English is spoken as a first language by most people in the USA，Britain，Australia，New Zealand，Ireland and Canada. However，English is spoken all over the world. It is the main language in over 60 countries，including India，Singapore and many of the Caribbean and Pacific islands. In these places English is often a second language.
English is also an international language in many other countries，like China and Japan. People in these countries use it for business，and travelers to these countries use English when they get there to communicate. Other people may learn English because they enjoy reading books in English，listening to British or American music or watching American films.
English has changed a lot over the years and still goes on changing. It is no longer right to talk about British English or American English if the speakers come or don’t come from those countries. People in Japan and Korea，for example，may use the American spelling but may not sound like Americans.
English will probably be the most widely used language in the world by the end of the 21st century. This language no longer belongs to British，American or Australian speakers. It belongs to anyone in the world. So，as a middle school student of English today, think about how you can use this language. After you leave school, you will almost certainly need it. In how many countries is English spoken as a first language in the passage?
| A．Five. | B．Four. | C．Three. | D．Six. |
In which other countries is English spoken as a main language?
| A．Britain, the USA and Australia. |
| B．India, Singapore and many of the Caribbean and Pacific islands. |
| C．China and Japan. |
| D．New Zealand and Canada. |
People from other countries learn English for ________.
| A．passing exams |
| B．business and traveling |
| C．reading English books, enjoying English music or films |
| D．both B and C |
Even if people in Japan and Korea use American spelling they ________.
| A．will speak the same as Americans |
| B．may not sound like Americans |
| C．will speak British English |
| D．will speak English much better |
Which is the best title for the passage?
| A．A First Language in the World | B．A Second Language in the World |
| C．English around the World | D．A Useful Language |
Mr. Smith was in trouble those days. He drove a car for Mr. Black, a rich businessman. He worked hard and the shopkeeper liked him. But he couldn't work when he drank too much. Once he almost fell into the river when he drove along the bridge. Mr. Black became angry and was going to send him away. Mr. Smith had a big family and was afraid of it and promised he would stop drinking at once. The man told him to wait to be dealt with.
One Monday morning Mr. Smith came into the office with two badly burnt ears. "What happened to your ears?" asked Mr. Black.
"Well, "said the man," I went to watch a football match yesterday while my wife was ironing （熨）clothes. She had put the iron near the telephone before she went to cook supper. Our team lost the game and I felt sorry for it. As soon as I went in the sitting -room, the phone rang and I answered the iron!” “And what happened to the other ear?" "When I put the iron down on the table, the telephone rang again!"________ , so he almost drove the car into the river.
| A．Mr. Smith was not careful |
| B．Mr. Smith drank too much |
| C．Mr. Smith, forgot they were on the bridge |
| D．Mr. Smith couldn't work in the evening |
Mr. Smith went to watch the football match on______.
| A．Monday | B．Tuesday |
| C．Saturday | D．Sunday |
Why were Mr Smith’s ears burnt?
| A．Beacause he had a car accident |
| B．Because his wife hit him |
| C．Because he mistake the iron for the telephone and “answer it” |
| D．Because his boss hit him |
We can guess________.
| A．Mr. Smith drank much after the match |
| B．Mr. Smith was angry with his team |
| C．Mr. Smith didn't drink those days |
| D．Mr. Smith watched the match at home |
Many daily American expressions are based (以……为基础) on colours.
Red is a hot colour. Americans often use it to represent heat. When they say “red-hot”, that means they are very angry about something. Loud music is popular with many people. Some may say that such music is red-hot.
Pink is a lighter kind of red. People sometimes say “I’m in the pink” when they are in good health. The expression was first used in America at the beginning of the 20th century. It probably comes from the fact that many babies are born with a nice pink colour that shows that they are in good health.
Blue is a cool colour. The old Blues music in the United States is the opposite of red-hot music. Blues is slow and sad. Someone who is “blue” is very sad.
The colour green is natural for trees and grass. But it is an unnatural colour for humans. A person who has an upset stomach may say “I’m feeling a bit green”. A person on a boat who is feeling very sick from high waves can be said “look very green”. Sometimes a person may be very jealous because he does not have anything as nice as someone has, like a fast new car. That person may say “I’m green with envy”. Some people are green with envy because someone has more dollars or “greenbacks”. Dollars are called greenbacks in American slangs because that is the colour of the bottom of their bank notes.
The colour black is used often in expressions. People may say “it’s a black day” when everything goes wrong on that day.
In some cases, colours describe a situation. Blackouts were common during the World War II. All the lights in a city were turned off at night to make it difficult for enemy planes to find their aims in the dark.
阅读短文，选择最佳选项。 What does “I’m in the pink” mean?
| A．I’m sad. | B．I’m happy. |
| C．I’m healthy. | D．I’m worried. |
We describe a day on which everything goes wrong as ______.
| A．a red day | B．a green day |
| C．a pink day | D．a black day |
What does the underlined word, “blackouts” mean in Chinese?
| A．漆黑的夜晚 | B．穿黑衣服外出 |
| C．灯火管制 | D．去掉黑色 |
Which of the following sentences is TRUE, according to the passage?
| A．People in the USA use the colour black to express heat. |
| B．If you are blue, you are very happy. |
| C．Blue and red are both warm colours. |
| D．If someone is very rich, you may be green with envy. |
If the rose can be said to be a special flower, then the apple can be said to be a special fruit. It is very important in American culture. American stories speak of Johnny Appleseed, who went throughout America collecting apple seeds and planting apple trees. He had a great love for nature and went through fields and farms adding richness and beauty to the country.
One of the first sayings taught to school children is, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” This short saying encourages children to eat fresh fruit to keep healthy. If someone always says good words to a person, people will call him an “apple polisher”. This, however, is not a good name. If someone is very dear to us, we say that he or she is the “apple of our eye”.
Most people believe that the fruit which Eve gave to Adam was an apple, even though the Bible(圣经) never says so. The apple, therefore, is a deep part of the language and stories of America.
An apple is also delicious. Apples can be cooked in many ways, used as a dessert, and made into sweet juice.
In many parts of the country during the harvest season, a popular activity is to go into an apple garden to pick apples. Washington, D. C. and New York are both famous for their apples.
Finally, when it’s time to take a vacation to American cities, one can always visit New York, which is “the biggest apple” of all the American cities.
What does the underlined phrase “apple polisher” mean?
| A．Something for cutting apples. |
| B．A person who likes to please others. |
| C．A person who is dealing with fruits. |
| D．A machine for cleaning apples quickly. |
“An apple a day keeps the doctor away” is a proverb about ____________.
| A．cooking | B．medicine |
| C．shopping | D．health |
Which of the following is TRUE with apples?
| A．Apples are medicine. |
| B．Apples are the most important food. |
| C．New York is famous for its big apples. |
| D．The Bible says Adam was given an apple. |
The passage is mainly about___________.
| A．stories about the apple |
| B．apples in American culture |
| C．some famous sayings of the apple |
| D．big cities that is famous for apples |
Last summer I went through a training program and became a literacy(识字) volunteer. When I began to know what other people’s lives were like because they could not read, I realized the true importance of reading.
My first student Marie was a 44- year-old single mother of three. In the first lesson, I found out she walked two miles to the nearest supermarket twice a week because she didn’t know which bus to take. When I told her I would get her a bus timetable, she told me it would not help because she could not read it. She said she also had difficulty once she got to the supermarket because she couldn’t always remember what she needs. Since she did not know words, she could not write out a shopping list. Also, she could only know items by sight, so if the product had a different sign, she would not know it as the product she wanted.
As we worked together, learning how to read built Marie’s self-confidence, which encouraged her to continue her studies. She began to make fast progress and was even able to take the bus to the supermarket. After this successful trip, she reported how self-confident she felt.
At the end of the program, she began helping her youngest son, Tony, a shy first grader with his reading. She sat with him before he went to sleep and together they would read bedtime stories. When his eyes became wide with excitement as she read, pride was written all over her face. As she described this experience, I was proud of myself as well. I found that helping Marie to build self-confidence was more rewarding than anything I had ever done before.
As a literacy volunteer, I learned a great deal about teaching and helping others. In fact, I may have learned more from the experience than Marie did. Marie didn’t go to the supermarket by bus because______.
| A．she lived too close to the supermarket |
| B．she wanted to stay fit through walking |
| C．there were no bus stops in front of the supermarket |
| D．she had no idea which bus to take to the supermarket |
What did the writer probably find when he was teaching Marie to read?
| A．Marie learnt how to read really fast |
| B．Marie had no gift for learning how to read |
| C．It was hard for Marie to change her habits |
| D．It was hard for Marie to build self-confidence |
We learn that in the end________.
| A．Marie could read and became confident |
| B．the writer chose to help Marie’s son to read too |
| C．the writer decided to spend more time learning to read |
| D．Marie thought she learnt more from the experience than the writer |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．The importance of learning to read |
| B．The difficulties that a single mother faced |
| C．The writer’s most unforgettable experience |
| D．The writer’s experience as a literacy volunteer |
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If you want to take the 8-Day London Private Tour, you should call ________.
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