Every English learner hopes to find a patient native speaker who will politely correct mistakes and teach him some useful new vocabulary. But native speakers can be hard to find. If you’re having trouble communicating in English, American situation comedies are one good way to help.
They can not only give you a lot of information about American culture, but also offer some useful daily expressions. Watching them will help you enlarge your vocabulary and teach you correct language usage in different situations. Best of all, situation comedies are a fun way to learn.
The Apprentice
The American reality (现实) TV show is hosted by the famous businessman Donald Trump. It’s based on the idea of the final job interview for the final job. The show picks 16 people to compete for a job with Trump’s business. Those who fail their weekly tasks have to meet with Trump. They have to explain why they should not be fired (解雇).
The Apprentice is useful for English students who want to learn how to make up a persuasive (令人信服的) argument. For example, rather than say “I think I did a good job”, one may also learn to throw off the possibility of uncertainty by saying, “I did a good job.”
Desperate Housewives (DH)
Desperate Housewives is set in an invented American town, Wisteria Lane. It follows a group of middle-aged women as they go through their daily family lives. But in fact, those women live a life of lies, secrets, criminal (犯罪的) acts, and mystery.
This program is good at expressing the funny life of American neighbors. And, it’s the perfect comedy series for foreign learners wanting to see how to hold a relaxed daily conversation.
Another reason for watching DH is to learn some expressions American families use that are not in your English language textbooks. For example, the mothers often use words such as “sport” and “you guys” to speak about their kids. According to the passage, The Apprentice and DH are introduced because _____.
| A．they are now the most popular programs |
| B．they are helpful in English learning |
| C．they are advertised for English beginners |
| D．they are enjoyed by most young people |
Through watching the two American comedy series, English learners can do the following EXCEPT _____.
| A．communicate with native speakers |
| B．know about American culture |
| C．pick up English daily expressions |
| D．learn more English words |
In the author’s opinion, learning English through TV series is _____.
| A．common | B．difficult | C．enjoyable | D．possible |
We can learn from the passage that The Apprentice _____.
| A．tells a story of school life | B．is about real life |
| C．has 15 actors | D．is about some businessmen |
Which of the following statements about DH can we get from the introduction?
| A．The story happens in a village of America. |
| B．The housewives join in the same job interview. |
| C．The women in the American town lead a life full of sadness. |
| D．It does well in describing an interesting neighborhood in America. |
At one time, computers were expected largely to remove the need for paper copies of documents because they could be stored electronically. But for all the texts that are written, stored and sent electronically, a lot of them are still ending up on paper.
It is difficult to measure the quantity of paper used as a result of use of internet-connected computers, although just about anyone who works in an office can tell you that when e-mail is introduced, the printers start working overtime. “I feel in my bones this revolution is causing more trees to be cut down,” says Ted Smith of the Earth Village Organization.
Perhaps the best sign of how computer and internet use pushes up demand for paper comes from the high-tech industry itself, which sees printing as one of its most promising new markets. Several internet companies have been set up to help small businesses print quality documents from a computer. Earlier this week Hewlett-Packard Co. announced a plan to develop new technologies that will enable people to print even more so they can get a hard copy of a business document, a medical record or just a one-line e-mail, even if they are nowhere near a computer. As the company sees it, the more use of the internet the greater demand for printer.
Does all this mean environmental concerns have been forgotten? Some activists suggest people have been led to believe that a lot of dangers to the environment have gone away. “I guess people believe that the problem is taken care of, because of recycling,” said Kelly Quirke, director of the Rainforest Action Network in San Francisco. Yet Quirke is hopeful the high-tech may also prove helpful. He says printers that print on both sides are growing in popularity. The action group has also found acceptable paper made from materials other than wood, such as agricultural waste.
57.The growing demand for paper in recent years is largely due to _______.
A.the rapid development of small businesses B. the opening up of new markets
C.the printing of high quality copies D. the increased use of the internet
58. Environmentalists believe one possible way of dealing with the paper situation is______.
A. to encourage printing more quality documents
B. to develop new printers using recycling paper
C. to find new materials for making paper
D. to plant more fast-growing trees
59.Hewlett-Packard Co. has decided to develop new technologies because ________.
A. people are concerned about the environment
B. printers in many offices are working overtime
C. small companies need more hard copies
D. they see growing market for printers
60. What would be the best title for the text?
A. Computers and Printers B. E-mail and the Business World
C. Internet Revolution and Environment D. Modern Technology and New Markets
Illegal removal of coral(珊瑚) along Sri Lanka’s coastline increased the amount of destruction on the island by last December’s tsunami, say researchers.
Harindra Fernando, a fluid dynamicist (力学家) at Arizona State University in Tempe, made the connection after a visit to his native Sri Lanka earlier this year．While serving as a scientific expert and translator for a BBC-documentary team, he chatted with locals who said they saw the tsunami turn sideways when it hit coral—which would have made it less powerful than in coral-free areas．Fernando linked this to trucks he had seen last year carrying piles of coral away from the sea.
Using the eyewitness reports, estimates (估算) of wave heights, and a series of divers to check the presence or absence of corals, Fernando and his colleagues produced a map of coral gaps and wave flooding along Sri Lanka’s southwest coast.
The tsunami reached significantly farther inland through the gaps: in one instance, the water traveled 1.5 kilometres long and knocked a passenger train off its tracks, killing 1,700．But only a few kilometers away, where the coral was still undamaged, the wave travelled just 50 metres inland and caused no deaths.
There is a similar phenomenon．In Nicaragua in 1992, a tsunami poured through a break in the coral reef made to let boats through．“Within this passage, water went one kilometre inland,” says Fernando．“But nearby, where the coral was undamaged, there were still beach umbrellas standing.”
In Sri Lanka, coral is illegally mined to provide souvenirs for tourists, or to be used in house paint．Coral harvesters sometimes blow it up with dynamite (炸药) in order to collect fish at the same time．Often, the reefs in the best shape are those in front of hotels, as the hotel owners maintain them for the tourists．Fernando hopes that his findings will encourage the Sri Lankan government to enforce(实施) its laws against coral mining.
57．Harindra Fernando did all the following EXCEPT ________.
A．serving as a translator for a BBC-documentary team
B．helping the Sri Lankan government enforce its laws against coral mining
C．producing a map of coral gaps along Sri Lanka’s southwest coast
D．linking the coral removal with the destruction of Tsunami
58．The main idea of Paragraph 5 is that________.
A．undamaged coral can greatly decrease tsunami damage
B．coral-free area is a danger to passenger trains
C．in general, water travels 30 times farther inland in a coral-free area
D．it is urgent to enforce laws against coral mining
59．Which of the following may NOT be the cause of coral gaps?
A．Boat passages． B．Tourists’ sightseeing．
C．Fish collecting． D．Tourists’ souvenirs.
60．Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
A．Harindra Fernando, a Great Environment Protector
B．Stop Using Coral as Souvenirs
C．Coral Cried “Help! Help!”
D．Coral Mining Enhanced (加剧) Tsunami Damage
Coal mine accidents are frequently headline makers in China, offering a plentiful supply of long lists of the dead．Before this, five major coal mine accidents since January have already claimed lives of 287 coal miners.
Once an accident happens, the safety measures are scrutinized, officials and owners responsible are punished or warned or fined．But the accidents keep happening time and again.
The background of this endless disaster is a country thirsty for energy to satisfy the appetite of its economic engine.
With the rich reserve（储存）of coal and relatively limited petroleum（石油）reserve, the former makes up 67.12 percent of energy consumption．By contrast, petroleum and natural gas take about 60 percent of the energy consumption in other countries.
Such a situation is unlikely to change within a foreseeable future because the country still counts heavily on coal for more and more energy．If no measures with great effects are taken to improve the safety in the mines, the accidents will remain a long-term headache for China.
Digging coal underground is, by its nature, a dangerous job．No equipment can guarantee 100 percent safety for the miners working underground because numerous uncertainties exist.
Most of China’s coal mines are far from being mechanized．The average output of coal for each Chinese coal miner every day is 1 ton, while the number in the US coal mines, where the production is highly mechanized, is 40 tons.
Mechanized production in coal mines can cut down the number of miners who have to work on the dangerous coal face．It can also enhance the capability of the mines to detect potential danger．In this way mine accidents will be decreased.
Admittedly, the mechanized production demands financial support.
But what is the price of a life, or a dozen, a score – a hundred? Compare these awful figures with the misery they bring, heavy investment is worthy.
53．The writer’s attitude towards dealing with coal mine accidents is ________．
A．critical B．positive C．unclear D．doubtful
54．The underlined word “scrutinized” most probably means ________．
A．made B．examined C．criticized D．discussed
55．According to the writer, the best way to stop coal mine accidents is to ________.
A．perfect safety measures B．use more natural gas
C．cut down the number of miners D．improve mechanized production
56．The writer implies in the article that ________.
A．by improving mechanized production, we can stop coal mine accidents
B．it’s improper to depend too much on coal for energy consumption
C．officials and coal mine owners didn’t take safety measures seriously
D．losing lives costs much more than improving mechanized production
LINDA MAYNARD
11 Windrift Circle
Methuen, MA
978 – 555 – 4539
JOB OBJECTIVE
Seek special education, primary school, or middle school math teaching position.
EDUCATION
Rivier College, Nashua, NH
Bachelor of Arts in Education – May, 2006
Major: Elementary Education
Have successfully completed PRAXIS I and PRAXIS II．Meet highly qualified testing requirements for Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
November, 2005 – January, 2006
Wilkins Elementary School, Amherst, NH
Student Teacher
· Developed and completed student – centered lessons in all subject areas for various groups of fifth grade special and regular education students.
·Adapted lessons to meet students’ needs by reviewing their backgrounds and learning needs through IEPs.
·Communicated with parents on a regular basis via newsletters, daily or weekly progress reports, phone calls, and email, resulting in increased parental participation at home.
September, 2005 – November, 2005
Charlotte Avenue Elementary School, Nashua, NH
Student Teacher
·Taught reading and writing through Language Experience Approach methods.
·Introduced a Writer’s Workshop appropriate for first grade students to help them to develop their writing skills.
·Developed learning stations in reading and science, enabling students to be more independent learners.
Spring, 2005
Wilkins Elementary School, Amherst, NH
Designed and taught a unit on Insects and Spiders, based on New Hampshire Standards to 23 self －contained, third and fourth grade students with disabilities.
Fall, 2004
Amherst Street Elementary School, Nashua, NH
Taught a class of 24 third grade students with a wide range of abilities.
ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE
·After-School Aid, Amherst School District, Amherst, NH (2004 – 2005)
·Summer Camp advisor, YMCA, Nashua, NH (Summers, 2002 and 2003)
·Big Brother / Big Sister Volunteer, Nashua, NH (2002 – 2005)
49．What kind of job does Linda want to get?
A．A Big Brother / Big Sister Volunteer． B．A middle school math teacher.
C．A special education advisor．D．A summer camp advisor.
50．Linda has worked for the following schools EXCEPT ________.
A．Rivier College, Nashua, NH
B．Wilkins Elementary School, Amherst, NH
C．Charlotte Avenue Elementary School, Nashua, NH
D．Amherst Street Elementary School, Nashua, NH
51．What can we know about Linda according to the passage?
A．She was merely interested in developing student’s math abilities.
B．She was not active in participating in after – school activities.
C．She is permitted to teach in any high school of New York.
D．She has plenty of experience in teaching.
52．Which of the following is NOT included in the ways Linda used to communicate with the students’ parents?
A．Newsletters．B．Phone calls.
C．Face-to-face talks． D．Daily or weekly progress reports.
The easiest way for the English to deal with their social discomfort is to avoid social interaction altogether, by choosing either leisure (闲暇) activities that can be performed in the privacy of one’s own house, or outdoor activities that follow their interest without direct contact with anyone other than one’s own family members, such as going for a walk, or to the cinema, or shopping．
In recent survey, over half of all the leisure activities were of this private domestic type, and of the top ten pastimes, only two—having friends round for a meal or drink, and going to the pub—could be described as ‘sociable’．The most domestic activities are the most popular: watching TV, listening to the radio, reading, DIY （Do It Yourself） and gardening．Even when the English are being sociable, the survey findings show that most of them would much rather entertain a few close friends or relatives in the safety of their own homes than venture out among strangers．
In the latest national census survey （人口普查）, over half of the entire adult male population had been DIYing in the four weeks before the census date．Nearly a third of the female population had also been busily improving their homes, and their work with their gardens was equally obvious: 52 percent of all English males and 45 percent of females had been out there, cutting branches and weeding grass．
Even among people claiming to belong to a particular religion, only two percent attend services every week．The rest of the population can be found every Sunday at their local garden center or DIY superstore．And when they want a break from caring about their own homes and gardens, they go on trips to visit bigger and better houses and gardens, such as the stately homes and gardens opened to the public by the National Trust and the Royal Horticulture Society．Visiting grand country houses always ranks as one of the most popular national pastimes．
45．The result of the survey shows that ________.
A．about half English people enjoy working in their gardens
B．8 out of 10 pastimes can be described as social activities
C．2 percent of the religious people enjoy visits to public houses
D．visiting stately homes is the most popular national pastime
46．According to the passage, the English enjoy all of the following EXCEPT________.
A．the social activities, such as gathering with friends
B．working at home and in their gardens
C．dining out in a public place among strangers
D．visits to stately homes and gardens
47．The underlined word “domestic” probably means________.
A．public B．household C．outdoor D．collective
48．The passage mainly tells us about________.
A．why the English don’t like social activities
B．how the English spend their leisure time
C．what the result of a recent census survey is
D．where the English hold their private activities