It is one of the most annoying words in the English language and it seems there is no escaping it. The word “huh?” is in worldwide use, a study found.

Researchers discovered that languages spoken in countries from Ghana and Laos to Iceland and Italy all include “huh?”, or something that sounds very like it. They said that while the study may sound silly, the word is an absolutely necessary part of speech. Without it and similar words, it would be impossible to show that we haven’t heard or understood what had been said and this would lead to constant misunderstandings.

But while other words used in the same context, such as “sorry” or “what”, vary widely across languages, “huh?” remains unchanged.

The Dutch researchers carefully studied ten languages from around the world, including Siwu, which is spoken in Ghana, and an Australian Aboriginal language, as well as Italian, Spanish, Dutch and Mandarin Chinese.

They analysed tapes of recorded conversations for words that sounded like “huh?” and were used to request that whatever had just been said be repeated. All contained a version of “huh?”. The word was also found in another 21 languages. While there were subtle differences in each country, all sounded basically the same.

This is surprising because normally unrelated languages will use very different words to describe the same thing. For instance, the Japanese for “dog” is “inu”, while the French is “chien”. It is thought that languages around the world have developed their own version of “huh?” because the sound is quick and simple to form, as well as being easily understood.

The researchers, said that it might seem unimportant to carry out scientific research into a word like “huh?” but in fact this little word is an essential tool in human communication. They also have an answer for those who claim that “huh?” isn’t a word. They say that it qualifies because of the small differences in its pronunciation in different languages. It also can be considered a word because it’s something we learn to say, rather than a grunt or cry that we are born knowing how to make.

1. According to researchers, the word “huh?” is very important in speech because of ________.

A. its stable meaning in language development

B. its important function in communication

C. its simple and easy sound and spelling

D. its popularity in every language

2.What is the natural response if you hear the lady you’re speaking to say “huh?”?

A. You should ask her to repeat what she says before that.

B. You should apologize to her for speaking in a low voice.

C. You should invite her to share her different views politely.

D. You should try to repeat what you’ve just said in a clearer way.

3.The main method used in the research of “huh?” was ________.

A. interviewing language experts in universities

B. talking with people from ten different countries

C. analyzing the recorded conversations in different languages

D. comparing different words with the same meaning in different languages

4.According to researchers, “huh?” should be considered a word rather than a sound because ________.

A. it is listed in most dictionaries

B. it is something humans learn to say

C. there is a clear and consistent spelling of the word

D. there is a big difference in the way it pronounces in different languages

5.What is the purpose of the passage?

A. To inform readers about research on the worldwide used word “huh?”.

B. To argue that “huh?” is the most important word in every language.

C. To entertain readers by relating similar idioms in different languages.

D. To instruct readers of the differences of “huh?” in different languages.

阅读理解

　　Parents whose children show a special interest in a particular sport feel very difficult to make a decision about their children's careers(职业). Should they allow their children to train to become top sportsmen or sportswomen? For many children it means starting school work very young, and going out with friends and other interests have to take a second place. It's very difficult to explain to a young child why he or she has to train five hours a day, even at the weekend, when most of his or her friends are playing.

　　Another problem is of course money. In many countries money for training is supplied by government for the very best young sportsmen and sportswomen. If this help can not be given, it means that it is the parents who have to find the time and the money to support their children's development, and sports clothes, transportation (交通)to competitions, special equipment, etc. can all be very expensive.

　　Many parents are worried that it is dangerous to start serious training in a sport at an early age. Some doctors agree that young muscles may be damaged by training before they are properly developed. Professional(职业的)trainers, however, believe that it is only by training young that you can reach the top as a successful sports person. It is clear that very few people do reach the top, and both parents and children should be prepared for failure even after many years of training.

1．This article is most probably taken from ________.

[　　]

A．a letter

B．an advertisement

C．a personal diary

D．a newspaper article

2．According to the passage, parents whose children show a special interest in sport ________.

[　　]

A．feel uncertain if they should let their children train to be sportsmen or sportswomen

B．try to get financial support from the government for their children's training

C．have to get medical advice from doctors about training methods

D．prefer their children to be trained as young as possible

3．Which of the following statements is NOT true?

[　　]

A．By starting young, you won't have much time for your school work.

B．Early training may damage your muscles.

C．Most children may become professional sportsmen after a long period of training.

D．It's very expensive for parents to support their child's development in sport .

4．The underlined phrase “take a second place” is the same meaning as ________.

[　　]

A．to repeat the activities some other day

B．to become less important

C．of all things considered, they are of inferior(差的)duality

D．to happen again

阅读理解

　　Parents whose children show a special interest in a particular sport feel very difficult to make a decision about their children’s careers (职业). Should they allow their children to train to become top sportsmen or sportswomen? For many children it means starting school work very young, and going out with friends and other interests have to take a second place. It's very difficult to explain to a young child why he or she has to train five hours a day, even at the weekend. when most of his or her friends are playing.

　　Another problem is of course money. In many countries money for training is supplied by government for the very best young sportsmen and sportswomen. If this help can not be given, it means that it is the parents who have to find the time and the money to support their children’s development, and sports clothes, transportati- on(交通) to competitions, special equipment. etc. All can be very expensive. 

　　Many parents are worried that it is dangerous to start serious training in a sport at an early age. Some doctors agree that young musicles may be damaged by training before they are properly developed. Professional (职业的) trainers, however, believe that it is only by training young that you can reach the top as a successful sports person. It is clear that very few people do reach the top, and both parents and children should be prepared for failure even after many years of training.

1．This article is most probably taken from ________ .

[　　]

A．a letter

B．all advertisement

C．a personal diary

D．a newspaper article

2．According to the passage, parents whose children show a special interest in sport ________ .

[　　]

A．feel uncertain if they should let their children train to be sportsmen or sportswomen

B．try to get financial support from the government for their children's training

C．have to get medical advice from doctors about training methods

D．prefer their children to be trained as young as possible

3．Which of the following statements is NOT true?

[　　]

A．By starting young, you won't have much time for your school work.

B．Early training may damage your muscles.

C．Most children may become professional sportsmen after a long period of training.

D．It’s very expensive for parents to support their children’s development in sport.

4．The underlined phrase“take a second place”is the same meaning as“ ________ ”.

[　　]

A．to repeat the activities some other day

B．to become less important

C．of all things considered, they are of inferior (差的) quality

D．to happen again

To be a good teacher, you need some of the gifts of a good actor; you must be able to hold the attention and interest of your students, you must be __1__-speaking, with a good, strong,__2__voice which is fully under your control; and you must be able to __3__what you are teaching, in order to make its meaning clear.

__4__a good teacher, and you will see that he does not sit still before his class; he __5__the whole time he is teaching; he walks about, using his__6__, hands and fingers to help him in his explanations, and his face to express his__7__. Listen to him, and you will__8__the loudness, the quality and the musical note of his voice always __9__according to what he is talking about. The fact that a good teacher has some of the gifts of a good actor doesn't __10__that he will indeed be able to act well on the stage, for there are very important__11__between the teacher's work and the actor's. The__12__has to speak words which he has learnt by heart; he has to repeat exactly the__13__words each time he plays a certain part, even his movements and the ways in which he uses his voice are usually__14__beforehand. What he has to do is to make all these carefully learnt words and actions seem __15__on the stage.

A good teacher__16__in quite a different way. His students take an active part in his __17__: they ask and answer questions, they obey orders, and if they don't __18__something, they will say no. The teacher therefore has to suit his act to the needs of his students, which is in his class. He cannot learn his part by heart, but must __19__it as he goes along.

I have known many teachers who were fine__20__in class but unable to take part in a stage play because their brains wouldn't keep discipline: they could not keep strictly to what another had written.

1. A. clear         B. slow        C. small         D. low

2. A. frightening    B. fearing      C. exciting       D. pleasing

3. A. act out       B. talk         C. say           D. repeat

4. A. Listen        B. Look       C. Watch        D. Learn

5. A. stands        B. sits         C. lies          D. talks

6. A. tongue       B. words       C. legs          D. arms

7. A. attention      B. thanks      C. feelings       D. sentences

8. A. hear         B. see         C. think         D. guess

9. A. making       B. changing    C. expressing    D. giving

10. A. tell         B. express      C. show        D. mean

11. A. things       B. differences   C. points       D. jobs

12. A. actor        B. teacher      C. boy         D. student

13. A. different     B. same       C. above        D. following

14. A. read        B. known      C. fixed         D. written

15. A. natural      B. bad         C. false         D. clear

16. A. is          B. works       C. has          D. teaches

17. A. group       B. party        C. class        D. play

18. A. give        B. place        C. obey        D. hear

19. A. invent      B. discover      C. teach        D. continue

20. A. learners     B. watchers     C. actors       D. listeners

Watch good teachers, and you will see that they do not sit motionless before their class: They stand the whole time they are teaching, they walk about, using their arms, hands and fingers to help them in their explanations, and their faces to express feelings. Listen to them, and you will hear the loudness, the quality and the musical note of their voices always changing according to what they are talking about.

The fact that good teachers have some of the gifts of good actors does not mean that they will indeed be able to act well on the stage: There are very important differences between the teachers’ work and the actors’. Actors have to speak words which they have learnt by heart, they have to repeat exactly the same words each time they play a certain part, even their movement and the ways in which they use their voices are usually fixed before. What they have to do is to make all these carefully learnt words and actions seem natural on the stage.

Good teachers work in quite a different way. Their audience take an active part in the play: They ask and answer questions, they obey orders, and if they do not understand something, they say so. Teachers therefore have to suit their act to the needs of their audience, which is their class. They cannot learn their part by heart, but must invent it as they go along.

I have known many teachers who were fine actors in class but were unable to take   part in a stage play because their brains would not keep discipline: They could not keep strict to what another had written.

1. The passage mainly tells us ________________.

A. what a good teacher is

B. how to be a good teacher

C. the difference between a teacher and an actor

D. the way to become a good teacher

2. To be a good teacher, which of the following is not needed?

A. He should be able to hold the audience’s attention.

B. He must have a clear but low and soft voice.

C. He should be able to act what he’s teaching.

D. He doesn’t sit in a chair with an expressionless face.

3. Teachers in class have to ________________.

A. create a group of audience

B. meet their students’ needs

C. be told what to do by their students

D. invent a certain part of a play

4. The passage seems to suggest that a good teacher may not be a good actor because ________________.

A. they are nervous on the stage

B. their brains are out of control

C. they miss their students

D. they are not used to saying what others have written

5. Which of the following has the same meaning as the underlined word “motionless”?

A.　　  still　　　　  　　　　　　   　　   

B.　　  quiet

C.　　  silent　　    　　　　　　  

D.　　 calm