Learning English
Wang Le
Hey, everybody, what are your biggest problems with learning English?
Liu Wen
Hi!I’ve been studying English since primary school. I used to get high marks in English, but now I’m having a lot of trouble with my listening. When I listen to native English speakers talking in a video, I can catch only a few words. I can never quite get the main idea. Any advice?
Jia Xin
Listening to English radio programmes helps me get used to how fast native speakers talk. I also repeat what I hear to help myself to experience the feeling of the language. Sometimes I even record my voice so I can listen to myself and compare my pronunciation with the radio host’s!My biggest headache is how to be polite in English. It’s so much easier to just say “Open the window!”, but in English that can sound really terrible. I have to think about who I’m talking to and then decide whether to say, “Open the window, please!” or “Could you open the window, please?” or even longer “Would you mind opening the window, please?”
Li Rui
Yeah, that’s really hard! I think it all depends on who you’re talking to. If I’m talking to a close friend, I can use short requests, like “Open the window”—our relationship is close and we’re equals, so I only need a few words to bridge the gap between us. But if I’m talking to someone who isn’t very close to me, I must make my request longer—and I must make it a question, not a demand, e.g., “Could you open the window, please?” If I’m talking to someone senior to me, then I should say, “Would you mind opening the window, please?” For me, vocabulary is my biggest problem—there are just SO MANY new words! I can’t keep all the new vocabulary straight in my head, and I certainly can’t remember how to use them all properly. HELP!
1. Who put forward the question “What are your biggest problems with learning English?”| A．Liu Wen. | B．Jia Xin. |
| C．Wang Le. | D．Li Rui. |
| A．Liu Wen. | B．Wang Le. |
| C．Li Rui. | D．Jia Xin. |
| A．Liu Wen has some trouble with listening. |
| B．Jia Xin recorded her voice and compared it with the radio host’s. |
| C．Jia Xin can neither remember all the new words nor use them properly. |
| D．Li Rui answered Jia Xin’s problem according to her own understanding. |
The Return of the Champions
“The atmosphere here at Rio de Janeiro is electric! If China wins this point, they will walk out of the stadium with an Olympic gold medal. Zhang Changning serves. Over the net, Popovic dives for the ball. She only just reaches it...and it’s sent straight back to her by the Chinese spiker Hui Ruoqi. Popovic can’t get the ball back this time...and that’s it! It’s over! It’s gold for China! Look how the crowd has gone wild. You can see the joy and pride on the faces of the Chinese fans. And there we see the Chinese players embracing, with tears of happiness in their eyes...It’s a dream come true for China! The Chinese women’s volleyball team is Olympic champion once again!”
The Chinese women’s volleyball team holds a very special place in the nation’s heart. In the 1980s, the team burst onto the international volleyball scene with several major world titles, and an amazing threeset victory over the United States in the final of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. They became national heroes overnight. There was gold once more at Athens in 2004. But winning gold in Rio paints the most vivid portrait of the team’s competitive spirit.
In Rio, the Chinese women’s volleyball team needed all of its fighting spirit after it was assigned to the “group of death”，where it faced several strong opponents in the group stage matches. Despite reaching the quarterfinals as the fourth team in the group, with just two wins in preliminary matches, they were not going to give up. Every single member of the team gave their all to the fight, including Hui Ruoqi who had had heart surgery less than five months previously.
Their perseverance paid off with an epic comeback against the defending champion Brazil in the quarterfinals. Next, the Chinese team defeated the Netherlands in the semifinal matches, having lost to them in the preliminaries. At last，showing a strong will and the steeliest nerves, they played a close match against Serbia to seize gold in the final.
But fighting spirit alone was not enough to guarantee victory. Strong team spirit also contributed greatly to their success. Cooperation between team members is essential. If each individual does her job and works well with others，then the end goal can be achieved. In fact, strong team spirit is more important than the skills of individual players. Zhu Ting, named Most Valuable Player at the Rio Olympics, also identified this as the special ingredient in the team’s success: “Teamwork is the key to China's victory. Thanks to my teammates’ hard efforts, I had the opportunity to show my spiking skills.”
Together, the Chinese women’s volleyball team has fought their way through ups and downs. Led by wellknown Chinese volleyball player and coach Lang Ping, they have continued to aim high. Lang is only too aware that as soon as a team steps off the victory podium, they need to start from zero to prepare for new challenges ahead. In this way, the team begins its journey to the next Olympics.
1. What does “electric” mean in the first paragraph?| A．Competitive. | B．Amazing. |
| C．Nervous. | D．Challenging. |
| A．Because they just defeated two teams. |
| B．Because they met defending champion Brazil. |
| C．Because they met several strong opponents in the group stage matches. |
| D．Because many players appeared on the scene for the first time. |
| A．The Chinese women’s volleyball team got over many challenges. |
| B．The team should start from zero and prepare for the new success. |
| C．The team was led by the wellknown coach Lang Ping. |
| D．The team begins the new journey to the next Olympics. |
| A．The strong members of the Chinese women’s volleyball team. |
| B．The encouragement we feel from the Chinese women’s volleyball team. |
| C．The process of Chinese women’s volleyball team winning the championship. |
| D．The powerful position of Chinese women’s volleyball team in people’s mind. |
The Monarch’s Journey
Many animals move from one place to another at certain times of the year. This annual movement is called migration. They migrate to find food, seek a partner, or in search of warmer weather. One of the most wonderful migrations in nature is that of the North American monarch butterfly.
Every autumn, millions of these beautiful insects with fine black and orange wings begin a long and difficult journey. Somehow they manage to travel around 4,000 kilometres south and find their way to California or Mexico. However, until recently no one knew how they did this.
A team of scientists led by Professor Eli Shlizerman at the University of Washington has now found the answer. They have found out that the monarch is able to tell the time of day. It uses its eyes to measure the position of the sun. These two pieces of information — the time of day and the point where the sun is in the sky — allow the butterfly to determine the way to go. Eventually, it manages to reach the places where it will spend the winter.
The solution to the mystery of the monarch’s amazing ability comes at a time when it is in serious trouble. Its population has crashed by as much as 90 per cent in the last few years. Sadly, human activity is the main reason why the number of monarch butterflies is falling. In many of the places where the butterfly can be found, people are destroying the natural environment. They cut down trees and use chemicals that kill the plants that monarch caterpillars eat.
The research on the monarch’s behaviour has however led to a greater awareness of this creature. People have been working together to record its migration and make sure that there are enough plants for it to feed on. If this works, there may come a time when the number of monarch butterflies increases once again. The more we know about this lovely creature, the greater the chance it will survive and keep its place in the natural world for a long time to come.
1. What’s the main idea of the text?| A．The routes of the Monarch’s migration. |
| B．The reasons of the Monarch’s migration. |
| C．The significance of the Monarch’s migration. |
| D．The study of the Monarch’s migration. |
| A．To tell us what migration is exactly. |
| B．To tell us the reasons for migration. |
| C．To introduce the topic of the text. |
| D．To tell us how many animals migrate. |
| A．They may lose their way. |
| B．They can’t see anything. |
| C．They can’t find any food. |
| D．They will feel very cold. |
| A．Negative. | B．Neutral. |
| C．Indifferent. | D．Positive. |
| A．Being caught by humans. |
| B．The destroyed natural environment. |
| C．The bad weather condition. |
| D．Being eaten by birds. |
(1)
(2)
After Twenty Years
The short story “After Twenty Years” is set in New York on a cold, dark night. Most people have left work to go home, and this part of the city is now quiet. A policeman who is checking the area sees a man outside a shop. He goes up to the man and finds he has a scar on his face. They have a chat and the man starts to tell his story.
“Twenty years ago tonight,” said the man, “I dined here at ‘Big Joe’ Brady’s with Jimmy Wells, my best chum, and the finest chap in the world. He and I were raised here in New York, just like two brothers, together. I was eighteen and Jimmy was twenty. The next morning I was to start for the West to make my fortune. You couldn’t have dragged Jimmy out of New York; he thought it was the only place on earth. Well, we agreed that night that we would meet here again exactly twenty years from that date and time, no matter what our conditions might be or from what distance we might have to come. We figured that in twenty years each of us ought to have our destiny worked out and our fortunes made, whatever they were going to be.”
“It sounds pretty interesting,” said the policeman. “Rather a long time between meets, though, it seems to me. Haven’t you heard from your friend since you left？”
“Well, yes, for a time we corresponded,” said the other. “But after a year or two we lost track of each other. You see, the West is a pretty big proposition, and I kept hustling around over it pretty lively. But I know Jimmy will meet me here if he’s alive, for he always was the truest, staunchest old chap in the world. He’ll never forget. I came a thousand miles to stand in this door tonight, and it’s worth it if my old partner turns up.”
(Excerpts from “After Twenty Years” by O. Henry)
1. What was the man doing when the police found him?| A．He was waiting to dine. |
| B．He was wandering aimlessly. |
| C．He was waiting for a person. |
| D．He was going shopping nearby. |
| A．To see the world. |
| B．To make money. |
| C．To avoid a debt. |
| D．To hide himself. |
| A．Their friendship broke up. |
| B．Jimmy didn't want to leave. |
| C．He had a lot to do in New York. |
| D．He wanted to wait for his friend. |
| A．They kept in touch for at least 20 years. |
| B．They met now and then after saying bye. |
| C．Their friendship came to an end after that. |
| D．They had been out of touch for many years. |
CLICK FOR A FRIEND?
How would you feel if moving to a new town meant losing track of your friends? What if the only way of getting news from faraway friends was writing letters that took ages to be delivered? This was how things worked not very long ago. Thanks to advances in technology, how we make friends and communicate with them has changed significantly.
Nowadays, we can move around the world and still stay in touch with the people that we want to remain friends with. Social media tools let us see what our friends are up to and maintain friendships. All you need is a wi-fi connection.
The digital age also enables us to find people who share our interests, such as collecting model cars or playing an unusual instrument. Whatever our hobbies, the Internet can connect us with others who also enjoy doing them, even if they live on the other side of the world.
But when you “friend” people online, does this mean that they really are your friends?
It depends.
If people always exchange true personal information online, then yes, these friendships can be real and meaningful. But we need to keep in mind that what we see on social media is often not the whole truth about a person.
On social media sites, people tend to post only positive updates that make them appear happy and friendly. But smiling photos can hide real problems. Remember the saying: on the Internet, nobody knows you’re a dog. A young person could be old; a woman could be a man; we could even be sharing our information with criminals.
But this doesn’t mean that we should throw the baby out with the bathwater. Although technology has changed the way we acquire friends, the meaning of friendship and our longing for friends remain the same. As Aristotle said, no one would choose to live without friends, even if he had all other goods.
1. What does the text mainly talk about?| A．Disadvantages of making friends online. |
| B．Making friends on the Internet. |
| C．How to make friends on the Internet. |
| D．How to maintain friendships. |
| A．By writing letters. |
| B．By making calls. |
| C．By sending emails. |
| D．By using social media tools. |
| A．You don't exactly know who the person on the Internet is. |
| B．You may communicate with a dog on the Internet. |
| C．You can pretend to be a dog on the Internet. |
| D．You may have a chance to be a lucky dog on the Internet. |
| A．The author is in favour of making friends online. |
| B．The author thinks technology makes it hard for us to make friends. |
| C．The author thinks technology helps us maintain friendship more easily. |
| D．The author thinks the meaning of friendship has changed. |
6. 细读短文并找出文中的比喻句
THE ROAD TO SUCCESS
Near the small town of Grottoes, Virginia, a narrow dirt road goes from the house of Stephen Curry's grandfather to the woods nearby. A far cry from the bright lights and shiny courts of the National Basketball Association (NBA), it was along this road that Stephen's grandfather built a simple basket by attaching a piece of plastic to a telephone pole.
Like his father, basketball star Dell Curry, Stephen spent many childhood hours playing on this muddy basketball court. He probably didn't realise it at the time, but it was where he learnt to be creative and flexible as a player. You see, with every shot, the weak plastic backboard gave way. The bumps and rocks that lined the road under the basket caused the ball to bounce in all directions. Knowing where the ball would go wasn't easy. He had to adjust his own playing style as a result. Shooting with great accuracy was another thing he learnt. Only shots perfectly aimed at its centre went into the heavy, thick basket. In this way, practising day in and day out helped Stephen sharpen his skills.
Despite his father's successful career, Stephen was thought by many people, including his high school teammates and coaches, to be too short, too thin and too weak to follow in his father's footsteps. But Stephen carried on. Playing basketball was his dream. He would not give up. He finally ended up playing college ball at a small, littleknown school, Davidson College, not too far from where he lived. His creativity and perseverance made him Davidson's star player.
Selected for the NBA in 2009, Stephen joined the Golden State Warriors. He performed beyond everyone's expectations with his accurate shooting and continuous efforts. In 2015, Stephen won his first NBA championship, and he led the Warriors to their first championship since 1975.
After receiving the Most Valuable Player award for two years in a row, Stephen explained his philosophy, “I never really set out to change the game... What I wanted to do was just be myself... I know it inspires a lot of the next generation, a lot of people who love the game of basketball to value the skill of it, value the fact that you can work every single day to get better. You've got to be able to put in the time and the work. That's how I got here. That's how I continue to get better every single day. ” Inspiring others to believe in themselves, Stephen Curry is living proof that what other people think of you does not have to influence what you become. Through selfbelief, hard work, perseverance and some help from an old hoop, he has shown that anything is possible.
1. What is the theme of the text about?| A．The Most Valuable Player award has a long history. |
| B．Success comes from confidence, hard work and perseverance. |
| C．Stephen is the first NBA championship. |
| D．Stephen Curry followed in his father's footsteps. |
| A．When Stephen was little. |
| B．When Stephen went to college. |
| C．When Stephen's father was a child. |
| D．When Stephen's grandfather was little. |
| A．Stephen's poor skills. |
| B．The muddy road. |
| C．The weak plastic backboard. |
| D．The bumps and rocks under the basket. |
| A．He joined NBA in 2015. |
| B．He was elected the Most Valuable Player in 2009. |
| C．He won the Most Valuable Player for 3 times. |
| D．He won his first NBA championship in 2015. |
| A．Nothing is impossible for a willing heart. |
| B．More haste, less speed. |
| C．It's never too old to learn. |
| D．Rome was not built in one day. |
7. 细读课文并找出人物描写的句子
7 . The idea of climbing Mt.Qomolangma disgusted me. The mountain came to represent the opposite of everything that I loved and respected about climbing. What had once been the final mountain climbing goal became the focus of a commercial guiding industry. Over the years, the crowds at Base Camp grew, leaving behind tons of trash. Whenever I was asked whether I’d climb Mt.Qomolangma, my answer was always the same: not interested.
That was probably where my personal Mt. Qomolangma story would have ended, were it not for an old friend and his obsession (迷恋) with one of the greatest mysteries. In 1999, Thom Pollard began to explore and found the remains of George Mallory, the celebrated British climber who disappeared while he was attempting to be the first to climb Mt. Qomolangma. But Mallory’s partner, Sandy Irvine, and the camera he had likely carried, were not found. The mountain climbing world has been wondering whether they might have reached the top in 1924.
Pollard’s story moved me. I began to pack for the climb and expected that our advanced equipment would make it manageable, perhaps easy. I was wrong. On the highest point on the planet, I was more tired than I’d ever been in any climbing. Along the way, I continuously tipped_my_hat, not just to Mallory and Irvine but to anyone who has the drive to push himself or herself up this route. My search was in vain, but I began to reconsider Mt. Qomolangma.
I witnessed many climbers, who were much more than just selfcentered tourists. We shared route information, weather forecasts, and family photos—all united around a common goal.
I went to Mt. Qomolangma to seek Irvine. But in the end, I found something more difficult to get: the spirit that Irvine and Mallory shared. It was hiding in plain sight, right where it has always been: inside the brave souls who risk so much to follow in storied adventurers’ footsteps up Mt. Qomolangma.
1. What is the main reason why the author hated climbing Mt. Qomolangma?| A．He changed his climbing goal. |
| B．Mt. Qomolangma was seriously polluted by trash. |
| C．Mt. Qomolangma became an industry to make money. |
| D．The mountain was too crowded with climbers. |
| A．Because he desired to challenge himself. |
| B．Because he got motivated by Thom Pollard. |
| C．Because his old friend persuaded him to climb again. |
| D．Because he wanted to follow the footsteps of Mallory and Irvine. |
| A．Expressed my gratitude. |
| B．Proved my determination. |
| C．Relieved the tiredness. |
| D．Showed my respect. |
| A．Admiration for the climbers. |
| B．Concern about the risk. |
| C．Confidence in the journey. |
| D．Hope for Mt. Qomolangma’s future. |
