One Canada, Two Languages
Canada is one of the few nations in the world to have two official languages: English and French. There are 10 provinces in the country but only one of these—Quebec is known as “French Canada”. This is because it was founded by French explorers while British adventurers discovered the rest.
Canada left the British empire(帝国) in 1867 to become an independent country and English and French have been recognized as the official languages ever since.
Most people speak English as their first language and the two national television networks broadcast in English throughout the country. Apart from in Quebec and a few places on the east coast, French television is very rare.
The same goes for traffic signs and menus, for example, outside of Quebec, there are only a few places where you’ll see traffic signs in French. In restaurants, it’s almost impossible to find French on the menu unless you are in the heartland (中心地带) of French Canada. However, all products sold in Canada must, by law, have labels (标签) and instructions in both languages.
In Canada’s English speaking provinces, official bilingualism (双语) means that students can choose to complete a special French language course. Under this program, they are taught most of their subjects in French.
If a student begins the course in kindergarten (幼儿园) or Grade One, it is likely that all their lessons will be in French. However, if they start at junior high school, 25 percent of the teaching will continue to be in English.
59. How many provinces are there in Canada?
A. Ten. B. Nine. C. Eleven. D. Two.
60. Which country controlled Canada before its independence?
A. France. B. Britain. C. America. D. Germany
61. Where can you watch French television programs?
A. Only in Quebec.
B. In Quebec and a few other places.
C. From the two national television networks.
D. All over Canada
62. What do we know about the education in Canada?
A. In English speaking provinces only English courses are offered.
B. If you choose a special French language course, most of the subjects are taught in French.
C. The courses in primary school are all taught in English.
D. Most of the courses in junior high schools are taught in English.
Fear and its companion pain are two of the most useful things that man and animals possess if they are used. If fire didn’t hurt when it burned, children would play with it until their hands were burned away. Similarly, if pain existed but fear didn’t, a child could burn itself again and again because fear would not warn it to keep away from the fire that had burnt it before. A really fearless soldier—and some do exist—is not a good soldier because he is soon killed; and a dead soldier is of no use to his army. Fear and pain are therefore two guards without which man and animals might soon die out.
In our first sentence we suggested that fear ought to be properly used. If, for example, you never go out of your house because of the danger of being knocked down and killed in the street by a car, you are letting fear rule you too much. The important thing is not to let fear rule you, but instead, to use fear as your servant and guide. Fear will warn you of dangers; then you have to decide what action to take.
In many cases, you can take quick and successful action to avoid the danger. For example, you see a car coming straight towards you; fear warns you, you jump out of the way, and all is well.
In some cases, however, you decide that there is nothing that you can do to avoid the danger. For example, you cannot prevent an airplane crashing into your house, and you may not want to go and live in a desert where there are no airplanes. In this case, fear has given you its warning, you have examined it and decided on your course of action, so fear of the particular danger is no longer of any use to you, and you have to try to overcome it.Children would play with fire until their hands are burnt away if _________.
| A．they were not well educated at school |
| B．they had never played with fire before |
| C．they had no sense of pain |
| D．they were fearful of pain |
People sometimes succeed in timely avoiding danger because _________.
| A．they have gained experience |
| B．they are warned of the danger and take quick action |
| C．they jump out of the way in time |
| D．they are calm in face of danger |
What is implied but not stated in the passage?
| A．Too much fear is harmful |
| B．Fear is always something helpful |
| C．Fear is something that can be avoided |
| D．Fear ought to be used as our guide in our life |
The best title for this passage should be __________.
| A．No Pains, No Gains | B．Pain and Actions |
| C．The Value of Fear | D．The Reason Why People Fear |
With all the wars, fighting and sadness in the world today, it's not only necessary, but also essential to have a good sense of humor just to help us get through each and every day of our lives. Putting a smile on someone's face when you know they are feeling down in the dumps ( 处于沮丧中), as the saying goes, makes me feel good and warms my heart.
How would you feel if you could not joke around with your wife, husband, child, co-worker neighbor, close friend, or even just someone that you are standing in line with at your comer store? I am always saying things that make others smile or laugh, even if I don't know the person I'm joking around with.My Grandma always found humor in everything she did, even if it was the hardest job anyone could imagine.This not only relieves stress in any situation, but also is common courtesy (礼貌) to speak to others that are around you.
I know of a few people that don’t have a funny bone in their bodies, as they say.Everyone around them could be rolling on the floor after hearing a great joke and they would sit there without the slightest smile on their face.They don't get the joke that makes others laugh. I am busting a gut while they just sit there, looking at me as if I were from outer space. How can people not get a really funny joke?
Laughing is essential to keep your stress levels under control. Without humor we would find ourselves with a lot of psychological problems, or on a lot of medications to keep us from going crazy. There is too much sadness in this present world. It drives people crazy. We all need to find a way to bypass the sadness and bring a little light into our lives. So, I believe our best medicine is to get together and tell some jokes and have some fun laughing together.According to the author, humor is useful in the aspect that ____________.
| A．it makes people more confident |
| B．it can pick up people' s spirits |
| C．it can help get rid of the cruelty in the world |
| D．it can help people get on well with others |
The phrase “busting a gut" in the third paragraph can be replaced by __________.
| A．explaining carefully | B．speaking loud |
| C．keeping silent | D．laughing hard |
In writing the passage, the author mainly intends to __________.
| A．talk about his own understanding of humor |
| B．encourage people to be humorous in daily life |
| C．introduce a practical way to get through daily life |
| D．convince people of the power of being optimistic about life |
What is the author' s attitude towards the present world?
| A．Positive. | B．Critical. |
| C．Satisfied. | D．Indifferent. |
Imagine a mass of floating waste is two times the size of the state of Texas. Texas has a land area of more than 678 000 square kilometers. So it might be difficult to imagine anything twice as big.
All together, this mass of waste flowing in the North Pacific Ocean is known as the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch. It weighs about 3 500 000 tons. The waste includes bags，bottles and containers—plastic products of all kinds.
The eastern part of the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch is about l 600 kilometers west of California. The western part is west of the Hawaiian Islands and east of Japan. The area has been described as a kind of oceanic desert，with light winds and slow moving water currents. The water moves so slow that garbage from all over the world collects there.
In recent years，there have been growing concerns about the floating garbage and its effect on sea creatures and human health. Scientists say thousands of animals get trapped in the floating waste，resulting in death or injury. Even more die from a lack of food or water after swallowing pieces of plastic. The trash can also make animals feel full，lessening their desire to eat or drink.
The floating garbage also can have harmful effects on people. There is an increased threat of infection of disease from polluted waste，and from eating fish that swallowed waste. Divers can also get trapped in the plastic.
Its existence first gained public attention in l997. That was when racing boat captain and oceanographer Charles Moore and his crew sailed into the garbage while returning from a racing event. Five years earlier，another oceanographer learned of the trash after a shipment of rubber duckies got lost at sea. Many of those toys are now part of the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch.
In August，2009，a team from the University of California，San Diego became the latest group to travel to it. They were shocked by the amount of waste they saw. They gathered hundreds of sea creatures and water samples to measure the garbage patch’s effect on ocean environment.What do we know about the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch?
| A．It is made up of various kinds of plastic products. |
| B．It is a solid mass of floating waste materials. |
| C．It lies l60 000 kilometers east of California. |
| D．It is described as a kind of oceanic desert. |
Why do people pay attention to the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch?
| A．Because it may prevent the flow of ocean water. |
| B．Because the polluted plastic articles will move up the food chain. |
| C．Because it may be from an island in the pacific. |
| D．Because ships may be trapped in the floating waste. |
Which column can you find the passage on a newspaper?
| A．Sports and entertainment. | B．Media and culture. |
| C．Environment and society. | D．Science and technology. |
The purpose of writing this passage is to____________.
| A．warn people of the danger to travel in the pacific |
| B．analyze what caused the waste patch in the pacific |
| C．give advice on how to recycle waste in the ocean |
| D．introduce the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch |
I was working a double shift at the Southwest Airlines ticket counter． It was about 9:00 PM on Christmas Eve, and I was feeling really miserable inside． When it was time for me to call the next person to the counter,, I looked out to see the sweetest-looking old man standing with a walking stick．He walked very slowly over to the counter and in the faintest voice told me that he had to go to New Orleans． I tried to explain to him that there were no more flights that night and that he would have to go in the morning． He looked so confused and very worded． I tried to find out more information by asking if he had a reservation or if he remembered when he was supposed to travel, but he seemed to become more confused with each question． He just kept saying, "She said I have to go to New Orleans．"
After much time, I was able to at least find out that this old man had been dropped off at the road on Christmas Eve by his sister-in-law and told to go to New Orleans, where he had family． She had given him some cash and told him just to go inside and buy a ticket． When I asked if he could come back tomorrow, he said that she was gone and that he had no place to stay． He then said he would wait at the airport until tomorrow． Naturally, I felt a little ashamed． Here I was feeling very sorry for myself about being alone on Christmas, when this angel named Clarence MacDonald was sent to me to remind me of what being alone really meant． It broke my heart．
Immediately, our Customer Service agent helped to book him a seat for the earliest flight the next morning． When I stepped around the counter to ask him if he was all right, I saw that his leg was wrapped in a bandage． He had been standing on it that whole time, holding a plastic bag full of clothes．I called for a wheelchair． He said that he had just had bypass surgery（分流手术）and an artery was taken from his leg． I never really had a situation like this, and I wasn't sure what I could do． I went back to ask my supervisors（主管）if we could find a place for him to stay． They both said yes, and they obtained a hotel voucher(收据) for Mr． MacDonald for one night and a meal ticket for dinner and breakfast．
The moment he left, he said, "Thank you," bending his head and starting to cry． I cried too．When I went back to thank my supervisor, she just smiled and said, "I love stories like that． He is your Christmas Man．"The writer's first impression of the old man was that he was．
| A．gentle-looking and weak |
| B．tired out and worded |
| C．confused and very sick |
| D．sad and anxious |
On hearing the old man say that he would wait at the airport the whole night, the writer felt a bit ashamed because．
| A．she felt sorry that she couldn't do the old man a favor |
| B．she realized that someone was even more miserable than she felt |
| C．it took her a long time to find out how helpless the old man was |
| D．the old man was like an angel in the writer's eyes |
The writer called for a wheelchair for the old man because．
| A．the old man had broken his leg when he was dropped off at the road |
| B．the old man could spend the whole night on it at the airport |
| C．the old man was carrying a whole lot of clothes |
| D．the old man had had surgery just before and was very weak by then |
By calling the old man the writer's Christmas Man, the writer's supervisor implied that．
| A．the old man had told the writer a love story on Christmas |
| B．the old man had caused a lot of trouble for the writer on Christmas |
| C．the old man was the best gift the writer could have received on Christmas |
| D．the old man was the only customer the writer had served on Christmas |
Sometimes it is difficult to talk to taxi drivers. They must give all their attention to the road as they work out the shortest way to the place where you are going. However, passengers from Wangfujing were in surprise when they took a taxi. The driver just would not stop talking - in English.
Organized by the Cultural and Education Section of the British Embassy, “Dare to Speak” examines if Chinese people will speak English in “real-life” situations.
Matthew Knowles, an acting student from South Carolina at Beijing Film Academy, acted the part as the “driver”. He collected six passengers on Saturday morning, most of whom were female white-collar （白领）workers.
“Of course they were surprised at first, wondering why I’m driving a taxi, and wondering whether this is a real taxi, but then most of them were pretty willing to speak,” he said. Knowles said he was also surprised by his “passengers”. “Apart from my first ‘passenger’, who could speak very little English, all the rest spoke English very well, and it was fun to communicate with them,” he said, adding that some “passengers” were quite talkative.
The “foreign taxi driver” project was just one of the “Dare to Speak” activities, which have been going on since the end of October. Other projects included a foreign store owner near a high school in Beijing, a cook in a Shanghai university canteen. They were testing the willingness of Chinese people, especially students and white-collar workers, to speak to foreigners in English.
Rong Xin, senior manager of IELTS （雅思） with the British Embassy, said they hoped to let IELTS takers in China know that communication is the ultimate goal of IELTS.
“We hope that more and more IELTS takers in China can realize the importance of communicating in English in real life, instead of just getting high test scores,” she said.Why did Matthew Knowles drive a taxi?
| A．He took part in the project “Dear to speak” |
| B．He played the role of a taxi driver in a film. |
| C．He enjoyed chatting with people in English. |
| D．He wanted to improve his Chinese while driving. |
The Chinese may meet and talk to _______ in “Dear to speak” projects.
| A．a white-collar worker | B．a foreign store owner |
| C．a restaurant manager | D．a high school student |
The underlined word ultimate is closest in meaning to ________.
| A．most difficult | B．most common |
| C．most famous | D．most important |
The purpose of the project “Dear to Speak” is to _______ .
| A．attract more foreigners to start business in China |
| B．draw Chinese people’s attention to IELT |
| C．remind language learners of the goal of learning |
| D．give more chances for English learners in China |