BSection III Writing/B

People used to think that learning two languages created confusion in the mind. Far【C1】______it was thought, to get one right than bother with two. An even more extreme and【C2】______view was that learning two languages caused a kind of mental illness or dual personality. Some studies did seem to【C3】______the idea that learning two languages could be problematic; early researchers noted that bilingual people tended to have smaller vocabularies and slower access to words. But these myths and【C4】______disadvantages have now been overshadowed by a【C5】______of new research showing the【C6】______psychological benefits of learning another language. And these extend way【C7】______being able to order a cup of coffee abroad or ask directions to your hotel. First, Language centers in the brain actually grow as a result of successful language learning. The better you learn, the more those【C8】______areas of the brain grow. Second, bilingualism【C9】______Alzheimer"s disease in susceptible people by as much as five years. Seems unbelievable,【C10】______the studies are continuing to support this result. Third, being bilingual can lead to【C11】______listening skills, since the brain has to work harder to recognize different types of sounds in two or more languages. Fourth, you may become more language 【C12】______. Infants in bilingual households can distinguish languages they"ve never even【C13】______before. Just being 【C14】______the different sounds in, for example, Spanish and Catalan, helps them tell the difference between English and French. Fifth, it can【C15】______your memory. Babies brought up in a bilingual environment have stronger working memories than those brought up【C16】______only one language. Sixth, bilingual people can【C17】______from one task to another more quickly. Seventh, bilinguals have stronger control over their【C18】______and are better able to limit distractions. Furthermore, it can help develop new ways of seeing and improve your first language etc. These are all quite apart from the benefits of【C19】______yourself in another culture, and of seeing your own culture from the【C20】______of another. You may well get something like " a second soul" from learning another language.

While still catching up to men in some fields of modern life, women appear to be far ahead in at least one undesirable aspect. "Women are particularly liable to developing depression and anxiety disorders in response to stress compared to men." according to Dr. Yehuda, chief psychiatrist at New York's Veteran's Administration Hospital. Studies of both animals and humans have shown that sex hormone (荷尔蒙) somehow affect the stress response, causing females under stress to produce more of the trigger chemicals than do males under the same conditions. In several of the studies, when stressed-out female rats had their ovaries (the female reproductive organs) removed, their chemical responses became equal to those of the males. Adding to a woman's increased dose of stress chemicals, are her increased "opportunities" for stress. "It's not necessarily that women don't cope as well. It's just that they have so much more to cope with." says Dr. Yehuda. "Their capacity for tolerating stress may even be greater than men's," she observes, "it's just that they're dealing with so many more things that they become worn out from it more visibly and sooner. " Dr. Yehuda notes another difference between the sexes. " I think that the kinds of things that women are exposed to tend to be in a chronic or repeated nature. Men go to war and are exposed to combat stress. Men are exposed to more acts of random physical violence. The kinds of interpersonal violence that women are exposed to tend to be in domestic situations, by, unfortunately, parents or other family members, and they tend not to be one-shot deals. The wear-and-tear that comes from these longer relationships can be quite devastating. " Adeline Alvarez married at 18 and gave birth to a son, but was determined to finish college. "I struggled a lot to get the college degree. I was living in so much frustration that that was my escape, to go to school, and get ahead and do better. " Later, her marriage ended and she became a single mother. " It's the hardest thing to take care of a teenager, have a job, pay the rent, pay the car payment, and pay the debt. I lived from paycheck to paycheck. Not everyone experiences the kinds of severe chronic stresses Alvarez describes. But most women today are coping with a lot of obligations, with few breaks, and feeling the strain. Alvarez's experience demonstrates the importance of finding ways to diffuse stress before it threatens your health and your ability to function.

What do Russia"s Belgorod province and some schools in Florida and Connecticut have in common? They are unlikely recruits to the war on Valentine"s Day. In 2011 the governor of Belgorod banned celebration of the holiday in educational and cultural institutions on the【C1】______that it was harmful to Russian spirituality and【C2】______. Last year two schools in Orange County, Florida,【C3】______Valentine"s gift-giving, citing such reasons【C4】______the need to "maintain instructional focus" and "【C5】______distraction". And this year a school in Connecticut wrote to parents to say it would be【C6】______sweets and parties on February 14th with healthy snacks and【C7】______activities. This puts them all on the【C8】______side as many Muslim countries that have banned the celebration of Valentine"s Day. Saudi Arabia has gone so【C9】______as to ban all things red from flowers and gift shops on the day—with little effect【C10】______to create a black market for red roses. A Kyrgyzstan"s leader recently urged his fellow legislators to【C11】______a ban, too, dubbing Valentine"s Day a "holiday from the devil". Originally a Christian【C12】______associated with several victims called Valentine, February 14th was also the day when birds chose their mates in folk stories. In 1400 Charles VI of France picked the date to propose a "High Court of Love",【C13】______matters of the heart. The passing of love notes became fashionable in England in the 1700s, and in 1797 "The Young Man"s Valentine Writer" was published, formalizing a long【C14】______of telling men how to propose. In 1913 Hallmark produced their first【C15】______Valentine"s card. In the 1980s the diamond industry followed flower"s and chocolate"s businessmen, who had already【C16】______Valentine"s Day as a moment to give (or expect) a【C17】______gift. What bothers some of Valentine"s Day"s enemies is its Christian, or Western, origins. For others the problem is the stimulation to commerciality, evil or even unhealthy eating.【C18】______their battle is doomed to failure. Valentine"s Day has a conveniently unspecific origin myth. It【C19】______cheer to the post-Christmas depression. It provides an opportunity to give and get, and, for businesses, to【C20】______.

BPart BDirections: Write an essay of 160-200 words based on the following information./B

In this section, you are asked to write an essay based on the following information. Make comments and express your own opinion. You should write at least 150 words. 在一些大学校园，学生在日常生活中造成大量的浪费。这是非常有害的。对此你有什么看法和建议?

BPart B/B

Writeanessaybasedonthefollowingchart.Inyourwriting,youshould1)describethechart,and2)giveyourcomments.Youshouldwriteabout150words.

In spite of "endless talk of difference," American society is an amazing machine for homogenizing people. There is" the democratizing uniformity of dress and discourse, and the casualness and absence of deference" characteristic of popular culture. People are absorbed into " a culture of consumption" launched by the 19th-century department stores that offered " vast arrays of goods in an elegant atmosphere. Instead of intimate shops catering to a knowledgeable elite," these were stores" anyone could enter, regardless of class or background. This turned shopping into a public and democratic act. The mass media, advertising and sports are other forces for homogenization. Immigrants are quickly fitting into this common culture, which may not be altogether elevating but is hardly poisonous. Writing for the National Immigration Forum, Gregory Rodriguez reports that today's immigration is neither at unprecedented levels nor resistant to assimilation. In 1998 immigrants were 9. 8 percent of population; in 1990, 13.6 percent. In the 10 years prior to 1990, 3.1 immigrants arrived for every 1,000 residents; in the 10 years prior to 1890, 9.2 for every 1,000. Now, consider three indices of assimilation—language, home ownership and intermarriage. The 1990 Census revealed that "a majority of immigrants from each of the fifteen most common countries of origin spoke English 'well' or 'very well' after ten years of residence. "The children of immigrants tend to be bilingual and proficient in English. "By the third generation, the original language is lost in the majority of immigrant families." Hence the description of America as a "graveyard" for languages. By 1996 foreign-born immigrants who had arrived before 1970 had a home ownership rate of 75.6 percent, higher than the 69.8 percent rate among native-born Americans. Foreign-born Asians and Hispanics "have higher rates of intermarriage than do U. S. -born whites and blacks." By the third generation, one third of Hispanic women are married to non-Hispanics, and 41 percent of Asian-American women are married to non-Asians. Rodriguez notes that children in remote villages around the world are fans of superstars like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Garth Brooks, yet" some Americans fear that immigrants living within the United States remain somehow immune to the nation's assimilative power. " Are there divisive issues and pockets of seething anger in America? Indeed. It is big enough to have a bit of everything. But particularly when viewed against America's turbulent past, today's social indices hardly suggest a dark and deteriorating social environment.

BSection I Use of EnglishDirections: Read the following text. Choose the best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D./B

BSection I Use of EnglishDirections: Read the following text. Choose the best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D./B

Britain"s private schools are one of its most successful exports. The children of the wealthy【C1】______to them, whether from China, Nigeria or Russia: the number of foreign pupils rose by 1.4% in the last year alone. 【C2】______foreign students, whether educated in British private schools or elsewhere, are decreasingly likely to go to English universities. According to the Higher Education Funding Council for England, 307,200【C3】______students began their studies in the country in 2012-13, down from 312,000 two years earlier and the first【C4】______in 29 years. Student numbers from the rest of the EU fell—【C5】______a result of the increase in annual tuition【C6】______in England from ￡6,000 a year to ￡9,000. But【C7】______from India and Pakistan declined most sharply. 【C8】______the visa regime for private schools, which is extremely【C9】______(the Home Office counts private schools as favored sponsors), student visas have been tightened. Foreign students used to be allowed to work for up to two years after graduating. They now have only four months to find a job paying upwards of ￡20,600 if they want to stay in Britain. This change was【C10】______to deal with sham colleges that were【C11】______offering two-year work visas. But it seems to have put【C12】______serious students too. Nick Hillman of the Higher Education Policy Institute says the government has sent unclear messages about the sort of immigration it wants to【C13】______. An emphasis on holding down net immigration discourages young Indians and Pakistanis in particular. Australia and America, which have more【C14】______entry criteria for students, are becoming more favored【C15】______. Colin Riordan, Cardiff University"s vice-chancellor, adds that Britain"s student-visa regime has become more burdensome and complicated【C16】______. As a result, Britain is losing out to other countries in the【C17】______for talent—an odd thing,【C18】______how often the prime minister bangs on about the "global race". Its unwelcoming stand will【C19】______its long-term prospects. And the【C20】______of foreign students from leading British private schools to American colleges may have another, somewhat happier, consequence: America might become rather better at cricket.

BSection II Reading Comprehension/B

Directions:Writeanessaybasedonthefollowingcharts.Inyourwriting,youshould1)describethefollowingdiagrams,and2)giveyourcomments.Youshouldwriteabout150words.

BSection II Reading Comprehension/B

The early retirement of experienced workers is seriously harming the U.S. economy, according to a new report from the Hudson Institute, a public policy research organization. Currently, many older experienced workers retire at an early age. According to the recently issued statistics, 79 percent of qualified workers begin collecting retirement benefits at age 62; if that trend continues, there will be a labor shortage that will hinder the economic growth in the twenty-first century. Older Americans constitute an increasing proportion of the population, according to the U. S. Census Bureau, and the population of those over age 65 will grow by 60% between 2001 and 2020. During the same period, the group aged 18 to 44 will increase by only 4%. Keeping older skilled workers employed, even part time, would increase U.S. economic output and strengthen the tax base; but without significant policy reforms, massive early retirement among baby boomers seems more likely. Retirement at age 62 is an economically rational decision today. Social Security and Medicaid earnings limits and tax penalties subject our most experienced workers to marginal tax rates as high as 67%. Social Security formulas encourage early retirement. Although incomes usually rise with additional years of work, any pay increases after the 35-year mark result in higher social Security taxes but only small increases in benefits. Hudson Institute researchers believe that federal tax and benefit policies are at fault and reforms are urgently needed, but they disagree with the popular proposal that much older Americans will have to work because Social Security will not support them and that baby boomers are not saving enough for retirement. According to the increase in 401 (k) and Keogh retirement plans, the ongoing stock market on Wall Street, and the likelihood of large inheritances, there is evidence that baby boomers will reach age 65 with greater financial assets than previous generations. The Hudson institute advocates reforming government policies that now discourage work and savings, especially for older worker. Among the report's recommendations; Tax half of all Social Security benefits, regardless of other income; provide 8% larger benefits for each year beyond 65; and permit workers nearing retirement to negotiate compensation packages that may include a lower salary but with greater healthcare benefits. However, it may take real and fruitful planning to find the right solution to the early retirement of older experienced workers; any measures taken must be allowed to prolong the serviceability of older experienced workers.

BPart ADirections: Write a composition/letter of no less than 100 words on the following information./B

BSection III Writing/B

While we've known for some time about the many long-term benefits of exercise, new research shows aerobic exercise also may have considerable effects on aging and brain health in the short term. A new study says exercise can help older adults improve their memory and overall cognitive health as they【C1】______. Researchers at the Center for BrainHealth studied a group of 37 adults ages 57 to 75【C2】______inactive lifestyles. They were【C3】______two groups, one control group and one physically active group. The fitness group spent one hour a day, three times a week, either bicycling or jogging【C4】______the course of 12 weeks. Each participant was【C5】______before, after and halfway through the study on their overall brain【C6】______and the fitness level of heart and blood vessel. At all three checkpoints, the group that was physically active was found to have higher blood flow in the brain and also improved memory. Researchers【C7】______this to increased blood flow in certain regions of the brain concerning memory. "Science has shown that aging【C8】______mental efficiency and memory decline is the number one cognitive【C9】______of older adults," lead author Sandra Bond Chapman said in a statement. "This research shows the【C10】______benefit of aerobic exercise on a person's memory and demonstrates that aerobic exercise can reduce both the biological and cognitive【C11】______of aging." There are hundreds of benefits of exercise at any age【C12】______. for older adults, the affects are especially astonishing. Another study in 2006 showed that exercise not only improved brain performance but【C13】______increased brain volume in older adults. Researchers say the best part about the【C14】______findings is that aerobic exercise is low-cost and accessible to anyone,【C15】______is packed with benefits. Exercise can help lower blood pressure, help【C16】______your hormone levels, and even shorten hot flashes. But to【C17】______maximum benefits from an exercise regime, Chapman says it's important to also get plenty of mental stimulation. "To think we can【C18】______and improve the basic structure of the【C19】______brain through aerobic exercise and complex thinking should【C20】______us to challenge our thinking and get moving at any age," Chapman said.

BPart BDirections: Write an essay of 160-200 words based on the following information./B