If English is not your first language, it is a good idea to take English language classes to improve your written and spoken communication skills. There are many ways to learn English. You can learn from a book, a DVD, on the Internet or by attending classes. One of the most successful ways to improve your English is to join a course in a country where English is widely spoken. The more you practice, the more you will learn. But why learn the English language? English is an important language for anyone who is planning to travel or become involved in business.
Many people love traveling, but if their English is poor, it can be difficult to understand signs, read directions and make themselves understood. Before traveling, it is important to understand the culture and customs of the places you visit. Learning basic English before you travel will help you to understand these customs and avoid mistakes that could be embarrassing. When you are traveling, you will also enjoy meeting new people. If you can speak English, you will have a better chance of being able to communicate with the people you meet. Many of your new friends will speak English and others will have English as a second language. Without English, your friendships will be limited as you travel around the world.
If you are involved in business, it is important to be able to communicate in English. The Internet, world travel and modern communication systems have made the world seem like a much smaller place. These days business people interact with customers and other business people from all over the world. That makes your English language skills more important than ever. There are many English language courses that major in business communications. Improving your English skills is one of the best things you could ever do to increase your chances of business success.What kind of people is English important to according to the passage?
| A．Travelers. | B．Teachers. | C．Students. | D．Language experts. |
Which of the following is the best way to learn English well?
| A．Traveling around the world with English-speakers. |
| B．Taking a course in an English-speaking country. |
| C．Learning from all kinds of books or DVDs. |
| D．Learning on the Internet by yourselves. |
According to the passage, which of the following is NOT the aim of learning basic English?
| A．To have more opportunities to communicate with others. |
| B．To understand the customs of your destination. |
| C．To avoid embarrassing mistakes on your journey. |
| D．To research the causes of cultural differences. |
What is the main idea of the third paragraph?
| A．The more you practice, the more you will learn. |
| B．Doing business helps to improve your communication skills. |
| C．English is important for anyone who is involved in business. |
| D．The Internet has made the world become smaller and smaller. |
We can infer from the passage that _____.
| A．learning English well will make you achieve goals more easily |
| B．learning English only aims at achieving business success |
| C．without learning English, your friendships will be limited wherever you are |
| D．you needn’t learn English if you don’t want to travel |
A recent study, while showing a generally positive attitude toward science, also suggests a widespread worry that it may be “running out of control”. This idea is dangerous.
Science can be a force for evil as well as for good. Its applications can be channeled either way, depending on our decisions. The decisions we make, personally or collectively, will determine the outcomes of science. But here is a real danger. Science is advancing so fast is so strongly influenced by businesses that we are likely to believe whatever decisions we come to will make little difference. And, rather than fighting for the best possible policies, we may step back and do nothing.
Some people go even further. They say that despite the moral and legal objections （反对）, whatever is scientifically possible will be done ——somewhere, sometime. They believe that science will get out of control in the end. This belief is dangerous too, because it a fuels sense of hopelessness and discourages them from making efforts to build a safer world.
In our interconnected world, the lack of agreement in and of the world of science can lead to the failure to control the use of science. Without a common understanding, the challenges of “controlling” science in this century will be really tough. Take human cloning for example. Despite the general agreement among scientists on its possible huge impact （影响） on traditional moral values, some countries still go ahead with the research and development of its related techniques. The outcomes are hard to predict. u
Therefore, discussions on how science is applied should be extended far beyond scientific societies. Only through the united efforts of people with hope, can we be fully safe against the misuse of science and can science best serve mankind in the future. What can we conclude from the recent study?
| A．People think highly of science. |
| B．People hold mixed opinions about science. |
| C．Science is getting dangerously out of control. |
| D．Science is used for both good and bad purposes. |
According to the passage, what will happen if we hold that science is getting beyond control?
| A．The development of science will hopelessly slow down. |
| B．Businesses will have even greater influence on science. |
| C．The public will lose faith in bringing about a bright future. |
| D．People will work more actively to put science under control. |
The discussion should reach beyond scientific societies because __________.
| A．scientists have failed to predict the outcomes u |
| B．the ties between different areas need strengthening u |
| C．united efforts are necessary for the development of science u |
| D．people need to work together to prevent the bad use of science u |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．Science and its applications bring us many dangers. |
| B．The development of science mostly lies in people’s attitudes. |
| C．Mankind can largely take control of science with their efforts. |
| D．The future of science will be influenced by the dangerous ideas. |
Liverpool, my hometown, is a unique city. It is so unique that in 2004 it became a World Heritage （遗产） Site.
I recently returned to my home city and my first stop was at a museum on the River Mersey. Blanketed in mist （薄雾）, Victorian architecture rose from the banks of the river, responded to the sounds of sea-birds, and appeared unbelievably charming. When I headed toward the centre, I found myself surrounded by buildings that mirror the best palaces of Europe. It is not hard to imagine why, on first seeing the city, most visitors would be overpowered by the beauty of the noble buildings, which are solid signs of Liverpool’s history.
As if stress its cultural role, Liverpool has more museums and galleries （美术馆） than most cities in Britain. At Walker Art Gallery, I was told that it has best collections of Victorian paintings in the world, and is the home of modern art in the north of England. However, culture is more than galleries. Liverpool offers many music events. As Britain’s No.1 music city, it has the biggest city music festival in Europe, and its musicians are famous all over the world. Liverpool is also well-known for its football and other sports events. Every year, the Mersey River Festival attracts thousands of visitors, madding the city a place of wonder.
As you would expect from such a city, there are restaurants serving food from around the world. When my trip was about to complete, I chose to rest my legs in Liverpool’s famous Philharmonic pub （酒馆）. It is a monument to perfection, and a heritage attraction itself.
Being a World Heritage Site, my home city is certainly a place of “outstanding universal value”. It is a treasure house with plenty of secrets for the world to explore. Visitors who see the city for the first time would be deeply impressed by __________.
| A．its charming banks |
| B．its famous museums |
| C．its wonderful palaces |
| D．its attractive buildings |
The third paragraph is developed mainly by __________.
| A．providing different examples |
| B．following the order of space |
| C．making comparisons |
| D．analyzing causes |
The author uses the Philharmonic pub to prove that _________.
| A．Liverpool is a well-known city for its restaurants |
| B．Liverpool is an impressive place full of attraction |
| C．a pub is a wonderful place for visitors to relax themselves u |
| D．a pub is a perfect choice for visitors to complete their journey |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．The universal value of the world heritage in Liverpool. |
| B．The exciting experience of the author in Liverpool. |
| C．The special cultural atmosphere of Liverpool. |
| D．The beautiful historic sites of Liverpool. |
Ask a bachelor（单身汉） why he resists marriage even though he finds dating to be less and less satisfying. If he is honest he will tell you that he is afraid of making a commitment. For commitment is in fact quite painful. The single life is filled with fun, adventure, excitement. Marriage has such moments, but they are not its most distinguishing features.
Couples with infant children are lucky to get a whole night’s sleep or a three - day vacation. I don’t know any parent who would choose the word fun to describe raising children. But couples who decide not to have children never know the joys of watching a child grow up or of playing with a grandchild.
Understanding and accepting that true happiness has nothing to do with fun is one of the most liberating realizations. It liberates time: now we can devote more hours to activities that can genuinely increase our happiness. It liberates money: buying that new car or those fancy clothes that will do nothing to increase our happiness now seems pointless. And it liberates us from envy: we now understand that all those who are always having so much fun actually may not be happy at all.According to the author, a bachelor resists marriage chiefly because ________ .
| A．he is reluctant to take on family responsibilities |
| B．he believes that life will be more cheerful if he remains single |
| C．he finds more fun in dating than in marriage |
| D．he fears it will put an end to all his fun adventure and excitement |
Raising children, in the author’s opinion is ________ .
| A．a moral duty |
| B．a thankless job |
| C．a rewarding task |
| D．a source of inevitable pain |
From the last paragraph, we learn that envy sometimes stems from ________ .
| A．hatred |
| B．misunderstanding |
| C．prejudice |
| D．ignorance |
To understand what true happiness is one must ________ .
| A．have as much fun as possible during one’s lifetime |
| B．make every effort to liberate oneself from pain |
| C．put up with pain under all circumstances |
| D．be able to distinguish happiness from fun |
．What is the author trying to tell us?
| A．Happiness often goes hand in hand with pain． |
| B．One must know how to attain happiness. |
| C．It is important to make commitments. |
| D．It is pain that leads to happiness. |
When I was growing up, I was embarrassed (困惑) to be seen with my father. He was badly crippled (跛脚) and very short , and when we would walk together, his hand on my arm for balance, people would stare. I would be ashamed of the unwanted attention. If ever noticed or bothered, he never let on.
It was difficult to walk together-his steps slow, mine impatient-and because of that, we didn’t say much and we went along. But as we started out, he always said, “You set the pace. I will try to follow you.”
Our usual walk was to or from the subway (地铁), which was how he got to work. He went to work sick, and even in bad weather. He almost never missed a day, and would make it to the office even if others could not .It was a matter of pride for him.
When snow or ice was on the ground, it was impossible for him to walk , even with help. At such times my sister or I would pull him through the streets of Brooklyn, N. Y., on a child’s sleigh to the subway entrance .Once there, he would try to grasp handrail until he reached the lower steps that the warmer tunnel air kept ice free. In Manhattan the subway station was the basement of his office building, and he would not have to go outside again until we met him in Brooklyn on his way home.
When I think of it now, I am surprised at how much courage it must have taken for a grown man to suffer from shame and disability. And I am also surprised at how he did it -- without bitterness or complaint.
He never talked about himself as an object of pity, nor did he show any envy of the more fortunate or able. What he looked for in others was a “good heart,” and if he found one, the owner was good enough for him.
Now that I am older, I believe that is a proper standard (标准) by which to judge people, even though I still don’t know exactly what a “good heart” is. But I know the times I don’t have one myself.
He has been away many years now, but I think of him often. I wonder if he sensed my reluctance to be seen with him during our walks. If he did, I am sorry I never told him how sorry I was, how unworthy I was, how I regretted it. I think of him when I complain about my troubles, when I am envious of another’s good fortune, when I don’t have a “good heart”. How did the man treat his father when he was young?
| A．He helped his father happily. |
| B．He never helped his father. |
| C．He helped his father, but not very happily. |
| D．He only helped his father take a walk after supper. |
As a disabled man, his father____.
| A．didn’t work very hard |
| B．didn’t go to work from time to time |
| C．hated those who had good fortune |
| D．was happy and satisfied, and never lost hope |
What does the word “reluctance” mean in the article? It means ___.
| A．anger |
| B．sadness |
| C．happiness |
| D．unwillingness |
How did the father get to work usually?
| A．By subway. |
| B．By bus. |
| C．By wheelchair. |
| D．By bike. |
A few years ago it was popular to speak of a generation gap, a disagreement between young people and their elders. Parents said that children did not show them proper respect and obedience (服从), while children complained (抱怨) that their parents did not understand them at all. What had gone wrong? Why had the generation gap suddenly appeared? Actually the generation gap has been around for a long time. Many people argue that a gap is built into the fabric (结构) of our society.
One important cause of the generation gap is the chance that young people have to choose their own ways of life. In more traditional societies, when children grow up, they are expected to live in the same area as their parents, to marry people that their parents know and agree to, and to continue the family occupation (职业). In our society, young people often travel great distances for their education, move out of the family home at an early age, marry or live with people whom their parents have never met, and choose occupations different from those of their parents.
In our easily changing society, parents often expect their children to do better than they did: to find better jobs, to make more money, and to do all the things that they were unable to do. Often, however, the strong desire that parents have for their children are another cause of the disagreement between them. Often, they discover that they have very little in common with each other.
Finally, the speed at which changes take place in our society is another cause of the gap between the generations. In a traditional culture, elderly people are valued for their wisdom, but in our society the knowledge of a lifetime may become out of date overnight. The young and the old seem to live in two very different worlds, separated by different skills and abilities.
No doubt, the generation gap will continue to be a feature (特点) of American life for some time to come. Its causes are rooted in the freedom and changes of our society, and in the rapid speed at which society changes. The main idea of the first paragraph is that _______.
| A．the generation gap suddenly appeared |
| B．the generation gap is a feature of modern social life |
| C．people can reduce the generation gap |
| D．many critics argue over the nature of the generation gap |
The word “around” in Paragraph 1 means _______.
| A．on all sides | B．near | C．in every direction | D．in existence |
In American society, young people often _______.
| A．depend on their parents to make a life |
| B．stay with their parents in order to get a chance for higher education |
| C．seek the best advice from their parents |
| D．have very little in common with their parents |
Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
| A．Parents should be strict with their children. |
| B．The younger generation should value the older generation for their wisdom. |
| C．The generation gap is partly caused by the older generation. |
| D．The generation gap does not exist in American society. |