【推荐1】Learning other languages, you discover how to say the same thing in many different ways. In English we say “goodnight”. In Russia, people say “ΠoЗДpаΒЛеНИе”. In Vietnamese, people say “chúc ngú ngon”, which means “have a delicious sleep”. When I think about the word “delicious, I think of pizza, chocolate and ice-cream. I don't think about going to sleep. So depending on the language, different phrases will improve your creativity and force you to think about how to say things in a different way.

Studying a new language, you will notice that you have to learn a new sense of humor that comes along with the culture of that language. Sometimes jokes that work in English won't work in French or Japanese. But sometimes things that nobody would laugh at in English work in Vietnamese. I learned this when I performed the stand-up comedy in Vietnam. A lot of my non-Vietnamese speaking friends would ask me to translate the jokes for them, but when I translated it back into English, no one laughed.

When you learn a new language, you have to learn a lot of vocabulary, new grammar, idioms and much more besides. Doing this, you have to learn memory skills. These could be flash cards, using recall methods, or building a memory palace. Whatever tactic you use, it will strengthen your creativity.

Next time you meet someone who speaks several languages, before you think that they have something special going on in their brain, take a step back and think. Maybe they do. But maybe they've got that special thing because they've made the effort to learn several languages. An effort is something we all need.

1. Which has the closest meaning as “chúc ngú ngon” in English?

A．Have a good dream.

B．Have a nice day.

C．Enjoy delicious food.

D．See you next time.

2. Why did no one laugh after hearing the translation of the jokes?

A．The jokes were not funny in Vietnamese.

B．The author was not a humorous translator.

C．English is less humorous than Vietnamese.

D．The audience couldn't get the humor in English.

3. What does the underlined word “tactic” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Strategy.	B．Information.
C．Guideline.	D．Expression.

4. In which section of a magazine may the text come from?

A．Nature.	B．Education.
C．Travel.	D．Health.

【推荐2】Eleven of the world’s languages have at least 100 million native speakers. The biggest are Mandarin Chinese, English, Spanish, Arabic and Hindi. Next come Portuguese, Bengali, Russian, Japanese, French and German. Experts say these eleven languages are the mother tongues of half the world’s population. But the world has close to 7,000 languages. Linguists (语言学家) predict that as many as half of these may be at risk of disappearing by the end of this century. That would mean another language dies every two weeks.

Members of the Siletz Indian tribe (部落) in the northwestern state of Oregon take pride in their language. Their language, they say, “is as old as time itself”. But today very few people can speak it fluently. In fact, you can count the number of fluent speakers on one hand.

More than 10,000 entries can be found in the Siletz Online Talking Dictionary. Professor Harrison has posted talking dictionaries for seven other highly endangered languages from around the world. He says technology can not only spread the influence of major languages but also help save endangered ones. Smartphone applications, YouTube videos and Facebook pages have all become digital tools for language activists and experts.

Mr. Harrison and a researcher in Oregon have mapped areas of endangered languages. One is the Pacific Northwest in the United States. Others include the upper Amazon basin, Siberia and northern Australia.

In Canada’s far north, the Inuit people are struggling to preserve their native language, Inuktitut. Part of the effort involves Microsoft. The company is translating terms in its Windows operating system and Office software into Inuktitut. The programming group had to invent new words to include all the terms in some Windows and Word document menus.

Nowadays so many people will spend their entire day sitting in front of a computer. If you’re sitting in front of your computer in English all day, that just reinforces (强化) English. If you’re now using Inuktitut, it is reinforcing that this is your language. Microsoft has also worked with language activists in New Zealand, Spain and Wales to translate its software into Maori, Basque, Catalan and Welsh.

Nothing takes the place of speakers speaking to other speakers and to people who are learning. But this bridges a gap (空缺) that was just needed in some communities and in some tribes. Young members of the tribe are now texting each other in Siletz.

1. People of the Siletz Indian tribe are proud of their language because           .

A．it’s easily mastered	B．it’s widely spoken nowadays
C．it has a long history	D．it deserves scientific research

2. According to Professor Harrison, technology           .

A．changes the way young people learn a language

B．makes learning a language a fashionable thing

C．makes it possible to master a language quickly

D．helps the endangered languages known to more people

3. The computer program in Inuktitut is used by Inuit people to           .

A．make their language spoken worldwide	B．learn other languages conveniently
C．help to spread the new technology	D．strengthen the use of their native language

4. The last sentence implies that           .

A．it’s hopeful to save the endangered language

B．young people like to accept and use the new technology

C．means of communication in the tribe has changed a lot

D．young people try their best to save their language

5. Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．There are more than 7,000 languages in the world.

B．English has the most native speakers in the world

C．The Inuit people ‘s native language, Inuktitut, are disappearing.

D．It is wrong for people to reinforce English

【推荐3】Jessica Bucknam shouts "tiao!" and her fourth-grade students jump."dun!" she commands,and they crouch.They smile as the commands keep coming in Mandarin（普通话）Chinese.Most of the kids have studied Chinese since they were in kindergarten.

They are part of a Chinese-learning program at Woodstock Elementary School,in Portland,Oregon Bucknam, who is from China introduces her students to nearly 150 new Chinese characters each year.Students read stories,sing songs and learn math and science,all in Chinese.Half of the 340 students at the K-5 school join in the program.They can continue studying Chinese in middle and high school.The goal: to speak like natives.

About 24,000 American students are currently learning Chinese.Most are in high school.But the number of younger students is growing in response to China's emergence（浮现）as a global superpower.The US government is helping to pay for language instruction.Recently,the Defense Department gave Oregon Schools $7000,000 for classes like Bucknam's.The Senate is considering giving $1.3 billion for Chinese classes in public schools.

"China has become a strong partner of the United States,says Mary Patterson,Woodstock’s principal.Children who learn Chinese at a young age will have more opportunities for jobs in the future."

Isabel Weiss,9,isn't thinking about the future,"When you hear people speaking in Chine,you know what they're saying,"she says."And they don't know that you know."

You have to memorize 3,500 characters to really know it all!Start with these Chinese characters and their pronunciations.To hear some words and phrases spoken in this 6,000-year-old language,visit timeforkids.com/ mandarin.

1. When Jessica Buckuam shouts “tiao” and “dun!”,______.

A．she is giving a Chinese lesson to the students

B．the students are having a PE lesson

C．the students are taking part in a sports meeting

D．she is putting on apply

2. Why are American high school students learning Chinese?

A．Because Chinese has the largest number of speakers.

B．Because Chinese is easy to learn.

C．Because China is becoming a more powerful country.

D．Because its pronunciation is interesting.

3. From the passage we can infer that_______.

A．the America government encourages schools to have the program

B．most American high school students are learning Chinese

C．students in most American high school are learning Chinese

D．all the money needed for the program is offered by the government

4. In timeforkids.com/mandarin,_______.

A．people can learn 3,500 Chinese characters

B．people can sign to join the program

C．people can find about 6,000 languages

D．people can hear Mandarin Chinese

【推荐1】Findings from a new study were presented at a recent meeting of the American Psychosomatic(身心的) Society. Researchers in the United States studied 100,000 women during an eight-year period, beginning in 1994. All of the women were fifty or older. The study was part of the Women’s Health Initiative organized by the National Institutes of Health.
The women were asked questions measuring their beliefs or ideas about the future. The researchers attempted to identify each woman’s personality eight years after gathering the information.
The study found that hopeful individuals were 14% less likely than other women to have died from any cause. The hopeful women were also 30% less likely to have died from heart disease after the eight years.
Hilary Tindle from the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania was the lead author of the report. She said the study confirmed earlier research that linked optimistic feelings to longer life.
The researchers also gathered information about people’s education, financial earnings, physical activity and use of alcohol or cigarettes. Independent of those things, the findings still showed that optimists had less of a chance of dying during the eight-year period.
Some women who answered the questions were found to be hostile (怀敌意的), or highly untrusting of others. These women were 16% more likely to die than the others. They also were 23% more likely to die of cancer.
The study also found women who were not optimistic were more likely to smoke and have high blood pressure or diabetes. They were also more likely not to exercise.
Tindle says the study did not confirm whether optimism leads to healthier choices, or if it actually affects a person’s physical health. She also says the study does not prove that negative (消极的) emotions or distrust lead to bad health effects and shorter life. Yet there does appear to be a link that calls for more research.
1. In which part of a newspaper can you read the above passage?

A．Nation	B．Opinion
C．Science	D．Business

2. Researchers carry out the study to ________.

A．decide who is more likely to enjoy a happier life

B．find out the link between personality and health

C．gather information for the National Institutes of Health

D．compare each woman’s personality changes

3. What can be inferred from the text?

A．Negative emotions cause a shorter life indeed.

B．There may be some link between personality and health.

C．It’s uncertain whether optimism affects one’s health.

D．The more optimistic you are, the longer life you may enjoy.

4. Who is more likely to die of cancer according to the text?

A．A woman who always doubts what others say.

B．A woman who doesn’t exercise.

C．A woman with high blood pressure.

D．A woman with poor physical health.

5. What’s Hilary Tindle’s opinion of the study?

A．Unfair.

B．Useless.

C．Necessary.

D．Reliable.

【推荐2】In 1826, a Frenchman named Niepce needed pictures for his business, but he was not a good artist. So he invented a very simple camera. He put it in a window of his house and took a picture of his yard. That was the first photograph.

The next important date in the history of photography was 1837. That year, Daguerre, another Frenchman, took a picture of his studio. He used a new kind of camera and a different process. In his pictures, you could see everything very clearly, even the smallest details. This kind of photograph was called a daguerreotype.

Soon, other people began to use Daguerre’s process. Travelers brought back daguerreotypes from all around the world. People photographed famous buildings, cities and mountains. In about 1840, photographers could take pictures of people and moving things. Mathew Brady was a well - known American photographer. He took many pictures of famous people. He was also the first person to take pictures of a war. His 1862 Civil War pictures showed dead soldiers and ruined cities. They made the war seem more real and more terrible.

In the 1880s, new inventions began to change photography. Photographers could buy films ready - made in rolls. So they did not have to make the film themselves. The invention of the small handheld camera made photography less expensive. With the small camera, anyone could be a photographer. They took pictures of their families, friends and favorite places. They called these pictures “snapshot”.

Photographs became very popular in newspapers in the 1890s. Soon magazines and books also used documentary photographs. These pictures showed true events and people. They were much more real than drawing.

Photography also turned into a form of art by the end of the 19th century. Some photographs were not just copies of the real world. They showed ideas and feelings, like other art forms.

1. What was special about Daguerre’s pictures?

A．They were used for his business.

B．They were clearer than Niepce’s.

C．They were the first colored pictures.

D．They were for an artistic purpose.

2. What can we learn about Mathew Brady?

A．He took pictures of American Civil War.

B．He was the first to photograph people.

C．He invented a new type of camera.

D．He was a hero during the Civil War.

3. What made photography accessible to common people?

A．The handheld camera.

B．The ready - made films in rolls.

C．Newspapers and magazines.

D．Popularity of travelling.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．The history the film industry.

B．The invention of camera.

C．The development of photography.

D．The role of photographs.

【推荐3】Almost every day, we discuss the topic of health, especially for kids. But what is health? “Health” means eating well, getting enough exercise, and having a healthy weight. Let's read the following rules. They can help you stay healthy.
① Eat ______ foods, especially fruit and vegetables. We all know that eating fruit and vegetables can help us stay healthy, but many of us only eat our favorite foods. Remember that we can only get the nutrition(营养) we need by eating different kinds of food, especially fruit and vegetables.
② Drink water and milk most often. Everyone knows that water is important. Besides that, kids need plenty of calcium(钙) to grow strong bones, and milk has a lot of it. Every day, you should drink at least three cups of milk (1300 milligrams of calcium), when you are 9 years old or older. You should also try to have less sugary drinks, like soda and coca. They include a lot of sugar. Sugar just includes calories, not important nutrition.
③ Listen to your body. When you are eating, notice how your body feels. When your stomach feels comfortably full, stop eating. Eating too much makes you feel uncomfortable. If you do it too often, it can make you unhealthy and fat.
④ Limit(限制) screen time. What's screen time? It's the amount of time you spend watching TV, movies, and playing computer games. The more time you spend on these sitting-down activities, the less time you spend playing sports, like basketball, and doing other activities like bike riding and swimming. Try to spend no more than 2 hours a day on screen time.
1. In this passage, “health” includes all of the following EXCEPT __________.

A．eating well

B．wearing comfortably

C．having a healthy weight

D．doing more exercise

2. The underlined phrase “a variety of” means           .

A．a few of	B．a lot of
C．the rest of	D．all kinds of

3. As kids, we should drink at least            to grow strong bones.

A．three cups of milk

B．four cups of milk

C．two cups of milk

D．one cup of milk

4. What's the main idea of the passage?

A．How to eat healthily.

B．Eating and playing are both important.

C．Advice for staying healthy.

D．Health is very important.

【推荐1】It's really true what people say about English politeness: it's everywhere. When squeezing past someone in a narrow passage, people say "sorry". When getting off a bus, English passengers say "thank you" rather than the driver. In Germany, people would never dream of doing these things. After all, squeezing past others is sometimes unavoidable, and the bus driver is only doing his job. I used to think the same way, without questioning it, until I started traveling to the British Isles, and here are some more polite ways of interacting (交往) with people in UK.
People thank each other everywhere in England, all the time. When people buy something in a shop, customers and retail assistants in most cases thank each other twice or more. In Germany, it would be exceptional（例外的）to hear more than one thank you in such a conversation. British students thank their lecturers when leaving the room. English employers thank their employees for doing their jobs, as opposite to Germans, who would normally think that paying their workers money is already enough.
Another thing I observed during my stay was that English people rarely criticize others. Even when I was working and mistakes were pointed out to me, my employers emphasized several times but none of their explanations were intended as criticism. It has been my impression that by avoiding criticism, English people are making an effort to make others feel comfortable. This also is showed in other ways. British men still open doors for women, and British men are more likely to treat women to a meal than German men. However, I do need to point out here that this applies to English men a bit more than it would to Scottish men! Yes, the latter are a bit tightfisted.
1. What is the author's attitude towards English politeness?

A．He thinks it is artificial.

B．He appreciates it very much.

C．He thinks little of it.

D．He thinks it goes too far.

2. What can be inferred from the passage?

A．The author think it's unnecessary to say “thank you” to the bus driver.

B．In Germany, employers often say “thank you” to employees for their job.

C．Germans think it is unnecessary to thank workers because payment is enough.

D．German men never treat a woman to dinner.

3. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

A．English people try to avoid criticizing others in the daily life.

B．In Germany, passengers sometimes say “thank you” to bus drivers.

C．English drivers often say “thank you” to passengers when they get off the bus.

D．Germans are more considerate and polite than Englishmen.

4. The author develops the text through the method of         .

A．giving comments

B．telling stories

C．making comparisons

D．giving reasons/examples

【推荐2】In England recently three foreign gentlemen came to a bus stop and waited. About five minutes later, the bus they wanted came along. They were just going to get on when suddenly there was a loud noise behind them. People rushed onto the bus and tried to push them out of the way. Someone shouted at them. The bus conductor came rushing down the stairs to see what all the trouble was about. The three foreigners seem all at sea and looked embarrassed. No one had told them about the British custom of lining up for a bus that the first person who arrives at the bus stop is the first person to get on the bus.

Learning the language of a country isn't enough. If you want to have a pleasant visit, find out as much as possible about the manners and customs of your host country. You will probably be surprised just how different they can be from your own. A visitor to India would do well to remember that people there consider it impolite to use the left hand for passing food at table. The left hand is supposed to be used for washing yourself. Also in India, you might see a man shaking his head at another to show that he doesn't agree. But in many parts of India a shake of the head means agreement. Nodding your head when you are given a drink in Bulgaria will most probably leave you thirsty .

In that country, you shake your head to mean 'yes'— a nod means 'no'. At a meal in countries on the Arabic Peninsula, you will find that your glass is repeated refilled as soon as you drink up. If you think that you have had enough, you should take the cup or glasses in your hand and give it a little shake from side to side or place your hand over the top.

In Europe it is quite usual to cross your legs when you are sitting talking to someone even at an important meeting. Doing this in Thailand, however, could bring about trouble. Also, you should try to avoid touching the head of an adult — it's just not done in Thailand.

1. The British people tried to push the three gentlemen out of the way, because the gentlemen _______.

A．were foreigners	B．didn't have tickets
C．made a loud noise	D．didn't line up for the bus

2. According to the article, if you want to have a pleasant journey in a foreign country, you should _________.

A．learn the language of the country

B．understand the manners and customs of the country

C．have enough time and money

D．make friends with the people there

3. In India it is considered impolite ___________.

A．to use the right hand for passing food at table

B．to pass food with the left hand

C．to eat food with your hands

D．to help yourself at table

4. To cross one's legs at an important meeting in Europe is _______.

A．a common habit	B．an important manner
C．a serious trouble	D．a bad manner