Talking About English Learning

English is spoken by many people in the world. It’s becoming more and more seuful and _____1______ ( 重要的) in our daily life.

I have learned English s   2____  many years ago. In class, I try to listen to the teacher ____3_______ (仔细地)and speak English more. After class, first I go over the lessons. Then I listen to tapes, watch English programs on TV, read English, ___4______ ( 参加 ) the English corner and so on. While I am in trouble, my English teacher gives me much h____5_____. I study    6   __  hard that I’m good at it now. I wish to practice ____7_____ (说)English with foreigners one day!

By the way, here are some suggestions for you. First, believe y    8     and try to read or speak English loudly. ___9_____, learn English words and useful phrases or sentences by heart. Third, try to use English as much as ___10______.

Armida Scarpa is an English teacher. She believes that stories can be used from the very beginning. She uses a real text of Goldilocks with her class.   1 . They are in their second year at school. They are learning to read in Italian, and have English three times a week. She doesn’t expect the children to learn the difficult grammar.   2 . She only asks them to really learn the words. This method is to give children an experience of real English and allows the teacher to use almost any story.   3  and if the teacher uses it carefully, the children can understand it.

Children are used to living in a world where they do not understand a lot of things.   4 , but they can also notice all the other information around them. If we deprive (剥夺) children of every experience except those we want them to master, then we take away the chance for them to experience this natural growth.

Armida Scarpa is an English teacher. She believes that stories can be used from the very beginning. She uses a real text of Goldilocks with her class.   1 . They are in their second year at school. They are learning to read in Italian, and have English three times a week. She doesn’t expect the children to learn the difficult grammar.   2 . She only asks them to really learn the words. This method is to give children an experience of real English and allows the teacher to use almost any story.   3  and if the teacher uses it carefully, the children can understand it.
Children are used to living in a world where they do not understand a lot of things.   4 , but they can also notice all the other information around them. If we deprive (剥夺) children of every experience except those we want them to master, then we take away the chance for them to experience this natural growth.

American and British people both speak English of course. But sometimes it does not seem like the same language. In fact, there are some important differences between British English and American English.

     First of all, they sound very different. Often, Americans don’t say each word separately. They say several words together. Americans may say “I dunno” instead of “I don’t know”. Or they may say “Whaddya say?” instead of “What did you say?” however, the British are more careful in their speech. They usually say all the words and keep them separate.

    Words sometimes have different meanings too. Some American words are never used in England. The same thing is true of some British words in America. For example, the vocabulary（词汇）for cars and driving is very different. Americans drive trucks, but in England people drive lorries.

     Many expressions are also different in the two countries. In England, if you are going to telephone your friends, you “phone them up”. In America, you “give them a call”.

     There’re also some differences in grammar. For example, when Americans ask a question., they say “Do you have a storybook?” But the British often say “Have you a storybook?”

     All these differences can be confusing （易混淆的）if you are learning English. But most languages are like this. Languages change over time. When people live in separate places, the languages change in different ways. This is what has happened to English. It can also happen to other languages, such as French. Many people in Canada speak French but their French is very different from the French of France.

1.What does the word “separate” mean in the passage? It means “____”

A. 含糊的     B. 快速的    C. 分开的      D. 简略的

2.The vocabulary for cars and driving is _____.

A. an example of British English

B. an example of American English

C. the same in America and England

D. not the same in America and England

3.Language _________.

A. are always changing as time passes

B. keep unchanged even if time changes

C. are the same in all places

D. are easy to learn

4. This passage is mainly about ______.

A. English vocabulary

B. how American sounds are different from British sounds

C. the way the British say words

D. some differences between American and British English

To learn a foreign language well, you need to spend a lot of time on it. The ___46___ time you spend on the language, the faster you will learn. This does not ___47___ sitting in class looking out of the window, nor listening to other students who do not speak well. This means spending time enjoyably on the ___48___ you are learning.

Listen to the language you are learning on your MP3 player. Read ___49___ you are listening to. Listen to and read things that you like, things that you can mostly ___50___, or even partly understand. One hour of listening or reading is more effective（有效率）than many hours of class time. If you ___51___ listening and reading, you will improve yourself.

Build up your vocabulary lists, which you’ll need lots of. Start to notice words and how they come ___52___ as phrases. Learn these words and phrases ___53___ listening and reading. Read online, using online dictionaries, and make your own vocabulary lists. Do not ___54___ for someone else to show you the language, nor to tell you what to do, and you should discover the language by yourself, like a child growing up. Talk when you feel like it. ___55___ when you feel like. You are learning and improving. The language will become clearer in your mind. Just make sure you spend enough time on the language.