English may not be a world language forever
While 375 million people around the globe use English as their native language, the number of people using it as a second language has already been well over that figure (数字).
It is said that by the end of 2000, one billion people could use English to communicate with others, including both native speakers and non-native speakers.
“The rise and fall of a language is closely connected with that country’s economic(经济的) strength and development potential (潜力).” Rhodri Jones, the English 2000 manager of the ELT group of the British Council said.
An expert who has given many lectures on the future of English said the economic boots（快速发展）in Asia would raise(提高) the position of the Chinese and Hindi languages. Therefore, the English language is facing a serious problem. Where will English turn in the next fifty years or the century?
The recently introduced book from Britain “Future of English” might give people concerned with their question some enlightenments (启发). The book helps to help English teachers, planners, managers and decision makers with a professional interest in the development of English worldwide.
With the book translated into Chinese and to be published soon, the book might be brought to wider sphere (范围)of people.
“From the book, we learn many facts about the English language, and we may be able to predict (预测) its future after reading it.” said Dorothy Humphrey, who used to be a senior English teacher for the British Council.
60.The reason why some language rises in the world depends on _______ .
A. the population of the country
B. the country’s economic strength in the world
C. the number of the population who use it
D. the country’s economic strength and development potential
61. The book “Future of English” helps to _______ .
A. improve the standard of people’s learning English
B. adds to people’s interest toward English
C. emphasize (强调) the importance in the world
D. make people interested in the development of English worldwide
62. After reading “Future of English” we know _______ .
A. English is the language that the people who speak it is the most in the world
B. English may disappear sooner or later
C. the world is keeping changing all the time
D. what the future of the English language
is
63. The main idea of the passage is _______ .
A. why English has been popular in the world
B. how to improve people’s ability of learning English
C. English has a bright future
D. the usage of English may become less in the world one day
64. According to this passage, English may not be a world language forever because _______
A. more and more people will come to visit China
B. people in the world won’t like English in the future.
C. the economic boots in Asia would raise the position of the Chinese and Hindi languages
D. China and India will be more developed than those English-speaking countries
OUR KIDS ARE AMAZING－especially compared with everybody else’s (who seem to cry all the time). How do you show your love for your kids this holiday season? With toys that are smooth and colorful, interactive and exciting. And with ones that have educational value－because you are the boss.
1. FLAX ART HOSPITAL PUZZLE AND PLAY SET
Here is a toy that doesn’t need power－and the bike have to put it together themselves. This 50 piece puzzle set is made of soft edged hardwood and makes a complete hospital, with an X ray room. It also includes eight patients, a car and a driver. $135; flaxart.com.
2. TINY LOVE ACTIVITY BALL
Sure, it’s cool, but this colorful baby toy also develops problem solving and motor skills. It has a head and legs, a magnetic(磁性的) hand and a tail. Suitable for little ones from 6 to 36 months. $19.95; tinylove.com.
3. ROBOSAPIEN
This small, remote control robot is really powerful. It performs 67 preprogrammed functions(功能), including throwing, kicking, picking up and dancing. You can even program your own function which, sadly, does not include doing windows. $99; robosapienonline.com.
4. MINI PEDAL CAR
Want a Mini Cooper but can’t fit the family inside? Get one for the kids. They can jump into this Mini car, which comes in hot orange with a single adjustable(可调的) seat, and ride away. But it could spoil them for that used car they’ll be driving when they turn 16．For ages 3 to 5．$189; minus A. com (click on “gear up,” then “Mini motoring gear”).Which toy is said to have the special design for children’s safety?
| A．ROBOSAPIEN |
| B．MINI PEDAL CAR |
| C．FLAX ART HOSPITAL PUZZLE AND PLAY SET |
| D．TINY LOVE ACTIVITY BALL |
Which toy are fit for three year old kids?
| A．1 and 3． | B．2 and 4． | C．I and 2． | D．3 and 4． |
Educational value is mentioned in all the toys EXCETP _________.
| A．FLAX ART HOSPITAL PUZZLE AND PLAY SET |
| B．TINY LVE ACTIVITY BALL |
| C．ROBOSAPIEN |
| D．MINI PEDAL CAR |
Are some people born clever, and others born stupid? Or is intelligence developed by our environment and our experience? Strangely enough, the answer to these questions is yes. To some extent our intelligence is given to us at birth, and no amount of education can make a genius out of a child born with low intelligence. On the other hand, a child who lives in a boring environment will develop his intelligence less than one who lives in rich and varied surroundings. Thus the limits of person's intelligence are fixed at birth, whether or not he reaches those limits will depend on his environment. This view, now held by most experts, can be supported in a number of ways.
It is easy to show that intelligence is to some extent something we are born with. The closer the blood relationship between two people, the closer they are likely to be in intelligence. Thus if we take two unrelated people at random from population, it is likely that their degree of intelligence will be completely different. If, on the other hand, we take two identical twins, they will very likely be as intelligent as each other. Relations like brothers and sisters, parents and children, usually have similar intelligence, and this clearly suggests that intelligence depends on birth.
Imagine now that we take two identical twins and put them in different environments. We might send one, for example, to a university and the other to a factory where the work is boring. We would soon find differences in intelligence developing, and this indicates that environment as well as birth plays a part. This conclusion is also suggested by the fact that people who live in close contact with each other, but who are not related at all are likely to have similar degree of intelligence.Which of these sentences best describes the writer’s point in Paragraph 1?
| A．To some extent, intelligence is given at birth. |
| B．Intelligence is developed by the environment. |
| C．Some people are born clever and others born stupid. |
| D．Intelligence is fixed at birth, but is developed by the environment. |
It is suggested in this passage that_______.
| A．close relation usually have similar intelligence |
| B．unrelated people are not likely to have different intelligence |
| C．the closer the blood relationship between people, the more different they are likely to be in intelligence |
| D．people who live in close contact with each other are not likely to have similar degrees of intelligence |
The phrase “at random”(Line3, para.2) means _______ .
| A．purposely | B．frequently |
| C．aimlessly | D．independently |
The best title for this article would be_______.
| A．What Dose Intelligence Mean ? |
| B．On Intelligence |
| C．We Are Born with Intelligence |
| D．Environment Plays a Part in Developing Intelligence |
The new high speed railway line between Urumqi, capital of the Xinjiang Uygur self-governing region, and Lanzhou, capital of Gansu province, has cut train travel time by half to less than 12 hours.
The dramatic improvement will benefit many families planning reunions for Spring Festival.
"For the first time, I feel home is not that far away after all," said Liang shaofu as he boarded a high speed train in Urumqi with six members of his family.
The 35 year old left Lanzhou to set up a dry fruit business in Xinjiang eight years ago, and he has now settled in Urumqi.
The 1,776 km line, which passes through Qinghai province and is the country's first high speed railway built in a high altitude region, came into service on Dec 26.
"We normally drive home for Spring Festival to avoid the difficulties of buying seven train tickets for the whole family during the peak season," Liang said. "Driving can be very tiring and dangerous sometimes, so one year we even decided not to go back to Lanzhou simply to avoid the trip.
More than 600,000 passengers traveled on the line during its first month, and the Urumqi Railway Bureau said the introduction of high speed services will ease transport pressure during the Spring Festival peak season.
The existing usual railway line could no longer support Xinjiang's development. All passenger trains will gradually shift to the new link, leaving the old one to be used for goods. As a result, Xinjiang's annual goods ability could reach 200 million metric tons from the current 70 million.
The line passes through areas that experience high winds, and it also crosses parts of the deserted Qinghai Tibet Plateau and the bone dry sands of the Gobi Desert.
The project could help China to promote its high speed railway technology abroad, said Ma Xizhang, director of the Lanzhou Xinjiang railway project's management department in Xinjiang. How long did it take to go from Urumqi to Lanzhou by the usual train before?
| A．about 12 hours. | B．About 6 hours. |
| C．About 18 hours. | D．About 24 hours. |
What’s the main advantage of the new high speed railway?
| A．It takes more time to go to Urumqi to Lanzhou. |
| B．It will be more convenient for people all over the country to Xinjiang. |
| C．All the people in Lanzhou can return home on festivals. |
| D．It helps to improve Xinjiang’s development. |
From the passage we can learn _______.
| A．Xinjiang’s annual goods ability can increase nearly four times |
| B．the new railway technology may help more railway lines to be built abroad |
| C．the high speed railway lines can’t be built across the bone dry sands |
| D．the old railway lines can only carry goods now |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．The new high speed railway line is good for all people to go home. |
| B．The new high speed railway line benefits businessmen to carry goods. |
| C．Taking the new train is safer than driving home from Urumqi to Lanzhou. |
| D．Businessmen seldom went home for Spring Festival before. |
Birds that are half-asleep—with one brain hemisphere (半球) alert and the other sleeping—control which side of the brain remains awake, according to a new study of sleeping ducks.
Earlier studies have documented half-brain sleep in a wide range of birds. The brain hemispheres take turns sinking into the sleep stage characterized by slow brain waves. The eye controlled by the sleeping hemisphere keeps shut, while the wakeful hemisphere’s eye stays open and alert. Birds also can sleep with both hemispheres resting at once.
Decades of studies of bird groups led researchers to predict extra alertness in the end-of-the-row sleepers which tend to be attacked more easily. Sure enough, the end birds tended to watch carefully on the side away from their companions. Ducks in the inner spots showed no preference for gaze direction.
Also, birds napping at the end of the line depend on single-hemisphere sleep, rather than total relaxation, more often than inner ducks did. Turning 16 birds through the positions in a four-duck row, the researchers found that compared with 12% for birds in inner spots, outer birds half sleep during some 32% of napping time.
“We believe this is the first evidence for an animal behaviorally controlling sleep and wakefulness at the same time in different regions of the brain,” the researchers say.
The results provide the best evidence for a long-standing assumption that single-hemisphere sleep evolved when creatures scanned for enemies. The preference for opening an eye on the lookout side could be widespread, he predicts. He’s seen it in a pair of birds napping side by side in the zoo and in a single pet bird sleeping by a mirror. The mirror-side eye closed as if the reflection were a companion and the other eye stayed open.
Useful as half-sleeping might be, it’s only been found in birds and such water animals as dolphins, whales, and seals. Perhaps keeping one side of the brain awake allows a sleeping animal to surface occasionally to avoid drowning.
Studies of birds may offer unique insights(理解) into sleep. Jerome M. Siegel of the UCLA says he wonders if birds’ half-brain sleep “is just the tip of the iceberg.” He supposes that more examples may turn up when we take a closer look at other species.According to the passage, birds often half sleep because _________________________.
| A．they have to watch out for possible attacks |
| B．their brain hemispheres take turns to rest |
| C．the two halves of their brain are differently structured |
| D．they have to constantly keep an eye on their companions |
What does the underlined word “evolved” mean in paragraph 6?
| A．developed | B．changed |
| C．disappeared | D．helped |
What is implied about the example of a bird's sleeping in front of a mirror?
| A．Birds prefer to sleep in pairs for the sake of their security. |
| B．An imagined companion gives the bird a sense of security. |
| C．The phenomenon of birds napping in pairs is widespread. |
| D．A single pet bird enjoys seeing its own reflection in the mirror. |
While sleeping, some water animals tend to keep half awake in order to _________________.
| A．alert themselves to the approaching enemy |
| B．surface from water now and then to breathe |
| C．be sensitive to the ever-changing environment |
| D．avoid being swept away by rapid currents |
It can be inferred that _______________________.
| A．birds never sleep with both hemispheres resting at once. |
| B．inner ducks depend on single-hemisphere sleep, rather than total relaxation, as often as birds napping at the end of the line do. |
| C．it is not the first time for scientists to research on birds’ half-brain sleep |
| D．birds hardly sleep without a companion |
By saying “just the tip of the iceberg”, Siegel suggests that _________________________.
| A．half-brain sleep has something to do with icy weather |
| B．the mystery of half-brain sleep is close to being solved |
| C．most birds living in cold regions tend to be half sleepers |
| D．half-brain sleep may exist among other species |
When we say older people shrink, we don't mean they become tiny enough to fit in your pocket! We just mean that it's common for older people to become a little shorter over time. This kind of shrinking can't be reversed, although people can slow or stop this process. But why does shrinking happen at all?
Because of gravity (the force that keeps your feet on the ground) , cushions between the bones in the spine (脊骨), get compressed (压缩), which makes a person lose a little height and become shorter.
Another reason why some older people shrink is because of osteoporosis (骨质疏松). Osteoporosis occurs when bone is broken down and not enough new bone material is made. Over time, bone is said to be lost because it's not being replaced. Bones become smaller and weaker and can easily break if someone with osteoporosis is injured.
Older people—especially women, who generally have smaller and lighter bones to begin with—are more likely to develop osteoporosis. As years go by, a person with osteoporosis can get small breaks in bones that are called compression fractures(受压骨折). These breaks cause collapse of the spine and over time the person with osteoporosis can become hunched over (驼背).
Did you know that every day you shrink a little, too? You aren't as tall at the end of the day as you are at the beginning. That's because as the day goes on, water in the disks of the spine gets compressed due to gravity, making you just a tiny bit shorter. Don't worry, though. Once you get a good night's rest, your body recovers, and the next morning, you're standing tall again!
Smoking and drinking alcohol can make this problem worse. Want to do something right now to build strong bones? I believe what I will say will help you.Which of the following statements is true?
| A．For shrinking, people can do nothing about it. |
| B．If someone is injured, he will become shorter. |
| C．Women have smaller and lighter bones than men. |
| D．We aren't as tall at the end of the day as we are at the beginning. |
What should we do if we don't want to shrink faster?
| A．We should try to reduce gravity. |
| B．We should be careful not to be hurt by others. |
| C．We should sleep as long as possible. |
| D．We should keep away from smoking and drinking alcohol. |
What is the topic of the passage?
| A．How can we stop shrinking? |
| B．Why do we shrink? |
| C．Some tips on how to keep tall. |
| D．How to live a healthy life. |
About osteoporosis, we know that _______.
| A．gravity is one of the causes of osteoporosis |
| B．once our bone is broken down, osteoporosis will occur |
| C．women are more likely to develop osteoporosis |
| D．if we develop osteoporosis, we are more likely to be shorter |
What will the author talk about in the paragraph to be followed?
| A．Tell us how to grow taller. |
| B．Tell us how to become healthier. |
| C．Tell us how to avoid being shrinking. |
| D．Tell us what to do to have strong bones. |