Keeping a diary in English is an effective way to improve our English writing ability. It can help us to develop the habit of thinking in English. If we persist in this practice, we’ll learn how to express
In short, I believe that it is of great use
2 . In this semester, Professor Van Rijnsoever of Utrecht University of the Netherlands is to teach “Dutch Culture in the World”, in English.
The language is the university’s choice. Actually sixty percent of masters’ programs at Utrecht University are in English. At higher degrees' level, no courses are taught in Dutch at all.
Utrecht is not alone.
The University of Eindhoven has even completely kicked the Dutch language out of its campus. Even the sandwiches in the stores there are sold as cheese rather than with the Dutch word “kaas”.
As a result, the Netherlands has one of the world’s highest levels of English proficiency （流利）among non-native speaking countries, second only to Sweden.
But not everyone is happy with that .
“I don't mind. Most of the literature is in English,” says Professor Van Rijnsoever. “As a teacher it’s not that much of a problem because we also do research in English. For the students, you see they are struggling to express themselves properly.”
He added “We aren’t as good at English as they think we are. We shouldn’t use a weaker language in education. If we use just English in higher education, Dutch will get worse. We add a bit of English and we lose a bit of Dutch. We cannot master Dutch and English at the same time.”
Actually, English is so widely used in Dutch universities that a group of lecturers are worried about a possible “linguicide” and demanded that the universities stop creating more courses in English until an official research has been carried out.
“Dutch is our mother tongue. Our culture is based on Dutch,” says Annette de Groot, a lecturer at the University of Amsterdam. “What would happen to our identity（身份）if our mother tongue is no longer the main language of higher education?”
“It is high time for an honest debate.” said a teacher from the University of Erasmus.
1. Which university teaches all its courses in English?| A．Utrecht. | B．Eindhoven. | C．Amsterdam. | D．Erasmus. |
| A．The highest level of English proficiency in the Netherlands. |
| B．The teaching of “Dutch Culture in the World" in English. |
| C．The kick out of the Dutch language from all schools. |
| D．The widespread use of English in the Dutch universities. |
| A．The all- English courses might weaken the mastery of Dutch. |
| B．Students can learn two languages equally well at the same time. |
| C．The stress on English can help the spread of Dutch culture. |
| D．The students of Utrecht are happy with the all-English courses. |
| A．The birth of a language. | B．The loss of one’s cultural identity. |
| C．The war between cultures. | D．The popularity of a language. |
3 . A Fluent Advantage
When schools go through budget cuts, foreign language classes are often placed on the cutting block. School administrators often do not understand how important foreign language study is for their students’ success in the real world. Far from cutting language classes, schools should be demanding them for all students. Studying a foreign language should be required in middle schools.
Language study strengthens students’ minds. Many studies have indicated that multilingual people—people who speak more than one language—are better at certain tasks. Specifically, multilingual people have better executive function than people who speak only one language. Executive function is the way the brain manages all the information it’s given, such as performing different tasks and deciding what to focus on. In brain scans, multilingual people show increased activity in the areas of the brain that control executive function. Researchers have guessed that this advantage exists because multilingual people must constantly decide which words from which language to use. As a result, multilingual people get lots of practice with executive function. Their brains can then apply those skills to other tasks, like paying attention or multitasking. This effect is especially strong for people who grow up speaking more than one language. The earlier students start language classes, the more benefits they may get from language study.
Moreover, language study helps prepare students for their future careers. Today, language skills are in high demand on the job market and more and more businesses work in many countries across the world. As businesses become global, they need people who can communicate easily across national borders. To prepare for their careers, more students should be learning foreign languages. From 2010 to 2015, the demand in the United States for workers who speak a second language doubled. This trend included workers of all skill levels and backgrounds.
Of course, in order to make better use of the advantages of foreign language study, middle school foreign language classes should not just make students memorize new words and sounds.
They must also teach students about new cultures. Foreign language classes should be required to include lessons about history, literature, customs, and government along with the languages themselves. These subjects will help students become better global citizens and support their studies in other subjects.
Requiring middle schoolers to study a foreign language offers them opportunities to sharpen their brains. It also gives them tools that will help them become productive members of today’s global society.
1. How does the author feel about foreign language study in middle schools?| A．More foreign language classes should be offered in middle schools. |
| B．Taking a foreign language class in middle schools should be a choice. |
| C．Foreign language classes should be cut because of the limited funds. |
| D．Studying a foreign language should be a middle school requirement. |
| A．people who speak more than one language have better executive function |
| B．being able to work in another country doubles people’s job opportunities |
| C．people learn languages better as young people than when they are older |
| D．people’s executive function improves after foreign language classes |
| A．To sum up his argument. | B．To put forward a solution. |
| C．To emphasize his point of view. | D．To introduce an additional suggestion. |
I: Introduction P: Point Sp: Sub-point (次要点) C: Conclusion
A． | B． |
C． | D． |
1. 介绍同学们的听说训练情况；
2. 希望提供更有效的学习方法;
3. 询问对方的意向。
注意:1. 词数不少于80；
2. 邮件的开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
Dear Jim,
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
5 . Some people say global English is no longer just controlled by British or American English,but is running free and developing uniquely local forms.Can you figure out the following terms?
“I like your smile,but unlike you put your shoes on my face.”This is a way of saying“Keep off the grass.”Or“people mountain,people sea”,which means“very crowded”.
These examples are what we call Chinglish.When it comes to Chinglish,if all you know is“good good study,day day up”,you will be considered“out man”.
Nowadays,more Chinglish words have been created,for example,a Chinese idiom is translated as“smilence”,a combination by the English word smile and silence.
Chinglish usually offers a humorous look at misuses of the English language in Chinese street signs,products,and advertising.They are favoured by some English speaking tourists and visitors.Dominic Swire has been living in Beijing for a couple of years.“I think many Chinese people complain about the Chinglish and badly translated English.But you know,sometimes for us foreigners,it’s actually quite charming to see them.I think if the translations of English in China were all perfect,then something would be lost from Chinese culture.”
However,Chinglish will probably become a“cultural relic”in the near future.Beijing has made a comprehensive plan to improve foreign language services and correct Chinglish within five years.“It is very ridiculous to see Chinglish on the signs in some scenic spots.And they are a kind of barrier for communication between Chinese and people from other countries,”a Beijinger said.
Some Chinese university experts side with Chinglish.They argue that English has absorbed elements from other languages such as French and Spanish in its growth,and now it’s Chinese’s turn.
1. What can we call Chinglish?| A．English words which get new Chinese meanings. |
| B．The Chinese words which are difficult to translate. |
| C．The words combining English vocabulary and Chinese grammar. |
| D．The local words preventing foreigners from learning Chinese well. |
| A．Saying nothing but to smile. | B．Smiling without being noticed. |
| C．Laughing at somebody. | D．Knowing little about speech. |
| A．It can show the humour of Chinese. | B．It will attract more foreign tourists. |
| C．It helps him to learn Chinese well. | D．It seems part of Chinese culture. |
| A．Because it has become a unique bridge between Chinese and English. |
| B．Because Chinglish is a chance to enrich Chinese and English. |
| C．Because it improves the understanding between Chinese and foreigners. |
| D．Because Beijing is determined to get rid of Chinglish signs. |
The Chinese language has become increasingly popular in the world. More British students chose to take Chinese tests than German in this year's A levels, showing a great
This is the first time that Mandarin
A total of 3，334 candidates chose Mandarin
French and Spanish still remain the most popular foreign languages. The German language
According to the Office of Chinese Language Council International, as of 2017, some 100 million people, excluding native speakers, use Chinese
South Korea has a
The United Nations in 2010 suggested a Chinese Language Day which falls on April 20th each year to celebrate cultural diversity as well as to promote the equal use of all official languages.
7 . Experts say over half of the world’s 7,000 languages are in danger of disappearing. Every two weeks one language disappears. As the last speakers of a language die off, the valuable information contained within a language also disappears.
What would happen if you were the only person left who spoke your language? Who would you share stories with, sing songs to, or exchange jokes with?
Sometimes a language disappears immediately when the last person speaking it dies.
So, smaller cultures lose their local language as the language of the culture in power becomes the stronger influence.
Languages contain the histories, ideas and knowledge of a culture. Languages also contain valuable information about local medicines, plants and animals. Many endangered languages are spoken by native cultures in close connection with the natural world.
The Internet could be thought of as a new method of language control. The United Nations cultural organization — UNESCO, says that ninety percent of the world’s languages are not shown on the Internet.
| A．Learn a language that will disappear now. |
| B．Or a local language might disappear more slowly. |
| C．That’s why endangered languages must be protected. |
| D．Protecting languages is very important for these reasons. |
| E．The more powerful culture almost never respects that of smaller groups. |
| F．Who would understand your names for local plants, animals and traditions? |
| G．Your interest in language may be changed with more languages disappearing. |
Dear Jim,
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
9 . How to Improve Your English
Learning English is a continuous process. For tips on how to improve your English, read on.
Read English newspapers, books, and magazines. Reading is an active process that requires your brain to work. When learning a language, much is achieved by speaking, listening and writing.
Read the book version of a movie that you have already seen.
Teach English to children or friends.
Use English every day. Whatever you are doing, from washing the dishes or taking out the garbage to going to work or to the gym, use English. Take out those new words that you learned and use them. Bring out those new idioms you came across and use them.
As you try to improve your English day by day, you will surely see improvements that are going to “make your day”.
| A．Open your mouth. |
| B．Keep a news diary. |
| C．But reading is also a great help. |
| D．Listening to songs can help you improve your English. |
| E．The best way to improve something is by teaching it to others. |
| F．If the new knowledge stays inside your head and in your notebooks, it won’t come to life. |
| G．If you are not a serious book reader, reading a story that you are already familiar with will help you move along page by page. |
10 . Pre-school teacher Rosa Ramirez has a special way of asking her students to line up for playtime outside. “Pueden pararse si llevan puesto algo de color amarillo, como una abeja,” she tells them. In English, Ramirez would say, “You can stand up if you are wearing yellow—like a bee.” But this is the half of the school day in which she teaches completely in Spanish.
Students are not confused by her language choice. Most of the four-year-olds wearing yellow stand up as instructed. The pre-school bilingual program at Gates Street Early Education Center in Lincoln Heights is part of a growing number of bilingual education models in California and across the country. Many of them are designed to serve students from Spanish-speaking families, as well as students from other cultures, under growing evidence that learning two languages can help people from all backgrounds become stronger students.
About 3.8 million students in U.S. schools are native Spanish speakers who are not good at English. They make up a large part of about five million students nationwide identified as English language learners. English language learners are the fastest-growing population in schools and the lowest-performing, as judged by achievement tests and graduation rates. Sixty-seven percent of students with limited English skills graduated from high school after four years in 2016, compared with 84% of all students.
Language experts recommend how to improve the situation: more high-quality, long-term bilingual programs can close the achievement gap between English learners and native English Speakers after five to six years, according to research.
The programs can be hard to put into practice. Problems include a debate over the best way to teach English learners, shortages of bilingual teachers, and even the fact that bilingual programs often grow fastest in areas where upper-income parents ask for them. That’s good for children who participate, but it worries people who want to see language-minority students have equal access.
“If we can make children feel more ready and more accepted, then we’ve gone a long way to making them ready to learn, ” says Tara Fortune, an expert in children education.
1. How do the pre-school children react after hearing Rosa Ramirez's words?| A．They all stand up and try to catch bees. |
| B．Most children in yellow stand up as she asks. |
| C．They are all happy to wear new yellow clothes. |
| D．A large number of the children are confused. |
| A．To help students from other cultures study. |
| B．To help students learn as many languages as they can. |
| C．To make English popular among students abroad. |
| D．To make students from other backgrounds physically stronger. |
| A．They make up a small share of English language learners. |
| B．Sixteen percent of them fail to graduate every year on average. |
| C．They perform relatively poorly in studies. |
| D．84% of them can graduate with good scores. |
| A．It is not accepted by rich families from other cultures. |
| B．It is not a good thing if it lasts for the whole life of students. |
| C．It is common in schools with students from different backgrounds. |
| D．It is hard to introduce especially with language-minority students. |
