A student is studying British English (英式英语). He wonders: Can I have a talk with Americans? Can they understand me? Learners of English often ask—what are the differences between British English and American English? How important are these differences?
Certainly, there are some differences between British English and American English. There are a few differences in grammar. For example, speakers of British English say “in hospital” and “Have you a pen?” Americans say “in the hospital” and “Do you have a pen?” Pronunciation is sometimes different. Americans usually sound the “r” in words like “car”and “farm”. Some speakers of British English do not sound the “r” in these words. There are differences between British English and American English in spelling and vocabulary. For example, “colour” and “honour” are British English spellings. “Color” and “honor” are American English spellings.
These differences are in grammar, pronunciation, spelling and vocabulary. However, they are not important. For the most part, British English and American English are the same language.
1. In American English, we can say “Have you a new book?”2. Between British English and American English, sometimes pronunciation is different.
3. Englishmen say “in hospital”, while Americans say “at the hospital”.
4. The word “color” is American English spelling.
5. British English and American English are two different languages.
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When you see a famous car in the street, maybe you will say. “It’s cool.” You may think “He’s so cool,”when you see your favorite football player.
We all maximize(扩大)the meaning of “cool”. You can use it instead of many words, such as “new” or “surprising”. Here’s an interesting story we can use to show the way the word is used. A teacher asked her student to write about the waterfall(瀑布) they had visited. On the student’s paper was just the one sentence, “It’s so cool.”Maybe he thought it was the best way to show what he saw and felt.
But the story also shows a scarcity(缺乏)of words. Without “cool”, some people have no words to show the same meaning. So it is quite important to keep some credibility(可信性).Can you think of many other words that make your life as colorful as the word “cool”? I can. And I think they are also very cool.
1. In the passage, the underlined word “express” means “_______”.
| A．see | B．show | C．know | D．feel |
| A．interested in | B．angry about |
| C．worried about | D．unhappy with |
| A．pleased with | B．strange to |
| C．worried about | D．unhappy with |
| A．can be used instead of many words |
| B．usually means something interesting |
| C．can make your life colorful |
| D．may not be as cool as it seems |
【推荐2】It’s a hot time for Chinese language learning across the world, not only because of China’s higher place in the world but also because of the increasing economic (经济的) and cultural connections between China and other countries.
For example, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) plans to open Chinese language courses in 200 public primary and middle schools, so experienced Chinese teachers are needed.
Other Chinese courses opened across the world show the increasing need for Chinese-speaking talent. Mandarin (普通话) became elective (选修的) foreign language in Russia’s college entrance exam. Following English, German, French, and Spanish, Mandarin has become the fifth elective test subject for the exam.
Spain has more than 40,000 people learning Chinese. Last year about 8,000 people took the Chinese Proficiency Test (HSK) exam. The number of people who took the test was the biggest, according to Xinhua News Agency.
In the US, learning Chinese has been popular for many years and is now a popular choice for American children, especially those who were born in good families. The children begin to learn Chinese at an early age because their parents believe that learning Chinese will help them build successful international careers (职业).
1. Why is Chinese language learning so hot?| A．Because many foreigners like China’s culture. |
| B．Because China has the highest position in the world. |
| C．Because China helps a lot of countries to develop. |
| D．Because China has more international influence around the world. |
| A．Australian | B．Indian | C．Japanese | D．Mandarin |
| A．The UAE needs experienced English teachers. |
| B．All American children learn Chinese from an early age. |
| C．About one fifth of the Spanish learning Chinese took the HSK in 2020. |
| D．The Mandarin exam must be taken before going to Russia’s colleges. |
| A．More people in the UAE begin to learn Chinese. |
| B．Chinese language learning is popular around the world. |
| C．Some foreign countries want more Chinese teachers. |
| D．Many American children are learning Chinese now. |
【推荐3】Every people uses its own special words to describe things and express ideas. Some of these expressions are commonly used for many years. Others are popular for just a short time. One such American expression is "Where's the beef?" It is used when something is not as good as it is said to be. In the early 1960s, "Where's the beef" was one of the most popular expressions in the United States. It seemed as if everyone was using it all the time.
Beef, of course, is the meat from a cow, and probably no food is more popular in America than the hamburger made from beef. In the 1960s a businessman named Ray Kroc began building small restaurants that sold hamburgers at a low price. Kroc called his restaurant "McDonald's. Kroc cooked hamburgers quickly so people in a hurry could buy and eat them without waiting. By the end of the 1960s the McDonald's Company was selling hamburgers in hundreds of restaurants from California to Maine. Not surprisingly, Ray Kroc became one of the riches businessmen in America.
Other business people watched his success. Some of them opened their own hamburger restaurants. One company, called Wendy's began to compete with McDonald's. Wendy's said its hamburgers were bigger than those sold by McDonald's or anyone else's. The Wendy's company created the expression "Where's the beef?" to make people believe that Wendy's hamburgers were the biggest. It produced a television advertisement to sell this idea. The Wendy's television advertisement showed three old women eating hamburgers. The bread that covered the meat was very big, but inside there was only a tiny bit of meat. One of the women said she would not eat a hamburger with such a little piece of beef. "Where's the beef?" she shouted in a funny voice. These advertisements for Wendy's hamburger restaurants were a success from the first day they appeared on television. As we said, it seemed everyone began using the expression "where's the beef?"
1. What does the expression "Where's the beef?" mean?| A．The beef is lost. | B．The beef is not as good as it is said to be. |
| C．Something is not as good as described. | D．The food has turned bad. |
| A．by a newspaper advertisement | B．by writing letters to people |
| C．by a TV advertisement | D．by a notice in front of the restaurant |
| A．because they are made from beef |
| B．because they are cheaper than any other kind of food |
| C．because hamburger is the only fast food in America |
| D．because they are served quickly and at a low price |
| A．because they thought they could make large profit（获利） |
| B．because hamburgers are easy to make |
| C．because they could sell hamburgers throughout the country |
| D．because hamburgers are good to eat |
| A．beef advertisements | B．hamburger restaurants |
| C．men's names | D．a kind of food |
【推荐1】In recent years, especially after staying at home for such a long time to fight against COVID-19, more and more people prefer walking outdoors in their free time.
People can walk almost anywhere in many countries. In Sweden and Norway, the governments allow people to walk to any part of the countryside. But in England, things are different. In most of England, the government has limited (限制) people’s steps by building fences (栅栏). It wasn’t until 2000 that they made a rule of opening 8% of England’s countryside for walkers. The result still belongs to the government and the rich. So there are different opinions on the matter.
60% people say this isn’t so good. It is important for people to walk outdoors. It can not only help people to relax, but also give them a robust body. However, this space is limited and fenced. To be truly close to nature, people have to travel many more miles. As a result, they may lose their interest slowly. Also, nature should be easily available to all. Such a small number of people have such a large area of land. It’s isn’t fair.
Others point out that the roads provided are enough. The land isn’t just for pleasure or keeping healthy. For many people, they make their living by land. Farmers, for example, need fields to keep their animals. “What if a walker traveled through the field and was hurt by a farm animal? It isn’t safe. _________ They leave gates open, throw rubbish, scare the birds away and walk on plants. The government should improve the roads we have now and provide better guidance for walkers,” a farmer said.
1. ________ of the countryside in England isn’t now available to walkers.| A．8% | B．60% | C．92% |
| A．whole | B．strong | C．weak |
| A．Besides, some walkers are not friendly. |
| B．In fact, there are not so many walkers in the city. |
| C．However, walkers want to have more choices of traveling. |
| A．More and more people prefer walking outdoors to staying at home after fighting against COVID-19 for a long time. |
| B．In England, people are allowed to travel 8% of the countryside. |
| C．Most people in England think it is fair that a few people own lots of land. |
| A．How Do People Fight against COVID-19? |
| B．Should People Be Allowed to Walk Freely? |
| C．Why Do People Get Back to the Countryside? |
【推荐2】Just like the rest of us, Santa loves to taste the local delicious food wherever he travels. What kids prepare for Father Christmas is different from country to country.
Australia As it’s summer here, Santa can get a little warm in his heavy red suit. So in Australia many homes leave an ice cold glass of beer for Father Christmas, as well as a slice of fruit cake and cookies.
China Santa is known as Sheng dan lao ren — Old Christmas Man. On Christmas Eve, which the Chinese call Peaceful Evening, no food or drink is left, Instead, people exchange apples because the Mandarin word (普通话) for apple and peace are with the same sound.
Japan Christmas is considered a romantic holiday by the Japanese. Santa-san gets no particular treats, but if he’s lucky he might get to sample some of the food and drink that the Japanese like to celebrate Christmas with— KFC and Pepsi that tastes like strawberry cakes.
Spain Papa Noel is given a glass of brandy, nuts and oranges. Children fill their shoes with straw or barley for the tired camels that must carry their riders through the busy night, and by morning the camel food is gone and replaced with presents.
Germany In Germany kids leave nothing for der Weihnachtsmann — possibly a good thing, because of his thick waist. Instead they offer handwritten and colorfully decorated thank-you notes to warm his heart instead.
1. Kids in Australia prepare an ice cold glass of beer for Santa because ________.| A．he can be very thirsty | B．it’s very hot there | C．it’s his favorite drink | D．he can be very tired |
| A．healthy body | B．forever friendship | C．universal truth | D．best wishes |
| A．a strawberry cake | B．a glass of brandy | C．a thank-you note | D．a bowl of nuts |
【推荐3】Whenever I travel to western countries, the same problem always presents itself to slurp (出声地吃) or not to slurp when I eat with Westerners.
When you travel abroad, it is reasonable to consider the need to respect and follow certain table manners. For example, you should not talk with your mouth full. It will make people feel quite uncomfortable in most countries.
In addition, every culture has their own rules at the dining table. For example, eating with your left hand isn’t allowed in India. In Chinese culture, you’re not supposed to stick chopsticks into the food.
Having stayed in France for several weeks, I was very careful about my table manners. However, I got back to my own ways slowly as time went by. I made myself a bowl of noodles and ate it in the traditional Chinese way, which meant I slurped through it till my bowl was totally empty.
When planning and serving a great Chinese meal, the cook often tries to make sure the dishes look, smell and taste great. This means the diner often slurps to show how much they have enjoyed their meal. I do agree that eating loudly like a cow is without doubt the most unwelcome dining behavior, no matter how delicious the food is. But there is one habit which I would be unwilling to break: slurping soup and noodles. To most Chinese people there’s no better expression of enjoying well-cooked food. And we should try to make people understand that while some of these traditions might appear strange, they are special and have their own values, and that people sometimes do it out of habit and without any purpose of offending (冒犯) others.
Nowadays, different cultures are making a great difference to one another. We work, live, study and even marry people from different backgrounds. There is totally no need to feel embarrassed about your cultural behavior, as long as they are harmless and acceptable.
1. What does the underlined word “It” in Paragraph 2 refer to?| A．Following certain table manners. | B．Talking with the mouth full. |
| C．Sticking chopsticks into the food. | D．Eating with the left hand. |
| A．Harmful. | B．Moving. | C．Acceptable. | D．Popular. |
| A．To introduce the influence of Chinese food. |
| B．To develop a special skill of eating noodles. |
| C．To express the writer’s opinion of going abroad. |
| D．To lead us to respect different traditions. |
| A．History. | B．Culture. | C．Business. | D．Science. |
【推荐1】The 19th Asian Games began on September 23, 2023. Hangzhou became the third Chinese city to hold the sports event. Over the past two months, Asia’s top-level sports competition has made us feel excited. Off the field, the idea of a “green” and “smart” event has also received great attention from the public.
Hangzhou tries to hold the first carbon-neutral (零碳) Asian Games in history. To reach the goal, all the venues (场馆) use green electricity, such as photovoltaic (光伏的) energy and wind power. What’s more, there are a total of 56 venues for the Asian Games. Only 12 of them are newly built. The sports climbing center, for example, used to be an abandoned quarry (采石场)—which has already been given up.
Digital (数字的) technology also plays an important role in the opening ceremony. For the first time at a large sports event, a digital torchbearer (火炬手) lit the main torch tower. Where did the digital human come from? It was actually part of an online program. The program invited all smartphone users to pass on digital torches on the Internet. More than 100 million people have taken part in the program since it began on June 15. At the opening ceremony, these people turned their digital flames (火焰) into a huge digital human shape.
The 19th Asian Games make full use of the green ideas and high technology, and it brings us a historic moment in the Asian Games history.
1. ________ is the third Chinese city to hold the Asia Games.| A．Beijing | B．Guangzhou | C．Hangzhou | D．Shanghai |
| A．Newly built. | B．No longer used. | C．Not popular with people. | D．Well developed. |
| A．Digital technology doesn’t play an important role in the opening ceremony. |
| B．A famous sport star lit the main torch tower at the opening ceremony. |
| C．The program invited all smartphone users to pass on digital torches on the Internet. |
| D．Over 100 million people have taken part in the program since it began on July 15. |
A． | B． | C． | D． |
| A．Asia’s Top-level Sports Competition |
| B．Digital Technology Plays an Important Role |
| C．Hangzhou Asian Games Go Green and Smart |
| D．A Wonderful Opening Ceremony of Hangzhou Asian Games |
A. Mount Huang is a mountain in Anhui Province. It is well-known for its natural beauty and the wonderful views of the clouds from above. B. The Potala Palace is in the northwest of Lhasa. It is built on the hill and more than 200 meters high. It is the most famous traditional building in Tibet. C. The Terracotta Army (兵马俑) in Xi’an is the largest ancient military (古代军事) museum in China. People can also see over 8,000 life-size terracotta soldiers and horses in the museum. D. The Great Wall was built to protect people and it was very difficult to build it without any modern machines. It is one of the longest buildings in the world. E. The Summer Palace is a famous garden in China. It is in the northwest of Beijing and you can see a beautiful lake there. F. The Forbidden City (紫禁城) is in the middle of Beijing. People can visit many traditional buildings. A lot of artists often come here to draw pictures. G. West Lake lies in the western part of Hangzhou. It is one of the most famous lake gardens in China. You can also see many old bridges there. |
【推荐3】When was the last time you gave or received a hug? Do your parents hug you before you go to school? In Western countries, it is quite common to greet close friends or relatives with a hug.
You might hug your teammates after winning a basketball game. If one of your friends is having a bad day, you can hug him to cheer him up. Friends who haven’t seen each other for a long time will usually hug each other when meeting.
Of course, people in different countries have different opinions when it comes to hugging. After coming to China, I’ve noticed that people are generally more reluctant to hug than they are in my home country, the US.
My Chinese friends told me that hugging is considered to be very intimate in their culture. It usually only happens between people who are really close to each other, like couples. Chinese people usually don’t hug in public, either.
But people’s attitudes toward hugging can also change. I remember watching a video story about a “hugging party” that was held in Shanghai. A local artist held the party, inviting strangers and asking them to hug each other. The Chinese participants clearly looked uncomfortable. However, after the party, several of them changed their minds. They thought hugging doesn’t have to be awkward and can actually be quite nice. So next time you see your mom or dad, give them a hug—see how it makes you feel.
1. What is the main idea of the second paragraph?| A．How to cheer your friends up. | B．How to celebrate a basketball match. |
| C．The reason why friends need to hug each other. | D．Situations in which you can hug somebody else. |
| A．Friends. | B．Relatives. | C．Couples. | D．Teammates. |
| A．Hate. | B．Friendly. | C．Outgoing. | D．Close. |
| A．To encourage people to be nice to strangers. |
| B．To encourage people to hold more hugging parties. |
| C．To explain why people feel uncomfortable while hugging. |
| D．To show that people can change their minds about hugging. |
【推荐1】COP26 took place from 1st to 12th November, 2021 in Glasgow, Scotland. COP26 is the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (联合国气候变化大会). At COP26, world leaders, scientists and environmental workers will work together. And they also plan action against climate (气候) change to protect people and the earth.
Climate change is causing problems all over the world. Now we have almost five times more earthquakes, snowstorms and other natural disasters (灾难) than 40 years ago. And some of the poorest people in the world are in great danger. That’s why action needs to be taken now to fight against climate change, or it will be too late.
Young people are at the front of the movement for climate action. School students around the world called for more action in 2019. A young girl named Greta Thunberg has spoken to world leaders about climate change. Before COP26 in Glasgow, there was a COP26 Youth Summit (峰会) from 28th to 30th September, Italy. About 400 young people from 197 countries attended the summit. Some traveled to Milan, others attended online. The young people worked together in groups to develop plans for climate action.
根据短文内容，判断句子正(T)误(F)。
1. COP26 took place in December, 2021.
2. Only world leaders and scientists attended COP26.
3. In the world, some of the poorest people are in great danger.
4. At the COP26 Youth Summit, young people mainly play a role as listeners.
5. We need to work together to take action against climate change.
【推荐2】Give yourself a test. Which way is the wind blowing? How many kinds of wildflowers can be seen from your front door? If your awareness is as sharp as it could be, you’ll have no trouble answering these questions.
Most of us observed much more as children than we do as adults. A child’s day is filled with fascination, newness and wonder. Curiosity gave us all a natural awareness. But distinctions that were sharp to us as children become unclear; we are numb(麻木的）to new stimulation(刺激), new ideas. Relearning the art of seeing the world around us is quite simple, although it takes practice and requires breaking some bad habits.
The first step in awakening senses is to stop predicting what we are going to see and feel before it occurs. This blocks awareness. One chilly night when I was hiking in the Rocky Mountains with some students, I mentioned that we were going to cross a mountain stream. The students began complaining about how cold it would be. We reached the stream, and they unwillingly walked ahead. They were almost knee-deep when they realized it was a hot spring. Later they all admitted they’d felt cold water at first.
Another block to awareness is the obsession(痴迷) many of us have with naming things. I saw bird watchers who spotted a bird, immediately looked it up in field guides, and said, a "ruby-crowned kinglet" and checked it off. They no longer paid attention to the bird and never learned what it was doing.
The pressures of "time" and "destination" are further blocks to awareness. I encountered many hikers who were headed to a distant camp-ground with just enough time to get there before dark. It seldom occurred to them to wander a bit, to take a moment to see what’s around them. I asked them what they’d seen. "Oh, a few birds," they said. They seemed bent on their destinations.
Nature seems to unfold to people who watch and wait. Next time you take a walk, no matter where it is, take in all the sights, sounds and sensations. Wander in this frame of mind and you will open a new dimension to your life.
1. According to Paragraph 2, compared with adults, children are more ____________.| A．anxious to do wonders | B．sensitive to others’ feelings |
| C．likely to develop unpleasant habits | D．eager to explore the world around them |
| A．care only about the names of birds | B．are really attracted by nature |
| C．are very patient in their observation | D．question the serving of the field guides |
| A．Take no notice of | B．focus on | C．come up with | D．catch up with |
| A．open our mind to new things and ideas | B．get rid of some bad habits in our daily life |
| C．fill our senses to feel the wonders of the world | D．try our best to protect nature |
【推荐3】If you look at the top of your phone, you’ll usually see a little symbol that says 3G or 4G. The “G” stands for the “generation” of your mobile network. But these symbols will become things of the past after he 5G network fully arrives.
The 5G mobile network is 100 times faster and has 1, 000 times more capacity compared with the 4G mobile network.
In recent years, China has paid great attention to the commercial（商业的）use of 5G and made great efforts to introduce the infrastructure（基础设施）for a 5G network. On March 30, Shanghai vice-mayor Wu Qing made the first 5G video call on a Huawei Mate X smartphone, CGTN reported. Shanghai has also become the first city in China to start testing 5G networks.
5G will let people download and upload data faster than ever before. But 5G won’t just bring faster mobile Internet. People can use it for many other things as well. For example, 5G will help to make self-driving cars safer. Today’s self-driving test cars have one problem-lags（滞后）, When the car “sees” an obstacle, it sends this information to a data center and receives instructions.
However, it takes time to send and receive this information. With this kind of lag, the cars might crash because they don’t receive instructions in time. With 5G this lag will be greatly lowered, making the cars safer, according to CNN.
5G could also be used to power the Internet of Things（IoT）. This refers to a large online network that connects all things and people. Fast Internet speeds will be the key to developing this technology. For example, with IoT, your refrigerator could order eggs online when it notices that there are no eggs left inside.
1. We can infer（推断）from the passage that ________.| A．there will be no differences between phones |
| B．we can now buy self-driving cars in low price |
| C．China will pay little attention to the use of 5G |
| D．the 5G mobile network is much faster than the 4G one |
| A．animal | B．answer | C．something in the way | D．something in a car |
| A．a robot that can do housework |
| B．a type of high-tech refrigerator |
| C．large online network that connects everything and everyone |
| D．a very big online store where we can buy anything we would like |
