In the past, many students practiced English with their pen friends—they sent letters to people all around the world. However, we now send emails to others and chat with people who live quite far away on the Internet.
Here’s some advice on how to succeed in your online language exchanges (交流):
How to start a conversation when speaking English online? When you speak to somebody online, start by asking “Yes or No” questions. Use questions such as “Do you like...?” or “Can you...?” or “Have you ever...?”
Remember your goal. You are trying to learn about the other person. Think about things you enjoy and share your own experiences to find that you have similar interests. If you only ask questions, you will sound like a policeman or a policewoman!
How to keep a conversation going? Listen carefully. In that way, you can get to know somebody well. When you know him or her well, you will have more to talk about. Then ask follow-up questions. After you “listen”, use what you “hear” to learn more about that person. Use “open ended” questions, such as “What do you think of...?” or “What was the most interesting experience...?”
Besides, remember some basic rules for online language exchanges:
Be patient. Do not try to find a good friend right away.
Be careful. Don’t give any personal information on the Internet, especially your address, telephone number, and even your real name. It’s very dangerous.
1. How many pieces of advice does the writer give us?2. Who did many students practice English with in the past?
They practiced English with
3. What should you do in order to find similar interests?
We should think about things we enjoy and
4. What does the writer think of giving personal information online?
It’s
5. What does the writer want to tell us?
The writer wants to tell us
2 . Thirty years ago, Lake Ponkapog in Hartwell, New Jersey, was full of life. Many birds and animals lived beside the water, which was full of fish. But the lake water is polluted now.
How did this happen? First, we must think about how water gets into Lake Ponkapog. When it rains, water comes into the lake from all around. In the past, there were forests all around Lake Ponkapog, so the rainwater was clean.
Now there are many homes around the lake. People often use chemicals(化学物品) in their gardens. There are also many factories. Factories use chemicals in their machines or shops. Other chemicals fall onto the ground from cars or trucks. When it rains, the rainwater picks up all the chemicals from homes and factories and then carries them into the lake. They pollute the water and kill the animals.
Boats on the lake are also a problem. Lake Ponkapog is a popular place for motorboats. But oil and gas from boats often get into the lake. So more bad chemicals go into the water this way.
People in Hartwell are worried. They love their lake and want to save it. Will it be possible?
A clean lake must have clean rainwater. Clean rainwater is possible only if people are more careful about chemicals at home and at work. They must also be more careful about gas and oil and other chemicals on the ground. And they mustn’t use motorboats any more on the lake. All these may change people’s lives. Only then can Lake Ponkapog be a beautiful, clean lake again.
1. Which of the following can not pollute the water in Lake Ponkapog?| A．Rainwater from the forest. | B．Oil and gas from motorboats. |
| C．Chemicals in people’s gardens. | D．Chemicals from the factories. |
| A．They should use less water. | B．They should grow fewer plants in the gardens. |
| C．They should be more careful about chemicals. | D．They should use more motorboats on the lake. |
| A．Motorboats on Lake Ponkapog. | B．Many big factories in Hartwell. |
| C．Rainwater from many places. | D．Why the water is dirty in Lake Ponkapog. |
3 . Some people like to play baseball. Others like basketball or soccer. However, for some people, those sports aren’t fun enough. Some people think that the best sports are the scary sports. Sports that are very scary and dangerous are called extreme sports (极限运动). Bungee jumping (蹦极) is one of them. And bridges are probably the most popular places for bungee jumping.
Most people say that bungee jumping is a very scary experience. They say that when they are falling, they really think that they’re going to die. In fact, some people try their best to do it, but they don’t succeed. When they stand on the bridge and look down, they get too scared, and they give up.
Why do people go bungee jumping? Some people want to overcome their fears. For example, maybe a person is afraid of being in high places. That person might think, “If I can go bungee jumping, I will never be afraid of being in high places again.” Other people enjoy bungee jumping because they say it feels just like flying. Some people just want to try something new and exciting.
Though it sounds crazy, many people like it. Today, people do it in countries around the world. They don’t just go bungee jumping from bridges, either. People go bungee jumping from buildings, mountains, and even planes!
1. The most popular places for bungee jumping are ____________.| A．mountains | B．buildings | C．bridges | D．planes |
| A．Because they want to experience the feeling of death. |
| B．Because they want to overcome their fears and try something new. |
| C．Because they want to try a new sport. |
| D．Because they want to be different. |
| A．How to Go Bungee Jumping |
| B．Where to Go Bungee Jumping |
| C．A Safe Sport—Bungee Jumping |
| D．An Extreme Sport—Bungee Jumping |
4 . Are you looking forward to taking a holiday in an unusual place? These villages are popular with tourists and are different from other places.
Juzcar, Spain
This village was white until 2011. Now, Juzcar is blue. The film company Sony painted the buildings blue to celebrate the film, The Smurfs (蓝精灵), about small, blue characters. When Sony came to clean the blue from the buildings, the people said, “No”. They wanted to keep their town blue.
Shani shingnapur, India
The village of Shani shingnapur is like any other vllage, with one big difference: there are no doors here. Villagers feel safe, so they don’t put doors on houses or shops. And there’s very little crime (不法行为) in the village.
Giethoorn, Netherlands
This small village of under 3,000 people is another example of a village that hasn’t got something most villages have: roads. This village has got only canals (运河), pavements (人行道) and bridges. Cars must stay out of the village. People walk or use boats instead.
1. __________ painted the buildings blue in Juzcar, Spain.| A．The villagers | B．The visitors |
| C．The film company Sony | D．The government of Spain |
| A．White. | B．Black. | C．Blue. | D．Red. |
| A．windows | B．doors | C．roads | D．locks |
| A．many roads | B．many roads and canals |
| C．cars and bridges | D．canals, pavements and bridges |
