Thisistimeofyearwhenwethinkabo-优题课

Learning a second language can improve brain power, scientists believe. US researchers from Northwestern University say bilingualism(双语) is a form of brain training — a mental "work out" that adjusts the mind finely.
Speaking two languages well affects the brain and changes how the nervous system reacts to sound, lab tests showed. Experts say the experiment performed by the National Academy of Sciences provides "biological" evidence of this.
In an attempt to prove the guess that speaking two languages is good for one's mind, the team monitored how the brain of 48 healthy student volunteers reacted to different sounds. Twenty three of these volunteers were bilingual.
The scientists used special equipment to trace the pattern of brainwaves. Under quiet, laboratory conditions, the bilingual students responded in a similar way to the English-only-speaking students, who formed the control group. But the bilingual group were far superior at processing sounds even when there were a lot of people talking in the room. They were better able to focus on to the important information — the speaker's voice — and block out other distracting noises.
Prof Nina Kraus, who led the research, said: "The bilingual's better experience with sound results in a hearing system that is highly efficient, flexible and focused in its automatic sound processing, especially in challenging or novel listening conditions."
Co-author Viorica Marian said: "People do crossword puzzles and other activities to keep their minds sharp. But the advantages we've discovered in double language speakers come automatically simply from knowing and using two languages.''
Musicians appear to gain a similar benefit when rehearsing(彩排), say the researchers. According to some theories, being bilingual might help avoid dementia（痴呆）.
What’s the purpose for the lab test led by Prof Nina Kraus?

A．To find how better the bilingual students can react to sound than other students.

B．Just to find scientific proof for a previous guess.

C．To show the students how good it is to learn a second language.

D．To find a way to prevent dementia.

What does the underlined word “distracting” mean?

A．tiring	B．exciting
C．interesting	D．disturbing

What does Viorica Marian seem to believe?

A．People should do crossword puzzles to keep their minds sharp.

B．Bilingual students have more advantages in study than non-bilingual ones.

C．Speaking two languages is an easier way for people to increase their brain power.

D．Bilingual students are better at solving crossword puzzles.

What conclusion could be drawn from the passage?

A．Being bilingual strengthens brain power.

B．Speaking a second language can change your nervous system.

C．Bilingual musicians perform better on stage.

D．The English-only-speaking students can concentrate easily.

How was the bilingual group better at processing sounds?

A．They were the control group.

B．They could better fix their attention on something of importance.

C．They were able to find the speaker’s voice quickly.

D．They had better nervous system.

Every year, thousands of young Europeans set off to explore their continent by train in the summertime. It is a necessary part of growing up and often the first time many Europeans travel without their parents. Now you too can share this adventure.
There are so many places you can not afford to miss while travelling in Europe: the Eiffel Tower of France, windmills of the Netherlands and the Colosseum of Rome. How do young people afford to visit everything they want?
The answer lies with the Eurail Pass. This ticket allows a traveller unlimited journeys by rail in European countries which are members of the scheme. Ambitious Chinese travellers can buy the ticket in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.
The most popular type of Eurail Pass amongst young people, according to Zhao Jiaji, from China Air Service Ltd, is the Eurail Selectpasses. With this you can design your own trip by selecting three, four or five neighbouring countries from a total 18 nations including Liechtenstein, Monaco, Hungary and Romania.
“There is plenty of choice with this pass: in total this range offers over 400 different combinations of countries to choose from!” said Zhao.
The Eurail Selectpass gives 5 to 10 travel days within a 2-month period.
For more flexibility there are the Eurail Passes which allow you to take trains in 17 countries on any day you like. It is valid (有效的)for a period of either 15 or 21 days, one, two or three months.
If you just want to travel in one or two countries to learn more about the local culture, Eurail Pass also offers two-country passes such as Spain-Portugal, France-Switzerland and Belgium-Luxemburg. And countries like Britain, France and Germany offer a kind of Eurail Pass which allows unlimited train travel in their country.
Before buying the Eurail Pass, you should know some tips to save money. The 2nd class train travel ticket is cheaper than 1st class. And youths under 26 years old or groups of 2 or more people traveling together can enjoy discounts.
For more information, please check out http://www.tt-europe.com.
Why are the three tourist spots introduced in Paragraph 2?

A．Because they are expensive places.

B．Because you will have to travel a long distance to visit all.

C．Because they are famous places for sightseeing

D．Because they are located in different countries

Which of the following is not an advantage of Eurail Pass?

A．Reasonable price.	B．Various choices.
C．Wide coverage.	D．All kinds of discounts.

With the Eurail Selectpasses, you can ______.

A．stay in Europe for 2 months or even longer

B．enjoy a wide range of combinations of countries

C．take trains on any day you like

D．focus your trip in one or two countries

Which of the following is true according to this passage?

A．Eurail Pass is a passport.

B．Under 26 year olds cannot buy 1st class Eurail pass.

C．In Switzerland you cannot use Eurail Selectpasses.

D．Train service is probably the first and best choice for the young to travel Europe.

How many major kinds of Eurail passes are introduced here?

A．Three

B．Four

C．Five

D．Six

An Italian couple are becoming the world’s oldest divorcees, after the 99—year—old husband found that his 96—year—old wife had an affair(婚外情) in the 1940s.
The Italian man, called by lawyers in the case as Antonio C，looking through an old drawer when he made the discovery a few days before Christmas.
In spite of the time that had passed since the affair, he was so upset that he immediately asked his wife of 77 years, named as Rosa C, whether it was true, and demanded a divorce.
Stricken by the guilt, she reportedly admitted everything but was unable to persuade her husband to reconsider his decision, though her children also did much more work.
She wrote letters to her lover during a secret affair in the 1940s, according to court papers released in Rome this week , which made people know the truth.
The couple are now preparing to split, though the marriage they built has lasted over nearly eight decades- they have five children, a dozen grandchildren and one great- grand child.
The discovery of the letters was the final problem for their marriage which had already run into difficulty- 10 years ago the husband briefly left their house in Rome and moved in with one of his sons, only to return a few weeks later.
The Italian thought the fierce split resulted from the couple’s southern blood- he is originally from Olbia in Sardinia, while his wife was born in Naples. The couple met during the 1930s when Antonio served as a young officer.
The case appears to set a new record, at least for the age of the oldest figures- the previous oldest couple to divorce were Bertie and Jessie Wood, both aged 98, from the UK.
That pair ended their 36- year marriage in 2009 when they were both two years away from their 100th birthdays. They got married in Elstree, Hertfordshire, in 1972 having both ended previous marriages, before moving to Falmouth, Cornwall four years later.
Which is true according to the text?

A．To find his wife’ affair, Antonio C looked through an old drawer.

B．Rosa C’ lover may be Bertie.

C．Rosa C admitted what she did because she was sorry for her guilt.

D．The Italian thought the fierce split resulted from the discovery of the letters.

Which word can replace the underlined one in passage5?

A．advertised	B．announced
C．concluded	D．expressed

Which of the following best describe Antonio C?

A．a childish man	B．a rude man
C．a romantic man	D．a stubborn（固执）man

The marriage of Antonio C and Rosa C .

A．may come to an end because the husband sticks to his decision

B．appears to set a new record

C．may have lasted over 36 years

D．began in the 1930s before both ending previous marriages

This passage may come from .

A．a text book	B．a newspaper
C．a history book	D．an advertisement

It takes more than just practice to become an Olympian. Gold medal performances require some serious nutrition. Have you ever wondered what these successful athletes eat to stay in peak shape?
Keri Glassman, a registered dietitian and founder of Nutritious Life Meals, appeared on “Good Morning America” today to give you a glimpse into the diets of some top athletes. Some of their meals could surprise you.
Crazy Calorie Count
Glassman said Olympians eat a lot of food- quantities that for ordinary people would constitute pigging out. One secret of swimmer Michael Phelps’ astonishing performance in the 2008Olympics in Beijing was consuming as many as 12,00 calories in one day.
Athletes can eat like this and not gain any weight because their workouts are intense. According to Glassman, Phelps’ workouts can burn 4,000 to 6,000 calories in a day, and those calories must be added in order to train the following day.
Snacking Secrets
Some athletes eat strange foods that improve their performance. Yohan Blake, the Jamaica sprinter and 100-meter world champion, has stolen champion sprinter Usain Bolt’s thunder on the track during the Olympic trials. Asked about how he gets his energy, Blake answered that he eats 16 bananas per day ,Glassman said.
Jonathan Horton, the lead gymnast on the Us team, has a blood sugar problem. His solution is honey. When he starts to feel shaky at the gym, he takes honey to boost his energy, Classman said.
Foods for Recovery
What are the best foods to help the body recover after harsh competition?
For Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte, the recovery meal is grilled chicken breasts with Alfredo sauce, whole-grain spaghetti and a salad with lemon juice and olive oil. Lochte, who recently cut out junk food, candy and soda, has undertaken a strength-training regimen(养生法)that involves flipping tractor tires, and tossing beer kegs, Glassman said.
What’s the best title of this passage?

A．Good Diet Makes a True Olympian.

B．Olympians Have Olympic-size Appetites.

C．Olympians’ Strange Eating Habits.

D．The Diet of Some Top Olympic Athletes.

What does the underlined sentence probably mean?

A．Ordinary people eat few pigs compared with Olympians.

B．Olympians eat a lot more food than ordinary people.

C．Olympians tend to eat a lot of high-quality food.

D．Olympians eat a large amount of food, just like pigs.

Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Ryan Lochte quit eating junk food , candy and soda for his better recovery.

B．Yohan Blake finally beat Usain Bolt in the 100-meter track in the Olympics.

C．Michael Phelps’ astonishing performance was due to his eating lots of food.

D．Jonathan Horton has a blood sugar problem because of taking too much honey.

Which of the following is not the best food to help the body recover?

A．Soda.

B．Olive oil.

C．Whole-grain spaghetti.

D．A salad with lemon juice.

The passage is most likely to be found in .

A．a technical report	B．a fashion magazine
C．an education column	D．a sports newspaper

It was the summer of 1965. Deluca, then 17, visited Peter Buck, a family friend. Buck asked Deluca about his plan for the future. “I’m going to college, but I need a way to pay for it.” Deluca recalls saying. Buck said, “you should open a sandwich shop.”
That afternoon, they agreed to be partners. And they set a goal: to open 32 stores in ten years. After doing some research, Buck wrote a check for $ 1,000. Deluca rented a storefront (店面) in Connecticut, and when they couldn’t cover their start-up costs, Buck kicked in another $1,000.
But business didn’t go smoothly as they expected. Deluca says, “After six months, we were doing poorly, but we didn’t know how badly, because we didn’t have any financial controls.” All he and Buck knew was that their sales were lower than their costs.
Deluca was managing the store and to the University of Bridgeport at the same time. Buck was working at his day job as a nuclear physicist in New York. They’d meet Monday evenings and brainstorm ideas for keeping the business running. “We convinced ourselves to open a second store. We figured we could tell the public, ‘We are so successful, we are opening a second store.’” And they did — in the spring of 1966. Still, it was a lot of learning by trial and error.
But the partners’ learn-as-you-go approach turned out to be their greatest strength. Every Friday, Deluca would drive around and hand-deliver the checks to pay their supplies. “It probably took me two and a half hours and it wasn’t necessary but as a result, the suppliers got to know me very well, and the personal relationships established really helped out.” Deluca says.
And having a goal was also important. “There are so many problems that can get you down. You just have to keep working toward your goal.” Deluca adds.
Deluca ended up founding Subways Sandwich, the multimillion-dollar restaurant chain.
Deluca opened the first sandwich shop in order to ________.

A．support his family

B．pay for his college education

C．help his partner expand business

D．do some research

Which of the following is true of Buck?

A．He put money into the sandwich business.

B．He was a professor of business as ministration.

C．He was studying at the University of Bridgeport.

D．He rented a storefront for Deluca.

What can we learn about their first shop?

A．It stood at an unfavorable place.

B．It lowered the prices to poor management.

C．It made no profits due to poor management.

D．It lacked control over the quality of sandwich.

They decided to open a second store because they _________.

A．had enough money to do it

B．had succeeded in their business

C．wished to meet the increasing demand of customers

D．wanted to make believe that they were successful

What contributes most to their success according to the author?

A．Learning by trial and error.

B．Making friends with supplies.

C．Finding a good partner.

D．Opening chain stores.