Among the four skills in learning English ,which of these is the “Odd-Man-Out”?The answer is speaking. The other three you can do alone on your own. But you can't really speak alone! Speaking to yourself can be “dangerous” because men in white coats may come and take you away!

Where can you find people to speak English? And how can you practise speaking when you are alone?

At school if you pay to go to a language school ,you should use the chance to speak .If your teacher asks you to speak in pairs or groups with other students ,try to say as much as possible. Don't worry about your mistakes. Just speak!

Conversation Clubs　Many cities around the world have conversation clubs where people can exchange one language for another .Look in your local newspaper to find a conversation club near you .They are usually free although some may charge a small entrance fee.

Shopping　Even if you don't want to buy anything ,you can ask questions about products that interest you in a shop.“How much does this cost?” “Can I pay by cheque?” Often you can start a real conversation—and it costs you nothing!

Cafe and Bars　There are often American, Britain, Irish and Australian bars in many large cities .If you can find one, you'll probably meet many people speaking English as a first or second language.

Language is all around you　Everywhere you go, you find language .Shop names, street names ,advertisements ,notices ,and car numbers....When you walk down the street ,practise reading the words and numbers that you see .Say them to yourself .It's not exactly a conversation ,but it will help you to “think” in English .But don't speak too loud!

Songs and Video　Repeat the words of an English-language song singing with the music until it becomes automatic. It's good practice for your memory and for the mouth muscles that you need for English.

Above all ,speak as much as possible! Make as many mistakes as possible! When you know that you have made a mistake, you know that you have made progress!

1.What does “Odd-Man-Out” probably mean according to the passage?

A.Someone or something appearing different from others.

B.Someone or something standing out of the group.

C.Someone or something arranged in pairs.

D.Someone or something easily mistaken for another.

2.What might happen if you speak to yourself loudly in public?

A.The police will take you away and punish you.

B.The doctors will force you to stay in hospital.

C.You will have to pay to escape being punished.

D.You will be forbidden to be member of the club.

3.Why does the writer say “Make as many mistakes as possible”?Because _______.

A.everyone will make mistakes in learning English

B.everyone will meet people speaking English with some mistakes

C.making mistakes is a must in making progress in learning English

D.making mistakes can make one realize the importance of speaking

4.According to the passage,which way is not likely to be accepted by English beginners?

A.Recite poems loudly along the riverside.

B.Listen to some English pop songs and video.

C.Find an Englishman to speak English with.

D.Take to the TV showing programmes at home.

Being sociable looks like a good way to add years to your life. Relationships with family, friends, neighbours, even pets, will all do the trick, but the biggest longevity (长寿) boost seems to come from marriage or an equivalent relationship. The effect was first noted in 1858 by William Farr, who wrote that widows (寡妇)and widowers  were at a much higher risk of dying than their married peers. Studies since then suggest that marriage could add as much as seven years to a man’s life and two to a woman’s. The effect holds for all causes of death, whether illness, accident or self-harm.

　　Even if the odds are stacked against you, marriage can more than compensate. Linda Waite of the University of Chicago has found that a married older man with heart disease can expect to live nearly four years longer than an unmarried man with a healthy heart. Likewise, a married man who smokes more than a pack a day is likely to live as long as a divorced man who doesn’t smoke. There’s a flip side, however, as partners are more likely to become ill or die in the couple of years following their spouse’s death, and caring for a spouse with mental disorder can leave you with some of the same severe problems. Even so, the odds favour marriage. In a 30-year study of more than 10,000 people, Nicholas Christakis of Harvard Medical School describes how all kinds of social networks have similar effects.

　　So how does it work? The effects are complex, affected by socio-economic factors, health-service provision, emotional support and other more physiological (生理的) mechanisms. For example, social contact can boost development of the brain and immune system, leading to better health and less chance of depression later in life. People in supportive relationships may handle stress better. Then there are the psychological benefits of a supportive partner.

　　A life partner, children and good friends are all recommended if you aim to live to 100. The ultimate social network is still being mapped out, but Christakis says: “People are interconnected, so their health is interconnected.”

1.William Farr’s study and other studies show that _________.

　　A .social life provides an effective cure for illness

　　B. being sociable helps improve one’s quality of life

　　C. women benefit more than men from marriage

　　D. marriage contributes a great deal to longevity

2.Linda Waite’s studies support the idea that _________.

　　A. older men should quit smoking to stay healthy

　　B. marriage can help make up for ill health

　　C. the married are happier than the unmarried

　　D. unmarried people are likely to suffer in later life

3.It can be inferred from the context that the “flip side” (Line 4, Para. 2) refers to _________.

　　A. the disadvantages of being married

　　B. the emotional problems arising from marriage

　　C. the responsibility of taking care of one’s family

　　D. the consequence of a broken marriage

4. What does the author say about social networks?

　　A. They have effects similar to those of a marriage.

　　B. They help develop people’s community spirit.

　　C. They provide timely support for those in need.

　　D. They help relieve people of their life’s burdens.

5.What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

　　A. It’s important that we develop a social network when young.

　　B. To stay healthy, one should have a proper social network.

　　C. Getting a divorce means risking a reduced life span.

　　D. We should share our social networks with each other.

E?
Among the four skills in learning English ,which of these is the “Odd-Man-Out”?The answer is speaking. The other three you can do alone on your own. But you can't really speak alone! Speaking to yourself can be “dangerous” because men in white coats may come and take you away!?
Where can you find people to speak English? And how can you practise speaking when you are alone?At school if you pay to go to a language school ,you should use the chance to speak .If your teacher asks you to speak in pairs or groups with other students ,try to say as much as possible. Don't worry about your mistakes. Just speak!?
Conversation Clubs　Many cities around the world have conversation clubs where people can exchange one language for another .Look in your local newspaper to find a conversation club near you .They are usually free although some may charge a small entrance fee.?
Shopping　Even if you don't want to buy anything ,you can ask questions about products that interest you in a shop.“How much does this cost?” “Can I pay by cheque?” Often you can start a real conversation—and it costs you nothing!?
Cafe and Bars　There are often American, Britain, Irish and Australian bars in many large cities .If you can find one, you'll probably meet many people speaking English as a first or second language.?
Language is all around you　Everywhere you go, you find language .Shop names, street names ,advertisements ,notices ,and car numbers....When you walk down the street ,practise reading the words and numbers that you see .Say them to yourself .It's not exactly a conversation ,but it will help you to “think” in English .But don't speak too loud!?
Songs and Video　Repeat the words of an English-language song singing with the music until it becomes automatic. It's good practice for your memory and for the mouth muscles that you need for English.?
Above all ,speak as much as possible! Make as many mistakes as possible! When you know that you have made a mistake, you know that you have made progress!?
57．What does “Odd-Man-Out” probably mean according to the passage??
A.Someone or something appearing different from others.?
B.Someone or something standing out of the group.?
C.Someone or something arranged in pairs.?
D.Someone or something easily mistaken for another.?
58．What might happen if you speak to yourself loudly in public??
A.The police will take you away and punish you.?
B.The doctors will force you to stay in hospital.?
C.You will have to pay to escape being punished.?
D.You will be forbidden to be member of the club.?
59．Why does the writer say “Make as many mistakes as possible”?Because _______.
A.everyone will make mistakes in learning English?
B.everyone will meet people speaking English with some mistakes?
C.making mistakes is a must in making progress in learning English?
D.making mistakes can make one realize the importance of speaking?
60．According to the passage,which way is not likely to be accepted by English beginners?
A.Recite poems loudly along the riverside.?
B.Listen to some English pop songs and video.?
C.Find an Englishman to speak English with.?
D.Take to the TV showing programmes at home.??

　 The holiday shopping season is once again upon us.The super malls and smaller shopping centers will all be packed as hurried Americans search for the perfect gift.The crooks and thieves that prey upon innocent shoppers are well aware of this fact.

　 Even if you don’t involve yourself with holiday gift buying，you could end up a victim of theft.Thieves do not distinguish the holiday shopper from the everyday shopper.Thieves only know that there are more potential targets of opportunity at this time of year.

　 They also know that many people are complacent (不以为然的) about personal safety issues year round.They’ll factor in the belief that many people take on added stress this time of year while running from store to store with so much to do and so little time to do it.Shoppers who might normally consider personal safety an afterthought push it back even further as they try to negotiate their way through the month of December.College students are not an exception to the rule!

　 As a member of our university community，you’re also easily influenced by the dangers of mall shopping this time of year.Take a minute and picture any of the local area malls.Close your eyes and think about the overflowing parking lots and the crowds moving around.The sights，sounds and distractions all can lull you into a state of personal safety complacency.

　 Aside from the shoplifters who steal merchandise from store shelves are the thieves who perpetrate (犯) snatch and grab crimes.And this is the sort of crime that you’re most vulnerable to，especially when you find yourself carrying a large number of shopping bags and packages.However，as is the case with most other types of criminal behavior，there are a number of crime prevention measures you can take to lessen or stop your chances of becoming a victim.So take the time to read and then put into practice the following holiday shopping tips.

1.The author is most probably　　　　 .

　 A.a newspaper reporter

　 B.a novelist

　 C.a member of university community

　 D.a police spokesman

2.What does the underlined word “They” in Paragraph 3 refer to?

　 A.Shoppers. 　　　　　　　　　 B.Thieves.

　 C.Personal safety issues.　　　　　　 D.College students.

3.Why is a person more likely to become a victim of theft during holiday shopping?

　 A.Because he often has much to buy.

　 B.Because he often does shopping in a hurry.

　 C.Because there are crowds of shoppers.

　 D.All of the above.

4.What is the writer’s purpose in writing this passage?

　 A.To tell readers different kinds of crimes.

　 B.To make readers aware of holiday shopping dangers.

　 C.To give advice on selecting the perfect gift.

　 D.To introduce American public security situation.

5.Which of the following would be the best title of the passage?

　 A.Holiday Shopping Safety

　 B.Suitable Shopping Places

　 C.Personal Safety During Holidays

　 D.How to Identify a Thief