More people are trying to learn English than any other language in the world. 1       School children in the Philippines and Japan begin learning English at an early age.

Where did the English language come from? Why has it become so popular? To answer these questions we must travel back in time about five thousand years to an area north of the Black Sea in southeastern Europe.

Experts say the people in that area spoke a language called Proto-Indo-European. That language is no longer spoken. 2       These include the language that developed into English.

The English language is a result of the invasions of the island of Britain over many hundreds of years. The first invaders were a people called Angles about one thousand and five hundred years ago. Later the Saxons and the Jutes crossed to Britain. These groups fought with a people called the Celts. 3       Some escaped to live in the area that became Wales. Through the years,the Saxons,Angles and Jutes mixed their different languages. The result is what is called Anglo-Saxon or Old English,the earliest form of English.

The next great invasion of Britain came from the far north beginning about one thousand and one hundred years ago. Fierce people called Vikings raided the coast areas of Britain. 4       The next invasion of Britain took place in ten sixtysix. History experts call this invasion the Norman Conquest. The Normans became the new rulers of Britain. These new rulers spoke only French for several hundred years. The French language used by the Norman rulers greatly changed the way English was spoken by eight hundred years ago. 5       Middle English sounds like modern English. But it is very difficult to understand now.

The history of the English language continues as Middle English becomes Modern English,which is spoken today.

   A. English is the major foreign language taught in most schools in South America and Europe.

   B. Researchers do not really know what it sounded like.

   C. After a while,most of the Celts were killed,or made slaves.

   D. English became what language experts call Middle English.

   E. Many English words used today come from these ancient Vikings.

   F. Yet,Proto-Indo-European is believed to be the ancestor of most European languages.

   G. The Celts had lived in Britain for many thousands of years.

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Long ago a lion and a bear saw a kid. They sprang on it at same time. The lion said to the bear, "I caught this kid at first,and so this is me."

"No,no," said the bear. "I found it early than you,so this is mine. " They fought long and fierce. At last both of them got very tired and can no longer fight.

A fox,who hid himself behind a tree not far away and was watching the fought between the lion and the bear,coming out and walked in between them,and ran off by the kid.

The lion and the bear both saw the fox,so they could not even catch the fox.

The lion said to the bear, "We have fought for nothing. That sly fox has got the kid away.

Once a great lion was sleeping in a wood. A little mouse happened1       (come) and ran over his face. The lion awoke and caught the little mouse in 2       (angry) ，and was going to kill her. "Oh,dear kind Lion!" said the little mouse. "Please forgive me. I didn't mean to do you any harm. Let me go. I shall return your 3          (kind) .”

"Ha,ha, ha, " laughed the lion. " 4       can a little thing like you help a great lion?" "Thank you very much,kind Lion!I hope I shall be able to do you a good 5       (return) some day,”said the little mouse.

Some time after this,the lion 6      (catch) in a trap. Just then the little mouse came along. At once she ran up to the lion,and said, "You 7      (be) very kind to me once. Now I'll save your life,and 8       (pay) you the kindness which you showed me the other day."Soon she gnawed the ropes of the trap 9        her sharp 10       ,and the lion was happy to be free again.

"Thank you,little Mouse!" said the lion,and he walked away.

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Reading can be fun,1       if your speed is not as fast as you'd like it to be. The average reading speed can range from 200 to 350 words per minute,but that speed can vary depending on your reading experience and the materials you are reading. It's also important to understand what you are reading―even when you improve your speed. Here are a few tips to help you become a better reader.

Adjust your reading speed as you read different materials. Slow down when the material is new to you or you need to understand the material fully. Speed up if you are already familiar with the material or 2       Another way to improve your reading speed is to focus on the key words in the sentences. A large amount of reading time is wasted on conjunctions,prepositions,or articles (i. e. a,an, the,but,and,etc.) .

Talk about what you've read. Some readers find that by talking about their reading with friends or fellow students,they are able to understand the material more effectively. Determine a reading schedule that works for you. You may find that you can't concentrate on the material for more than an hour (or a half hour) . 3      

4       it will slow down your reading speed. If you absolutely don't understand part of the reading selection,go back and review the material later.

Find a proper reading place,where interruptions or distractions will not disturb your reading. Practice. Practice. Practice. 5       Try out some of the above techniques,and then perfect the strategies that work best for you.

   A. Look up the new words when you are reading.

   B. Also select a time of the day when you are ready to read.

   C. but it can also be timeconsuming

   D. another good way is to analyze the sentences when the article is tough

   E. Don't reread right away;

   F. you don't have to understand it completely

   G. The best way to improve your reading speed is to practice reading.

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Once a dog was taking nap in the manger (牛槽) of an ox. It was full with hay. But sooner the ox came back for his work to the manger. He wanted to eat his own hay. Then the dog awoke,standing up and barked at the ox. The ox said to the dog, "Do you want to eat this hay,also?"

"Of course yes,”said the dog.

"Then,go away or let me eat my own hay."

"Oh,no. You go away and let me sleep."

"What a selfless dog!He will neither eat the hay himself,or let me eat it!" said the ox to him.

"Hello,little Tortoise!Where are you going? How short your legs are!" said the hare.

"I am going over to the hill. I am a slow 1 (run) ，but I can run a race with you ," said the tortoise. "All right. Let's run a race 2        the top of the hill, " said the hare.

The hare and the tortoise started. The hare ran very fast. The hare said 3        himself, "I can run much 4       (fast) than the tortoise,and I may have a little nap here."

So the hare 5       (lie) down under a tree and was6       (fast) asleep. But the tortoise did not stop 7      a moment. He walked on and on. At last he got to the top of the hill.

The hare woke up and looked 8       ,but he could not see the tortoise. He 9       (spring) up and ran as fast as he could. When the hare got to the top of the hill,he found the tortoise was resting there 10      (peaceful) .

The tortoise said to the hare, "Now,Mr. Hare!Who was the faster runner,you or I?"

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More than any other American holiday,Thanksgiving celebrates family and home. On Thanksgiving,many people enjoy a long day of cooking,talking and eating. The traditional meal often includes a turkey with a bread mixture cooked inside.

Like other Americans,W. L. Stokes is excited about the holiday. 1       They include country ham,collard greens,and corn bread. Other foods commonly served on Thanksgiving are sweet potatoes,cranberries and pumpkin pie. 2       And many people eat more food at Thanksgiving than at any other time of the year.

3       All across the country,thousands of groups provide Thanksgiving meals for older adults,poor people and the homeless. Many Americans give turkeys or other food to these organizations;schools organize food collection drives for Thanksgiving. 4       Since becoming president,Barack Obama and his family have volunteered one day before each Thanksgiving at an organization that helps the needy.

5       And that travel can be pricey. The website Travelocity says the average price for a flight in the United States over Thanksgiving is around $ 400 this year. Gasoline prices can also increase around Thanksgiving. Last year,gas prices were especially high after Superstorm Sandy hit the eastern United States. But the American Automobile Association says trips by car were still responsible for nearly 90 percent of all Thanksgiving travel in 2012.

   A. Some people spend part of the holiday helping to prepare and serve meals.

   B. Because so many people visit their families over the holiday,Thanksgiving week is one of the busiest travel times of the year.

   C. Over the years,Americans have added traditions to their Thanksgiving celebration for entertainment.

   D. It says New York City remains a popular place to visit over the holiday.

   E. Thanksgiving is also a time when Americans share what they have with people who do not have as much.

   F. Mr. Stokes is looking forward to a big meal of turkey and some of his favorite foods.

   G. American supermarkets are reported to sell more food at Thanksgiving than at any other time of the year.

One day a hare met with a tortoise at the foot of a hill.

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Dear Mr. Smith ,

I'd like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to you for your generous help,without it I would not make such rapid progresses. In my eyes,you are a qualified teacher as well as a closely friend. Patient,humorous,and energetic,you are always making the class lively and interested. It was your devotion and enthusiasm which inspired us and aroused our thirst with English.

Meanwhile,I have some suggestions for you. If possibly,I hope you can introduce more Western culture,which can enrich our life or broaden our horizons. Besides,I would appreciate if you could organize some activities,for example,the English speech contest,through which we can make a better use of what we have learned.

I hope you will find these suggestions practical.

                                                          Yours sincerely,

                                                                  Li Hua

 Is it all right to cheat? Most people would probably 1        no. Not ever!Cheating is 2       (excuse) , and it's not fair to the people 3        study hard.  But cheating 4 (definite) happens,and there are people who believe that it's no big deal to get the answers to a test beforehand. How can people feel 5        differently about something so serious?

The fact is that what seems serious to one person isn't a big issue to someone 6       . If your friend believes that she won't get into the university she wants to attend 7        she doesn't cheat a little on her exam,she might do it. In her opinion,no one is 8       (get) hurt,so it's OK. But another friend might feel that cheating is always 9       (fool) and wrong. He might tell his teacher about your friend who cheated. People's 10       (feel) about cheating are definitely different on this issue.

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Do you blank out,freeze up or feel so nervous in exams that you have trouble writing answers to questions that you knew just last night? If so,you likely have a case of test anxiety. 1       By recognizing the problem,you are taking the first step towards overcoming it.

Believe it or not,nervousness can sharpen your mind,allowing you to perform more quickly. This is because under stress,the body releases the hormone adrenaline (肾上腺素) ，which prepares it for something important that will happen. However,2       ，loss of appetite before tests,and poor performance. Some people might feel shaky,hot,or even sick.

If you worry a lot or are a perfectionist,you are more likely to have trouble with test anxiety. Those who have prepared poorly for a test or have had negative experiences in taking tests may also experience test anxiety.

When you feel a storm of anxiety coming on,stop what you're doing and make your mind a blank. If possible,actually tell yourself to "STOP"！ 3       Then think of being at a place of comfort and let your body relax. As you continue the test,find questions you know the answers to and answer them first. This will help restore your confidence.

Talk to yourself using positive language. Make it a habit to replace each negative thought with a logical reason. For example："I've studied hard and I know the material,4      ."

Another thing you can do is to learn to accept mistakes. In fact,they can be valuable learning opportunities.

Last but not least,start test preparation early―three to five days ahead of the quiz or test. After all,good study habits and skills―    5       ―will give you the feeling that you are in control.

   A. Too much hormone adrenaline is bad for your thinking.

   B. too much anxiety can result in sleeplessness

   C. so Tm ready to do the best I can

   D. But,don't panic.

   E. Test anxiety is very horrible.

   F. This will get your mind off the stress.

   G. for example,time management and notetaking

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