When I was growing up in America, I was ashamed of my mother’s Chinese English. Because of her English, she was often treated unfairly. People in department stores, at banks and at restaurants did not take her seriously, did not give her good service, pretended not to understand her, or even acted as if they did not hear her.
My mother has realized the limitations of her English as well. When I was fifteen, she used to have me call people on phone to pretend I was she. I was forced to ask for information or even to yell at people who had been rude to her. One time I had to call her stockbroker(股票经纪人). I said in an adolescent voice that was not very convincing, “This is Mrs. Tan.”
And my mother was standing beside me, whispering loudly, “Why he don’t send me cheek already two week long.”
And then, in prefect English I said, “I’m getting rather concerned. You agreed to send the check two weeks ago, but it hasn’t arrived.”
Then she talked more loudly. “What he want? I come to New York tell him front of his boss.” And so I turned to the stockbroker again, “I can’t tolerate any more excuse. If I don’t receive the check immediately, I am going to have to speak to your manager when I am in New York next week.”
The next week we ended up in New York. While I was sitting there red-faced, my mother, the real Mrs. Tan, was shouting to his boss in her broken English.
When I was a teenager, my mother’s broken English embarrassed me. But now, I see it differently. To me, my mother’s English is perfectly clear, perfectly natural. It is my mother tongue. Her language, as I hear it, is vivid, direct, and full of observation and wisdom. It was the language that helped shape the way I saw things, expressed ideas, and made sense of the world. Why was the author’s mother poorly served?
A.She was unable to speak good English. |
B.She was often misunderstood. |
C.She was not clearly heard. |
D.She was not very polite. |
After the author made the phone call, __________.
A.they forgave the stockbroker |
B.they failed to get the check |
C.they went to New York immediately |
D.they spoke to their boss at once |
What does the author think of her mother’s English now?
A.It confuses her. |
B.It embarrassed her. |
C.It helps her understand the world. |
D.It helps her tolerate rude people. |
We can infer from the passage that Chinese English _________.
A.is clear and natural to non-native speakers |
B.is vivid and direct to non-native speakers |
C.has a very bad reputation in America |
D.may bring inconvenience in America |
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A.rent a beautiful flat of her own in Happy Valley |
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D.find a maid to look after herself |
According to the advertisements, you may.
A.buy an old picture for $140 | B.call 25720836 to see a beautiful park |
C.buy two armchairs for $400 | D.hire a maid by paying $6800 |
If you want to buy some old furniture, you should.
A.get in touch with NOVA ELECTRONICS |
B.call 2524-5867 any day except Monday |
C.do it before you move to another place |
D.call either 2524-5867 on Monday or 2521-6011 on Saturday |
Once you get a part-time job in NOVA ELECTRONICS, .
A.you will be given 14 days off each year besides weekends |
B.you will get $10230 each month no matter how experienced you are |
C.you have to work at least 4 hours a day |
D.you should write a letter of application to Mrs. G. Chan |
A young woman was driving through the lonely countryside. It was dark and raining. Suddenly she saw an old woman by the side of the road, holding her hand out as if she wanted a lift.
“I can’t leave her out in this weather,” the woman said to herself, so she stopped the car and opened the door.
“Do you want a lift?” she asked. The old woman nodded and climbed into the car. After a while, she said to the old woman, “Have you been waiting for a long time?” The old woman shook her head. “Strange,” thought the young woman. She tried again. “Bad weather for the time of year,” she said. The old woman nodded. No matter what she said, the hitchhiker (搭便车的人) gave no answer except for a nod of the head or a shrug.
Then the young woman noticed the hitchhiker’s hands which were large and hairy.
Suddenly she realized that the hitchhiker was actually a man! She stopped the car. “I can’t see out of the rear screen,” she said. “Would you mind clearing it for me?”
The hitchhiker nodded and opened the door. As soon as the hitchhiker was out of the car, the terrified young woman raced off.
When she got to the next village she pulled up. She noticed that the hitchhiker had left his handbag behind. She picked it up and opened it. She gave a gasp — inside the bag was a gun.The young woman stopped the car because ______.
A.“the old woman” asked her to |
B.she recognized “the old woman” |
C.she knocked “the old woman” down |
D.she wanted to help “the old woman” out in the bad weather |
The young woman asked the hitchhiker to clear the rear screen because _______.
A.this was the way she thought of to get rid of him |
B.she couldn’t see out of the rear screen |
C.the hitchhiker was very helpful |
D.the rear screen was covered with dirt |
The hitchhiker left the bag with a gun in it behind because _______.
A.he wanted to give the young woman a warning |
B.he had not expected that the young woman would leave him behind in the rain |
C.it was his present for the young woman |
D.he wanted to kill the young woman with the gun |
What might the man be?
A.a policeman | B.a soldier | C.a robber | D.an actor |
For thousands of years, man has enjoyed the taste of apples. Apples, which are about 85 percent water, grow almost everywhere in the world but the hottest and coldest areas. Among the leading countries in apple production are China, France and the United States.
There are various kinds of apples, but a very few make up the majority of those grown for sale. The three most common kinds grown in the United States are Delicious, Golden Delicious, and McIntosh..
Apples are different in color, size and taste. The color of the skin may be red, green or yellow. They have various sizes, with Delicious apples being among the largest. The taste may be sweet or tart(酸的). Generally, sweet apples are tasted fresh while tart apples are used to make applesauce(果酱).
Apple trees may grow as tall as twelve meters. They do best in areas that have very cold winters. Although no fruit is yielded during the winter, this cold period is good for the tree.It can be learned from the text that Delicious apples are_______.
A.grown in France | B.sold everywhere | C.very big | D.quite sweet |
Cold winter weather is good for________.
A.the growth of apple trees | B.producing large apples |
C.improving the taste of apples | D.the increase of water in apples |
China, France and the United States are considered to_______.
A.be small producers of apples |
B.be large producers of applesauce |
C.have the longest history in apple production |
D.have the coldest winter among apple production |
The word yielded in the last sentence means________.
A.improved | B.increased | C.produced | D.sold |
Scientists are trying to make the deserts into good land again.They want to bring water to the deserts,so people can live and grow food.They are learning a lot about the deserts.But more and more of the earth is becoming desert all the time.Scientists may not be able to change the desert in time.
Why is more and more land becoming desert?Scientists think that people make deserts.People are doing bad things to the earth.
Some places on the earth don’t get much rain. But they still don’t become deserts. This is because some green plants are growing there. Small green plants and grass are very important to dry places. Plants don’t let the sun make the earth even drier. Plants do not let the wind blow the dirt away. When a bit of rain falls, the plants hold the water. Without plants, the land can become desert more easily. Deserts ________ .
A.never have any plants or animals in them |
B.can all be turned into good land before long |
C.are becoming smaller and smaller |
D.get very little rain |
Smallgreenplantsareveryimportanttodryplaces because ________ .
A.they don’t let the sun make the earth even drier |
B.they don’t let the wind blow the soil away |
C.they hold water |
D.All of the above. |
Landisbecomingdesertlittlebylittlebecause ______.
A.plants can’t grow there |
B.there is not enough rain |
C.people haven’t done what scientists wish them to do |
D.scientists know little about the deserts |
Why is more and more land becoming desert according to this passage?
A.Earthquakes make deserts. | B.Wind makes deserts. |
C. Lack of water makes deserts. | D.People make deserts. |
Every year holidays Broughton teams up with Sopraviva Trekking to offer twelve days of unforgettable adventure in a tropical rain forest. Depending on where this year's rain forest adventure is located, you may be going to Borneo, Malaysia, Indonesia, or even to the greatest rain forest of them all, the mighty Amazonian forest.
You will fly with your fellow adventurers to one of our special base camps at the edge of the forest, where you will be given five days of survival training, and talks on the local wildlife by trained and experienced experts. You will also go on walks which take you deeper and deeper under the forest canopy until on your final night you camp out in the rain forest itself.
Then you transfer by bus into the forest itself. If you go on one of the Asian holidays, you will have to walk the final five miles to the camp site itself, to avoid disturbing the local ecology. All of the Sopraviva sites have been carefully built to conform with the latest regulations, and to cause the minimal amount of disturbance to the local wildlife.
From the camp, you will go on daily walking tours to experience for yourself the beauty and diversity of the forests, and plants and vegetation that can be found nowhere else on the planet. Remember that these adventure holidays take you deep into the wilderness, and they are not suitable for families with young children or for anyone who is not physically able to meet the demands of this kind of adventure. Also remember that in order to preserve the delicate ecological system that you will be walking through, no more than two dozen guests can stay at any camp at one time, so if you want to go on one of these very special holidays, you will need to book early!If you want to go on the camp, you will first have to___________.
A.attend talks on the local wildlife | B.have survival training |
C.walk the final five miles | D.book beforehand |
What does the organizer of the camp mainly stress?
A.Disturbing the local ecology. |
B.Preserving the forest environment. |
C.Private possessions and possible dangers. |
D.The survival training. |
Go on daily walking tours and you’ll enjoy___________.
A.the wilderness | B.the Amazonian forest |
C.the Asian forest | D.the forest canopy |
Which of the following people is/are allowed to enter the forest?
A.A family with young kids. |
B.A person with physical problems. |
C.Walking tourists |
D.Cyclists. |
Which of the following is true of the holiday camp?
A.It is free of charge. |
B.It lasts 12 days. |
C.It is organized by Broughton. |
D.It attaches little importance to ecology. |