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, pretended not to understand her, or even acted as if they did not hear her.
My mother has realized the disadvantages 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 a voice that was not very convincing, “This is Mrs Tan.” And my mother was standing beside me, whispering loudly, “Why he doesn’t send me the check. It’s already two weeks late.”
And then, in perfect English I said : “I’m getting rather anxious .You agreed to send the check two weeks ago, but it hasn’t arrived.” Then she talked more loudly. “What does he want? I’ll come to New York and say it in front of his boss.” And so I turned to the stockbroker again, “I can’t accept any more excuses. If I don’t receive the check immediately, I 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 clear and direct. It was the language that helped me form 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. |
From Paragraph 2, what can we know about the author?
A.She was good at pretending. |
B.She was rude to the stockbroker. |
C.She was ready to help her mother. |
D.She was unwilling to phone for her mother |
What happened 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 embarrasses her. |
C.It helps her understand the world. |
D.It helps her forgive rude people. |
What can we infer from the passage?
A.Chinese English is clear and natural to native speakers. |
B.Chinese English is impolite to native speakers. |
C.Chinese English has a very bad name in America. |
D.Chinese English may bring inconvenience in America. |
Here's an interview to a pilot about his life.
(R="Reporter;" P= Pilot)
R: How much time do pilots actually spend flying a plane?
P: It varies (WES'J) from about 20 minutes on some domestic (区别) flights to as much as 18 hours on international flights. It all depends on if the flight is a short- or long-haul flight.
R: Do pilots take breaks during flights or do they fly the whole time?
P: Yes, we take breaks during long-haul flights. Airlines assign (指派) three or four pilots to long flights. We take turns flying the plane.
R: If pilots are traveling all the time, how do they deal with jet lag (时差)?
P: Jet lag is annoying for almost all pilots. I try to go to sleep as I would at home.
R: How important is it to know the weight and size of the plane you are flying?
P: It is very important. We weigh almost everything put into the airplane and make estimates (估计) according to the number of people on each flight.
R: Do pilots eat the airplane food?
P: Yes, we eat business class food! Airplane food changes every season and is very delicious if you don't hate eating lobster (龙虾) every day! The pilots on the same plane are supposed to make different meal choices so that if one of the dishes causes food poisoning, only one of them will be sick. That way, at least one pilot will always be well enough to fly the plane!The number of pilots depends on _.
A.how many hours a plane flies | B.what kind of planes they are |
C.the airline companies assign | D.what the pilot likes |
In order to know the weight of the airplane, the pilots must know_ __.
A.the weight of everything put into the plane |
B.the number of people on the plane |
C.the weight of the things and people on the plane |
D.the importance of the weight |
What's the Chinese meaning of the word "poisoning" in the passage?
A.中毒 | B.难吃 | C.缺少 | D.浪费 |
What does the pilot think of the airplane food?
A.Airplane food is more delicious than lobster. |
B.The pilot suggests having airplane food instead of lobster. |
C.The pilot doesn't like the airplane food at all. |
D.Airplane food is as delicious as lobster. |
What question doesn't the reporter ask in the interview?
A.How to keep passengers safe? |
B.How long do pilots actually spend flying a plane? |
C.How to deal with jet lag? |
D.How to take breaks during flying. |
Want to say "hello" from Disneyland? Send a post card!
Beautiful scenes of paradise (乐园), wild animals, silly pictures — you can find them all in one place. Where? On a post card! Have people always sent post cards? No. Before post cards, people liked sealed letters.
The idea for the first decorated (装饰) post card came to John P. Charlton in 1861. He thought a simple card with decorations would be a great way to send a note. Then in the late 1800s, post cards with pictures appeared. By law, people had to write their note on the front ——on the picture! The back was only for the address. Several years later, England allowed a divided-back post card. Then people could write their note on the back left side and put the address on the right. During the early 1900s, the golden age of post cards, picture post cards became a craze of the world. In 1908, Americans alone mailed over 677 million post cards. Today, post cards are the third most popular collection in the world after stamps and coins.We can see some silly pictures on the post cards.
Post cards were produced before sealed letters.
In 1861, the first decorated post card appeared.
Post cards were most popular during the early 1900s.
Stamps, coins and post cards are the most popular collections in the world.
We all know the dangers of fires. It’s good and necessary for a family to learn how to prepare for a fire. Here are some suggestions.
Put a smoke alarm(火警) in the house. Smoke from a fire causes the alarm to go off. The alarm makes a loud sound. The sound tells everyone to leave the house at once.
Make escape(逃脱) plans. We should know all the ways out of the house. If there is a fire, everyone follows the plan to get out. Part of the plan is to check all the windows to make sure they can be opened easily.
Buy fire extinguishers(灭火器) in the house. Everyone in the family should know how to use them.
Practise for a fire. We do fire practice because we teach children about fire safety. Everyone in the family should know the following fire rules:
★Don’t open a hot door! The fire can grow more quickly if you open the door.
★Stay close to the floor! Smoke can be more dangerous than fire. The best air is near the floor because smoke rises.
★What will you do if your hair or clothes start to burn? First, stop! Don’t run! The fire burns faster because of more air. Drop! Fall to the floor. Then roll! Turning over and over will make the fire go out. Put a blanket(毯子) around you to keep air away from the fire that may still be on you.
There are many possible causes for fires. A wise family is ready all the time. If there is a fire, don’t forget to call 119 for help.When a smoke alarm rings at home, it means _________.
A.you have to get up | B.water is running to the floor |
C.something is burning | D.someone breaks your window |
The writer advises us to do the following to prepare for a fire except that _________.
A.we practise for a fire | B.we make escape plans |
C.we buy fire extinguishers | D.we use electrical cookers |
When a fire happens,____ if you open the hot door.
A.the door will soon be on fire | B.the electricity will be cut off |
C.the fire will grow more quickly | D.the house will fall down |
What are the right steps you should take when your hair or clothes catch fire?
A.Stop, run, roll. | B.Stop, drop, roll. |
C.Run, drop, roll. | D.Roll, drop, stop. |
What is the best title for this passage?
A.Be Ready for a Fire. | B.The Causes of a Fire. |
C.Learn to Use a Fire Extinguisher. | D.The Dangers of a Fire. |
Earthquake safety tips
On April 14,2010, a big earthquake hit Yushu,Qinghai.Over,2,000 people died. Many people were hurt. Why are there earthquakes?
The surface of the Earth has many pieces. These pieces are always moving. When two pieces move past each other, there is an earthquake.
Scientist are working hard to find out more about earthquakes. They try to predict(预测) them, but it’s very hard.
Do you know how to get ready for an earthquake? Do you know what to do during an earthquake? Here are some things you should know.
What to do before an earthquake
Make sure you have two bottles of water, a packet of biscuits(饼干),a clean towel(毛巾),a few band-aids(创口贴),a radio and a flashlight(电筒) at home.
What to do during an earthquake
If you are inside:
★Stay where you are. Quickly move under a strong desk, or along a wall. This will protect you from falling things.
★Don’t stand near windows.
★Turn off the lights.
★Don’t get into a lift during an earthquake. If your are in a lift, get out as quickly as possible.
If you are outside:
★Don’t stand near buildings. Things may fall on you.
★Lie on the ground until the shaking stops.An earthquake hit Yushu _______.
A.on April 12,2010 | B.on April 14,2010 | C.on May 14,2010 | D.on May 12,2010 |
You need ________ at home before an earthquake.
A.some water and biscuits | B.a clean towel and a few band-aids |
C.a radio and a flashlight | D.all of the things above |
You must protect yourself in an earthquake by ________.
A.keeping you from falling things | B.turning on the lights |
C.standing near the window | D.getting into a lift |
The reason why an earthquake happens is that __________.
A.the surface of the earth is thin |
B.the pieces of the surface are moving slowly |
C.two pieces of the surface move past each other |
D.there are too many people on the earth |
Which is TRUE according to the passage when you are outside in an earthquake?
A. You can play under a big tree.
B. You can’t stand near the buildings.
C. You can lie on the ground until the shaking stops.
D. Both B and C.
News 1
Yuan Longping, the father of hybrid rice, won the World Food Prize on Monday. Yuan developed the world’s first popular and widely known hybrid rice. Hybrid rice plants can make more rice than regular ones.
News 2
Have you ever got angry at books that are full of mistakes? Don’t worry, things will get better soon. Last week, China started checking textbooks, dictionaries and children’s books all over the country. The government said the results of the check would come out at the end of June.
News 3
People will see a new “star” in the sky soon. China plants to send a satellite into space by December 2006.It will stay in space for one year. It will go around the moon and take pictures. It must be very expensive, right? That’s for sure; 1.4 billion yuan!
News 4
Have you ever thought of being able to fly around the world in a few hours? One day, maybe you can. Last Saturday, the American X-43A airplane made its first flight. It reached a speed of 8,000 kilometers per hour. This makes it the fastest plane in the world.X-43A is only three to four meters long, but it’s very heavy. It weighs 1,270 kilograms.The satellite sent by China will move around ________.
A.the moon | B.the earth | C.the sun | D.the mars |
The speed of the fastest plane in the world is ______.
A.1.4 kilometers per second | B.43 kilometers per minute |
C.1,270 kilometers per hour | D.8,000 kilometers per hour |
The checking of textbooks, dictionaries and children’s books will __________.
A.make a lot of money |
B.make the children sad |
C.make sure there are no mistakes in them |
D.make sure the books are not too expensive |
Which of the following statements about the new star is NOT true?
A.It will go around the moon. | B.It will stay in space for two years. |
C.It costs a lot. | D.It will go into space by December 2006. |
Yuan Longping won the World Food Prize because ___________.
A.he likes to eat hybrid rice |
B.he is a successful father |
C.he grows more rice than others |
D.he developed the world’s first popular and widely grown hybrid rice |