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If English means endless new words, difficult grammar and sometimes strange pro- nunciation, 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 effect is greater, the younger people learn a second language.
A team led by Dr Andrea Mechelli, from University College London, took a group of Britons who
only spoke English. They were compared with a group of "early bilinguals" 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 (密度) 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.
"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 (灵活的),"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 two and 34. Reading, writing, and comprehension were all tested. The
results showed that the younger they started to learn, the better. "Studying a language means you get an
entrance to another world," explained the scientists.
1. Tire main subject talked about in this passage is ______.
A. science on learning a second language
B. man's ability of learning a second language
C. 1anguage can help brain power
D. 1anguage learning and maths study
2. In the second paragraph, the writer mentions "exercise" in order to ______.
A. say language is also a kind of physical labor
B. prove that one needs more practice when he (she) is learning a language
C. to show the importance of using the language when you learn the language
D. make people believe language learning helps grey matter work well
3. We may know from the scientific findings that ______.
A. the earlier you start to learn a second language, the higher the grey matter density is
B. there is no difference between a later second language learner and one who doesn't
know a second language
C. the experience of learning a second language has bad effect on people's brain
D. the ability of learning a second language is changing all the time
4. The underlined word "bilingual'' probably means ______.
A. a researcher on language learning
B. a person who is good at learning foreign languages
C. a person who can speak two languages
D. an active language learner
