Who taught you to speak English? Your parents, while you were a child? Your teacher at school? 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 the fact that more and more of us can communicate, using a common language, across countries and cultures? Or should we worry about the dangers of “ mono-culturalism”, 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? I would have thought the other way around(相反) 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 wonderfully 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.What does “garden” in the last two paragraphs stand for（代表）?
A. Language. B. Family. C. The world. D. The universe.
3.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 is easier to learn than other languages
4.This passage is mainly about________.
A. why English has become a global language
B. how many people in the world speak English
C. how people in the world learn English as a foreign language
D. whether we need to worry about English being a world language
I was waiting for a phone call from my agent. He had left a message the night before, telling me that my show was to be cancelled. I called him several times, but each time his secretary told me that he was in a meeting and that he would call me later. So I waited and waited, but there was still no call. Three hours passing by, I became more and more impatient. I was certain that my agent didn’t care about my work, and he didn’t care about me. I was overcome with that thought. I started to shout at the phone, “Let me wait, will you? Who do you think you are?”
At that time I didn’t realize my wife was looking on. Without showing her surprise, she rushed in, seized the phone, tore off the wires, and shouted at the phone, “Yeah! Who do you think you are? Bad telephone! Bad telephone! ” And she swept it into the wastebasket.
I stood watching her, speechless .What on earth?
She stepped to the doorway and shouted at the rest of the house, “Now hear this! All objects in this room--if you do anything to upset my husband, out you go!”
Then she turned to me, kissed me, and said calmly, “Honey, you just have to learn how to take control.” With that, she left the room.
After watching a crazy woman rushing in and out, shouting at everything in sight, I noticed that something in my mood（情绪）had changed. I was laughing. How could I have trouble with that phone? Her antics helped me realize I had been driven crazy by small things. Twenty minutes later my agent did call. I was able to listen to him and talk to him calmly.
1.Why did the author shout at the telephone?
A. He was mad at the telephone.
B. He was angry with his agent.
C. He was anxious about his wife.
D. He was impatient with the secretary.
2.What did the author’s wife do after she heard his shouting?
A. She said nothing.
B. She shouted at him.
C. She called the agent.
D. She threw the phone away.
3.What made the author laugh?
A. His own behavior.
B. His wife’s suggestion.
C. His changeable feelings.
D. His wife’s sweet kiss.
4.What does the underlined word “antics” refer to?
A. Smart words. B. Unusual actions.
C. Surprising looks. D. Anxious feelings.
Holidays
Holiday News Vacancies (空位) now and in the school holidays at a country hotel in Devon. This comfortable, friendly home-from-home lies near the beautiful quiet countryside, but just a drive away from the sea. The food is simple but good. Children and pets are welcome.Reduced prices for low season. |
The Snowdonia Center The Snowdonia Center for young mountain climbers has a mountain 1068.The beginners’ costs are ￡57 for a week, including food and rooms. Equipment is included except walking shoes, which can be hired at a low cost. You must be in good health and prepared to go through a period of body exercises. This could be the beginning of a lifetime of mountain climbing adventure.
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The World Sea Trip of a Lifetime Our World Sea Trip of 2008 will be unlike any holiday you have ever been on before. Instead of one hotel after another, with all its packing and unpacking, waiting and traveling, you just go to bed in one country and wake up in another. On board the ship, you will be well taken care of. Every meal will be first-class and every cabin like your home. During the trip, you can rest on deck(甲板), enjoy yourself in the games rooms and in the evening dance to our musical team and watch our wonderful play. You will visit all the places most people only dream about – from Acapulco and Hawaii to Tokyo and Hong Kong. For a few thousand pounds, all you’ve ever hoped for can be yours.
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1.What can you do if you like to go on holidays with pets?
A. Choose the holiday in Devon.
B. Go to the Snowdonia Centre
C. Join the World Sea Trip of 2008
D. Visit Acapulco and Hawaii
2.In what way is the Snowdonia Centre different from the other two holidays?
A. It provides chances of family gatherings.
B. It provides customers with good food.
C. It offers a sport lesson.
D. It offers comfortable rooms.
3.What is special about the World Sea Trip of 2008?
A. You can have free meals on deck every day.
B. You can sleep on a ship and tour many places.
C. You will have chances to watch and act in a play.
D. You have to do your own packing and unpacking.
4.At the Snowdonia Centre, the beginners’ costs of ￡57 do not cover .
A. food B. rooms C. body exercises D. walking shoes
On my first day in America, I was excited, but nervous as well. It was my dear neighbor Susan who helped me get used to my new life far away from home. There was a knock at the door. When I opened it, Susan came in with a home-made apple pie. She hugged me and said：“You must be the precious Chinese doll!” With a big smile, she went on：“Alice, I am sure you have never, ever tried a home-made apple pie before! You are going to love it so much!” To be honest, I was greatly surprised by this welcome from a stranger. And the apple pie made me feel at home.
Susan was very helpful to me. When I was thinking about a costume to wear on Halloween, she suggested I dress up like a traditional Chinese girl. “I happen to have a traditional Chinese dress and guess what, I am a great make-up artist!” she said. Susan didn’t hide her excitement, when, after an hour of hard work, she pushed me to the mirror to examine our work. The clothes fit me perfectly! I am sure that I stood out from the crowd that Halloween, and I am very grateful to Susan for her help.
My first Thanksgiving was another highlight. On the festival morning, I was surprised to find a gift box in my front yard. There was a note on it：“Hello Alice, I am the Thanksgiving bunny! Enjoy your gift!” I looked around and caught Susan looking at me from the porch. Seeing that she had been caught, she awkwardly picked up a newspaper and pretended to read it. I couldn’t help laughing. When I walked up to her, she said：“It was not me. It was the Thanksgiving bunny!” Susan is such a lovely person; she is the American above all others I need to thank.
I saw that the spirit of the Chinese saying, that “Neighbors carry more weight than distant relatives,” is alive and well in America. Susan filled my heart with warmth and joy, just as angels do.
1.What made the writer feel at home in America?
A. Her Chinese doll.
B. Susan’s thanksgiving bunny for Halloween.
C. Gifts from her parents in China.
D. Susan’s visit on the first day.
2.Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A. The writer lent a Chinese dress to Susan to wear at Halloween.
B. Susan often looked at her neighbors to find out what they were doing.
C. The writer had never had an apple-pie before she went to America.
D. Susan helped the writer to appreciate American festivals.
3.What does the phrase “stood out” mean in the passage?
A. To be more eye-catching. B. To rise up.
C. To be much better. D. To be strange.
4.This passage is most probably taken from_______.
A. a newspaper B. a travel guide
C. an advertisement D. a science magazine.
I don’t know how many good teachers there are in the world. However, I do it is quite important for a student who is to meet a good teacher.
I have a math teacher who to see struggling math students. He always the slow students he gets a chance. For example, the teacher often a student because of her failure in math. It’s not that this student is stupid but rather she has no math. The math teacher always gives the girl the cold shoulder and says this girl is the stupidest one he has seen. Once the girl got the lowest score in exam of math, the teacher made fun of her and then let other students in class who had the worst score. When that girl student had questions to ask him, he to give her answer.
Finally, the girl says to me that the paradise(天堂) is too far from her and she feels that there is no way to reach it. She also feels that she’s like a tiny paper boat which is into the water and will flow out to sea until it can’t be seen. What a lonely vision that is!
All students have different abilities because each of them is unique (独特的) and on the way to growing up. No one is able to expect their . Teachers should learn how to the slower students properly, how to encourage them more often and not to their feelings. Please leave a little bit of love for these students.
“It is not how much we do, but how much love we put in the doing. It is not how much we give, but how much love we put in the ,” said Mother Teresa. , love can bring in power.
1.A. feel B. remember C. suggest D. hope
2.A. out of the trouble B. out of trouble C. in the trouble D. in trouble
3.A. likes B. prefers C. hates D. wants
4.A. worries about B. laughs at C. comes across D. stares at
5.A. before B. until C. unless D. when
6.A. looks down upon B. watches out for C. disagrees with D. argues with
7.A. idea about B. plan for C. interest in D. emotion of
8.A. forever B. always C. never D. ever
9.A. the B. an C. a D. /
10.A. introduce B. say C. decide D. guess
11.A. stopped B. forgot C. refused D. whispered
12.A. all B. some C. any D. no
13.A. dropped B. found C. placed D. lost
14.A. suddenly B. hurriedly C. happily D. slowly
15.A. difference B. happiness C. future D. trouble
16.A. predict B. treat C. touch D. remind
17.A. destroy B. break C. hurt D. damage
18.A. stupid B. disabled C. miserable D. special
19.A. giving B. doing C. loving D. putting
20.A. In all B. At all C. After all D. All above
—Whose advice do you think I should take, Tom’s or John’s?
—_______. You are old enough to make a decision for yourself.
A. It’s up to you B. That’s settled
C. Your turn D. Either is OK
