1 . Whether you have ten minutes or an hour to practice each day, you’ll find a wide variety of learning materials to help you make progress and improve your language skills. All the material on the LearnEnglish website is designed for self-study to support your learning.
Take our online level test: Start by taking our free English grammar and vocabulary test to help you find your level. All the material is labelled(标记) with the level, to make it easier to find material to suit your needs.
Explore our Skill Sections: In our Skills sections you can find self-study lessons to practice your listening, reading and reading and writing skills. There are different types of texts and audio(音频) recording, all with interactive exercises and worksheets that practice the skills you need. Choose your level and then choose a lesson!
Practice grammar: In this section you can improve your grammar with our clear and simple grammar lessons. The lessons start with an exercise to test your understanding, then an explanation to improve your grammar knowledge and finally another exercise to test your understanding again to see if you have improved. Choose your level and then choose a grammar point!
Read our Magazine sections: Are you looking for something quick to read? Our Magazine and Business magazine sections have short interesting articles for you to read about special days and business topics.
Challenge a friend or a colleague: If you want to play a quick online game and practice your English vocabulary at the same time, have a go at Wordshake. See how many points you can get in three minutes! You can challenge a colleague to play too and compare your points to see whose English vocabulary is improving the most.
1. If you want to find learning materials that suit you, you can start by________.| A．taking an online level test | B．finding self-study lessons |
| C．playing a quick online game | D．practicing your English grammar |
| A．Explore our Skill Sections | B．Read our Magazine sections |
| C．Practice grammar | D．Challenge a friend or a colleague |
| A．Similar types of texts are provided for learners. |
| B．The grammar lessons are clear but complicated. |
| C．The Magazine sections provide long articles for learners. |
| D．A quick online vocabulary game is limited to three minutes. |
| A．Students. | B．Self-study learners. |
| C．Teachers. | D．Workers. |
2 . Computer technology has its own special words. One example is the word “mouse”. A computer mouse is not a small animal that lives in buildings or open fields. It is a small object that you move around on a flat surface in front of a computer. The mouse moves the pointer on the computer screen. Computer expert （专家）Douglas Engelbart developed the idea of the mouse in the early 1960s. It was called a mouse because it had a tail at one end. The tail was the wire （电线）that connected it to the computer.
Using a computer takes some training. People who are experts are sometimes called hackers. A hacker is usually a person who writes software programs in a special computer language. But the word “hacker” is also used to describe a person who tries to steal information from computer systems.
Another well known computer word is Google, spelled g-o-o-g-l-e. It is the name of a popular “search engine（引擎）“for the Internet. People use the search engine to find information about almost any subjects on the Internet. People who started the company named it Google because in mathematics, googol, spelled g-o-o-g-o-I, is an extremely large number. It is the number followed by one hundred zeros.
If you Google someone, you might find that person's name on a blog. A blog is the shortened name for a Weblog. A blog is a personal Web page. It may have stories, opinions, pictures and links（链接）to other Web sites. Some people add information to their blogs every day. People who have blogs are called bloggers.
Blogs are not the same as spam. Spam is unwanted sales messages sent to your electronic mailbox...
1. How did the computer mouse get its name?| A．Because of its size. | B．Because of its use. |
| C．Because of its appearance. | D．Because of mouse's living habits. |
| A．often surfs the Internet | B．steals things from other people |
| C．needs some training in computer | D．is experienced in writing computer language |
| A．By giving examples. |
| B．By following the order of time. |
| C．By asking and answering questions. |
| D．By comparing different computer words. |
| A．Computer technology. |
| B．Some famous computer experts. |
| C．Some computer words and their meanings. |
| D．How to use some computer words properly. |
3 . Nola （August 21, 1974 -November 22, 2015） was a northern white rhino who lived at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park near Escondido, California. At her death, she was one of only four remaining northern white rhinos in the world. The other three lived in Kenya. World Rhino Day, held on September 22, is to raise awareness（意识）of the less than 30,000 other rhinos left on Earth.
“Rhinos need our help today, not tomorrow. "Nola's lead keeper Jane Kennedy said. "Last year we lost over 1,200 rhinos just in South Africa. If we continue to lose more than 1,000 rhinos a year, in 10 to 20 years all the rhinos on the earth will be gone."
Unfortunately, most animals are in danger of dying out because of humans. Kennedy says, “Humans have either poached （偷猎）animals, or because there are over seven billion of us, we've taken up too much of the world's resources." Poachers illegally hunt rhinos for their horns （角）.They sell the horns for thousands of dollars per pound, to be used for art, jewelry, and decorations. Experts believe that one rhino is poached every eight hours.
In 1975, the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research started the Frozen Zoo, a program through which researchers have collected cell samples（细胞样品）from more than 8,000 different types of animals, including the northern white rhino. Scientists hope that by studying the rhino cells, they will get greater understanding of it, and will find ways to increase its numbers.
At the San Diego Zoo, children and adults are welcome to visit and speak with zookeepers to learn about rhinos. For more information, go to www.worldrhinoday.org.
1. What is the purpose of setting up a World Rhino Day?| A．To honor a rhino named Nola. |
| B．To draw people's attention to rhino protection. |
| C．To let people know the importance of wildlife protection. |
| D．To tell people there are still a great number of rhinos left on Earth. |
| A．Rhinos will die out soon. |
| B．The number of rhinos is increasing. |
| C．Rhinos are under good protection. |
| D．Immediate action should be taken to protect rhinos. |
| A．Human beings' technology. | B．The limited natural resources. |
| C．The pollution of the environment. | D．Diseases found on their horns. |
| A．Science. | B．Sports. | C．Education. | D．Business |
Where: Becket, Massachusetts
When: Jun.15-Aug.24
Each summer, this influential dance center presents a number of classes and performances by more than 50 companies from around the world. Highlights(最精彩的部分) in this season include the Dance Theater of Harlem’s production of Alvin Ailey’s "The Lark Ascending", which opens the festival.
Many events are free. Ticketed performances start at $22. Jacobs pillow. org.
Moab Music Festival
Where: Moab, Utah
When: Aug. 29-Sept. 9
This area is better known for mountain biking than for music. But since 1992, it has hosted a private festival that brings classical, jazz, Latin and other types of music to the land. This year there will be 16 concerts, including three "Grotto Concerts", where guests take a 45-minute boat ride down the Colorado river to performances.
Events start at $25. moabmusicfest.org.
Cheyenne Frontier Days
Where: Cheyenne, W yoming
When: July19-28
There is something for everyone at this 117-year-old festival, from an "Indian village and Old West museum" to country concerts. But the competition is still the main attraction, with cowboys and cowgirls competing for major money in the world’s largest outdoor stage.
Competition tickets start at $18, and concert tickets at$23. cfdrodeo.com.
The Glimmerglass Festival
Where: Cooperstown, New York
When: July 6-Aug.24
Each summer, opera lovers from around the country travel to upstate New York to watch productions that include stars like Nathan Gunn and Ginger Costa-Jackson. This year’s performances include Wagner’s "The Flying Dutchman" and Verdi’s "King for a Day", in honor of the 200th birthdays of both composers(作曲家).
Tickets start at $26. glimmerglass.org.
1. Where can you watch a competition and enjoy concerts?| A．In Becket, Massachusetts. | B．In Moab, Utah. |
| C．In Cheyenne, Wyoming. | D．In Cooperstown, New York. |
| A．Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. | B．The Glimmerglass Festival. |
| C．Cheyenne Frontier Days. | D．Moab Music Festival. |
| A．To introduce some art festivals. |
| B．To compare which art festival is the best. |
| C．To call on people to support those festivals. |
| D．To advise readers to join and perform in the festivals. |
5 . In a new move, doctors are using feature films in order to encourage their patients to talk more freely about their problems. Supporters of “film therapy (疗法)” say that discussing characters and plot lines from a proper film can help people to understand their feelings better.
One of those using the method is Dr Zhang, a doctor from Shanghai, who charges ¥250 for a one-hour “film therapy” session. He said, “I was treating a woman who had been badly heartbroken in a relationship, and who was experiencing such strong feelings that it was difficult for her to speak about them. I told her that her situation reminded me of On the Waterfront, when the hero realizes his brother is dishonest and he feels a great sense of betrayal (背叛). My patient identified so easily with him that she started to cry. Watching and discussing the film unlocked all the feelings she had buried. Each time she watched and cried, she felt better.”
Dr Zhang admits that film therapy does not work for everyone, but says he has used it successfully with about a third of his clients. “Through the films’ characters, plots and even music, it allows people to face their problems.” He said that Falling Down, in which Michael Douglas plays the part of an unemployed man who is so depressed that he uses violence, was an example of the dangerous results of not letting anger go. “I used this film with a patient who was very upset because he was holding back a lot of the anger he felt towards people who had hurt him,” said Dr Zhang. “We talked about Michael Douglas’s character and the disastrous path he takes, and my patient then realized that he needed to let go of his feelings more regularly so as not to burst out like a time bomb.”
1. What can we learn about Dr. Zhang?| A．He used to be an actor. |
| B．He likes to review different films. |
| C．He favors the film therapy. |
| D．He is good at sharing his feelings. |
| A．She brought her sufferings to mind. |
| B．She was touched by the film. |
| C．She realized she had been cheated. |
| D．She thought of her lover. |
| A．learn from Michael Douglas |
| B．act out his anger through violence |
| C．forgive those who once hurt him |
| D．release his anger on a regular basis |
| A．Film stars can help people to solve their problems. |
| B．Films can contribute to unlocking hidden feelings. |
| C．The film therapy should be popularized all over the world. |
| D．The film therapy can apply to every patient. |
6 . Share your poems, get feedback (反馈) for your poetry, and enter poetry contests (竞 赛). Choose from the following poetry contests that you can enter. Get feedback for every poem that you write including your contest entries.
How It Works
As a member, you will get feedback for everything you write. You can enter poetry contests with cash prizes. You will be ranked ( 分等级). Write and see how the feedback you receive influences your rank. Since the year 2000 we have been helping writers improve their writing skills.
Poetry Contests in May
Friendship across cultures
Write a story about a friend that opened your world to another culture.
Deadline: Today!
Technology wars
Write a story on the topic provided in the announcement.
Deadline: Today!
Lyrics make the song
Poetry Contests in June
Pen your newest, and best, song lyric masterpieces and enter them into this contest.
NO POETRY ALLOWED FOR THIS CONTEST!
Must be song lyrics only.
Deadline: June 1st
Unexpected romance
Write a story that brings two people together, two people who don't necessarily realize that they belong together but the audience is rooting for them. Write a story for a cash prize.
Deadline: June 15th
*Click the following link to get more information: https://www.poetrylovers.cn/
1. Which of the following statements about the contests in May is NOT true?| A．They are topic-based. |
| B．They offer feedback to every entry. |
| C．The contestants can write whatever they like. |
| D．Entries are due when this announcement comes out. |
| A．can’t hand in a poem |
| B．should sing a song |
| C．get an opportunity to win a cash prize |
| D．must enter your work before July 3rd |
| A．A writing guide book. | B．A poetry magazine. |
| C．A newspaper. | D．A website. |
7 . On a farm in England, Gavin and Alice Munro are taking sustainability to the next level: they harvest trees which they grow into chairs.
The couple have a furniture（家具）farm in Derbyshire where they are growing 250 chairs, 100 lamps and 550 tables. It is their answer to what they see as the inefficient（无效率的）process of cutting down mature trees to create furniture.
"Instead of force-growing a tree for 50 years and then cutting it down and making it into smaller and smaller bits…the idea is to grow the tree into the shape that you want directly. It’s like a kind of 3D printing, "said Gavin.
Part of the inspiration for the idea came when Gavin was a young boy. He spotted an overgrown bonsai tree（盆栽） which looked like chair.
The 44-year-old began experimenting in 2006. In 2012, Gavin and Alice set up the company Full Grown. Within several years, the couple developed the most effective way to shape a tree without limiting its growth. They guided shoots（嫩枝）already heading in the right direction, rather than force them the wrong way against their natural growth.
The average chair takes six to nine years to grow-and another year to dry out. The labor and time involved in producing the organic pieces means they do not come cheap. Chairs sell for ￡10,000 each, lamps for ￡900 to ￡2,300 and tables for ￡2,500 to ￡12,500.
1. How could the couple grow trees into a shape they needed?| A．They used 3D printing. |
| B．They limited their growth. |
| C．They forced trees into different shapes. |
| D．They guided their shoots in the right direction. |
| A．When he was a child. | B．When they got married. |
| C．When they bought the farm. | D．When they began experimenting in 2006. |
| A．Big and eco-friendly. | B．Natural but expensive. |
| C．Hand-made and creative. | D．Traditional but organic. |
| A．A Couple Grow Furniture | B．Expensive Grown Chairs |
| C．It’s A Good Try Of Sustainability | D．Grown Trees Gain Popularity |
8 . Market traders and street vendors （摊贩）are making a comeback across China, and this time they find themselves equipped with a new set of digital skills essential to navigating the vast consumer market. To revitalize （复兴）retail stands, in a move aimed at stimulating domestic spending and stabilizing employment, the country's leading e-commerce platforms are lending a helping hand, offering services like accessible financing backed by technologies.
Domestic wholesale site 1688. com is among the first group of tech players with such offerings. At the heart of the action plan is an effort to link street vendors directly with factories, effectively avoiding middlemen and saving time and costs.
According to general manager Wang Hai, numerous small-scale merchants on the site have managed to gain the upper hand in price negotiations, while manufacturers are more willing to mass-produce as the economy of scale serves to reduce costs, thus creating a win-win situation.
“Data analytics also kicks in, giving traders some insight into current consumer trends so that they no longer need to operate their business purely based on intuition （直觉），and they can avoid stockpiling,“ Wang said. For instance, the most sought-after categories in markets are daily necessities ? underwear , digital gadgets and beauty products, according to the company, whereas the most passionate buyers come from Guangdong, Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces.
Meanwhile, to stabilize employment , e-commerce major JD. com vowed to add a number of job positions that either require flexible working hours, allow working from home or are designed to promote startup businesses. For posts related to delivery, warehouse management and packaging, priority is given to people from poverty-stricken areas.
“The COVID-19 outbreak will accelerate the digital transformation of the real economy, and individual traders and smaller stores are no exception,” said Xu Lei, CEO of JD's retail unit. "We have the capability and, more importantly, the responsibility to inject vitality （活力）into these entities, thus contributing to the economic rebound （回弹）and stabilizing employment.
1. What can we learn about e-commerce platforms like 1688. com?| A．They have an advantage in price negotiation. |
| B．Their efforts help street vendors cut the cost. |
| C．They increase production through technology. |
| D．Their services are financed by the government. |
| A．By improving traders' business intuition. |
| B．By helping traders find out market trends. |
| C．By telling traders when to stockpile goods. |
| D．By aiding traders in controlling the market. |
| A．A person experienced in driving a truck. | B．A person willing to start a new business. |
| C．A person from an underdeveloped village. | D．A person preferring flexible working hours. |
| A．Culture. | B．World. |
| C．Lifestyle. | D．Business. |
9 . “Tomorrow we will see the Golden Gate Bridge,” said Peter. “I have never seen a golden bridge before.”
Peter's father smiled, but said nothing.
The next morning, his father took Peter to the bridge. Peter first saw it from far away. How big it looked! But then he saw the bridge was red!
“The bridge isn't golden!” he said. “Why is it called the Golden Gate Bridge?”
“It isn't named for its color,” said his father. “It is named for the Golden Gate.”
“What is the Golden Gate?” asked Peter.
“A gate is either an opening, or the thing that closes the opening,” said his father.
“ The Golden Gate is an opening in the land. Water from the sea comes through this opening into San Francisco Bay.”
“Oh,” said Peter. “And the bridge goes over the opening. But why is the opening called the Golden Gate?”
“Years ago men came to California to look for gold,” his father said. “Many came by ship. They came into the bay through that opening. For them it was a gate to gold. They named it the Golden Gate.”
“Well,” said Peter, “I still think the bridge should look golden.”
When getting home, he sent a letter to a California paper. he said:” Red is not the right color for the Golden Gate Bridge. The bridge should look golden, the way most people think it does.”
Peter sent $14.78 with his letter. “The money is to help paint the bridge gold, ” he wrote.
Many people read Peter's letter in the newspaper and things began to happen! Some people sent money. A big company gave real gold to make gold paint. A paint company made the paint.
But some people still wanted the bridge to be red!
Will the Golden Gate Bridge ever be golden? It will, if enough people feel as Peter does. How do you feel about it?
1. Why did father smile when hearing his son’s words?| A．His son had never seen a red bridge before. |
| B．His son was too delighted to visit the bridge. |
| C．His son was about to see the bridge tomorrow. |
| D．His son misunderstood the color of the bridge. |
| A．The color of the bridge. |
| B．The shape of the bridge. |
| C．The location of the bridge. |
| D．The function of the bridge. |
| A．Astonished. | B．Puzzled. |
| C．Determined. | D．Frustrated. |
| A．A firm made a gold paint by using real gold. |
| B．The government painted the bridge golden. |
| C．Some people were against the change of the color. |
| D．Some people raised money for the golden bridge. |
10 . China now has 52 sites included on the UNESCO World Heritage list, some of which may give you some clues on your next travel plan.
Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor
The Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor is located in Lin Tong County, near Xi’an city, capital of Shanxi province. A total of 8,000 life-size terracotta warriors, chariots and horses, and hundreds of bronze weapons have been unearthed from it. It is believed that it is a major archaeological find, called the eighth wonder of the world, paralleling Egypt’s pyramids.
Kulangsu, a Historic International Settlement
Kulangyu Island, known in the local dialect as Kulangsu, is located on the entry of the Jiulong River, facing the city of Xiamen , influenced by Western culture in the 19th century, especially music. With such a harmonious blend of Western music and Eastern culture, Gulangyu is naturally referred to as the “island of music”.
Qinghai Hoh Xil
Hoh Xil, located in the north-eastern end of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau is China’s largest and the world’s third largest uninhabited area. Hoh Xil, with high altitude and fierce weather, no people to live there, is a paradise for wildlife and home to more than 230 species of wild animals including endangered species such as the Tibetan antelope.
Huangshan Mountain
Huangshan, known as “the loveliest mountain of China”, lies in the south of Anhui province in eastern China. The scenic area covers 154 sq km, famous for its peaks, rocks, pines, clouds and springs, with a rich cultural heritage.
1. Where will you go if you are interested in history during your stay in Xi’an?| A．Qinghai Hoh Xil. | B．Kulangsu. | C．Mausoleum. | D．Huangshan. |
| A．Its beautiful scenery. |
| B．Its value in Archeology. |
| C．Its unique natural living environment for wildlife. |
| D．Its mixture of Western music and Eastern culture. |
| A．A science fiction. |
| B．A history textbook. |
| C．A travel guidebook. |
| D．An entertainment magazine. |
