Although many Chinese students say that their knowledge of English grammar is good, most would admit that their spoken English is poor. Whenever I speak to a Chinese student, they always say, “My spoken English is poor.” 1.
I would like to suggest that there may be some reasons for their problems with spoken English.
First, they fail to find suitable words to express themselves due to a limited vocabulary.
2.However, you can speak with a limited vocabulary, if you choose a positive attitude. Others will follow you as long as you use the words that you know.
3.
Sometimes they make mistakes when they are speaking because they are shy and nervous. Yet students should remember that their goal should be FLUENCY NOT ACCURACY. Your aim in writing is to be accurate following the rules for grammar and using the right words and spelling them correctly. However, in speaking your aim is fluency. You want to get your message across, to talk to someone in English, as quickly and as well as you can, even though sometimes you may use a wrong word or tense , but it doesn’t matter.4.
The third reason is that not enough attention is paid to listening . You have one mouth but two ears !All that hearing is necessary for you to start speaking .
Fourth, most Chinese students are reactive rather than proactive language learners. Instead of actively seeking out opportunities to improve their spoken English they passively wait for speaking opportunities to come to them and wonder why their English always remains poor.5.
A. The person you are speaking to will understand you and make allowances for nay mistakes he hears.
B. They may try to avoid making similar mistakes next time.
C. Obviously the better answer is to expand their vocabulary.
D. If you have this proactive outlook, then you will see English opportunities wherever you go.
E. However, their spoken English does not have to remain “poor”!
F. Second , they are afraid of making mistakes.
G. The second reason lies in the reluctance of using what has just been learned.
When I was 16 years old, I made my first visit to the United States. It wasn’t the first time I had been abroad. Like most English children I learned French at school and I had often been to France, so I was used to speaking a foreign language to people who didn’t understand English. But when I went to America I was really looking forward to having a nice easy holiday without any language problems.
How wrong I was! The misunderstanding began at the airport. I was looking for a public telephone to give my American friend Danny a ring and tell her that I had arrived. A friendly old man saw me looking like being lost and asked if he could help me.
“Yes,” I said. “I want to give my friend a ring.”
“Well, that’s nice,” he said. “Are you getting married? But aren’t you a bit young?”
“Who is talking about marriage?” I replied. “I just want to give my friend a ring to tell her I’ve arrived. Can you tell me where there’s a phone box?”
“Oh!” he said. “There’s a phone downstairs.”
When at last we did meet up, Danny explained the misunderstanding to me.
“Don’t worry,” she said to me. “I had many difficulties at first. There are lots of words which the Americans use differently in meaning from us British. You’ll soon get used to all the funny things they say. But most of the time British and American people can understand each other!”
1.Where was the writer from?
A. He was from America B. He was from France
C. He was from England D. He was from China
2.The writer thought _________ in America.
A. he wouldn’t have any language difficulties
B. he would not understand the Americans
C. the Americans might not understand him
D. he would have difficulties at the airport
3.The writer wanted ________.
A. to buy a ring for his friend
B. to make a call to his friend
C. to go to the telephone company
D. his friend to see him off
4.From the passage we can see that “give somebody a ring”____________.
A. means the same in America as in England
B. means “call somebody’ to the old man
C. means “be going to get married”
D. has different meaning in America and in England
Ecotourism(生态旅游): A Different Way to Travel
Are you attracted to obscure(偏远的)places? Do you prefer to vacation away from other tourists? Are you careful to take only memories and to leave only footprints? If you answered yes to more than one of these questions, you just might be an ecotourist.
Ecotourists are people who want to experience the unspoiled natural world and leave it that way when they return home. This trend started in the 1990s and ecotourism is now growing three times faster than the tourism industry at large. The Ecuador’s remote Amazon Basin(盆地) is contributing to that expansion, and it gives a snapshot of what ecotourism looks like.
At the Ecolodge, a small group of cabins(小屋) sits Kapawi Ecolodge in the middle of the Achuar people’s reserve(保护区) and is only reached by air. From here, visitors can explore parts of the Amazon rainforest seen by few outsiders. As they do local Achuar guides explain how the forest is like their supermarket, where they find food, clothing, medicine and tools. As a result, tourists learn to appreciate the local culture as well as the natural environment.
The owners of Kapawi pay monthly rent to the Achuar people, but they also train the community to run and manage the lodge. They have agreed on a plan to turn the operation over to the Achuar completely by 2011.The owners are working to make ecotourism benefit and empower the local people.
You probably won’t start your own ecolodge, but you can be an ecotourist if you follow these guidelines: Protect the environment; Support local businesses; Respect the local customs and traditions.
The world is full of fascinating places to visit. As an ecotourist, you can enjoy them yourself and make sure that they remain beautiful for future generations as well.
1.According to the text, the ecotourists should be________.
A. those who like to experience the easily-remembered natural environment
B. those who like to go to their travelling places by hiking
C. those who prefer an undamaged natural world and remain what it used to be
D. those who prefer unique natural environment of cultural relics
2.At the Kapawi ecolodge, visitors can’t________.
A. explore the Amazon rainforest
B. reach there by air
C. live in the Achuar reserve
D. see many travelers from outside
3.Which of the words is closest in meaning to the word “snapshot” in the second paragraph?
A. Idea. B. Aim.
C. Adventure. D. Opportunity.
4.We can learn from the passage that________.
A. the Kapawi Ecolodge will continue to run and manage the lodge after 2011
B. the Kapawi Ecolodge owners are the Achuar in favor of ecotourism
C. the Achuar people have benefited a lot by collecting money from ecotourists
D. the owners of Kapawi encourage tourists to appreciate the Achuar culture
A student is learning to speak British English. He wonders: Can I communicate with Americans? Can they understand me? Learners of English often ask: What are the differences between British and American English? How important are these differences?
Certainly! there are some differences between British and American English. ‘There are a few differences in grammar. For example, speakers of British English say “in hospital” and “Have you a pen?” Americans say “in the hospital!” and “Do you have a pen?”. Pronunciation is sometimes different. Americans usually sound theirs in words like “bird” and “hurt”. Speakers of British English do not sound theirs in these words. There are differences between British and American English in spelling and vocabulary. For example, “color” and “honor” are British, “color” and honor” are American.
These differences in grammar, pronunciation, spelling and vocabulary are not important, however. For the most part, British and American English are the same language.
1.According to this passage, a student who is learning to speak American English might be afraid that_______.
A. British people cannot understand him
B. American people cannot understand him
C. the grammar is too hard for him
D. the spelling is too hard for him
2.American English and British English are different in ________.
A. spelling B. pronunciation
C. grammar D. all of the above
3.Most ________ say “Do you have a watch?”
A. British people B. Americans
C. children D. teachers
4.According to this passage, British people and Americans have _________ difficulty in understanding each other.
A. little B. much
C. some D. great
Farah was sitting in the kitchen going over the party list with her mother. The exams were over and Farah wanted to invite her friends for a party.
“Farah, aren’t you going to invite Hafsa?” her mother asked. Hafsa had been her best friend since childhood.
“Mother, you know I am now a part of Purple Girls Club and we have some rules about people we can be friends with,” Farah answered.
“Really? And what are the rules?” her mother asked.
“Well, only very pretty girls can be part of our group. And Hafsa is so, you know, dark.”
“I cannot believe it.” her mother said angrily.
As Farah left the kitchen, her father called her from the living room.
Farah went to her father and paled when she saw the exam report in his hands.
“Farah, what has happened to your grades? You have failed in Mathematics.” her father said.
Farah had no answer. The truth was that the activities of Purple Girls Club left her with very little time for studies.
“Farah, it says that you can take part in supplementary exams(补考). If your grades don’t improve then, I’ll cancel your trip to Spain.”
Farah went to her room and called Gina, the leader of Purple Girls Club.
“Gina, can you help me to complete my notes before the exams?”
Gina laughed, “Exams? Who cares about exams?”
One by one, she called her friends in the club but no one seemed to care or wanted to help. Farah knew Hafsa would help her. Farah also knew Hafsa had been hurt by her, but Hafsa said, “If you need any help, just let me know. We can study together till your exams.”
Next Monday, as two friends entered the school together. Gina called out
“Farah, you know our rules. You cannot be friends with those who do not belong to our club.”
“Gina I have a new rule about friendship,” Farah replied.
1.After Farah became a member of Purple Girls Club, she chose a friend according to a person’s ________.
A. looks B. usual activities
C. grades D. favorite color
2.Which word can best describe Hafsa?
A. Silly B. Beautiful
C. Rude D. Kind
3.What lesson can we learn from the passage?
A. A friend in need is a friend indeed
B. A perfect friend will never be found
C. Be slow in choosing a friend
D. Friendship can be developed easily
假定你是李华，近期你看到了共享单车（shared bikes）“绿色出行”的宣传后决定改变出行方式，并发现骑单车的许多好处。请你就此为校刊“英语园地”写一篇短文。
注意：
1.词数100左右；
2.可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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