Everyday, 340 million people speak it. One billion people are learning it and it is said that by 2050, half of the world’s population will be using it. What are we talking about? That is the global language—English.
The English language started in Britain in the 5th century. It is a mixed language. It was built up when German. Scandinavian and French invaders settled in England and created a common language for communication.
Today it is the official language of the UK, the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa and Ireland as well as many islands in the Caribbean. Many other countries and regions use it for politics and business, for
example, India. Pakistan, Nigeria and the Philippines. English is also one of the official languages of Hong Kong.
But global advertising and pop music mean that in most countries, you will see or hear some English. Thanks to McDonalds, we all know about “burgers”. “fries” and “milkshakes”. Songs by Madonna, Britney Spears and Celine Dion are in English. We can sing along, even if we do not understand what we are singing!
English is a messy (杂乱的) language. Every year, dictionaries include new word
s that talk about popular culture, for example, computer-related words such as "blogging", "download" and "chartroom". Also included are words that teenagers use. Who does not know “cool”, “OK” and “hello”?
Other languages also influence 
English. Many English words come from French. Words like “café” and expressions like “c'est la vie” (that is life) are all part of the English language. On the other hand, the French language includes English words like "le weekend" and "le camping". German words are also part of English
. Words like "kindergarten" come from the German language.
Recently, British peo
ple have become interested in “yoga”. But the word comes from an ancient Hindu language in India. The English language has a history of ______.
| A．over 2000 years | B．over 500 years |
| C．over 1500 years | D．over 1000 years |
The underlined expression “thanks to” can be replaced by ______.
| A．because of | B．in order to | C．as usual | D．as if. |
Which of the following statements is true about the language of English?
| A．It has been changing all the time. |
B．It has borrowed words from all the other languages. |
C．French words are used by the En glish because dictionaries have French words. |
| D．Singers and film stars have the greatest influence on language. |
How many people in the world are using English now?
| A．One billion people | B．340 million |
| C．almost all the people in the world. | |
| D．not mentioned above, but the number is growing rapidly. |
Many countries and regions use it for politics and business except______.
| A．the USA | B．Nigeria | C．the Philippines | D．Norway |
If there is something that appears most frequently on Chinese dining tables, it is doufu—beancurd. Beancurd looks like soft cakes and it’s made from dried soybeans. Beancurd used to be considered a favourite of the poor because of its low cost. Beans have high yields (产量) every year with their short growing period and suitability for various (各种各样) soil both dry and wet.
Historical records show beancurd was invented by Liu An, Prince of Huainan and uncle of Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty（206BC—220AD）. He had a dream of finding the pill for longevity (长寿). He traveled all over the country and found soybeans, which looked much the same as gold in terms of colour. He collected soybeans, put them in the water and crushed them into pulp (浆). It got solidified and became known as doufu. Although it’s not able to keep longevity, it’s really good for one’s health with high protein and low fat.
With a long history, beancurd is rooted deep in Chinese culture. People eat more meat and fish than beancurd. But they are encouraged to have beancurd every once in a while for it’s really good for health. Most Chinese people still keep beancurd as one of their favourite dishes.
1 What appears more often on the dining table in poor areas?
A. Meat. B. Fish. C. Eggs. D. Beancurd.
2 Why did Liu An travel all over the country?
A. He had a dream.
B. He wanted to find something that could make people live longer.
C. He wanted to invent beancurd.
D. He wanted to find gold.
3 How long has beancurd been invented?
A. It’s about 1 700 years. B. It’s less than 2 000 years.
C. It’s 500 years. D. It’s more than 2 000 years.
Mr. Frank shot well and once he had come in fourth in a competition.
Then he went to a big city on business. There he joined the local rifle club. The club had a very good team, which used to take part in a lot of important shooting competitions. One of these took place while Frank was with them. But one of the members of the club's team suddenly fell ill just before the match. The captain had heard of Mr. Frank. He therefore invited Mr. Frank to take the sick man's place.
Mr. Frank felt greatly happy to be asked to shoot for such a good team, but he also felt very nervous, because he was afraid of making a fool of himself.
In fact, he was so nervous that he could not keep his hands from trembling while he was shooting, with the result that he did very badly in the competition. When he took his score card to his captain, he said:" After seeing my score, I want to go outside and shoot myself. " The captain looked at the card for a few seconds and then said, "Well, you'd better take two bullets with you if you want to do that. "
1 Mr. Frank once_________in a competition.
A. joined the fourth team
B. took the fourth place
C. was the fourth to start shooting
D. shot with the other three
2 Why did Mr. Frank feel nervous to be asked to shoot for the team? Because_________ .
A. actually he was not good at shooting
B. he thought the captain and the other members would fool him
C. he was afraid of losing face before so many good shooters
D. he would lose a lot of money if he should fail
3 When Frank said, "After seeing my score, I want to go outside and shoot myself", he meant to say that___________.
A. he wants to practice shooting all by himself
B. he wanted to find out the reason for his failure
C. he was too shamed of himself to remain inside and face the captain and the other members
D. he wanted to kill himself with the rifle
4 By saying "You had better take two bullets with you if you want to do that", the captain actually meant to say____________
A. "We haven't got so many bullets for you to practice shooting."
B. "You can't improve your shooting with only one bullet."
C. "I don't believe you can keep your hands from shaking this time."
D. "you are such a bad shooter that one bullet is certainly not enough to end you life with."
5According to this passage, which of the following is wrong?
A. He fired several shots and they all missed the target.
B. The captain wasn't satisfied with Frank and laughed at him.
C. In the big city Frank was admitted to the local rifle club.
D. Frank could have done better in the competition.
On Anger
Doctors say anger can be an extremely harmful emotion, unless you learn how to deal with it. They warn that angry feelings can lead to heart disease, stomach problem, headaches, emotional problems and possibly cancer.
Anger is a normal emotion that we all feel from time to time. Some people express anger openly in a calm reasonable way. Others burst with anger, losing control of themselves. But other people repress their anger. They cannot or will not express it.
For years many doctors thought that repressing anger was more dangerous to a person’s health than expressing it. They said that when a person is angry, the brain releases the same hormones (激素) that are produced during tense situations. They speed the heart rate, raise blood pressure, or sugar into the blood and narrow the blood vessels to the interstices (空隙). In general, the person feels excited and ready to act.
Doctors said that repressing these feelings only makes the feelings continue. And this can lead to many medical problems. Doctors thought a person could prevent these problems by letting the anger out by expressing it freely. But recently some doctors held a different view. They said that people who express anger repeatedly and violently did become, in fact, more and not less angry. They said this, too, can cause medical problems.
Some doctors say that both repressing and expressing anger can be dangerous. They believe that those who express anger strongly may be more likely to develop heart disease, and they believe that those who keep their anger inside may face a greater danger of high blood pressure.
Doctors say the solution is learning how to deal with anger. They say the first step is to admit that you are angry and to recognize the real cause of the anger, then decide if the cause is serious, enough to get angry about. If it is, they say, “Do not express your anger while angry. Wait until your anger has cooled down and you are able to express yourself calmly and reasonably.”
1 Repressing anger was considered to be dangerous because of all the following EXCEPT that ________ .
A. the heart rate increases B. the blood pressure rises
C. the blood contains sugar D. some blood vessels become thinner
2 Which of the following is the more recent view about the expression of anger?
A. It is dangerous to express anger repeatedly or repress one’s anger.
B. One can avoid his medical problems by expressing his anger freely.
C. One’s heart rate will increase if his anger is repressed.
D. One is likely to suffer from high blood pressure in a fit of great anger.
3 When you get angry, which of the following should you do for the sake of health?
A. Repressing the anger.B. Expressing the anger.
C. Treating the anger properly. D. Learning how to make a deal.
4What is the central topic of this passage about?
A. The different ways of dealing with anger.
B. The dangers of anger and the solution
C. New medical discoveries.
D. The argument between the new and old views about anger.
Thanksgiving Day is special holiday in the United States and Canada. Families and friends gather to eat and give thanks for their blessing.
Thanksgiving Day is really a harvest festival. This is why it is celebrated in late fall, after the crops are in. But one of the first thanksgivings in America had nothing to do with a good harvest. On December 4, 1619, the Pilgrims from England landed near what is now Charles City, Virginia. They knelt down and thanked God for their safe journey across the Atlantic.
The first New England Thanksgiving did celebrate a rich harvest. The Pilgrims landed at what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1620. They had a difficult time and the first winter was cruel. Many of the Pilgrims died. But the next year, they had a good harvest. So Governor Bradford declared a three-day feast（盛宴）. The Pilgrims invited Indian friends to join them for their special feast. Everyone brought food.
In time, other colonies（殖民地）began to celebrate a day of thanksgiving. But it took years before there was a national Thanksgiving Day. During the Civil War, Sarah Josepha Hale persuaded Abraham Lincoln to do something about it. He proclaimed（宣布）the last Thursday of November 1863 as a day of thanksgiving. Today, Americans celebrate this happy harvest festival on the fourth Thursday in November. Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving Day in much the same way as their American neighbours. But the Canadian thanks-giving Day falls on the second Monday in October.
1The first to celebrate thanksgiving were .
A. some people from England B. the American Indians
C. Sarah Josepha Hale D. Governor Bradford
2 We can infer from the passage that New England must be______________. .
A. in the U. S. A. B. in Great Britain
C. in CanadaD. on some island off the Atlantic
3 Which of the following is NOT true?
A. Thanksgiving Day used to be a holiday to celebrate a good harvest.
B. Abraham Lincoln was not the first to decide on thanksgiving celebrations.
C. Thanksgiving Day is celebrated to express the American and Indian people’s thanks to God.
D. There’s little difference between the American way and the Canadian way to celebrate Thanksgiving Day.
4 The passage mainly tells us__________.
A. how Thanksgiving Day is celebrated in the U. S. A.
B. how Thanksgiving Day came into being and the different ways it is celebrated
C. that Thanksgiving Day is in fact a harvest holiday
D. how the way to celebrate Thanksgiving Day changed with the time and places
第二部分阅读理解
A beggar followed a lady and asked her for some money. She refused, so he turned away sadly and said he must do what he had made up his mind to do.
At this word, the lady was greatly frightened for she was afraid for his life. So she called him back and gave him a dollar. The beggar took the money, put it into his pocket, and thanked her a great deal. “You have saved me from a terrible fate,” he said. The lady asked him what he meant. The beggar replied, “Madame, I have been begging all day, but only you have taken pity on me. Without this dollar you gave to me, I should have had to go to work now.
1. Before meeting the lady, the beggar ________.
A. had already received some dollars already
B. had been thinking of taking his own life
C. had received no money for that day
D. had acted as if he was looking for a job
2. If the woman had understood the beggar’s words correctly, she would probably _____.
A. have given him one more dollar
B. have persuaded him to give up begging
C. have gone away without giving him any money
D. have offered him some work
3. In the story, “a terrible fate” means _______
A. to beg B. to go to work C. to die D. to live a hard life
4. The best headline(标题) for the story is ______.
A. How to Beg B. Money before Everything
C. Anything except Work D. Work for Money