1 . My name is Kate. I want to introduce (介绍) my community to you.
There is a road in front of our community. There are many big trees on the two sides (侧,边) of the road. I often take a walk on the road in the evening. The birds often sing in the green trees and the air here is fresh.
In the centre of our community, there is a sports centre. People in our community like to do some sports there. After a day’s work, parents often take their children to the sports centre to play. At the corner of the sports centre, there are some ping-pong tables. I like playing ping-pong with my father on weekends. There are also many trees around the sports centre. We always play hide-and-seek (捉迷藏) in the woods (树林). That’s very interesting.
Where are the apartment buildings (住宅楼) in our community? Look! The apartment buildings are on the right or the left of our community. My home is on the right of the community. I live on the thirteenth floor.
My community is very beautiful. We all feel happy to live here.
1. We can see ________ in the centre of Kate’s community.A.a road | B.a sports centre |
C.many apartment buildings | D.some birds |
A.walking | B.playing ping-pong | C.playing hide-and-seek | D.playing basketball |
A.interesting | B.noisy | C.funny | D.bad |
A. | B. | C. | D. |
A.Kate often takes a walk on the road in the evening. |
B.There is a sports centre in the centre of the community. |
C.Some basketballs are at the corner of the sports centre. |
D.Kate’s home is on the right of the community. |
2 . Table manners are about how to behave when you eat a meal. Different countries have different table manners. Now let’s see some table manners in the following countries:
Japan
It is OK to make some noises when you eat noodles in Japan. Making some noises is not rude but is praise to the cook. The Japanese also say it tastes better if you make some noises while eating.
What else to watch: it’s important to say “Thanks” before and after a meal.
France
In France, a meal is like a ceremony. People enjoy it and make it a special event. You should never discuss money over dinner. And “going Dutch (各自付账)” is not polite.
What else to watch: you need to finish everything on your plate.
Mexico
In Mexico, whenever you catch the eyes of someone who’s eating, even a stranger, it’s good manners to say “provecho”, which means “enjoy”.
What else to watch: where you sit is important in this country. Before you get seated, look for place cards, or wait until the host seats you. And you must say “Enjoy your meal” before you leave the table.
1. ________ is a polite way to eat noodles in Japan.A.Eating quietly | B.Eating quickly | C.Leaving some | D.Making some noises |
A.Money. | B.Weather. | C.Sports. | D.News. |
A.Goodbye. | B.Enjoy your meal. | C.Thank you. | D.The food is delicious. |
A.sports stars | B.dinner parties | C.eating habits | D.table manners |
3 . There is no doubt that technology has had a big influence on our lives. People from all around the world can now talk to each other almost at once on mobile phones and the Internet. People can easily solve their problems with the help of computers and the World Wide Web. With the technology, it seems that the world is more connected now than ever before. Even so, there have been worries about technology making people feel lonely and disconnected from others around them.
So does this mean that technology makes us lonely?
In my opinion, it is hard to say “Yes” or “No”.
It’s true that humans need communication with each other. If we depend on technology too much to communicate, this can badly impact our mental (心理的) health. For me, technology is a tool. And just like any other kind of tool—like scissors, a pencil or a ruler. For example, it depends on how we use it: in a right way or in a right place. Take social media (社交媒体) as an example. If you only use it to compare yourself with others, you might feel sad and lonely. But if you use it as a tool to connect with friends and family or to start a new community to talk about your hobbies and interests, the loneliness will turn into love and friendship.
When you feel lonely after staring at your computer screen all day, maybe you can use that technology to reach out to a reliable (可靠的) friend and invite him or her out for lunch or a coffee.
1. According to the passage, if people depend on technology too much, they may ________.A.sleep less | B.live longer | C.feel lonely | D.get more jobs |
A.帮助 | B.促进 | C.影响 | D.进入 |
A.a tool | B.an influence |
C.a pair of scissors | D.a way of communication |
A.argue with | B.compete with | C.connect with | D.compare with |
A.Social media is important to us. |
B.Technology can be both good and bad. |
C.People need to communicate with each other. |
D.Computers and the Internet help us with our work. |
4 . You can study the English language for years but still not understand a native speaker of English when you meet one. Well, don’t worry. Here’s a secret for you: a lot of British people can’t understand each other either!
There are different local accents (口音) across the UK, and a number of areas have several different accents, that is, they have their own vocabulary and phrases. There were at least six different accents born to London the last time I counted.
Worse than that, it is not just where a person is born in the UK that decides his accent. For example, a language and its accents often vary with the class or level of education. Another example is language can differ among age groups in the UK. The words and pronunciation used by young people in the UK can be completely different compared with those used by adults. They are creating a “yoof culture”.
The word “yoof” is a slang (俚语) spelling of “youth”. Some people don’t consider “yoof” to be a positive term since its pronunciation is easier and lazier than “youth”. Other people see the term as positive because it describes how young people are creating their own language, concept (观念) and identity.
When parents find it difficult to understand their children, the children can say more things without the examining of their parents. In this way, young people are starting to find freedom, independence and self expression. Even though certain groups of society feel threatened (威胁) by “yoof culture”, new words come and go like fashions.
So learners should have no fear about communicating with native speakers. Even British people don’t speak English properly!
1. How many different accents are found in London according to the writer’s last count?2. What’s the fourth paragraph talking about?
3. 将文中画线句子译成汉语。
4. 找出并写下下面句子的同义句。
So don’t be afraid to talk with native speakers.
5. 根据短文内容补全下面句子。
Apart from the different regional accents across the country, language can also vary with the class, level of education or
Sally: I love R & B. It was first played by African Americans in the 1940s. And now it is popular all over the world. Mariah Carey is my favourite American R & B singer. |
Grandpa: I love Beijing Opera. I often watch it on TV. At weekends, I always go to the park and sing Beijing Opera with my friends. |
Dad: I love almost all kinds of music. Sarah Brightman is my favourite singer, because she has a beautiful voice. I think no one compares with her. But I can’t stand (忍受) rock music. It’s just too noisy. |
Mum: I’m a dancer. I started dancing at the age of seven. Of course I love __▲__. It is so beautiful. I listen to it when I dance and wherever I go. |
A.Australians |
B.Chinese people |
C.Germans |
D.African Americans |
A.she has a beautiful voice |
B.she’s kind and nice |
C.she can write songs |
D.she’s beautiful |
A.pop music | B.country music |
C.dance music | D.rock music |
A.Sally’s dad thinks rock music is noisy. |
B.Mariah Carey is an American singer. |
C.Sally’s grandpa can’t sing Beijing Opera. |
D.Sally’s mum often listens to music. |
6 . Our new foreign students are going to arrive very soon, and here are some ways to communicate with them politely.
How close do you stand when you talk to a friend? You can stand close to people in the Middle East but don’t stand too close to North Americans! Give them more personal space.
Do you know how to touch people correctly? Chinese girls often walk arm in arm with their friends. South Americans sometimes hold your arm when they talk to you, so you can’t move away! But in Britain many people don’t like other people to touch them at all.
Do you look at people when you talk? In some places, it isn’t polite to look at people when you talk, but in other countries it isn’t polite to look somewhere else. In Britain and the US, people usually look at each other when they talk.
And how do you say goodbye? That’s easy. Wave to say goodbye. But be careful! In Greece, it’s not at all polite! In fact, it’s very rude!
1. From the passage, we should give ________ more personal space.A.people in the Middle East |
B.people in North America |
C.people in the South America |
D.people in North China |
A.触摸 | B.打击 | C.感动 | D.震撼 |
A.America | B.Japan | C.Britain | D.Greece |
A.Two. | B.Three. | C.Four. | D.Five. |
A.Saying goodbye |
B.Touching people |
C.Looking at people |
D.Communicating politely |
7 . As we all know, English is an important subject in middle school. Everyone knows that they must learn English well, but some people don’t know how to learn it well. Here are some suggestions which may help you with your English.
The biggest problem is people’s own fear. They worry that they won’t say things correctly or that they will look foolish so that they don’t speak English at all. Don’t be afraid of being laughed at. Only if we aren’t afraid of making mistakes can we learn English well.
The fastest way to learn something is to do it again and again until you get it right. Learning English needs practice. Don’t let a little fear stop you from getting what you want.
The best way to learn English is to have a good environment. Take notes in English, put English books around your room, listen to English radios, watch English news, movies and TV programs. Speak English with your friends whenever you can. The more English materials that you have around you, the faster you will learn it.
Many people think that exercises and tests aren’t much fun. However, by doing exercises and taking tests, you can really improve your English. If you never test yourself, you will never know how much you are making progress.
1. The biggest problem of learning English is ________.A.not knowing how to learn |
B.being afraid of being laughed at |
C.looking foolish |
D.making mistakes |
A.practising over and over again |
B.listening to it every day |
C.going over the fear |
D.going to a foreign country |
A.putting English books around your room |
B.listening to English radios |
C.watching English news and movies |
D.speaking English with your friends only in class |
8 . American country music is also known as (被视为) country Western music. It has a very long history. It comes from the folk songs of immigrants (移民) from Britain.
Country music users use simple music and words to express everyday feelings such as loneliness, love, and sadness. That is to say, country music describes life. It talks about friends and enemies, trucks and roads, farms and crops. People in many parts of the world like country music, because everyone can understand what the music is about.
Country Western music became popular first among cowboys (牛仔) in the American western countryside. Cowboys had to take care of cows day and night. When they were alone with the cows, they often sang beautiful and peaceful songs to calm the animals and to overcome their own fear. They were not well educated so they sang about their daily life in very simple words. They played the guitars, violins and other instruments. In the south of America, many people added instruments from their homes, like bottles and spoons. When cowboys visited their friends and family on holidays, they usually sang and played country Western music.
Country Western music is a little different from the one in the past. These changes make the songs sound even better. Today singers are singing and playing in different styles. They have brought country Western music more and more fans from all over the world.
1. Country Western music comes from the folk songs of immigrants from ________.A.America | B.France |
C.Britain | D.Germany |
A.it has a long history |
B.it comes from Europe |
C.it is sung by cowboys |
D.it is easy to understand |
A.sad and lonely |
B.quiet and relaxed |
C.angry and wild |
D.upset and scared |
A.Early immigrants lived a very simple life. |
B.Many country music singers were not well educated. |
C.Cowboys usually played country Western music on holidays. |
D.In the west of America, cowboys added instruments from their homes. |
A.Americans Love American Country Music |
B.The History of American Country Music |
C.Singers and Fans of American Country Music |
D.All Kinds of American Music, Yesterday and Today |
9 . There is a big supermarket near my home. Its name is Pricelow. It has lots of things. You can buy school things, like notebooks, pens, rulers, pencils, erasers and pencil boxes. You can buy vegetables, fruit and all kinds of food. You can also buy clothes. Some of the things there are cheap, but some of them are dear.
The supermarket is open every day from 9:00 am to 10:00 pm. The workers there are very good. They work hard all day. They are happy to answer your questions. There are many people on weekends. They buy lots of things. Sometimes they have breakfast, lunch or dinner there.
1. The supermarket is ________.A.old | B.new | C.big | D.small |
A.亲爱的 | B.昂贵的 | C.漂亮的 | D.精致的 |
A.seven | B.eight | C.twelve | D.thirteen |
A.The workers in the supermarket are very friendly. |
B.All of the things in the supermarket are cheap. |
C.You can’t buy clothes in the supermarket. |
D.People can’t have breakfast in the supermarket. |
10 . As an English person, I can speak three languages—English, German and French, so do you think the British people are very good language learners? The fact is that they aren’t.
Some statistics (数据) from the survey done by the European Commission (欧盟委员会) showed that 62% of the British people only speak English, 38% speak at least one foreign language and 18% speak two or more. Compared with the British people, 56% of the people in other European countries speak at least one foreign language and 28% speak two or more. From this you can see that the British people are famous for not speaking foreign languages and that they are not good language learners in Europe.
And the survey also showed that English is the most widelyspoken foreign language. Many European people can have a conversation in English. That’s why many people don’t think it is necessary to learn a foreign language.
In Britain, students aren’t required to learn a foreign language. That means learning a foreign language is only a choice at school. In British schools it’s common for children to start learning a foreign language at 11 and many of them give it up at 14. So why don’t students continue learning foreign languages at school? Because they think it’s more difficult to get good marks in languages than in other subjects such as science or history.
To solve this situation, the British government is looking for different ways to improve language learning at school. One way is to start learning it at a much younger age. Another one is to give school children more choices.
1. How many ways will the British government use to improve language learning?A.One. | B.Two. |
C.Three. | D.Four. |
A.People in other European countries speak English as much as British people. |
B.One British student can’t give up learning a foreign language until 14. |
C.Students in Britain prefer to learn science or history rather than learn a foreign language. |
D.It’s unusual for British students not to learn a foreign language. |
A.Young English learners. |
B.School in the UK. |
C.Speaking English. |
D.Foreign language learning in the UK. |