“Hello! My name is Zhang Jianna. I’m a city cleaner from Beijing’s Chaoyang Sanitation (环卫) Department.” Still in an orange uniform and a confident smile on her face, the 50-year-old fluently (流利地) introduces herself in English throughout a video. This has sparked curiosity about how an ordinary-looking sanitation worker can master such impressive English skills.
With only a high school diploma (毕业文凭), Zhang had worked as a waitress and a sales clerk. In 2012, she became a sanitation worker in the embassy (大使馆) area of Sanlitun in Beijing.
One day in 2014, a foreigner walked up to Zhang outside an embassy, gently tapping her shoulder and speaking a long string of unfamiliar words to her. ★ . The foreigner seemed to sense her embarrassment and gestured for her to look ahead, giving a thumbs-up while repeatedly saying, “Good, good!” After such a moment, Zhang made up her mind to learn English. “My goal is quite simple. I just want to help whenever someone is in need, whether it’s giving directions or introducing the embassy area I’m responsible for.”
Thus, at the age of 40, Zhang picked up English from her children’s textbooks, starting with basic words and phrases commonly used. While other sanitation workers rested, she memorized vocabulary and practiced speaking. Upon arriving home after work, she would note down new knowledge points and go over them until completely understood. Over the years, Zhang filled over a dozen notebooks with her notes.
Memory posed her biggest challenge: “At an older age, I would easily forget the words I learned the day before.” So Zhang reviewed words at night and repeated them one more time the next morning. She also downloaded over a dozen English learning apps on her smartphone. To date, Zhang’s had a vocabulary of around 3,000 English words, enabling her to communicate fluently with foreigners.
Zhang’s ambition (野心) doesn’t stop there. “I’ve heard that French is beautiful, and I’d like to learn it!” she says.
36. What might impress people most after watching the video?
A.Zhang’s rich working experience. | B.Zhang’s low education. |
C.Zhang’s excellent English ability. | D.Zhang’s unusual look. |
37. Which of the following can be put in
★ ?
A.The two chatted with each other happily |
B.Zhang got the message soon |
C.He was appreciating Zhang’s work in keeping the streets clean |
D.Zhang just stared at him in confusion |
38. How did Zhang learn English by herself?
① Take notes of new knowledge points and review them.
② Practice English conversation with her children.
③ Ask foreigners for help.
④ Use some English learning apps on her smartphone.
⑤ Memorize words and phrases in her spare time.
39. What can we learn from the passage?
A.Zhang learned English for she was responsible for introducing the embassy area to foreigners. |
B.Zhang has mastered around 3,000 English words in the past ten years. |
C.Zhang’s efforts have paid off all because of her great love for her job. |
D.Aging might not stop Zhang from learning a foreign language. |
40. The best title for the passage would be “________”.
A.A Sanitation Worker’s English Learning Journey |
B.An Ordinary Job, A Great Ambition |
C.To Talk With Foreigners Fluently |
D.The Biggest Challenge in Life |