When people ask how many languages I speak,I reply I have forgotten six.That's the problem with languages: if you don't use them you lose them.But a little practice soon brings them back and you can once again enjoy the magic of talking to others in their own language and on their own terms.

I was a disaster at languages at school.I obtained 5 out of 200 in zero level French-an all time record.I was badly taught and I could never see the point.But as a young Royal Navy soldier to Singapore in the early 1960s,I heard that in Malay there was one word for "let's take off our clothes and tell dirty stories".Suddenly I saw the point.I never found the word,but in the process I learnt my first language.In the mid-60s,I was sent to the deep jungle among the local people.In their long-houses there were dried human heads hanging from the frames of the houses.I decided I would feel more comfortable if I knew their language too.

Not long after that,I spent two years learning official Chinese language in Hong Kong.One day,at a party with fellow students and teachers I tried to make a small talk with my female Chinese teacher."Have you ever flown in planes?" However,with my terrible Chinese tones,I made a mistake by asking "Have you by any chance sat upon a flying cock?" So you can imagine how I really felt inside my mind at that moment!You know what it means by speaking in such an uncomfortable tune to a female teacher!

Then I changed my languages and chatted with her in German,French and Russian in brief.God Heavens!My female Chinese teacher finally reacted and turned her red face to normal!Indeed this is the only time in my adult life when I haven't been learning a language.Languages have changed my life-and enriched it.And I think they can change yours too.

1.In the writer's eyes,the loss of using a language can be obtained .

A. by practicing it more often

B. from a zero level record

C. by learning the points

D. from a Chinese teacher

2.The writer was not very good at languages at school because .

A. he hated speaking Chinese with female people

B. he didn't learn languages very effectively

C. his French tests were always a zero record

D. his Chinese teachers taught him in a bad way

3.The mistake with the female teacher at the party .

A. would make the writer more confident of his Chinese level

B. would certainly bring the writer a severe punishment

C. brought the writer into a very embarrassing situation

D. would make her think highly of his Chinese level

4.The writer turned to other languages to talk to his teacher in order to .

A. warn people not to make any mistakes in official language

B. advise people to try using more languages to talk with others

C. suggest a diversity of changes of languages in people's life

D. relieve the tense atmosphere to make her relaxed

You are entering a world far different from the one my generation entered.My generation grew up with no MTV, no college loan,no $175 sneakers,no underwear worn in public and very little jewelry worn on the tongue.Yet somehow we broke through and,achieved all these things,and more.I believe that your generation is far more elegant and caring than my own.You ask questions: "What is the meaning of life?" "How can I make a fortune with almost no money down?" "Why do we have to sit round in the hot sun listening to an opening speech? "

I do not recall who it was that spoke at my own graduation.Whoever it was,I know I looked to him for wisdom and guidance,just as you now look to me.I suppose if there is one single suggestion I'd like to leave with you,it is like this: concentrate on what you are doing.If you have decided to do it well,you will be successful,no matter how hard your situation is.

Act bravely.Do not fear making mistakes; if you make one,look out.

Make a contribution to our society.Even though 70 percent of you will be lawyers,still I say to you: Try to do something useful with your life,if only in your spare time.

In a very real sense,your graduation here today is not an ending but a commencement.If I may say so,this is,in fact,the first day of the rest of your lives.I realize it is a bit shocking to look at graduation this way,but I believe we must.Thank you,and lots of luck.You'll need it.

1.The underlined word "commencement"in the last paragraph might mean .

A. beginning B. ending

C. contribution D. graduation

2.Where and how are the students listening to the speaker?

A. They are standing in the open air.

B. They are sitting in the open air.

C. They are sitting in a classroom.

D. They are sitting in an auditorium.

3.The speech is given to .

A. praise the graduates for what they have done

B. tell the graduates how to make a fortune

C. offer the graduates some useful advice

D. guide the graduates how to become good lawyers

4.The speaker encourages the graduates to do the following EXCEPT .

A. concentrate on what they are doing

B. face and avoid their possible mistakes

C. do something useful for the society

D. try their best to seek a good fortune

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13.How do learning habits influence learning results?It's useful and necessary to discuss learning habits.There is a famous(41)saying(say)"Good habits lead to good endings",which shows the importance of habits.
"An apple a day keeps the doctor away"also (42)shows(show) a healthy everyday habit helps to build up our body.Thus,good learning habits can help us gain great learning results,high  scores  and  abundant  knowledge  (43)included(include).At first,learning habits form our ways of thinking and attitude(44)to/towards the content of our learning.(45)Obviously(obvious),a good habit can help us to speed up to reach our destinations.As we can see,developing a good habit is so important that I would like to introduce one kind of good learning habits-keeping(46)a  learning diary every day.We can start the habit by(47)writing(write) a learning summary and remember to record something impressive and meaningful,Keep it in mind,(48)and gradually we will gain this good learning habit and benefit from it.
What's(49)more(much),I find out that I still have some bad learning habits(50)as well.I can only concentrate on reading for a short time,and I will conquer this problem by spending more efforts on concentration practice.
I believe that through my efforts,I can gain good learning results by having good habits.
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