1 . Question

I am Saeed from Iran. I am so glad to send you an email. I have a question about differences between a “cathedral” and a “church?” Are they the same?

Answer

This is a great question, Saeed!

A “church”is a building used by Christians for their religious (宗教的) services. Because there are many different Christians, there are many different kinds of churches.

A “cathedral” is one kind of Christian church. However, a “cathedral” is the main church for an area under the direction of a bishop, a high-level church leader, in the Roman Catholic faith. Other Christian groups might also call large churches cathedrals. There are many famous cathedrals around the world like Notre Dame in Paris, St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow, and the Cathedral of Brasilia in Brazil’s capital.

A “temple” is another form of religious building. “Temple” is the English language word for religious centres in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. Temples are places of prayer or worship. Sometimes, people who observe Reform Judaism call their religious centres “temples”.

A “mosque” is a place for Muslims to pray. Women and men usually have separate places to pray within the same building. Muslim holidays and marriages are observed in mosques. “Synagogues” are Jewish places of worship. They are for prayer and religious services, ceremonies and study.

These are not the only places of worship as there are many different religions in the world. If you know of a religious centre or place of prayer or worship, we have not named, please write to us in the comments below!

Please let us know if these explanations and examples helped you, Saeed!

What question do you have about American English? Send us an email at learningenglish @ ooanews.com.

1. How many names of religious places were mentioned in the response?

A．Two.

B．Three.

C．Four.

D．Five.

2. What is the centre of Muslim praying called?

A．Cathedral.

B．Temple.

C．Mosque.

D．Synagogues.

3. What is the possible identity of Saced?

A．A religious believer.	B．A high-level church leader.
C．A volunteer who serves the church.	D．An Iranian learning American English.

2 . There are over 15 million restaurants in the world. According to a report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, when combined (合并), food that is produced by these restaurants is more or less enough for the customers. About 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted.     1    

It’s really a pity that billions’ worth of food is wasted.     2     For it’s rather difficult to recycle or reduce waste if big companies aren’t going to stop sending out gas into the atmosphere (大气), or cutting down entire forests to provide the world with food to satisfy its hunger for cattle and coffee.

    3     CNN World reports that restaurants in California right now are trying out a new way to fight food waste in the form of the surcharge (附加费) that aims to help farmers. The initiative (倡议) is still optional for restaurants.

According to Anthony Myint, the organizer of the initiative, he hopes that restaurants do take the lead, and that they try to do what they can to ease environmental concerns.     4     It shows their dishes are eco-friendly and nutritious (有营养的).

Myint hopes at least 200 restaurants sign on for their statewide programme by the end of this year so that the farmers could receive funding that could reach $10 million per year.     5     This partnership is an opportunity for eaters and buyers to share in land-based solutions.

A．The food is very cheap.

B．It will be used to promote healthier soil.

C．We can really save a lot of money in fact.

D．Despite all this, restaurants are trying to change that.

E．These billions’ worth of wasted food is also expensive.

F．However, it would be too difficult to just keep everything.

G．He also shares how he wants to eventually see Restore California signs on restaurants.

3 . Everyone is making the best efforts and sometimes a few kind words of encouragement can aid people realizing that their effort is not useless. It happened when I was in the fifth standard in my school, back when I was a very shy girl.

It happened on the day when there was a drawing competition at my school. The theme is given to us all was the fight of “Kargil”. So we all started brainstorming to get some creative ideas. Everyone started drawing something on their canvas (画布) and I was still busy trying to think of something which can bring out my thought and emotions. While doing this I was kind of lost in another world. When my science teacher called my name, it brought me back to my senses. I responded to her voice which was coming from the back. She came to me and encouraged me by saying that “do not think too much over it, just put whatever comes in your mind on canvas. And do your best, you will do well”. I listened to her words of wisdom and started my painting.

The next day, the names of the winners of the competition were announced in front of the whole school. I heard my name as the 1st runner-up and winning the second prize. It was an astonishment for me as I never even dreamed to even get any prize.

Later, I thanked my science teacher for her words of encouragement and showing her confidence in me. Overall, that day, I became aware of my talent and I tried making more paintings whenever I got free time. Sometimes I think that if not for her words of encouragement I would have never acknowledged the talent I had.

1. What was the author doing before being called by her teacher?

A．Painting her work on her canvas.	B．Trying to get some creative ideas.
C．Waiting for help from others.	D．Playing in another classroom.

2. What does the underlined word “astonishment” in Paragraph 3 mean?

A．Surprise.

B．Confusion.

C．Awkwardness.

D．Anger.

3. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．The science teacher is popular with all students.

B．The science teacher enjoys the author’s paintings.

C．The author has been thinking she has a talent.

D．The author is grateful to her science teacher.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．How Encouragement Excited Hidden Talent	B．How We Should Encourage Others
C．Why Encouragement Is Good	D．What I Learnt from My Science Teacher

4 . A 5-year-old boy, Xavier, lives in Carencro, about 60 miles west of Bat on Rouge. Because he’s so young, when Xavier _________ the bus, his driver needs to make sure he gets home _________.

One day, bus driver Chad Desormeaux heard the boy say he was the _________ kid alive, and then he ran home as the other kids cheered him on. His classmates shouted “Go Xavier”, looking on and screaming in _________ as he ran to his house about three doors down. Desormeaux thought it was _________, and he soon found out it’s an everyday occurrence. He decided to _________ one day and after getting permission (允许) from Xavier’s _________, he posted the video on TikTok.

“We sit there and we watch him run home that way to make sure he makes it into a driveway,” Desormeaux said. “The faster he runs, the faster we can take off. It became a _________.”

The video the bus driver _________ has nearly 6 million views. Xavier’s mother, Tiffany Saine, said her son has always been into __________ and would often run in the family’s driveway when he was younger. “We are blessed,” Saine said. “I feel excited and blessed for him to get acknowledged.”

Once the video went __________, an organization called Star Athletics reached out to him to __________ the 5-year-old on a trip to Disney World. It was 5-year-old Xavier’s first time flying and going to Disney World. They also went to an Orlando Magic basketball game. While in Orlando, people who __________ the 5-year-old at Disney World asked to take photos with him.

“It was so much __________,” the boy’s mother said. “We went to Disney World. I mean, they just __________ us so much love.” Desormeaux said Xavier is a gifted child and the two have grown to be pretty close.

1.

A．runs after

B．gets off

C．looks for

D．worries about

2.

A．easily

B．angrily

C．happily

D．safely

3.

A．weakest

B．tallest

C．thinnest

D．fastest

4.

A．excitement

B．fear

C．sadness

D．tiredness

5.

A．common

B．cute

C．challenging

D．boring

6.

A．record

B．leave

C．pack

D．change

7.

A．teachers

B．classmates

C．parents

D．relatives

8.

A．reality

B．problem

C．war

D．game

9.

A．played

B．watched

C．posted

D．set

10.

A．driving

B．racing

C．filming

D．travelling

11.

A．right

B．mad

C．wrong

D．popular

12.

A．invite

B．push

C．move

D．apply

13.

A．protected

B．saw

C．questioned

D．refused

14.

A．traffic

B．noise

C．fun

D．attention

15.

A．showed

B．returned

C．told

D．cost

5 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

It was a busy day for 20-year-old Justin. His hot dog stand in the park was crowded with many customers. He was poor so he couldn’t afford to rent a cafe to sell hot dogs. Suddenly, an old woman got to his counter and asked how much a hot dog was. “They range from $3 to $7,” he replied.

“But that’s a touch expensive. I was just curious how much they cost. I don’t want any,” she said before walking away. Justin noticed she sat alone on a bench across from his stand. She kept looking in his direction, and he realized she wanted a hot dog but couldn’t afford one. He felt bad for her, so he quickly baked one and brought it to her. “I forgot to tell you that you’re my 50th customer of the day, so you get a free hot dog!” he said.

“Oh, is that so?” the old lady asked. “Thank you. I’m Emily, by the way.” She tasted it immediately and was shocked how delicious it was. “It’s different from regular hot dogs,” she said, taking another bite.

Justin said, “I love cooking, so I keep trying different things with my food. I have customers waiting for me. Have a wonderful day,” he hurried away.

The next day, when Emily returned, Justin treated her to a hot dog again. Emily refused because she didn’t have money, but he insisted (坚持). “Your feedback matters to me so I can improve my sauces (酱) and my business!” he said.

“Oh, you’re such a sweet boy,” Emily smiled through tears. “Thank you.” Deep down, Emily knew Justin was feeding her because she couldn’t afford the hot dog. She told him it wasn’t needed. But he kept feeding her every day.

One day, when Emily went to the park again, she said, “I kept a count of the hot dogs you bought me, and you’ve already spent $ 100 on me. So now it’s my turn to help you, boy. Come with me.”

注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

Emily led Justin to an old building that looked like a deserted cafe.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Emily decided to give Justin the place to start his cafe free of rent.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6 . There are plenty of opportunities to study and work abroad. But some early-career scientists might face challenges adapting to different communication styles and different workplaces. However, supervisors(主管) and junior researchers can reduce the risk of misunderstandings by actively learning about each other’s cultures and expressing workplace expectations clearly.

It is important to be sensitive (灵敏的) to cultural differences and to avoid misunderstandings. Nanda Dimitrov, director of Western University’s Teaching Support Centre in London, says that she personally experienced directness more often in the United Kingdom than in the United States. She points out that the relationship between junior researcher and supervisor is influenced by many factors including personality, former experiences and the department’s culture.

Keshun Zhang faced this issue after moving from China to the University of Konstanz in Germany to get his PhD in psychology. He was used to following teachers’ suggestions. But the culture in Germany always encourages you to argue, to fight for yourself. With his supervisor’s encouragement, he started pushing back. After his first year, his supervisor said, “Wow, finally you have learnt to say no.” Zhang also realized that he was expected to work independently(独立地). His supervisor urged him to try to solve problems on his own and to ask for guidance only if he became stuck.

“People sometimes brush off a student from another country as ‘rude’, but in their culture, they’re not,” says Amratia, who was a Kenya student at the University of Florida in Gainesville. “Researchers should also remember that their nation’s customs aren’t necessarily best. When you come from a different country, you don’t assume everybody should be doing things your way. I never cared if somebody was different from me as long as it didn’t seriously affect the rest of the lab,” Amratia said.

1. How do people going abroad avoid misunderstanding according to Paragraph 1?

A．By facing challenges bravely.

B．By introducing their own ideas.

C．By creating more communication chances.

D．By learning different cultures and expressing job expectations.

2. What does Nanda’s experience tell us?

A．Don’t be too sensitive to different cultures.	B．People should experience different cultures.
C．British are more direct than Americans do.	D．The relation among junior researchers is simple.

3. Which of the following is the German preference?

A．Trying to support one’s own opinions.	B．Accepting advice of elders.
C．Pushing back supervisor’s encouragement.	D．Turning to others for help often.

4. What does Amratia suggest doing?

A．Working independently and hard.	B．Respecting others’ different cultures.
C．Encouraging yourself to fight for yourself.	D．Talking with people with the same culture.

7 . 当今，我们周围的空气环境变得越来越差，为了加强学生们的环保意识，学校打算开展以“为家乡空气污染问题出谋献策”为主题的征文活动，警示人们要保护环境。
请你写一篇报告，内容要点如下：
1.写明家乡空气污染的原因；
2.建设绿色家乡，建议采取什么措施；
3.倡议大家行动起来。
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8 . 根据所学课文内容，在空白处填入适当的内容(1个单词)或所给单词的正确形式。

It is hard to give a precise definition of Western art, as there     1    (be) so many different styles of Western art over the centuries. Perhaps     2    (take) a look at the development of Western painting over the centuries is a best way to understand Western art.

In the Middle Ages, the purpose of Western art was     3    (teach)people about Christianity. Thus, artists focused    4    (much)on religion than on realistic scenes.

However, their attention began to shift from religious themes to nature in the 13th century. Then came the period of the Renaissance,     5     artists began to pay less attention to religious themes. They took a more humanistic attitude     6     life. Influential painters such as Da Vinci, and Michelangelo used oil in their works. This technique reached its     7    (high)with Rembrandt,     8     master of shadow and light.

There followed Impressionism and some famous artists also emerged in this period. During this period, artists sought to show not just the outer image but     9    (they)inner warmth and humanity as well.

In modern times, subsequent artists begin to ask what art is and understand art     10    (unique). Some gave their paintings a realistic but dream-like quality while others turned to abstract art. Maybe no one can answer the question.

9 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. How does the man feel about flying?

A．Excited.

B．Bored.

C．Scared.

2. Who has a driver’s license?

A．The man.

B．The woman.

C．Neither of the speakers.

3. What does the woman say about traveling by bus?

A．It’s unpleasant and inconvenient.

B．It’s great to see the scenery.

C．It’s exciting to meet other passengers.

4. What means of transportation will the speakers take to get to Georgia?

A．The plane.

B．The train.

C．The car.

10 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

“Reverse (逆向的) tourism” has emerged (显现)     1     a new trend (趋势) among young holidaymakers in China. According to data from online travel agency Qunar, as cited by Beijing Daily,     2     number of rooms booked at hotels in less-travelled cities during the holiday was up 30 percent year-on-year.

Bookings for four-and five-star hotels in less-travelled places including Linxia in Gansu province, Shizuishan in the Ningxia Hui autonomous region, and Haibei in Qinghai province all increased at least 10-fold     3     (compare) with the same period of 2021.

Popular tourist spots     4     (be) always packed and often raise their prices during holidays. As people become more mature travellers, they are     5     (increasing) unwilling to follow the crowd. Some of them are simply looking     6     (take) a rest somewhere quiet for a couple of days,     7     is a good way to vacation. COVID-19 is another key factor     8     (encourage) reverse tourism.

“The rise of reverse tourism is not a bad thing,” said an opinion piece in Zhengzhou Daily. It means that     9     (vacationer) now have more options, which brings more possibilities to the tourism market, the article explains. Jiang Han, a senior researcher, said that reverse tourism will become one of the future directions for the market     10     is an opportunity for growth comparable to the camping economy.