翻译题 It's well known that being bilingual has cognitive benefits: switching between two languages has been compared to mental gymnastics. 【F1】But now, research suggests that mastering two languages can fundamentally alter the structure of your brain, rewiring it to work differently than the brains of those who only speak one language.
"Bilinguals are really a model of cognitive control," Pennsylvania State University cognitive scientist Judith F. Kroll told Quartz, citing bilinguals' ability to both hold two languages in their head and expertly switch between them at the right times. Kroll presented her work at the American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting held in Washington, DC last weekend. 【F2】If you speak two languages and have ever found this task to be difficult—choosing the "right" tongue based on the context you're in—it's because both languages are always "on" in the brains of bilinguals. as Kroll and other cognitive scientists have seen. In other words, the brain is continually processing information in both languages.
The mental struggle of selecting and switching between two languages actually helps reshape the brain's networks, according to Kroll. One study looked at four-month old, eight-month old, and one-year old infants—60 of whom were bilingual and 60 monolingual—and found that, 【F3】as they grew older, infants who were exposed to both Spanish and Romanian started looking at speakers' mouths instead of their eyes when listening to someone talk. The monolingual infants, however, only looked at mouths more than eyes when they were listening to someone speak their native tongue.
Kroll told Quartz this study is a great example of how being bilingual can improve speakers' cognitive abilities. (4) "Babies who are growing up with two languages become attuned to those two languages right away, so bilingual is not confusing them or messing them up developmentally—the opposite is true." said Kroll.
This rewiring doesn't happen the same way in every bilingual brain—it's different for each person, just as each person has their own language experience. 【F5】But Kroll's research demonstrates that no matter how effortlessly other bilinguals may seem to switch between their two tongues, there's a lot going on under the hood. That should come as a small relief for anyone attempting to pick up a new language. There is no rest for the monolingual, so as the bilingual—they are struggling to deal with the two languages in the beginning.
问答题 11.【F1】
【正确答案】但现在,研究表明,掌握两种语言可以从根本上改变你的大脑结构,使大脑重新构筑思维模式,以不同于单语者的方式工作。
【答案解析】①本句是复合句。主句主干是主谓宾结构,that引导的从句作suggests的宾语,宾语从句的内容为research“研究”的结果。②宾语从句也为主谓宾结构,主语是现在分词短语mastering two languages,意为“掌握两种语言”。③逗号后的rewiring...是动名词短语作伴随状语;it指代逗号前的brain,than后引出比较对象,即those who...language“那些说一种语言的人”;who引导定语从句修饰those“那些人”。
问答题 12.【F2】
【正确答案】如果你能够讲两种语言并且曾有尴尬经历(根据所处的语境选择“合适”的语言),在克罗尔和其他认知学家看来.这是因为大脑中的两种语言一直处于“开启状态”。
【答案解析】①本句是复合句。第二个破折号前是If引导的条件状语从句,之后是主系表结构的主句it's because…,其中because引导从句作主句的表语。②If引导的条件状语从句中,and连接的两个谓宾结构的主语均为you,to be difficult是不定式作第二个宾语的补语,修饰task。破折号中间为插入语,补充说明困难的任务是什么。③主句逗号后的as引导定语从句,修饰逗号前整个句子的内容,说明逗号前整个句子的内容是谁的观点。
问答题 13.【F3】
【正确答案】随着年龄的增长,那些处于西班牙语和罗马尼亚语双语环境下的婴儿,在聆听他人说话时,开始看他们的嘴巴,而不是眼睛。
【答案解析】①本句是复合句。②as引导时间状语从句,表示“随着年龄的增长”。③who were exposed to…为修饰infants的定语从句,限定说明此处的婴儿特指处于西班牙语和罗马尼亚语双语环境下的婴儿。④start doing sth.表示“开始做某事”;instead of表示“不是……”;when listening to…为主句的时间状语,表示“当……时”。
问答题 14.【F4】
【正确答案】克罗尔说,“在双语环境下成长的婴儿能够马上适应这两种语言,因此,双语并没有让这些婴儿感到困惑或扰乱他们的思维。事实恰恰相反。”
【答案解析】①本句是包含直接引语的复合句,引号内部分可视为完整的复合句,引号外的said Kroll可视为插入语。②主句中,become attuned to…中的to是介词,后接名词,意为“习惯、适应……”;主谓语间的who are growing up…为定语从句修饰主语Babies。③so引导结果状语从句,其中confusing them和messing them up为同义词组,意思是“造成困扰或扰乱他们的思维”。④破折号后的主系表结构是对结果状语从句内容的补充说明。
问答题 15.【F5】
【正确答案】但克罗尔的研究表明,不管双语者看起来有多不费力地切换两种语言,他们暗地里仍需要多用功才能熟练掌握。
【答案解析】①本句是复合句,主干的宾语由从句充当,此宾语从句的内容又是一个让步状语从句。让步状语从旬中no matter how意思是“无论,不管……”,how effortlessly作状语修饰让步状语从句中的谓语switch“切换”,bilingual在此作名词用,意为“双语者”。②going on表示持续发生,under the hood意思“在台下;暗地里”。