I passed one of my US workmates and gave her a friendly greeting. Her reply was anything but friendly.
"What?"
"Er… you all right?" I tried again.
She looked at me, showing no understanding. Then suddenly the cloud seemed to lift from her mind.
"Oh," she said. "You mean, 'How am I doing? ' I thought you meant I had something on my face."
As a British person coming to Beijing, I knew there would be cultural and language barriers (障碍）between Chinese people and myself.
What I wasn't expecting were the cultural and language barriers between other English-speaking foreigners and myself.
Before the 2012 London Olympic Games, the Daily Mail newspaper published a guide to British English for Americans. Some of their examples were: "Those are 'chips'（炸薯条）that go with your burger, instead of fries. You'd like some potato chips? Those are 'crisps'." And, "The best way to travel around the city during the Olympics will be by the 'underground'（'tube' in British English)."
Any conversation I have with an American is proof（证明）of why a guide like this is necessary. British people usually know the American versions of words from TV or films (sorry-movies), but Americans never seem to have enough knowledge about British English.
The trouble is, it's not just Americans. When I speak English to non-English speakers, I never know whether they have learned British or American English. When they say "chips", for example, do they mean "French fries" or "potato chips"?
I can't help thinking back to the Daily Mail article, "When you talk about 'pants'…in Britain, that means underwear（内裤）." "Trousers" is the more appropriate(恰当的）word.
However, even though British English may have come first, around the world, the American way of spelling is getting more popular.
Last month a survey released by US social media platform Steemit showed that English publications, now largely use the American spelling, exchanging words like "centre" for "center". So it comes as no surprise that everyone I know just says "pants".
1.Why does the writer mention her conversation with an American workmate at the beginning?
A.To show how she gets along with American workmates in the office.
B.To explain how to clear up misunderstandings between workmates.
C.To introduce the differences between British and American English.
D.To describe what her life looked like after she came to Beijing.
2.The underlined sentence "the cloud seemed to lift from her mind" in Paragraph 4 means"________".
A.she became confident of herself B.she came to understand the situation
C.she felt excited for what she heard D.she was not sure what to do next
3.According to the passage, which of the following is WRONG?
A."Chips" in the UK is "fries" in the US.
B."Centre" in the UK is "center" in the US.
C."Trousers" in Britain is "pants" in America.
D."Are you all right? " means different things in Britain and America.
4.Which of the following would the writer probably agree with?
A.British people don't care much about American English.
B.Culture and language differences don't influence understanding.
C.Non-English speakers can't tell British English from American English.
D.It's necessary to know the differences between American and British English.
A great woman once said, "Women must try to do things as men have tried. When they fail, their failure must be a challenge to others." These are the words of US pilot Amelia Earhart (1897-1937), a pioneer in aviation(航空领域）, who was the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean.
Earhart was born in 1897. When she was young, she was very interested in stories about women who were successful in male-dominated（男性为主的）jobs, such as engineering and law.
But in 1920, Earhart's life changed after her first experience of being a plane passenger. As soon as the plane left the ground, Earhart knew that she loved flying and was determined（坚定的）to be a pilot. So she found herself a teacher and started to learn how to fly for herself. To pay for the lessons and buy a plane of her own, she took all sorts of jobs.
In 1932, Earhart flew alone across the Atlantic, becoming the first woman ever to do so. She also designed a flying suit for women and went on to design other clothes for women who led active lives.
When she was nearly 40, Earhart was ready for a final challenge-to be the first woman to fly around the world. Her first attempt was unsuccessful but she tried again in 1937, with her navigator（领航员）Fred Noonan. But one month later, they disappeared without a trace(踪迹）in bad weather in mid-flight.
Her death remained a mystery until recently. A study published in March conducted by Richard Jantz from the University of Tennessee, US, announced that bones found in 1940 on a faraway Pacific island belonged to Earhart.
Even though it's still not clear how she ended up on the island, we're one step closer to finding the answer.
1.When did Earhart first fly across the Atlantic Ocean alone?
A.In 1920. B.In 1932. C.In 1937. D.In 1940.
2.What started Earhart's interest in flying?
A.Her parent's influence. B.Her teachers' encouragement.
C.Her first experience as a passenger. D.Her childhood love for engineering.
3.Which of the following words best describes Earhart?
A.Open-minded and patient. B.Creative and helpful.
C.Talented and unsocial. D.Pioneering and determined.
4.What's the article mainly about?
A.The inspiring life story of Earhart. B.Some possible causes of Earhart's death.
C.The discovery of Earhart's bones. D.What made Earhart a great pilot.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
1000 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10028
211-535-7710 www. metmuseum. org
Entrances
Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street
Hours
Open 7 days a week
Sunday-一Thursday 10:00一17：30
Friday and Saturday 10：00一21：00
Closed Thanksgiving Day, December 25, January 1, and the first Monday in May.
Admission
＄25. 00 recommended for adults,＄12. 00 recommended for students, includes the Main Building and The Cloisters（回廊）on the same day, free for children under 12 with an adult.
Free with Admission
All special exhibitions, as well as films, lectures, guided tours, concerts, gallery talks, and family/children's programmes are free with admissions.
Ask about today's activities at the Great Hall information desk.
The Cloisters Museum and Gardens
The Cloisters Museum and Gardens is a branch（分支）of the Metropolitan Museum of Art devoted to the art and architecture（建筑）of Europe in the Middle Ages. The extensive collection is made up of masterworks in sculpture, coloured glass, and rare and valuable objects from Europe dating from about the 9th to the 15th century.
Hours: Open 7 days a week
March-October 10：00-17：15
November-February 10：00-16：45
Closed Thanksgiving Day, December 25, and January 1.
1.How much may they pay if an 11-year-old girl and her working parents visit the museum?
A.＄12. B.＄37. C.＄50. D.＄62.
2.The attraction of the Cloisters Museum and Gardens lies in the fact that ________.
A.it opens all the year round B.its collections date from the Middle Ages
C.it has a modern European-style garden D.it sells excellent European glass collections
3.Which of the following sentences about "the Metropolitan Museum of Art" is TRUE?
A.It is not open on some special days.
B.It is part of The Cloisters Museum and Gardens.
C.After you enter it, you still have to pay to visit all the special exhibitions.
D.With admission, you can visit the Main Building and The Cloisters any day.
Bob opened the box and drew the shoes out. He put them on quickly to feel how they felt on his feet. They__________________a glove.
"Are those the ones you like, dear?" his mother asked.
"Certainly!" Bob was__________________. These were the best shoes ever. He couldn't hide his __________________. "I'm wearing them out of the store."
While his mother paid for them, Bob walked back and forth __________________ his shoes in front of the mirror. Bob felt like he was floating on air. Just as they were about to leave the store, an old man stepped on his new shoes, leaving a black __________________on the front.
"Hey!" Bob shouted __________________ .
"Oh, sorry there, young man, " the old man said.
"Look what you did to my shoes. ___________________ where you are going! "
"I'm sorry, sir." His mother's face was red. Then she turned to Bob and said __________________.
"Bob! Say sorry to the gentleman."
"But, mum! He __________________ on my shoes."
"You won't have any shoes to be stepped upon,__________________you don't apologize."
Bob looked into the old man's cloudy eyes, he realized that the man didn't__________________very well. The old man probably had stepped on his foot ___________________.
"I'm sorry, sir."
The old man said, smilingly, "No worries. It was my _________________. I need to watch where I put my feet, too." Then he walked away.
Bob felt uneasy as he saw the old man's shoes. They were really worn out. Suddenly, his new shoes didn't seem so ___________________ . His old ones weren't that dirty or worn out. "Mum, do I really need new shoes?" He wondered. "Did you see that old man's shoes? I just feel bad. I won't ask for so many new shoes anymore."
Mum nodded, "I'm glad that you say so, but don't forget to __________________ the elders."
Bob smiled, "I won't. Not again."
1.A.fit like B.looked like C.felt like D.dressed like
2.A.excited B.moved C.tired D.bored
3.A.sadness B.strength C.happiness D.care
4.A.holding B.cleaning C.designing D.admiring
5.A.note B.mark C.shape D.hole
6.A.sadly B.angrily C.calmly D.shyly
7.A.Plan B.Watch C.Head D.Follow
8.A.happily B.politely C.nervously D.seriously
9.A.climbed B.fell C.stepped D.put
10.A.if B.unless C.although D.so
11.A.notice B.hear C.see D.understand
12.A.by himself B.by accident C.by far D.by nature
13.A.worry B.question C.trouble D.mistake
14.A.famous B.colourful C.necessary D.comfortable
15.A.respect B.serve C.like D.believe
—Jack, remember that a single flower does not make a spring. —________.
A.Good idea B.OK. I will C.That’s all right D.Oh, forget it
—I missed the match of Liu Shiwen last night. ________Andy?
—Amazing. It’s the most wonderful match I’ve ever seen.
A.What for B.What was it like
C.What was wrong D.What was it about
