阅读理解

　　Language learning begins with listening. Children are greatly different in the amount(数量) of listening they need before they start speaking, and children who start speaking late are often long listeners. Most children will “obey”(服从) spoken instructions some time before they can speak, though the word “obey” can hardly describe the cooperation(合作) shown by the children. Before they can speak, many children will also ask questions by gestures(手势) and by making noises.

　　It is agreed that babies enjoy making noises, and that during the first few months one or two special noises are used by them to show their happiness, pain, friendliness, and so on. But since these cannot be said to be a kind of communication, they can hardly be regarded as early forms of language. From about three months old they play with sounds for enjoyment, and by six months they are able to add new sounds to their store. This self-imitation(自我模仿) leads to deliberate(有意的) imitation of sounds made or words spoken to them by other people. The problem then arises is that can these imitations be considered as speech?

　　It is a problem we need not get our teeth into(全身心地做……). The meaning of a word depends on what a special person means by it in a special situation, and what a child means by a word will change as he gets more experience of the world.

　　Playful and meaningless imitation of what other people say continues after the child has begun to speak for himself. I wonder, however, whether anything is gained when parents try to use this ability to teach new sounds.

1．Before children start speaking, ________.

[　　]

A．they need equal amounts of listening

B．they need different amounts of listening

C．they can all cooperate with the adults(成年人) by obeying spoken instructions

D．they can't understand and obey the adults' spoken instructions

2．Children who start speaking late ________.

[　　]

A．may have problems with their hearing

B．probably do not hear enough language spoken around them

C．usually pay close attention to what they hear

D．often take a long time in leaning to listen properly

3．The problem that a baby's imitations can be considered as speech ________.

[　　]

A．is important because words have different meanings for different people

B．is not especially important because the changeover takes place gradually

C．is one that can never be properly understood because the meaning of words changes with age

D．is one that should be completely ignored because children's use of words is often meaningless

4．Baby's first noises are ________.

[　　]

A．a reflection(映射) of his moods(情绪) and feelings

B．an early form of language

C．a sign that he means to tell you something

D．an imitation of the speech of adults

5．From the last paragraph we know that ________.

[　　]

A．parents can never hope to teach their children new sounds

B．children no longer imitate people after they begin to speak for themselves

C．children who are good at imitating learn new sounds more quickly

D．even after they have learnt to speak children still enjoy imitating

阅读理解

　　While 375 million people around the globe use English as their mother tongue, the number of people using it as a second language has already been well over that figure.

　　It is said that by the end of 2000, one billion people could use English to communicate with others, including both native speakers and non-native speakers.

　　“The rise and fall of a language is closely connected with that country's economic strength and development potential(潜力),” Rhodri Jones, the English 2000 manager of the ELT group of the British Council said.

　　An expert who has given many lectures on the future of English said that the economic boost(快速发展) in Asia would raise the positions of the Chinese and Hindi languages. Therefore, the English language is facing a serious problem. Where will English turn in the next 50 years or the century?

　　The recently introduced book from Britain Future of English might give people concerned with this question some enlightenments(启发). The book helps English teachers, planners, managers and decision makers with a professional interest in the development of English worldwide.

　　With the book written in English translated into Chinese and to be published soon, the book might be brought to a wider sphere of people.

　　“From the book, we learn many facts about the English language, and we may be able to predict(预测) its future after reading it,” said Dorothy Humphery, who used to be a senior English teacher for the British Council.

1．The reason why some language rises in the world depends on ________.

[　　]

A．the population of the country

B．the country's economy strength in the world

C．the number of the population who use it

D．the country's economy strength and development potential

2．The book Future of English helps to ________.

[　　]

A．improve the standard of people's learning English

B．add to people's interest toward English

C．emphasize(强调) the importance of English in the world

D．make people interested in the development of English worldwide

3．After reading Future of English we know ________.

[　　]

A．English is the language that people speak most in the world

B．English may disappear sooner or later

C．the world is keeping changing from time to time

D．what the future of the English language is

4．The main idea of the passage is ________.

[　　]

A．why English has been popular in the world

B．how to improve people's ability of learning English

C．English has a bright future

阅读理解

　　There is an argument(争论) going on in many schools. It's about what language or languages are spoken in classrooms.

　　Some people argue that because this is America, only English should be spoken in schools. Others argue that America is a melting pot. And if students are able to speak more than one language, that should be accepted in classrooms.

　　We asked students in New York city what they thought. Here's what they said.

　　Should English be the only language spoken in American classrooms?

　　YES

　　Pedro Rodriguez: Even though you may want to speak your native language, you should learn and speak only English in school. It is very important. It's the most popular language in the world. If you live here, you should speak it.

　　Gisell Mata: How can people expect to communicate in this country if they can't speak English? School is the best place to start. I think if you speak and write only English in school, you will learn it quicker and be able to speak it very well in a short time.

　　NO

　　Xiomarah Veras: I think people should learn English in school, but they shouldn't be required to speak only English. It should be up to students and teachers to decide what they speak and learn. For people just learning English, it can be easier if they are allowed to speak their native language in class too.

　　Yessenia Ortiz: I think if English is introduced to people slowly, they will want to speak it more. If they are in this country, they will want to learn English. But if you tell them it is the only language they can speak in school, it will make them angry and frustrated(沮丧).

1．The writer wrote the article to ________.

[　　]

A．force the students to speak only English

B．show two opinions on a topic

C．show why students are angry and frustrated

D．tell people English is the main language of the US

2．We can learn from the article that ________.

[　　]

A．people don't agree on speaking English in school

B．most people want to speak only English in school

C．most people in the United States speak only English

D．English is taught as the second language in many schools in US

3．The meaning of “a melting pot” in the second paragraph is ________.

[　　]

A．a pot in which metals can be melted

B．a country which has people from different races and nations

C．a pot used to make chemical experiments

阅读理解

　　Some people learn a second language easily. Other people have trouble learning a new language. How can you help yourself learn a new language, such as English? There are several ways to make learning English a little easier and more interesting.

　　The first step is to feel confident(有自信心的) about learning English. If you believe that you can learn, you will learn. Be patient. You do not have to understand everything all at once. It is natural to make mistakes when you learn something new. We can learn from our mistakes.

　　The second step is to practise your English. For example, write in a journal(日记) every day. You will get used to writing in English, and you will feel comfortable expressing your ideas in English. After several weeks, you will see that your writing is improving. Besides, you must speak English every day. You can practise with your classmates outside class. You will all make mistakes, but gradually you will become comfortable communicating in English.

　　The third step is to keep a record of your language learning. You can write this in your journal. After each class, think about what you did. Did you answer a question correctly? Did you understand something the teacher explained? Perhaps the lesson was difficult, but you tried to understand it. Write these achievements(成就) in your journal.

　　You must be positive about learning English and believe that you can do it. It is important to practise every day and make a record of your achievements. You will enjoy learning English, and you will have more confidence in yourself.

1．The word “communicating” means ________.

[　　]

A．getting information

B．sharing or exchanging ideas, news, information etc.

C．speaking

D．expressing the reason and the result

2．When you learn English, you do not need to ________.

[　　]

A．be patient

B．make mistakes

C．express your ideas in English

D．understand everything all at once

3．What is NOT helpful for you to enjoy learning English?

[　　]

A．To communicate in English.

B．To worry about making mistakes.

C．To think about what has been done after class.

D．To make a record of the achievements.

4．What is the main idea of this passage?

[　　]

A．It is very important to learn a second language.

B．Some people learn a second language easily while other people do not.

C．There are ways to help you learn a second language more easily.

D．Don't worry about making mistakes when learning a second language.

阅读理解

　　As soon as Helen Keller had learned how words work, she began to master language. Within a few weeks, she knew more than a hundred words. She has learned not only their spellings but also their meanings. She quickly mastered not only the tapped letters for words but also Braille. Finally, with Anne Sulivan's help, she even learned to talk, although many sounds were difficult for her to make, and her voice seemed very strange to listeners.

　　As soon as Helen learned to put her thoughts into words, people discovered that she had a fine mind. She had a strong character, too. She decided to do many things that seemed impossible. She learned to do them well.

　　She learned not only to swim and to sail, but also to enjoy music by feeling the waves of sound in the air. She went to school and to college, where Miss Sulivan sat beside her in class, tapping the professors' words into her hand.

　　After graduating from college with honors, Miss Keller gave her time and strength to help other blind people everywhere in the world. She was honored by universities and governments. Kings and presidents became her friends. All this happened because a young teacher had reached a child's mind and set it free.

1．Within a few months, Helen Kelley knew ________.

[　　]

A．more than a hundred words

B．thousands of words

C．no more than a hundred words

D．not more than a hundred words

2．Braille is ________.

[　　]

A．the language of Brazil

B．to tap letters into one's hand

C．a kind of written language for the blind

D．the name of her teacher

3．Why did her voice seem strange to listeners?

[　　]

A．because many sounds were difficult for her to make.

B．because she could not hear.

C．because she had a bad voice.

D．because she was always excited.

4．What is the reason of Helen's success according to the passage?

[　　]

A．Because she was clever.

B．The reason is that her teacher, Miss Sulivan, could understand her and encourage her to do everything valuable.

C．The reason is that she had a strong character.

D．Because she could see and hear a little.

阅读下面短文，选择正确答案

　　Who taught you to speak English? Your parents, while you were a young child. Perhaps even the BBC as a grown-up. Whoever it was, somehow you have developed an understanding of what is rapidly becoming a truly global language.

　　There are now about 376 million people who speak English as their first language, and about the same number who have learnt it in addition to their mother tongue. There are said to be one billion people learning English now and about 80％ of the information on the internet is in English.

　　Is this a good thing, or a bad thing? Should we celebrate(庆贺) the fact that more and more of us can communicate(交流), using a common language, across countries and cultures? Or should we worry about the dangers of “mono-cultureness”, a world in which we all speak the same language, eat the same food and listen to the same music?

　　Does it matter if an increasing number of people speak the same language? On the contrary(相反), I would have thought－although I have never accepted the argument that if only we all understood each other better, there would be fewer wars. Ask the people of India (where many of them speak at least some English) and Pakistan (the same situation with India)…

　　If we all speak English, will we then all start eating McDonalds burgers? Surely not. If English becomes more dominant(占主导地位的), it will kill other languages? I doubt it. When I travel in Africa or Asia, I am always surprised by how many people can speak not only their own language but often one or more other related languages, as well as English and perhaps some French or German as well.

　　When we discussed this on Talking Point a couple of years ago, we received a wonderful poetic email from a listener in Ireland. “The English language is a beautiful language. Maybe it's like a rose,” he said. “But who would ever want their garden just full of roses?”

　　Well, I love roses, and I think they make a beautiful addition to any garden. But the way I see it, just by planting a few roses, you don't necessarily need to pull out everything else. If more and more people want to plant English roses, that's fine by me.

1．By saying “Ask the people of India…and Pakistan”(in paragraph 4), the author is trying to show that ________.

[　　]

A．speaking the same language doesn't necessarily bring peace

B．wars can destroy the relationship between two countries

C．English doesn't kill other languages

D．English is widely used in the world

2．The author would probably agree that ________.

[　　]

A．it's very hard to plant many kinds of flowers in a garden

B．it's good for people from other countries to learn English

C．more and more people like to plant roses in their gardens

D．English will kill other languages

3．This passage is mainly about ________.

[　　]

A．why English has become a global language

B．how people in the world learn English as a foreign language

C．how many people in the world speak English

D．whether we need worry about English being a world language

阅读下面短文，选择正确答案

　　Holidaymakers who are bored with baking beaches and overheated hotel rooms head for a big igloo(圆顶雪屋). Swedish businessman Nile Bergqvist is delighted with his new hotel, the world's first igloo hotel. Built in a small town in Lapland, it has been attracting lots of visitors, but soon the fun will be over.

　　In two weeks' time Bergqvist's ice creation(作品) will be nothing more than a pool of water. “We don't see it as a big problem,” he says. “We just look forward to replacing it.”

　　Bergqvist built his first igloo in 1991 for an art exhibition. It was so successful that he designed the present one, which measures roughly 200 square meters. Six workmen spent more than eight weeks piling 1,000 tons of snow onto a wooden base; when the snow froze, the base was removed. “The only wooden thing we have left in the igloo is the front door,” he says.

　　After their stay, all visitors receive a survival certificate recording their success. With no windows, nowhere to hang clothes and temperatures below 0℃, it may seem more like a survival test than a relaxing(轻松的) hotel break. “It's great fun,” Bergqvist explains, “as well as a good start in survival training.”

　　The popularity of the igloo is beyond doubt: it is now attracting tourists from all over the world. At least 800 people have stayed at the igloo this season even though there are only ten rooms. “You can get a lot of people in,” explains Berqvist. “The beds are three meters wide by two meters long, and can fit at least four at a time.”

1．Bergqvist designed and built the world's first igloo hotel because ________.

[　　]

A．he believed people would enjoy trying something new

B．he wanted to make a name for the small town

C．an art exhibition was about to open

D．more hotel rooms were needed

2．According to the passage, the first thing to do in building an igloo is ________.

[　　]

A．to gather a pool of water

B．to prepare a wooden base

C．to cover the ground with ice

D．to pile a large amount of snow

3．When guests leave the igloo hotel they will receive a paper stating that ________.

[　　]

A．they have visited Lapland

B．they have had an ice-snow holiday

C．they have had great fun sleeping on ice

D．they have had a taste of adventure

阅读理解

　　To learn English well you must learn about yourself. You must discover what your own special needs are in English. You should pick out what makes English different from your own language and concentrate(集中) on those parts. And above all, you should pick out your personal weaknesses in English, pick out your own special problems, find out what mistakes you most often make and make a list of them.

　　It will be best if, in your preparation, you can practise doing the various sorts of work you will be asked to do in an examination. You should then make a careful note of any mistakes you make more than once. Count(数) up how many times you make each mistake, and the mistake you make most often should be at the top of your list, the next most common in the second place, and so on.

　　For example, if your own language is Japanese, you may find the problem of articles comes at the top of your list. If you speak German, you may find using some of the conjunctions(连词) is your biggest problem. If your mother tongue is French, you may find you are always having trouble with some prepositions(介词). And if Italian is your language, you may often forget to use a suitable pronoun(代词) when you should.

　　But these are only examples of mistakes typical(典型的) of certain languages. They may or may not be your particular personal mistakes. As I say, these personal ones are the most important of all to discover.

　　Find out your problems, deal with them and remember them.

1．To learn English well the most important thing is to ________.

[　　]

A．learn about yourself

B．discover your own special need

C．find out the difference between your own language and English

D．pick out your own personal weaknesses in English

2．The writer advises the readers to ________.

[　　]

A．spend as much time on English as possible

B．take examinations of various sorts

C．find their own problems through doing carefully designed exercises

D．keep a notebook with the most important language points in it

3．The first item(项目) on the list should be the mistake you make ________.

[　　]

4．According to the examples given ________ may have difficulty in using the word “if”.

[　　]

5．To make a list of personal mistakes ________.

[　　]

A．needs careful work

B．takes little time

C．is an easy job

D．is all one has to do in learning English

阅读理解

　　A student is learning to speak British English. He wonders: Can they understand me? Learners of English often ask: What are the difference between British and American English? How important are these differences?

　　Certainly, there are some differences between British and American English. There are a few differences in grammar. For example, speakers of British English say “in hospital” and “Have you got a pen?” Americans say “in the hospital” and “Do you have a pen?” Pronunciation is sometimes different. Americans usually sound ther's in words like “bird” and “work”. Some speakers of British English do not sound ther's in these words. There are differences between British and American English in spelling and vocabulary(词汇). For example, “colour” and “vapour” are British, “color” and “vapor” are American.

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

1．One of the questions among students learning English is ________.

[　　]

A．if they should learn American English

B．how they can communicate with Americans

C．how great the difference is between British and American English

D．in how many ways the two languages are different

2．To the question “Are there differences between British English and American English?” the wirter's answer is ________.

[　　]

3．Which of the following do you think is American English?

[　　]

A．I haven't any brothers.

B．I don't have any brothers.

C．I haven't got any brothers.

D．I have got no brothers.

4．________ speakers of British English sound ther's in the word “artist”.

[　　]

5．The writer of the article believes ________.

[　　]

A．there are differences between British and American English, but it's not enough to get in the way of communication

B．there's no difference between British and American English, so they are the same language

C．there are so many differences between British English and American English that communication between the two peoples is impossible

阅读理解

　　When researchers made their first clone of an animal, Dolly the Sheep, in 1997, one doctor said, “The genie is out of the bottle.” But then he tried to actually create the “genie” by making a human clone.

　　Dr Panayiotis Zavos told the public on October 5 that he could create the first cloned human before the end of the year. He is an expert on human copying and breeding from the University of Kentucky in the United States.

　　His workers have been stopped from carrying out research in most European Union countries, but Zavos said that fact was not slowing progress.

　　“It is going well enough so we may try the first production of cloned embryos(胚胎) in the very near future. That is, three or four months from now.” Cypriot-born Zavos said. He moved to the United States over 30 years ago.

　　Human cloning could, in effect, create a copy of another living or dead person.

　　But Zavos insisted there was nothing harmful in the project. As an expert on human reproduction, he said he is only interested in helping couples who cannot naturally have babies to have a child.

　　“We are not interested in cloning people like Bin Laden, Michael Jackson or Michael Jordan,” the doctor added. “We are only interested in helping a father who does not have the ability to have a biological child of his own.”

　　Zavos said thousands of childless people from all over the world are helping in their research.

　　He would not say where the research is under way, but indicated that it is in more than one country.

1．In the underlined sentence, “he” refers to ________.

[　　]

A．the doctor who said “The genie is out of the bottle”

B．Dolly

C．the writer

D．the genie

2．Dr Panayiotis Zavos ________.

[　　]

A．has cloned a human

B．has created a human

C．is researching on copying and breeding humans

D．will certainly clone a human next year

3．Dr Panayiotis Zavos ________.

[　　]

A．will clone Bin Laden alike

B．will clone the people he dislikes

C．won't clone great people

D．will clone the ones who cannot bear children naturally

4．We can know from the passage that ________.

[　　]

A．all the people support Zavos's research

B．the research on human reproduction is being done

C．lots of countries are doing research on human cloning

D．the research is being done only in one country