1 . I am often asked how I learned to speak Chinese fluently. ______, as a native English speaker, learning to speak in tones was the ______ part about learning Chinese for me. To ______ the tones, I lived in Shanghai for 6 months. Once I wanted to buy a ______ for my mother. Unluckily, the words for “horse” and “mother” are only differentiated by a ______ tone. When I told the store clerk I wanted to buy a gift for my“horse”, she looked at me like I had lost my ______ . In the end, she _____ what I was trying to say, but it was a bit of a struggle. After that, I learned the ______ between the two tones.

After returning to England, I bought a web camera and found myself a language ______by going to ichinese.com, where I met a native speaker willing to help me learn Chinese. Together, we ______ speaking Chinese for a few hours per week. ______, I not only mastered my tones but learned to speak more ______, just like a native speaker.

In my ______, when studying Chinese in an English-speaking environment, my classmates and I often made a ______ of the tones when speaking to one another. In fact, in a Chinese-speaking environment, the ______ interaction is of great importance for fluency, and it separates the amateurs (业余爱好者) from the experts.

1.

A．Hopefully

B．Actually

C．Surprisingly

D．Similarly

2.

A．main

B．best

C．basic

D．hardest

3.

A．learn

B．match

C．lower

D．record

4.

A．horse

B．camera

C．gift

D．dictionary

5.

A．soft

B．formal

C．single

D．pleasant

6.

A．mind

B．balance

C．interest

D．confidence

7.

A．agreed with

B．worked out

C．focused on

D．brought up

8.

A．clue

B．difference

C．issue

D．importance

9.

A．test

B．learner

C．magazine

D．partner

10.

A．suggested

B．considered

C．practiced

D．avoided

11.

A．As a rule

B．At times

C．As a result

D．At first

12.

A．fluently

B．openly

C．meaningfully

D．slowly

13.

A．heart

B．dream

C．power

D．experience

14.

A．list

B．mess

C．habit

D．collection

15.

A．back-to-back

B．eye-to-eye

C．knee-to-knee

D．face-to-face

2 . Four Best Online English Courses

Udemy: English for Beginners

This 77-hour course is among the bestselling courses. The design based on real need makes it easy to adapt to even the busiest schedules. It opens to students with no knowledge of the language. Learners will become good enough to speak clearly and confidently and understand the language well enough to follow movies and TV.

Price: $109

Time to complete: 20 weeks

Coursera: English for Career Development

Coursera is supported by the US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ office of English learning. Coursera teaches English for business skills like job searching, resumes and interviewing. Learners can start at any time.

Price: $100

Time to complete: 40 weeks

Alison: English for Career Development

This self-paced (自定进度的) course takes a unique approach to teaching business English. English language learners learn the basics of searching, applying, and interviewing for jobs in the United States. Though all parts of the course are free, certification costs $30 and is available only to those who receive 80 percent or higher on their assessments (认证).

Price: Free

Time to complete: Self-paced

Perfectly Spoken: English for Daily Use

This course helps non-locals with the kinds of English used on the street and on vacation. It covers common expressions, such as what to say when meeting and greeting people, and how to express feelings. The course includes the language used when traveling, ordering at a restaurant, and during the United Kingdom holidays.

Price: $90

Time to complete: 36 weeks

1. How much should learners pay for Udemy?

A．$30.

B．$90.

C．$100.

D．$109.

2. What do Coursera and Alison have in common?

A．They are free of charge.

B．They must be finished in 40 weeks.

C．They focus on business English.

D．They are suitable for pupils.

3. Which course attracts non-locals who want to learn daily English?

A．Perfectly Spoken.

B．Coursera.

C．Alison.

D．Udemy.

3 . It has been shown that watching English movie trailers(预告片) can improve your English vocabulary and thinking skills.     1    

The first step is to find them. Go to YouTube and do a search for something like “official trailer”. Several film trailers will appear.     2     Animated films can be an especially good choice for English practice no matter how old you are. These films are usually humorous and relatable. To find animated films, try doing a search for something like “animated official trailer”.

Make sure the video you choose offers closed captions(字幕), which you will use later. You can find the closed caption mark at the bottom of the video. It may be listed as “CC” or something else. Keep in mind that trailers more than five or seven years old may not offer closed captions on YouTube.    3    

Next, watch the video at a normal speed without closed captions. Try to understand what the story is about overall. Then watch it again to seek more details.     4     It will give you an idea of whether the dialogue is too fast or difficult for your skill level.

    5     Find the “CC” setting at the bottom of the video and click the captions. This can help you in several ways. You can confirm whether you understand the dialogue in your first viewing, make clearer any dialogue you do not understand, and connect the sound of words with their spellings. You can also write down a few of the new words in a notebook or on your mobile phone.

A．So choose newer videos.

B．You can choose some that look interesting.

C．They may sound a little strange at a slower speed.

D．With this method, you are testing your English skills.

E．Then watch the video again, this time with closed captions.

F．Besides, try using your notebook as you learn English in your everyday life.

G．Now let's talk about steps you can take to get the most out of watching them.

4 . Anyone who has studied a foreign language knows how difficult it is to become really fluent.     1    

Find a conversation partner

Try to find someone in your school who is a native speaker and ask him or her to meet with you regularly to have conversations in that language.     2    

Watch TV

Try to find a foreign language TV station and watch often. At first the actors will seem to speak too quickly, but try to recognize a few words or phrases.     3     Pay attention to patterns of pronunciation and the way that the voices rise and fall when questions are asked and statements are made. Children’s shows are great for learning and reviewing basic concepts.

Go out and practice

If you are visiting a foreign country and trying to learn the language, you’ll want to take every chance to go out and practice.     4     Successfully making a purchase (购买) or getting information in a foreign language will help you become more confident. Going grocery shopping in your hometown may not be very interesting, but in a foreign country things are different.     5    

A．They actually became less fluent speakers.

B．Later it’ll become easier to follow the dialogues.

C．Any situation can be an interesting learning experience.

D．Are you trying to learn a new language in a foreign land?

E．Here are some suggestions to help you practice your language skills.

F．Each day make a habit of going to a place like a shop, restaurant or bank.

G．Talking to someone with whom you feel comfortable is a great way to get experience with actual usage.