Life is speeding up (加速). Everyone is getting unwell.
This may sound like something someone would say today. But in fact, an unknown person who lived in Rome in AD (公元) 53 wrote it.
We all love new inventions. They are exciting , amazing and can even change our lives.
But have all these developments really improved the quality (品质) of our lives?
Picture this: you’re rushing to finish your homework on the computer. Your mobile phone rings, a QQ message from your friend appears on the screen, the noise from the television is getting louder and louder. Suddenly the computer goes blank and lose all your work. Now you have to stay up all night to get it done. How happy do you feel?
Inventions have sped up our lives so much that we often live feeling stressed (有压力的) and tired. Why do you think people who live far away from noisy cities, who have no telephones, no car, not even any electricity often seem to be happier? Perhaps because they live simpler lives.
One family in the UK went “back in time” to see what life was like without all the inventions we have today. The grandparents , with their daughter and grandsons Benjamin, 10 and Thomas, 7, spent nine weeks in a 1940s house. They had no washing machine, microwave, computer or mobile phones.
The grandmother, Lyn, said, “The more things you have, the more difficult life becomes.” The boys said they fought less. Probably, they said, because there was less to fight over, such as their computer . Benjamin also noticed that his grandmother had changed from being a “trendy (时髦的), beer-drinking granny, to one who cooked things”.The writer uses the quote (引用) at the beginning of the story to _________.
| A．tell us a truth about our life |
| B．tell us what life was like long time ago |
| C．point our what causes such a thing to happen |
| D．point out that you experience some big problems and they may be the same |
In the passage the writer describes a picture to show that new inventions ________.
| A．have speeded up our lives |
| B．have improve the quality of our lives |
| C．may make people feel very happy |
| D．may bring people some trouble |
The family chose to spend some time in a 1940s house because _______.
| A．they loved to live simple lives |
| B．they wanted to know how people lived without modern inventions |
| C．they were troubled by modern inventions |
| D．living in a different time would be a lot of fun for them |
According to the passage, which is NOT right?
| A．People who live far away from noisy cities often seem to be happier. |
| B．An unknown Roman was sure that the quality of life would get better. |
| C．The family had some changes when they lived in a 1940s house. |
| D．With the improvement of our lives, we often feel stressed and tired |
The passage is mainly about_______.
| A．problems with technology |
| B．improvement of our lives with technology |
| C．changes happening to technology |
| D．the importance of technology |
People use their mouths for many things. They eat, talk, shout and sing. They smile and they kiss. In the English language, the word “mouth” has many meanings. But some of them are not so nice.
For example, if you say bad things about a person, the person might protest(抗议) and say “Do not bad mouth me.”
Sometimes, people say something to a friend or family member that they later regret because it hurts that person’s feelings. Or they tell the person something they were not supposed to tell. The speaker might say, “I really put my foot in my mouth this time.” In other words, he might feel sad for saying the wrong thing.
Sometimes when one person is speaking, he says the same thing that his friend was going to say. When this happens, the friend might say, “You took the words right out of my mouth!”
Some people have lots of money because they were born in a very rich family. There is an expression for this, too. You might say such a person “was born with a silver spoon in his mouth.”
This rich person is the opposite of a person who lives “from hand to mouth.” This person is very poor and only has enough money for the most important things in life, like food.
根据短文内容，选择最佳答案。You can say “________!” if you don’t want some people say bad things about you.
| A．Down in the mouth | B．Don’t bad mouth me |
| C．From hand to mouth | D．Put foot in mouth |
“I really put my foot in my mouth this time” means _________.
| A．I really did this |
| B．I regretted I had done the thing |
| C．I want to do this thing |
| D．I have never done this thing |
When your friend says,“You took the words right out of my mouth!”,you can say “_____”.
| A．I am very lucky | B．We have the same idea |
| C．I am very angry | D．You are clever |
If a person lives from hand to mouth, he must be very ________.
| A．poor | B．rich | C．happy | D．sad |
The passage mainly tells us ________.
| A．people use their mouths to eat, talk, shout and sing |
| B．everyone in England has the same mouth |
| C．rich persons’ mouths are quite different from the poor persons’ |
| D．the word “mouth” has many different meanings in the English language |
Mr. Smith was in trouble those days. He drove a car for Mr. Black, a rich businessman. He worked hard and the shopkeeper liked him. But he couldn't work when he drank too much. Once he almost fell into the river when he drove along the bridge. Mr. Black became angry and was going to send him away. Mr. Smith had a big family and was afraid of it and promised he would stop drinking at once. The man told him to wait to be dealt with.
One Monday morning Mr. Smith came into the office with two badly burnt ears. "What happened to your ears?" asked Mr. Black.
"Well, "said the man," I went to watch a football match yesterday while my wife was ironing clothes. She had put the iron near the telephone before she went to cook supper. Our team lost the game and I felt sorry for it. As soon as I went in the sitting -room, the phone rang and I answered the iron!” “And what happened to the other ear?" "When I put the iron down on the table, the telephone rang again!" ________ , so he almost drove the car into the river.
| A．Mr. Smith was not careful |
| B．Mr. Smith drank too much |
| C．Mr. Smith, forgot they were on the bridge |
| D．Mr. Smith couldn't work in the evening |
Mr. Smith went to watch the football match on______.
| A．Monday | B．Tuesday | C．Saturday | D．Sunday |
We can guess________
| A．Mr. Smith drank much after the match |
| B．Mr. Smith was angry with his team |
| C．Mr. Smith didn't drink those days |
| D．Mr. Smith watched the match at home |
The _________badly burned Mr. Smith's ears.
| A．telephone | B．drinking | C．iron | D．irons |
What would happen to Mr. Smith?
| A．He would go on driving for Mr. Black. |
| B．He would join in a football team. |
| C．He would never watch any matches. |
| D．He would be sent away by Mr. Black. |
ks not easy to get used to another country’s customs, but before you visit a country, you'd better learn how to behave properly at table.
| In China, it's rude to use your chopsticks to hit an empty bowl. And you are not supposed to point at anyone with your chopsticks. When you finish eating, place them on top of the bowl. And you should never stick your chopsticks into the food. |
| When in India, do as the Indians do. In India, you are expected to eat with your right hand. That's because Indians think the left hand is "dirty". (When you shake hands with an Indian, you should also use your right hand. ) |
| In France, you are not supposed to put your bread on your plate. Instead, you should put it on the table. And when you eat fruit, you should cut it up and eat it with a fork. In France, don’t eat anything With your hands except bread. |
根据材料内容选择最佳答案，并将其标号填入题前括号内。In China, when you are full, what should you do?
Indians probably think it’s to eat with the left hand.
| A．important | B．impolite |
| C．necessary | D．wise |
Where do French people put their bread?
| A．On the table. | B．On a plate. |
| C．In a bowl. | D．In a cup. |
What do French people use to eat fruit?
| A．Chopsticks. | B．A knife. |
| C．A spoon. | D．A fork. |
What's the reading mainly about?
| A．How to serve at table. |
| B．How to use forks and chopsticks. |
| C．Some fantastic countries to visit. |
| D．Eating customs in some countries. |
English is spoken as a first language by about 375 million people and as a foreign language by around 750 million people. It is being learned by about a billion people. These numbers alone make English to learn. If you are not fluent (流利的) in English, it may be good for you to know the advantages of learning the language.
In many countries, English is used as a working language. In the United States, English speakers make more money than those who don’t speak English at all. Learning . English can increase the chance of getting a good job.
If you visit a country, you can easily find someone who can speak at least a little English. So if 'you know English, you have a chance to communicate almost anywhere you travel.
Its not easy for parents who don’t understand English to raise children in an English -speaking country. For example； if they send their children to school and the teacher does not speak their mother language, parents are likely to have difficulty communicating with the teacher. And if the children have homework they do not understand, parents cannot help them.
Want to get advice on how to learn English well? Please go on looking at our website.
根据材料内容选择最佳答案，并将其标号填人题前括号内。 According to the first paragraph, about million people speak English as a
first language. .
| A．375 | B．750 | C．1,125 | D．1,500 |
Which of the following can be put in?
| A．hopeless | B．difficult | C．Boring | D．important |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the reading?
| A．English is helpful in finding a job. |
| B．English is helpful in traveling to other places. |
| C．Children who learn English well can receive more attention. |
| D．Parents who know English well have no trouble helping kids with homework |
Who is this passage written for?
A. People who learn English as a first language.
B. People who are not good at English.
D. People who love traveling.Where can you probably find the above reading?
| A．In a museum. | B．In a magazine. |
| C．In a newspaper. | D．On the Internet. |
Dear Uncle Horton,
We just want to let you know what a great weekend we had with you while we were in Boise. You are a fantastic guide and it was so nice of you to have taken us out for a tour of the city. The sights were beautiful and our two girls loved the Discovery Centre very much. They are still talking about it.
We are not sure when we’ll meet again, but we hope it won’t be too long. Please let us know of any plans you might have to visit New York. We would love you to visit us and we hope to have the pleasure of taking you around New York City.
Thanks again for a truly great weekend.
Much love,
Dick and Kate
Dear.Mum,
Happy Mother’s Day! Since I have my own kid, I have got to know how hard mothering is. Thank you for being so patient with me through my ups and downs. I hope I can be as good a mother to Lily as you are to me. Thanks for being such a good mum. Whether you come to visit me or we talk on the phone, l always feel we're so close. You're always my best friend. I hope you know how much I love you!
Helen
根据材料内容选择最佳答案，并将其标号填人题前括号内．Why did Dick and Kate write to Uncle Horton?
| A．To say sorry to him. |
| B．To say thanks to him. |
| C． To invite him to their house. |
| D．To tell him about their travel plans. . |
There are at least _people in Dick's family.
| A．six | B．seven | C．four | D．five |
Who is Lily?
| A．Helen’s mum. | B．Helen’s friend. |
| C．Helen’s sister. | D．Helen’s daughter. |
What does Helen think of her mum?
| A．Quiet. | B．Patient. |
| C．Strict. | D．Serious. |
Which of the following is TRUE7
| A．Dick and Kate live in Boise. |
| B．Uncle Horton will visit New York soon. |
| C．Helen’s mother lives with Helen. |
| D．Helen loves her mother very much. |