One is not born able to speak a language. One is born able to make a noise. I have heard babies cry in America and in China. I can’t tell any difference. But when I hear someone from America speak English and hear someone speak Chinese, I can tell you there are a lot of differences.
I believe a common(普遍的) problem with Chinese students’ learning English is that they were not taught to think in English. They have an idea spoken in English and want to translate the idea into Chinese, then they think in Chinese of the proper reply and translate it into English. After a long period of speaking the language, one begins to think in the foreign language naturally. You will learn faster if you begin to think in English at the very beginning of your study. Many students ask me: What can I do to improve my spoken English?
My reply is: The more English you speak, the better English you will speak. There are many things you can do to improve your spoken English. Of course, the best way is to live where English is spoken as a language of the country.
【小题1】The cries of American and Chinese babies are _______.

It seems that politicians around the world are thinking about the health of their countries. While in China, Chen Zhu has announced his plans for a universal（全体的，普遍的）health service and reform across health services. Gordon Brown, the UK Prime Minister, has also announced he is planning to make some changes in our health service.

    The crux（关键）of Mr. Brown's proposals are related to giving the NHS (National Health Service) a greater focus on prevention, rather than just curing patients.

    He is planning to introduce increased screening for common diseases such as heart disease, strokes（中风）, and cancer, for example, breast cancer. In Britain there are 200,000 deaths a year from heart attacks and strokes, many of which might have been avoided if the condition had been known about.

    Initially, the diagnostic (诊断的) tests will be available for those who are vulnerable, or most likely to have the disease. One example is a plan to offer all men over 65 an ultrasound test to check for problems with the main artery (动脉), a condition which kills 3,000 men a year.

The opposition have criticized Mr. Brown's proposals, saying that they are just a trick, and claiming that there is no proper timetable for the changes. They also say that Mr. Brown is reducing the money available for the treatment of certain conditions while putting more money towards testing for them.

    The NHS was founded in 1948, and is paid for by taxation. The idea is that the rich pay more towards the health service than the poor. However in recent years there has been a great increase in the use of private healthcare, because it’s much quicker. NHS waiting lists for operations can be very long, so many people who can afford it choose to pay for medical care themselves.

The underlined word vulnerable in the fourth paragraph probably means ________.

   A. sick     B. weak     C. wounded     D. old

All the following statements are true except that _________.

   A. all people should pay for their healthcare at the NHS.

   B. some people are against the reform of the healthcare.

   C. the writer is likely to come from Britain.

   D. more money will be spent on testing people than before.

Which of the following is the reason for the increasing private healthcare?

   A. People are paying more attention to their own health.

   B. People are well off enough to pay their healthcare.

   C. The NHS was not available for most of the people.

   D. It’s not so convenient for people to go to the NHS for their healthcare.

According to the passage, the purpose of the health reform plan in the UK is to _______  

   A. encourage more private healthcare.

   B.focus on the prevention rather than on curing the patient.

   C. deal with the main artery problems.

   D. fight against the opposition in the UK.

The author of this passage intends to tell us _________.

   A. the NHS should be reformed right away.

   B. more and more people are dying from diseases.

   C. the plan to reform the NHS in the UK.

   D. the criticism of Mr. Brown's proposals.

阅读下面短文, 掌握其大意，然后从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

It was the last day of the final examination in a large eastern university. On the steps of one building, a group of students were talking about the exam that was going to begin in a few   41  .On their faces was confidence（信心）.This was their   42   exam—then they would graduate and begin to work.

Some talked of jobs they already had, others talked of jobs they   43  get. With the certainty of four years of college, they felt 44  and able to take control（控制）of the world.

The coming exam, they knew, would be a(n)   45  task, as the professor had said they could bring  46  books or notes they wanted, requesting only that they did not  47  each other during the test.

  48  they entered the classroom. The professor passed out the papers. And smiles  49  on the students’ faces as they found there were only five questions.

Three hours had passed 50 the professor began to collect papers. The students no longer looked confident. On their faces was a frightened expression. Papers in hand, no one spoke as the professor faced the class.

He looked at the  51  faces before him, and then asked: “How many completed all five questions?”   52  a hand was raised.

“How many answered four?” Still no hand.

“Three? Two?” The students moved restlessly in their seats.

“One, then? Certainly somebody finished  53  .” But the class remained silent.

The professor put down the papers. “That is exactly what I   54  ,” he said. “I just want you to know that, although you have completed four years of study, there are 55  many things about the   56  you don’t know. These questions you could not answer are relatively common（普遍）in everyday  57  .” Then, smiling, he added, “You will all  58  this course, but remember—even though you are now college graduates, your education had just  59  .”

The years have weakened the name of the professor, but not the  60 he taught.

41. A. seconds B. minutes      C. hours  D. days

42. A. only     B. first    C. very    D. last

43. A. would   B. must   C. had to D. used to

44. A. glad     B. ready  C. sorry   D. nice

45. A. interesting    B. necessary    C. easy    D. unusual

46. A. no B. neither       C. any     D. some

47. A. listen to       B. look at       C. care for      D. talk to

48. A. Hardly  B. Happily      C. Anxiously   D. Carefully

49. A. appeared      B. changed     C. failed  D. stopped

50. A. then     B. as       C. before D. after

51. A. pleased B. worried      C. surprised    D. moved

52. A. Not      B. Once   C. Only   D. Even

53. A. all B. none   C. one     D. it

54. A. wondered     B. enjoyed      C. hated  D. expected

55.A. even      B. already       C. so       D. still

56. A. exam    B. subject       C. question     D. college

57. A. exercise       B. class   C. practice      D. homework

58. A. pass      B. fail     C. take    D. start

59. A. begun   B. completed  C. failed  D. succeeded

60. A. subject  B. questions    C. lecture       D. things

It seems that politicians around the world are thinking about the health of their countries. While in China, Chen Zhu has announced his plans for a universal（全体的，普遍的）health service and reform across health services. Gordon Brown, the UK Prime Minister, has also announced he is planning to make some changes in our health service.
The crux（关键）of Mr. Brown's proposals are related to giving the NHS (National Health Service) a greater focus on prevention, rather than just curing patients.
He is planning to introduce increased screening for common diseases such as heart disease, strokes（中风）, and cancer, for example, breast cancer. In Britain there are 200,000 deaths a year from heart attacks and strokes, many of which might have been avoided if the condition had been known about.
Initially, the diagnostic (诊断的) tests will be available for those who are vulnerable, or most likely to have the disease. One example is a plan to offer all men over 65 an ultrasound test to check for problems with the main artery (动脉), a condition which kills 3,000 men a year.
The opposition have criticized Mr. Brown's proposals, saying that they are just a trick, and claiming that there is no proper timetable for the changes. They also say that Mr. Brown is reducing the money available for the treatment of certain conditions while putting more money towards testing for them.
The NHS was founded in 1948, and is paid for by taxation. The idea is that the rich pay more towards the health service than the poor. However in recent years there has been a great increase in the use of private healthcare, because it’s much quicker. NHS waiting lists for operations can be very long, so many people who can afford it choose to pay for medical care themselves.

1. 1.

   The underlined word vulnerable in the fourth paragraph probably means ________.

   1. A.
      sick
   2. B.
      weak
   3. C.
      wounded
   4. D.
      old
2. 2.

   All the following statements are true except that _________.

   1. A.
      all people should pay for their healthcare at the NHS.
   2. B.
      some people are against the reform of the healthcare.
   3. C.
      the writer is likely to come from Britain.
   4. D.
      more money will be spent on testing people than before.
3. 3.

   Which of the following is the reason for the increasing private healthcare?

   1. A.
      People are paying more attention to their own health.
   2. B.
      People are well off enough to pay their healthcare.
   3. C.
      The NHS was not available for most of the people.
   4. D.
      It’s not so convenient for people to go to the NHS for their healthcare.
4. 4.

   According to the passage, the purpose of the health reform plan in the UK is to _______  

   1. A.
      encourage more private healthcare.
   2. B.
      focus on the prevention rather than on curing the patient.
   3. C.
      deal with the main artery problems.
   4. D.
      fight against the opposition in the UK.
5. 5.

   The author of this passage intends to tell us _________.

   1. A.
      the NHS should be reformed right away.
   2. B.
      more and more people are dying from diseases.
   3. C.
      the plan to reform the NHS in the UK.
   4. D.
      the criticism of Mr. Brown's proposals.

One is not born able to speak a language. One is born able to make a noise. I have heard babies cry in America and in China. I can’t tell any difference. But when I hear someone from America speak English and hear someone speak Chinese, I can tell you there are a lot of differences.
I believe a common(普遍的) problem with Chinese students’ learning English is that they were not taught to think in English. They have an idea spoken in English and want to translate the idea into Chinese, then they think in Chinese of the proper reply and translate it into English. After a long period of speaking the language, one begins to think in the foreign language naturally. You will learn faster if you begin to think in English at the very beginning of your study. Many students ask me: What can I do to improve my spoken English?
My reply is: The more English you speak, the better English you will speak. There are many things you can do to improve your spoken English. Of course, the best way is to live where English is spoken as a language of the country.

1. 1.

   The cries of American and Chinese babies are _______.

   1. A.
      different
   2. B.
      the same
   3. C.
      not like each other
   4. D.
      like each other
2. 2.

   The underlined sentence (in Paragraph 2) means that______.

   1. A.
      some teachers didn’t teach students to think in English
   2. B.
      teachers never gave the students the way of learning English
   3. C.
      students didn’t remember the way teachers taught them
   4. D.
      teachers didn’t want their students to think in English
3. 3.

   The underlined word “they” (in Paragraph 2) refers to “_____”.

   1. A.
      Chinese students
   2. B.
      English students
   3. C.
      Chinese teachers
   4. D.
      English teachers
4. 4.

   According to the article, which of the following is TRUE?

   1. A.
      You must think in English all the time.
   2. B.
      You should always translate English into Chinese.
   3. C.
      After speaking English for a long time, you may probably think in English naturally(自然地).
   4. D.
      The best way of learning English is to live in America.