Learning English is not an easy job. Almost every student sometimes asks questions like these: Can I really learn English well? Can I really learn it well     1     to talk with others?

The answer is yes. From some studies, we know that almost anyone can learn a foreign language     2     if he or she wants to. Some people might learn it faster and some might learn it more     3     . Some might learn it     4     and some with difficulty. But anyone can learn it well if he or she has the right ways.

Many students have their own special ways in learning English. The following are some examples.

Han Ying gets up     5     than any of her family every morning and the first thing she does is to listen to an English radio program. This has     6     helped improve her English in listening.

Lin Tao often practices speaking English in class. At first, he was very nervous when he was asked to speak. After trying several times, he found it was not as difficult as he thought. He is     7     active and now he speaks English best of all his classmates.

Wang Bin likes to watch American movies. He will watch it many times if it is a good film. And he     8     likes to read English aloud.

You’ve been learning words since you were a tiny baby. At first, you learned them only by hearing other people talk. Now that you’re a reader, you have another way to learn words. What should you do when you come to a word and you think you don’t know what it means?     1    

Say it

First sound it out. Then say it to yourself.     2     . Sometimes you know a word in your head but you don’t know what it looks like in print. So if you match up what you know and what you read-you have the word!

Use context

If this doesn’t work, take the next step: look at the context—the other words and sentences around it. Read this sentence: When it rained, the dog looked for shelter in the doorway.     3     . Rain and in the doorway might give you helpful information.

    4    

If the context doesn’t help, look at the parts of the word. Does it have any parts you know? These can help you understand what it means. If you don’t know the meaning of miner, try looking at parts of the word. You might know that a mine is a place underground where people get coal and other valuable things. A lot of times, -er at the end of a word means “a person who does something”. So a miner might be someone who works in a mine.

Look it up

If the three steps above don’t work, you can look it up—     5     —either a book or online.

Nobody knows the meaning of every word, but good readers know how to understand words they don’t know.

4 . Why short stories are best for English learning?

You get more time _______ on words. When a text is short, you can have more time to learn how every single word is used and what importance it has in _______ text. This is more useful for those _______ are beginners of English.

You can read a whole story at a time. Attention length is very important for _______. And the ability to finish story gives you more time _______ it. Short stories are written to give you _______ information with less effort.

It is best for consistency (一致性). It is much easier _______ one story every day than trying to read a big novel that never _______ to end.

You can share them _______ in a group. Since short stories can _______ in any place, they are perfect for book clubs and learning circles. Most of the time these groups do not work because members have no time to read. Short stories are perfect way for ________.

You can focus more on ideas. Language is _______ about words and more about the meanings behind them. If you spend all your time   _______ vocabulary and grammar, you will never be able to speak a language _______ because you will have little to talk about. Short stories give you the chance to understand big ideas in a short text.

In a word, short stories will not only improve your English reading comprehension (理解力) _______ also open your mind to different worlds.

5 . This passage is going to help you to prepare for speaking exams.     1     tips will help you feel more confident in a speaking exam.

Listening to English often will help you improve your     2    . You should speak as much English in class as     3    . If you often speak in class, you will find it easier to speak     4     an exam. You should pay     5     to your speaking speed. Before you speak, think     6     about what to say and speak a little slower than normal. You should use language that is correct. Use words and     7     you have used before. If you don’t understand the question or the activity, ask the examiner（考官）, “Could you     8     that, please?” You should speak aloud so that the examiner can hear you. If you find this difficult, practice with a（n）    9     at home. Stand at opposite ends of a room and speak to each other in English. Everyone may feel     10     in exams. So, take some deep breaths before the exam and try to relax.