When I was growing up in America, I was ashamed of my mother’s Chinese English. Because of her English, she was often treated unfairly. People in department stores, at banks, and at restaurants did not take her seriously, did not give her good service, pretended not to understand her, or even acted as if they did not hear her.
My mother has realized the limitations of her English as well. When I was fifteen, she used to have me call people on phone to pretend I was she. I was forced to ask for information or even to yell at people who had been rude to her. One time I had to call her stockbroker (股票经纪人). I said in an adolescent voice that was not very convincing, “This is Mrs. Tan.”
And my mother was standing beside me, whispering loudly, “Why he don’t send me cheek, already two weeks late.”
And then, in perfect English I said : “I’m getting rather concerned. You agreed to send the check two weeks ago, but it hasn’t arrived.”
Then she talked more loudly. “What he want? I come to New York tell him front of his boss.” And so I turned to the stockbroker again, “I can’t tolerate any more excuse. If I don’t receive the check immediately, I am going to have to speak to your manager when I am in New York next week.”
The next week we ended up in New York. While I was sitting there red-faced, my mother, the real Mrs. Tan , was shouting to his boss in her broken English.
When I was a teenager, my mother’s broken English embarrassed me. But now, I see it differently. To me, my mother’s English is perfectly clear, perfectly natural. It is my mother tongue. Her language, as I hear it, is vivid, direct, and full of observation and wisdom. It was the language that helped shape the way I saw things, expressed ideas, and made sense of the world.
1. Why was the author’s mother poorly served?| A．She was unable to speak good English. | B．She was often misunderstood. |
| C．She was not clearly heard. | D．She was not very polite. |
| A．they forgave the stockbroker | B．they failed to get the check |
| C．they went to New York immediately | D．they spoke to their boss at once |
| A．It confuses her. | B．It embarrasses her. |
| C．It helps her understand the world. | D．It helps her tolerate rude people. |
| A．is clear and natural to non-native speakers | B．is vivid and direct to non-native speakers |
| C．has a very bad reputation in America | D．may bring inconvenience in America |
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【推荐1】Filial piety(孝心) is China's most important morality and involves strong deference(顺从) to one's parents. Thus, filial piety is an important value when it comes to treating one's immediate family, elders and superiors in general.
Origins
Filial piety was originally mentioned in the Western Zhou,
Meaning
Filial piety is a general attitude of offering love, respect, support, and deference to one's parents and other elders in the family, such as grandparents or older siblings.
The idea stems from the fact that parents give life to their children, and subsequently support them throughout their developing years in terms of providing food, education, and material needs.
Chinese character
Boy looking at the Chinese character for filial piety, you will learn a lot about the term's definition.
| A．let me tell you the definition of filial piety |
| B．Filial piety is clarified by the Chinese character xiao |
| C．Filial piety is one of the most important Chinese traditions |
| D．This placement is symbolic and tells of what filial piety means |
| E．which includes carrying on the family line and respecting the elders |
| F．Acts of filial piety include obeying parents' wishes, taking care of them when they are old |
| G．Extending beyond one's family, filial piety also applies to all elders like teachers, professional superiors, or anyone who is older in age |
【推荐2】Research on the effects of age on language learning often leads to claims that it’s impossible to learn a language after the age of 18, yet these claims lack scientific evidence. While certain language processing functions peak during childhood, others develop later, with some even experiencing a new growth between the ages of 50 and 75.
The definition of language learning and its goals also play a significant role. If the aim is to participate comfortably in daily social interactions, research suggests that fluency in a new language can be achieved at any age with sufficient study and exposure.
Learning a language at different stages of life comes with advantages and disadvantages. Starting before the age of 10 allows for the potential of acquiring a native-like accent. However, introducing a second language to children late in verbal(言语的)development may pose challenges.
Between the ages of 10 and 18, there is a unique opportunity to intuitively(直觉地)understand grammar and develop a comprehensive and unconscious understanding of a new language’s rules. Language acquisition during this period can also boost confidence and encourage a reflective attitude towards language changes.
Studying an additional language in adulthood involves more translation and a tendency to think in one’s native language first. Language anxiety and hesitation may also arise. However, adulthood offers advantages such as peak communication skills, literary knowledge, and socio-cultural understanding.
Learning a new language at the age of 50 and above may be advantageous in terms of certain mental skills that continue to improve until the mid-to-late 70s. This age group can quickly grasp the basics of a language, although more research is needed to confirm this theory.
In summary, learning a language is a lifelong process. While certain aspects may become more challenging with age, there is no age limit that makes language learning futile. Achieving an intermediate level in a target language can be rewarding, even if some mistakes are made. Starting early can enhance phonology and grammar skills, but continued exposure and usage throughout life are vital for becoming a comfortable speaker. Ultimately, it’s never too late to start or relearn a language.
1. In which situation can one achieve fluency in a new language at any age?| A．In grammar class. | B．In writing practice. |
| C．In vocabulary research. | D．In everyday communication. |
| A．Early learning delays children’s language development. |
| B．Learning during teenage years helps build up confidence. |
| C．Learners beyond fifty can gain literary knowledge quickly. |
| D．Learning in adulthood helps to acquire peak translation skills. |
| A．Fruitless. | B．Complex. | C．Time-consuming. | D．Painful. |
| A．Why Language Learning Has Age Limits |
| B．Why Age Plays a Vital Role in Language Learning |
| C．How Language Learning Occurs at Different Life Stages |
| D．How Learning a Language Changes Depending on Your Age |
“Have a nice day. Next!” This version of the expression is spoken by a salesgirl at the supermarket who is rushing me and my groceries out the door. The words come out in the same tone (腔调) with a fixed procedure. They are spoken at me, not to me. Obviously, the concern for my day and everyone else’s is the management’s attempt to increase business.
The expression is one of those behaviors that help people get along with each other. Sometimes it indicates the end of a meeting. As soon as you hear it, you know the meeting is at an end. Sometimes the expression saves us when we don’t know what to say “oh, you may have a tooth out? I’m terribly sorry, but have a nice day.”
The expression can be pleasant. If a stranger says “Have a nice day” to you, you may find it heart-warming because someone you don’t know has tried to be nice to you.
Although the use of the expression is an insincere, meaningless social custom at times, there is nothing wrong with the sentence except that it is a little uninteresting. The salesgirl, the waitress, the teacher, and all the countless others who speak it without thinking may not really care about my day. But in a strange and comfortable way, it’s nice to know they care enough to pretend they care when they really don’t care all that much. While the expression may not often be sincere, it is always spoken. The point is that people say it all the time when they like.
1. How does the author understand Maxie’s words?
| A．Maxie shows her anxiety to the author. |
| B．Maxie really wishes the author a good day. |
| C．Maxie encourages the author to stay happy. |
| D．Maxie really worries about the author’s security. |
| A．try to be polite to you |
| B．express respect to you |
| C．give his blessing to you |
| D．share his pleasure with you |
| A．sincerely | B．as thanks |
| C．as a habit | D．encouragingly |
| A．Have a Nice Day—a Social Custom. |
| B．Have a Nice Day—a Pleasant Gesture. |
| C．Have a Nice Day—a Heart-warming Greeting. |
| D．Have a Nice Day—a Polite Ending of a Conversation. |
【推荐1】As online schooling took effect during the influenza pandemic(大流感), parents across the United States noted that many children did not have their own learning areas at home.
One father, named Mitch Couch, lives in central California. His 16-year-old daughter and 9-year-old son are both studying from home. And they kept taking over the kitchen table for their online school lessons, which gave the father an idea — he would make them their own desks.
After seeing how it helped his family, he had a thought: Why not provide other children with their own desks — ones that they could decorate with stickers and fun paint?
His idea was to show others how to build desks for their children. He made a quick YouTube video to guide parents in desk-making.
The desks he made were child-size, simple and not costly. Couch said that he built children's desks for about $20. He made them from plywood(胶合板). A single piece of plywood, 1. 2 meters by 2. 4 meters, made four desks. He also added a built-in area for books and papers. It was a simple structure(结构), but it worked.
Leaders of a wood store saw his video online. They offered to provide materials if he would build more. They also contacted local school officials to help students in need.
The first order was for around 20 desks. But it quickly increased at least 50 more.
On a recent day, Couch was building more than 10 desks in an area outside of his house. He has made many of these desks. So, he can build one in just about 15 minutes.
He has received many thank-you messages and pictures from parents. Some parents said that their children were "doing better and focusing more" because they have their own space.
1. What was Couch's purpose of making desks for children?| A．To receive many thanks. | B．To give them learning areas. |
| C．To cheer them up at home. | D．To show desk-making skills. |
| A．By collecting money. | B．By providing materials. |
| C．By sharing a guiding video. | D．By answering questions. |
| A．Heavy. | B．Practical. | C．Large. | D．Smart. |
| A．Making desks for children helps a lot. |
| B．A good skill will never be out of time. |
| C．Online schooling has some side effects. |
| D．Confidence is the most important thing. |
【推荐2】Although born seriously deaf, Troi Lee was surrounded by music. After getting a walkman for his 14th birthday, he wandered through his neighbourhood playing songs. “It was pure joy, ” he says. With his hearing aids, he could hear certain frequencies of his walkman through a magnetic wireless signal. “We need to change the myth that deaf people can’t enjoy music,” Lee says. “I don’t let my deafness affect me. I want to show the world that deaf people can play music as well as the hearing peers.”
With one in six people suffering from hearing loss in the UK and around one in 1,000 children born seriously deaf, having access to live music for deaf people is really a big challenge. Deaf fans believe that too little is being done to serve their needs. “I don’t go to live shows very often as they’re not that accessible, ” says deaf writer Rebecca Withey.
Troi Lee has taken matters into his own hands. In 2003, he founded Deaf Rave, a quarterly event designed for deaf club members. The inspiration came from his experiences at warehouse parties in the early 1990s. “It’s something I can’t quite describe, ” he says, “the lights shining in the place and the biggest sound systems I have ever seen or felt, shaking the entire warehouse. ” From that moment in 1991, he set out to convince the deaf community that joining the club was as much a part of their culture as the hearing people.
Deaf Rave celebrates its 15th anniversary this year, but Lee says there is still much to be done. Deaf people are twice as likely to suffer from depression as hearing people. There is still a huge shame attached to being a deaf music fan. “We are one of the most marginalized groups in society, owing to our isolation, unemployment and the daily frustrations of communication barriers. We organized Deaf Rave because we have the same feeling in our community. ”
1. How can we describe Troi Lee?| A．Optimistic and ambitious. | B．Determined and rough. |
| C．Creative and outgoing. | D．Brave and talented. |
| A．It’s shameful for deaf people to go to live shows. |
| B．Little has been done to meet the needs of the deaf. |
| C．The deaf aren’t treated equally with hearing people. |
| D．Deaf people aren’t allowed to appreciate live shows. |
| A．His great interest in music. | B．His sense of being isolated. |
| C．A walkman as his birthday gift. | D．His experiences at warehouse parties. |
| A．Because the deaf are easy to get hurt. | B．Because it is not easy to admit members. |
| C．Because the deaf have trouble with music. | D．Because it has got little support from people. |
【推荐3】Ida Nelson was relaxing herself in her sister’s sauna (桑拿室) when she heard the sound of a small airplane circling the nearby airport.
It was 11: 30 at night in a remote village with a population of 70, and, as she told the newspaper reporter, Any time a plane flies over that late, you know something is wrong. Nelson and her sister leaped out of the sauna, ran to the window, and saw the problem-the airport’s runway lights were out. Nelson threw on some clothes, jumped into her jeep, and floored it to the airport, where she found a local pilot trying to turn on the lights manually.
Normally, if you push the button 10 or 15 times, the lights will just light up, Nelson told the reporter. Not this time. Meanwhile, she and the pilot learned of the plane’s exigent mission - it was a helicopter there to transport a seriously ill local girl, to the nearest hospital, 280 miles away in another city.
Nelson had a plan. Driving her jeep to the end of the runway, she shone her headlights on the road for the plane to follow. Great idea, but it wasn’t enough. More light was needed so a neighbor called nearly every home in the village 32 of them.
Within 20 minutes, 20 vehicles arrived at the airport, many of the drivers still in pajamas. Following directions from the helicopter pilot, the cars lined up on one side of the runway. The helicopter made its final approach and, guided by the headlights, landed safely. The young patient was loaded onto the aircraft, and the plane immediately took off again Her illness was never publicly known, but she has since been recovered.
Without them, the girl might not have made it. However, for Nelson, it was only a small deed.
1. What problem did the helicopter encounter?| A．Its lights went out by accident |
| B．It made noise as it ran out of fuel |
| C．It could not land safely in darkness. |
| D．It didn’t arrive at the scheduled time |
| A．impossible | B．unique | C．intense | D．urgent |
| A．The girl has been in the hospital since her illness was reported. |
| B．The creative thought and the sense of duty of Nelson led to the final landing. |
| C．The helicopter was to transport the girl from the local hospital to another one. |
| D．The villagers gathered so quickly because they were awake and ready to help. |
| A．No way is impossible to courage. |
| B．A friend in need is a friend indeed |
| C．A small act of kindness makes a big difference. |
| D．Where there is a wisdom. there is effectiveness. |
【推荐1】I am afraid of heights but two summers ago I climbed to a high place. Most of our high school had come along on a day trip to a beautiful beach village in Peru. After eating our lunches, many of us wanted to make the climb to an area around the village.
Do I turn back? “Yes!” Will I regret it later? I really want to get to the top, but … At last, I decided at least to have a try.
My friend Tom was in front of me. Then, suddenly, he slipped (滑倒) and was about 10 feet back! My heart was beating faster until he stopped himself. Knowing that my friend Seth would be right behind me, I began the climb. I was soon past the first challenge safely, but not feeling much better about the rest of the climb. Looking down, I saw rocks everywhere. My breathing sped up, and my heart beat even faster, growing loud in my ears.
My friends kept climbing. But they did not forget me. Someone was always behind me to help hold my feet when necessary, and someone else was always in front to offer a hand up. With friends helping me by words and actions, I slowly gained ground.
Then we came to the worst part. The climb looked very close to vertical (垂直的). To me, the wise choice was to go back down. Melody encouraged me to go on and she made it safely first. I stopped, unsure of my footing. “You can do it, Jean! I’m right here,” Melody called. She waited patiently, not asking me to hurry. I took a few deep breaths and kept climbing.
With no more mistakes, we came to the top finally. I was dirty and tired. But it didn’t matter. I was at the top! I had never felt so alive.
1. According to the passage, the climb ________.| A．was done by all of the high school students |
| B．happened on a morning two summers ago |
| C．was near a beautiful beach village |
| D．lasted for about two days |
| A．felt excited about it |
| B．turned back to the village |
| C．regretted going out with them |
| D．wasn’t sure whether to join them |
| A．felt more confident about the climb |
| B．didn’t feel any better about the climb |
| C．chose to go back down |
| D．couldn’t breathe easily |
| A．lost heart | B．moved forward |
| C．climbed to the top | D．accepted the friends |
| A．Melody gave Jean words of encouragement. |
| B．Jean waited patiently for Seth to catch up. |
| C．It was dirty and dangerous. |
| D．Jean had the first try. |
【推荐2】Last night was the last game for my eight-year-old son’s soccer team. It was the final quarter. The score was two to one, and my son’s team in the lead. Parents surrounded the playground, offering encouragement.
With less than ten seconds remaining, the ball suddenly rolled in front of my son’s teammate, Mickey O’Donnell. With shouts of “Kick it!” echoing (回响) across the playground, Mickey turned around and gave it everything he had. All around me the crowd cheered. Mickey had scored!
Then there was silence. Mickey had scored all right, but in the wrong goal, ending the game in a tie. For a moment there was a total hush. You see, Mickey has Down’s syndrome (唐氏综合征) and for him there is no such thing as a wrong goal. All goals were celebrated by a happy hug from Mickey. He had even been known to hug the opposing players when they scored.
The silence was finally broken when Mickey, his face filled with joy, hugged my son tightly and shouted, “I scored! I scored! Everybody won! Everybody won!” For a moment I held my breath, not sure how my son would react. I need not have worried. I watched, through tears, as my son threw up his hand in the classic high-five salute (敬礼) and started chanting, “Way to go Mickey! Way to go Mickey!” Within moments both teams surrounded Mickey, joining in the chant and congratulating him on his goal.
Later that night, when my daughter asked who had won, I smiled as I replied, “It was a tie. Everybody won.”
1. What did the author worry about when Mickey scored and hugged his/her son?| A．The result of the match would fail his/her son. |
| B．His/Her son would shout at Mickey for his goal. |
| C．Mickey would again hug the opposing players. |
| D．His/Her son would understand Mickey’s wrong goal. |
| A．both teams liked and respected Mickey |
| B．both teams were thankful to Mickey for his goal |
| C．Mickey didn’t mind though his goal was wrong |
| D．Mickey was a kind-hearted boy and hoped everybody won |
| A．tell a joke to make readers laugh |
| B．suggest we shouldn’t mind losing |
| C．show enjoying a game is more than winning a game |
| D．show his/her son’s fine qualities of understanding others |
【推荐3】One year, a newspaper of the United States published an announcement-the Horticultural (园艺) Institute offered a reward at a high price for the pure white marigold (金盏花). The high reward attracted so many people, but in nature besides golden, the marigold is brown；it is not easy to create the white one. So after they were excited for a time, many people forgot that announcement.
One normal day after 20 years, the Horticultural Institute accidentally received a letter and 100 seeds of pure white marigold. On that day the news spread like wildfire. It turned out to be an old woman of over 70 years old. The institute had always been hesitating over the fact that the letter stated with certainty that the seeds could bloom(开花) pure white marigold.
Those seeds finally took root in the earth. The wonder appeared after one year: large fields of pure white marigold swung in the light wind. As a result, the old woman became a new focus.
Originally, the old woman was just a flower-lover. When she happened to read the announcement 20 years ago, her heart kept beating wildly. But her eight children all opposed her decision. After all, a woman who never knew the seed genetics(遗传学) couldn't complete what the experts could never accomplish! Still, the old woman didn't change her mind and went on working without hesitation. She spread some of the most common seeds and took good care of them. A year later, when the marigold bloomed, she chose one faintest (暗淡) from those golden and brown flowers and made it wither (凋谢) naturally in order to get the best seed. The next year, she again grew them and chose the faintest from these flowers to plant Year after year, through many cycles of spring sowing and autumn harvest, the old woman's husband died; her children flew far and high; a lot of things happened in her life but only the desire to grow the pure white marigold took root in her heart. Finally, after 20 years on the day we all know, in the garden, she saw a marigold, which was not nearly white but as white as silver or snow.
Such a difficult problem as even experts couldn't cope with was readily solved by an old woman who didn't understand genetics. Was it a wonder? Take root in the heart and even the most common seed can grow into a wonder!
1. Why was a great reward offered by the Institute?| A．White flowers could be sold at a higher price |
| B．Pure white marigold was more beautiful in nature |
| C．It was very difficult to develop pure white marigold |
| D．Scientists wanted to know how marigold grew in nature |
| A．She was 70 when she first read the announcement. |
| B．She sent pure white marigold flowers to the institute. |
| C．She got professional support from scientists. |
| D．She kept trying for years before she succeeded. |
| A．easily | B．quickly |
| C．honestly | D．luckily |
| A．Seeds Take Root in the Heart | B．White Marigold is Never Alone |
| C．Marigolds Grow from Bravery | D．White Flowers Bring Success |
