When Adrian Black met his Italian partner 10 years ago, he was determined to learn her mother language. Having successfully picked up French a decade earlier when he lived in France, he felt the challenge was attainable.

Black, who is now50, explains,“I feel like French is deep down in my head somewhere, but with Italian it will take a lot more efforts for me to get to that level. I've noticed that my brain isn't as good as it was. ”

It's often said that you cant teach an old dog new tricks. Actually this saying is, for the most part, not true. It was generally believed that the adult brain was a fixed structure that, once damaged , could not be repaired. But research published since the 1960s has challenged this assumption（假设）, showing that it is actually a highly dynamic structure, which changes itself in response to new experiences, and adapts to injuries.

This research also suggests that young men can learn something new easily, but that the older they are, the harder it is for them to do so.

Some aspects of language learning become more difficult with age. Others may get easier. Picking up a new language's vocabulary is much easier for adults than learning the rules that govern its grammar. This is because new words can be easily connected with a learner's pre -existing knowledge. But older learners are less likely to have good pronunciation （发音）or accents, since the sound of a new language is picked up naturally by children.

Despite the difficulties, Black regards learning foreign languages as fun. “I'm doing it partly to keep my brain active,”he says. “When you have some success and can express yourself, it feels like you're using different parts of your brain that you weren't using before. ”

   Residents in the poorest counties in the U. S. face a life expectancy（预期寿命）up to a decade shorter than their counterparts in the wealthiest areas, according to a study published in the American Journal of Public Health.

Researchers from East Tennessee State University wanted to better understand how socioeconomic status was associated with health outcomes. To find it out they divided the country's 3,141 counties into 50 new states based on household income.

The researchers broke down the data by county since they found state-level data may hide some impact of socioeconomic differences on both the wealthiest and poorest counties. They then examined health data from the wealthiest and poorest states to see how residents differed on factors like smoking, clinical care and excessive drinking. Researchers found that there was nearly a 10-year gap in the life expectancy of men with an average of 79. 3 years in the wealthy counties compared to 69. 8 years in the poorest. For women,the difference was slightly less - 83 years in the wealthiest counties and 76 years in the poorest.

The researchers caution that while they found a connection between socioeconomic status and health outcomes, they did not analyze cause and effect. But they suggest that the data shows policymakers should not just focus on state-wide initiatives（计划）but more targeted efforts to help those most at risk. “With limited resources, methods of finding the poorest counties can assist in the allocation of resources and programs to those communities that are in the greatest need,”the researchers wrote.

In many countries today, laws protect wildlife. In India, the need for such protection 【小题1】（realize）centuries ago. About 300 years ago, 【小题2】 Indian writer described forests 【小题3】   were somewhat like national parks today. The killing of animals was 【小题4】（careful）supervised（监督）. Some animals were fully protected in the forest. Nobody was allowed 【小题5】（cut）timber（木材）, burn wood for charcoal, or catch animals for their fur. Animals which became 【小题6】（danger） to human visitors were caught or killed outside the park, so that other animals would not become uneasy.

The need for wildlife protection is 【小题7】（great）now than before. About a thousand species of animals are in danger of dying out, and the rate at which they are being destroyed 【小题8】（increase）. If we don't take 【小题9】（measure）to protect wildlife,some day our children will see no living creatures 【小题10】 themselves.

The International Volunteer Day approaching,some volunteers of our school were organized to assist the policemen with traffic control in our city. At 8 o'clock on the morning of last Sunday, we gather at the school gate. One of our teachers was in the charge of this activity and he divided us into four groups. Then we went to different crossings near our school. The police officers told us that we should do and how to protect themselves from danger. We spent the whole morning keep the streams of traffic flowing smooth. With a red banner in our hands, we stopped some road user running a red light. Some citizens praised us our good deeds. Because we were very tired that morning,we were pride to have offered service to our society.

   Have you ever considered volunteering? It gives you a chance to make contributions. You'll feel a sense of pride that you are volunteering your time, and a local organization will benefit, too. But how to volunteer?Follow the three steps before you enjoy it.

Pick an organization. 【小题1】 You're likely to be happier and volunteer longer at an organization that supports a cause you care about. For example, if you're interested in animal welfare, maybe you want to volunteer at an animal shelter. Much like job search sites, you can also use volunteer websites like VolunteerMatch to help you find volunteer opportunities in your area. If you still can't narrow down where you want to volunteer, start asking people you know where they volunteer. 【小题2】

Be clear what you can offer. First identify your skills. For example, maybe you could write brochures（小册子）for local nonprofits if writing is your style. 【小题3】 You need to be sure how much time you can give to an organization based on your other commitments. If you try to do too much, you're more likely to give up.

 【小题4】 Treat the application like a job. Spend some time preparing for the interview, much as you would for a job interview. 【小题5】 Ask what's expected of volunteers. For instance, volunteers at a museum may be expected to learn parts of the galleries（展览馆）to give tours. Start volunteering slowly. That is, it's better to commit to just a little bit of time at first to see if you like volunteering at the organization.