4．If 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 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"（能说两种语言的人）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（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．
Prfessor Dylan Vaughan Jones of the University of Wales，has researched the link between bilingualism and math 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 the two and thirty-four．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．
24．What did the researchers at UCL find about the effect of learning a second language on the human brain？C
A．It will build up muscles that make people smarter．
B．It will change the grey matter in the brain to a different shape．
C．It will develop the area of brain where information is processed．
D．It will change the size of the grey matter，which makes people clever．
25．The meaning of the sentence"the longer a person waited before mastering a new language，the smaller the difference"isC
A．the grey matter density in the brain of the early second language learners is greater than that of people without a second language．
B．there is no difference between the grey matter density in the brain of later learners and that of people without a second language．
C．the difference of the grey matter density in the brain tends to be smaller between the later learners and the people without a second language．
D．people should take long to learn a second language in order to have greater grey matter density in the brain．
26．What's the main idea of the passage？D
A．The research done by the researchers at UCL is very useful．
B．You should learn a second language if English is not your native language．
C．If you want to learn a second language，you should do it between the ages of two and thirty-four．
D．Learning a second language can give you another window to the world and make your brain more flexible．
分析 学习第二种语言会优化你大脑中处理信息的区域，并且会使你大脑更加灵活，就像打开了人生的第二扇窗户．
解答 24．C．细节理解题．由第二段Researchers found that learning other languages changes grey matter．This is the area of the brain which processes information．可知学习第二种语言会优化你大脑中处理信息的区域，故选C．
25．C．理解推断题．由此句前的but可知此处稍有转折，可推知句意是，学习第二种语言越晚，这种灰质的变化就会越小，故选C．
26．D．主旨大意题．由全文内容可知，作者在第一段中就提出了本文的主题，然后下文围绕这一主题进行深入地阐述，即"语言学习可以提高你的智力"．故选D．
点评 本篇文章细节理解方面的题型，需要考生通过跳读迅速找到对应的句子进行详细理解，句子的理解可以结合上下文意思，通过逻辑推理得到．
