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 . Polar bears have captivated(迷住) humans since the beginning of recorded time. Writings dating back to 57 C. E. in ancient Rome describe flooded amphitheatres where polar bears and seals competed against each other ( not much of a fight, as it turns out). Kings of ancient Egypt and early Norway were the first to keep polar bears captive, and the fascination with them has held through the centuries. Ad campaigns all over the world feature polar bears to sell everything from bottled water to transportation systems to soda.
A Coca-Cola ad campaign in the 1990s added "adorable" to the polar bear's image. The ads featured a clumsy, animated cub that bridged the natural wariness between polar bears and penguins to share a nice, cold bottle of Coke. Polar bears don't actually have a natural affinity for penguins, as the two don't live in any of the same regions and never see each other. But still, cute is cute.
Polar bears' shocking whiteness, ferocity and sheer size make them icons of purity and power. Males can grow up to 10 feet tall (3 meters) and weigh up to 1,500 pounds (680 kilograms). A single bear can take on a 2,500-pound walrus, and hang on to the massive catch with 2-inch claws (5 centimeters). They walk hundreds of miles across ice sheets every winter, following their prey.
In the Arctic, polar bears are at the top of the food chain, and it’s not just because of their size. They're so well-adapted to their environment that they experience no change in body temperature at minus 34 degrees Fahrenheit ( minus 37 Celsius). However, the incredible survival mechanisms that let them thrive in frigid winters may prove to be their undoing. Because of global warming, winters are getting less cold and polar bears are dying. Some scientists project that if climate trends continue, 30 percent of the current polar bear population will be wiped out by 2050. What’s life like for an animal that needs such extreme cold to survive? Let's head to the Arctic and see how polar bears live on the ice.
1. What does the underlined word in the first paragraph refer to?| A．A place for fighting. | B．A place for entertainment. |
| C．A place for eating. | D．A place for jogging. |
| A．They have a close relationship with penguins. |
| B．They are favored by ad campaigns. |
| C．They will walk hundreds of miles to follow their prey. |
| D．They may be dying out due to warm weather. |
| A．large size | B．adorable image |
| C．good adaptability | D．shocking whiteness |
| A．The current polar bear population will be wiped out by 2050. |
| B．Polar bears can only live in frigid winters. |
| C．Warm weather makes no sense to polar bears. |
| D．Polar bears’ mechanism makes them live in any environment. |
3 . My name is Matthew. I'm not someone who has many secrets，because I'm a terrible liar. But there is one huge secret that I kept for years- -I failed my driving test. I had never failed a test before, and had never even come close. Driving made me anxious , but my parents told me I had to. They signed me up for driving lessons. I had gotten a perfect score for my written permit exam , but getting behind the wheel was a different story.
But when October 30th rolled around ,my pride set in. I wanted to be like everyone else at my school , showing off the brand new license they'd gotten. Looking back on that special day,I can't remember if I was nervous. What I do remember is starting the test , pausing at a stop sign after a few seconds , and being asked by the instructor to pull over. I had received an auto-fail since my pause was indeed a pause and not a real stop. I wasn't upset that I was leaving without a license, but I was scared everyone would know that I had failed. So when I got to class, I told everyone I didn't want to take the test on my birthday.
One Friday a month later, I went to the test spot again and passed. Later that night I drove for the first time by myself, which brought to me an amazing feeling I've never experienced——but sill, I couldn't imagine ever telling anyone the truth. So I didn't. It wasn't until midway through college that I came clean. It turned out plenty of my college friends had failed too! And I gathered enough courage to speak the fact out. Yes ,I had also failed.
Now I realize failure and imperfection are two things everyone has to experience , without which one couldn't make a true man.
1. What can we learn about Matthew?| A．He was a slow learner of driving. | B．He relied heavily on his parents. |
| C．He was afraid of taking exams. | D．He was bored with telling lies. |
| A．To put an end to his lest. | B．To check his parking skills. |
| C．To give him a second chance, | D．To show him a better way of driving. |
| A．Failing to get a driving license. | B．Missing his birthday celebration. |
| C．Making his parents disappointed. | D．Losing face before his classmates. |
| A．Honesty is the best policy. | B．Failure is a way to grow up. |
| C．Truth stands the test of time. | D．Imperfection is another form of perfection. |
4 . English playwright Arthur Wing Pinero said, “Where there\s tea, there's hope.” Similarly, a Chinese saying goes that “Firewood, rice, cooking oil, salt, sauce, vinegar and tea are the seven necessities to begin a day.”
Tea is, without doubt, welcomed all over the world. According to Statista, a German online portal for statistics; global tea production reached approximately 5.8 million tons in 2018. It has become the most consumed beverage in the world — after water, of course.
In order to celebrate the popular drink, the United Nations General Assembly has designated May 21 as International Tea Day. According to the UN, tea is much more than just a hot drink. It's a big part of many cultures around the world.
You probably know that people in China use top-grade tea to show respect when receiving important guests. Meanwhile, the British tradition of afternoon tea is an important part of that country's identity. Making Malaysia's pulled tea has become a sort of art form, where drinkers take pride in its entertainment aspects. As an expression of Moroccan hospitality and tradition, mint tea — a mix of green tea, spearmint leaves and sugar — is served during gatherings and negotiations.
Apart from its cultural significance, tea is also a medicine, used from ancient times to modern day. “Tea is cold and lowers the fire,” Chinese Ming Dynasty herbalist Li Shizhen once said. The health benefits of tea are still being discovered today: preventing heart disease, obesity and cancer have all been linked to drinking green tea, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information in the US. The mania for healthy tea products continues into a new decade as it's used in moisturizers, lip balms and other beauty products.
Hot or cold, bagged or loose-leaf, tea is more than a drink — it's a social custom and also a magic medicine, a link to the past and a way of life.
1. Why did the author mention the two quotations in the first paragraph?| A．For they are famous. |
| B．To show the significance of tea. |
| C．For enriching the readers’ knowledge. |
| D．To show tea has a long history. |
| A．tea | B．coffee |
| C．water | D．wine |
| A．medicine. | B．drinks. |
| C．art form. | D．cream. |
| A．Tea has a long history in China. |
| B．Tea has many health benefits. |
| C．Tea is a big part of many cultures around the world. |
| D．May 21 is celebrated as International Tea Day. |
BEST OVERALL WASHING MACHINE
Flex Wash Washing Machine
SAMSUNG
$1,548. 90
This double-duty machine offers flexibility thanks to two separately controlled washers in the same unit. The bottom is built for extra-large loads and has super-cleaning cycle options, which include sanitizing and steam settings. You even have the ability to add up to five rinses （漂洗）onto a cycle to remove every bit of detergent （洗衣液）from larger items like a jacket.
Capacity: 6. 0 cubic feet
BEST VALUE WASHING MACHINE
High-Efficiency Top Load Washing Machine
GE
$699. 99
In our tests, GE's washing skills rival more expensive machines. This classic top-loader is super-straightforward to use. We're impressed that at this price it offers options like an up to two-hour automatic presoak, deep fill and rinse for more customized water levels, has very good capacity, and is Energy Star Qualified.
Capacity: 4. 2 cubic feet
BEST TOP LOAD WASHING MACHINE
High-Efficiency Top Load Washing Machine
MAYTAG
$650. 00
This washer has a traditional center agitator （搅拌器），but is still so huge inside. You'll never notice any compromise in capacity. While it's energy-saving and efficient, you can add more water if you'd like to with the Deep Fill option.
Capacity: 5. 3 cubic feet
BEST COMPACT WASHING MACHINE
TwinDos Washing Machine
BOSCH
$1,999.00
This mighty mini is a Good Housekeeping Seal holder for good reason: Its deceptively large interior and space-saving exterior make it the perfect choice to install in small homes, apartments, or as second-floor laundry in a closet or bathroom.
Capacity: 2. 26 cubic feet
1. If you want your clothes rinsed thoroughly, you'd better choose______.
| A．SAMSUNG | B．GE |
| C．MAYTAG | D．BOSCH |
| A．deep fill | B．automatic presoak |
| C．huge capacity | D．steam setting |
| A．SAMSUNG | B．GE |
| C．MAYTAG | D．BOSCH |
| A．BOSCH's TwinDos occupies the smallest space among the four. |
| B．The only weakness of MAYTAG is its capacity. |
| C．Everything considered, SAMSUNG’S Flex Wash is the best washing machine to buy. |
| D．The most environmentally friendly washing machine goes to GE among the four. |
