Among the four skills in learning English ,which of these is the “Odd-Man-Out”?The answer is speaking. The other three you can do alone on your own. But you can't really speak alone! Speaking to yourself can be “dangerous” because men in white coats may come and take you away!
Where can you find people to speak English? And how can you practise speaking when you are alone?At school if you pay to go to a language school ,you should use the chance to speak .If your teacher asks you to speak in pairs or groups with other students ,try to say as much as possible. Don't worry about your mistakes. Just speak!
Conversation Clubs Many cities around the world have conversation clubs where people can exchange one language for another .Look in your local newspaper to find a conversation club near you .They are usually free although some may charge a small entrance fee.
Shopping Even if you don't want to buy anything ,you can ask questions about products that interest you in a shop.“How much does this cost?” “Can I pay by cheque?” Often you can start a real conversation—and it costs you nothing!
Cafe and Bars There are often American, Britain, Irish and Australian bars in many large cities .If you can find one, you'll probably meet many people speaking English as a first or second language.
Language is all around you Everywhere you go, you find language .Shop names, street names ,advertisements ,notices ,and car numbers....When you walk down the street ,practise reading the words and numbers that you see .Say them to yourself .It's not exactly a conversation ,but it will help you to “think” in English .But don't speak too loud!
Songs and Video Repeat the words of an English-language song singing with the music until it becomes automatic. It's good practice for your memory and for the mouth muscles that you need for English.
Above all ,speak as much as possible! Make as many mistakes as possible! When you know that you have made a mistake, you know that you have made progress!What does “Odd-Man-Out” probably mean according to the passage?
| A．Someone or something appearing different from others. |
| B．Someone or something standing out of the group. |
| C．Someone or something arranged in pairs. |
| D．Someone or something easily mistaken for another. |
What might happen if you speak to yourself loudly in public?
| A．The police will take you away and punish you. |
| B．The doctors will force you to stay in hospital. |
| C．You will have to pay to escape being punished. |
| D．You will be forbidden to be member of the club. |
Why does the writer say “Make as many mistakes as possible”?Because _______.
| A．everyone will make mistakes in learning English |
| B．everyone will meet people speaking English with some mistakes |
| C．making mistakes is a must in making progress in learning English |
| D．making mistakes can make one realize the importance of speaking |
According to the passage,which way is not likely to be accepted by English beginners?
| A．Recite poems loudly along the riverside. |
| B．Listen to some English pop songs and video. |
| C．Find an Englishman to speak English with. |
| D．Take to the TV showing programmes at home. |
The novelist Harriet Beecher Stowe, born 200 years ago, was a poor housewife with six children, who suffered from various illnesses. And yet, driven by a passionate hatred of slavery, she found time to write “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” which became the most influential novel in American history and aroused radical change both at home and abroad.
Today, however, the book has a different reputation, owing to the popular image of its character, Uncle Tom-whose name has become a saying for a cowardly black man who betrays his race.
But this view is wrong: The original Uncle Tom was physically and morally strong, an inspiration for blacks and other oppressed people worldwide.
Indeed, that’s why in the mid-19th century Southerners attacked “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” as a dangerously destructive book, while Northern reformers-especially blacks-often praised it.
The book was influential overseas, too.In Russia it inspired Vladimir Lenin, who recalled it as his favorite book in childhood. It was the first American novel to be translated and published in China, and it fueled antislavery causes in Cuba and Brazil.
The book’s progressive appeal was the character of Uncle Tom himself: a strong man who is notable because he does not betray his race; one reason he gave up escaping from his plantation is that he doesn’t want to put his fellow slaves in danger. And he is finally killed because he refuses to tell his master where two runaway slaves are hiding.
Unfortunately, these themes were lost in many of the stage versions of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”.
The play, seen by more people than those who read the book, remained popular up to the`1950s and still appears occasionally. But in the play Stowe’s revolutionary themes were drowned.
But it doesn’t have to be that way; indeed, during the civil rights era it was those who most closely resembled Uncle Tom-Stowe’s Tom, not the sheepish one of popular myth-who proved most effective in promoting progress. Both Stowe and Tom deserve our reconsideration and our respect.Harriet Beecher Stowe managed to write “Uncle Tom’s Cabin because __________.
| A．she wanted to earn money to support her family |
| B．she hated slavery from the bottom of her heart |
| C．she tried to set an example to her six children |
| D．she had the similar life experiences with Tom |
As for the influence of the book, __________.
| A．it was the first American novel to be translated into Russian |
| B．it was the most influential book for Vladimir Lenin in his life |
| C．it also gave rise to the causes of anti-slavery in the distant Africa |
| D．its character Tom inspired the blacks and other oppressed people in the world |
What is true of the character Uncle Tom in the book?
| A．He is a black man who betrays his race. |
| B．He manages to escape from the plantation. |
| C．He doesn’t put his fellow slaves in danger. |
| D．He kills himself instead of giving away the slaves. |
According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?
| A．The theme on revolution and progress in the book were lost in the play. |
| B．The book “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” has more readers than the stage versions. |
| C．The play was very popular and nowadays it is still put on now and then. |
| D．It is the Uncle Tom in the book that promotes the progress of mankind. |
Last Sunday, Aron Ralston, an experienced hiker and mountaineer, set off to walk alone through the Bluejohn desert canyon (峡谷) in Utah. He was planning an eight-hour, 21–kilometer hike. While he was climbing through a narrow part of the canyon, a big stone weighing about 400 kilos fell and trapped his right arm.
When he failed to return to the mountain camp where he was staying that night, people simply thought he had decided to camp out somewhere in the canyon. When he still had not returned by Tuesday, the alarm was raised, A search party set out on Wednesday evening, but there we no sign and his family began to fear the worst.
In fact, Ralston, 27, was lying trapped in the canyon. By Tuesday, he had run out of water. By Thursday, he realized that he would not survive unless he took unusual action, so he used his pocket knife to cut his arm below the elbow (肘). He then climbed down to the bottom of the canyon. There he met two other hikers, who helped him back to safety. He received some help at a local hospital before being carried to St. Mary’s hospital in Grand Junction, Colorado for surgery.
Ralston’s astonishing survival brought equal amounts of praise and criticism. While praising the climber for his bravery and calm, experts also pointed out he had broken the first rule of outdoor pursuits. He had failed to leave words with anyone of where he was going that day.
This was in fact Ralston’s second near-death experience. In February, he was buried up to the neck in snow by an avalanche (雪崩) while skiing in the Colorado Rockies. Ralston not only managed to dig himself out but he also rescued his skiing companion, who had been completely buried in the snow. Ralton rescued himself and his friend in less than 15 minutes.According to the passage, a “hiker” is probably someone who _______.
| A．enjoys walking short distances |
| B．enjoys walking long distances |
| C．climbs rocks and mountains |
| D．likes adventure |
When a big stone trapped his right arm, ________.
| A．he went on climbing the canyon |
| B．he managed to return to the mountain lodge |
| C．he cut off part of his arm to survive |
| D．two other hikers helped him out |
Why did Ralston’s survival bring criticism?
| A．Because this was his second near-death experience. |
| B．Because he was brave and calm. |
| C．Because he told no one where he was going when he set off. |
| D．Because he amputated his arm below the elbow. |
Which of the following describes what happened to Aron Ralston?
a.A large heavy stone hit him and landed on his arm.
b.He had to cut off part of his arm to get it out
c.He was going through a narrow valley.
d.A search party set out to look for him
e.He climbed down to the bottom of the canyone.
| A．c,a,d,b,e | B．c,e,a,d,b |
| C．c,a,b,d,e | D．c,e,a,b,d |
If you’d like to go sightseeing, the following World Heritage Sites may be your best choices.
Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area
The Jiuzhaigou Valley, which lies in the northern part of Sichuan Province, reaches a height of more than 4,800 meters, with a series of different forest ecosystems (生态系统). There you can enjoy watching excellent waterfalls . Some 140 kinds of birds also live in the valley, as well as a number of endangered plants and animals, including the giant panda. For more information, please visit http: // whc, unesco, org// en/ list/637.
Khaml Ruins National Monument
The city of Khami, which developed after the capital of Great Zimbabwe had been given up in the mid-16th century, is of great archaeological (考古的) interest. The discovery of objects from Europe and China shows that Khami was a major centre for trade over a long period of time. For more information, please visit http:// whc, unesco, org/ en/ list/365.
Henderson Island
Henderson Island, which lies in the eastern South Pacific, is one of the few atolls (环礁)in the world whose ecology has not been touched by human beings It is especially famous for the ten plants and four land birds that can only be seen on the island. For more information, please visit http:// whc.unesco.org/ en/ list 487.
The Old City of Jerusalem
As a holy city for three different religions in the Middle East, Jerusalem has always been of great religious importance. It was given a World Heritage Status in 1981 and placed on the “List of World Heritage in Danger” the following year. For more information, please visit http:// whc. unesco.org/ en/ list 148.What can we know about the Jiuzhaigou Valley?
| A．It sits at the foot of a 4,800-meter high mountain. |
| B．It has different forest ecosystems |
| C．Most of China’s endangered plants can be found there. |
| D．In all about 140 kinds of birds and animals live there. |
The discovery of some of the objects in Khami shows that the city ____.
| A．had a very short history |
| B．was ruined in the mid-16th century |
| C．was once Great Zimbabwe’s largest city |
| D．once played a great role as a trade centre |
From the passage we can learn that Henderson Island ________.
| A．hasn’t been greatly influenced by human activities |
| B．isn’t suitable for humans to live on |
| C．has been open to visitors for years |
| D．is made up of a few large atolls |
If you are interested in religion, you should visit ______.
| A．http:// whc. unesco.org/ en/ list/ 148 |
| B．http:// whc. unesco.org/ en/ list 365 |
| C．http:// whc. unesco.org/ en/ list 487 |
| D．http:// whc. unesco.org/ en/ list 637 |
Some of my friends are making big decisions in their life: Which universities should they apply to? I also notice that many high school students in China are thinking of studying at universities abroad. Unluckily, from what I’ve seen, the information given by some websites and other media about studying abroad is very limited and sometimes even wrong.
There was once a Chinese girl who hoped that she could go to Columbia University in the US because she wanted to major in journalism. However, they have no journalism program at the undergraduate level! What’s more, in both Canada and the US, it’s not suggested that students throw themselves into journalism right after high school. School say that students should take in more knowledge about the world and writing before entering that field.
The University of Waterloo, a Canadian university famous for its engineering program, is another example. The emphasis (重视)of engineering in this school may go beyond your expectations. According to our teachers, this university spent millions of dollars building a library just for engineering students. The school’s computer science, mathematics and accounting are also great programs for students.
But, to be honest, according to my friends who have visited this university, the campus and the food are not very nice. Maybe this is because the school stresses its academic( 学术)strengths too much, thereby paying little attention to personal comforts.
Now you see, choosing a university is really not that easy. We need to do good research and consult as many people as possible before making a decision.For high school students it’s very important to __________.
| A．choose a proper university |
| B．study at American universities |
| C．learn the information about websites |
| D．supply the information about studying abroad |
Who can major in journalism program in Columbia University?
| A．Chinese girls. | B．Graduates. |
| C．Undergraduates. | D．High school students. |
From Paragraphs 3 and 4 we can learn in the University of Waterloo _______.
| A．engineering program is as famous as computer science |
| B．engineering students are the most intelligent |
| C．the campus is very small and dirty |
| D．the library for engineering students is very good |
What’s the best title for the passage?
| A．Choosing a university is not easy. |
| B．How to study at universities abroad. |
| C．A Chinese girl and Columbia University. |
| D．Academic strengths of the University of Waterloo. |
China’s new popular word, “tuhao”, may be taken in next year’s Oxford English dictionary. The word caught the attention of the dictionary’s editing team after BBC’s recent program on influential Chinese words.
“If its influence continues, it is very likely to appear on our updated list of words,” said Julie Kleeman, project manager with the editing team. Kleeman told the Beijing Youth Daily that “tuhao” has some similarities with the English word “bling”, which refers to expensive, ostentatious (阔绰的) clothing or jewelry. Both the two words have existed for long but later on took a new meaning.
In Chinese, “tu” means rude and “hao” means rich. It has traditionally been referred to rich people who throw their weight around in China’s rural areas. In recent years, people in the ACG (anime, comic and game) circle borrowed the term to describe those who spend money in an unreasonable manner.
The word gained acceptance in September with the launch (投放) of Apple’s new gold-colored iPhone, an item loved by China’s nouveau riche (暴发户). The color became known as “tuhao gold”.The word is now often used by the online community to refer to people who have the cash but lack the class to go with it.
Kleeman also mentioned another Chinese word “dama” which may also be taken in the dictionary.
“Dama”, meaning middle-aged women, was first used in the Western media by the Wall Street Journal in May when thousands of Chinese women were buying up record number of gold. They were the driving force in the global gold market between April and June when the gold prices had dropped. “People can have an intuitive (直觉的)grasp of the meanings if they see pinyin”, Kleeman said adding that people avoided using an English word to keep the original meaning. The new words will be first uploaded on the official website before the dictionaries arrive. The online version is also renewed every three months.Why is the word “tuhao” likely to be taken in Oxford English Dictionary?
| A．Because it represents noble and rich |
| B．Because it has the same meaning with an English word. |
| C．Because its influence becomes bigger and bigger |
| D．Because it is popular in online game circle. |
What’s the similarity between “tuhhao” and “dama”?
| A．Both take new meanings. |
| B．Both were created in British. |
| C．Both will be uploaded in the next dictionary version. |
| D．They have the same meaning. |
What’s the main idea of the passage?
A, The popularity of the two words “tubao” and “dama”.
B. The possibility to be taken in Oxford English Dictionary for “tuhao” and “dama”.
C. The new meanings of the two words “tuhao” and “dama”
D. The influence of Chinese in modern world.The passage most probably belongs to _____________.
| A．a social survey | B．an advertisement |
| C．a news report | D．a publishing notice |