Language is a major problem for the European Union (EU). The agreement or treaty (条约) which created the organization that eventually became the EU, the Treaty of Rome, stated that each country's language must be treated equally. The original six countries had only three languages between them: French. German and Dutch/Flemish. However, there are now 15 countries in the EU, with a total of 12 languages. EU documents must be translated into all these languages, and at official meetings the speeches must be translated into all the languages by interpreters.
All this translating is very expensive and time-consuming (费时的). it is said that nearly half of all employees of the EU are engaged in translating documents and speeches, and nearly half of the EU's administrative(管理方面的) costs are spent on this task. In the near future it is probably that several more countries, most of them having their own languages, will join the EU, thus making the situation even worse.
The problem is not just cost: there are practical difficulties as well. With 12 languages, there are 132 possible "translation situations" that might be needed. It is often' difficult to find people in the right place at the right time who can translate from (for example) Danish into Greek, or Dutch into Portuguese, at a high professional standard.
In practice the problem has been made less serious by the use of English in many contacts between EU officials, since almost all of them speak some English. However, any move to reduce the number of official languages (perhaps to four or five) would be a blow to the pride of the smaller countries. Another commonly suggested solution is to make English the official language for all EU business. However, powerful member countries like France and Germany are strongly against it.
1.What's the main purpose of this passage?
A. To give a solution to a problem.
B. To discuss a problem and show how serious it is.
C. To criticize the European Union for inefficiency(效率低).
D. To show that the problem cannot be solved.
2.According to the writer, the use of English in contacts among EU officials has ________.
A. angered the officials who don't speak English
B. reduced the number of official languages
C. made the problem less serious
D. been opposed by powerful member countries
3.In paragraph three, the writer mentions "Danish into Greek" as an example of ________.
A. a situation that might be difficult to deal with
B. a situation that occurs often
C. one of the 12 situations that requires an interpreter
D.languages that are easy to translate
4.The writer suggests that if the number of official languages was reduced _______.
A. the EU would not know which official languages to choose
B. countries whose languages were not used officially would be unhappy
C. only languages that are easy to translate would be used officially
D. the smaller member countries would be pleased
The information below is taken from a dictionary page.
jaguar: n. a type of large, yellow-colored cat with black markings found in the southwestern region of the U. S. and in Central and South America.
jargon: 1. n. speech that doesn’t make sense.
2. n. an unknown language that seems strange or impossible to understand.
3. n. a language made up of two or more other languages: His jargon was a mixture of French and English.
4. n. the special vocabulary of a field or profession: Her report on computers was filled with jargon.
jaunt: 1. n. a trip taken for fun.
2. v. to go on a brief pleasant trip: We jaunted to the country last Saturday.
javelin: 1. n.. a spear(矛) most commonly used as weapon or in hunting.
2. n. a light metal or wooden spear that is thrown in track-and-field sport events.
3. n. the event in which a javelin is thrown.
4. v. to strike, as with a javelin.
jazz: 1. n. a type of music that originated in New Orleans and is characterized by rhythmic beats.
2. n. popular dance music influenced by jazz.
3. n. empty talk.
4. ad. of or like jazz: a jazz band, jazz records.
Jennet: n. a small Spanish horse.
jest: 1.n. thing said or done to cause amusement; joke.
2. (idiom) in jest: as a joke ; in fun; not seriously.
3.v.make jokes
1.Which meaning of the word javelin is used in the sentence below?
At the competition, Jack drew his arm back and threw the javelin 50 yards.
A. Definition (定义) 1 B. Definition 2
C. Definition 3 D. Definition 4
2.Which meaning of the word jargon is used in the sentence below?
Doctors often speak in medical jargon.
A. Definition 1 B. Definition 2
C. Definition 3 D. Definition 4
3.What does the word jazz mean in the following sentence?
Don’t give me that jazz, for I am a practical person.
A. rhythmic beats B. a type of music
C. a kind of dance D. meaningless talk
4.Which word is needed to fill in the following sentence?
His reply was taken half seriously, half in_________.
A. javelin B. jest C. jaunt D. jargon
What Is a Boy?
Between the innocence of babyhood and the seriousness of manhood we find a delightful creature called a “boy”. Boys come in different sizes, weights, and colors, but all boys have the same belief: to enjoy every second of every minute of every hour of every day and to fill the air with noise until the adult males send them off to bed at night.
Boys are found everywhere – on top of, under, inside of, climbing on, swinging from, running around, or jumping to. Mothers spoil them, little girls hate them, older sisters and brothers love them, and God protects them. A boy is TRUTH with dirt on its face, BEAUTY with a cut on its finger, WISDOM with chocolate in its hair, and the HOPE of the future with a snake in its pocket.
When you are busy, a boy is a trouble – maker and a noise. When you want him to make a good impression, his brain turns to jelly or else he becomes a wild creature destroying the world and himself with it.
A boy is a mixture – he has the stomach of a horse, the digestion (消化) of stones and sand, the energy of an atomic bomb, the curiosity of a cat, the imagination of a superman, the shyness of a sweet girl, the brave nature of a bull, the violence of a firecracker(鞭炮), but when you ask him to make something, he has five thumbs on each hand.
He likes ice cream, knives, saws, Christmas, comic books, woods, water (in its natural habitat), large animals, Dad, trains, Saturday mornings, and fire engines. He is not much for Sunday schools, company, schools, books without pictures, music lessons, neckties, barbers, girls, overcoats, adults, or bedtime.
Nobody else is so early to rise, or so late to supper. Nobody else gets so much fun out of trees, dogs, and breezes. Nobody else can put into one pocket a rusty knife, a half eaten apple, a three-feet rope, six cents and some unknown things.
A boy is a magical creature – he is your headache but when you come home at night with only destroyed pieces of your hopes and dreams, he can mend them like new with two magic words, “Hi, Dad!”
1.The whole passage is in a tone (语气) of _________.
A. humor and love B. anger and disappointment
C. hope and expectation D. confidence and imagination
2.What’s the meaning of the underlined sentence?
A. He has altogether five fingers.
B. He is slow, foolish and clumsy.
C. He becomes clever and smart.
D. He cuts his hand with a knife.
3.According to the writer, boys appreciate everything in the following except _________.
A. ice cream B. comic books
C. Saturday mornings D. Sunday schools
4.What does the writer feel about boys?
A. He feels curious about their noise.
B. He is tired of these creatures.
C. He is amazed by their naughtiness.
D. He feels unsafe staying with them.
Lifeguard, sportscaster, movie star, governor, president——there wasn’t much Ronald Reagan didn’t do in life.
“The world was a vast opportunity for him,” Lou Cannon wrote in his biography（传记） of the former US president, who died on June 5，2004， aged 93.
Reagan’s final years saw him fight a losing battle against Alzheimer’s disease（老年痴呆症）. But his positive attitude toward life has given hope to many people.
Born in 1911 to a poor family in a small town in Illinois, his father was a failed salesman who drank too much. It was in these difficult times, though, that Reagan developed the powerful optimism（乐观） that would serve him so well. He always believed better times lying ahead, and this was reflected in his high school yearbook entry. “Life is one grand, sweet song, so start the music,” he wrote.
As a teenager, Reagan spent summers working as a lifeguard at a local beach, saving 77 lives in seven years. He graduated from college in 1932 with a degree in economics and sociology. But America was still in the middle of the Great Depression, and jobs were hard to find. Reagan finally found work as a radio sports announcer and this road led him to Hollywood in 1937.
During the 20---year film career, he never became a leading star. As in his lifeguard days, Reagan loved to play the hero and only took the role of a bad guy once in more than 50 films.
A talented speaker who was always able to connect with his audience, Reagan became involved in politics in the 1950s. This popular touch led to him being elected the governor of California in 1967.
All the while Reagan was in California, he had his eye on the White House. In 1980, aged 69, he became the oldest man ever elected president.
He held office from 1981 to 1989, the first president to serve two complete terms after World War Ⅱ. When he left, aged 77, he held the highest popularity rate of any retiring president in US history.
He remained positive even when he discovered he had an illness that would destroy him. “I will leave with the greatest love for this country of ours and eternal（永恒的optimism(乐观) for its future,”he wrote.
1.Reagan can be best described as a man with ______.
A. firmness B. humour C. optimism D. talent
2.What didn’t Reagan do in his life time?
A. Playing the role of a bad guy.
B. Being a leading star of the film.
C. Saving people’s lives.
D. Working as a radio sports announcer.
3.Which is the correct order of events described in the passage?
a. Reagan fought a losing battle against Alzheimer’s disease.
b. Reagan became an actor.
c. Reagan worked as a lifeguard.
d. Reagan graduated from college.
e. Reagan was elected the governor of California.
A. a, c, d, e ,b B. e, c, d, b, a
C. b, a, c, d, e D. c, d, b, e, a
4.When the writer of Reagan’s biography says “The world was a vast opportunity for him,” he really means that _______.
A. Reagan achieved much in his whole life
B. Reagan could have done much better
C. Reagan did much for America and the world
D. Reagan was a very lucky man
Television in the United States is free. To pay for programs, there are many advertisements. Often these advertisements are short plays with actors. The following television advertisement is like many others that Americans see daily.
We see a man and his wife at the breakfast table. They have been married for a long time. They are not speaking to each other. They haven't spoken to each other at the breakfast table for years. The husband is reading his newspaper. We can't see his face. The wife looks very bored as she pours a cup of coffee for him. Today, she is using a new kind of coffee for the first time. The husband picks up his cup. He isn't very interested. He tastes his coffee. Suddenly he puts down his newspaper. Something is different.! Can it be the coffee? He takes another taste. It's wonderful! He smiles. He looks at his wife and says in amazement,
"Doris, when did you cut your hair?"
Doris is pleased. She answers, "Two months ago."
Doris asks, "Herbie, when did your hair begin to turn gray?"
He replies, "A long time ago."
Doris says, "Oh, very handsome."
Now they aren't bored any more. Breakfast is different. Has a new kind of coffee changed their lives?
1.In the television advertisement, Doris looks bored because ______.
A. she doesn't like the breakfast that morning
B. she has been married to Herbie for a long time
C. Her husband doesn't care much for her
D. Herbie isn't interested in the breakfast she cooks
2.The TV advertisement wants to tell the viewers ______. .
A. to have an immediate try at the new coffee
B. to have a good laugh at the good couple
C. that a nice breakfast must go with nice coffee
D. that advertisements can certainly increase goods production
3.What does the author mean by saying the last sentence?
A. What kind of coffee can change people's lives?
B. How can a new kind of coffee change people's lives?
C. Nice coffee can change one's life.
D. A new kind of coffee costs quite a lot.
4.This text is mainly about ______.
A. who pays for TV programs in the United States
B. what a TV advertisement is usually like in the USA
C. why long married couples dislike speaking to each other
D. what made Herbie and Doris not bored any more
Dae Jang Geum 《大长今》 is a hot new Korean TV series. Because of this series, my personal status (地位) and living standard have been greatly . My girlfriend used to cook every evening. Well, now she does nothing but in front of the TV when she’s not , and orders me, “You --- go and make some instant noodles. Come and watch the play and just imagine we are enjoying Korean .”
She once swore (发誓) to all Korean dishes in Dae Jang Geum. So she ordered me to the TV and record any details of Jang Geum’s cooking. But when she presented her version of Korean food, it was like the dog-meal. “You can get things done if you find the right tool,” my girlfriend blamed her terrible kitchen performances on . So I decided to her a new kitchen knife. In a store, she became unusually when making her selection. She finally picked one that was Jang Geum’s. To prove that her slow knife skill was because of the blunt (钝的) knife, she her cutting. As a result, she hurt her fingers three times. Fortunately the knife was not the salesman boasted (吹嘘).
My girlfriend is a fan of Jang Geum’s Korean . Not only did she talk about the dress every day, she also threatened to change my tie into a butterfly knot(蝴蝶结) like the one on Jang Geum’s dress. Finally, I lost my patience and took her to a maternity (孕妇装) shop where I recommended one suit to her, “Do you think it looks like a(n) dress?” Coincidently(巧合地) , her parents just happened to be shopping at the time. They were when they saw what we were doing.
The Dae Jang Geum series encouraging the youth to realize their ambition(雄心,抱负). However, it fails to realize my girlfriend’s. being engaged in her work or study, she simply sits on the sofa every night, staring at , a bag of chips in her hand. This situation has even though the series is now over.
1.A. increased B. degraded C. risen D. raised
2.A. stand B. lay C. seat D. sit
3.A. at work B. at table C. on leave D. on business
4.A. fruits B. vegetables C. dishes D. cakes
5.A. eat B. learn C. cook D. perform
6.A. stand for B. go by C. pass by D. stand by
7.A. easily B. hardly C. difficultly D. carefully
8.A. her fork B. her spoon C. her knife D. her pan
9.A. buy B. borrow C. lend D. fetch
10.A. careless B. angry C. patient D. modest(谦虚)
11.A. better than B. the closest shape of C. sharper than D. taken from
12.A. speeded up B. slowed down C. brought down D. improved
13.A. as fast as B. as dull as C. as slow as D. as sharp as
14.A. diet style B. dish flavor C. dressing style D. cooking style
15.A. Chinese B. Korean C. English D. American
16.A. quite encouraged B. pretty satisfied C. very pleased D. pretty shocked
17.A. shoots at B. aims at C. directs at D. works at
18.A. In spite of B. Because of C. Instead of D. In case of
19.A. me B. herself C. the TV D. nothing
20.A. changed little B. turned a lot C. developed a little D. improved a lot
