西安交大取消四六级学位证挂钩
近日，西安交通大学教务处发布通知：经学校2023年第五次本科生院院务会研究决定，学校不再将大学英语四六级考试、校内英语水平考试和校外其他各类英语考试是否参加及其考试成绩作为本科生毕业及学士学位授予条件。于是，关于是否要「学英语」的问题，再次引发网友热议。
借（cèng）此（gè）机（rè）会（diǎn），我们就来看看「学外语」的好处吧。
🤔️小作业：
1. Which of the following statements most likely aligns with Kate Cashman's viewpoint?
a) Learning a new language will improve global cognition.
b) Learning a new language is an increasingly popular trend among adults.
c) Mastering a new language elevates one's sense of success and overall well-being.
d) Learning a new language requires several thousand hours to become proficient.
a) Mental energy b) Natural ability
c) Functional connectivity d) Executive functions
无注释原文：
Just a few minutes daily learning a language can boost your brain power
From: The Sydney Morning Herald
June 13, 2021
Learning a second language is often on people's bucket lists. They dream of wooing someone in French, or of striking up a conversation with an interesting stranger in another tongue.
While the rewards of learning a foreign language seem obvious, it's even better for you than you might imagine. In fact, a 2019 Italian study looked at the effects in adults aged between 59 and 79 and found that, after just four months, people learning a second language scored significantly better on two research-backed measures of brain health and acuity: global cognition (such as thinking, understanding and problem-solving) and functional connectivity.
“Learning a foreign language is one of the non-pharmacological cognitive interventions that can boost cognition in young and older adults,” lead author Dr Giovanna Bubbico concluded.
There's a reason why it's so good for you. Usually, when you're learning something new, the brain-boosting benefits tend to fade once you get the hang of things. But that doesn't happen when you're trying to conquer another language. Instead, your brain needs to keep using executive functions to plan, concentrate and make decisions as you switch between the languages.
Learning a second language isn't just great for your brain, it can also lead to a surge in self-esteem, says life and leadership coach Kate Cashman.
“Mastering a new skill or activity, particularly one that's mentally more challenging and requires mental energy [like learning a second language], leads to a greater sense of success, pride and overall wellbeing,” she says.
But Fleur, a 45-year-old mother of two, didn't choose to learn a second language for any of those reasons. Instead, she decided to study Danish so she could help her 12-year-old son, who was learning the language after school. Two years ago, Fleur turned to an app to kick-start the process and fell so head over heels with embracing foreign tongues that she also started dabbling in German and Swedish.
She now does five three-minute lessons a day online and has enrolled in face-to-face classes in which she spends an hour a month immersing herself in all things Danish.
Dr Michiko Weinmann, a senior lecturer in languages education at Deakin University, says Fleur is far from alone, adding that there's been a recent rise in adults seeking to learn a second language: “It's an increasingly popular trend.” And while Weinmann notes that everyone's aptitude for learning a new language is different, anyone who puts their mind to it can “successfully pursue” this endeavour.
If you'd like to say bonjour to another tongue, Weinmann says apps are a good starting point for mastering the basics, such as specific items of vocabulary, expressions and short phrases. But if you want to become more proficient, she says “frequent exposure” is the best way to get there and can be achieved through face-to-face classes.
Just don't expect a new language to roll off your tongue. Weinmann says it takes roughly a few hundred hours for an English speaker to get basic fluency in a similar language, such as European languages. “But it may take several thousand hours to get a basic level of proficiency in Mandarin,” she adds.
Fleur says learning a new language brings so many rewards: she feels more switched on in general, finds her ability to concentrate has improved, and has even started thinking in Danish, a feat she never thought she'd accomplish.
- ◆ -
注：完整题目见本文开头；中文文本为机器翻译并非一一对应，仅供参考
含注释全文：
Just a few minutes daily learning a language can boost your brain power
From: The Sydney Morning Herald
June 13, 2021
Learning a second language is often on people's bucket lists. They dream of wooing someone in French, or of striking up a conversation with an interesting stranger in another tongue.
学习第二门语言是很多人一生中想要实现的目标之一。他们梦想用法语去打动某人，或者用另一种语言与有趣的陌生人攀谈。
bucket list
bucket list /ˈbʌk.ɪt ˌlɪst/ 表示“平生梦想单（一个人在死之前想要做的所有事情的清单）”，英文解释为“a list of the things that a person would like to do or achieve before they die”举个🌰：I have so many things on my bucket list yet to do. 在我的平生梦想单上还有许多事情都没做过。
woo
woo /wuː/ 表示“追求；求爱；向…求爱，向…求婚”，英文解释为“to try to persuade a woman to love him and marry him”。
strike up (sth)
strike up (sth)表示“建立（关系）；开始（交谈）”，英文解释为“to start a relationship or conversation with someone”举个🌰：It can be difficult to strike up a conversation with a complete stranger. 和完全陌生的人攀谈会是件很困难的事。
tongue
tongue /tʌŋ/ 1）表示“舌头”，英文解释为“the large, soft piece of flesh in the mouth that you can move, and is used for tasting, speaking, etc.”
2）表示“语言”，英文解释为“a language”如：immigrants struggling to learn a foreign tongue 艰难学习外语的移民；
3）表示“说话方式”，英文解释为“a person's way of expressing their ideas and feelings”举个🌰：She is a prolific writer with critical views and a sharp (= severe and critical) tongue. 她是一个多产的作家，观点尖锐，语言犀利。
While the rewards of learning a foreign language seem obvious, it's even better for you than you might imagine. In fact, a 2019 Italian study looked at the effects in adults aged between 59 and 79 and found that, after just four months, people learning a second language scored significantly better on two research-backed measures of brain health and acuity: global cognition (such as thinking, understanding and problem-solving) and functional connectivity.
尽管学习外语的好处似乎不言自明，但它对你的好处可能超乎你的想象。事实上，2019年意大利的一项研究对59至79岁间的成年人进行了调查，发现仅仅四个月后，学习第二门语言的人在两项经研究证实的大脑健康和敏锐度指标上得分明显更高：全面认知（如思考、理解和解决问题）和功能连通性。
acuity
acuity /əˈkjuː.ə.ti/ 表示“（听力、视力、思维等的）灵敏度；敏锐”，英文解释为“the ability to hear, see, or think accurately and clearly”举个🌰：Tiredness also affects visual acuity. 疲劳也会影响视敏度。
cognition
cognition /kɒɡˈnɪʃ.ən/ 表示“认识；认知”，英文解释为“the use of conscious mental processes”如：a book on human learning, memory, and cognition 一本关于人类学习、记忆和认知过程的书。
“Learning a foreign language is one of the non-pharmacological cognitive interventions that can boost cognition in young and older adults,” lead author Dr Giovanna Bubbico concluded.
“学习外语是一种可以提升年轻人和老年人认知能力的非药物性认知干预方式，”第一作者乔瓦娜·布比科博士（Dr. Giovanna Bubbico）总结道。
pharmacological
pharmacological /ˌfɑːrməkəˈlɑːdʒɪkl/ 表示“用药物治疗的”，英文解释为“relating to treatment that uses drugs”
intervention
表示“干涉，介入；（由家庭成员、朋友或医护人员共同开会劝导有酗酒或毒瘾问题者接受现实并开始治疗的）干预活动”，英文解释为“Intervention is the act of intervening in a situation. A meeting at which someone with a drug or alcohol problem is asked by family members, friends, or health workers to accept the fact that they have a problem and is encouraged to get treatment”
boost
可以作名词也可以作动词，表示“改善；提高；增强；推动”，英文解释为“to improve or increase something”举个🌰：The theatre managed to boost its audiences by cutting ticket prices. 剧院设法通过降低票价来增加观众数量。
📍“佩洛西有病还是先治病吧”文中提到be boosted，get boosted用来指打了加强针（疫苗），也有说booster shot/booster dose.
There's a reason why it's so good for you. Usually, when you're learning something new, the brain-boosting benefits tend to fade once you get the hang of things. But that doesn't happen when you're trying to conquer another language. Instead, your brain needs to keep using executive functions to plan, concentrate and make decisions as you switch between the languages.
之所以对你如此有益，是有原因的。通常情况下，当你学习新东西时，一旦掌握了，对大脑的益处就会逐渐消失。但当你试图掌握另一种语言时，这种情况就不会发生。相反，当你在两种语言之间切换时，你的大脑需要不断地进行规划、集中注意力并做出决策。
fade
fade /feɪd/ 作动词，表示“（使）褪色；（使）变暗；（使）衰弱”，英文解释为“to (cause to) lose colour, brightness, or strength gradually”举个🌰：If you hang your clothes out in the bright sun, they will fade. 衣服挂在光线强的地方晾晒会褪色。
在理发行业，“fade”指渐变式发型，通常用于描述极短或几乎剃光的发型，其中头发的长度从顶部到底部（通常是耳朵以下，包括两鬓和颈后）逐渐变短，最后接近或完全剃光。Fade发型可以进一步分为多种类型，包括低fade，中fade和高fade，这取决于fade开始的位置。
get the hang of sth
get the hang of sth表示“学会做（尤指不那么简单明了的事）”，英文解释为“to learn how to do something, especially if it is not obvious or simple”举个🌰："I've never used this program before." "Don't worry - you'll soon get the hang of it." “我以前从未使用过这个系统。”“别担心──你很快就会用的。”
conquer
conquer /ˈkɒŋ.kər/ 表示“解决（问题）;战胜，克服（恐惧）”，英文解释为“to deal with or successfully fight against a problem or an unreasonable fear”举个🌰：He has finally conquered his fear of spiders. 他终于战胜了对蜘蛛的恐惧。
Learning a second language isn't just great for your brain, it can also lead to a surge in self-esteem, says life and leadership coach Kate Cashman.
生活和领导力教练凯特·卡什曼（Kate Cashman）表示，学习第二语言不仅对你的大脑有益，还会显著提升你的自尊心。
surge
1）作动词，表示“急剧上升；飞涨；剧增”，英文解释为“If something surges, it increases suddenly and greatly, after being steady or developing only slowly.”举个🌰：The company's profits have surged. 公司的利润激增。
2）作名词，表示“剧增”，英文解释为“A surge is a sudden large increase in something that has previously been steady, or has only increased or developed slowly.”举个🌰：An unexpected surge in electrical power caused the computer to crash. 突然出现的电压剧增导致电脑死机。
🎬电影《雷神2：黑暗世界》（Thor: The Dark World）中的台词提到：But she will not survive the amount of energy surging within her. 但她体内涌动的能量太大 她撑不住的。
self-esteem
self-esteem /ˌself.ɪˈstiːm/ 表示“自尊”，英文解释为“belief and confidence in your own ability and value”举个🌰：The compliments she received after the presentation boosted her self-esteem. 发言后得到的赞誉增强了她的自尊感。
“Mastering a new skill or activity, particularly one that's mentally more challenging and requires mental energy [like learning a second language], leads to a greater sense of success, pride and overall wellbeing,” she says.
“掌握一项新技能或活动，尤其是在精神上更具挑战性、需要耗费脑力的技能或活动（如学习第二语言），会带来更强烈的成功感、自豪感和整体幸福感，”她说。
But Fleur, a 45-year-old mother of two, didn't choose to learn a second language for any of those reasons. Instead, she decided to study Danish so she could help her 12-year-old son, who was learning the language after school. Two years ago, Fleur turned to an app to kick-start the process and fell so head over heels with embracing foreign tongues that she also started dabbling in German and Swedish.
但是，现年45岁、有两个孩子的芙勒尔（Fleur）并非出于这些原因而选择学习第二语言。相反，她决定学习丹麦语是为了帮助她12岁的儿子在课余时间学习这门语言。两年前，芙勒尔借助一款应用程序开始学习，她完全爱上了外语，甚至开始尝试学习德语和瑞典语。
kick-start
kick-start /ˈkɪk.stɑːt/ 1）表示“促使…开始”，英文解释为“to make something start to happen”举个🌰：Taxes were drastically cut in an attempt to kick-start the economy. 进行了大幅减税以刺激经济增长。
2）表示“用脚踏启动（摩托车）”，英文解释为“to make the engine of a motorcycle start by forcefully pushing down a metal bar with your foot”
head over heels (in love)
be/fall head over heels表示“坠入爱河；神魂颠倒；深深地爱上；热恋”，英文解释为“completely in love”
📍这个表达最初是用来描述一种失去平衡而摔倒的动作，但后来逐渐演变成了现在这种用法，用于描述一种情感上的“倾倒”或“全身心投入”。
dabble
dabble /ˈdæbəl/ 表示“涉猎；涉足；浅尝”，英文解释为“If you dabble in something, you take part in it but not very seriously.”举个🌰：He dabbled in business. 他曾涉足商界。
She now does five three-minute lessons a day online and has enrolled in face-to-face classes in which she spends an hour a month immersing herself in all things Danish.
她现在每天上五节三分钟的线上课，并报名参加了线下课，每个月花一个小时沉浸在丹麦语环境中。
enroll
表示“（使）加入；注册；招（生）；吸收”，英文解释为“If you enrol or are enrolled at an institution or in a class, you officially join it.”举个🌰：I was enrolled at the University in 2016. 我是2016年上大学的。
immerse
immerse /ɪˈmɜːs/ yourself in sth 表示“（使）深陷于，沉浸在”，英文解释为“to become or make sb completely involved in sth”举个🌰：She immersed herself in her work. 她埋头工作。
Dr Michiko Weinmann, a senior lecturer in languages education at Deakin University, says Fleur is far from alone, adding that there's been a recent rise in adults seeking to learn a second language: “It's an increasingly popular trend.” And while Weinmann notes that everyone's aptitude for learning a new language is different, anyone who puts their mind to it can “successfully pursue” this endeavour.
迪肯大学语言教育高级讲师美智子·韦曼博士（Dr. Michiko Weinmann）表示，芙勒尔远非个案，还补充说最近有越来越多的成年人寻求学习第二语言：“这是一个日益流行的趋势。”虽然韦曼指出每个人学习新语言的能力各不相同，但只要用心，任何人都能“成功地”学习这门语言。
aptitude
aptitude /ˈæp.tɪ.tʃuːd/ 表示“天资，资质;才能”，英文解释为“a natural ability or skill”举个🌰：We will take your personal aptitudes and abilities into account. 我们会考虑你的个人天赋和才能。
endeavour
美式 endeavor 英式 endeavour /enˈdev.ər/ 可以作名词，也可以作动词，表示“努力；奋力”，英文解释为“to try to do something”举个🌰：Engineers are endeavoring to locate the source of the problem. 工程师们正竭尽全力查找问题的根源。
If you'd like to say bonjour to another tongue, Weinmann says apps are a good starting point for mastering the basics, such as specific items of vocabulary, expressions and short phrases. But if you want to become more proficient, she says “frequent exposure” is the best way to get there and can be achieved through face-to-face classes.
韦曼表示，如果你想用另一种语言说“你好”，应用程序是掌握基础知识一个很好的起点，比如特定的词汇、表达和短语。但是如果你想变得更熟练，她说“频繁接触”是最好的方法，可以通过线下课程来实现。
phrase
1）表示“短语”，英文解释为“a group of words that is part of, rather than the whole of, a sentence”。
2）表示“说法；用语；警句”，英文解释为“a short group of words that are often used together and have a particular meaning”
Just don't expect a new language to roll off your tongue. Weinmann says it takes roughly a few hundred hours for an English speaker to get basic fluency in a similar language, such as European languages. “But it may take several thousand hours to get a basic level of proficiency in Mandarin,” she adds.
不过，不要指望学一门新语言就能立即脱口而出。韦曼表示，对于英语母语者来说，大致需要几百个小时才能在类似的语言（如欧洲语言）上达到基本流利的程度。“但学习中文可能需要几千个小时才能达到基础水平，”她补充道。
roll off your tongue
roll off your tongue/roll off the tongue 用来描述某事（通常是言语或名称）非常容易说出或记住。这个表达形象地描绘了话语就像自然地从舌头上“滚下来”一样，毫不费力，可以翻译为“脱口而出，顺口说出，张嘴儿就来”。
Fleur says learning a new language brings so many rewards: she feels more switched on in general, finds her ability to concentrate has improved, and has even started thinking in Danish, a feat she never thought she'd accomplish.
芙蓉说，学习一门新语言会带来很多回报：总的来说，她感觉更有活力了，发现自己的专注力有所提高，甚至开始用丹麦语思考，这是她从未想到过自己能做到的。
switch on
switched on /ˌswɪtʃt ˈɒn/ 表示“紧跟时尚的，时新的，新潮的；对新事物有认识的；激起兴趣的；兴致勃勃的；为之振奋的”，通常用来描述某人或某事非常活跃、警觉、或者聪明，英文解释为“quick to know about or be involved with the most recent fashions and ideas”
feat
feat表示“功绩；技艺；武艺；功绩；英勇事迹”，英文解释为“If you refer to an action, or the result of an action, as a feat, you admire it because it is an impressive and difficult achievement.”如：to perform/attempt/achieve astonishing feats 表演惊人的技艺；争取/取得惊人的功绩，举个🌰：The tunnel is a brilliant feat of engineering. 这条隧道是工程方面的光辉业绩。
📍be no easy feat 不容易，非易事。类似的还有be no small feat/ be no mean feat可以理解为“是了不起的成就，绝非易事”，英文解释为：to be a great achievement，举个🌰：Getting the job finished in under a week was no mean feat. 一周内就把这项任务完成了，真了不起。
🎬电影《惊天魔盗团2》（Now You See Me 2）中的台词提到：by performing what he calls an impossible feat. 在这里上演他所谓不可能的奇迹。
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