SPECIAL ENGLISH
The English language programs of the Voice of America (VOA) can be divided into two types according to the speed of broadcasting: Standard English and Special English.
Special English is a simple and standardized English radio program arranged by VOA for listeners who are beginning to learn English in non-English speaking countries around the world. It officially began broadcasting in October 1959.
The famous American lexicologist S.B. Flexmer identified three criteria for Special English, that is, what makes it “special”:
●It writes and broadcasts in short and clear sentences;●It broadcasts at a rate of 90 words per minute, or 2/3 of Standard English;
●It is a form of American English composed mainly of the 1500 basic words.
Special English programs can be divided into two categories: news programs and feature programs.
News programVOA Special English news broadcasts provide listeners with worldwide information on politics, economics, military affairs, diplomacy, international relations, religion, weather, and all kinds of important events and wonders. They are broadcast to Southeast Asia five times a day, twice in the morning and three times in the evening.
Feature ProgramFrom the perspective of time, Special English feature programs can be divided into two categories: one is every five minutes, and the other is every fifteen minutes. The latter consists of seven different sub-features, which are repeated four times a day on a weekly cycle, but the two features on Sunday and Saturday are broadcast only three times a night, each lasting about 10 minutes, followed by each five-minute feature.
1. Which is one of the criteria for Special English?| A．It’s a basic English radio program. | B．It relies on a mere 1500 basic words. |
| C．It plays at a speed of 90 words per minute. | D．It’s aimed at those starting to learn English. |
| A．Both of them are broadcast repeatedly. |
| B．They are broadcast almost at the same time. |
| C．Listeners can listen to news program in the afternoon. |
| D．Each five-minute program consists of seven sub-features. |
| A．Radio program enthusiasts. | B．Western culture lovers. |
| C．Language learners. | D．English beginners. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Want to find a job? Now read the following advertisements.
FAIRMONT HOTEL
Five waiters and Ten Waitresses
---Aged under 22
---At least high school graduate
---Good looking; men at least 1.72 meters tall and women 1.65
---Those knowing foreign languages preferred
---Paid 1600---2200 dollars per month
One Secretary
---Aged under 30
---Female preferred
---Good at writing and skilled at computer
If interested, call 465-4768 or write to: Mr. Jack Hundris Room 0825, Fairmont Hotel
567 Wood Street, San Markers, 78003
Fax: 6954828
WILSON BOOKSTORE
Accountant(会计)
---Aged between 25 and 40
---With an experience of at least two years
---With a degree and an accountant certificate(证书)
---Paid 3000-4000 dollars monthly
---With a knowledge of computer
Salesclerk
---Basic education of 12 years or more
---Good at computer
---Paid 1800-2200 dollars monthly
Tel: 447-4398 Fax: 3485269
1. If you don’t know how to use a computer, you can just apply(申请) for the position as _________ .| A．a secretary | B．an accountant |
| C．a waiter or a waitress | D．a salesclerk |
| A．knowing well how to use a computer | B．being a woman |
| C．having been an accountant | D．having an accountant certificate、 |
| A．should be younger than 30 years old | B．should be a university graduate |
| C．have to be taller than 1.72 meters | D．have to be a woman and know foreign languages |
【推荐2】Wonderful Destinations You Can Explore in the World
While travel is still just a dream for many, we know that some of you are now eager to pencil in your next adventure. We are now taking bookings for our 2021 and 2022 tours, offering the following destinations.
The Dolomite Mountains in Italy
8 days; September 6, 2021
Go on a gentle outdoor tour through the impressive Dolomite Mountains where scientists investigate several scientific phenomena including geology, ecology, deep time and astronomy.
The gateway to the solar system in Iceland
8 days; November 20, 2021
Visit the sites where scientists test space mission in the world. You will visit remote lava fields, glaciers and Mars rover (巡视器) test sites to explore how technology can help us research other worlds, as well as adapt to our own climate challenges.
The Fjords of Norway
7 days; January 18, 2022
Explore the Fjords of Norway as you start the winter voyage to watch the wonderful northern lights and underwater life of the Arctic. Learn about the science behind the northern lights, watch whales from the sea, try your hand at dog sledding or simply relax around a campfire under the stars.
The volcanic fields in Italy
8 days; September 3, 2021
Experience the beauty and power of two of the world’s most impressive active volcanoes on Mount Etna and Mount Stromboli. Explore the Aeolian Islands of Lipari and Vulcano while enjoying scenic landscapes and Italian warmth.
Whether you are ready to book or just want to carry on dreaming for now, we expect you to enjoy looking through some of the new tours we have created. For more information on all our new tours for 2021 and 2022, visit www. new scientist. com/tours.
1. What do the first two destinations have in common?| A．They are main lava fields. | B．They focus on science. |
| C．They open on the same day. | D．They are space mission bases. |
| A．Feed whales from the sea. | B．See the wonders of the Arctic. |
| C．Enter the gateway to the solar system. | D．Explore Sea life in the company of scientists. |
| A．In Mars rover test sites. | B．In the Fjords of Norway. |
| C．On Mount Etna and Mount Stromboli. | D．On the Dolomite Mountains and Aeolian Islands. |
| A．A website. | B．A newspaper. | C．A guide book. | D．A research report. |
【推荐3】Later this month, Tate Britain will host its first Van Gogh exhibition since 1947. Here we've rounded up 4 of his best paintings before the show.
Potato Eaters
Potato Eaters was Van Gogh's first major work and, despite a distinct lack of colour, it was one that he was most proud of. His aim was to represent the difficulties of country life, so the farmers are painted in earthy tones with rough faces and bony hands. He was more concerned with conveying his message than achieving technical perfection in this painting.
Irises
Van Gogh finished almost 142 pieces during his stay in the Saint Remy de Provence asylum (精神病院), where he was a voluntary patient from 1889 to 1890. This piece was started shortly after he arrived there. The hospital garden provided much inspiration for the artist during his stay there. Originally, the flowers in this work were painted purple but the red pigment (色素) faded over time and has now turned blue.
Cafe Terrace at Night
Despite being painted more than 130 years ago, this cafe still exists in France and has since been renamed the Cafe Van Gogh. This artwork marks the first time Van Gogh's famous post-impressionistic star-filled sky was seen in a piece, and it was painted on the ground, in person, rather than from memory. While the artwork doesn't bear his signature, it's widely known to be Van Gogh's, as he mentioned Cafe Terrace at Night in a number of his letters.
Wheat Field With Cypresses
This piece was inspired by the view from Van Gogh's asylum window and was finished on the spot. The work was the title of three paintings that offer an insight into his stay at the hospital.' Van Gogh was 80 pleased with the summer landscape that he made three copies there, one of the same size—which hangs in the National Gallery and two smaller copies which he planned to gift to his mother and sister.
1. Which painting did Vincent van Gogh take most pride in?| A．Irises. | B．Potato Eaters. |
| C．Cafe Terrace at Night. | D．Wheat Field With Cypresses. |
| A．Purple. | B．Blue. | C．Red. | D．Yellow. |
| A．They were the same in size. | B．They had more than one copy. |
| C．They were signed by the artist, | D．They were painted on the ground. |
Among the four skills in learning English ,which of these is the “Odd-Man-Out”?The answer is speaking. The other three you can do alone on your own. But you can't really speak alone! Speaking to yourself can be “dangerous” because men in white coats may come and take you away!
Where can you find people to speak English? And how can you practise speaking when you are alone?At school if you pay to go to a language school ,you should use the chance to speak .If your teacher asks you to speak in pairs or groups with other students ,try to say as much as possible. Don't worry about your mistakes. Just speak!
Conversation Clubs Many cities around the world have conversation clubs where people can exchange one language for another .Look in your local newspaper to find a conversation club near you .They are usually free although some may charge a small entrance fee.
Shopping Even if you don't want to buy anything ,you can ask questions about products that interest you in a shop.“How much does this cost?” “Can I pay by cheque?” Often you can start a real conversation—and it costs you nothing!
Cafe and Bars There are often American, Britain, Irish and Australian bars in many large cities .If you can find one, you'll probably meet many people speaking English as a first or second language.
Language is all around you Everywhere you go, you find language .Shop names, street names ,advertisements ,notices ,and car numbers....When you walk down the street ,practise reading the words and numbers that you see .Say them to yourself .It's not exactly a conversation ,but it will help you to “think” in English .But don't speak too loud!
Songs and Video Repeat the words of an English-language song singing with the music until it becomes automatic. It's good practice for your memory and for the mouth muscles that you need for English.
Above all ,speak as much as possible! Make as many mistakes as possible! When you know that you have made a mistake, you know that you have made progress!
1. What does “Odd-Man-Out” probably mean according to the passage?
| A．Someone or something appearing different from others. |
| B．Someone or something standing out of the group. |
| C．Someone or something arranged in pairs. |
| D．Someone or something easily mistaken for another. |
| A．The police will take you away and punish you. |
| B．The doctors will force you to stay in hospital. |
| C．You will have to pay to escape being punished. |
| D．You will be forbidden to be member of the club. |
| A．everyone will make mistakes in learning English |
| B．everyone will meet people speaking English with some mistakes |
| C．making mistakes is a must in making progress in learning English |
| D．making mistakes can make one realize the importance of speaking |
| A．Recite poems loudly along the riverside. |
| B．Listen to some English pop songs and video. |
| C．Find an Englishman to speak English with. |
| D．Take to the TV showing programmes at home. |
【推荐2】With online courses, anyone can gain knowledge in any field of interest for free. You can educate yourself and get a certificate after finishing the course.
Coursera
It offers high-quality courses from top universities for free to everyone to improve your resume, advance your career, expand your knowledge, and gain your confidence. This online learning website provides courses from Princeton University, Stanford University, University of California, and University of Pennsylvania. Learn more at https://coursera.com
Udemy
Its goal is to promote education by enabling anyone to learn online. It seeks to hugely change education by inviting millions of experts worldwide to teach and share what they know. Whether you want to learn business, arts, health, music or technology, there is a course for you. Learn more at https://udemy.com
iTunes U
If you are a student who uses Apple devices, you will be happy to know that you have access to iTunes U, which gives you access to different educational courses from all leading universities for free! Learn more at https://iTunesU.com
Skillfeed
If you hope to learn a new skill, or improve your Photoshop skills, it offers unlimited access to high-quality video courses from a worldwide community of instructors. You have a month’s free trial, after which you will pay a monthly fee to gain unlimited access to all courses. Learn more at https://skillfeed.com
UC Berkeley
It offers courses in Japanese, legal studies and public health. Since they are recordings of actual lectures, they are short of lecture notes and extra materials. However, each course has audio recordings of lectures through iTunes U or video recordings of lectures through YouTube. Learn more at https://ucberkeley.com
1. What do Coursera and iTunes U have in common?| A．They’re aimed at providing career guidance. |
| B．Experts worldwide will give lectures on them. |
| C．Learners take their courses only by using apple devices. |
| D．They provide free courses from top universities. |
| A．Coursera | B．Udemy |
| C．Skillfeed | D．UC Berkeley |
| A．to show how to get a certificate online |
| B．to advertise some courses from top universities |
| C．to introduce some websites to people to study online |
| D．to develop education by asking people to learn online |
【推荐3】Teaching materials for learning Chinese are provided here. There are sites where you may find interesting instructions suitable for you. Here are some sites to begin your surfing.
You may start with these pages from this website — just to get a little taste of it without working too hard.
● A Is For Love
Flash cards for learning a few Chinese words
● Listening to the sound of Chinese
Play a few words of Chinese on your computer.
● A few Chinese words
Each word is enlarged for easy study.
If you are studying Chinese, these tools can help.
● Zhongwen site
More than a dictionary!
● Clavis Sinica
Excellent program by Professor David Porter. It displays a whole document in Chinese [GB] or [BIG5], and gives individual word’s definition, pronunciation as well as much more information when you click on that word. If you are studying Chinese, this is a very useful tool.
● Chinese Character Visual Dictionary
If you like to know more, go to the following sites on the Internet.
● The Chinese Outpost
Pronunciation, Character and Grammar By Mark Andrew Baker. The best. A must-visit site.
● Learn Cantonese / Mandarin Online
● Internet Based Chinese Teaching and Learning
● Rainland Kids discover Chinese — Site is in Germany
If you want to have a better understanding of China, go to this one.
● Wanfang Data
As an affiliate (分支) of Chinese Ministry of Science && Technology, Wanfang Data has been the leading information provider in
China since 1950s. With a wide range of database resources and value-added services, Wanfang Data has become a gateway to understanding Chinese culture, medicine, business, science, etc.
1. This passage is most probably from______.
| A．a TV programme | B．a teacher’s lecture |
| C．a newspaper | D．the Internet |
| A．Zhongwen site | B．A Is For Love |
| C．Clavis Sinica | D．A few Chinese words |
| A．Learn Mandarin online |
| B．Wanfang Data |
| C．Rainland kids discover Chinese |
| D．The Chinese Outpost |
| A．an opening in a wall that can be closed by a gate |
| B．a place through which you can go to another place |
| C．the space when a door is open |
| D．a means of getting or achieving something |
【推荐1】With so much to see and do on the vast Asian continent, the following destinations do not fully represent the continent’s diversity.
Bali, Indonesia
For those who want to enjoy living off the, coast, Bali is among top destinations. As the most popular island in Indonesia, the Balinese have taught many tourists the local concept of “Tri Hita Karana,” which unites God with humans and nature.
Bangkok, Thailand
Based on a study of international air arrivals conducted by MasterCard, Bangkok is among the top tourist destinations in Asia, with 11.5 million visitors arriving annually. Sunny beaches, ancient temples, intense night life and a modern city make Bangkok a great first destination for Western travelers. However, it is visitors from nearby Singapore and Hong Kong, as well as Tokyo, who make up the largest share of international visitors to the city, according to the study.
Kyoto, Japan
The second travelers’ choice destination in Asia according to the TripAdvisor awards, Kyoto is home to more UNESCO World Heritage sites than any other city in Asia(and any in the world, apart from Rome). Visitors to Nagashima Spa Land, an amusement park and spa treatment center, number more than 11 million annually, making it one of the biggest theme parks in all of Asia.
Hong Kong, China
Winner of TripAdvisor’s “Best Asian Destination” Travelers’ Choice Award in 2011, Hong Kong is a city known for its culinary delights, massive skyscrapers and modern structure. It is also home to Hong Kong Disneyland. But it is Victoria Peak, the highest point in the city, rising 1,810 feet, which tops the tourists’ destination lists, receiving more than 9 million visitors annually.
1. What do we learn about Bangkok?| A．It is most visited by Westerners. | B．Its tourism ranks the first in Asian. |
| C．Most visitors are Asian travellers. | D．It has 11.5 million visitors per month. |
| A．Bali | B．Bangkok | C．Hong Kong | D．Kyoto |
| A．Indonesia. | B．Thailand. | C．China | D．Japan. |
E-waste, the world’s largest and fastest growing type of waste, doesn’t only come from computers but other electronics as well.  |
In 2019, the world produced 53. 6 million tons of e-waste.  |
The world’s e-waste will reach 74.7 million tons by 2030. That’s almost a doubling of e-waste in just 16 years.  Today, only 15-20 percent of all e-waste is collected and recycled. |
Why should we recycle e-waste? E-waste has many valuable things in it, such as gold, silver and copper(铜). One smart phone battery can pollute 600,000 liters(升)of water. |
What can we do? ●Try to repair your electronics instead of buying new ones. ●Check for recycling organizations and give away your broken electronics. ●Remove any batteries (电池) because they need to be recycled separately. ●Tell others to recycle e-waste. |
1. In___________, the amount of e-waste reached about 37.3 million tons.
| A．2014. | B．2019. | C．2022. | D．2030. |
| A．E-waste only comes from computers. |
| B．In 2019, 53.6 million tons of e-waste was recycled. |
| C．We need to recycle batteries with other electronics. |
| D．We should consider repairing rather than buying new electronics. |
| A．instruction | B．novel | C．newspaper | D．comic book |
【推荐3】As a language learning enthusiast, I’ve come up with the best apps for learning English from the thousands of mobile apps out there.
Best for Pronunciation: ELSA Speak
ELSA Speak is probably the best mobile app around for helping you improve your English pronunciation. The app’s greatest strength is its intensive AI feedback, but ELSA also provides mini-training sessions to really perfect your pronunciation. The AI analyzes your recordings based on pronunciation, intonation and fluency then points out exactly which parts sound inaccurate.
Best for Immersing in English Videos: FluentU
FuentU is a language learning app that teaches you English through authentic videos like news reports, movie scenes and interviews, with learner tools for all levels. Each clip has interactive subtitles so if you’re not sure what a word means, you can hover over it and get in explanation. The app also gives video examples for each word so you can learn vocabulary in context.
Best for Practical Topics: Babbel
Babbel has you learn and practice English with realistic conversations that surround things that you’re personally interested in. Lessons are short and consist of written and audio versions of the grammar featured in the lessons. Then you are able to complete practice exercises to solidify your understanding.
Best for Fun Beginner Lessons: Lingodeer
Lingodeer uses games and short exercises to teach beginner and intermediate English learners. Lingodeer takes a gamified approach to language learning with a goal-oriented curriculum consisting of structured lessons and regular reviews. Lingodeer’s lessons are arranged according to themes, such as sports, weather, parts of the body and shopping.
In summary, whether you’re focusing on pronunciation, immersion, practical themes, or engaging beginner lessons, ELSA Speak, FluentU, Babbel, and Lingodeer have got you covered. Every language learner’s arsenal should include these apps as they pave the way for effective and enjoyable English language learning. Each is unique in its approach, but all aim to make your English learning journey as straightforward and motivating as possible.
1. What is the feature of ELSA Speak?| A．It analyzes learners’ recordings. |
| B．It provides guidance for learners. |
| C．It gives learners helpful feedback. |
| D．It improves learners’ communication skill. |
| A．ELSA Speak. |
| B．FluentU. |
| C．Babbel. |
| D．Lingodeer. |
| A．Learning through genuine dialogues. |
| B．Learning through songs and music. |
| C．Learning through flashcards only. |
| D．Learning through books and online lectures. |
| A．Design games. |
| B．Structure lessons. |
| C．Take advanced courses. |
| D．Study around a theme. |
| A．To criticize English learning apps. |
| B．To describe various features in mobile phones. |
| C．To recommend the best apps for English learning. |
| D．To discuss the role of technology in education. |
