Once I invited a group of friends round to my house, telling them that I was going to record their speech. I said I was interested in their regional accents, and that it would take only a few minutes. Thus, on one evening, three people turned up at my house and were shown into my front room. When they saw the room they were a bit alarmed, for it was laid out as a studio. In front of each easy chair there was a microphone at head height, with wires leading to a tape-recorder in the middle of the floor. I explained that all I wanted was for them to count from one to twenty. Then we could relax and have a drink.
I turned on the tape-recorder and each in turn seriously counted from one to twenty in their best accent. When it was over, I turned the tape-recorder off and brought round the drinks, and for the rest of the evening there was general cheerful conversation—interrupted only by the fact that I had to take a telephone call in another room, which unfortunately lasted some time.
Or at least that was how it would appear. For, of course, the microphones were not connected to the tape-recorder in the middle of the room at all but to another one, which was turning happily away in the kitchen. The participants, having seen the visible tape-recorder turned off, paid no more attention to the microphones which stayed in front of their chairs, only a few inches from their mouths, thus giving excellent sound quality. And my lengthy absence meant that I was able to obtain as natural a piece of conversation as it would be possible to find.
I should add, perhaps, that I did tell my friends what had happened to them, after the event was over, and gave them the choice of destroying the tape. None of them wanted to—though for some years afterwards it always seemed to be my round when it came to the buying of drinks. Linguistic research can be a very expensive business.The writer asked his friends to count from one to twenty because _______.
| A．he wanted to record the numbers for his research |
| B．he wanted to find out whether the tape recorder was working |
| C．he wanted to make his friends relax before real recording started |
| D．he wanted his friends to think that was all he wanted to record |
The writer went into another room to ________.
| A．get a natural recording of his friends’ conversation |
| B．stay away from too much drinking with his friends |
| C．bring a telephone into the front room |
| D．answer a long distance phone call |
The writer turned off the tape-recorder because _______.
| A．he had to answer a phone call |
| B．he wanted his friends to enjoy some drinks |
| C．he thought the tape-recorder might bother his friends |
| D．he wanted to make his friends believe he had finished the recording |
Which one is true according to the passage?
| A．The writer destroyed the tape. |
| B．The writer’s friends destroyed the tape. |
| C．The writer did tell his friends what had happened. |
| D．The writer’s friends like to drink. |
Too many people want others to be their friends, but they don’t give friendship back. That is why some friendships don’t last very long. To have a friend, you must learn to be one. You must learn to treat your friend the way you want your friend to treat you. Learning to be a good friend means learning three rules: be honest; be generous; be understanding.
Honesty is where a good friendship starts. Friends must be able to trust one another. If you don’t tell the truth, people usually find out. If a friend finds out that you haven’t been honest you may lose your friend’s trust. Good friends always count on one another to speak and act honestly.
Generosity means sharing and makes a friendship grow. You don’t have to give your ideas and feelings. These can be very valuable to friends. They tell your friends what is important to you. By sharing them you help your friend know you better.
Sooner or later everyone needs understanding and help with problems. Something may go wrong at school. Talking about the problem can make it easier to solve. Turning to a friend for help can be a first step in solving the problem. So to be a friend you must listen and understand. You must try to put yourself in your friend’s place so you can understand the problem better.
No two friendships are ever exactly alike. But all true friendships have three things in common. If you plan to keep your friends; you must practice honesty, generosity and understanding.Some friendships don’t last long because __________.
| A．there are too many people who want to make friends |
| B．those who receive no friendship from others never give others friendships |
| C．those who give others friendship receive friendship from others |
| D．they don’t know friendship is something serious |
According to the passage honesty is __________.
| A．something countable | B．the base of friendship |
| C．as important as money | D．more important than anything else |
Which of the following isn’t mentioned in the passage?
| A．Always tell your friend the truth. |
| B．Sharing your mind with your friend is of great value. |
| C．Discussing your problems with your friend often helps to solve the problem. |
| D．A friend who gives you his lunch money is a true friend. |
What is the first step to solve the problem?__________.
| A．Turning to a friend for help |
| B．Thinking about it by ourselves |
| C．Making a plan |
| D．Talking about the problem |
The best title of this passage is __________.
| A．Honesty Is the Best Policy |
| B．A Friend In Need Is a Friend Indeed |
| C．How To Be a good Friend |
| D．Three Important Points In Life |
Text messaging, or simply “texting”, which allows people to send and receive messages on mobile phones, becomes very popular today.
The advantages of texting are obvious. Texting helps to save money. If you have a few words to greet your families and friends on their birthdays or on some important festivals, sending messages can be cheaper than phone calling. Texting helps to save time. Even if you want to send a message to 100 people, you can do it one second. Texting helps you to “talk” to someone when he is too busy to answer the phone. Texting can also help you to “talk” to someone secretly if you don’t want others to hear what you are talking on the phone. These advantages are so amazing that many people are crazy about it. They hold mobile phones in hands all day long, send dozens of messages each day, and even text while driving or walking.
However, texting has its disadvantages. Junk（垃圾）messages may come into your mobile phone box now and then. When your phone box gets too full, you can’t receive any more messages. You may therefore miss some important information.
What’s more, if you don’t do texting properly, for example texting while driving or walking, it can be dangerous. It can cause injuries and even death. It is reported that about 6,000 people are killed and half a million were injured for this reason each year. In Fort Lee, a small town in New Jersey, USA, three people died because they walked into traffic while texting in 2011. Two researchers at Stony Brook University, New York found that texters are 60% more probably to have an accident than others. When people are texting, they don’t notice other people or things around them. To reduce traffic accidents, no drivers of the USA are now allowed to text while driving. About 32 countries have passed laws forbidding the use of mobile phones while driving.
Texting is a wonderful way of communication. However, only when we use it properly, can we fully enjoy the fun it brings.
How many advantages of texting are mentioned in the passage?
| A．Three. | B．Four. | C．Five. | D．Six. |
When your phone box gets full because of junk messages, what will happen?
| A．Your phone will break down. |
| B．Your phone can’t get through. |
| C．Your phone can’t get messages any more. |
| D．You lose contact with others. |
What did the researchers at Stony Brook University find?
| A．Texting can cause accidents more easily. |
| B．Texting while walking can cause death. |
| C．Calling while driving is easier to have accidents. |
| D．Many people were killed and injured. |
According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?
A. Drivers are allowed to text in the USA.
B. Text while walking is dangerous.
C. Junk texting cannot prevent you receiving messages.
D. The advantages of texting are not obvious.This passage is written to tell us that _______.
| A．we should do less texting |
| B．texting has many advantages |
| C．texting has many disadvantages |
| D．we should do texting properly |
The most enjoyable way to discover Liverpool is by boat．The first thing to do is to take a ferry (boat) across the River Mersey. It’s the best way to find out about this city’s long and interesting history. The Liverpool Ferry，which is the oldest ferry service in Europe, started more than 800 years ago．
In the l8th century Liverpool became an important city for international business across the Atlantic Ocean．Ships sailed from Liverpool to the United States and Africa．The place to learn more about Liverpool’s importance is the Maritime Museum．
Liverpool was important because of its industry and trade in the 18th century．In the 20th century it became famous for music．The boys in the rock group，the Beatles，all came from Liverpool．The city is very proud of them．It named its airport John Lennon International Airport after one of the Beatles．Tourists can take a bus tour to visit some of the places the Beatles mention in their songs, like Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields．They can also visit the Cavern Club—the group first played there in 1961．The Beatles Story is a museum and gallery．Here you can find out more about these world—famous musicians．
But there’s more to see and do in Liverpoo1．At the Walker Art Gallery you can see the best art in the North of England．If you like modern art，the place to visit is the Tate Gallery．But above all，it’s the friendly and welcoming people of Liverpool who make this a city you should visit when you come to Great Britain．If you want to know more about Liverpool’s importance in history, you should ______.
| A．take a ferry across River Mersey |
| B．visit the Maritime Museum |
| C．visit the Cavern Club |
| D．visit the John Lennon International Airport |
In the 20th century Liverpool became well known all over the world because ______.
| A．its important in international business |
| B．a group of pop singers |
| C．a beautiful river called River Mersey |
| D．a big museum in the town |
As a devoted fan of the Beatles, you may choose to visit the following places EXCEPT ______.
| A．the Walker Art Gallery |
| B．The Beatles Story |
| C．the Cavern Club |
| D．Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields |
If you have a chance to visit Liverpool, _______ will probably impress you most.
| A．the Liverpool Ferry |
| B．the Liverpool’s history |
| C．the music of the Beatle |
| D．the friendly people of Liverpool |
This passage is mainly for．
| A．people who live in Liverpool |
| B．students who want to study in UK |
| C．foreigners who plan to visit Great Britain |
| D．people who are interested in history |
One day, when my wife and I were leaving a restaurant, I heard a man's voice from a car in the car-park. After a quick look at the car, I noticed the Pennsylvania license plate (牌照) at once, so I knew they had come from far away. The young man had his head partly out of the window and spoke to me as I moved closer, "Excuse me, my wife and I are trying to find a room for the night and every place in the area seems to be filled up. Do you have any suggestions for us where we might find a room?"
Well, that didn't surprise me. After all, it was the busy time of the year for tourism. As he spoke, I noticed that his wife was pregnant (怀孕的). I told them that they should just keep searching and wished them good luck in their search. The young husband didn't say any other words and backed out of the car-park and headed off. We also got into our car and drove home.
After a short drive, I couldn't get this young couple out of my mind. Here they were, traveling in a different state, tired, the wife pregnant. It was at that moment that my wife told me we needed to go back and find that couple. We went back and looked for them. We even went as far as the mountain. I'm happy that this story had a happy ending. We found them in the end, gave them a room, and now we are close friends.The main problem the young couple had was that they couldn't ________.
| A．find a place for the night |
| B．find a doctor |
| C．find their way |
| D．afford to stay at a hotel |
When the writer told him to keep searching, the young husband _______ .
| A．was very happy |
| B．continued to ask other questions |
| C．thanked him and drove away |
| D．said nothing and drove away |
We can reach a conclusion from the passage that _______ .
| A．the writer didn't agree with his wife |
| B．the writer's wife was a kind person |
| C．the writer had no trouble finding the young couple |
| D．the young couple found a room in a hotel in the end |
Which is NOT the reason why the writer decided to offer help?
| A．The couple was not familiar with the state. |
| B．The couple became tired out. |
| C．The driver’s wife was to give birth. |
| D．It was getting dark outside. |
We can infer from the ending that the writer managed to help the couple by _______.
| A．leading them to a hotel | B．searching together with them |
| C．giving a room for them | D．renting a room for them |
There is no doubt that to study abroad gives you an excellent opportunity to learn things which are very helpful in your career building. Today, Canada has earned a good name in providing quality education and safe healthy environment for its students. That is why more than 130,000 international students enroll(注册) every year in famous Canadian universities. It is an ideal education destination and gives students a unique experience of education and its versatile (多样的) arts and culture. Canada spends a lot on education and is ranked the highest in G-8 countries.
To study in Canada is very cost effective. These universities are affordable compared to other universities in the world such as in the US, New Zealand and UK where cost of education and living is very high. According to a survey in 2006, “Canada offered the lowest tuition fees for foreign students compared to UK and Australia.”
The low rate of crimes and the peaceful safe environment of the country also attract lots of international students to Canadian universities. Canada has 92 universities and 175 community colleges and university degrees have three levels-Bachelor's, Master's and Doctoral.
A Bachelor's degree in Canada is for three or four years' full-time study depending upon the nature of the program you are doing. On the other hand, a Master's degree consists of two years of study. For a Doctoral program in Canadian university, you require a minimum of three to four or sometimes five years of research and study.
You can also find many diploma(学位证书) and certification (证明) programs in Canadian universities where the time is generally one year. Some of the Canadian universities are well-regarded worldwide and the degree and diploma obtained from these Canadian universities are recognized globally and promise bright future. After the completion of studies, a person could also find great job offers in Canada itself. International students require a work permit to work on campus.How long will you spend at least in total if you want to finish your Bachelor's, Master's and Doctoral degrees in Canada?
| A．7 years. | B．8 years. |
| C．9 years. | D．11 years. |
What advantages does Canada have to attract foreign students according to the passage?
①Quality education.
②Safe environment.
③Versatile culture.
④Bright job future.
⑤High scholarships.
⑥Low tuition fees.
| A．①②③④⑥ | B．①②④⑤⑥ |
| C．①②③⑤⑥ | D．①③④⑤⑥ |
What's the author's attitude towards studying in Canada?
| A．Oppositive | B．Doubtful |
| C．Supportive | D．Not mentioned. |
What's the best title for the passage?
| A．Canadian culture |
| B．The life in Canada |
| C．Study in Canada--a unique Experience |
| D．Benefits of studying Abroad |