Have you ever watched a legal drama and found yourself wondering what everyone’s talking about? On TV or in movies, it might not be that important to know what everything means — but it’s different if you’re really living through a legal drama.
In fact, it matters so much that steps are being taken in some English-speaking countries to make legal language simpler.
As plain language supporters say, it’s a matter of equality: making sure everyone has easy access to information, whatever their educational background — or whether they speak English as a second language.
| A．So it can be understood by everyone. |
| B．How can we understand the language easily? |
| C．Then, understanding the language really matters. |
| D．However, some legal professionals have different ideas. |
| E．The plain language has a great influence on people’s life. |
| F．The plain language movement has been developing for many years. |
| G．Canada has long encouraged plain language in government documents. |
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【推荐1】Believe it or not, English has become the global lingua franca (世界通用语) in the 21st century. The ability to speak English fluently has become a necessity for individuals and countries to participate in the global economy. This is particularly true for countries that are heavily rely on international trade and investment. Singapore is a perfect example of such a country.
Singapore is a small city-state located in Southeast Asia. Despite its small size, it has become one of the most prosperous and innovative economies in the world. This nation has gained a reputation for having a good quality of life, well-developed infrastructure (基础设施), and a favorable climate for businesses. While there are four official languages in Singapore, English, Chinese, Malay, and Tamil, English is the most commonly used language in business, education, and government.
English has played a crucial role in Singapore’s economic development. The country’s founding father, LeeKuan Yew, acknowledged the significance of English in the international business environment and made it a priority to promote English learning in Singapore. He saw English as a tool to connect Singapore to the world and attract foreign investment and the government carried out policies to promote English learning.
Singapore is home to many multinational corporations, and English fluency is a critical factor for these companies when selecting employees. Singaporeans’ fluency in English has also made it easier for them to conduct business with other countries, particularly those in the Western world.
1. In which way is English fluency important?| A．It’s the official language of all countries. |
| B．It’s a tool to attract overseas investors to invest. |
| C．It’s the only language spoken in the global economy. |
| D．It’s necessary to communicate with neighboring countries. |
| A．Government officials have a high quality of life. |
| B．It is the most economically powerful country in Asia. |
| C．It likes to work with Chinese people. |
| D．English is its preferred language. |
| A．He made policies to learn English to be related to the world. |
| B．He was a huge fan of English related business. |
| C．He recognized the importance of English in the global economy. |
| D．He made schools to teach British accents in order to join the world. |
| A．He believes English is critical. |
| B．He believes that English learning is very competitive. |
| C．He thinks learning English is easy. |
| D．He believes that learning English improves the sense of cooperation. |
New research from Columbia University found that prompting (提示) someone who is learning a new language with images and reminders of their own culture could temporarily ruin everything that the brain was trying to build.
When native Chinese students were asked to talk with a Caucasian avatar (白种人的虚拟头像) and a Chinese avatar, their English skills were so different. Simply exposing students to a Chinese person affected their ability to speak English. Subjects who talked with the Chinese version felt more comfortable in their speech, but they produced 11% fewer words per minute. They actually became less fluent speakers.
To make sure it wasn’t just the avatar, researchers also showed people random images of China while the participants told a story. When pictures of their homeland appeared, fluency dropped 16% and volunteers were 85% more likely to use a literal (照字面的) translation, for example, calling pistachios “happy nuts”, because that’s literally what the Chinese word for pistachio means.
When the students were shown pictures of fish with one swimming ahead of the others, their culture would change how they look at the photo. With Chinese prompt, like photos of the Great Wall or Chinese Dragon, etc. they saw more students thinking that the fish was being chased, while an American prompt, like pictures of Marilyn Monroe or Superman, saw those students believing that it was a leader fish.
The bottom line is: when attempting to learn a new culture it is far better to surround yourself with that culture than create an island of the old one.
1. Why does the author use a question in the first paragraph?
| A．To raise a question. |
| B．To arouse readers’ awareness. |
| C．To introduce the topic. |
| D．To tell a story. |
| A．pictures | B．volunteers |
| C．an image | D．a kind of food |
| A．different images would change with different people |
| B．different cultures would affect how students look at the photo |
| C．with Chinese prompts, more students thought that it was a leader fish |
| D．with an American prompt, more students thought that the fish was being chased |
| A．To surround himself with that culture. |
| B．To create an island of the old one. |
| C．To see random images of China. |
| D．To talk with a Caucasian avatar. |
【推荐3】Want great success in your career and your love life, as well as a healthy brain long into old age? The answer could be to learn another language. That’s the case according to a majority of Americans and Britons polled in a survey by language app Babbel.
71% of Americans and 61% of Britons believe speaking more than one language makes a person seem more attractive. Of 3000 English speakers polled in the US and the UK, nine out of ten admitted they’d learnt a new language in pursuit of romance. Besides, about one in four Americans and Britons think that being monolingual (单语的) has held them back professionally.
“Languages not only enable you to expand yourself in terms of perspective and skill set, but they also open doors and help you better understand other cultures and peoples,” Miriam Plieninger, director of didactics at Babbel. “Knowing another language helps to break barriers and to connect on a special level of shared understanding; be it while on the street, traveling, or in business.” Globally, more than half of the world can speak at least two languages.
“Different factors influence how easy or difficult it is to learn a new language,” says Plieninger. “If the language you’re learning is part of the same family as your mother tongue, it’s generally much easier to access.” Theoretically, English speakers should therefore be more comfortable with Germanic languages like German or Dutch, as both are historically very close to English. However, familiarity picked up in everyday life or in the classroom makes a big difference, which is why Americans feel at ease with Spanish and Britons with French.
Being multilingual can also be good for your health. Canadian scientist Ellen Bialystok found that speaking more than one language regularly from an early age improves cognitive abilities and can also delay symptoms of Alzheimer’s diseases.
1. How does the author prove his view?| A．By making an interview. | B．By comparing online information. |
| C．By researching language apps. | D．By referring to a survey. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Favorable. | C．Careful. | D．Negative. |
| A．English-speakers find it uncomfortable with Dutch. |
| B．English-speakers do not have any difficulty learning German. |
| C．Compared with Americans, Britons find it harder to learn French. |
| D．Compared with French, Americans find it easier to learn Spanish. |
| A．Benefits of learning another language. | B．Advice on language learning. |
| C．Key to success in career. | D．Relation between language and culture. |
| A．If you talk to a man in his language, that goes to his heart. |
| B．There is no quick success in learning, especially in language. |
| C．Clear language depends on clear thinking. |
| D．If you want to master a language, you need to learn its cultural background. |
【推荐1】“It’s raining cats and dogs!” Although this phrase isn’t very common in England any more, it clearly shows we don’t always say what we mean. One thing that is often frustrating for language learners is that they understand every word in a sentence and yet the meaning remains unclear - like this sentence that actually means “It’s raining heavily!” However, it’s not just idioms that cause difficulties for people learning English.
The British are often considered to be polite but this can be very confusing for non-native speakers. We often don’t say what we are thinking—in fact we often say the opposite! Here’s an example that will hopefully explain what I mean: “You should come around for tea!”
British people are less open than people from other cultures, so we aren’t as quick to invite people into our homes. This phrase is one of those that we say but often don’t really mean, so when no further details are given, you can probably assume (认为) it was made in the name of politeness! But how does this compare to other countries?
When I lived in India, lots of people would invite me into their homes but I always assumed that they were just being polite. Of course, I was wrong. The invitations were almost always genuine, and people expected me to visit them. In fact, I think I spent more time at other people’s houses than my own!
In England, we often think it’s polite to offer or suggest something even if we don’t actually want to do it, while in other cultures people are more direct. Perhaps if English people just say what they were thinking, things would be a lot easier—especially for non-native speakers!
1. What does the writer mean by mentioning the example “It’s raining cats and dogs!”?| A．It’s time for people to protect these pet animals. |
| B．The weather condition in England is rather awful. |
| C．What British people say is different from what they think. |
| D．It is easy for non-native learner to understand idioms. |
| A．Direct and honest. | B．Too traditional to accept. |
| C．Serious and formal. | D．Difficult to understand. |
| A．Personal. | B．Sincere. |
| C．Informal. | D．Special. |
| A．To encourage people to show politeness. |
| B．To teach people how to avoid misunderstandings. |
| C．To discuss how to learn English idioms effectively. |
| D．To advise people to understand politeness culturally. |
【推荐2】Automakers around the world, from Japan to Texas, are struggling with a global shortage of computer chips. Volkswagen sounded the alarm about the growing problem last month. Now more automakers are reporting problems that are trimming production plans based on their supply of semiconductors (半导体).
Semiconductors are at the heart of our phones and computers, but they're critical components for new cars, too — and not just in fancy touchscreens. "They're controlling the engine and the emissions and even in the switches for raising and lowering your windows," says Kristin Dziczek, the vice president at the Center for Automotive Research.
Last year, when auto manufacturing was suspended for the pandemic, everyone predicted a prolonged slowdown in car sales. The global semiconductor industry planned accordingly, and arranged to sell more computer chips to other buyers. But then, much to everyone's surprise, shoppers were still eager to buy new cars. As soon as they reopened, plants resumed normal production at a remarkable speed.
At the same time, demand for chips from other sectors — like consumer electronics — was also increasing. "Every school district in the country had to buy new computers," Dziczek says.
For car shoppers, this could mean some vehicle models are harder to find for the next few months. So far, the consequences have been uneven among automakers. Ford and Fiat Chrysler have entire plants on pause, while General Motors says its manufacturing operations have not been affected, and Toyota does not expect any impact to employment. The United Auto Workers, which represents factory workers at Ford, GM and Fiat Chrysler plants, notes that its contracts include "unemployment and supplemental pay" for workers affected by production downtimes.
1. In what ways can semiconductors not be applied in cars?| A．In the engine system. | B．In fancy touchscreens. |
| C．In the emission system. | D．In the switches of car doors. |
| A．It'll be harder for shoppers to find a dream car. |
| B．The contracts are not beneficial to the workers. |
| C．Toyota is expected to face employment problem. |
| D．All the automakers have paused the entire plants. |
| A．A Dream Car Is Not A Dream |
| B．The Growing Popularity Of Semiconductor |
| C．Semiconductor Won't Hurt Chip Production |
| D．Auto Production Disturbed By Chip Shortages |
【推荐3】Imagine you’re talking to someone and find a big piece of green thing in their teeth after lunch. Are you g ping to tell him/her? It can feel awkward to tell somebody they have something in their teeth, or elsewhere.
Beyond issues related to a person’s appearance, feedback is also vital for learning and growth.
In workplaces, feedback from managers can improve performance. We also give feedback in our personal lives. like telling our partners the dish they cooked was too hot.
Finally, we should still be careful about immediately or eagerly telling anyone and everyone how they can improve
| A．So what are proper; ways to-provide feedbacks? |
| B．There’s no doubt many of us avoid giving feedback. |
| C．Students need feedback so they can improve their grades. |
| D．So why are we sometimes unwilling to provide feedback elsewhere? |
| E．Constant and eager feedbacks have a significant impact on the receivers. |
| F．Constructive feedback should be specific, actionable and delivered in a timely fashion. |
| G．Therefore, we can see that many people are unwilling to provide feedback on account of their failing to appreciate its value. |
