English is now the first language of about 400 million people, the mother language of 12 countries and the official language of one-fifth of the land area of the world, {#blank#}1{#/blank#} means one {#blank#}2{#/blank#} every seven people in the world speaks English.

    More and more people have found it important {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (learn) English well in recent years. In Italy, for example, English is a must for many technical jobs. In China, English is the {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (important) foreign language that is learned at school.

    The English language has never stopped changing. It always borrows words and phrases from other cultures to enlarge  {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (it) vocabulary. {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (actual), modern English is quite different from what {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (use) hundreds of years ago.

    English is so widely used that it has become the standard language for {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (communicate) internationally. About 75% of the world's mail {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (be) in English. About 60% of the world's telephone calls are made in English and about 60% of the world's radio programs are broadcast in English. What's more, over half of the world's books and magazines are written in English. In {#blank#}10{#/blank#} word, English is now the world's first language.

    "If you're talking to me in a noisy restaurant and my nerve system is good at locking onto the sound of your voice, I {#blank#}1{#/blank#} understand what you say better."

    The research at Northwestern University shows that {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (play) a musical instrument is good for your brain. And the brain remembers how to "lock onto" the important sounds, {#blank#}3{#/blank#}, our ears may not work as well as we age, and that helps us to hear better.

    A scientist, living in France twenty years ago, {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (write) about what he called the "Mozart Effect". He said that {#blank#}5{#/blank#} could be helpful to the brain when listening to the classical music of Mozart. Some researchers said that Mozart's music would make you much {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (smart), or even have some health disorders {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (cure). Others said that there was nothing special about Mozart's music. Any kind of high energy music would work. So if the cost of a musical instrument or music lessons is too costly, can we get {#blank#}8{#/blank#} same brain experience just by listening?

    Usually people have teachers, or they can teach themselves music. {#blank#}9{#/blank#}, the point is that they're actively playing a musical instrument and engaging in making music instead {#blank#}10{#/blank#} listening to music passively.

    Mr.Johnson lived in the woods with his wife and children. He owned {#blank#}1{#/blank#} farm, which looked almost abandoned. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (lucky), he also had a cow which produced milk every day. He sold or exchanged some of the milk in the towns nearby {#blank#}3{#/blank#} other food and made cheese and butter for the family with what {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (leave).The cow was their only means of support, in fact. One day, the cow was eating grass {#blank#}5{#/blank#} it began to rain heavily. While making great efforts to run away, she {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (fall) over the hill and died. Then the Johnsons had to make a living {#blank#}7{#/blank#} the cow. In order to support his family, Mr. Johnson began to plant herbs and vegetables. Since the plants took a while to grow, he started cutting down trees {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (sell) the wood. Thinking about his children's clothes, he started growing cotton too. When harvest came around, he was already selling herbs, vegetables and cotton in the market{#blank#}9{#/blank#} people from the towns met regularly. Now it occurred to {#blank#}10{#/blank#} that his farm had much potential and that the death of the cow was a bit of luck.