As we know, there are differences between western culture and Chinese culture. We can see differences when we pay attention to the way words are used. Let’s look at the words about animals and plants. Most expressions in Chinese about the dog, for example, “a homeless dog”, “a mad dog”, “a running dog” and “a dog catching mouse”, have negative meanings. But in western countries, dogs are thought to be honest and good friends of humans. In English, people use the dog to describe positive actions. For example, “You are a lucky dog.” means you are a lucky person. And “every dog has its day.” means each person has good luck sometimes. To describe a person’s serious illness, they say “sick as a dog”. The word “dog-tired” means very tired. However, Chinese love cats very much. But in western culture, “cat” is often used to describe a woman who is cruel.
The rose is regarded as symbol of love in both China and some western countries. People think the rose means love, peace, courage and friendship. And the rose is the national flower of England, America and many other countries.
The words about plants and animals are used in positive or negative ways in different cultures. We can learn about many differences in cultures by comparing how some words are used. “Every dog has its day.” means “________”.
| A．Everybody in the world is lucky. |
| B．Each person lives his own way of life. |
| C．If one works hard, he’s sure to succeed. |
| D．Everybody has a time in life to be lucky. |
What can we know from the passage?
| A．Words show differences in culture. |
| B．Chinese people prefer dogs to cats. |
| C．Western people think cats to be good friends. |
| D．Rose is the national flower of all western countries. |
Which statement is right according to passage?
| A．People think the rose means love, peace, luck and friendship. |
| B．The words about plants and animals are used both in positive and negative ways in different cultures. |
| C．In China, people use the dog to describe negative actions. |
| D．In eastern culture, “cat” is often used to describe a woman who is cruel. |
What’s the best title for the passage?
| A．Negative or Positive |
| B．Different Countries Have Different Culture |
| C．Rose Means the Same in Chinese and English |
| D．What Dog and Cat Mean in English and Chinese |
An old man, too old to live on his own, went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and a four-year-old grandson. The old man’s hands trembled (颤抖), and he couldn’t see clearly. The family ate together at the dinner table every night. But the grandfather’s trembling hands and poor sight made eating rather difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he drank milk, he spilled it on the tablecloth. The son and daughter-in-law became angry with him. “We must do something about Grandfather,” said the son. So the husband and the wife set a small table in the corner. There, the grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner at the dinner table. Since the grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl. Sometimes he had tears in his eyes as he ate alone. The four-year-old grandson watched it all in silence.
One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood on the floor. He asked the child sweetly, “What are you making?” Just as sweetly, the boy said, “Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mum to eat your food from when I grow up.” The four-year-old boy smiled and went back to work. The words struck the parents and they were speechless. Then tears started to run down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done. That evening the husband took the grandfather’s hand and gently led him back to the family table.
The wise parents should realize that the children are their parents’ mirror.Why did the old man live in his son’s house?
| A．Because he was ill. |
| B．Because he felt lonely. |
| C．Because he missed his children. |
| D．Because he was so old and weak that he couldn’t live alone. |
The old man felt ___ when he ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner at the dinner table.
| A．angry | B．sad | C．sad and lonely | D．lonely |
_____________ and it made the parents speechless.
| A．Their son would treat them as they did to their father when they were old |
| B．They saw their father’s tears |
| C．They thought their father was sad |
| D．They worried about their future |
Which is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．We should respect the old. |
| B．We should leave the old in the corner. |
| C．Parents must set examples to their children. |
| D．We should love our parents. |
Many students ask for advice about improving (提高) their English. There are three basic(基本的) questions.
The first question is about real English. Li Hao from Hubei wrote, “I enjoy watching English films and listening to real English songs. But it takes a long time. What do you think?”
This is a great way to learn English! Talk about the film or song with your friends, and guess the meaning of the new words. Just enjoy yourself!
The second question is about speaking. Sam, from Suzhou wrote, “Our school has a foreign teacher. But I'm shy and can’t speak to her. What should I do?”
WhenI visit China, lots of people in the street say, “Hello! How are you? Where are you from? Do you like China?” These are good questions to start a talk. Many people are shy when they speak English, so before you begin, take a deep breath and smile! Smiling always helps.
The third question is about vocabulary. Oliver, from Anhui wrote, “I want to remember all the new words. I write them down, but I forget them quickly. What should I do?”
Try to remember eight or ten words a day. Write them on pieces of paper and place them in your bedroom. Say the words when you see them, and change them every day. And when you’re shopping, how about counting the English words, or saying the English names for everything you see?How many basic questions do the students often ask?
| A．Two. | B．Three |
| C．Four. | D．Five. |
What should you do if you are shy to speak English?
| A．Watch English films. |
| B．Write down the words first. |
| C．Listen to real English songs. |
| D．Take a deep breath and smile before you begin. |
What’s the best title of this passage?
| A．How to learn English. |
| B．Talking about English films. |
| C．Advice about English writing. |
| D．The way of beginning an English talk. |
Which isn’t a good way to learn English?
A. Listening to English songs.
B. Practising English with a foreigner in the street.
C .Sitting in your bedroom to remember words.
C. Saying the English names for everything you see.
Penguins live together, but each pair has a little piece of ground of their own. When a penguin wants to walk through its neighbor’s ground, it must ask for permission（允许）. If it does not, it will have to fight. Penguins come and go all day. They fight for fish and look after their children.
All penguins are good parents—the male penguins are perhaps the best parents in the world. They choose their wives in the dark They can only hear them—not see them. Then the female penguins lay their eggs and go away for about two months. The males look after the eggs. If the eggs get cold, there will be no chicks. There is no food. The snow falls and the wind blows—sometimes at 150 kilometers an hour. The penguins do not move.
When the females return from the sea, they will not remember their husbands. It doesn’t matter. Only one thing— their eggs. Male penguins never fight—unless a penguin leaves a chick for a minute. Then they fight because they all want it. They are strange and wonderful birds.From the passage we know that penguins usually lead _______ life.
| A．an active | B．a quiet | C．a hard | D．an easy |
It seems interesting and unusual that the male penguins choose their wives _______.
| A．when the female penguins return from the sea |
| B．just by hearing in the darkness |
| C．each time they see their lovely females |
| D．after they have had their own grounds |
It is __________ that take care of the eggs.
| A．the male penguins |
| B．the female penguins |
| C．both the husbands and the wives |
| D．the penguins that lost in the fight |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．Female penguins often have their new husbands. |
| B．Penguins often fight for fishing. |
| C．Female penguins take care of the eggs. |
| D．Male penguins use their ears to choose wives |
We surveyed（调查）300 young people on what they like to do at weekends. One hundred people are from the ages of 11-18, one hundred 19-26 and one hundred 27-35. The following shows their answers:
How many people enjoy playing computer games in the 11-18 group?
| A．20 | B．50 | C．75 | D．80. |
We know young people don’t like______.
| A．watching TV |
| B．taking a walk |
| C．going to the movies |
| D．playing computer games |
Which two activities do most of the people doing?
| A．Playing computer games and watching TV |
| B．Playing computer games and taking a walk. |
| C．Watching TV and going to the movies. |
| D．Playing computer games and going to the movies. |
I like to get up late, so my ideal(理想的)school starts at 9: 00 a. m. It finishes at 3: 00 p. m. So we can do lots of sports after school.
In my ideal school, there is a big dining hall. We have an hour for lunch. We can listen to music in the hall. We can have maths every day because I think maths is very interesting. The classes are very small. There are 15 students in each class. We can have a big library with a lot of useful books. We can also have a swimming pool.
After school, we only have half an hour of homework every day. Every month, we can go on a school trip to a museum(博物馆)or a theater. How many hours for lessons are there in my ideal school?
| A．Three hours. | B．Four hours. | C．Five hours. | D．Six hours. |
The underlined word “useful” means in Chinese.
| A．有好处的 | B．感兴趣的 | C．有用的 | D．有趣的 |
Why do we have maths every day?
| A．Because it is interesting. |
| B．Because it is very important. |
| C．Because it is very useful. |
| D．Because I will be a maths teacher. |
How many students are there in my class in my ideal school?
| A．Sixteen. | B．Fifteen | C．Fourteen. | D．Thirteen. |
What’s the best title(标题)for the passage?
| A．My school | B．My ideal subject |
| C．My school day | D．My ideal school |