Beijingers are Eager to Learn Oral English

     Yang Peng has been a taxi driver for years. He knows every corner of the city. His hospitable (好客的) manner usually earns him thanks — except when he meets foreigners. For Yang does not know any English.

     “Now I study English in my spare time.” said Yang, in his 40s’. He pulls an English textbook from the toolbox. “I study English to help with Beijing’s Olympic bid,” he explained proudly. Yang is just one of ordinary people in Beijing who started to learn English when the capital announced its bid to host the 2008 Olympic Games.

     Learning and speaking English is “hot” among residents of this 3,000-year-old city. From school to factories, men and women, old and young, are studying their “ABC” with enthusiasm. Many English text books with the Olympic bid logo(标语) on the cover were published and sold in the city. Books teaching basic idioms and expressions for daily communication are the most popular. Employees in public service industries, such as taxi drivers, bus conductors and the police, were asked by their employers to learn basic English. Nearly 3,000 students from 50 universities in Beijing hit the streets last month as volunteers to teach the citizens English. The students teach common phrases, such as greetings and asking and answering simple questions.

     A survey shows that some 15 percent of Beijingers speak English. The percentage is expected to increase to 20 or 30 percent during the campaign years. In addition, the government encourages the use of English in many areas. The city metros(地铁) broadcast information in both English and Chinese.

 English is regarded as the most important working language other than Chinese for the Olympics. According to the Beijing 2008 Olympic Bid Committee (BOBICO), almost all committee staff members are fluent in English. Many are language experts. All the reports are being conducted in English during the International Olympic Committee Evaluation Panel’s visit, which began Wednesday.

1．Beijingers are eager to learn oral English because ________.

A．it is very popular among people in Beijing

B．the capital announced its bid to host the 2008 Olympic Games

C．Beijing has attracted more and more foreigners to go sight-seeing

D．they are hoping to do good to Beijing’s 2008 Olympic bid

2．Nearly 3,000 from 50 universities in Beijing hit the streets last month so as to ________.

    A．practice their oral English

    B．show their enthusiasm toward the 2008 Olympic bid

    C．tell people how to learn English well in a short time

    D．teach the citizens English, especially common phrases

3．The underlined word “other than” here probably refers to ________.

    A．except     B．besides     C．not     D．different from

4．The main idea of the text is ________.

    A．English will become the leading language in Beijing

    B．people in Beijing are eager to learn oral English

    C．what causes so many people to learn oral English

    D．the position of English is becoming more and more important

Beijingers are Eager to Learn Oral English

     Yang Peng has been a taxi driver for years. He knows every corner of the city. His hospitable (好客的) manner usually earns him thanks — except when he meets foreigners. For Yang does not know any English.

     “Now I study English in my spare time.” said Yang, in his 40s’. He pulls an English textbook from the toolbox. “I study English to help with Beijing’s Olympic bid,” he explained proudly. Yang is just one of ordinary people in Beijing who started to learn English when the capital announced its bid to host the 2008 Olympic Games.

     Learning and speaking English is “hot” among residents of this 3,000-year-old city. From school to factories, men and women, old and young, are studying their “ABC” with enthusiasm. Many English text books with the Olympic bid logo(标语) on the cover were published and sold in the city. Books teaching basic idioms and expressions for daily communication are the most popular. Employees in public service industries, such as taxi drivers, bus conductors and the police, were asked by their employers to learn basic English. Nearly 3,000 students from 50 universities in Beijing hit the streets last month as volunteers to teach the citizens English. The students teach common phrases, such as greetings and asking and answering simple questions.

     A survey shows that some 15 percent of Beijingers speak English. The percentage is expected to increase to 20 or 30 percent during the campaign years. In addition, the government encourages the use of English in many areas. The city metros(地铁) broadcast information in both English and Chinese.

     English is regarded as the most important working language other than Chinese for the Olympics. According to the Beijing 2008 Olympic Bid Committee (BOBICO), almost all committee staff members are fluent in English. Many are language experts. All the reports are being conducted in English during the International Olympic Committee Evaluation Panel’s visit, which began Wednesday.

1．Beijingers are eager to learn oral English because ________.

A．it is very popular among people in Beijing

B．the capital announced its bid to host the 2008 Olympic Games

C．Beijing has attracted more and more foreigners to go sight-seeing

D．they are hoping to do good to Beijing’s 2008 Olympic bid

2．Nearly 3,000 from 50 universities in Beijing hit the streets last month so as to ________.

    A．practice their oral English

    B．show their enthusiasm toward the 2008 Olympic bid

    C．tell people how to learn English well in a short time

    D．teach the citizens English, especially common phrases

3．The underlined word “other than” here probably refers to ________.

    A．except     B．besides     C．not     D．different from

4．The main idea of the text is ________.

    A．English will become the leading language in Beijing

    B．people in Beijing are eager to learn oral English

    C．what causes so many people to learn oral English

    D．the position of English is becoming more and more important