It’s not entirely true that kids learn a second language easily, but it’s still the best time to learn. Babies are basically equipped to hear and distinguish every possible language and dialect, but once they reach 6 months old, they begin to focus on the particular sounds that exist in the l
anguages that they’re exposed to. In this way, kids will naturally and automatically be bilingual(双语的) if they hear multiple languages on a daily basis when they are still babies..
One lady told me of her son who grew up in a very multi-cultural community working at a resort. He would naturally and easily switch from Dutch, to French, to Italian, German and English depending on who he was talking to. Of course that’s an extreme case, but it’s completely possible and easy.
It’ s not true that they will get mixed up by learning multiple languages. They may mix them up purposely simply because certain words or expressions are easier, but they won’t develop any permanent language disabilities. Quite the contrary, bilingual children have been shown to be as much as a year more advanced in learning ability development for 2 and 3 years olds.
Some kids who simply aren’t gifted at learning languages, just as some aren’t gifted at sports or music, will find it difficult to continue schooling in a foreign language. In that case, it may be better not to continue with the foreign language school. Still, it will have been an excellent opportunity for Grade One. Perhaps for Grade Two you could try a bilingual school.
In any case, learning even a small amount of a foreign language, maintaining the ability to hear and pronounce it by listening to music and movies will keep a foundation for later learning. Knowing a second language can be a great benefit for gaining employment.What’s the main idea of the first paragraph?
| A．It’s difficult for kids to learn a second language. |
| B．Kids are able to learn multiple languages. |
| C．Kids should be exposed to the native language. |
| D．Kids enjoy all kinds of different dialects. |
What did the lady tell us about her son?
| A．He could speak five kinds of languages. |
| B．He was learning some different languages. |
| C．He could talk with many people at the same time. |
| D．He was working in a multi-community. |
In which way can learning multiple languages benefit kids according to the text?
| A．Mixing up different languages. |
| B．Distinguish different dialects. |
| C．Developing learning ability. |
| D．Developing language disabilities. |
What should you do if your kids are not good at learning language?
| A．Ask them to turn to sports or music. |
| B．Encourage them to remain in Grade One. |
| C．Let them remain in the foreign language school. |
| D．Send them to a bilingual school later. |
.
FROM 1964 to 1978, Dazhai, with a population of 500, was the most famous village in China. Millions of Chinese came to the Shanxi village to visit its terraced fields (梯田) and "splendid" irrigation systems.
It was not until 1978 when Guo Fenglian, head of the village, paid a visit to the US that China's model village found how far it had fallen behind those in developed countries.
"I was astonished at their modern equipment in harvesting, which could even separate big tomatoes with small ones," said Guo. "American farmers' life quality also impressed me a lot. Every day they had two cups of milk, which is something we don't have even in our wildest dreams."
"We have to learn their advanced technology and administration for our own development," said then first Deputy Prime Minister Deng Xiaoping who was planning China's reform and opening up policy then. "Through opening our doors, we would not only take advantage of foreign funds (资金), but also create job opportunities and cultivate (培养) talents."
In 1978 Japanese electricity giant Panasonic (松下) came to China as the first foreign business to invest (投资) here and its success attracted other world brands into exploring the Chinese market. So far China has for 15 years taken in the world's second biggest foreign investment, following the US, to help set the country in a fast growth.
However, China's 30-year road of reform was not always smooth. Doubts on the reform began to rise at the end of the 1980s as many people worried the country would turn to capitalism (资本主义).
"The criterion for our judgment is whether it helps develop socialist productive forces, whether it helps increase the overall national strength of a socialist country, and whether it brings about better living standards," said Deng.
"China's reform and opening up is a unique success story. It has brought benefit to both China and the world," said William Keller, chief manager of a Swiss pharmaceutical (制药的) company.
53. Guo Fenglian was ______ at the sight of the modern equipment in harvesting when she visited the US in 1978.
A. shocked B. delighted C. excited D. attracted
54. ______ was the first big country to invest in China.
A. America B. Japan C. Swiss D. Panasonic
55. Many people have doubts about the reform ________.
A. in 1978 B. in 1980
C. in 1981 D. at the end of the 1980s
56. According to remarks by Deng, which one is NOT the criterion for judging the success or failure of our work in various fields?
A. whether it helps develop socialist productive forces.
B. whether it strengthens the overall capacity of the country.
C. whether it brings about better investment and more profit.
D. whether it improves the peoples living standards.
.
BUNOL, Spain (AFP) — Tens of thousands of people from around the world threw tons of ripe tomatoes at each other in an annual food fight that painted the eastern Spanish town of Bunol red.
More than 40,000 people, including many visitors from Australia, Britain and the United States, took part in the food fight known as the “Tomatina”, now in its 64th year, a spokeswoman for Bunol’s town hall said.
They were provided with over 100 tons of tomatoes by the town council for the battle which lasted about one hour and left participants covered in red.
Many men were shirtless while others wore old clothes, hardhats, goggles or protective plastic sheets.
Shopkeepers put up huge plastic covers on their store fronts or boarded them up to protect their properties from the sea of red mush (糊状物).
After the battle, governmental workers and local residents used “giant hoses” to clear the walls and streets of the tomato pulp in just half an hour while the participants headed to a nearby river where temporary showers were set up.
The event cost the town of some l0, 000 residents 40,000 dollars, and Spanish media reported.
The “Tomatina” is held each year in Bunol, located in a fertile (富饶的) region about 40 kilometers north of the coastal city of Valencia, Spain’s third-largest city, on the last Wednesday in August.
The origins of the event are unclear although it is thought to have its roots in a food fight between childhood friends in the mid-1940s in the city.
It has grown in size as international press coverage brought more and more people to the festival.
49. To keep their stores safe, the shopkeepers _____.
A. kept their store fronts covered B. hung plastic sheets on the walls
C. closed all the doors and windows D. stopped people throwing at them
50. Which of the following words is closest in meaning to the underlined word “pulp” (in Paragraph 6)?
A. skin. B. color. C. mush. D. value.
51. It can be inferred from the passage that _____.
A. the “Tomatina” brings in huge profits
B. the festival attracted more tourists this year
C. no one knows the history of the festival
D. tourism plays an important role in Bunol
52. What would be the best title for the passage?
A. It is fun to throw tomatoes B. An exciting story about tomatoes
C. Fighting and sightseeing in Bunol D. Spanish town painted red in tomato fight
.
As the economy begins to recover, salary increases should do the same.
In the past few years, employers have raised workers’ salaries by about 4 percent per year--except for 2009, when the figure dropped to a historically low 2.1 percent, according to a survey of World at Word. About one-third of companies froze raises altogether.
For 2010, World at Work’s survey projects an average salary increase budget of 2.7 percent, a figure that shows the situation has improved but the job market is still weak. Between 10 percent and 15 percent of companies said they would freeze raises--far fewer than in 2009, but still more than in most years.
How can you get a raise? Avalos and others offer the following tips:
* Do your job well. This means producing high-quality work, of course, but also keeping the big picture in mind.
“It really comes down to positioning yourself as a high performer, somebody who is aware of business goals and helps the company meet their goals as an organization”, Avalos said
* Be visible. When times are tough, some workers think. “I’m going to hunker down and hope that nobody notices me, because I don’t want to be on a layoff list,” said Richard Phillips, owner of Advantage Career Solutions. This is a mistake, because you’re unlikely to get a raise if no one knows what you have accomplished. “If anything, what you want to do is be more visible.”
* Make your boss’s life easier. This means everything from having a good attitude to taking on extra tasks. If you don’t know how you can help your boss, ask.
* Ask for a raise. Talk to your boss and present your case: Here’s what I’ve done, here’s how it fits with the company’s goals, and here is why I think it’s worth a salary increase. In some cases, even if your company has an official raise freeze, you can get a raise if you make good case.
If the answer is no -- or if you’re not ready to ask directly -- Phillips suggests asking, “What would you like to see from me that would put me in line for a raise?”
A question like this can improve your standing. “Just asking the question says to the boss, ‘I’m thinking about where I fit in here, what I can do,” Phillips said, “That in and of itself has value.”
45. The passage is mostly from a\an________.
A. novel B. science fiction C. magazine D. biography
46. Employers have raised workers’ salaries by about _______percent in 2007.
A. 4 B. 2.1 C. 2.7 D. 10
47. If you want to get a raise, the most important thing you should keep in your mind is to ______.
A. have your job done well B. be visible everywhere as possible as you can
C. ask your boss for a raise directly D. change your job
48 All the statements are true except________.
A. the situation has improved but the job market is still weak
B. salary increases should recover as the economy does
C. producing high-quality work will surely help you get a raise
D. that in and off an employee makes no difference
.
第二部分：阅读理解 (共45分)
第一节（共20小题，每小题2分，满分40分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。
One warm May day, two eighteen – year – old students from San Francisco State College decided to cool off with a swim at Bakers’ Beach. The two students were named Robert Kogler and Shirley O’Neill. They headed out to sea for a distance of 50 meters. Robert was in front.
“Suddenly, I heard him scream,” Shirley recalls. “I looked round and saw this great grey thing going up in the air. The water seemed to be alive.”
Robert screamed again. “It’s a shark! Get out of here!”
An eye – witness, Army Sergeant Leo P. Day was on guard at the nearby army post. He saw exactly what happened next. “I could see this boy struggling with the shark in the water,” he said. “The sea was red with blood. He was shouting and signaling someone to go back, go back. Then I saw the girl. She was swimming towards him. She completely ignored his warning.”
Shirley reached Robert, and tried to take his hand.
“When I pulled, all I could see was his arm, handing by a thread,” she said.
So she put her arm about Robert’s back, and started to swim towards the shore. She kept praying “Don't’ let it attack again!” That journey to the shore seemed to last for hours. At last, as they neared the shore, a fisherman threw them a line, and pulled them both the rest of the way.
The young man had lost a lot of blood, and died two and a half hours later. From the teeth marks, experts identified the attacker as a Great White Shark.
For what Sergeant Day called “the greatest exhibition of bravery I have ever seen,” the President of the US gave Shirley a medal for bravery.
41．When Robert was attacked by a shark Shirley__________?
A．was swimming in the sea
B．was watching him on the shore
C．was on guard at the nearby army post
D．was shouting and struggling with a shark, too
42．Choose the right time order of the following events in the story.
a. Army Sergeant saw the girl swimming to the boy.
b. Shirley saw a great grey thing.
c. They headed out to sea.
d. Robert died.
e. A fisherman threw them a line.
f. He saw a boy struggling with a shark.
A．b, c, e, d, f, a B．c, a, f, d, e, b C．b, c, f, a, d, e D．c, b, f, a, e, d
43．We can learn from the passage that ______.
A．the two students were brave and considerate
B．the fisherman was adventurous and helpful
C．the experts didn’t do much research on sharks
D．the Sergeant cared too much about his own life
44. Which of the following is true?
A．The President of the US gave Shirley a medal for bravery.
B．They were swimming in a lake.
C．There is no eye – witness.
D．Shirley saved Robert’s life.
.
The influence of America is increasing in my country. Spanish people drink Coca Cola, wear blue jeans, watch Hollywood movies, listen to American music, and eat fast food, and they do these things every day.
I think that American movies are a good way to spread American culture because people are often influenced by what they see in the movies. Most of the programs and documentaries (纪录片) we watch on TV are from America, and most of the movies we go to see are made in Hollywood.
In the last few years, the government has tried to protect the Spanish movies. Now, in our cinemas, at least twenty percent of the movies which are shown must be from Spain or from other countries in Europe.
American culture is a part of Spanish life now. It’s certain that many things from America are as much a part of people’s lives as Spanish things. For example, Coca Cola is as familiar to everybody as any typical Spanish product. I’ve known about Coca Cola for my whole life.
However, it’s different with Western fast food. For example, I don’t think McDonald’s is as successful in Spain as it is in other countries. In my opinion, one of the reasons may be the lifestyle of the Spanish people. The Spanish people normally eat at home.
On the other hand, maybe McDonald’s hamburgers will eventually replace the famous Spanish tapas. It’s true that in every city in Spain you can find a McDonald’s, and it is more popular among the Spanish children than among the adults. In any case, it’s obvious that American culture is becoming more and more a part of our lives every day.
61. From the first paragraph we can know that ____.
A. the influence of America on Spain can be found everywhere
B. most Spanish people don’t like to listen to their own music
C. fast food spreads from Spain to the United States
D. some Spanish actors go to America to improve their acting skills
62. What plays an important part in the spreading of American culture in Spain?
A. American novels. B. Hollywood movies.
C. McDonald’s. D. American music.
63. Why did the government set some rules for the films shown in Spain?
A. To protect foreign culture in Spain.
B. To earn more money from Spanish films.
C. To limit the number of foreign movies.
D. To unite the European Community.
64. Why does the author think that McDonald’s is not as successful as it is in other countries?
A. Its fast food contains too much fat.
B. He thinks it is unhealthy.
C. Spanish people seldom eat out.
D. Spanish adults don’t like its fast food.
65. What do you think Spanish tapas might be?
A. The name of a drink. B. The name of a restaurant.
C. A clothing brand. D. A certain kind of food.