Living in a foreign culture can be exciting, but it can also be confusing(令人迷惑的). A group of Americans who taught English in other countries recently discussed their experiences. They decided that miscommunications(沟通误解)were always possible, even over something as simple as “yes” and “no”.
On her first day in Micronesia, an island in the Pacific(太平洋), Lisa thought people weren’t paying any attention to her. The day was hot. She went into a store and asked, “Do you have cold drinks?” The woman there didn’t say anything. Lisa repeated the question. Still the woman said nothing. She later learned that the woman had answered her: She had raised her eyebrows(眉毛),which in Micronesia means “yes”.
Jan remembered an experience she had in Bulgaria, a country in Europe. She went to a restaurant that was famous for its cabbage. She asked the waiter, “Do you have cabbage today?” He nodded his head. Jan waited, but the cabbage never came. In that country, a nod means “no”.
Tom had a similar problem when arrived in India. After explaining something in class, he asked his students if they understood. They answered with many different nods and shakes of the head. He thought some people had not understood, so he explained again. When he asked again, they did the same thing. He soon found out that his students did understand. In India, people nod and shake their heads in different ways depending on(依据)where they come from. You have to know where a person is from to understand whether they mean “yes” or “no”.
【小题1】The Americans teaching English in other countries found that they      .
A.should go abroad for vacations
B.needed to learn foreign languages
C.should often discuss their experiences
D.had problems with communications
【小题2】People in Micronesia show “yes” by          .
A.nodding headsB.raising eyebrowsC.shaking headsD.saying “no”
【小题3】Tom misunderstood(误解) his class at first because           .
A.he did not know much about Indian culture
B.he didn’t explain everything clearly enough
C.some students didn’t understand his questions
D.he didn’t know where the students came from
【小题4】Which of the following is TRUE according to this passage?
A.In Bulgaria, nodding heads means “no”.
B.Jan taught English on a Pacific island.
C.Lisa was trying to buy some cabbage.
D.In India, only shaking heads means “yes”.
【小题5】The passage is mainly about          .
A.body language in foreign restaurants
B.class discussion in India schools
C.miscommunication in different cultures
D.English teaching in other countries

British English and American English

A student is studying British English. He wonders: Can I have a talk with Americans? Can they catch me? Learners of English often ask--what are the differences between British English and American English? How important are these differences?

Certainly, there are some differences between British English and American English. There are a few differences in grammar(语法). For example, speakers of British English say “in hospital” and “Have you a pen?” Americans “in the hospital” and “Do you have a pen?” Pronunciation (发音) is sometimes different. Americans usually sound the “r” in words like “car”and “farm”. Some speakers of British English do not sound the “r” in these words. There are differences between British English and American English in spelling and vocabulary. For example, “colour”and “honour” are British English spellings. “Color” and “honor” are American English spellings.

These differences are in grammar, pronunciation, spelling and vocabulary. However, they are not important. For the most part, British English and American English are the same language.

1.In American English, we can say, “      ? ”

A.Have you a new book

B.Do you have a new book

C.Are you have a new book

D.Can you to have a new book

2.Between British English and American English, sometimes pronunciation is        .

A.poor             B.different          C.high              D.short

3.In American English, the word “favourite”can be spelt      .

A.favoruite          B.favurite           C.favorite           D.favrite

4.Englishmen say “in hospital”, while Americans say        .

A.at the hospital                          B.in the hospital

C.by hospital                            D.to hospital

5.The main idea of the passage is that                  .

A.there are no differences between British English and American English

B.British English and American English are two different languages

C.speakers of British English and American English speak the same language

D.we shouldn't speak English

 

For more than four hundred years, people all over the world have been reading ,watching and listening to the plays and poetry of the British writer William Shakespeare.

Most people think of Shakespeare as a writer. But he was also a theater producer, a part owner of an acting company and an actor. For most of his career, he was a producer and main writer for an acting company called the King’s Men. Shakespeare is best known for the thirty—nine plays that he wrote, although only thirty—eight exist today. His plays are usually divided into three groups: comedies, histories and tragedies. Some of his most famous plays are Hamlet ,Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth and so on.

Shakespeare was born in 1564 in England. At school he liked watching plays. He decided to be an actor when he finished school at the age of 14.He married Anne Hathaway at the age of 18.The couple had three children, two daughters and a son who died very young. In 1585,Shakespeare left his hometown. No one knows why he left or moved to London and joined a theater company which opened the Globe Theater in 1599.He made much money from it.He became an actor, and he also wrote plays. He usually acted in his own plays. He died in 1616. He left his money to his family. He left his genius to the world. Now you can still see his plays in English and in many other languages. He is one of the most famous writers in the world.

1.What was Shakespeare?

A.A writer                              B.An actor

C.A theater producer                      D.A,B and C

2.Shakespeare made much money from_______.

A.writing                               B.acting

C.opening the Globe Theater                D.selling his books

3.What’s the meaning of the underlined word “genius” in the passage?

A.房子             B.遗憾             C.悔恨             D.天赋

4.Which sentence is NOT TRUE according to the passage?

A.Shakespeare died when he was 52 years old.

B.Shakespeare married in 1582,and he had two daughters and a son.

C.Shakespeare’s plays are usually divided into three groups: comedies, histories and science fictions.

D.No one knows why Shakespeare left his hometown at he age of 21.

 

违法和不良信息举报电话:027-86699610 举报邮箱:58377363@163.com

精英家教网