America, has always had people of many different nationalities and languages. The 1990 census (人口普查) indicates that almost 14% of Americans speak a non-English language at home. Yet only 3% reported that they spoke English “not well” or “not at all ”. That means that slightly more than one out of 10 Americans could be considered bilingual. Besides that, many high school and college students---and even some elementary school students---are required to take a foreign language. Actually, a growing number of Americans are coming to appreciate the benefits of using different languages.
Ethnic enclaves (少数民族聚居地) have preserved the language and culture of American immigrants. Some local residents can function quite well in their native language, without having to bother learning English. Regions such as southern Florida and the Southwest have numerous Spanish-speaking neighborhoods. In fact, Spanish speakers---numbering over 17 million---form the largest non-English linguistic group in America. But Chinese, Vietnamese, Italian, Polish and many other ethnic group add to the linguistic flavor of America. Foreign languages are so commonly used in some ethnic neighborhoods that visitors might think they are in another country!
Although some Americans welcome this linguistic and cultural diversity, others have begun to fear that the English language is being threatened. Since the 1980s, the “English Only ” movement has sought to promote legislation (立法) which would establish English as the “official language” and restrict the use of non-English language. However, some groups, including TESOL, the organization for Teachers of English to Speakers of Other language, object to such “language restrictionism”. But so far, 19 states have passed “English Only” legislation, and the topic is the focus of an ongoing debate.
Whether or not English is the official language of the United States, it remains the “language of wider communication”. Nearly everyone recognizes the need to develop the ability in using English in order to do well in America. American also recognize that English is the international language, and people with good English skills can get by in many international settings. On the other hand, in a world growing increasingly smaller, second language skills can be a great favor. They can build cross-cultural bridges and give people an edge in a variety of career field. Indeed, lack of foreign language skill can limit one’s chances for advancement and keep one in a cultural dead-end street. Ethnic groups have preserved their native languages because ______.
| A．their native languages are commonly used in their neighborhoods |
| B．ethnic groups are not allowed to speak English |
| C．ethnic groups can do very well in their native languages |
| D．ethnic groups don’t allow their natives to learn English |
The underlined word “bilingual” in paragraph 1 probably means ______.
| A．being able to speak two languages | B．being able to speak one language |
| C．being able to speak different languages | D．being able to speak many foreign languages |
Which of the following is TRUE about “English Only” movement?
| A．Its purpose was to establish a legislation of restricting the use of English. |
| B．TESOL was in favor of “English Only ” by objecting to “English plus”. |
| C．It was launched because English was being threatened. |
| D．A large majority of American states support the movement. |
What can be the best title of this passage?
| A．The English Only Movement | B．Learn to speak English |
| C．English---an International Language | D．Being Bilingual |
A good memory is a great help in learning a language. Everybody learns his own language by remembering what he hears when he is a small child, and some children, like boys and girls who live abroad with their parents, seem to learn two languages almost as easily as one. In school it is not easy to learn a second language because the pupils have so little time for it, and they are busy with other subjects, too.
A man’s mind is rather like a camera, but it takes photos not only of what we see but of what we feel, hear, smell and taste. When we take a real photo with a camera, there is much to do before the photo is finished and ready to show to our friends. In the same way there is much work to be done before we can keep a picture forever in our mind.
Memory is the diary that we all carry about with us. We usually begin to learn our own language by ________ it.
| A．speaking | B．hearing | C．saying | D．teaching |
If you have a good ________ , you’ll have less difficulty in learning something.
| A．teacher | B．camera | C．memory | D．family |
The children who live abroad with their parents can learn two languages more easily, because ______.
| A．they are very clever | B．they have good teachers |
| C．they have more chances to use these languages | D．they have a better life |
Memory is ________ that we write in our mind and carry about.
| A．the best diary | B．the best camera | C．a great help | D．a beautiful picture |
It’s not easy growing up. Growing up can be a real “pain” for some of us. Sometimes we feel trapped, sometimes we feel sad, sometimes we are fearful, and sometimes we just don’t understand why we can’t stay young forever. But we should take a look back on all the hardships in life with a positive attitude and learn from them. We must overcome every obstacle one small step at a time. We should realize that all of our growing pains actually turn into growing gains!
Throughout our lives we are going to face many challenges and pains, but we should never let these obstacles keep us from following our dreams. We must overcome every obstacle one small step at a time.
As a young girl, my parents forced me to do so many things that I didn’t like. They made me learn to play the violin and then the piano. At that time I hated music and I also hated them. But looking back now, I am so glad that my parents encouraged me to take music lessons. Music has enriched(丰富) my life in so many ways. I now realize that my parents and teachers wanted me to have a better life than they did themselves.
We are all going to experience growing pains, but they are just part of our life. They might seem so huge at the time, but we must be strong. Think about how we would feel if we had no challenges and lived a life like that. Life would be really boring and meaningless. The future is ours! A little hard work and sweat never hurt anyone! If we realize that these pains are just small bumps(碰撞) on our road to success, we will realize that our growing pains are actually growing gains!The underlined word “obstacles” (in Paragraph 2) roughly means things that ______.
| A．are related to your studies |
| B．you easily achieve |
| C．make you happy |
| D．make it difficult for you to do something |
How does the author now feel when remembering what her parents did for her in the past?
| A．She is fearful | B．She is grateful |
| C．She feels trapped | D．She feels hateful |
We can know from the last paragraph that _____________.
| A．life without challenges is dull |
| B．life needs no pains but sunshine and happiness |
| C．we should give up faced with challenges as the future is ours |
| D．we shouldn’t easily pay a little hard work in growing up |
The purpose of the passage is to tell readers____________.
| A．life is full of hardships |
| B．growing pains can turn into growing gains in a positive way |
| C．everyone is painful in growing up |
| D．everyone should do what they don’t like when young |
People have been burying the dead at Salem’s Hope Cemetery since 1833. The place is filled with old gravestones and gothic mausoleums(哥特式陵墓), the spirits of the dead hanging over the land like an early morning fog.
Keeping watch, a few steps from the road with her skirt over the pedestal (基座), is Goldie Belle Taylor, her face weathered but otherwise in good condition. On this day, she is holding a bunch of pink rises because Goldie Belle always holds flowers. Someone makes sure of that.
“And she has had fresh flowers in her hands for the last 150 years.” Karen Biery lives in Damascus, about five miles west of Hope Cemetery. She’s written a book based on the legend of Goldie Belle Taylor titled Believe. In 1886, at the age of two, young Goldie Belle used her hands to sop up (抹去) the left over elderberry juice from her father’s iron kettle. She died not long after from poisoning. She was the love of her dad’s life, and he was so upset that he sold the family farm to buy the Italian made statue, which today marks her grave.
At first, it was her father who brought the flowers and laid them in her hands. When he died in 1896, the flowers kept coming. Her flowers are different per season. Why do the flowers keep miraculously appearing? People have tried to find out by having camped by the statue, but not even the groundskeepers have been able to catch the criminal.
It’s said that a fairy arrives at Hope Cemetery looking for the grave of her birth mother. She comes across Goldie Belle’s statue.The underlined word “that” in paragraph 2 probably refers to________.
| A．her face in good condition |
| B．her bunch of pink roses |
| C．Goldie Belle Taylor is holding pink roses |
| D．Goldie Belle Taylor always holds flowers |
It can be inferred from the third paragraph __________.
| A．her father was poisonous |
| B．the iron kettle was poisonous |
| C．elderberry juice was poisonous |
| D．it was her father that hated her |
After her father died, the flowers in the hands of Goldie Belle Taylor_______.
| A．usually change |
| B．were stolen |
| C．are no longer fresh |
| D．come from a criminal |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．A fairy brings the flowers. |
| B．The mystery of Goldie’s flowers. |
| C．What happens to the girl? |
| D．How do the flowers get there? |
Autumn blues? Let the sunshine in falling leaves, flowers, and cold winds. For many people late autumn can be a season of depression.
Those who suffer from “ the autumn blue” are often extremely tired, lack energy, need more sleep, feel increased appetite and gain weight. "The exact cause of this condition, often called seasonal depression or seasonal affective disorder (SAD), is not known yet," says Chen Jue, associate professor at Shanghai Mental Health Center. "But recent studies indicate that weather change is influential and strongly suggest that this condition is caused by changes in the availability(得到) of sunlight."
One theory is that with decreased exposure to sunlight, the biological clock that regulates mood, sleep, and hormones is delayed, running more slowly in winter. Exposure to light may reset the biological clock. Another theory is that brain chemicals that transmit information between nerves, called neurotransmitters (for example, serotonin), may be altered in individuals with SAD. It is believed that exposure to light can correct these imbalances. "It is a sad season, but you can try to make it happy. Remember, spring always lives in your heart," Chen says. “Going outdoors to get some sunlight may reduce the tension that brings you the low spirits. Relax at work. Stretch, breathe deeply. Take a tea break. Think of your next vacation. Color treatment also works in handling low mood. Music also plays a role in treating autumn blues.”Autumn blues is also called autumn________.
| A．depression | B．sunshine | C．blue music | D．cold winds |
From the 3rd paragraph we know that there _______ that can help to deal with autumn blues.
| A．is no biological clock | B．is a real example |
| C．is no possibility | D．are some ways |
Which of the following is true according to the text?
| A．The real cause for autumn blues is still unknown. |
| B．Autumn blues can be feelings of happiness. |
| C．People feel tired in autumn. |
| D．Weather doesn’t change people. |
Which of the following CAN’T you do in order to deal with autumn blues?
| A．Reset the biological clock regulating mood, sleep and hormones. |
| B．Eat more food very low in calories and sugar. |
| C．Keep the balance of nerves that transmit information. |
| D．Take outdoor activities or sports. |
Since ancient times, people have known about its ability to reduce pain and high body temperature. More than 2000 years ago, the Greek doctor Hippocrates advised his patients to chew on the bark and leaves of the willow.
The tree contains a chemical called salicin（柳醇）. From salicin, researchers in the 1800s discovered how to make salicylic acid（酸）. And in 1897, a chemist named Felix Hoffmann at Friedrich Bayer and Company in Germany created acetyl salicylic acid. Later it became the active substance in a new medicine that Bayer called aspirin. The "a" came from acetyl. The "spir" came from the spirea plant, which also produces salicin. And the "in" Well, that is a common way to end medicine names.
In 1982, a British scientist shared the Nobel Prize in Medicine in part for discovering how aspirin works. Sir John Vane found that aspirin blocks the body from making natural substances called prostaglandins（前列腺素）.Prostaglandins have several effects on the body. Some cause pain and the expansion, or swelling（ 肿瘤; 膨胀）, of damaged tissue. Others protect the lining of the stomach and small intestine. Prostaglandins also make the heart, kidneys and blood vessels （血管）work well. But there is a problem. Aspirin works against all prostaglandins, good and bad. Scientists learned how aspirin interferes with an enzyme（酶）. One form of this enzyme makes the prostaglandin that causes pain and swelling. Another form of the enzyme creates a protective effect. So aspirin can reduce pain and swelling in damaged tissues. But it can also harm the inside of the stomach and small intestine（肠）.What sickness can the medicine from the willow deal with according to the passage?
| A．Cold | B．Toothache | C．Cancer | D．Skin disease |
What can we know about Prostaglandin according to the passage?
| A．It results from pain. |
| B．It prevents the lining of the stomach and small intestine. |
| C．It causes blood vessels to work wrongly. |
| D．It is sometimes good but sometimes bad. |
What can we know about aspirin according to the passage?
| A．Aspirin can treat almost diseases. |
| B．Aspirin can create the protective enzyme. |
| C．Aspirin can harm the inside of the stomach and small intestine. |
| D．Aspirin can protect the inside of the stomach and small intestine. |