 5 to 12.
C.Before age 5. D.From 20 to 30.
2.How did Hartshorne get his study statistics？
A.By experimenting in the lab. B.By making an online survey.
C.By studying historical records. D.By collecting earlier study results.
3.Which of the following agrees with Hartshorne's study results？
A.Language learning needs much practice.
B.Language learning ends at the age of 17.
C.The more languages you learn, the better.
D.It is best to learn language after 20 years old.
4.What is the best title for the text？
A.How native speakers learn English？
B.What's the best age to learn a language？
C.What's the best way to learn a foreign language？
D.Why non-native speakers can never master a second language？
Churchill, Manitoba is a small town. The northern winds roll through it from Canada's Hudson Bay. It might be just another point on the map if not for its seasonal settlers.
It happens like clockwork every fall that hundreds of polar bears make their way through the town to the freezing bay where they hunt for seals after the ice packs enough to support their weight. The animals have been connected with Churchill since at least 1619. That's when Norwegian explorer Jens Munk and his sailors recorded making a meal of one bear while they wintered in the area. “It was of good taste and did not disagree with us. ”That's what Munk wrote in his journal.
Over the years, the animals' coming has earned the town the name of“Polar Bear Capital of the World. ”Today, Churchill's bear population goes beyond its human population. There used to be about 7, 000 residents but now only 813 living there. There was no such thing as an organized tour group to see the bears until 1980. The town might have been in terrible financial hardships. But the growing bear tourism industry helped.
Today, some 10, 000 tourists come to the town to see polar bears for six weeks in autumn every year. But the reasons why they come are different from before. Everyone was happier and they had such a good time seeing polar bears. Now things have changed because the word is out that this Western Hudson Bay population of bears, Churchill Bears, are going to be the first population of polar bears to die out. So when the tourists come up, they all have a little bit of a lump in their throats（如鲠在喉）because they're looking at a beautiful bear, but they're also looking at a dying-out bear, which makes the whole attitude toward the bears different. Unfortunately, that's becoming the major part of the whole attraction of the tours as well. Come and see the bears before it's too late.
1.What can we learn about Churchill polar bears from the text？
A.They have eaten up the seals in the Hudson Bay.
B.They come to Churchill at the same time every year.
C.They move to Churchill to escape the northern winds.
D.They are so dangerous that most natives left their home.
2.What did Munk report in his journal？
A.They fed many polar bears. B.Polar bears were dangerous.
C.They hunted a bear for food. D.They found some seals in the bay.
3.How do polar bears benefit Churchill？
A.They make many people settle down. B.They attract many hunters to come here.
C.They bring much tourist income. D.They supply food to locals.
4.What is the main reason why tourists go to Churchill now？
A.To say good-bye to Churchill Bears. B.To help polar bears become happier.
C.To take photos with Churchill Bears. D.To stop polar bears going to the town.
“What's your ‘Thing of the Day’？”I asked my fourteen-year-old son as he got a piece of potato onto his plate. This is a question our four kids and whichever friends are staying for supper expect to be asked each evening at suppertime. Usually, it's followed with, “Uhh……Umm…We had pizza for lunch. ”And then I have to refuse the response and ask for something meaningful-either something he learned or something that happened with his friends.
But, this day, my son surprised me as he went into great detail about how he had been honestly wronged by a couple of classmates and laughed at in front of the class. I asked more questions and learned that the teachers were aware of the situation. The issue had been dealt with as much as the teachers and staff were able to. It was really just a matter of kids being mean and deciding to play a trick on someone.
I thought about the situation all night. I vacillated between meeting the teachers, meeting the parents of the classmates, and not doing anything since the story had been told to me in a matter-of-fact way-not overly excitedly.
I waited until the next day after school. On the car ride home, I questioned my son what about today after yesterday's situation. My son was surprised that I brought it up again. “What？No, it's over, Mom. They're my friends. They were just being stupid. They apologized. Forgive and forget, you know？We're all good. ”
I was worried that perhaps he was trying to hide his concern or sadness about the thing. But as I watched him over the next days and weeks, everything seemed “normal”. Wouldn't it be great if everyone could live the “forgive and forget” way of life？
1.How are children's usual answers to the author's daily question？
A.Serious. B.Worrisome. C.Meaningless. D.Detailed.
2.Why was the author sleepless that night？
A.Her son was made fun of unkindly. B.Her son invited his friends to dinner.
C.Her son was punished by his teacher. D.Her son lied to her about his mistake.
3.What does the underlined word “vacillate” in paragraph 3 probably mean？
A.Give suggestions. B.Make sense. C.Persuade oneself. D.Be undecided.
4.What did the author learn from the whole story？
A.It is good to forgive and forget. B.It is necessary to watch her son.
C.It is difficult to understand children. D.It is surprising for her son to apologize.
World Earth Day is on April 22. It's a day when people around the world work to help the planet, including kids. Here are what four kids have done for the planet.
Speaking Out
Jaysa Hunter-Mellers, 14, spoke at the City Hall to ask leaders to shut the last coal power station nearby which brought her an asthma（哮喘）attack. She didn't think that people would listen to her, a kid. But the coal power station later said it would close. Jaysa learned to speak to her local government at a young age and now she wants to teach others to speak up too.
Helping Butterflies
When Aiden Wang was 6, he learned that local butterflies were in trouble because they needed a kind of grass, milkweed, to survive. But milkweed was disappearing. So Aiden started growing milkweed in his house, on which the butterflies lay eggs. Aiden is now 13 and he cares for eggs and lets them go when they turn into butterflies.
Doing Good for Gorillas
When Addy Barrett was in the first grade, she learnt that the mountain gorillas were in danger. She wanted to protect them and set up a program called Gorilla Heroes. So far, Gorilla Heroes has raised more than $11, 000 to help mountain gorillas. Addy says, “The feeling of having a fine effect on the world is like no other. It feels so good to know that I am making a difference. ”
Educating the Youth
In the fourth grade, Jeremy Clark and Charlie Abrams saw a picture of the Statue of Liberty（自由女神像）up to her waist in water. It was meant to show what the statue would look like if all the ice in the world is turned into water. In 2019, they started a team called Affected Generation to urge young people to become climate activists. The two also want schools to teach about climate change.
1.Why did Jaysa call on the government to close the coal power station？
A.It made too much noise. B.It caused health problems to her.
C.She wanted to set an example for others. D.She wanted to warn government leaders.
2.How does Aiden Wang help butterflies？
A.By collecting their eggs. B.By feeding them on milk.
C.By turning eggs into butterflies. D.By planting grass they lay eggs on.
3.Who set up a team to protect the environment？
A.Aiden Wang. B.Addy Barrett.
C.Jaysa Hunter-Mellers. D.Jeremy Clark and Charlie Abrams.
假定你是李华，于毕业季，代表全体高三学生，感念师恩重似丘山，欲将离别意，写成感谢书。内容包括：
1.表示感谢；2.回顾老师们对你的帮助；3.临别祝愿。
注意：1.词数80左右；2.可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（＼）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；2.只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
Dr. Zhong Nanshan is one of the famous medical scientist in the 21st century. After graduating from high school, he entered into Beijing Medical College in 1960. In the first Chinese National Games, he sets up a National record of the men’s 400m Hurdles.
In spring of 2003, Zhong Nanshan took an active part in the battle against SARS. At that time, most people had no naturally defenses against the disease. Dangerous although it was, he worked hard day and night treated the patients. Through their hard work, Zhong Nanshan and our workmates achieved remarkable results. Soon the SARS epidemic was stopping.
Zhong Nanshan, that has been working in the medical field for over 60 years, is respected by all the people in China.
