6．If English means endless new words，difficult grammar and sometimes strange pronunciation，you are wrong．Haven't you noticed that you have become cleverer 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．It is similar to the way that exercise builds muscles（肌肉）． 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（扫描） 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（结构） of the brain is changed by the experience of learning a second language，"said the scientists． It means that the change itself increase the ability to learn． Professor Dylan Vauhan Jones of the University of Wales has researched the link between the 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 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．
53．What does the writer talk about in the passage？D A．Useful methods must be used in language learning． B．We should keep learning a second language abroad． C．Language can help us communicate with each other． D．Second language learning can improve our mind． 54．What does the underlined phrase"grey matter"refer to？C A．The memory of the brain． B．Our body language． C．A certain part of the brain． D．A kind of dark color． 55．Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage？B A．Learning a second language can help us find a good job quickly． B．Dr．Mechelli made the experiment among three different groups． C．Learning a second language is the same as studying other subjects． D．The earlier we learn a second language，the more money we pay．
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