1 . 请先阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后用方框中所给词的适当形式填空，并将答案填写到答题卡的相应位置。每个词限用一次。

symbol; same; so; Chinese; traditional; change; modern; many; mean; writing; read

Ancient and Modern Chinese Characters (汉字)

When people write in English, they use letters of the alphabet (字母表). People who write in     1    , however, use characters that stand for words or ideas. Historians believe Chinese     2     began as early as 1,500 BC. The earliest forms were called “oracle bones (甲骨文)”. These were animal bones marked with pictures and     3    . By 1,400 BC, the Chinese writing system (系统) had become more difficult. It had     4     than 2,500 characters. Around 220 BC in Qin Dynasty, Chinese characters became standardized. This means that everyone used the     5     characters.

Many     6     Chinese characters are similar to those from 2,000 years ago. For example, the character that means man in the Lishu system from 200 BC is similar to the character that     7     man from the Jiantizi, or modern simplified system, of the twentieth century.

People have worked to     8     Chinese characters over the centuries. The most important changes happened in the twentieth century. The Chinese government simplified many characters     9     more people could learn to     10    . This simpler system is used in the mainland (大陆) of China and Singapore.     11     characters are used in Chinese Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macao. Even with these changes, Chinese writing from 2,200 years ago is still understood today.

3 . How can you remember a song for a long time? Why does your teacher use songs to teach you English? There is a scientific reason for this.

Researchers (研究者) are studying the relationship between music and remembering a foreign language. “Singing could be a new way of learning, especially for a foreign language. The brain likes to remember things in a catchy (悦耳易记的) and relaxing way. For example, children can remember difficult words quickly when they are in a song,” said Dr. Karen Ludke. If children find it difficult to learn foreign languages, this new way may help. On his blog (博客), Dr. Ludke wrote, “A listen-and-repeat singing way can help to learn foreign languages and open the door for future research in this area.”

Many language teachers know the importance of music and they often use it in teaching and learning. Hua Zhuying, a teacher at a Chinese language school in Washington D.C., likes using songs in teaching Chinese. She said, “I use music all the time to teach children Chinese. For little kids, we usually use English songs but teach them the Chinese lyrics. Not only does it work, but it is fun for children. Sometimes I think if I learned English that way when I was young, maybe I could speak English much better.”

Our brain likes music in learning languages, especially for remembering. If you are still having problems in learning a language, why not try singing it out?

1. Why can singing help people learn foreign languages?

A．Because people can learn languages from the lyrics.

B．Because it’s easier for brain to remember things in this way.

C．Because singing songs is very popular all around the world.

D．Because singing makes people happy.

2. What does the underlined word “them” in Paragraph 3 refer to (指的是)?

A．Little kids.

B．English songs.

C．Languages.

D．Chinese lyrics.

3. According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?

A．Many language teachers often use music in teaching and learning.

B．Our brain can easily remember things in a slow and difficult way.

C．Playing computer games is a new way to learn a foreign language.

D．Hua Zhuying is a student at a Chinese language school in Washington D.C.

4. According to this text, who likes using songs in teaching Chinese?

A．A researcher.

B．Dr. Karen Ludke.

C．Hua Zhuying.

D．The writer.

5. What’s the best title of this passage?

A．The Importance of Music	B．A Great Foreign Language Teacher
C．Learning Foreign Languages in Music	D．How to Remember a Song for a Long Time

4 . Usually, you don’t find the same word in different languages. ________ there is a special one: “OK”!

People first saw the word “OK” in the Boston Morning Post ________ March 23,1839. It was an easy ________ to spell “oll korret”. People started to use “OK” as a joke (笑话). But ________ they used the word in newspapers to mean that everything ________ fine. This year, “OK” has its ________ birthday. We use this word many times every day ________ the world. “How about two o’clock?” “OK.” The word “OK” is ________ to say, write and understand (明白). Allen Metcalf, an American writer said, “The word ‘OK’ makes ________ feel relaxed. If someone asks you ________ for a walk after lunch, you can just ________ ‘OK.’”

Most people like to use “OK” to say or write now, but some people like the spelling “okay” because it ________ more like a word. Sometimes, people also say “K” for short. When someone says, “I am just going to the supermarket, but I’ll be back soon.” You could answer with only a “K”. “OK’” is ________ useful that everyone in the world says it. You may not know ________ a person comes from, but saying “OK” with gestures (手势) can always ________ you.

1.

A．And

B．But

C．So

D．Because

2.

A．in

B．at

C．for

D．on

3.

A．street

B．way

C．word

D．use

4.

A．later

B．early

C．last

D．after

5.

A．is

B．are

C．was

D．were

6.

A．183rd

B．181st

C．185th

D．184th

7.

A．on

B．with

C．around

D．at

8.

A．easy

B．difficult

C．hard

D．different

9.

A．him

B．her

C．us

D．them

10.

A．go

B．going

C．goes

D．to go

11.

A．ask

B．run

C．answer

D．walk

12.

A．looks

B．tastes

C．feels

D．knows

13.

A．too

B．so

C．very

D．quite

14.

A．what

B．when

C．where

D．who

15.

A．help

B．pick

C．hear

D．put

5 . Have you ever wondered why we say maidongxi instead of mainanbei, and shangcesuo rather than xiacesuo? These directional words in Chinese are very interesting. They are not only about giving directions but also carry a wealth of history and culture.

East/west or south/north

One theory says that in the Tang Dynasty, when shopping, people in Chang’an usually went to the East Market first, and then the West Market and these markets became more and more popular as time went by. Gradually, people started to describe shopping as maidongxi.

Left or right

In Chinese, we say yijian xiangzuo when we have different opinions. Why is it not yijian xiangyou?

Most people today are right-handed. They feel uncomfortable if they try to use their left hand to write or use chopsticks. This was true in old times as well. In ancient Chinese, “left” was related to being different, such as in yijian xiangzuo. If people don’t accept common beliefs or always use some non-traditional ways to achieve a goal or solve problems, we say they are following pangmenzuodao.

Up or down

We use shangcesuo to mean “go to the bathroom” and xiachufang to mean “go to the kitchen”. Why? In ancient times, houses were laid out in a certain way. The gate of the house would face south, with the bathroom in the northeast of the house and the kitchen in the southeastern part. On map, north is usually at the top while south is at the bottom. In Chinese, we talk about north as shang and the south as xia. Therefore, people would say they were going “up” to the bathroom and “down” to the kitchen.

These directional words help us find our way and get a glimpse into the interesting history and culture of ancient China as well. Next time you use them, maybe you can think about the special meanings behind them and make your conversations much more fun.

1. How many popular markets were there in Chang’an in the Tang Dynasty?

A．One.

B．Two.

C．Three.

D．Four.

2. Which is the right layout of the ancient house?

A．

B．

C．

D．

3. In which of the following sentences can we fill the underlined phrase “get a glimpse into”?

A．It’s really fun to ________ camping outside, and we all love it so much.

B．Though you turn down our invitation, we still ________ your coming.

C．The trip to the museum made children ________ the development of science.

D．If you keep buying something expensive, you will ________ your money soon.

4. What is the best title of this passage?

A．Interesting Stories of Directional Words	B．Cultural Meanings of Directional Words
C．Main Differences of Directional Words	D．Historical Development of Directional Words

6 . “How are you?” is a nice question. It’s a friendly way that Americans greet each other. But “How are you?” is also a very unusual question that often doesn’t need an answer. The person who asks “How are you?” hopes to hear the answer “Fine”, even if the person’s friend isn’t fine. The reason is that “How are you?” isn’t really a question and “Fine” isn’t really an answer. They are simply other ways of saying “Hello” or “Hi”.

Sometimes, people don’t say exactly what they mean. For example, when someone asks “Do you agree?”, the other person might think, “No, I disagree. I think you’re wrong.” But it isn’t very polite to disagree so strongly, so the other person might say “I’m not sure.” It’s a nicer way to say that you don’t agree with someone.

People don’t say exactly what they are thinking when they want to end the conversation. For example, many talks over the phone finish when one person says “I’ve got to go now.” Often, the person who wants to hang up gives an excuse: “Someone’s at the door.” “Something is burning on the stove.” The excuses might be real or not. Perhaps the person who wants to hang up simply doesn’t want to talk any more, but it isn’t polite to say that. The excuse is more polite, and it doesn’t hurt the other person.

Perhaps you will see people greeting each other, talking about an idea, or finishing a talk, but they don’t say exactly what they are thinking. It’s an important way that people try to be nice to each other, and it’s part of the game of language.

1. What does an American mean by saying “How are you”? ________

A．He tries to greet you with kindness.

B．He wants to know how is your day.

C．He wishes to know what happened to you.

D．He hopes to make sure you are friendly.

2. Which of the following may be best to show disagreement? ________

A．I disagree with you.

B．I’m afraid I am not sure.

C．Certainly I think you are wrong.

D．I really don’t agree with you.

3. What is a person probably thinking about when he says “Something is burning on the stove.”? ________

A．Showing his terrible cooking feelings.

B．Finishing talking as quickly as possible.

C．Checking the food on the stove.

D．Turning off the stove at once.

4. What can we learn from the passage? ________

A．Always say what you mean.

B．Better not disagree with other people.

C．Never say exactly what you’re thinking about.

D．Show your politeness when talking with others.

7 .

When the weather outdoors gets warmer, flowers appear and birds become active. Spring has sprung (春天来了)!     1     You go to bed, and the next morning you awake to a new world—one that is greener and more colorful. The same can be said for expressions that use the word “spring”.

Now one of the fastest growing things in nature is the mushroom. One day mushrooms are nowhere to be found.     2     So, when something happens suddenly and often over a large area, we can say it springs up like mushrooms.

    3     After videos about making cupcakes mushrooms became popular online, cupcake stores sprang up like mushrooms all over town.

We use the term “to spring” to describe anything that happens without warning. So if someone springs big news on you, the news comes to you from out of the blue.     4    

Let’s say two people, Tara and Sam, own a business called Tara and Sam’s Roof Repair. Then one day, Tara sprang big news on Sam. She was moving to Alaska in a week! She wanted out of the business.

Sam wasn’t prepared for this. He asked, “A week? How can you spring this news on me?     5    ”

Next time you have news, try not to spring it on someone unless you want them to be shocked (震惊的). In that case (情况), spring away!

A．We’re supposed to be in this together!

B．Here’s one way to use this expression.

C．The next day there’s a whole lot of them!

D．Sometimes these changes in nature seem to happen overnight.

E．When people break news to you this way, it can leave you speechless (哑口无言).

8 . There are many kinds of vegetables and fruits in the world. Besides eating them, we can still learn something useful about them. Let’s have a look!

“Couch potato” Meaning: A person who spends much time sitting and watching TV and doesn’t have an active life. Example: Jane is simply a couch potato. She eats lots of junk food in front of the TV all day.

“Sour grapes” Meaning: Someone dislikes something because he is unable to get it. Example: He said he didn’t want the job anyway, but that was just sour grapes.

“The apple of one’s eye” Meaning: The person whom someone loves most and takes pride in. Example: His youngest daughter is the apple of his eye.

“Go bananas” Meaning: To become very crazy or angry. Example: The people went bananas when the concert began.

1. Which of the following phrases can describe a lazy person who is tired of exercising?

A．Couch potato.	B．Sour grapes.
C．The apple of one’s eye.	D．Go bananas.

2. What can you say if you really like your pet cat?

A．You’re my couch potato.	B．You’re my sour grapes.
C．You’re the apple of my eye.	D．You’re going bananas.

3. Who might be interested in the passage?

A．A healthy eater.	B．An English learner.
C．A traveler.	D．A reporter.

9 . A one-hour special event was held online to mark the 12th United Nations “Chinese Language Day” on Tuesday. People around the world were invited to express their interest and love for the Chinese language and culture through short videos.

Chinese has a long history, which has influenced other languages in Asia, just like the way Latin has influenced languages in the West. With this history will Chinese have a surprising future?

At present, over one billion (十亿) people speak Chinese in the world—far more than any other language's speakers. It is the language of the country which is the world's second largest economy (经济体). Chinese people are found studying and doing business all over the world.

In fact, Chinese is certainly going to be a world language. Why is this certain? We must look at the economic and political (政治的) power of China, which is increasing every day. As we all know, world languages have always been the languages of countries with powerful economies. So we believe that the world languages will include Chinese some day.

Foreign interest in Chinese has developed very quickly together with the development of the Chinese economy. Chinese has become one of the most important and popular languages around the world.

As China develops, more and more people want to learn about Chinese language and culture to work and study in China, and to do business with Chinese companies. Chinese is becoming an international language.

1. In Paragraph 1 the underlined word “mark” means ________.

A．replace

B．celebrate

C．score

2. Which of the following is WRONG?

A．Chinese has a long history and will have a bright future.

B．All the languages in the West have been influenced by Chinese.

C．More and more people will be interested in Chinese.

3. As is known to all, world languages have always been the languages of countries with ______.

A．a larger population

B．popular languages

C．powerful economies

4. According to the passage, why do more and more people want to learn about Chinese language?
①To attend the one-hour special event.
②To work and study in China.
③To express their love for short videos.
④To do business with Chinese companies.

A．①③

B．②④

C．②③

5. What’s the main idea of the passage?

A．Chinese is becoming an international language.

B．Chinese has influenced other languages in Asia.

C．Foreign interest in Chinese develops very quickly.

10 .

D   learnDialect.sg   Home Why Learn Dialect in Singapore Upcoming Classes V Free Resources T-Shirts Contact About

Let’s go beyond “ga gi nang”, shall we? Teochew from Chaoshan area in China is the second largest dialect (方言) group in Singapore as Teochews make up about 20% of the Chinese population here. In our Teochew class, you’ll learn: ◎Common Greetings                                                     ◎Numbers, Time& Dates ◎Common Body Parts &Medical Terms        ◎Hobbies, Daily Activities & Food *Two lessons on 20th & 27th July, 2024, Saturdays, 1:30 pm to 5:30pm ＃Singapore Shopping Center, S239924 ※218 Singapore dollars including materials. The more the cheaper: Sign up together with your friend(s) to enjoy a 10% discount ($21.8 less) each person! What makes our Teochew lessons different? ☑ Learning from Great Teachers Besides learning about the basic characteristics of Singapore Teochew dialect, you will be given notes which cover many topics. Our teachers have put in plenty of effort in designing the lessons to help you learn quickly. They will make great efforts to listen and correct your pronunciation. In this way, learning becomes easier. ☑      ▲      In traditional language classes, students spend many hours repeating each word after the teacher many times. For us, we believe that you are not learning unless you are having fun. That is why you will join in many interesting activities in this spoken Teochew class.

1. The writer mentions the Teochew population in Singapore to show ______.

A．the hard work of Chinese people

B．the importance of Teochew dialect

C．the difficulty in learning Teochew dialect

D．the hobbies and food of Teochews in Singapore

2. If Peter signs up with a friend, how much can they save in total ?

A．$ 10.

B．$ 20.

C．$ 21.8.

D．$ 43.6.

3. How are the teachers?

A．Patient and helpful.        C. Responsible and brave.

B．Friendly but boring.        D. Strict but understanding.

4. Which of the following can be put in the ▲ ?

A．Learning in Traditional Ways	B．Learning Through Fun Activities
C．Learning by Repeating Words	D．Learning with Different Materials

5. What is this passage?

A．A report.

B．A notice.

C．A survey.

D．An advertisement