How to Improve Vocabulary Fast

Your vocabulary refers to the words in a language you are familiar with. We should learn some ways to expand it.

Read every day. 1. Choose reading material that is slightly above your level and keep a dictionary with you to look up words you do not know.

2.If you do not meet with an unfamiliar word in your daily reading, use your dictionary to search for one.

Learn the correct definition and pronunciation for each new word. Pronunciation is as important as definition because in order to add a word to your active vocabulary, you must be able to use it in speech.

Elaborate(阐释)on the meaning of the word. Use imagery and personal relevance. If you have just learned that the word “stubborn” , think about the neighbor who will not lend you his car. 3.

Use your new word in speech and in writing. E-mail your sister about how your cat is stubborn about sleeping on your pillow.  4.But the more you use it, the more fluent you will become in its use. Soon it will be a regular part of your active vocabulary.

Tell everyone you are trying to increase your vocabulary. Encourage them to ask you what your latest word is 5..The more you explain the meaning of a word to someone, the more likely you are to remember it.

A. Or let them ask for the definition of a new word you have used.

B. Your vocabulary contains the words you understand.

C. The vocabulary can be increased.

D. Imagine him shaking his head, and think of him as “stubborn in his refusal”.

E. The first time you use a new word in speech it may seem strange.

F. Find a new word every day.

G. The more often you read, the faster your vocabulary can grow.

Do you know insurance? Buying insurance is a ______by which people can protect themselves ______large losses. Protection against fire is one kind of insurance. Large number of people pay _______sums of money to an insurance company. Although thousands of people have paid for fire insurance, only__________will lose their homes by fire. The insurance company will pay for these homes out or the sums of money it has __________.

The first modern fire insurance company was _______in London, England, in 1666. A great fire had just _______ most of the city, and people wanted protection against _______losses. The first company _______ rapidly. Soon other companies were founded in other areas.

Benjamin Franklin helped form the first fire insurance company in America in 1752. He also _______ a new kind of insurance for_______ . The new insurance would offer protection against the loss of crops______ storms.

In 1795, Benjamin Franklin helped start______ new insurance company in America. This company,______ offered life insurance, collected some money ________  from many different men. _______a man died, his family was given a large sum of money. Today, this company is________in business.

Over the years, people have ________ from many new kinds of insurance when they have suffered from _________accidents as car and plane crashes.______, almost everyone has some kind of insurance.

1.A. way B. firm C. consideration D. means

2.A. from B. against C. with D. beyond

3.A. small B. huge C. much D. little

4.A. many B. little C. few D. a few

5.A. stole B. collected C. lent D. brought

6.A. built B. found C. formed D. organized

7.A. destroyed B. hurt C. harmed D. wounded

8.A. farther B. further C. wider D. longer

9.A. risen B. rised C. grew D. turned

10.A. suggested B. determined C. asked D. demanded

11.A. farmers B. workers C. waiters D. doctors

12.A. with B. by C. from D. for

13.A. other B. certain C. another D. some

14.A. where B. which C. whom D. that

15.A. commonly B. usually C. regularly D. ordinarily

16.A. If B. Although C. Unless D. Because

17.A. always B. still C. hardly D. seldom

18.A. paid B. offered C. bought D. benefited

19.A. many B. so C. such D. that

20.A. Today B. Generally C. Lately D. Tomorrow

Polar bears are suffering in a 1.(warm) world.

Polar bears live in environments too cold for most animals.2.much of the year, they live and hunt on the frozen Arctic sea ice. Nature has prepared 3.for the cold conditions. But nothing has prepared the bears for the danger that 4. (threat)the only home they know.

The polar bears’ world is melting. Studies show that the polar ice has reduced by 9.8% every 10 years 5. 1978. Now about 20,000 to 25,000 polar bears live in the Arctic. Polar bears depend on the sea ice for their 6. (survive). “The sea ice is more than just this platform that the bears walk over,” says Andrew Derocher, 7. scientist who studies North American polar bear populations. “8. it, they can’t exist.”

Some melting and refreezing of the polar ice is natural. 9. in a warmer world, these cycles speed up, and bears have less time to hunt. Normally, they have three months in the spring when they gain more weight. The extra fat is used later,  10. the bears are not actively hunting.

假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。错误涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。

增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号(∧)，并在其下面写出该加的词。

删除：把多余的词用斜线(＼)划掉。

修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。

注意：1．每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；

2．只允许修改10处，多者(从第11处起)不计分。

3．错误类型不涉及单词拼写。

Good relationships between teachers or students are important to teaching and learning only with good relationships can student and teachers cooperate well.

Good relationships depended on both sides. On the one hand, students should respect teachers and our hard work. They should polite Co teachers and ready to following their advice. On an other hand, teachers should be kindly, friendly and patient to students. They must be responsible on their teaching and help students. If both sides treat10 each other in a friendly way, teaching and learning in class will be highly efficient.

假如你叫李华，你和父母在英国旅游期间于1月28日至30日入住Forest Hotel酒店，但对其提供的服务不满意，请发电子邮件给酒店的管理者进行投诉，要求其道歉并改进服务质量。

1.搬运工送到房间的皮箱破损；

2.卫生间漏水；

3.楼下酒吧有噪音，并持续到很晚，影响休息。

注意：

1.文章必须包括所有要点。可适当增加细节，以使文章连贯。

2.词数120。

3.参考词汇：搬运工porter n; 皮箱suitcase n； 漏水leak vi.

________________________________________________________________________

On Saturday morning, every boy in town was happy, except Tom sawyer. Tom’s aunt said he had to paint the fence. It was thirty yards long and three yards high! Tom painted a small corner, and then he sat down under a tree to have a rest.

Soon the boy who were free would come along and make fun of him. Just then, he had a wonderful idea. He picked up his brush and went back to work.

Ben Rogers came along the road. He sang happily, with an apple in one hand.

“I’m going swimming,” said Ben. “Do you want to come? Oh, but you have to work, don’t you?” “Work?” he said. “I don’t think that this is work. It’s fun. Does a boy get a chance like this every day?”

Ben thought about this. Tom went on painting. Ben was watching Tom’s every move. He was getting more and more interested.

After awhile, he said, “Tom, will you let me do some painting?”

Tom said, “No, Ben, I can’t. You see, Aunt Polly wants it to be done properly. I’m the only one that can do it right.”

“Oh, please, Tom,” begged Ben. “I’ll be really careful. I’ll give you half of my apple. I’ll give you all of it!”

“Well, all right, Ben,” said Tom. “But you must be careful.”

He gave Ben his brush with worry on his face but joy in his heart. He sat down again under the tree, and started to eat Ben’s apple.

All day, boys passed by and wanted to paint. When Ben got tired, Billy Fisher began to paint. He gave Tom a kite which he liked. Then Johnny Miller gave him twelve marbles, and so on.

That afternoon, Tom got many toys, and the fence gained three coats of paint. Aunt Polly was so pleased when she saw the painted fence that she gave him a large cake!

1.How did Tom feel when he began to paint the fence?

A. He felt very grateful. B. He felt responsible.

C. He felt unhappy. D. He felt energetic.

2.Tom’s wonderful idea was to ________.

A. work as quickly as possible

B. fool other boys into doing his work

C. persuade other boys to work with him

D. offer apples to get help from other boys

3.Tom got a kite from _______.

A. Ben Rogers B. Billy Fisher

C. Johnny Miller D. Aunt Polly

4.What does the underlined word “it” refer to?

A. the apple B. Tom’s every move

C. Ben’s request D. the fence

5.Aunt Polly was _______ with Tom’s work.

A. satisfied B. disappointed

C. angry D. familiar

Mrs. Williams has been in a small street in London for ten years, and now she had a new neighbour from Manchester. Her name was Mrs. Briggs, and she talked a lot about her expensive Italian furniture, her beautiful Persian carpets and her new kitchen.

“Do you know,” she said to Mrs. Williams one day, “I’ve got a new dishwasher. It washes the plates and glasses and knives and forks beautifully.”

“Oh?” Mrs. Williams answered. “And does it dry them and put them in the cupboard, too?”

Mrs. Briggs was surprised. “Well,” she answered, “the things in the machine are dry after an hour, but it doesn’t put them away, of course.”

“I’ve had a dishwasher for twelve years,” Mrs. Williams said.

“Oh?” Mrs. Briggs answered, “And does yours put the things in the cupboard when it has washed them?”

She burst into laughter. “Yes, he does,” Mrs. Williams answered. “He dries the dishes and puts them away.”

1.We can know that _______.

A. Mrs. Williams wants to buy something from Mrs. Briggs

B. Mrs. Williams works together with Mrs. Briggs

C. Mrs. Williams is the mother of Mrs. Briggs

D. Mrs. Williams lives next to Mrs. Briggs

2.Why was Mrs. Briggs surprised?

A. Because her dishwasher can do its work so beautifully.

B. Because her dishwasher can’t put dishes in the cupboard.

C. Because she has never heard of such a dishwasher before.

D. Because she has the same dishwasher as one of Mrs. Williams’.

3.Mrs. Briggs used to live _______.

A. London B. Manchester

C. Italy D. Persia

4.We can infer(推断) that Mrs. Williams has been married for ______.

A. 10 years B. 12 years

C. 1 hour D. No mentioned

5.Mrs. Williams’ dishwasher is _______ in fact.

A. herself B. a new-designed machine

C. Mr. Williams D. an old- style dishwasher

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful bird, which had always wondering what Hell(地狱) was. When she was little, her mother always told her that if she didn’t get the hang of the flying skills, she would go to Hell. She was so puzzled that she always asked others what Hell looked like, but no one was sure, because none of them had ever been there. Some said Hell was a place full of water, and others told her that Hell was full of burning fire. However, the bird knew they were lying. She wanted to find out what Hell was.

When other birds were learning flying skills, she always hid herself and watched them. She thought in this way she could go to Hell and see what Hell looked like. However, she spent so little time learning flying skills that one day she was caught by a little boy. The little boy gave her to his grandpa in the countryside as a gift. The old man liked her very much. He made a beautiful cage(笼子) and put her in it. The bird was very worried because she thought she couldn’t find out what Hell was like staying in this small cage. However, she couldn’t escape. Day after day, she just stayed in the cage, watching other birds flying. She lost her freedom and she became sadder and sadder. At last, she became ill. The old man finally opened the cage, but she was too weak to fly. Lying on the ground, she thought of the question that she ever asked all the time.

“What does Hell look like?”

“Hell is a small well-decorated cage.” Before she closed her eyes forever, she finally answered that question herself.

1.Who warned the bird of hell?

A. Her mother B. Other birds

C. The little boy D. The old man

2.What did the bird think of other birds’ opinions on hell?

A. She thought they were telling lies.

B. She thought they were all right.

C. She thought nothing of them.

D. She thought highly of them.

3.Why did the bird hide herself when other birds were learning flying skills?

A. Because she was lazy.

B. Because she didn’t like learning flying skills.

C. Because she thought she could go to Hell by doing this.

D. Because she thought it was of no use to learn flying skills.

4.According to the passage, the bird at last found out that________.

A. there was no Hell at all

B. Hell was full of burning fire

C. Hell was a place full of water

D. Hell was a place without freedom

5.The bird _______ at last.

A. died B. was free

C. went to Hell D. lived a good life

The earth is the only planet that scientists think has life. Why does the earth have life while the other planets don’t? For one thing, the earth is just the right temperature. As the third planet from the sun, the earth seems to be just the right distance away. The planets which are closer to the sun are so hot. The farthest planets are cold balls.

When the earth developed—which scientists believe may have happened about 4 billion years ago—many gases covered the earth. The gases caused the earth to be hot. But something wonderful happened. The temperature was just right for thick clouds to form. It rained very hard for a very long time. This gave the earth its oceans. Water made it possible for plants to grow. The plants created oxygen in the atmosphere. Oxygen is the gas that humans and animals breathe.

Only one other planet in the solar system seems to be something like the earth. That planet is Mars(火星). Mars is smaller than the earth, and it is quite a bit cooler. But it is not too cold for humans. On some days, the temperatures are as low as a winter day in the northern United States. If you wore a special spacesuit, you could walk around on Mars. The most difficulty is that you have to bring your own air to breathe, because the air on Mars is too thin to breathe.

Mars has the largest volcano(火山) in the solar system. It is sixteen miles high. The highest volcano on the earth is five miles high. Scientists believe that Mars was once much better than it is now. Does this mean there could have been living things on Mars? Scientists are not sure, but there has been no sign so far.

1.Which of the following is NOT the reason that the earth has life?

A. The earth is just the right temperature.

B. There is oxygen in the atmosphere of the earth.

C. The volcanoes on the earth are lower than those on Mars.

D. The earth seems to be just the right distance away from the sun.

2.The underlined phrase “the third planet” in the first paragraph refers to_______.

A. the Sun B. the Moon

C. the Earth D. the Mars

3.Which of the following about the Mars is NOT true?

A. There is almost no oxygen in the air on Mars.

B. There could have been living things on Mars.

C. Mars has the largest volcano in the solar system.

D. Mars is smaller and quite a bit cooler than the earth.

4.Which is the first trouble for human to live on Mars?

A. The volcanoes. B. The temperature.

C. The air. D. The food.

5.Which of the following is probably the best title for the passage?

A. The Earth B. The Moon

C. Planets in the Solar System D. Mars is Most Like the Earth