Did you know that the first documented use of OMG(oh my god)was in 1917, or that LOL was once a common term meaning little old ladies in 1960? That's what the world learned when OMG, LOL, and FYI (for your information) were added to the Oxford English Dictionary last week. This dictionary is considered by many to be the reference book that defines the English language.
Words added to the Oxford English Dictionary are truly considered new members of the language. People invent new words all the time, but only a few become popular enough to get defined in dictionaries.
Typed online or in text messages, LOL, FYI, and OMG are initialisms,_which can be said aloud letter by letter, like LOL, which now stands for Laugh Out Loud.Faster to type than the full phrases, initialisms like these have been used online since the 1990s. But these three online terms are now spoken outside the Internet too, making them different from other online lingo( 行话). Dictionary editors decided the words are used so commonly that they had to be defined this year.
Another important addition to the dictionary this year was ♥， as in “I ♥ NY.” This is the first graphic (图形的 ) symbol ever defined in the Oxford English Dictionary.The editors added ♥ as a verb under the definition of “heart”， meaning “to love”．
Some slang words — informal language used more commonly in speech than in writing — were also added, like wassup, a shortened way to say “What's up”. Even words that have been in use for many years like biker and happy camper were finally added to the dictionary.
The Oxford English Dictionary now defines more than 600,000 words.That adds up to more than 21,730 pages! Guinness World Records calls it the longest dictionary in the world.The Oxford English Dictionary is known for recording words of all kinds—popular, outdated, and even foreign words used by English speakers throughout the language's long history.The text is mainly about that ________.
| A．expressions like LOL and FYI have been added to the Oxford English Dictionary |
| B．English words change their meaning as time goes by |
| C．English language is becoming more and more difficult to learn |
| D．the Oxford English Dictionary breaks the Guinness World Record |
Which of the following is NOT included in the facts that the Oxford English Dictionary has been updated?
| A．Some online terms are added to it. |
| B．A graphic symbol is first introduced into it. |
| C．Some slang words are collected in it. |
| D．Some old words are left out. |
What does the underlined word “initialisms” refer to?
| A．Words having foreign origins. |
| B．Words made from the first letters of several words in a phrase. |
| C．Uncommon words frequently appearing on the Internet. |
| D．Official words used in formal documents with capital letters. |
Before any new word is added to the Oxford English Dictionary, it must be ________.
| A．spread widely across the Internet |
| B．used commonly by the dictionary editors |
| C．used commonly in either spoken or written language |
| D．a short word |
A Frenchman went to a small Italian town and was staying with his wife at the best hotel there. One night, he went out for a walk alone. It was late and the small street was dark and quiet. Suddenly he felt someone behind him. He turned his head and saw an Italian young man who quickly walked past him. The man was nearly out of sight when the Frenchman suddenly found that his watch was gone. He thought that it must be the Italian who had taken his watch. He decided to follow him and get back the watch.
Soon the Frenchman caught up with the Italian. Neither of them understood the other’s language. The Frenchman frightened the Italian with his fist(拳头) and pointed at the Italian’s watch. In the end the Italian gave up his watch to the Frenchman.
When he returned to the hotel, the Frenchman told his wife what had happened. He was greatly surprised when his wife pointed to the watch on the table. Now he realized that by mistake he had robbed the watch and it was the Italian’s.The Frenchman went to a small Italian town _______.
| A．alone | B．with his wife | C．with his friend | D．with an Italian |
One night he went out for _______ alone.
| A．a ride | B．a walk | C．a drink | D．rest |
Suddenly he found his_______ was gone.
| A．watch | B．money | C．book | D．ring |
The Italian gave up his watch to him at last because ________.
| A．he had stolen the watch from the Frenchman. |
| B．he understood what the Frenchman wanted |
| C．he had picked up the watch on his w ay from work |
| D．he was afraid of the Frenchman |
When someone says, “Well, I guess I’ll have to face the music”, it doesn’t mean that he is planning to go to hear a singer or attend a concert. It is something far less unhappy than you are called in by your leader to explain why you did this and that or why you did not do this or that.
At some time or another, every one of us has to “face the music”, especially (尤其) as children. We can all remember fathers angry words “I want to talk to you”. And only because we did not listen to him. What a bad thing it was!
In the middle or at the end of every term, we students have to “face the music”. The result of the exam will decide whether we will face the music or not. If...that means parents cold faces and contempt (轻视) of the teachers and classmates.
“To face the music” is well known to every American, young or old. It is at least 100 years old. It really means that you have to do something, no matter (无论) how terrible the whole thing might be, because you know you have no choice.“To face the music"means “to____ ”.
| A．do something that we don’t like to | B．go to the theatre |
| C．go to the music show | D．do something that we want to |
In the third paragraph, “If...”really means “If____ ”.
| A．we don’t do a good job | B．we get an“A” in the exam |
| C．the exam is easy | D．the exam is difficult |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．“To face the music” is well known in the United States. |
| B．“To face the music” has a history of more than 100 years. |
| C．The young Americans know what “to face the music” means. |
| D．Only the old in the United States know the meaning of“to face the music”. |
In Canada you can find dogs, cats, horses, etc. in almost every family. These are their pets. People love these pets and have them as their good friends. Before they keep them in their houses, they take them to animal hospitals to give them injections(注射)so that they won’t carry disease. They have special animal food stores, though they can get animal food in almost every kind of store. Some people spend around two hundred Canadian dollars a month on animal food. When you visit people’s houses, they would be very glad to show you their pets and they are very proud of them. You will also find that almost every family has a feeding place for birds in their garden. All kinds of birds are welcomed to come and have a good meal. They are free to come and go and nobody is allowed to kill any animal in Canada. They have a law against killing wild animals. If you killed an animal, you would be punished. If an animal happened to get run over by a car, people would be very sad about it.
People in Canada have many reasons to like animals. One of them might be that their family ties are not as close as ours. When children grow up, they leave their parents and start their own life. Then the old will feel lonely, but pets can solve this problem. They can be good friends and never leave them alone.The passage mainly talks about____ .
| A．how to keep disease from pets | B．pets in Canada |
| C．how to take good care of pets | D．life of the old in Canada |
They give their pets injections before keeping them at their houses because ____.
| A．the pets are sick |
| B．the pets are wild |
| C．they want to stop them from getting sick |
| D．they want them to sleep on the way home |
In Canada, children leave their parents when they grow up because ____.
| A．they don’t love their parents any more |
| B．they can only find jobs far from their parents |
| C．their parents houses are too small |
| D．they wouldn’t depend on their parents any more |
Which of the following is TRUE？
| A．People buy animal food only at the animal food stores. |
| B．Pets eat better than people. |
| C．Almost every family has a birdcage in his house. |
| D．Any bird can come to the bird feeders to eat |
From the passage we know that Canadians_____
| A．love animals | B．don’t like animals |
| C．often kill animals | D．often keep their pets outside their house |
Ellen Parker was worried about her health. She could not walk very quickly and it was difficult for her to climb stairs. She was soon out of breath.
“I suppose I had better go to the doctor.” she thought.
She went to the doctor and told him her problem.
“I’m not at all surprised.” he said, “I know what your problem is.”
He examined her and then gave her some advice.
“If you don’t do what I say, Mrs Parker,” he said, “You will have a heart attack (心脏病发作). It could kill you.”
Ellen was very worried as she left the doctor’s. She knew that she had to take his advice but that it would not be easy and it would take time.
The next day she went shopping. The first shop she went into was a butcher shop (肉铺).
“I’d like ten pounds of steak (牛排), please.” she said.
“Certainly, madam.” the butcher replied and went into the cold room and found a large piece of steak. He brought the huge piece of meat back into the shop and placed it on the scale (称).
“That’s just ten pounds.” he said.
“That’s big enough.” Mrs Parker said.
The butcher worked out the price.
“At S｜4.99 a pound that will be S｜49.90, please. Would you like me to cut it up into smaller pieces for you?”
“Oh, I don’t want to buy the meat.” Mrs Parker said.
“If you don’t want to buy it,” the butcher replied angrily, “Why did you ask me to get it for you?”
“My doctor told me that I am too heavy and have to lose ten pounds. I wanted to see what ten pounds of meat looked like.”Why did Ellen Parker visit the doctor?
| A．She had a heart attack. | B．She had a problem with her health. |
| C．She was unhappy about her weight. | D．She could not sleep well. |
Why did Ellen Parker ask for ten pounds of steak?
| A．She wanted to buy some for dinner. |
| B．She wanted to lose weight. |
| C．Her doctor had told her to eat steak. |
| D．She wanted to see what ten pounds of meat looked like. |
What was Ellen Parker’s real problem?
| A．She ate too much steak. | B．She weighed too much. |
| C．She was often out of breath. | D．She could not walk very quickly. |
Have you ever been to London? Here is some hotel information for you.
| Kingsway Hall Hotel We offer quality service (优质服务) in Kingsway Hall Hotel. This location puts guests in easy reach of many places, such as the British Museum and Piccadilly Circus. Our hotel also has modern Western food, and offers a perfect dining environment. The lounge bar is a comfortable place to enjoy a drink while watching the tourists. There are hundreds of dining choices within walking distance. Non-smoking rooms are ready for guests. Hilton Docklands Riverside Located on the bank of the Thames, our hotel is about two miles east of Tower Bridge and 36 miles from London Heathrow Airport. Our hotel has a beauty salon, a flower shop and a swimming pool. The hotel also offers laundry (洗衣店) services, babysitting, shining shoes, and local area transportation. Windermere Hotel Located in the center of London, our hotel puts guests within easy reach of London’s well-known buildings. Buckingham Palace and the Royal Parks are just a short walk away. Within 1.5 miles you can visit Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament. The theatres, Harrods shopping centre, and the designer shops of Sloane Square and Knightsbridge are all only a short walk away or a taxi ride away. |
What does Kingsway Hall Hotel provide for its guests?
| A．Chinese food. | B．A lounge bar. |
| C．Smoking rooms. | D．A swimming pool. |
What is special about Hilton Docklands Riverside?
| A．It offers different kinds of service. | B．It offers a reasonable price. |
| C．It has convenient transport. | D．It has delicious food. |
This passage is most likely to be found in ______.
| A．a travel guide | B．a story book |
| C．a technical report | D．a geography magazine |