We've all heard the old saying，“Sticks and stones can break my bones，but words can never hurt me.” Don't you believe it？Words are powerful，and they can hurt—a lot. In fact，if you're not
careful，you can even hurt yourself，by using the wrong word in your writing.
Recently a friend sent me a copy of an e-mail she received from the customer service department of her credit card company，after she contacted them with a question about her account. She was happy with their positive response. But as I read the e-mail，one line jumped out at me：“In lieu of good customer service...”
Did they really mean they were offering her a few extra reward points instead of good customer service？I doubt it. More likely，what the customer service department meant to say was，“Because good customer service is important to us...” followed by the details of what they were doing to make sure she remained a happy customer.
So why didn't the writer say that？I can only guess that perhaps the writer liked the phrase “in lieu of”，thought it sounded more interesting than saying “because”，and so used it—without bothering to check the true meaning.
Have you ever done that？Try to impress others with a big word，only to find out you've used the word incorrectly？It's just the opposite effect，isn't it？You may impress people all right，but it's not the impression you were going for.
When you write，remember to choose your words carefully. People may still disagree with what you say，but they won't be able to dismiss you because you made careless mistakes in how you said it.What's the writer's purpose in giving the saying?
| A．To amuse the reader. | B．To persuade the reader. |
| C．To support a conclusion. | D．To lead to the topic. |
What does the phrase “in lieu of” most probably mean?
| A．Because of | B．In honour of | C．Instead of | D．In favour of |
According to the writer，the customer service department ______.
| A．didn't prefer to use familiar words to attract customers |
| B．didn't express what they really meant |
| C．didn't need to offer their customers extra reward points |
| D．succeeded in impressing their customers |
Happy birthday
The China National Opera (CNO) will give a concert to celebrate its 50th birthday.
Different generations of CNO vocalists, like Li Guangxi, Yao Hong and Ma Mei, will present the concert which will feature both songs from famous Chinese operas like The White-haired GM and The Hundred Bride, as well as, arias (咏叹调) of such western opera classics as Madame Butterfly, La Traviata and Rigoletto.
Time/date: 7:30 pm, September 7, 8
Location: Tianqiao Theatre
Tel: 65514787, 83156170
Tickets: 60-500 yuan (US $ 7.2-60.2)
Folk music
A concert will be held to feature some recently-composed traditional Chinese music works. The concert, given by the Folk Orchestra of the China Opera and Ballet Theatre, will include such pieces as Memory of childhood, Memorial Ceremony for God and Wine Song.
Time/date: 7:30 pm, September 13
Location: Concert hall at the National Library of China
Tel: 6848-5462, 6841-9220 Tickets:30-200 yuan(US $ 3.6-24.1)
Moon Music
A concert of traditional Chinese music will be given on the eve of the Moon Festival which falls on September 21st this year.
The concert will feature a number of famous pieces centred on the theme of the moon, such as Moonlight, Spring Night on a Moonlit River and Lofty Mountain and Flowing river.
A number of popular traditional Chinese music performers, like Zhou Yaokun and Fan Weiqing, will play solos as well as cooperate with the folk music orchestra (管弦乐队).
Time/date: 7:30 pm, September 21st
Location: Grand theatre of the Cultural Palace of Nationalities
Tel: 6606-8888, 6606-9999
Tickets: 40-220 yuan(US $ 4.8-27)【改编】If you want to see Zhou Yaokun and Fan Weiqing, you can dial____.
| A．8315-6170 |
| B．6551-4748 |
| C．6848-5462 |
| D．6606-8888 |
【改编】 Which statement is right according to the passage?
| A．Li Guangxi, Yao Hong and Ma Mei stand for the same generation of CNO vocalists. |
| B．Rigoletto is a famous piece on the theme of the moon. |
| C．Zhou Yaokun will play solos and Fan Weiqing will cooperate with the folk music orchestra. |
| D．The concert, given by the Folk Orchestra of the China Opera and Ballet Theatre, will include such pieces as Memory of childhood, Memorial Ceremony for God and Wine Song. |
【改编】What is the passage mainly about？
| A．A star. |
| B．A post. |
| C．A concert. |
| D．A TV show. |
When thinking about quitting (stop) smoking, list all the reasons why you want to quit. Every night before going to bed, repeat one of the reasons 10 times. Decide positively that you want to quit. Try to avoid negative thoughts about how difficult it might be. Develop strong personal reasons as well as your health and responsibility to others. For example, think of all the time you waste taking cigarette breaks, rushing out to buy a pack, hunting a light, etc. Set a date for quitting --- perhaps a special day like your birthday, a holiday. If you smoke heavily at work, quit during your vacation. Make the date holy seriously, and don't let anything change it. Begin to condition yourself physically; start a modest (适当的) exercise; drink more water; get plenty of rest. Immediately after quitting... The first few days after you quit, spend as much free time as possible in places where smoking is prohibited, e.g. libraries, museums, theatres, department stores, etc. Drink large quantities of water and fruit juice. Try to avoid wine, coffee, and other drinks which remind you of cigarette smoking. Strike up a conversation with someone instead of a match for a cigarette. If you miss the feeling of having a cigarette in your hand, play with something else --- a pencil, a pen, a ruler. If you miss having something in your mouth, try a fake (仿制的) cigarette.【改编】 According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT TRUE?
| A．Every night before going to bed, repeat all the reasons 10 times. |
| B．Drink large quantities of water and fruit juice. |
| C．Develop strong personal reasons as well as your health and responsibility to others. |
| D．Try to avoid negative thoughts about how difficult it might be. |
【改编】From the passage, we know smokers __________.
| A．should avoid wine |
| B．can drink coffee |
| C．should drink less water |
| D．should sleep much |
【改编】What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Something about drinking |
| B．A TV show |
| C．If we should do exercise |
| D．Some healthy problems |
Some people learn a second language easily. Others have trouble learning a new language. How can you help yourself learn a new language, such as English? There are several ways to make learning English a little easier and more interesting.
The first step is to feel positive about learning English. If you believe that you can learn, you will learn. Be patient. You do not have to understand everything all at once. It is natural to make mistakes when you learn something new. We can learn from our mistakes. In other words, do not worry about taking risks.
The second step is to practice your English. For example, write a diary every day. You will get used to writing it in English, and you will feel comfortable expressing your ideas in English. Several weeks later, you will see that your writing is improving. In addition, you must speak English every day. You can practice with your classmates outside class. You will make mistakes, but gradually you will become comfortable communicating in English.
The third step is to keep a record of your language learning. You can write this in your journal. After each class, think about what you did. Did you answer a question correctly? Did you understand something the teacher explained? Perhaps the lesson was difficult, but you tried to understand it.
You must be positive about learning English and believe that you can do it. It is important to practice every day and make a record of your achievements. You will enjoy learning English, and you will feel more confident in yourself.【改编】In which way you can feel positive about learning English？
| A．You must be patient. |
| B．You should keep a record. |
| C．You should believe yourself. |
| D．You should make mistakes. |
【改编】 When you learn English, you need to____ .
| A．be patient |
| B．understand everything all at once |
| C．never write a diary |
| D．feel less confident in yourself |
【改编】 What does the passage want to tell us?
| A．It is very important to learn a second language. |
| B．Some people learn a second language easily while others do not. |
| C．Don’t worry about making mistakes when learning a second language. |
| D．There are some ways to help you learn a second language more easily. |
Johnny Smith was a good math student at a high school. He loved his computer. He came home early every day, then he worked with it till midnight. But Johnny was not a good English student, not good at all. He got an F in his English class. One day after school Johnny joined his computer to the computer in his high school office. The school office computer had the grades of all the students: the math grades, the science grades, the grades in arts and music, and the grades in English. He found his English grade. An F! Johnny changed his English grade from an F to A. Johnny' parents looked at his report card. They were very happy. "An A in English!" said Johnny's Dad. "You're a very clever boy, Johnny."
Johnny is a hacker. Hackers know how to take information from other computers and put new information in. Using a modem(调制解调器), they join their computers to other computers secretly.
School headmasters and teachers are worried about hackers. So are the police, for some people even take money from bank computer account(账户) and put it into their own ones. And they never have to leave home to do it! They are called hackers.
(210w)【改编】What did Johnny change at school？
| A．Math grade . | B．Science grade. |
| C．History grade. | D．English grade. |
【改编】 When Johnny's parents saw the report, they were___ .
| A．sad | B．angry |
| C．upset | D．happy |
【改编】What did school headmasters, teachers and the police worry in the text?
| A．Johnny's parents. | B．Hackers. |
| C．Students. | D．robber. |
A family in Guelph, Ontario is spending a year living “in 1982”. They’re doing it so their kids can see what life was like before technology like iPads, computers and even coffee machines was part of everyday life.
They have stopped using all technology from their home and are relying on the things people would have used back in the 80s. There is a box at the front door where people can put their cell phones in, while they’re visiting the family.
Blair McMillan and his wife Morgan want their kids—Trey, 5, and Denton, 2—to have a year without technology.
Instead of reading e-readers, they are reading books. Instead of using a GPS, they used paper maps. The home the family is living in was built in the 1980s. Even the way they dress and style their hair is from the 80s.
The whole idea started when young Trey was called to come outside. He didn’t because he was busy playing on the ipad. That’s why his dad thought of the idea of living “in 1982” for a year. The family plans to live like “it’s 1982” until April next year. To them, one of the hardest things was giving up their cell phone.【改编】 What will you do when you visit the family?
| A．The way you dress and must be from the 80s. |
| B．You must leave your cell phone at home. |
| C．You will put your cell phone outside before entering the room. |
| D．You can use the phone prepared by the family. |
【改编】How long do they live without technology？
| A．a year. | B．twenty years. |
| C．a month. | D．five years. |
【改编】To them,what is the hardest thing?
| A．Giving up reading e-readers |
| B．Give up GPS |
| C．The way they dress and style their hair is from the 80s |
| D．Give up cell phone |