While reading, you may focus on the Q(question) and A (answer) on the following web page.
Related Information Hotel Deals Today's deals Hotel Guide Hotel details Hotel Directory Contact info My Travel Hotel Preference Check Reservations Tool Weather Maps Driving Directions | Q My husband and I would like to spend five or six days in the Maldives. Could you suggest some low-priced hotels? We'll be there in November. Jan Davies, email. A Prices in the Maldives are high. The cheaper hotels (and there aren't many) mightn't be much to look at, with unpleasant rooms, iron roofs, old buildings, poor and rough vegetation and basic facilities, but they get their atmosphere from cheerful customers and an untidy, free island feel. Angaga (South Ari Atoll, phone 0011 960 450510), Asdu Sun Island (North Male Atoll, email info@asdu.com.mv) are both a bit like this. You'll be there in the low season (May to November), when its' still warm, but there's a greater likelihood of rain, so you should be able to get a double (standard ) room with full board (three meals a day) for $ 100 a night. However, pricing structures for the hotels are enormously complex for standard, superior and luxurious rooms. Q My husband and I are from Australia. We are planning a four-week trip to London, Dublin and Paris in October and we are shocked by the cost of hotels. We have searched the Internet and hotel books given to us by tourist authorities but we can't find anything cheaper than $ 150 a night. Joan Maloney, email. A For Australians traveling Europe, especially its capital cities, is expensive. You may have to increase your budget . However, if you can't afford these costs, then you should consider staying in hotels where the cheapest twin rooms with shared bathroom cost about$20 a person in Dublin and Paris and $35 in London. The minimum you would pay for a double room in a central area is $50 a person in Dublin and Paris and $70 in London. These prices are for shared bathroom facilities, though you will get a wonderfully unhealthy cooked breakfast thrown in. Not all hotels are equal, of course, and it's a good idea to consult a guidebook with a good reputation. |
1.The hotel Angaga in the Maldives_________.
A. attracts untidy people B. has some basic facilities
C. has the best landscape D. can be contacted by email
2.If you spend your holiday in the Maldives in February, _________
A. there is a greater likelihood of rain
B. standard, superior and luxurious rooms are all available
C. the weather will probably be better than that of the low season
D. a standard room with full board will cost less than $100 a night.
3.What is the advice for the couple planning to visit Europe in October?
A. They should stay in hotels in a central area
B. They could live in hotel rooms of lower standard
C. They should put up with the wonderfully unhealthy cooked breakfast.
D. They should buy a reliable guidebook instead of increasing the budget.
Twenty years ago, the following news item probably wouldn’t have made much sense to most Americans.
Muslims in Iran went to the streets today to support an ayatollah①’s call for a revolution. Meanwhile, in Israel, Palestinian leaders urged support for the intifada②, ①leader ②struggle
These words come from Arabic, a language with which few Americans are familiar. Yet by 1990 these words were routinely used in both broadcast and print news. How did these words find their way into English?
Like all existing languages, English is continually changing. The adoption of foreign words into English vocabulary, called borrowing, is anything but a new phenomenon. In fact, it’s been going on from the time the language first began to take shape around A. D. 450. English has been borrowing words from the conquered(被征服者), trading partners, immigrants, and a variety of other sources.
So when the events in the Middle East commanded the world’s attention during the latter part of the twentieth century. English simply borrowed the words it needed to describe what was happening in that area. The more often such words were used, the less “foreign” they sounded. Eventually, these borrowed words came to be used routinely in speech and writing.
Borrowed vocabulary from foreign language is not the only source of new words in English. As fresh ideas evolve and innovative technology are developed, new English words are created to describe them. These words may be words borrowed(WB) from other languages, existing words taking on new meanings(EWNM), acronyms, blends, compounds, or newly coined words, as the following examples and the chart show.
Kwanza | borrowed from Swahili: seven-day African-American cultural festival |
rap | old word, meaning to knock quickly, taking on a new meaning; a form of music |
AIDS | acronym for acquired immune deficiency syndrome |
exercycle | blend of existing words: exercise + bicycle |
skateboard | compound of existing words |
cellulite | new word for fatty deposits on the hips and legs, coined in 1971 |
In the next four lessons, you’ll be introduced to some of the history and mechanisms(体系)that have shaped and continued to influence the language we use. Whether the words we speak are borrowed or created, they show a vital feature of English---adaptability. English is alive.
1.What does the word “commanded” in the fourth paragraph probably mean?
A. Ordered B. Instructed
C. Controlled D. Drew
2.The word “mouse” may belong to an example of __________.
A. WB B. EWNM
C. Acronyms D. Blends
3.Where does this text probably come from?
A. A cultural section of a newspaper
B. A language book review
C. A language course advertisement
D. A language lesson book
4.Which of the following can best cover the main idea of the passage?
A. The language in the media is changing
B. English has been borrowing words
C. English is a living language
D. A new phenomenon appears in English