---English has a large vocabulary, hasn’t it?

---Yes. _____  more words and expressions and you will find it easier to read and communicate.

A．Know            B．Knowing          C．To know           D．Known

Towards the end of Middle English, a sudden change in pronunciation started, with vowels being pronounced shorter and shorter. From the 16th century the British had contact with people from around the world. This means that many new words and phrases entered the language. The invention of printing also meant that there was a common language in print. Books became cheaper and more people learned to read. Spelling and grammar became fixed and the dialect （方言）of London became the standard. In 1604, the first English dictionary was published.

The numbers of words in Early Modern English and Late Modern English differ. Late Modern English has a lot more words because of two main factors: firstly, the Industrial Revolution created a need for new words; secondly, the British Empire covered one quarter of the earth’s surface, and the English language took in foreign words from many countries.

From around 1600, the English colonization(殖民地化)of North America resulted in the creation of American English. Some English pronunciation and words froze when they reached America. In some ways, American English is more like the English of Shakespeare than modern British English. Some expressions that the British call “ Americanisms” are in fact original （原先的）British expressions that were preserved (保存) in the colonies but were lost in Britain. Spanish also had an influence on American English, with words like canyon, ranch, stampede and vigilante being examples of Spanish words that entered English. French words and West African words also influenced American English.

Today, American English is the most influential(有影响力的). But there are many other kinds of English around the world, including Australian English, New Zealand English, Canadian English, South African English , Indian English and Caribbean English. They have differences.

1.What can we know from Paragraph 1?

A．The dialect of London became the standard in the year 1604.

B．Vowels were pronounced longer towards the end of Middle English

C．The first English dictionary was published in the early 17th century.

D．Many new words entered English because many people moved to Britain.

2.From Paragraph 2, we know that the Industrial Revolution __________.

A．required spelling and grammar to be fixed

B．required a greater number of English words

C．caused many old English words to be useless

D．led to the English colonization of North America.

3.The underlined word “froze” in Paragraph 3 shows that some English words in America___________.

A．became longer                         B．greatly changed

C．a little changed                         D．stayed as they were

4.What will the paragraph following this passage most probably discuss?

A．The development of Modern English

B．How the English vocabulary became larger

C．Differences among the different kinds of English

D．Differences between Middle English and Modern English

第二节读写任务(共1小题，满分25分)

阅读下面的短文，然后按照要求写一篇150词左右的英语短文。

I found that my way of learning English that I formed from middle school still works today. By listening to tapes and imitating the speakers one can improve his pronunciation within a short time. By reciting classic essays one can enrich their language as well as enlarge their vocabulary. As a non-English major， I like to set aside a certain period of time for English learning every day， usually an hour or at least half an hour. I utilize this precious time by listening to tapes and imitating their content and then reciting the short passages I like. To be frank， “Crazy English” has always been my favorite. This is definitely not intended to flatter. Instead of dividing my attention between too many materials， I’d rather concentrate on one particular resource at a time such as CE， not only because of its abundant content and native English， but also because of the benefits it has brought to me through intensive reading， listening and reciting， I believe that studying English by using these intensive methods will help you to get twice the result with half the effort.

［写作内容］

(1) 以约30词概括短文的要点；

(2) 然后以约120个词就“如何学好英语” 的主题发表看法，并包括如下要点：

①弄清自已学习英语的目的；认识到学习英语是一个渐进的过程；

②养成良好的学习习惯，学英语讲究日积月累；

③充分利用好INTERNET。

［写作要求］        可以使用实例或其他论述方法支持你的论点，也可以参照阅读材料的内容，但不得直接引用原文中的句子；

［评分标准］   概括准确、语言规范、内容合适、篇章连贯。

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Now I’m a senior high school student in Grade Two . I feel that school life is a little hard , just as my friends said . However , a hard life doesn’t have to mean a boring one at all .
School life is not just about studying and getting high marks . Getting involved in student clubs can be a unique and unforgettable experience .
Wang Tian enjoys Tuesday afternoons more than any other time of the week . Why ? Well , that’s when Wang and 47 other members of the DIY ( do it yourself ) club learn to make things such as rondo flowers ( 丝网花 ) and cross-stitch（ 十字绣 ）. Wang also knows how to knit scarves and make clay accessories（ 小饰件 ）. They even sell their products to raise money for poor students !
When Chen Mo started the High School , there was a drama club and a rock band , but no street dance club . So the girl started one . “Street dancing is dynamic and helps us relax and keep fit ,” Chen said . There are around 30 students in Chen’s club . They practice dance skills on Sundays . Sometimes they go to street dance performances in the city . “We watch , learn and make friends . People in this circle are actually very nice and sweet ,” she said .
There are dozens of clubs for me to choose from , such as basketball club or science club . But I love the translation club best . The 30 club members get together once a week . With the help of a volunteer teacher , I’ve learned the general principles of professional translation . It’s the first step to becoming a good translator . Besides ,after attending this club , my English has improved a lot .
I like my school life very much . And I believe whether a life is meaningful or not depends on the person who leads it .
【小题1】Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage ?

On October 19, 1959, the first Special English program was broadcast on the Voice of America. It was an experiment. The goal was to communicate by radio in clear and simple English with people whose native language is not English. Experts said the goal was admirable, but the method would not work. They were proved wrong. The Special English programs quickly became some of the most popular on VOA. And they still are.

Forty years later, Special English continues to communicate with people who are not fluent in English. But during the years its role has expanded. It also helps people learn American English. And it provides listeners, even those who are native English speakers, with information they cannot find elsewhere.

     Today, Special English broadcasts around the world seven days a week, five times a day. Each half-hour broadcast begins with ten minutes of the latest news followed by 20 minutes of feature programming. There is a different short feature every weekday about science, development, agriculture and environment, and on the weekend, about news events and American idioms.

Three elements make Special English unique. It has a limited vocabulary of 1500 words. Most are simple words that describe objects, actions or emotions. Some are more difficult. They are used for reporting world events and describing discoveries in medicine and science. Special English is written in short, simple sentences that contain only one idea. No idioms are used. And Special English is spoken at a slower pace, about two-thirds the speed of Standard English. This helps people learning English hear each word clearly. It also helps people who are English speakers understand complex subjects.

Through the years, Special English has become a very popular tool for teaching English, even though it was not designed as teaching program. It succeeds in helping people learn English in a non-traditional way. Individuals record the programs and play them over and over to practice their listening skills. In countries around the world, English teachers assign Special English to their students. They praise it for improving their students' ability to understand American English and for the content of the programs. Universities and private companies in many countries produce packages of Special English materials for student use.

At the beginning, Special English program was         .

       A．well received

       B．rejected by native people

       C．doubted by some professionals

       D．intended for teaching English

What kind of English is spoken on Special English?

       A．British English.

       B．American English.

       C．Both British and American English.

       D．Not certain.

Which of the following are the elements that make Special English unique?

       a．limited vocabulary

       b．short simple sentences

       b．good communication method

       d．slow speed

       e．interesting feature programming

       A．a, b, c      B．a, c, d       C．a, b, d      D．b, d, e

Which of the following statements is TRUE?

       A．Special English has been founded for less than 50 years.

       B．Native English speakers don’t have a great affection for Special English.

       C．Special English usually starts with 20 minutes of the latest news.

       D．People can learn some idioms from Special English.

From the last paragraph we can infer that        .

       A．listening to Special English can be a student’s homework

       B．listening to Special English can improve the content of the program

       C．some student record the Special English material for sale

       D．learning English from VOA is a traditional way for English learner.