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I am a writer. I spend a great deal of my time thinking about the power of language—the way it can evoke (唤起) an emotion, a visual image, a complex idea, or a simple truth.Language is the tool of my trade. And I use them all—all the Englishes I grew up with.

Born into a Chinese family that had recently arrived in California, I’ve been giving more thought to the kind of English my mother speaks. Like others, I have described it to people as “broken” English. But I feel embarrassed to say that. It has always bothered me that I can think of no way to describe it other than“broken”, as if it were damaged and needed to be fixed, as if it lacked a certain wholeness. I’ve heard other terms used, “limited English,” for example. But they seem just as bad, as if everything is limited, including people’s perceptions(认识)of the limited English speaker.

I know this for a fact, because when I was growing up, my mother’s “limited” English limited my perception of her. I was ashamed of her English. I believed that her English reflected the quality of what she had to say. That is, because she expressed them imperfectly her thoughts were imperfect. And I had plenty of evidence to support me: the fact that people in department stores, at banks, and at restaurants did not take her seriously, did not give her good service, pretended not to understand her, or even acted as if they did not hear her.

I started writing fiction in 1985. And for reasons I won’t get into today, I began to write stories using all the Englishes I grew up with: the English she used with me, which for lack of a better term might be described as “broken” ; and what I imagine to be her translation of her Chinese, her internal (内在的) language, and for that I sought to preserve the essence, but neither an English nor a Chinese structure. I wanted to catch what language ability tests can never show: her intention, her feelings, the rhythms of her speech and the nature of her thoughts.

1.The author used to think of her mother’s English as .

A. impolite B. amusing

C. imperfect D. practical

2.Which of the following is TRUE according to Paragraph 3?

A. Americans do not understand broken English.

B. The author’s mother was not respected sometimes.

C. The author’s mother had positive influence on her.

D. Broken English always reflects imperfect thoughts.

3.The author gradually realizes her mother’s English is .

A. well structured B. in the old style

C. easy to translate D. rich in meaning

4.What is the passage mainly about?

A. The change of the author’s attitude to her mother’s English.

B. The limitation of the author’s perception of her mother.

C. The author’s misunderstanding of “limited” English.

D. The author’s experiences of using broken English.

Elizabeth’s Second!

In 60 years, the Queen has never put a foot wrong in public. And for the last 24 of them, it turns out she’s had a secret weapon — the nice Ella Slack. The former BBC manager has, unknown to anyone except a handful of key advisers, spent the last quarter of a century acting as the Queen’s official stand-in at rehearsals (排练) for royal events. The 69-year-old has never accepted a penny for her royal service, considering it “a pleasure and an honour” to ensure that everything runs smoothly for the Queen. “How many people in the world have had a chance to sit in a royal landau (马车) or walk onto the dais (讲台) at Windsor Castle even before the Queen has done so?” she said.

While Miss Slack may not resemble the Queen facially, she has a similar figure to the Queen, standing just 5 foot. The Queen is 5 foot 2 inch. She began her remarkable role in 1988, when she was working as manager of the BBC’s sports and events department. A producer asked her if she could stand in for the Queen to check camera angles at a rehearsal — and her second career was born.

Since then, from the State Opening of Parliament (议会) to the 50th anniversary of Victory day, wherever the Queen is on duty Miss Slack is likely to have been there first. She has perfected her own version of the Queen’s clothes, including a black patent handbag she bought in a charity shop for £1, and even styles her hair like the Queen.

1.What’s the Queen’s secret weapon?

A. She often meets people in public.

B. She actively attends social activities.

C. She has a nice lady to act as herself.

D. She and Miss Slack have a lot in common.

2.Miss Slack’s words in Paragraph 1 indicate that ___________.

A. she thinks the job honorable and worthy

B. she thinks she can do the job better

C. she thinks frequently of her role

D. she is determined to carry the job on

3.How did Miss Slack get the job?

A. The Queen invited her to do so.

B. The BBC appointed her to finish the job.

C. She was invited to have an accidental try.

D. The advisers offered her the chance.

4.In which section of a newspaper may you find the passage?

A. Education. B. Entertainment.

C. Sports. D. Health.

Imagine a stranger walking past you on a cold, rainy day. “Lovely weather, isn’t it?” the stranger says. Do you laugh, or even smile? If not, you may not have a dry sense of humor.

British people, and particularly the English, are well-known for our dry sense of humor. We often say the opposite of what we mean in order to be funny, and tell jokes in a tone of voice that makes it sound like we are being completely serious. As US writer Julian Tan put it on the HuffPost Students blog: “It is as if it is ‘Opposite Day’ every day in Britain.”

If the people of Britain are known for having a “stiff upper lip” and not showing emotion, then our dry sense of humor shows this through jokes. Often it will take a long time or several beers, to get a British person to tell you what they actually think about something and get behind the wall of humorous sarcasm (讽刺) that they have in front of them.

English comedian Ricky Gervais put it like this: “We play jokes on our friends. We use sarcasm as a shield (护盾) and a weapon. We avoid being serious until it’s absolutely necessary.”

It can be annoying and confusing if you haven’t been raised with these types of jokes: “Why did he just say such a ridiculous thing? Is he making fun of me?” But it is also true that understanding this type of humor is a good way to make friends with people in the UK, even if you don’t find it funny.

It’s important to remember that the person telling the joke may actually be making fun of himself or herself, not you. One of the characteristics of British humor is “its strong theme of self-deprecation” (making fun of oneself), according to Tan. So don’t worry – often, English people, and British people in general, just want to make fun of themselves!

1.According to the passage, we can know that someone with a dry sense of humor can ___________.

A. not use sarcasm as a shield and a weapon.

B. not make friends with people in the UK

C. pretend to play jokes on their friends

D. say funny things in a serious way

2.Which of the following words best describes British humor according to Julian Tan?

A. Opposite. B. Annoying.

C. Ridiculous. D. Funny.

3.The underlined phrase “stiff upper lip” in Paragraph 3 refers to a quality of ___________.

A. remaining calm

B. communicating feelings

C. taking a positive attitude

D. focusing attention

4.It can be inferred from the passage that _______________.

A. British people are famous for being emotional

B. British people’s humor is often misunderstood

C. it’s a tradition for British people to make fun of each other

D. it doesn’t take a long time to make friends with British people

5.The passage is mainly about ____________________.

A. why British people like laughing at themselves

B. some tips on how to make British people laugh

C. the importance of humor in British culture

D. what British humor is like

The winter vacation is just around the corner. With such a long holiday to spend, have you decided where to get yourself relaxed from the great pressure of school study? Our company specializes in civil tours. We take pride in offering you the best services and in providing you with a vacation that will be fondly remembered. The following places can be your unforgettable destinations in our country.

A. The Australian Museum

The Australian Museum has an international reputation in the fields of natural history and indigenous studies research and exhibitions. The museum was established in 1827 and is Australia's first museum of natural science and cultural artifacts.

B. Sydney Olympic Park

Home of the Best Games Ever and 2003 Rugby World, Sydney Olympic Park is a gold medal attraction and continues to serve as a major sport and social venue.

Apart from its ultra-modern sport venues, Sydney Olympic Park is set in extensive parklands. Bicentennial Park, one of Sydney's most popular recreational areas, is criss-crossed with walking and bicycle tracks.

C. Art Gallery of New South Wales

Located within a short walking distance from Sydney's CBD, the Art Gallery of New South Wales is one of Australia's foremost art museums housing some of the finest works of art in the country.

The Gallery has a rich and diverse collection including key works of the Heidelberg School and favorite modern Australian artists including Brett Whiteley and Margaret Preston, as well as permanent Australian, European, Asian, contemporary and photographic galleries.

D. Koalas Park Sanctuary

Koalas are on show every day. Shows are at 10:20 A.M., 11:20 A.M., 2:00 P.M., 3:00 P.M. where you can cuddle, feed, pat and have your photo taken with the Koalas. See free roaming Koalas as well, 10 acres of rainforest. Walk in and pat our kangaroos.

1.How long has the Australian Museum been built?

A. Around 220 years. B. Around 190 years.

C. Around 140 years. D. Around 100 years.

2.Which of the following might be more inviting to a sports fan?

A. Koalas Park Sanctuary.

B. Art Gallery of New South Wales.

C. The Australian Museum.

D. Sydney Olympic Park

3.You can watch Koalas Show at ____.

A. 10:20 P.M. B. 11:20 P.M. C. 2:00 P.M. D.3:00 A.M

In her outstanding book, “Choose the Happiness Habit”, Pam Golden wrote, “Take the story of two twin brothers for example. One grew up and became an alcoholic (酒鬼), while the other became a successful businessman. When asked why he became an alcoholic, the alcoholic replied, “Because my father was a drunk.” However, the successful businessman’s answer was also “Because my father was a drunk.” when asked why he succeeded. The same background. The same upbringing (培养). However, the results were quite different. Why? The reason is that they had different choices. The brothers chose different thoughts which formed the situations they found themselves in at last, so they had different experiences.

There was a time in my life when I thought difficulty was due to “bad luck”. Have you ever heard the saying “When it rains, it pours”? That was my answer when others asked me how things were going on when I was in trouble. So what do you think I got? “RAIN”. More and more “RAIN”. I couldn’t understand why bad luck was always with me.

Pam Golden says, “You’re either living in the problem or you’re living in the solution.” Now, when I’m faced with what I used to think was a negative (消极的) situation, I use a different way to think about it. I force myself to replace those negative thoughts that make me lose heart in my mind with positive thoughts which encourage me to fight against the difficulty bravely. Sometimes I write down some ideas that may be a solution, which I combine with the lessons I have learned from the bad situations and the difficulties that troubled me in the past, and often, I find a solution to the problem soon. It seems that I should thank the difficulty I met with. The RAIN that poured in my world has become great experiences that provide me with valuable experience, from which I can benefit.

Now, it doesn’t “rain” as much in my life as it used to. In fact, most days are beautiful, cloudless and sunny! Sometimes I do get a rain, but I think it makes me stronger just like the rain helps plants grow up.

1.The example of the twin brothers shows that ________.

A. making good choices is the most important

B. education decides a person’s future

C. upbringing makes a big difference

D. it is luck that leads to success

2.What does “RAIN” mentioned in the second paragraph refer to?

A. Water. B. Good luck. C. Success. D. Difficulty.

3.What is talked about in the third paragraph?

A. How the author collects useful experience.

B. How the author deals with difficulty now.

C. How the author gets help from others.

D. How the author lives in the problem.

4.Which of the following agrees with the author’s attitude now in the text?

A. All things are difficult before they are easy.

B. Meeting with difficulty is not a bad thing.

C. Misfortunes tell us what fortune is.

D. Things at the worst will mend.

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