【推荐1】A reason for learning a new language is to communicate with the people who speak it.

    1    People in every country prefer it when tourists try to speak the local language, even if all you can say in it is‘‘hello" and“please". Learning a new language will also bring you other advantages.

Cultural understanding

Speaking a new language helps you to know another people and culture, as the language and culture go hand in hand.    2    It shows new ways of looking at the world. In addition, when you speak another language,   you can enjoy literature, films, and music in the original(原作的) language. It is extremely difficult for a translation to be a perfect replica(复制品) of the original.    3    

Business and careers

    4     Schools and employers preferjob seekers who speak one or more foreign languages.

Even though English is widely spoken in many places of the world, the fact is that the global economy depends on communication. When dealing with the French, for example, someone who speaks French will have an obvious advantage over someone who doesn't.

Language improvement

Learning another language can help you to understand your own. Many languages have contributed to the development of English.     5     Also, in learning how another language differs from your own, you will increase your understanding of your own language. For many people, language is innate (与生俱来的)-we know how to say something, but we don't necessarily know why we say it that way. Learning another Ianguage can change that.

A．The best way is to read the original work.

B．Learning another language opens one's mind.

C．Language is helpful in making foreign friends.

D．Your trip will be comfortable if you speak the local language.

E．It is true that mastering another foreign language is very helpful.

F．Speaking more than one language will increase your marketing ability.

G．Learning those will teach you where English words and grammatical rules are from.

【推荐2】The British are known for their sense of humor. However, it is often difficult for foreigners to understand their jokes. The main point to remember is that the British often use understatement.

Understatement means saying less than you think or feel. For example, if someone gets very wet in shower of rain, he might say, “It’s a little damp (潮湿的) outside”. Or, if someone is very impolite and shouts at another person, someone else might say, “She isn’t exactly friendly ”. Understatement is often used in unpleasant situation or to make another person look silly. Understatement plays an important part in British humor.

Another key to understanding British humor is that the British like to make fun of themselves as well as others. They often laugh about the silly and unpleasant things that happen to our everyday life. They also like to make jokes about people from different classes of society. What’s more, the British love to watch comedies about people who do not know how to behave in society. The comedy series Mr. Bean is a good example of this kind of humor. Mr. Bean doesn’t talk often. Instead, he uses his body movements and facial expressions to make people laugh. Perhaps what makes Mr. Bean so funny is that he does things that adults in the real world cannot do. Mr. Bean is popular in many countries around the world because you do not have to speak English to understand the humor. Because of this, many people have become familiar with the British sense of humor.

1. What can we learn from the text?

A．The British are famous for their sense of humor.

B．The British are usually used to enlarging the fact.

C．Understatement is often used in pleasant situation.

D．The British like to play jokes on others instead of themselves.

2. How does the author explain understatement?

A．By using examples	B．By making comparisons
C．By following time order	D．By describing a process

3. Mr. Bean is popular in non-English speaking countries because________.

A．he makes fun of others

B．he doesn’t talk too much

C．he copies others’ expressions

D．he does what others will never do

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．British humor in Comedy

B．Humor in different cultures

C．Understanding British Humor

D．Developing Your Sense of Humor

【推荐3】American Phrases for Warning or Advising Someone

The other day, I started crossing a busy street in Washington, D. C., while looking at my phone. Suddenly, I heard a man shout, “Watch out!” He was telling me about an oncoming car.     1     The words “Watch out!” made me quickly return to the sidewalk. I learned something that day: Phones can be distracting (分心)! And I remember how useful warnings are.

To warn someone means to tell the person about possible danger or trouble. In English, there are several ways to do this.     2     Others are a form of direct or indirect advice-often about what not to do.

When warning someone of danger, you can say, “Watch out!” just like the man said to me on the street. You can also say, “Look out!” or “Be careful!” For example, it could be that a moving vehicle or large animal is near. Or you might want to tell someone quickly that they will fall or crash into something or someone.     3     Listen to these warnings:

Look out for that tree!

Watch out! There’s a car coming.

Be careful! The floor is wet.

    4     Short, quick warnings of danger can be very effective.

Note also that we sometimes use “Careful” or “Be careful” in situations that are not urgent. For instance, someone want to touch a valuable item.     5     Then you can say, “Please be careful.” Or, if someone you know plans to walk around alone at night, you can tell them to be careful.

A．You want him or her to do it carefully.

B．These often begin with the word “Don’t.”

C．Some warnings are urgent and immediate.

D．I did not know that the crossing light was red.

E．Americans often say, “Careful!” instead of “Be Careful!”

F．Or you see a heavy object is going to drop or hit someone.

G．Other strong warnings involve direct orders about not doing something.

【推荐1】Pirates: Romance and Reality

In the movies, pirates (海盗) have exciting and adventurous lives.     1     Which aspects of the movie pirate are real, and which are invented?

A Pirate’s Life

While movie pirates are men in search of adventure, the average pirate was usually trying to escape from a different life. Some were ex-sailors who were treated poorly on their ships.     2     They came from many different backgrounds. But on a pirate ship, equality (平等) was important. Men elected their captain and created the ship’s     rules together.

    3    

In movies, pirates have chests full of gold and piles of money stolen from other people. However it as far more common for pirates to steal things like cloth, spices, and even medicine. They often sold these things.     4     They spent it as soon as they could on women and alcohol.

Pirate Style

Movie pirates often wear eye patches and have wooden legs. Many real pirates also looked like this. Why?     5     “ Life at sea was hard and dangerous,” says David Moore, a maritime museum employee in the U.S. Disease was also common. For these reasons, some pirates lost eyes and legs.

A．Pirate Heaven

B．Pirate Treasure

C．One reason was the poor living conditions.

D．Others were escaped slaves who wanted their freedom.

E．But what was life actually like for an 18th –century pirate?

F．The men also divided the income from stolen goods fairly.

G．Also, unlike movie pirates, real pirates didn't bury their money.

【推荐2】Have you ever wondered why people drive on a different side of the road? It might seem bizarre that U. K. Drivers stay on the left, but they’re not the only ones. Around 35 percent of the world population do the same, including people in Ireland, Japan, and some Caribbean islands.

Originally, almost everybody traveled on the left side of the road. However their way of transport was quite different from today: Think about four legs instead of four wheels. For Medieval swordsmen on horseback, it made sense to keep to the left to have their right arms closer to their enemies. Getting on or off was also easier from the left side of the horse, and safer done by the side of the road than in the center.

So why did people stop traveling on the left? Things changed in the late 1700s when large wagons (货车) pulled by several pairs of horses were used to transport farm products in France and the United States. The wagon driver sat behind the left horse, with his right arm free to use his whip to keep the horses moving. Since he was sitting on the left position, he wanted other wagons to pass on his left, so he kept to the right side of the road.

The British Government refused to give up their left-hand driving ways, and in 1773 introduced the General Highways Act, which encouraged driving on the left. This was later made law thanks to The Highway Act of 1835.

When Henry Ford showed his Model T in 1908, the driver’s seat was on the left, meaning that cars would have to drive on the right hand side of the road to allow front and back passengers to exit the car onto the roadside. However, British drivers remain on the left, and this is highly unlikely to change.

1. What does the underlined word “bizarre” in Paragraph 1 mean?

A．Funny.	B．Strange.
C．Wrong.	D．Difficult

2. Why did people riding the horse travel on the left in history?

A．It was safer to keep on the left

B．It was easier to carry goods.

C．It was easier for them to fight.

D．It was necessary to control the horse.

3. What made drivers of large wagons travel on the right?

A．Their sitting position.

B．The road conditions.

C．The number of horses.

D．The products in the wagons.

4. Which of the following may be the best title for the text?

A．UK Drivers Still Go On The Left

B．Why People Like Sitting On The Left Side

C．The History Of Transportation Means

D．The Reasons For Different Driving Sides

【推荐3】Mary Lyon was a leader in women’s education in the nineteenth century. It was a time when women’s education was not considered important in the United States. The States did require each town to provide a school for children, but there were not enough teachers. Most young women were not able to continue their education. If they did, they often were not taught much except French, how to sew (缝) clothing, and music.

Mary Lyon felt that women’s education was extremely important. She believed women were teachers both in the home and in the classroom. Mary opened a school for young women in Buckland. She suggested new ways of teaching, including holding discussion groups for students.

Then, Mary began to raise money for her dream school for the higher education of women. This school would own its own property. Its finances would be the responsibility of the directors. It would not depend on any person to continue. And, the students would share in cleaning and cooking to keep costs down.

In 1837, Mary Lyo n founded Mount Holyoke Female Seminary. In 1893, 44 years after her death, under a state law, Mount Holyoke Female Seminary became the first college to offer women the same kind of education as men. Mary’s efforts led to the spread of higher education for women in the United States. Her influence lasted as many students from her schools went out to teach others.

1. What’s the problem with women’s education in the 19th century?

A．They weren’t supported by their family.

B．They had no right to have education.

C．They had little chance to be teachers.

D．They had few choices of subjects.

2. What can we know about Mary from paragraph 2?

A．She suggested the traditional ways of teaching.

B．She preferred women to be educated at home.

C．She attached importance to women’s education.

D．She advised women to learn by themselves.

3. What was Mary’s dream school like?

A．It would have very strict rules.	B．It would be independent in finances.
C．It would be owned by the government.	D．It would depend on some important people.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Mary Lyon: A Supporter of Higher Education	B．Mary Lyon: A Leader in Women’s Education
C．Mary Lyon’s Great Influence on Her Students	D．Mary Lyon’s Efforts to Pass a New Education Law

【推荐1】Robert Adolf, a 24-year-old vlogger from Germany, filmed the celebration activities of the Miao ethnic group at the Guzang Festival on Nov. 25, 2021. This marked the completion of he and his friends’ task of filming all seven of Guizhou’s native ethnic groups for a documentary (纪录片) project.

The Guzang Festival is an important celebration for the Miao ethnic group, and married women from Yegai village, Leishan county’s Langde town, will travel together back to their parents’ homes in the village during the festival. Crowds of Miao women dressed in traditional clothing have become a popular scene at the Guzang Festival, which attracts tourists from all over the world each year.

That’s one of the reasons why Adolf attended the festival. He became interested in China’s history and culture due to the Disney movie Mulan when he was a child. He said that he came to China in 2017 to work for a German company in Central China’s Hunan Province, and then moved to Lianyungang in East China’s Jiangsu Province to work in foreign trade.

Adolf speaks fluent Chinese and is commonly known as “德国的包子” on Chinese social media platforms. During a trip to China’s rural areas, Adolf was impressed by China’s ethnic cultures and decided to shoot documentaries of China’s 56 ethnic groups.

In July 2021, Adolf and his three Chinese friends initiated their documentary project by taking a car and taking road trips to record the real lives of different Chinese ethnic groups. Adolf and his friends set out from Lianyungang and filmed the customs and cultures of Tujia, Miao, Dong, Buyi, Yao and Sui ethnic groups in Hubei Province, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region and Guizhou Province.

When asked about Guizhou specifically, Adolf said that “I want to share Guizhou and China’s ethnic culture with the world to allow more people to learn about Guizhou and learn about China.”

1. Why did Adolf attend the Guzang Festival?

A．He had a project in Guizhou.	B．He had many friends in Guizhou.
C．He was hired by a Chinese company.	D．He was attracted by Chinese culture.

2. What made Adolf decide to shoot documentaries of China’s 56 ethnic groups?

A．An important celebration.	B．A desire to realize his dream.
C．An impressive travel experience.	D．A deep understanding of Chinese culture.

3. What does the underlined word “initiated” in Paragraph 5 mean?

A．Started.

B．Introduced.

C．Updated.

D．Continued.

4. What’s the purpose of the text?

A．To compare Chinese and Western culture.

B．To introduce a documentary project by Adolf.

C．To share Adolf’s working experience in China.

D．To attract more foreign visitors to China.

【推荐2】“The grass looks greener on the other side of the fence (篱笆).” That’s an old saying in English. It means that other places often look better, more interesting than the place where you live. “Let’s go to KFC for dinner and then watch some Japanese cartoons!” We all know it: more and more Chinese kids love American and Japanese food and movies. Some people worry that young Chinese are beginning to feel that way. They see young Chinese ignoring Chinese culture and, instead, buying Japanese cartoon books, watching Korean soap operas and even celebrating western holidays.

Foreign books and soap operas are good, but Chinese writers and actors are just as good. As for holidays, Christmas is nice, but it can never have the meaning for Chinese that the Spring Festival has, and the West has nothing to compare with the Mid-Autumn Festival. China has lots of cool things in its culture: calligraphy, Beijing Opera, kung fu, and even Jay Chou! And let’s not forget the part of Chinese culture I like best: its friendliness. Not all countries are as warm as China.

It’s good to enjoy other cultures and to learn from them, but they can never replace your own culture. It’s good to look on the other side of the fence, but make sure you take a good long look. You will find that the grass isn’t always greener.

Although some people become worried about that, I don’t think they should. Will we get more powerful without learning from other countries? Will Chinese people live more happily without American fast food? Besides, it’s fun to learn about different cultures. Chinese kids can learn about other cultures and have fun, but they also need to learn more about their own culture. Be proud of Chinese culture and of being Chinese!

1. The author thinks young Chinese        .

A．are ignoring our own culture

B．are foolish in learning our own culture

C．are interested in our own culture

D．are hating our own culture

2. In some young Chinese’s eyes, which of the following is not the “greener grass”?

A．Japanese cartoon books.

B．Korean soap operas.

C．The Mid-Autumn Festival.

D．Christmas.

3. In the author’s opinion, what is the best feature of Chinese culture?

A．Working hard.	B．Friendliness.
C．Bravery.	D．Honesty.

4. What is the best title for the passage?

A．Chinese culture and western culture

B．Simple young Chinese

C．Interesting western culture

D．That grass is not always greener