You probably hear it all the time — people telling you to “learn English”. But does this mean children in English-speaking countries don’t need to bother learning a new language? Not at all. In fact, an even larger number of young people will soon be taught foreign languages, thanks to the mental advantages of bilingualism.
Psychologists once thought that growing up bilingual might lead to verbal delays－a late or absent development of talking. But US magazine Scientific American has revealed that this is not true, and reported that children who speak more than one language “show greater mental flexibility, a superior grasp of abstract concepts and a better working memory.” As the New York Times put it, “being bilingual, it turns out, makes you smarter.”
In Europe, learning foreign languages is increasingly popular. A European report shows that from 2005-2010, the percentage of European students learning a foreign language rose from 67.5 percent to 79.2 percent. Most European kids start learning another language at age 6. In Belgium, it starts at 3. New reforms being introduced in the UK will mean all children could be taught a foreign language, such as Mandarin or Greek, from the age of 7. The most popular foreign language for European kids was English, followed by German and French.
In comparison, Americans don’t give a fig for learning foreign languages. Compared to 50 percent of European adults who are bilingual, only 9 percent of adults in the US are fluent in more than one language, according to a 2011 report. American students are often not exposed to a second language until high school.
However, recent statistics show demand is growing in the US for people to become more bilingual. According to a USA Today chart released in July, 21 percent of US children speak another language at home. A number of institutions in the country are also pushing foreign languages in schools. Three school districts in Delaware will launch Chinese and Spanish programs next year. More people are learning Chinese, French and Spanish.Psychologist used to believe that children who grow up bilingual ________.
| A．are more flexible mentally |
| B．are slow in the development of talking |
| C．have a poorer working memory |
| D．are smarter in understanding abstract concept |
It can be inferred from the passage that ________.
| A．Americans are more interested in learning another language than Europeans |
| B．British kids began to learn foreign languages at the earliest age |
| C．21% of US children study a foreign language in the school |
| D．not all schools in America are teaching foreign languages |
What does the underlined phrase”give a fig for” in Paragraph 4 mean?
| A．Attach importance to |
| B．Have talent for |
| C．Invest money in |
| D．Have demand for |
Which are the most popular foreign languages in the US?
| A．Mandarin and Greek |
| B．English, German and French |
| C．Chinese, French and Spanish |
| D．Chinese, German and Greek |
What is the main idea of this passage?
A. Chinese is becoming more popular in western countries.
B. The benefits and advantages of growing up bilingual.
C. Western worlds are paying more attention to learning foreign languages.
D. The differences between bilingual education in Europe and USA.
Some people learn a second language easily. Other people have trouble learning a new language. How can you help yourself learn a new language, such as English? There are several ways to make learning English a little easier and more interesting.
The first step is to feel positive about learning English. If you believe that you can learn, you will learn. Be patient. You do not have to understand everything all at once. It is natural to make mistakes when you learn something new. We can learn from our mistakes. In other words, do not worry about taking risks,
The second step is to practice your English. For example, write a journal, or diary, every day. You will get used to writing in English, and you will feel comfortable expressing your ideas in English. After several weeks, you will see that your writing is improving. In addition, you must speak English every day. You can practice with your classmates outside class. You will all make mistakes, but gradually you will become comfortable communicating in English.
The third step is to keep a record of your language learning. You can write this in your journal. After each class, think about what you did. Did you answer a question correctly? Did you understand something the teacher explained? Perhaps the lesson was difficult, but you tried to understand it. Write these accomplishments（成就）in your journal.
You must be positive about learning English and believe that you can do it. It is important to practice every day and make a record of your achievements. You will enjoy learning English, and you will feel more confidence in yourself.
57.To feel positive about learning English means _______.
A. if you are patient, you will learn
B. you can understand everything all at once
C. if you make mistakes, you can learn from your mistakes
D. if you believe you can learn, you will learn
58. When you learn English, you do not need to ______.
A. be patient B. make mistakes
C. express your ideas in English D. understand everything all at once
59. What is not helpful for you to enjoy learning English?
A. To communicate in English. B. To worry about taking risks.
C. To think about what has been done after each class.
D. To make a record of the achievements.
60. What is the main idea of this passage?
A. It is very important to learn a second language.
B. Some people learn a second language easily. Other people do not.
C. There are ways to help you learn a second language more easily.
D. Don't worry about taking risks when learning a second language.
Shopping for clothes is not the same experience for a man as it is for a woman. A man goes shopping because he needs something. He knows what he wants, and his purpose is to find it and buy it; the price is a less important consideration. All men simply walk into a shop and ask the assistant for what they want. If the shop has it, the salesman immediately produces it, and the business of trying it is done at once. All being well, the bargain can be and often is completed in less than five minutes, with hardly any chat and to everyone's satisfaction.
For a man, slight problems may begin when the shop does not have what he wants. Then the salesman tries to sell the customer something else—he offers the nearest he can to the thing required. He usually says, "I know this jacket is not the style you want, sir, but would you like to try it on for size? It happens to be the color you want." Few men have patience with this treatment, and the usual reply is: "This is the right color and may be the right size, but I should be wasting my time and yours by trying it on."
Now how does a woman go about buying clothes? She does so in the opposite. She has never fully made up her mind what she wants, and she is only "having a look round." She is always open to persuasion; indeed she considers of great importance what the saleswoman tells her, even what her friends tell her. She will try on any number of things. Highest in her mind is the thought of finding something that everyone thinks suits her. Most women have an excellent sense of value when they buy clothes. They are always trying to find an unexpected bargain. Faced with a roomful of dresses, a woman may easily spend an hour going from one counter to another before selecting the dresses she wants to try on. It takes a great deal of time but gives great joy. Most dress shops supply chairs for the waiting husbands.
53. When a man is buying clothes, he ___________.
A. puts price before quality B. chooses things that others think suitable for him
C. does not mind much the price he has to pay for the right things
D. buys good quality things, so long as they do not cost too much
54. When a man cannot get what he wants, he ________.
A. buys something of the same color in a slight different style
B. usually does not buy anything
C. will try on some other clothes of the same style
D. wastes no time in buying something else
55. What does the passage tell us about women shoppers for clothes ?
A. They welcome suggestions from anyone
B. Women seldom consider buying cheap clothes
C. Women often buy things without thinking D. They listen to advice but never take it
56. The most obvious difference between men and women shoppers is ________.
A. that men do not try clothes on in a shop while women do
B. that women bargain for their clothes and men don't
C. that women do their shopping standing up but men do theirs sitting down
D. the time they take over buying clothes
When a cat is frightened, its heart starts beating faster, its muscles get tense, and there are changes in the chemicals in its blood stream. If the danger continues, it will defend itself, or it will run away as fast as possible.
Something like this also happens to people. When we are excited, angry, scared or aroused by other emotions, our bodies go through many physical changes, all of which make us more alert and ready to react. We, too, get ready to defend ourselves or run．Human beings, however, have a problem that animals never face. If we give way to our feelings and let them take over, we can get into trouble. Have you ever said something in anger ― or hit somebody － and regretted it later? Have you ever shouted at a teacher, told somebody you were lonely, or said you were in love, and then wished later you had kept your mouth shut? It isn’t always wise to express your feelings freely.
Does this mean that it’s smarter always to hide our feelings? No! If you keep the feelings of anger, sadness, and bitterness hidden away or bottled up inside, your body stays tense. Physical illnesses can develop, and you can feel disturbed badly inside．It can actual1y be bad for your health.
Feelings that you keep all bottled up inside don’t just go away. It’s as if you bought some bananas and stuck them in a cupboard. You might not be able to see them, but before long you’d smell them. And if you opened the cupboard, chances are that you’d see little fruit flies hovering all over them. They’d be rotten.
You can try to treat emotions as if they were bananas in the cupboard. You can hide them and you can pretend they don’t exist, but they’ll still be around. And at last you’ll have to deal with them, just like those bananas.
49. By taking a cat as an example, the author wants to show us that .
A. animals can’t control their feelings
B. people can’t control their feelings
C. people’s physical reactions are like those of animals in a way
D. our bodies go through many physical changes in certain situations
50. It’s mentioned in the passage that human beings get into trouble because .
A. we are not as alert as animals
B. we sometimes can’t control our feelings
C. we always do something wrong to other people
D. we don’t pay attention to our physical changes
51. The author wants to tell us in the last two paragraphs that .
A. we won’t be able to completely get away from our feelings.
B. we should treat emotions like bananas in a cupboard
C. feelings will gradually disappear when we hold them in
D. it’s good for our health to keep pleasant feelings
52. What would be the best title for the passage?
A. Frightened Cats and Human Beings B. Feelings and Bananas
C. Deal with Feelings Wisely D. Express Feelings Freely
These days, if you still think the cell phone is just for talking, you’ll get laughed at. Yes, it’s true, voice-only handsets have become out of date. Today’s do-it-all mobiles have a lot in common with the computer. The only difference may be that they fit in your pocket and you pay by the minute to use them. Some of the things a cell phone can do for you will be available this year:
Surf at speed
Cell phones that let you use the Web have been around for years. So, what’s new? Well, faster third-generation（3G）networks that let you surf at anywhere. This then allows a carrier to send video, music, and games to your phone. Possible choices are from LG Electronics VX 8000 and Motorola V1150.
Listen as you go
The problem with most cell phone MP3 players is that they hold only a handful of songs. But, that’s about to change. Sony Ericsson’s new W800i can hold around 150 songs in its 500 MB memory. And Samsung’s SPH-V5400 even comes with a 1.5 GB hard drive. Mobile phones may eventually replace mini-MP3 players, especially for teens.
Say cheese
Camera cell phones are not new either. But, most of them have limitations: around 1-megapixel（百万像素）. But new technology has made 2-megapixel units more common, and 3-megapixel units are showing up soon. Some 2-megapixel models, like Sony Ericsson’s K750i, offer limited zoom and focus controls. Others, like LG’s recent A7110, can even capture 30 minutes of full-motion video.
Portable TV
You say you like “watching TV”? That’s what Samsung MM-A700 wants to give you. The new model lets users watch popular TV programmes — for a fee. Other choices are Nokia’s 6620, Sanyo’s MM7400 and NEC’s N940. The NEC model lets you watch public TV — no fee.
The above are just a handful of what you’ll see in the coming months. Further down the road, your mobile phone may play a host of other roles, such as mobile credit card, position locator... So what is there that a cell phone can’t do?
45. Which of the following models should you choose to listen to the music?
A. Samsung’s SPH-V5400 and Nokia’s 6620.
B. Sony Ericsson’s W800i and Samsung’s SPH-V5400.
C. Sony Ericsson’s W800i and NEC’s N940.
D. Sanyo’s MM7400 and NEC’s N940.
46. What’s the difference between NEC’s N940 and other models?
A. It allows you to surf the Internet at a high speed.
B. It can capture 30 minutes of full-motion video.
C. It can hold as many as 150 songs.
D. It lets you watch public TV for free.
47. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A. All the functions of the models mentioned in the passage are completely new.
B. Camera cellphones of 3-megapixel units will appear soon.
C. It is certain that a cellphone can do anything in the near future.
D. Today’s do-it-all mobiles have nothing in common with the computer.
48. This passage may be ________.
A. an introduction to some new models of cellphones
B. an advertisement trying to persuade you to buy new cellphones
C. a science fiction trying to attract readers’ attention
D. a survey to find the development of cellphones
第二部分阅读理解（共25小题。第一节每小题2分，第二节每小题1分；满分45分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A, B, C 和 D）中，
选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A young woman carrying a three-year-old child got on a bus. The conductor hurried to give her a warm welcome and then kindly asked the other passengers to make more room for the woman and her child. On seeing this, people began to talk. “You know this conductor used to be very rude. Now suddenly he has changed his bad behavior,” said a middle-aged man.
“Yes, he should be praised and we must write a letter to the company,” said a second passenger. “That’s right,” another lady said, “I wish a newspaper reporter were here so that more people could learn from this conductor.”
Just then a gentleman who looked like a teacher turned to the conductor and said, “Excuse me, but can I know your name, please? Your excellent service must be praised...”
Before he could open his mouth, the three-year-old child sitting on the young woman’s lap interrupted, “I know his name. I call him Dad.”
41. One passenger suggested writing a letter to the company to ______ .
A. make a demand for more buses
B. thank the conductor for his good service
C. criticize the conductor for his rude behavior
D. invite a newspaper reporter to write about the conductor
42. What was the gentleman?
A. A teacher. B. A newspaper reporter.
C. Not known from the story. D. The conductor's friend from his company.
43. The word “him” in the last paragraph refers to _______.
the gentleman B. the conductor
C. the middle-aged man D. the three-year-old child
44. It is clear from the story that the conductor _______.
A. has changed his attitude towards his work
B. has now been kind and polite to all passengers
C. has not changed his rude behavior to passengers
D. has now been kind and polite to women with children