.
Among the four skills in learning English, which of these is the “Odd-Man-Out”? The answer is speaking. The other three you can do alone on your own. But you can't really speak alone! Speaking to yourself can be “dangerous” because men in white coats may come and take you away !
Where can you find people to speak English? And how can you practise speaking when you are alone? At school if you pay to go to a language school, you should use the chance to speak .If your teacher asks you to speak in pairs or groups with other students, try to say as much as possible. Don't worry about your mistakes. Just speak!
Conversation Clubs Many cities around the world have conversation clubs where people can exchange one language for another . Look in your local newspaper to find a conversation club near you .They are usually free although some may charge a small entrance fee.
Shopping Even if you don't want to buy anything ,you can ask questions about products that interest you in a shop. “How much does this cost?” “Can I pay by cheque?” Often you can start a real conversation—and it costs you nothing!
Cafe and Bars There are often American, Britain, Irish and Australian bars in many large cities .If you can find one, you'll probably meet many people speaking English as a first or second language.
Language is all around you Everywhere you go, you find language .Shop names, street names ,advertisements ,notices ,and car numbers....When you walk down the street , practice reading the words and numbers that you see .Say them to yourself .It's not exactly a conversation ,but it will help you to “think” in English .But don't speak too loud!
Songs and Video Repeat the words of an English-language song singing with the music until it becomes automatic. It's good practice for your memory and for the mouth muscles that you need for English.
Above all, speak as much as possible! Make as many mistakes as possible! When you know that you have made a mistake, you know that you have made progress!
57.What does “Odd-Man-Out” probably mean according to the passage?
A. Someone or something appearing different from others.
B. Someone or something standing out of the group.
C. Someone or something arranged in pairs.
D. Someone or something easily mistaken for another.
58.What might happen if you speak to yourself loudly in public?
A. The police will take you away and punish you.
B. The doctors will force you to stay in hospital.
C. You will have to pay to escape being punished.
D. You will be forbidden to be member of the club.
59.Why does the writer say “Make as many mistakes as possible”? Because _______.
A. everyone will make mistakes in learning English
B. everyone will meet people speaking English with some mistakes
C. making mistakes is a must in making progress in learning English
D. making mistakes can make one realize the importance of speaking
60.According to the passage, which way is not likely to be accepted by English beginners?
A .Recite poems loudly along the riverside.
B. Listen to some English pop songs and video.
C. Find an Englishman to speak English with.
D. Take to the TV showing programmes at home.
I am the captain of a ship in American Marine Police Force. I have been working as a policeman on the sea for eight years. I really love the sea because of its cool winds, the fresh smell and the beautiful scenery (风景), so I joined Marine Police Force to safeguard the sea.
Several days ago, I was out on a boat with my friends. We were not on duty but our officer allowed us to use the police sailing boat. It was very relaxing to have a day off on the sea with friends.
We went fishing. We were on our way back when I saw a ship with the name PSS Pollu. It was pouring oil into the sea. I was very upset about this, so I managed to call the ship and shouted, “Stop at once and follow us back to the shore!” But PSS Pollu tried to escape.
We tried our best to follow her but the ship was too fast for us so we contacted the Police Force and asked for help. Two fast police boats were sent and soon caught up with PSS Pollu. The ship had no choice but to give in.
Six policemen searched PSS Pollu and found that it was carrying illegal (违法的) goods. The men on PSS Pollu were punished. I was rewarded for providing useful information while I was off duty. I felt proud and now I love my job even more.The writer found PSS Pollu when he was ______.
A.on duty | B.on holiday |
C.on business | D.on a visit |
The writer tried to catch PSS Pollu because ______.
A.it polluted the sea |
B.it drove too fast |
C.it hunted for sea animals |
D.it attacked the police boat |
How did the writer feel after catching PSS Pollu?
A.Frightened. | B.Moved. | C.Worried. | D.Happy. |
Teenagers are often a difficult group. With all those hormones(荷尔蒙) flooding their bodies, they can be moody, unpredictable, and tend to make uncertain choices. But however confusing their teenage years are, kids can still be generally happy, depending on their lifestyle choices. According to a new research by British scientists, teens who don’t smoke, drink only moderately or not at all, and who don’t eat much junk food are likely to be happier than other teens.
The study looked at 40,000 British families and came up with some interesting findings. For example, kids who never drank alcohol were up to six times more likely to report higher levels of happiness than kids who drank. And teens who smoked were five times less likely to rate high on happiness charts compared to kids who don’t smoke. Same goes for diet and physical activity. The more fruits and vegetables kids eat, and the more hours they spend playing sports, the happier they are.
Now, of course this doesn’t mean that not smoking or drinking, and playing sports guarantees happiness. It could be that kids who have happy character tend to be more active and less addicted to drinking or smoking. And it could equally be the case that kids who are unhappy are more related to drinking and smoking and eating junk food.
Other studies have shown that exercise is a proven way to treat anxiety and depression. Future studies may support the idea that other healthful behaviors, including refraining(克制) from smoking, drinking, and eating too much junk, can avoid sadness and increase happiness, too.What can we learn from the text?
A.Not smoking or drinking guarantees happiness. |
B.Teens with flooding hormones can not be happy. |
C.Playing sports can decrease teen’s unhappiness. |
D.Unhappiness can certainly result in smoking and drinking. |
Which of the following might help teens quit anxiety?
A.Smoking and drinking. |
B.Taking exercise. |
C.Eating junk food. |
D.Going on a diet. |
Which can be the best title for the text?
A.Ways to treat anxiety and depression. |
B.Exercise and teenagers’ health. |
C.Teenagers shouldn’t drink or smoke. |
D.Teenagers’ lifestyle and their happiness. |
The Great Fire of London started in the very early hours of 2 September 1666. In four days it destroyed more than three-quarters of the old city, where most of the houses were wooden and close together. One hundred thousand people became homeless, but only a few lost their lives.
The fire started on Sunday morning in the house of the King's baker in Pudding Lane. The baker, with his wife and family, was able to get out through a window in the roof. A strong wind blew the fire from the bakery into a small hotel next door. Then it spread quickly into Thames Street. That was the beginning.
By eight o'clock three hundred houses were on fire. On Monday nearly a kilometer of the city was burning along the River Thames. Tuesday was the worst day. The fire destroyed many well-known buildings, old St Paul's and the Guildhall among them.
Samuel Pepys, the famous writer, wrote about the fire. People threw their things into the river. Many poor people stayed in their houses until the last moment. Birds fell out of the air because of the heat.
The fire stopped only when the King finally ordered people to destroy hundreds of buildings in the path of the fire. With nothing left to burn, the fire became weak and finally died out.
After the fire, Christopher Wren, the architect, wanted a city with wider streets and fine new houses of stone. In fact, the streets are still narrow; but he did build more than fifty churches, among them was new St Paul's.
The fire caused great pain and loss, but after it London was a better place: a city for the future and not just of the past.It seems that the writer of the text was most sorry for the fact that ______.
A.many famous buildings were destroyed |
B.the birds in the sky were killed by the fire |
C.some people lost their lives |
D.the King's bakery was burned down |
Why did the writer cite (引用)Samuel Pepys’ words?
A.Because Pepys was among those putting out the fire. |
B.Because Pepys also wrote about the fire. |
C.To give the reader a clearer picture of the fire. |
D.To show that poor people suffered most. |
How was the fire put out according to the text?
A.Houses standing in the direction of the fire were pulled down. |
B.All the wooden houses in the city were destroyed. |
C.People managed to get enough water from the river. |
D.The king and his soldiers came to help. |
Which of the following were reasons for the rapid spread (扩散)of the big fire?
(a) There was a strong wind.
(b) The streets were very narrow.
(c) Many houses were made of wood.
(d) There was not enough water in the city.
(e) People did not discover the fire earlier.
A.(a) and (b) |
B.(a), (b), (c), (d) and (e) |
C.(a), (b), (c) and (d) |
D.(a), (b) and (c) |
Two students started quarreling at school. One student shouted dirty words at the other, and a fight began. What can be done to stop fights like this at school? In some schools, the disputants sit down with peer mediators(同龄调解者). Peer mediators are students with special training in this kind of problems.
Peer mediators help the disputants to talk in a friendly way. Here are some of the ways they use:
1) Put what you think clearly but don’t say anything to hurt the other. Begin with “I feel…” instead of “You always…”
2) Listen carefully to what the other person is saying. Don’t stop the other person’s words.
3) Keep looking at the other person’s eyes when he or she talks.
4) Try to see the other person’s side of the problem.
5) Never put anyone down. Saying things like “You are foolish” makes the talk difficult. 6) Try to find a result that makes both people happy.
Peer mediators never decide the result or the winner. They don’t decide who is right and who is wrong. Instead, they help the two students to find their own “win-win” result.The underlined word “disputants” refers to the students ________.
A.who make peace | B.who give in |
C.who are lazy | D.who quarrel |
When there is a fight at school ________.
A.the peer mediators decide who the winner is |
B.the peer mediators and the disputants talk together |
C.the students who quarrel decide who the winner is |
D.the two students sit down and listen to the peer mediators |
Peer mediators’ work is ________.
A.to give lessons to disputants |
B.to find out who starts a quarrel |
C.to give students some special training |
D.to help find a way to make both sides happy |
Which of the following ways is not used by Peer mediators in finding a “win-win” result?
A.Listen carefully to what the other person is saying. |
B.Try to see the other person’s side of the problem. |
C.Never say things like “You are foolish” |
D.Never keep looking at the other person’s eyes when he or she talks. |
In the past ten years, many scientists have studied the differences between men and women. And they all got the same answer: The sexes(性别) are different, because their brains are different. And this, the scientists say, makes men and women see the world in different ways.
Boys, for example, generally are better than girls at mathematical ideas. Boys also generally are better than girls at the kind of hand and eye movements necessary for ball sports. Girls, on the other hand generally start speaking earlier than boys. And they generally(通常) see better in the dark than boys and are better at learning foreign languages.
What makes men and women better at one thing or another? The answer is the brain. The brain has two sides connected by nerve(神经) tracks. The left side generally is used for mathematics, speech and writing. The right side is used for artistic creation(创造) and the expression for emotions(情感). In men and women, different areas in each side of the brain develop differently. In boys, for example, it’s the area used for mathematics. In girls, it is the area used for language skills. Another interesting difference is that the two sides of a man’s brain are connected by a smaller nerves than the two sides of a woman’s brain are.Which of the following is best to outline(概括) the article?
A.Research on the brain. |
B.Differences between men and women |
C.People’s different brains. |
D.Who Are Better, Boys or Girls |
________men and women think differently.
A.Sex makes. |
B.The different brains make |
C.The different experiences make. |
D.The influences of society make. |
According to the article, girls are generally better than boys at __ in your school.
A.mathematics | B.physics | C.English | D.Chemistry |
Which of the following is true?
A.The right side of brain in boys generally develops better than that in girls. |
B.The left side of brain in girls generally develops better than that in boys. |
C.Men are better than women in all things. |
D.The area in girls’ brain used for language skills develops better. |