One of the main challenges facing many countries is how to maintain their identity in the face of globalization and the growing multi-language trend. “One of the main reasons for economic failure in many African countries is the fact that, with a few important exceptions, mother-tongue education is not practiced in any of the independent African states.” said Neville Alexander, Director of the Project for the Study of Alternative Education in South Africa at the University of Cape Town.
In response to the spread of English and the increased multi-language trends arising from immigration, many countries have introduced language laws in the last decade. In some, the use of languages other than the national language is banned in public spaces such as advertising posters. One of the first such legal provisions (规定) was the 1994 “Toubon law” in France, and the idea has been copied in many countries since then. Such efforts to govern language use are often considered as futile by language experts, who are well aware of the difficulty in controlling fashions in speech and know from research that language switching among bilinguals is a natural process.
It is especially difficult for native speakers of English to understand the desire to maintain the “purity” of a language by law. Since the time of Shakespeare, English has continually absorbed foreign words into its own language. English is one of the most mixed and rapidly changing languages in the world, but that has not been a barrier to acquiring superiority and power. Another reason for the failure of many native English speakers to understand the role of the state regulation is that it has never been the Anglo-Saxon way of doing things.
The need to protect national languages is, for most western Europeans, a recent phenomenon, especially the need to ensure that English does not unnecessarily take over too many fields. Public communication, education and new ways of communication promoted by technology may be key fields to defend.
1. Neville Alexander believes that .| A．lack of mother-tongue education can lead to economic failure |
| B．globalization has resulted in the economic failure of Africa |
| C．globalization has led to the rise of multi-language trend |
| D．mother-tongue education is not practiced in all African countries |
| A．workable | B．useless | C．practical | D．unimportant |
| A．English has taken over fields like public communication and education. |
| B．Most language experts believe it is important to promote a national language. |
| C．Many aspects of national culture are threatened by the spread of English. |
| D．Europeans have long realized the need to protect a national language. |
| A．Fighting against the rule of English |
| B．To maintain the purity of language by law |
| C．Globalization and multi-language trend |
| D．Protecting local languages and identities |
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【推荐1】Gaelic had been the major culture in Scotland. But many forces tried to weaken its power. The final straw came in 1609, when some laws required Highland Scottish leaders to send their children to English-speaking schools. Naturally, the culture continued to weaken through the 20th century. Though Gaelic still existed in some rural areas, a lack of jobs meant young people in Gaelic areas were leaving for English-speaking cities.
Iain Noble was a wealthy businessman from Germany. He quickly fell in love with Gaelic culture when he moved to Scotland. So he set up the college of Sabhal Mòr Ostaig in 1973 on the Isle of Skye. Today, it has more than 1,000 students and is officially the National Centre for Gaelic Language and Culture. It is where the revival of Scotland’s Gaelic culture started.
Of course, the college teaches the language and culture. But the secret to making such impressive cultural achievements is giving language learners skills in industries like media and business. The skills allow students to create local jobs and help make the area known to tourists.
Noble’s wife Lady Lucilla said his eagerness to revive the culture was clear. After spending much money setting up the college, Noble had to go to great lengths to find worthwhile teachers. Sometimes he tried hard to find people who had left Skye, “Iain would invite those whose families were from Skye but who were working in Aberdeen, in London and further afield,” said Lucilla.
“Now I’ve seen some cool youngsters who are very proud of their Gaelic, and they are fascinated by the culture,” she said.
One such youngster is 15-year-old Emily Macdonald. She not only speaks Gaelic fluently with her friends, but is excited to do so.
“I feel like we’re even more wanting to speak Gaelic, just to keep it alive, because it is really important to our nation,” she said. “And to have this special language that we can speak to each other in is quite special.”
1. What does the first paragraph mainly talk about?| A．The fall of Gaelic. | B．The future of Gaelic. |
| C．The influence of Gaelic. | D．The advantages of Gaelic. |
| A．Having the best Gaelic teachers. | B．Teaching students professional skills. |
| C．Receiving much government support. | D．Being open to both natives and foreigners. |
| A．He made much money from the college. |
| B．He traveled a lot to spread Gaelic culture. |
| C．He spared no effort to do his cultural work. |
| D．He became world-famous because of his college. |
| A．It is the pride of their nation. | B．It is hard to learn for youngsters. |
| C．It has changed a lot over the years. | D．It attracts fewer local young people. |
【推荐2】If native speakers of English are not to become international corporate pariahs(被社会遗弃者), they will need to learn how to speak global English - in other words, to communicate with non-native speakers.
Displeasure at the complexity of native speakers' English is widespread in international business. During a study carried out at Kone Elevators of Finland, one Finnish manager complained, “The British are the worst… It is much more difficult to understand their English than that of other nationalities. When we non-native speakers of English talk, it is much easier to understand. We have the same limited vocabulary.”
How can native speakers of English make themselves easier to understand and more likeable? The most obvious way is to learn someone else's language. The great benefit of learning other languages is that you have some idea of what non-native speakers are up against. However，the news that fewer than half of English schoolchildren are learning a foreign language suggests that this is not going to be a profitable route for many.
So what should native English speakers do to make themselves better understood? First, slow down, but not to the point where members of your audience think you are supporting them. Second, avoid idiomatic and metaphorical(比喻性的) expressions: that's the way the cookie crumbles, people who live in glass houses should not throw stones, and the like.
Jokes are a difficult area. You will not forget the silence that follows one that is found puzzling. On the other hand, when jokes work, they can be a huge success with a non-native speaking audience. If you have learnt other languages, you will know that very few achievements are as satisfying as understanding your first foreign joke. Try a few out with your non-native speaking audience; you will soon learn which ones are worth repeating.
It is often unnecessary to avoid long words such as “association” and “nationality”, which are common to the Romance languages and will be widely understood in Europe and Latin America.
Listen to verbal responses for signs of whether you have been understood or not. Make sure your non-native speaking colleagues have the chance to talk; they will often be rephrasing your words in an attempt to satisfy themselves that they have grasped(理解) what you said.
Always remember that the greatest friend of the non-native speakers is repetition. Find more than one way of getting your point across and summarize frequently.
1. The example of one Finnish manager in the second paragraph means that ______.| A．speakers of other languages are friendlier than English speakers |
| B．it’s difficult for people to completely understand native English |
| C．English has the same limited vocabulary as other languages |
| D．English is the most difficult to speak among all the languages |
| A．decreasing the vocabulary of English |
| B．slowing down the speed of speaking English properly |
| C．avoiding using metaphorical expressions |
| D．trying to tell some jokes |
| A．They want to keep them in mind. | B．They don’t understand them. |
| C．They wish to draw more attention. | D．They want to express they have understood. |
| A．The complexity of English. |
| B．How native speakers of English learn English. |
| C．How native speakers of English improve themselves. |
| D．English is getting more and more important. |
【推荐3】In our life most people like green and green is an important color in nature. It is the color of most growing plants. Sometimes, the word green means young, fresh, and growing.
For example, a greenhorn is someone who has no experience, who is new to a situation. In the 15th century, a greenhorn was a young cow or ox whose horns have not yet developed.
About 100 years ago. Greenhorn was a popular expression in the American west.
Someone who has the ability to grow plants well is said to have a green thumb.
A person with green thumb seems to make the plants grow quickly and well. You might say that the woman next door had a green thumb if her garden continues to grow long after your plants have died.
Green is also used to describe the unpleasant emotion, jealousy. The green-eyed monster is not a frightening creature from outer space. It is an expression used about 400 years ago by William Shakespeare in his play “Othello”.
| A．The plants produced much larger crops. |
| B．The expression comes from the early 1900s. |
| C．Sometimes, it describes something that is not yet ripe or finished. |
| D．Later, it meant a soldier who had not yet had any experience in battle. |
| E．It was used to describe a man who had just arrived from one of the big cities. |
| F．It was the result of hard work by agricultural scientists who had green thumbs. |
| G．It describes the unpleasant feeling a person has when someone has something he wants. |
【推荐1】The main hall of a 135-year old temple in Shanghai will be moved 30 meters to its north in order to create more space for visitors. Thousands of people gather and see the moving of the temple that started on Saturday.
The Mahavira Hall, of Shanghai's Jade Buddha Temple, was built in 1882. The temple in downtown Shanghai attracts more than two million visitors a year. Daily visitors can reach as high as 100,000.
A major renovation project started in 2014. The moving of the temple started on Saturday and is set to be finished in two weeks. The main hall of the temple will be relocated 30.66 meters northward within the temple and elevated 1.05 meters.
Master Jue Xing, abbot of the Jade Buddha Temple and vice president of the Buddhist Association of China, said moving the hall will create more space between buildings and reduce the risks of a stampede as the temple is usually tightly packed.
Buddhist statues and relics in the hall will also be moved together with the hall, he said.
Workers pumped cement into the foundation of the hall because the old building's foundation was rather soft, he said.
Statues and other relics in the building were stabilized and protected with frames to avoid damage, he said.
The moving will be carried out with the help of relic preservation experts from the Shanghai Museum, he said.
Shanghai has had several successful projects to move old buildings, including a school in 2009 and a concert hall in 2002. On Aug. 31st, Shanghai Concert Hall began to move 66.46 meters northward after the last concert was held in the previous location and reopened to audience two years later. The moving was recognized as a wonder of construction protection and inspired the experts of the moving of the the Mahavira Hall.
1. Which of the following job will not be done?| A．The temple will be relocated about 30 meters northward |
| B．Buddhist statues and relics in the hall will be moved together |
| C．The foundation of the hall will be strengthened with cerement |
| D．Statues and relics in the hall will be stabilized with frames |
| A．The Jade Temple of Shanghai attracts 100,000. visitors every year |
| B．The major renovation project completed in 2014 |
| C．Moving the hall is to make more space for visiting and to reduce the risks of stampede |
| D．Shanghai have had some successful experience of moving buildings |
| A．Science and technology | B．culture |
| C．Travel | D．Life and Health |
【推荐2】As traditional Chinese art, paper cutting has a long history. The first and earliest paper cutting was found in China 1,500 years ago. But this traditional art is at risk of disappearing now. Luckily, Vivian Woo, a Chinese immigrant in America, is trying to bring this art back to life.
One Saturday in 2017, Ms.Woo held a paper cutting show at a shopping center near Washington. She got much fun and peace doing it. She hoped more people would enjoy it. Ms. Woo began to study the art of paper when she was a 14-year-old girl in her hometown in China. She said all the students at school had to learn paper cutting. But she had a deep love for it. So her teacher spent more time teaching her after class.Later, she won the second prize in a national painting and art competition. Ms.Woo went to America after she finished college in 2008．Soon after that, she took part in an activity to promote Chinese paper cutting. And then she was invited to show the art in many important activities. “It is important to promote this art to Americans or anyone who is interested in it. Maybe it will make this art more popular.” Woo said.
From the art of paper cutting, people can know about Chinese cultural values, history and stories of people. Ms.Woo uses the art as a tool to show Chinese culture to people who know little about it. Chinese art is not only for Chinese, but also for people all over the world.
1. What did Ms. Woo do in 2017?| A．She won the second prize in a national painting and art competition. |
| B．She was invited to many activities to show paper cutting. |
| C．She held a paper cutting show at a shopping center near Washington. |
| D．She took part in an activity to promote Chinese paper cutting. |
| A．When she was fourteen. | B．After she got to America. |
| C．When she was in college. | D．After she finished college. |
| A．It’s very popular in America. | B．It’s very popular in China. |
| C．It’s for people who know about it. | D．It’s in danger of disappearing. |
【推荐3】Shanghai residents passing through the city's eastern Huangpu district in October might have astonished at an unusual sight: a “walking” building. An 85-year-old primary school has been lifted off the ground and relocated using new technology named the “walking machine.”
In the city's latest effort to preserve historic structures, engineers attached nearly 200 mobile supports under the five-story building, according to Lan Wuji, chief technical supervisor (技术总监) of the project. The supports act like robotic legs. They're divided into two groups which alternately rise up and down, imitating the human pace. Attached sensors help control how the building moves forward, said Lan.
In recent decades, China's rapid modernization has seen many historic buildings razed to clear land for high-rise buildings. But there has been growing concern about the architectural heritage lost as a result of destruction across the country. Some cities have launched new preservation and conservation campaigns including, on occasion, the use of advanced technologies that allow old buildings to be relocated rather than destroyed.
Shanghai has possibly been China's most progressive city when it comes to heritage preservation. The survival of a number of 1930s buildings in the famous Bund district and 19th-century “Shikumen” houses in the rebuilt Xintiandi neighborhood have offered examples of how to give old buildings new life. The city also has a satisfying record of relocating old buildings. In 2018, the city relocated a 90-year-old building in Hongkou district, in what was then considered to be Shanghai's most complex relocation project to date.
The Lagena Primary School, which weighs 7,600 tons, posed a new challenge-it's T-shaped, while previously relocated structures were square or four-sided. Experts met to discuss possibilities and test a number of different technologies before deciding on the “walking machine”, Lan said. However, he couldn't share the exact cost of the project, and that relocation costs will differ case by case. “It can't be used as a reference, because we have to preserve the historical building no matter what,” he said. “But in general, it's cheaper than destroying and then rebuilding something in a new location.”
1. How does the “walking” machine work?| A．It uses hundreds of ropes to lift up the entire building. |
| B．It uses many wheels to roll the building to the new place. |
| C．It lifts off the building story by story with the robotic legs. |
| D．It uses sensors to control the movement of mobile supports. |
| A．replaced | B．burnt | C．protected | D．destroyed |
| A．The use of advanced technology leads to growing concern. |
| B．Shanghai is the pioneer in preserving architectural heritage. |
| C．The local government has already taken action since the 1930s. |
| D．It consequently holds back the progress of modernization. |
| A．New preservation campaigns are launched in China. |
| B．Modernization poses threats to historic buildings. |
| C．A building in Shanghai “walks” to a new location. |
| D．“Walking machine” makes heritage protection cheaper. |
【推荐1】To deal with a changing world, we have to change as well. Transforming land into farms removes forests and worsens climate change. But we need to grow more food to support a growing global population. What can we do?
Scientists have discovered that plants grow best under a certain type of light, which can be provided by red and blue LEDs. The combination of these lights at the right level makes a space look pink. Since “pinkhouses” supply their own light, they don't need to have fragile glass walls and ceilings. And they can be set up anywhere, including places that don't get the amount of light greenhouses need.
Since pinkhouses can pack food in huge columns, one of these farms doesn't need a lot of land. Farmers can set up pinkhouses in cities. They completely control temperature and light, which can help some plants grow twice as well in pinkhouses as they do in traditional farming. Pinkhouses can allow for many more harvests per year since farming doesn't have to stop in the winter.
Even though pinkhouses are a great way to grow crops, lighting and heating an indoor space is very expensive. It doesn't make sense to grow foods that take up a lot of space or that we need to grow lots of, like wheat, rice, and corm, in a pinkhouse. We will still need to grow those crops in fields. We can start farming smarter.
Farmers will use satellite imagery to figure out exactly where to plant each crop. Think of a mixture of just the right crops, rather than a rectangle(长方形) of one type of plant.Sensors in the fields will measure the soil's water level,temperature, and chemical content. They will even be able to detect insects and send out notifications to a smartphone app.Irrigation systems will be tied to weather forecasting programs, allowing very precise watering and care, all calculated to get the best plant growth and yield.
1. From the text, we know that the pinkhouse
| A．covers lots of space | B．needs enough sunlight |
| C．is made of glass or plastic | D．can make plants grow larger |
| A．Summarize the previous paragraphs. |
| B．Emphasize the advantage of pinkhouses. |
| C．Introduce a new topic of the discussion. |
| D．Add some background information. |
| A．Farmers will have a better harvest. |
| B．Farmers can grow different plants. |
| C．Farmers needn't care about the weather. |
| D．Plants can protect themselves against insects. |
| A．Building Pinkhouses | B．Feeding the Future |
| C．Changing the World | D．Getting Outdoor Farming Smart |
When the 5th century arrived, there were just two punctuation marks: spaces and points. The spaces separated words while the points showed pauses in reading. Then in the 13th century, a printer named Aldus Manutius tried to standardize punctuation. He always used a period for a complete stop at the end of a sentence. He used a slash (/) to indicate a short pause. Over time, that slash was shortened and curled, and it became the modern comma (逗号).
Since that time, other marks have enlarged the punctuation family. The exclamation mark (感叹号) comes from the Latin word io. It means “exclamation of joy.” The question mark originally started out as the Latin word questio, meaning question. Eventually, scholars put it at the end of a sentence to show a question.
Punctuation even keeps changing nowadays. New marks are coming into existence, and old punctuation marks are used in new ways. Take for example the “interrobang”. This 1962 invention combines the question mark and exclamation mark for times when writers want both. For example, “She did what?” or “How much did you pay for that dress?” Obviously, the interrobang is not widely used or recognized yet, but its invention shows that English is not yet finished with its punctuation.
1. From the first paragraph, we can know that _______.
| A．good readers had trouble reading without punctuation marks |
| B．a sentence always read from left to right in ancient Greece |
| C．ancient Greeks switched the direction of punctuation marks |
| D．the use of punctuation marks can date back to ancient times |
| A．by time | B．by space |
| C．by comparison | D．by importance |
| A．ancient Romans didn’t use any punctuation marks |
| B．exclamation and question marks came from Latin |
| C．spaces and slashes were already used before the 5th century |
| D．Aldus Manutius first started to use commas |
| A．The combination of two marks will not work. |
| B．It takes time for people to accept new punctuation marks. |
| C．Old punctuation marks need to be standardized. |
| D．Punctuation marks are still changing today. |
注意: 每个空格只填 1 个单词。请将答案写在答题卡上相应题号的横线上。
There are times when you want to know how to make friends. Maybe you are just not confident because you're afraid that people may not react the way you want them to. But it is not very hard to make friends; it is just what you think it is that makes you not willing to do it. Continue reading to find out how!
Don’t be mean or rude; you do not want to lose any potential friends. Be nice and friendly. If you want to make friends, you first need to put yourself out there somehow in order to meet people. If you just sit alone, friends might come to you, but the odds are much smaller. If you're still in school, sit somewhere with other people. It doesn’t have to be the 'popular' or 'cool' table, or a crowded one, but one with at least two other people. Hang out with many others. The popular kids won’t matter when you’re older, but a true friend will be there for you forever.
There is no necessary need to have a lot of common interests with people in order to make friends with them. But if you like a specific topic, try searching for just an organization or a club where you can find people who are also interested in it and become a member of it. It's a great way to meet new local people.
Volunteering is also a great way for people of all ages to meet others. By working together you build bonds with people, and you might meet others who have a passion for changing things the way you do, that is, a common cause.
There are many ways to start a conversation-a comment about your immediate environment (The weather is a classic: 'At least it's not raining like last week! '), a request for help ('Can you help me carry a few boxes, if you have a minute? ' or 'Can you help me decide which one of these is a better gift for my mum? ') or a compliment ('I love your shoes. '). Follow up immediately with a related question: Do you like this warm weather? What kinds of gifts do you normally buy for your mums? Where did you get shoes like that? Also, make a small talk. Remember the 30% talking and 70% listening ratio during small talk.
You've probably heard of fair-weather friends. They're the ones who are happy to be around you when things are going well, but are nowhere to be found when you really need them. Part of being a friend is being prepared to make sacrifices of your time and energy in order to help your friends out. If a friend needs help with an unpleasant chore, or if he or she just needs a shoulder to cry on, be there. If your friend tells a joke, laugh with him or her. Never complain about a friend. If you and your friend agree to meet somewhere, don’t be late, and do not stand him or her up. If you're not going to make it on time or make it at all, call him or her as soon as you realize it. Apologize and ask to reschedule. Be someone who people know that they can count on.
In a word, when you get along with people around you, it's important for you to actively approach others, start a small conversation freely and then develop a close relationship with others.
| Introduction | Sometimes you want to find ways to make friends, but you |
| Spend more time around people | If you don’t want to lose any potential friends, be nice and friendly to others. |
| ▲You don't ▲Some of the most rewarding friendships are between two people who don't have much in common at all. | |
| Volunteer | When volunteering with others, you can keep in |
| Start a conversation | ▲You can start a conversation by ▲Keep the 30% talking and 70% listening ratio in |
| Be nice and loyal to a friend | ▲Sometimes, you have to ▲If a friend needs help when he or she is in trouble, or if he or she wants to ▲Don't make ▲Don't be late for your appointments. |
| Only when you actively approach others can you make friends with others much better. |
