The number of speakers of English in Shakespeare’s time is estimated(估计) to have been about five million. Today it is estimated that some 260 million people speak it as a native language, mainly in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. In addition to the standard varieties of English found in these areas, there are a great many regional and social varieties of the language as well as various levels of usage that are employed both in its spoken and written forms.
In fact, it is impossible to estimate the number of people in the world who have acquired an adequate(足够的) working knowledge of English in addition to their own languages. The purpose for English learning and the situations in which such learning takes place are so varied that it is difficult to explain and still more difficult to judge what forms an adequate working knowledge for each situation.
The main reason for the widespread demand for English is its present-day importance as a world language. Besides serving the indefinite needs of its native speakers, English is a language in which some of important works in science, technology, and other fields are being produced, and not always by native speakers. It is widely used for such purposes as meteorological(气象的) and airport communications, international conferences, and the spread of information over the radio and television networks of many nations. It is a language of wider communication for a number of developing countries, especially former British colonies. Many of these countries have multilingual populations and need a language for internal communication in such matters as government, commerce, industry, law and education as well as for international communication and for entrance to the scientific and technological developments in the West. What would be the best title for this passage?
| A．The Difficulties of Learning English |
| B．International Communications |
| C．The Standard Varieties of English |
| D．English as a World Language |
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．Some 260 million people in the world have an adequate working knowledge of English. |
| B．There are some 260 million native speakers of English in the world. |
| C．It is almost impossible to estimate the number of people with an adequate working knowledge of English. |
| D．People learn English for a variety of reasons. |
According to the passage, what is the main reason for the widespread use of English?
| A．It was popular during Shakespeare’s time. |
| B．It is used in former British colonies. |
| C．It serves the needs of its native speakers. |
| D．It is a world language that is used for international communication. |
What forms an adequate working knowledge of English?
| A．The ability to read a newspaper. |
| B．Being able to speak several languages. |
| C．It is difficult to judge because it differs for each situation. |
| D．Being a native speaker. |
What type of developing countries would be most likely to use English?
| A．Those geographically close to the United States. |
| B．Those interested in the culture of the United States. |
| C．Former colonies of Great Britain. |
| D．Countries where international conferences are held. |
EVENTS
Bicycle tour and race
A bike tour and race will be held on August 26 and 27 (Sat & Sun.). At 5:30 am, the riders will leave Tian'anmen Square and ride the first 35 kilometres as a training leg. Then the next 55-kilometre-leg. from Yanjiao to Jixian. will be the first competitive part of the tour. The riders and their bikes will then be takern from Jixian to Changli.
The second racing leg of the tour will be from Changli to the seaside of Nandaihe, covering a distance of 20 kilometres. Saturday night includes the stay at Nandaihe and supper. Sunday morning is free for play at the seaside. At noon all the people and their bikes will be taken back to Beijing.
Cost: 200 yuan Telephone: 4675027
Brazilian footballers
The Brazilian Football Club will play Beijing Guo'an Team at the Workers Stadium on August 26. The club has four national team players. Also coming is 1994 US World Cup star Romario who has promised to play for at least 45 minutes.
Ticket prices: 60; 100; 150 yuan
Time/Date: 4:30 pm, August 26 (Sat. ) Telephone: 5012372
Rock climbing
The Third National Rock Climbing Competition will be held on August 26-27 at the Huairou
Mountain-climbing Training Base. More than 10 teams from Beijing, Wuhan, Dalian, Jilin and other places will take part in it. A Japanese team will give an exhibition climbing. Free for spectators(观众).
Take a long-distance bus from Dongzhimen to Huairou.
Time/Dates: 9-12 am, August 26 and 27
Telephone: 7143177, 7144850, Wang ZhenghuaThe main purpose of announcing the above events is to give information about_________.
| A．visiting teams |
| B．famous players |
| C．things to do for the weekend |
| D．prices to pay for the sports events |
If you take part in the bike tour. you will ride for ________.
| A．35 kilometres | B．55 kilometres |
| C．75 kilometres | D．ll0 kilometres |
The underlined word "leg" in "Bicycle tour and race" probably means_______.
| A．race | B．practice |
| C．part of the training | D．part of the tour |
What is special about the rock climbing competition?
| A．A foreign team takes pan in it. |
| B．You can watch it without paying. |
| C．You don't have to be a sportsman to take part. |
| D．The bus trip to the place of the competition is free. |
If you want to find something to do for Saturday aftermoon, which telephone number will you call?
| A．4675027 | B．7143177 | C．5012372 | D．7144850 |
It can’t be true that when in Rome do as the Romans do. So here’s some necessary information for you on what you can talk with the local people in France, Australia and Switzerland, and different customs of these countries.
In France
You’ll find that conversations often turn into heated debates. Give opinions on subjects that you are knowledgeable about. There is rarely a moment of silence, except when the topic under discussion has been exhausting, and nothing new has been introduced.
Food, art ,music and current events or history are welcome topics. The French believe in freedom. You can criticize anyone, but not Napoleon, who is a symbol of French spirit, and never use the standard U.S. opening remark “ What do you do?”
In Australia
Australians tend to be enthusiastic debaters. A wide range of topics may be open to discussion, including religion and politics. The best policy, however, is to wait for Australian companions to bring up subjects: be prepared to hear their arguments.
Sport is a common topic of conversation in Australian and Australians tend to use sporting comparison. Australian like to criticize themselves, but they can’t stand criticism from others.
Don’t talk big. Australians prefer to judge your competence and abilities through your actions. People who show off their education in conversation may be subject to tease.
In Switzerland
The Swiss may seem cold. Once you get close to them, however , you’ll find that they are honest and responsible people, who will be loyal to your interests.
They are good listeners and will remember practically everything you say to them. Sometimes they will even go so far as to take notes while you speak. The Swiss are very private people, so you should avoid asking personal questions. They can be rather serious, so it is advisable to avoid making jokes on them.According to the passage, when talking you are advised_______.
| A．to discuss the heated issue with the French |
| B．not to use sporting comparison with Australians |
| C．to have the Australians start a subject |
| D．not to ask people of the three countries personal questions |
We can learn from the passage that___________.
| A．Australians may not show off their education before others |
| B．Australians like to criticize other people |
| C．you can express your ideas for everything you know little about to the French |
| D．you can criticize anyone in France because you have freedom |
What is the theme of the passage?
| A．How to adapt to the life abroad. |
| B．What to argue about with foreigners. |
| C．How to find better topics. |
| D．What to talk about with foreigners. |
Following the passage, the author would most probably tell us_____
| A．effective communication with foreigners |
| B．customs of the three countries |
| C．his or her own experiences |
| D．how to be a good listener |
Unknown to most Facebook users, the social network actually offers a lot of privacy controls and security features which can help you lock your account, so you can speak freely. If it’s used properly, you’ll never have to worry about whether you will have to “friend” your boss or your mom. You can friend anyone you want while staying comfortable in the knowledge that not everyone gets to see everything you post.
The problem with carrying out these privacy options is that they’re just too confusing for most non-tech clever people to handle. And often, most people don’t want to bother to take the time to learn. To simplify the process, we’re offering one easy step you can take today to help make your Facebook experience safer, more secure, and more private.
Just make “Friend Lists”. Yes, it will take some time, especially if you’re connected to a couple of hundred friends already. But this step, while not the quickest, is fairly simple. And it will be one of the most useful things you can do on Facebook.
Friend lists, as the name suggests, are lists for classifying your friends into various groups. The nice thing about this feature is that once you set these lists up, you won’t have to do it again. We suggest that you put your work colleagues and professional acquaintances into a friend list named “Work”, personal friends you’re not very close with into a list called “Acquaintances”, and people you’re related to into a list called “Family”. Those three main categories will separate out the groups of “friends” who you may want to hide some information from.
To create a friend list, click on “Friends” at the top of the Facebook homepage. In the left-hand column, click “Friends” again under the “Lists” section. Now you’ll see a button at the top that says “Create New List”. Click it. In the pop-up that appears, you can name your list and pick members. If you’ve ever shared an application with your friends, the process of doing this will be very familiar.
When you’ve finished making lists, you’ll be able to use them when selecting who can see what (or who can’t!) when configuring (配置) the security settings described below. What function isn’t understood by most people on Facebook?
| A．Surfing the Internet. |
| B．Setting safety protection. |
| C．Sharing personal information. |
| D．Making foreign friends. |
What can we learn about Facebook according to the text?
| A．Its process of privacy-setting is too complex. |
| B．It displays everything people post. |
| C．It lacks privacy controls and security features. |
| D．Its post is designed for technical people. |
What advantage can we get from making friend lists?
| A．We can avoid our bosses adding us as friends. |
| B．We can share applications with friends. |
| C．We can separate acquaintances from family. |
| D．We can hide different information from different friends. |
| Experience the Colorado River the Hualapai Way! River Runners Offers the ONLY One Day White-water Trip ANYWHERE at the GRAND CANYON! Since 1973, Hualapai River Runners has been conducting white-water rafting journeys on the Colorado River. Our experienced guides expertly sail along the river and share the history of the Canyon and the Hualapai people with you. Visitors experience the excitement of whitewater rapids and then stop to enjoy the impressive beauty of Travertine Falls and a tasty lunch. No charge for children 2 years and under. One-Day Trip Retail $249.00 + $79.00 (helicopter and round-trip ground transportation) White-water rafting tours begin in Peach Springs. Hualapai River Runners transports you to Diamond Creek, which is the starting point for the 37 mile rafting tour. Lunch is included and upon arrival at the rafting tour termination point (终点), fly out of the Grand Canyon by helicopter to Grand Canyon West. Two-Day Trip Retail $549.00 + $79.00 (helicopter and round-trip ground transportation) Two-day rafting trips with one night on the Colorado River. All supplies and meals are included. Two days in the Grand Canyon, on the Colorado River, allows more time to explore one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Tours Include: • Round-trip transportation from Peach Springs to the starting point and from the termination points back to Peach Springs. • Snack, drinks and lunch (vegetarian meals available upon request). • Waterproof dry bags for storing your cameras, sunscreen, dry clothes, etc. The helicopter part of transportation is weather permitting. If the helicopter transportation is cancelled because of bad weather, the raft will continue an additional two hours to South Cove and a maximum $20.00 per customer will be given back. Special website booking rate 15% off rafting in June 2011. So book now! Call us Toll Free Today! Tel: 1-888-868-9378 |
Where do white-water rafting tours start?
| A．Travertine Falls. | B．The Grand Canyon. |
| C．Grand Canyon West. | D．Diamond Creek. |
Which of the following is TRUE about the trip?
| A．Hualapai River Runners provides dry clothes. |
| B．You will get $20 back if you are not satisfied. |
| C．The trip is free of charge for children under 2. |
| D．Online booking has a better offer all year round. |
It can be learned from the text that _________.
| A．the guides can help you learn sailing |
| B．the cost includes snack, drinks and lunch |
| C．the helicopter transportation can save you three hours’ time |
| D．the Grand Canyon is well-known for its history |
What is the purpose of the text?
| A．To explain how to make a rafting trip. |
| B．To explore the Hualapai culture. |
| C．To attract people to the sights. |
| D．To introduce the history of the Colorado River |
TOEFL stands for Test of English as a Foreign Language, which assesses the proficiency (熟练) of English language of a person in an academic setting. Various institutions, scholarship programs require this test as a trusted and effective indicator of a person’s ability to communicate in English.
TOEFL is available in CBT—Computer-based Technology, PBT—Paper-based Technology and IBT—Internet-based Test formats to assess the proficiency of the English Language. IBT TOEFL is a four-hour test comprising sections: Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing. In areas where internet-based test is not available, a paper-based test (PBT) is given. PBT is a three-hour test comprising four sections: Listening, Structure and Written Expression, Reading Comprehension and Writing.
Taking TOEFL test opens many doors to get admission in foreign universities. More than 7500 colleges, universities and agencies in more than 130 countries rely on TOEFL test scores to check proficiency for English Language. It is very convenient to take this test and it is available in 165 countries worldwide.
It measures your academic skills that whether you are ready to study or train at under graduate or post graduate level in foreign universities or not. In the test candidates are provided with a passage from text books and questions based on lectures, and you can be asked to speak or write in response related to that passage.
As the test is made up of 100 % academic questions, so many universities consider it the most effective test while taking any admission. To take TOEFL test you should:
—Improve your writing skills;
—Improve your vocabulary;
—Practice other reading passages on the TOEFL Test;
—Be familiar with the format of the test;
—Practice for listening test on the TOEFL test.
To take admission in World’s famous Harvard University, the minimum TOEFL score required is 587 on the paper-based test, 240 on the computer-based test, or 94-95 on the internet-based TOEFL.The underlined word “comprising” in Paragraph 2 probably means ________.
| A．explaining | B．forming | C．combining | D．including |
Which section is NOT included in IBT TOEFL?
| A．Reading. | B．Structure and Written Expression |
| C．Speaking. | D．Writing. |
According to the passage, many students are required to take TOEFL test probably because the test can________.
| A．improve their academic skills |
| B．provide scholarship programs in many countries |
| C．indicate their proficiency of English language |
| D．decide your graduation from foreign universities |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Advantages of TOEFL test | B．Introduction to TOEFL test |
| C．Preparations for TOEFL test | D．Assessment of TOEFL test |