Japan fixes English
You’ve probably seen some pretty “interesting” English translations. For example, it is common to see “Chinglish” on restaurant menus and on signs in public areas in China.
Japan is now working to improve its English signs so that tourists will have an easier time getting around during the 2020 Olympics.
Improving public transportation signs is especially important, as tourists will take trains and buses to get around. The Japan Tourism Agency recently carried out a two-month investigation into the websites of 85 train and bus companies around the country.
The agency found some rather odd translations. For example, one transportation company refers to children as “dwarfs(侏儒)”. Other transportation errors include “Forgotten Center” for “lost and found”, and “release place” for “ticket machine”.
But does Japan have enough time to correct its English? One expert thinks it’s too late. Gregory Hadley, a professor at Niigata University, thinks it can’t be done. He pointed out that many companies simply won’t be able to afford to hire translators and reprint their materials.
In addition, the people who originally translated the materials probably won’t want to lose face by admitting to translating them correctly, he added.
Whether it can fix its signs or not, Japan is preparing for a wave of tourism. About 30 million people visited the country last year and the number will hit 40 million next year, when the 2020 Olympics officially kick off.
1.In Japan, which of the following is the most important to improve before the 2020 Olympics?
A.Restaurant menus. B.Tourist information centers.
C.Public transportation signs. D.Public restroom signs.
2.A “Forgotten Center” probably refers to “________” in Japan.
A.dwarfs B.a lost and found area C.a ticket machine D.a youth hostel
3.What is Gregory Hadley’s opinion about Japan’s English signage situation?
A.There are too many simple transportations in Japan.
B.Improving signs in public areas is important.
C.Changing incorrect signs makes companies lose face.
D.Japan won’t be able to finish correcting its English in all public areas.
4.Compared to last year, the number of people who visit Japan will increase by________next year.
A.10 million. B.20 million. C.30 million. D.40 million.
5.What does the underlined phrase “kick off” mean in Chinese?
A.踢开 B.爆发 C.开始 D.反冲
Smile Train is a charity (慈善团体) that helps the millions of children around the world, who suffer from a facial defect (缺陷). The defect happens when a baby's top lip or mouth doesn't form properly before birth. Eating and drinking is very difficult for these babies. The charity provides free operations, which give these children a new smile, and with it, new hope and a new beginning.
Children with the defect need all the help. Although many sufferers are accepted by their families, sadly, others are not. In some countries, children with this defect are often abandoned at birth because their parents feel ashamed of them or cannot afford the operations. The good news is that the operation is not difficult. It takes less than an hour and costs the family nothing. The charity raises money and finds the right medical volunteers to perform the operations.
A Smile Train doctor from the UK said, “Each child who has the operation is given a second chance at life. After years of staying at home, the children can finally go to school and be happy. Every year I perform hundreds of operations free of cost through Smile Train. Some of the stories I have heard are quite surprising.
One newborn baby girl was found abandoned on a train. Luckily for her, she was found and adopted (收养) by a passenger. This lady then heard about Smile Train and brought the baby to our hospital. I did the operation and gave hope to the family. Experienced doctors like me share our skills with local doctors. In this way make sure that these operations will always be available."
1.Which is NOT TRUE about the operation?
A.It costs nothing. B.The right medical volunteers perform it.
C.The operation is easy. D.It takes many hours.
2.Smile Train is a charity which________.
A.provides food and medical care for poor children
B.raises money for all the doctors working in the UK.
C.offers free medical help to children with the facial defect
D.gives children without parents a new hope and a new beginning
3.The underlined word "abandoned" in Paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to________.
A.given up B.dressed up C.called up D.brought up
4.What did the doctor from the UK think of his volunteer work?
A.Dangerous B.Surprising C.Relaxing D.Valuable
5.It can be inferred from the passage that________.
A.children with the facial defect are becoming more ashamed than before.
B.more doctors are trained to help children with the facial defect.
C.fewer baby boys with the facial defect are operated on than girls.
D.doctors in Smile Train are always well paid for doing the operations
Mr. Black was giving an English lesson to a class of students who had recently come to live in the United States. After placing quite a number of everyday objects on a table, he asked different members of the class to give him the ruler, the book, the pen and so on. The class went very smoothly and the students seemed interested and serious about the work that they were busy with until when Mr. Black turned to an Italian student and said, "Give me the keys." The man looked surprised and somewhat at a loss(不知所措). Seeing this, Mr. Black thought that the student hadn't heard him clearly, so he repeated. "Give me the keys." The Italian shrugged his shoulders(耸肩).Then, he threw his arms around the teacher's neck and kissed him on both cheeks.
1.According to the passage, Mr. Black is a________.
A.teacher B.student C.clerk D.scientist
2.From the passage we know that the students may come from________.
A.the United States B.Italy C.France D.different countries
3.The Italian student kissed Mr. Black because________.
A.Mr. Black asked him to do so B.he misunderstood Mr. Black’s words
C.he seemed interested in Mr. Black’s class D.he liked Mr. Black very much
4.We can infer that Mr. Black may feel________when the student kissed him.
A.scared B.surprised C.upset D.happy
5.The word of “keys” should be pronounced________.
A./'ki:z/ B./kisiz/ C./kis/ D./kisis/
British pop star Jessie J is well-known in her home country and elsewhere. She has made lots of fans in China.
The singer showed up on the _________________season of The Singer, a popular TV singing contest on Hunan TV. Jessie J came in first for three episodes (期) in a row. And within just one night, she got more than 100, 000 _______________on Sina Weibo.
Jessie J is _________________for mixing soul, R & B and hip-hop. She is good at _________________high-pitched(声调高的)songs. But actually, singing is a bit dangerous for her,___________________she has had health problems since childhood. She had a minor stroke(轻度中风)at 17. She suffers from(患有)a disease _________________causes her to have an irregular heartbeat and shortness of breath. It was ___________________serious that in 2015, she had to cancel a tour of Australia.
However, Jessie has stayed positive. She believes that "it is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the _____________________. "Being that sick made me Jessie J." she told the Mirror. Her ___________________has encouraged her to write music that makes her feel better.
"I think my mom and dad ____________________________allowed me to be defined (定义) by something that was a weakness. Ever since I was young it was like, ‘Just get on with it. You can do this.’" she said on Australian talk show Mornings.
1.A.six B.sixteen C.sixth
2.A.followers B.friends C.helps
3.A.good B.famous C.responsible
4.A.writing B.enjoying C.singing
5.A.if B.as C.once
6.A.who B.what C.which
7.A.so B.very C.too
8.A.night B.light C.difference
9.A.health B.illness C.happiness
10.A.never B.always C.usually
— Does anybody want to share________on Father’s Day?
— I bought a tie for my father.
A.where you went B.what you did C.when you shopped
—Where is North Korea? —It lies________the northeast of China.
A.on B.to C.in
