New research suggests that speaking more than one language may delay different kinds of dementia(痴呆), that is the loss of mental ability. In fact, researchers say, speaking two languages appears to be more important than the level of education in defending against dementias.
A study in India examined the effect of knowing more than one language in delaying the first signs of several dementias. Researchers studied nearly 650 people whose average age was 66. 240 of those studied suffered from Alzheimer's, the most common form of mental decline(下降). 391 of the subjects spoke two or more languages. Researchers found the dementias began about four-and-a-half years later in those who spoke two languages compared to those who spoke only one language. The level of education had no effect on the age at the first sign of dementia.
Thomas Bak, from the Center of Cognitive Aging at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, who helped to organize the study, suggests that individuals who speak more than one language train their brains by moving back and forth between different words and expressions. He also believes this effort improves what scientists called executive(执行的) functioning, which often weakens in people with dementias. He states that researchers found there was no extra gain in speaking more than two languages.
Mr Bak says it does not appear important whether you learn another language at a young age or later in life. It's not something that “you missed the boat when you do not do it as a baby.” It is something that is still quite useful and powerful when you do it as an adult. The finding of the study is that________.
| A．learning more than one language can cure dementias |
| B．speaking two languages may delay kinds of dementias |
| C．the level of education matters in defending against dementias |
| D．people who suffer from dementias will lose mental ability |
The underlined word “subjects” refers to________.
| A．people who were studied in the study |
| B．notices that were put on about the study |
| C．questions that were asked in the study |
| D．methods that were used in the study |
According to Mr Bak, ________.
| A．the more languages one speaks, the less chance of getting dementias |
| B．people’s executive functioning often strengthens with age |
| C．when you learn one more language makes no difference |
| D．it is much easier to learn one more language at a young age |
This passage may probably be seen in________.
| A．a research plan | B．a health magazine |
| C．a book review | D．a business magazine |
The Eiffel Tower was built in 1889, in memory of the 100th birthday of the French Revolution. The Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII of England, opened the tower. Of the 700 suggestions that were handed in, Gustave Eiffel’s was chosen.
However, at first, it was not well accepted by all and a group of people — including many well-known writers and painters at that time — were fiercely against its design.
Being about 300 meters in height, and 7,000 tons in weight, it was the world’s tallest building until 1930. It was a great project for France. 300 workers took two years to build it. It isn’t an ordinary building, since it is almost made of steel. For example, its body moves around at most 12 cm in heavy wind. Moreover, its height changes up to 15 cm according to the temperature.
It was almost destroyed in 1909, but was saved because of its antenna(天线), which is used for communication at that time. Beginning in 1910 it became part of the International Time Service. French radio and French television have also made good use of its height.
The Eiffel Tower has also seen a few strange things. In 1923, a journalist rode a bicycle down from the first level of it. And in 1954, a mountain climber climbed on top of it and tried to measure its exact height.
Anyway, although its birth was difficult, it is now well accepted all over the world. It has been considered as one of the symbols of Paris. The passage mainly tells us ________.
| A．the history of the Eiffel Tower |
| B．some information about its design |
| C．what the Eiffel Tower was used for |
| D．how it became one of the symbols of Paris |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to this passage?
| A．Many people couldn’t accept the Eiffel Tower at the beginning. |
| B．It was the world’s tallest building for hundreds of years. |
| C．A journalist rode down from the Eiffel Tower in 1954. |
| D．The Eiffel Tower was saved because of its height. |
The French Revolution took place in _______.
| A．1889 | B．1923 | C．1789 | D．1930 |
When students and parents are asked to rate subjects according to their importance, the arts are unavoidably at the bottom of the list. Music is nice, people seem to say, but not important. Too often it is viewed as mere entertainment, but certainly not an education priority(优先). This view is shortsighted. In fact, music education is beneficial and important for all students.
Music tells us who we are because music is an expression of the beings who create it, it reflects their thinking and values as well as the social environment it comes from. Rock music represents a lifestyle just as surely as does a Schubert song. The jazz influence that George Gershwin and other musicians introduced into their music is obviously American because it came from American musical traditions. Music expresses our character and values. It gives us identity as a society.
Music provides a kind of perception (感知) that cannot be acquired any other way. Science can explain how the sun rises and sets. The arts explore the emotive (情感的) meaning of the same phenomenon. We need every possible way to discover and respond to our world for one simple but powerful reason: No one way can get it all.
The arts are forms of thought as powerful in what they communicate as mathematical and scientific symbols. They are ways we human beings “talk” to each other .They are the language of civilization through which we express our fears, our curiosities, our hungers, our discoveries, our hopes. The arts are ways we give form to our ideas and imagination so that they can be shared with others. When we do not give children access to an important way of expressing themselves such as music, we take away from them the meanings that music expresses.
Science and technology do not tell us what it means to be human. The arts do. Music is an important way we express human suffering, celebrations, the meaning and value of peace and love.
So music education is far more necessary than people seem to realize.According to paragraph 1, students.
| A．regard music as a way of entertainment |
| B．disagree with their parents on education |
| C．view music as an overlooked subject |
| D．prefer the arts to science |
In Paragraph 2, the author uses jazz an example to.
| A．compare it with rock music |
| B．show music identifies a society |
| C．introduce American musical traditions |
| D．prove music influences people’s lifestyles |
According to the passage, the arts and science.
| A．approach the world from different angles |
| B．explore different phenomena of the world |
| C．express people’s feeling in different ways |
| D．explain what it means to be human differently |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．Music education deserves more attention. |
| B．Music should be of top education priority. |
| C．Music is an effective communication tool. |
| D．Music education makes students more imaginative. |
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I’ve read online about your amazing customer service, and I must say I’m now a true believer. — B.L.How long does it take the battery to charge up an iPhone?
| A．15 minutes. | B．30 minutes. | C．1.5 hours. | D．3 hours. |
What is special about the battery?
| A．It is built in an iPhone. | B．It is the smallest of its kind. |
| C．It can also be used as a charger. | D．It keeps power for about 30 days. |
Who mentions the transporting of the battery?
A. P.S.B. B.L. C. M.C.D. T.K.The customer comments on the battery are mainly about its _______.
| A．quality | B．service | C．function | D．shopping |
I am a writer. I spend a great deal of my time thinking about the power of language — the way it can evoke(唤起) an emotion, a visual image, a complex idea, or a simple truth. Language is the tool of my trade. And I use them all — all the Englishes I grew up with.
Born into a Chinese family that had recently arrived in California, I’ve been giving more thought to the kind of English my mother speaks. Like others, I have described it to people as “broken” English. But I feel embarrassed to say that. It has always bothered me that I can think of no way to describe it other than “broken”, as if it were damaged and needed to be fixed, as if it lacked a certain wholeness. I’ve heard other terms used, “limited English,” for example. But they seem just as bad, as if everything is limited, including people’s perceptions (认识) of the limited English speaker.
I know this for a fact, because when I was growing up, my mother’s “limited” English limited my perception of her. I was ashamed of her English. I believed that her English reflected the quality of what she had to say. That is, because she expressed them imperfectly, her thoughts were imperfect. And I had plenty of evidence to support me: the fact that people in department stores, at banks, and at restaurants did not take her seriously, did not give her good service, pretended not to understand her, or even acted as if they did not hear her.
I started writing fiction in 1985. And for reasons I won’t get into today, I began to write stories using all the Englishes I grew up with: the English she used with me, which for lack of a better term might be described as “broken”, and what I imagine to be her translation of her Chinese, her internal(内在的) language, and for that I sought to preserve the essence, but neither an English nor a Chinese structure: I wanted to catch what language ability tests can never show; her intention, her feelings, the rhythms of her speech and the nature of her thoughts.By saying “Language is the tool of my trade”, the author means that.
| A．she uses English in foreign trade |
| B．she is fascinated by languages |
| C．she works as a translator |
| D．she is a writer by profession |
The author used to think of her mother’s English as.
| A．impolite | B．amusing | C．imperfect | D．practical |
Which of the following is TRUE according to Paragraph 3?
| A．Americans do not understand broken English. |
| B．The author’s mother was not respected sometimes. |
| C．The author’s mother had positive influence on her. |
| D．Broken English always reflects imperfect thoughts. |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．The changes of the author’s attitude to her mother’s English. |
| B．The limitation of the author’s perception of her mother. |
| C．The author’s misunderstanding of “limited” English. |
| D．The author’s experiences of using broken English. |
Do’s and Don’ts in Whale(鲸)Watching
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans has developed guidelines for whale watching in Johnstone Strait,where killer whales are found on a daily basis each summer. It is strongly recommended that vessel(船只)operators follow these guidelines for all kinds of whales.
●Approach whales from the side, not from the front or the back.
●Approach no closer than 100 metres, then stop the boat but keep the engine on.
●Keep noise levels down-no horns, whistles or racing of engines.
●Start your boat only after the whales are more than 100 metres from your vessel.
●Leave the area slowly, gradually moving faster when you are more than 300 metres from the whales.
●Approach and leave slowly, avoiding sudden changes in speed or direction.
●Avoid disturbing groups of resting whales.
●Keep at low speeds and remain in the same direction if travelling side by side with whales.
●When whales are travelling close to shore, avoid crowding them near the shore or coming between the whales and the shore.
●Limit the time spent with any group of whales to less than 30 minutes at a time when within 100 to 200 metres of whales.
●If there is more than one vessel at the same observation spot, be sure to avoid any boat position that would result in surrounding the whales.
●Work together by communicating with other vessels, and make sure that all operators are aware of the whale watching guidelines.For whom is this text written?
| A．Tour guides. |
| B．Whale watchers. |
| C．Vessel operators. |
| D．Government officials. |
When leaving the observation areas, the vessel should ________________.
| A．move close to the beach |
| B．increase speed gradually |
| C．keep its engine running slowly |
| D．remain at the back of the whales |
What is the shortest safe distance from the whales?
| A．400 metres. | B．300 metres. | C．200 metres. | D．100 metres. |