China is having such a huge influence on the United States that many Americans are struggling to learn the Chinese language in a bid to keep competitive.
"Interest in learning Chinese am
ong American youth and their parents has grown quickly in the past five years," said Vivien Stewart, vice president at the Asia Society. China's quick rise to near-superpower and its effects politically, economically and culturally are driving the American's interest to learn the language, experts say. From kindergartens to high schools, studies by the Asia Society show, there is a "rapid rise" in interest among pupils to study the Chinese language.
"The Chinese rich cultural traditions and blossoming economy mean that it is now important for all of our students to be better prepared," said Michael Levine, Asia Society's executive director of education. A survey found that 2,400 high students—an unbelievable high number—would be interested in offering the Advanced Placement(AP) courses in Chinese language and culture when the courses become available in 2006.
China, the world's most populous nation, is important to the United States because it is a leading trader, consumer and investor. Its political influence is also rising across the world. It has replaced the United States as the world's largest consumer and could become the second largest economy in the world, after the United States, in the next two to three decades.
Even though the US State Department has described the Chinese language "critical" to national prosperity and security, "the current facilities to support recruitment (招募)of students and teachers as well as the growth of high quality programs is terribly not enough," an Asia Society study says. The Society has set an aim of having at least five percent of American high school students learning Chinese by 2015.
"Millions of Chinese are learning English, but only 24,000 Americans are learning Chinese," said Andrew Corcoran of the San Francisco-based Chinese American International School. The most popular languages after English in US schools at present are Spanish and French while Japanese is the most popular Asian language.
53. The underlined word blossoming (Para. 3) means _________.
A. developed B. developing C. old D. weak
54. Why do more and more Americans begin to learn the Chinese language?
A. To keep competitive. B. To gain advantage in trade.
C. Because they are always interested in it.
D. To
be a bridge between the two big countries.
55. What problem is the US faced with when it comes to learning Chinese?
A. Too many Chinese are learning English.
B. Not many people want to learn foreign languages.
C. The language is rather difficult compared with English.
D. A lack in current facilities to support recruitment of students and teachers and programs.
56. What is the best title for this passage?
A. Danger from China
B. Foreign Language Learning
C. The Chinese Language gets More Popular
D. Difficulties in Learning the Chinese Language
When you make a mistake，big or small，cherish it as it’s the most precious thing in the world.
Most of us feel bad when we make mistakes，beat ourselves up about it，feel like failures，and get mad at ourselves.
And that’s only natural：Most of us have been taught from a young age that mistakes are bad，and we should try to avoid mistakes.We’ve been scolded when we make mistakes—at home，school and work.Maybe not always，but probably enough times to make feeling bad about mistakes an unconscious reaction.
Yet without mistakes，we could not learn or grow.If you think about it that way，mistakes should be cherished and celebrated for being one of the most amazing things in the world：They make learning possible；they make growth and improvement possible.
By trial and error—trying things，making mistakes，and learning from those mistakes—we have figured out how to make electric lights，to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel，and to fly.
Mistakes make walking possible for the smallest toddler，make speech possible，and make works of genius possible.
Think about how we learn：We don’t just consume information about something and instantly know it or know how to do it.You don’t just read about painting，or writing，or computer programming，or baking，or playing the piano，and know how to do them fight away.Instead，you get information about something，from reading or from another person or from observing usually...then you construct a model in your mind...then you test it out by trying it in the real world...then you make mistakes...then you revise the model based on the results of your real world experimentation...and repeat，making mistakes，learning from those mistakes，until you’ve pretty much learned how to do something.
That’s how we learn as babies and toddlers，and how we learn as adults.Mistakes are how we learn to do something new—because if you succeed in something，it’s probably something you already knew how to do.You haven’t really grown much from that success—at most it’s the last step on your journey，not the whole journey.Most of the journey is made up of mistakes，if it’s a good journey.
So if you value learning，if you value growing and improving，then you should value mistakes.They are amazing things that make a world of brilliance possible.Why do most of us feel bad about making mistakes?
| A．Because mistakes make us suffer a lot. |
| B．Because it’s a natural part in our life. |
| C．Because we’ve been taught so from a young age. |
| D．Because mistakes have ruined many people’s careers. |
According to the passage，what is the right attitude to mistakes?
| A．We should try to avoid making mistakes. |
| B．We should owe great inventions mainly to mistakes. |
| C．We should treat mistakes as good chances to learn. |
| D．We should make feeling bad about mistakes an unconscious reaction. |
The underlined word “toddler” in Paragraph 6 probably means________.
| A．a small child learning to walk |
| B．a kindergarten child learning to draw |
| C．a primary pupil learning to read |
| D．a school teenager learning to write |
We can learn from the passage that________.
| A．most of us can really grow from success |
| B．growing and improving are based on mistakes |
| C．we learn to make mistakes by trial and error |
| D．we read about something and know how to do it right away |
The author wants to tell us________.
| A．what you should do when meeting with difficulties |
| B．where you can find your mistakes |
| C．how you can avoid making mistakes |
| D．why you should celebrate your mistakes |
(2014·德州模拟)Some animals will defend their territory by fighting with those who try to invade it.Fighting，however，is not often the best choice，since it uses up a large amount of energy，and can result in injury or even death.Most animals rely on various threats，either through sounds or smells.The songs of birds，the drumming of woodpeckers and the loud calls of monkeys are all warnings that carry for long distances，advertising to possible invaders that someone else’s territory is being approached.Many animals rely on smells to mark their territories or leaving droppings around the territories.Other animals will be warned off the territory without ever meeting with the territory’s defender. 
Sometimes，these warnings may be ignored，and an invader may move accidentally into a neighboring territory，or two animals may meet near the border of their nearby territories.When the two animals meet，they will generally threaten each other with visual (视觉的) displays.These displays will often exaggerate an animal’s size by putting up feathers or fur，or will show off the animal’s weapons.The animals may go through all the behavior of fighting without ever actually touching each other.The displays are generally performed best near the center of an animal’s territory，where it is more likely to attack an invader and where retreating becomes more of a choice.
Actual fighting usually only happens in overcrowded conditions，when resources are not enough.Serious injury can result，and old or sick animals may die，leading to a more balanced population size.Under most natural conditions，territoriality is an effective way of maintaining a healthy population.The study of social behaviors such as territoriality in animals may also help us to understand human society.What topic is the passage mainly involved in?
| A．What animals’ territory is usually like. |
| B．How animals deal with different threats. |
| C．How animals defend their territory. |
| D．Where animal fights take place frequently. |
For most animals，what’s their first response to the possible invaders to defend their territory?
| A．Fighting in groups. |
| B．Threatening and warning. |
| C．Escaping before being hurt. |
| D．Asking partners for help. |
What does the underlined word “exaggerate” in the second paragraph mean?
| A．enlarge | B．change |
| C．shake | D．shrink |
An actual fight will happen when________.
| A．animals meet near the border of their territories |
| B．the invader enters the defender’s territories |
| C．the defender notices the invader smaller than itself |
| D．the living resources are limited in the territory |
The last paragraph tells us that territoriality has an influence on the________of the animals.
| A．communication | B．condition |
| C．population | D．migration |
Global Positioning Systems (全球定位系统) are now a part of everyday driving in many countries.These satellitebased systems provide turnbyturn directions to help people get to where they want to go.However，they can also cause a lot of problems，send you to the wrong place or leave you completely lost.Many times，the driver is to blame.Sometimes a GPS error is responsible.Most often，says Barry Brown，it is a combination of the two.
Barry Brown is with the Mobile Life Centre in Stockholm，Sweden.He told us about an incident involving a friend who had flown to an airport in the eastern United States.There he borrowed a GPSequipped car to use during his stay.Mr Brown says，“They just plugged in an address and then set off to their destination.And，then it wasn’t until they were driving for thirty minutes that they realized they actually put in a destination back on the West Coast where they lived.They actually put their home address in.So again，the GPS is kind of ‘garbage in garbage out’．”
Mr Brown says this is a common human error，but what makes the problem worse has to do with some of the shortcomings，or failures，of GPS equipment.He says，“One problem with a lot of the GPS units is they have a very small screen and they just tell you the next turn.Because they just give you the next turn，sometimes that means that it is not really giving you the overview that you would need to know that it’s going to the wrong place.”
Mr Brown says，“One of the things that struck us，perhaps the most important thing was that you have to know what you’re doing when you use a GPS.There are these new skills that people have developed.There are these new competencies (资格) that you need to have to be able to use a GPS because they sometimes go wrong.This goes against a common belief that GPS systems are for passive drivers who lack navigational skills.”
Barry Brown says to make GPS systems better we need a better understanding of how drivers，passengers and GPS systems work together.According to Barry Brow，in most cases，________are blame for the problems.
| A．human errors |
| B．GPS errors |
| C．errors caused by both drivers and GPS |
| D．errors caused by putting in a wrong address |
The example of Barry Brown’s friend is used to show that________.
| A．GPS is nothing but garbage |
| B．GPS is still not accurate enough |
| C．it is difficult for drivers to use GPS equipment |
| D．sometimes drivers are responsible for the problem |
It can be inferred from the second paragraph that________.
| A．it’s impossible to drive from the east to the west in the US |
| B．Barry Brown’s friend went to Stockholm，Sweden by plane |
| C．given wrong instructions，the GPS will produce wrong results |
| D．GPS systems are for passive drivers who lack navigational skills |
Which of the followings is one of the shortcomings of GPS equipment?
| A．It just tells the driver to turn once at a time. |
| B．It gives the driver the overview. |
| C．Its screen is too small to be seen clearly. |
| D．It is only suitable for passive drivers. |
What’s the main idea of the text?
| A．GPS systems are helpful for drivers. |
| B．Driving with GPS can be difficult to navigate (导航)． |
| C．Drivers should understand how GPS systems work. |
| D．Drivers should learn to use GPS systems correctly. |
Elderly adults who regularly drink green tea may stay more agile (敏捷的) and independent than their peers over time, according to a Japanese study that covered thousands of people.
Green tea contains antioxidant chemicals (抗氧化化学物质) that may help stop the cell damage that can lead to disease.Researchers have been studying green tea’s effect on everything from cholesterol (胆固醇) to the risk of certain cancers，with mixed results so far.
They found those who drank the most green tea were the least likely to develop “functional disability”，or problems with daily activities or basic needs，such as dressing or bathing.
Specifically，almost 13 percent of adults who drank less than a cup of green tea per day became functionally disabled，compared with just over 7 percent of people who drank at least five cups a day.
The study did not prove that green tea alone kept people agile as they grew older.Green tea lovers generally had healthier diets，including more fish，vegetables and fruit，as well as more education，lower smoking rates，fewer heart attacks and strokes，and greater mental sharpness.They also tended to be more socially active and have more friends and family to rely on.But even with those factors accounted for，green tea itself was tied to a tower disability risk，the researchers said.
People who drank at least five cups a day were onethird less likely to develop disabilities than those who had less than a cup per day.Those people who averaged three or four cups a day had a 25 percent lower risk.
Although it’s not clear how green tea might offer a buffer (缓冲) against disabilities，lead researcher Yasutake Tomata did note that one recent study found green tea extracts (提取物) seem to increase leg muscle strength in older women.
While green tea and its extracts are considered safe in small amounts，they do contain caffeine and small amounts of vitamin K，which means it could affect drugs that prevent blood clotting (凝固)．What does the underlined word “peers” mean in the first paragraph?
| A．Fathers. |
| B．Brothers. |
| C．People of the same age. |
| D．People living in the same neighborhood. |
What can be learned from the passage?
| A．Antioxidant chemicals can lead to disease. |
| B．Those who often drink green tea can’t develop “functional disability”． |
| C．“Functional disability” is related to problems with daily activities or basic needs. |
| D．People who drink at least five cups a day are not likely to become functionally disabled. |
What does the fifth paragraph mainly tell us?
| A．How the study was proved. |
| B．Why green tea lovers can keep agile. |
| C．What healthier diets include. |
| D．How to lower the disability risk. |
What has the researcher Yasutake Tomata discovered?
| A．Those who drank green tea can’t develop “functional disability”． |
| B．Green tea alone kept people agile as they grew older. |
| C．How green tea might offer a buffer against disabilities. |
| D．Green tea extracts seem to increase leg muscle strength in older women. |
From the passage we can infer that________.
| A．vitamin K is contained in caffeine |
| B．vitamin K is good for our blood |
| C．vitamin K is bad for our health |
| D．vitamin K has influence on some drugs |
There was a sweet smell of incense (香) in the air as the wellmuscled man moved his legs into a position well behind his head.It was something that the human body really should not be able to do.But what else would you expect at the First World Yoga Championships?
On September 25，the world’s leading yoga experts arrived in the US to find out who was the best.But the real prize was to turn yoga into a proper Olympic event.
“Yoga is a combination of bodybuilding，Miss World，Mr Universe and gymnastics，” said championship organizer Bikram Choudhury.“There are some 70 people from more than 20 countries competing in this event.Why not have yoga at the Olympics？”
The public cannot decide whether or not Choudhury’s dream will come true.But he is right about one thing：yoga has become popular with young and old people all over the world.In the US alone,15 million people practise yoga.Everyone is at it，including Madonna and Ricky Martin.
Yoga started in India more than 5,000 years ago.The name means “to join together”．That is to bring the body and mind together into one pleasing experience.The whole system of yoga is built on three things：exercise，breathing and meditation (沉思)．
The yoga that we know today is mostly physical yoga.It’s seen as a type of exercise，but is different from sports like football or running.When we do yoga，we move our body into positions that stretch the muscles and joints，making them stronger.
One of the best things about yoga is the fact that everyone can do it.To women，it means a flat stomach，more shapely legs and a graceful body.To men，it is a way of becoming stronger and more athletic.
There are also speciallydesigned yoga classes for pregnant women or children suffering from mental disabilities，such as autism (孤独症)．As for teenagers，meditation and simple breathing exercises can help them learn to calm down，relax and concentrate better.But teenagers under 16 are not supposed to do the body exercises as it could have a bad effect on their natural growth.What does the first paragraph mainly tell us?
| A．Something sportsmen should not do in practising yoga. |
| B．Basic skills that are required in performing yoga. |
| C．The performance of the sportsmen at the First World Yoga Championships. |
| D．The unique setting where yoga is performed. |
What is Choudhury’s dream in the passage?
A．Turning yoga into a proper Olympic event.
B．Making all Americans practise yoga.
C Winning the First World Yoga Championships.
D．Getting the public support for promoting yoga.Why does the author mention Madonna and Ricky Martin in the fourth paragraph?
| A．To compare the differences between the young and the old. |
| B．To describe the extensive popularity of yoga in the US. |
| C．To emphasize the importance of practising yoga. |
| D．To explain the strong influence of public figures in the US. |
Which statement is NOT true about yoga?
| A．It is a type of exercise which benefits the body and mind. |
| B．It makes muscles and joints stronger by stretching. |
| C．It contains exercise，breathing and meditation. |
| D．It is similar to the sports like football or running. |
According to the passage，who does not need to pay special attention in practising yoga?
| A．Women to be mothers. | B．Teenagers under 16. |
| C．Adult men. | D．Children with autism. |