As a foreigner , I often hear the Chinese calling me laowai ” . If I could not speak Chinese or if I had no understanding of Asian customs , I might be angry when I am called a “ laowai ” . But having lived in the Philippines and China’s Taiwan Province teaching English for several years , I have come to China with a different view from most other foreign teachers here . In such situations , I just answer back in standard Chinese : “ Ni zenmo zhidao wo shi waiguoren ?( How do you know I’m a foreigner ? )” When I hear people shout out “ hello ” in a more impolite way and then laugh , I reply in Chinese with “ Ni de yingyu bi wo de hao .(Your English is better than mine .)”
Speaking Chinese is a way of living an easier life in China . As an English teacher at Hubei University in Wuhan , I was once invited by a student to spend the weekend with his family . Because I can speak Chinese quite freely , I was able to talk with my student’s entire family . From my personal experience , I knew that the Chinese have a “ gift ”for making foreigners in China feel right at home . That fun-filled weekend I spent with my student’s family in Caidian , a small suburb of Wuhan , just showed that my idea was right .
It was an experience I will never forget .
Americans have a saying : If you can’t beat them , then join them .The secret to feeling at home with the Chinese people isn’t to try to make them change over to Western ways . The secret is to become one of them . Just go with the flow , or don’t take things too seriously . In this way you will surely feel at home in China .
If you no longer emphasize (强调) our differences from the Chinese , you will be more willing to concentrate on what “ big noses ” and “ small noses ” have in common .
68. The reply “Ni de yingyu bi wo de hao ” shows _______ .
A. the author likes to talk with the Chinese    
B. the author isn’t angry
C. the author really think so        
D. the author likes to speak Chinese
69. Which of the following is NOT true ?
A. The author has known Chinese customs fairly well .
B. The author can speak Chinese very well .
C. The author doesn’t mind being called a “ laowai ” .
D. The author is difficult to get along with .
70. Shouting out “ hello ” to a strange foreigner is usually considered ______ by foreigners .
A. friendly                      B. curious       
C. rude                         D. brave
71. The phrase “ go with the flow ” here means _______ .
A. feel at home                     
B. when in Rome , do as the Romans do
C. flow with the river                
D. take things easy

Anchors on China Central Television (CCTV) will need to do some fast talking to replace the popular English acronyms(首字母缩略词) they’re now banned from using. Shanghai Daily reports that “anchors at  (CCTV) have been banned from saying the English acronyms NBA, CBA, GDP, and the like in their programs.”

The replacement for those handy acronyms? Chinese presenters must use the full Chinese name, standardized by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television.

Although CCTV presenters must already have a score of at least 94 in their government-rated oral Mandarin proficiency exam, saying the full name of organizations like the CBA or WTO ― 10 and 6 character’s long separately ― is sure to challenge even the most skillful anchors. CCTV sports anchor Sun Zhengping tells Shanghai Daily, “A full Chinese explanation of the English initials must be followed if my tongue slips. It is a little trouble but a necessary one because not every audience member can understand the initials.”

Although the government isn’t giving any official explanation for the shift, it is believed to have to do with a proposal by Huang Youyi, director of the China International Publishing Group, at March’s NPC meeting. In his speech, Huang said, “With more and more publications mixing Chinese with English, measures and regulations should be adopted to avoid English invading Chinese. If we don’t pay attention and don’t take measures to stop the expansion of mixing Chinese with English, Chinese won’t be a pure language in a couple of years.”

Although China is far from the first country to take measures to protect local languages (the French and Québécois beat them to it by a long way), acronyms are more about saving time than they are about corrupting a language, we would think. Good luck to the CCTV anchors. 

1. CCTV anchors have to “do some fast talking” because they can no longer ______.

         A. speak as slowly as they like                            B. mix English into Chinese

         C. use shortened Chinese expressions             D. have so much time for their program

2. When Sun Zhengping said “if my tongue slips”, he meant “if I _____”.

         A. habitually use an English acronym                B. speak a little bit too fast

         C. make a mistake in pronunciation                  D. say something impolite or improper

3. What’s Huang Youyi’s proposal?

         A. Using full English names instead of short forms.

         B. Translating Chinese terms into proper English.

         C. Avoiding Chinese words mixing into English.

         D. Keeping our mother tongue as a pure language.

4. What’s the main idea of the last paragraph？

         A. China has fallen behind in the matter.         B. The ban is not necessary.

         C. Chinese shouldn’t be corrupted.                D. CCTV anchors will have a hard time.

Thanks to the huge success of Harry Potter, many teenagers dream about living in an ancient castle. These dreams may include beautiful silk dresses, delicious food, servants and of course, magic. However, real life in an English castle was not easy. With thick stonewalls and high towers, castles were built for defence(防御). So they were not good places to live in. In medieval times, castles must have been noisy and smelly places. Horses, cattle, chickens and sheep walked free, blacksmiths did ironwork, soldiers practised sword (剑) fights, and children of all ages played around them. Castles did not have central heating; the only heat came from the fireplace. Even in summer the castle was cool. People living in the castles had to use blankets to keep warm while at work.

Life during the Middle Ages began at sunrise. Servants lit the fire, swept the floor and cooked the morning meal. The mid-morning meal was the main meal of the day and often included three or four courses (一道菜). After dinner, everyone continued his or her work. The owner of the castle, the lord, sometimes took his guests hunting or shooting. His wife, the lady, spent much of the day watching the maids (女仆) work, as well as people working in the kitchen. She also kept an eye on the weavers and embroiderers who made clothes for the family. Supper was simple and eaten late, just before bedtime.

You may find some old magic books in a castle as Harry Potter once did. Read them before you go to bed, because when you fall asleep the magic of castle life may appear before your eyes.

1. For what purpose were the castles built in England?

A. To defend the city or country against enemies.

B. To provide a working place for blacksmiths.

C. To raise poultry (家禽) and livestock (家畜).

D. To provide a place for teenagers to learn magic.

2. Why were the ancient castles noisy?

A. Because soldiers practiced sword fights there.

B. Because blacksmiths did ironwork there.

C. Because children of all ages played around them.

D. All of the above.

3. Which of the following about family life in castles is true according to the passage?

A. The servants in castles lived an easy life.

B. The wife spent much of the day at home.

C. Supper was eaten before sunset.

D. Dinner was eaten in the middle of the day.

4.The main idea of this passage is ______.

A. castles were not good places to live in

B. castles in novels are different from those in history

C. Harry Potter's story in a castle affected people

D. what real life was like in an ancient castle

Alexander Richard Pettyfer (born on April 10, 1990) is an English actor. The son of an actor and a former fashion model, he began his career as a child fashion model at the age of seven, modeling for labels such as GAP, after meeting Ralph Lauren in a toy store in New York City. He attended Twickenham Preparatory School in Hampton and later the Mall, a small private school in Twickenham and as a schoolboy, performed in plays, including Charlie And The Chocolate Factory.

“When you go through such a long process of auditioning you kind of forget about getting it. It’s more like you keep going up and having a little bit of fun,” Pettyfer said.
The film became a hot topic for film critics. One review of Pettyfer’s performance described him as playing the role with an “earnest seriousness”, although another noted that he “isn’t quite at ease as an actor”. Media reports have specified that the film is expected to make Pettyfer a “teen idol”.
After Pettyfer completed filming on Stormbreaker, he did not discuss the film with anyone at his school, and decided to leave school and concentrate on his film career, as well as study drama full time at college. Now he is studying at Shiplake College boarding school. Pettyfer likes skiing, dancing, and hockey when not working.
【小题1】What’s the CORRECT time order of these events in Pettyfer’s career?
① He made his first appearance in a film.
② He made his first appearance in a play.
③ He made his first appearance on television.
④ He made his first appearance as a model.

A．It was a hit film.

B．All the reviews of this film are positive.

C．Pettyfer didn’t want to play in the film.

D．Pettyfer wasn’t satisfied with his performance in it.

    In 1909 an English newspaper offered ?? 1,000 to the first man to fly across the English Channel in an aeroplane. Today, modern jets cross it in minutes. But at that time it still seemed a good distance. The race to win the money soon became a race between two men. Both were very colourful.

    One was Louis Bleriot. He owned a factory in France that made motor car lamps. He was already well known as a pilot because he had had accidents several times. Some people laughed at him. One man said, “He may not be the first to fly across the Channel but he will certainly be the first to die in an accident!” But Bleriot was really a good and brave pilot. He also had many good ideas about aeroplane design.

    The other man was Hubert Latham. He was half French and half English. He took up flying when his doctors told him he had only a year to live. “Oh, well,” he said, “if I’ m going to die soon, I think I shall have a dangerous and interesting life now.” Latham was the first to try the flight  across the Channel. Ten kilometres from the French coast, his plane had some trouble. It fell down into the water and began to sink under the water. A boat reached Latham just in time. He was sitting calmly on the wing and was coolly lighting a cigarette. Bleriot took off six days later. He flew into some very bad weather and very low cloud. He somehow got to the English side and landed in a farmer’s field. When he did so, a customs (海关) officer rushed up to his plane. Planes have changed since then, but customs officers have not. “Have you anything to declare(报关)?” The officer demanded.

Bleriot was well known as a pilot because ____ .

   A. he was unusually brave

   B. he was quite rich

   C. he had many good ideas about aeroplane design

   D. he had had a few accidents

Why did Hubert Latham want to fly across the Channel?

   A. He thought he could manage it easily.

   B. He wanted to be the first one to cross the Channel.

   C. He knew he only had a year to live.

   D. He had always been interested in flying.

Which of the following is NOT true?

   A. Latham became a pilot on the doctor’s advice.

   B. He was told he could live another year.

   C. His plane had some trouble.

   D. He was saved by a boat when his plane was sinking.