If you think 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 earlier people learn a second language, the greater the effect is.
A team led by Dr. Andrea Mechelli, from University College London(UCL), took a group of Britons who only spoke English. They were compared with a group of “early bilinguals(通两种语言的人)”, 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 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 was.
“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,” 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 2 and 34. Reading, writing and comprehension were all tested. The results showed that the earlier they started to learn, the better. “Studying a language means you get an entrance to another world,” explained the scientists. What does the underlined part “grey matter” (in Paragraph 2) refer to?
| A．Grey hair. | B．Material of the brain. |
| C．Intelligence. | D．Difficult situations. |
The experience of learning a second language can ________.
| A．change one’s brain completely | B．improve one’s maths skills |
| C．make one smarter than others | D．increase the ability to learn |
We can learn from the passage that ________.
| A．the researchers from UCL did another study in Italy |
| B．a similar study was done on native Italian speakers who learn English as a second language |
| C．the research done on the Italians showed a totally different result |
| D．it will be easier for one to travel around the world by learning a second language |
What’s the main idea of the passage?
| A．Learning a second language can help improve your brain power. |
| B．You should learn a second language that is not your native language. |
| C．If you want to learn a second language, you should do it at a certain age. |
| D．The research done by the researchers from UCL is very successful. |
Castle Fire
Winton Castle was damaged in a fire last night. The fire, which was discovered at about 9 o’clock, spread very quickly. Nobody was injured but two people had been rescued from the upstairs room. A number of paintings are believed to have been destroyed. It isn’t known how the fire started.
Shop Robbery
In Paxham yesterday a shop assistant was forced to hand over 500 pounds after being threatened by a man with a knife. The man escaped in a car which had been stolen earlier in the day. The car was later found in a car park where it had been thrown away by the thief. A man has been arrested in connection with the robbery and is still being questioned by the police.
Road Delays
Repair work started yesterday on the Paxham-Longworth road. The road is being resurfaced and there will be long delays. Drivers are asked to choose another way if possible. The work is expected to last two weeks. Next Sunday the road will be closed and traffic will be diverted(改道).
Accident
A woman was taken to hospital after her car collided with a truck near Norstock yesterday. She was allowed home later after treatment. The road was blocked for an hour after the accident and to be diverted. A police inspector said afterwards, “The woman was lucky. She could have been killed.”
64. As a result of the accident yesterday, _________.
A. a lot of valuable things were broken B. five hundred pounds and a car were lost
C. the traffic had to be diverted D. a woman didn’t survive the accident
65. The man who directly joined in the robbery ________.
A. was still being questioned by the police B. hasn’t been arrested ye
C. had escaped in a car earlier in the day D. is being controlled by the police
66. What do you know about the Paxham-Longworth road?
A. An accident happened there and the traffic was diverted.
B. Another road was open for the drivers during the road repairs.
C. The surface of the road needed repairing for two weeks.
D. The road was blocked for an hour after a traffic accident.
67. Which of the following may be the title of the passage?
A. Brief News Report B. Unexpected Accidents
C. What Has Happened Recently D. Important happenings
第三部分：阅读理解（共15小题，每题2分，满分30分）
请认真阅读下列短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Was Princess Diana murdered? The verdict(判决) is no. according to an inquiry(调查) held into the cause of her death over the last six months.
The big question was whether the deaths of Diana and her boyfriend Dodi A1 Fayed in a deadly car crash in 1997 had been accidental, or whether there was some kind of conspiracy(阴谋) to have them killed.
Dodi’s father Mohamed A1 Fayed, owner of London’s world-famous department store Harrods, has insisted for the last decade that the pair were murdered by spies of the British state who did not want them to marry. But his theories now look to have been blown out of the water. The court found that Princess Diana and her boyfriend were not murdered but killed due to the “gross, carelessness” of her driver and the paparazzi(偷拍的摄影记者). Her driver was drunk at the time of the crash and the paparazzi had been running after their car.
So is this the end of the Diana story? British taxpayers may hope so. The inquiry has cost them about ￡10m (140m RMB). “Thank God it’s over”, was the headline in The Guardian newspaper. UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown said it was time to “draw a line” under the death of the Princess. But Mohamed AI Fayed has refused to accept the judgment. He says the result will come as a “blow” to millions of his supporters around the world, and has not ruled out starting another investigation.
Whatever happens, next, the special place Princess Diana has in the hearts of people around the world is not likely to be forgotten.
56. According to the text, the inquiry focuses on _______.
A. what caused the deaths of Diana and her boyfriend
B. who were the paparazzi
C. how much British taxpayers paid for the case
D. whether the driver was drunk then .
57. By saying the underlined “his theories now look to have been blown out of the water”, the author means that ________.
A. Mohamed lacks confidence in the case
B. Mohamed feels disappointed at the result
C. Mohamed’s idea seems to be believable
D. Mohamed’s idea possibly proves to be wrong
58. Similar to The Guardian newspaper, UK Prime Minister ________.
A. felt sorry for the deadly car crash B. questioned the purpose of Dodi’s father
C. stood for the court’s judgment D. blamed the paparazzi for their bad behavior
What kind of car will we be driving in 2010? Rather different from the type we know today, with the next 20 years bringing greater change than the past 50．The people who will be designing the models of tomorrow believe that environmental problems may well accelerate the pace of the car’s development. Today they are students on the transport design course at London’s Royal College of Art.
Their vision is of a machine with three wheels instead of four, electrically powered, environmentally clean, and able to drive itself along “intelligent” roads equipped with built-in power supplies. Future cars will pick up their fuel during long journeys from a power source built into the road, or store it in small quantities for travelling in the city.
Instead of today’s seating arrangements—two in front, two or three behind, all facing forward--- the 2010 car will have a versatile interior with adults and children in a family circle.
This view of the future car is based on a much more sophisticated road system, with strips built into motorways to supply power to vehicles passing along them, cars will not need drivers, because computers will provide safe driving control and route finding. All the driver will have to do is say where to go and the computer will do the rest. It will become impossible for cars to crash into one another. The technology already exists for the car to become a true automobile.
71．What kind of car will we be driving in 2010?
A．Three wheeled. B．Electrically powered.
C．With a versatile seating arrangement D．All of the above.
72．How long will a volunteer be required to spend?
A．A few hours every day. B．A couple of hours each day.
C．One or two hours every two weeks. D．A few days per week.
73．What does the word “versatile” in Paragraph 3 mean?
A．having many different kinds of skill
B．easily able to change from one direction to another
C．easily able to change from one kind of activity to another
D．having many different uses
74．In paragraph 4 “with strips built into motorways to supply power to vehicles passing along them” means “there are many ____”.
A．traffic lights to control the speed of future cars
B．street posts to indicate directions for drivers
C．power sources along the street are able to supply power to automobiles
D．stop marks along the street to stop cars
75．What is the main idea of the passage?
A．Future cars are completely different from the automobiles we know today.
B．The design of future cars will be more sophisticated.
C．Because of the new type of cars, our future environment will become cleaner.
D．The road system will become more sophisticated than it is today.
C
“She was born for the camera,” said a photographer who shot Liu Yifei’s picture when she was only eight.
Over the past year, Liu, an 18-year-old Chinese American, has shot to fame while playing Wang Yuyan in Jin Yong's "Eightfold Path of the Heavenly Dragon"（《天龙八部》）. Millions of teenagers have been drawn in by her light smile and beautiful long hair. Many magazines have described her as one of the most charming young actresses of 2004. People say that Liu will be even bigger this year.
"She is so beautiful on TV. She has the special character to give flesh and blood to the fairy-like and beautiful Wang Yuyan," said Yang Mingwei, a Senior 2 boy and Liu’s fan from Wuyi High School in Fujian.
Currently Liu is filming the TV series "The Return of the Condor Heroes"（《神雕侠侣》）, another Jin Yong novel. In the show to be aired this year, Liu plays the Little Dragon Girl.
Liu is now a grade three student at the Beijing Film Academy, the star factory of China. But some people say that her success is only down to her beauty. When she returned to China with her mother at the age of 14, she did originally work as a model. It was when a director saw her picture on an advertisement board on the street that her opportunity to work in TV arose.
"A pretty face does not last forever. To be a good actress you must work hard and have a professional attitude," Liu said. Every day she spends hours practising all the kungfu kicks and punches for the show.
"There have been times during filming when I have remained hanging in the air on wires for half a day as the director keeps trying to get the perfect take," said Liu recently.
66. In the first paragraph, the photographer commented on Liu’s .
A. beauty B. talent as an actress
C. promising future D. special character
67. What does the underlined word “aired” probably mean?
A. Flown B. Broadcast C. Published D. Recorded
68. From Yang Mingwei, we learned that he meant LiuYifei .
A. worked hard when playing Wang Yuyan B. is more beautiful than WangYuyan
C. did a good job in playing WangYuyan D. was very lucky to play WangYuyan
69. Which of the following about Liu Yifei is true according to the passage?
A. She thinks her beauty contributes to her success.
B. She has become a citizen of the US.
C. She graduated from the Beijing Film Academy months ago.
D. She failed to improve her English when studying in America.
70. In which part of a newspaper can you read the above passage?
A. National news. B. Business. C. Advertisement. D. Famous people.