ThestoryofthedayIlostmybestfri-优题课

Language is a major problem for the European Union (EU) . The Treaty (条约) of Rome ,which created the organization that finally became the EU, stated that each country’s language must be treated equally. The original six countries had only three languages between them: French, German and Dutch/Flemish. However, there are now 15 countries in the EU, with a total of 12 languages. EU documents must be translated into all these languages, and at official meetings the speeches must be translated into all the languages by interpreters.
All this translating is very expensive and time-consuming. It is said that nearly half of all employees of the EU are engaged in translating documents and speeches and nearly half of the EU’s administrative (管理方面的) costs are spent on this task. In the near future it is probable that several more countries, most of them having their own languages, will join the EU, thus making the situation even worse.
The problem is just cost; there are practical difficulties as well. With 12 languages, there are 132 possible “translation situations” that might be needed. It is often difficult to find people in the right place at the right time who can translate from, for example, Danish into Greek, or Dutch into Portuguese, at a high professional standard.
In practice the problem has been less serious by the use of English in many contacts between EU officials , since almost all of them speak some English. However, any move to reduce the number of official languages (perhaps to four or five) would be a blow to the pride of the smaller countries. Another commonly suggested solution is to make English the official language for all EU business. However, this is strongly resisted by powerful member countries like France and Germany .
The organization that finally became the EU _______.

A．included 132 languages

B．was set up by the Treaty of Rome .

C．started with three countries .

D．was started by France and Germany .

What’s the main purpose of this passage?

A．To show that the problem cannot be solved .

B．To criticize the European Union for inefficiency .

C．To find out a problem and show how serious it is.

D．To give a solution to a problem .

The writer mentions “Danish into Greek” as an example of _______.

A．a situation that occurs often.

B．a situation that might be difficult to deal with .

C．languages easily being interpreted.

D．one of the 12 situations that requires an interpreter

The writer suggests that if the number of official languages was reduced, _______.

A．Only languages which are easy to translate would be used officially.

B．The smaller member countries would be pleased .

C．the EU would not know which official languages to choose .

D．Countries whose languages were not used officially would be unhappy .

To find how the name Canada came about we must go back to the 16th century. At that time, the French dreamed of disclosing and controlling more land, of expanding trade beyond their borders and of spreading their faith across the world .In 1535, Francois I ,King of France, ordered a navigator named Jacques Cartier to explore the New World and search for a passage to India.
Cartier first arrived at the Gulf of the St. Lawrence, which he wanted to explore. He did not know what to expect but he hoped that this Gulf was just an arm of the ocean between two islands. If it was, he would soon be on his way to the Far East. So he sailed upstream along the St. Lawrence River. However, instead of reaching Asia he arrived at Quebec or Stadacona, as the Indians called it. It was at this point that the term “Canada” entered the country’s history. Apparently the word “Canada” came from an Indian word “Kanata”, which means community or village. Cartier first used it when he referred to Stadacona or Quebec. What a huge “village” Canada is!
In the early sixteenth century, the King of France ordered Cartier to ______

A．find the new world.

B．go and visit the American Indians

C．build an entirely new country

D．get more information about America and find a way to Asia

Having reached the Gulf of St. Lawrence Cartier thought _____

A．he had already got to India

B．he had sailed into the Atlantic

C．it was a water passage to the East

D． it was a water way to the New World

In the early sixteenth century, Quebec was only ____.

A．an Indian village

B．a little town in southern Canada

C．the place which we call Canada now

D．a village at the entrance to the Gulf of St. Lawrence

China is a land of bicycles. At least it was back in 1992 when I traveled around the country. Everyone seemed to be riding a bicycle. Millions of them are black. Cars were rare. Yet since my arrival in Beijing, I've found the opposite (对立面) is true. There are millions of cars.
However, people still use their bicycles to get around. For many, it's the easiest and cheapest way to travel today. Bicycles also come in different colors — silver, green, red, blue, yellow, whatever you want.
It's fun watching people biking. They rush quickly through crossroads, move skillfully through traffic, and ride even on pavements. Bicycles allow people the freedom to move about that cars just can't provide.
Wanting to be part of this way of Chinese culture, I decided to buy a bicycle. After my great buy, I immediately jumped up on my bicycle seat and started home.
My first ride home was orderly (守秩序的). To be
safe, I stayed with a "pack" of bikers while cars on the streets came running swiftly out of nowhere at times. I didn't want to get hit. So I took the ride carefully.
Crossing the streets was the biggest problem. It was a lot like crossing a major highway back in the United States. The streets here were wide, so crossing took time, skill and a little bit of luck.
I finally made it home. The feeling on the bicycle was amazing. The air was hitting my face and going through my hair. I was sitting on top of the world as I passed by places and people. Biking made me feel alive.
According to the author, why are bicycles still popular in China today?

A．Because they are traditional and safe.

B．Because they are convenient (方便的) and cheap.

C．Because they are colorful and beautiful.

D．Because they are fast and environmentally friendly.

The author decided to buy a bicycle because he meant _________.

A．to ride it for fun

B．to use it for transport

C．to experience local culture

D．to improve his riding skills

How did the author feel about his street cross-ing?

A．It was boring.	B．It was difficult.
C．It was lively.	D．It was wonderful.

Which of the following best describes the author's biking experience?

A．The author enjoyed showing off his biking skills.

B．The author was angry at the air while riding.

C．The author was praised by other bikers.

D．The author took great pleasure in biking.

Every day we go to school and listen to the teacher, and the teacher will ask us some questions. Sometimes, the classmates will ask your opinions of the work of the class. When you are telling others in the class what you have found out about these topics, remember that they must be able to hear what you are saying. You are not taking part in a family conversation or having a chat with friends---you are in a slightly unnatural situation where a large group of people will remain silent, waiting to hear what you have to say. You must speak so that they can hear you---loudly enough and clearly enough but without trying to shout or appearing to force yourself.
Remember, too, that it is the same if you are called to an interview whether it is with a professor of your school or a government official who might meet you. The person you are seeing will try to put you at your ease but the situation is somewhat different from that of a ordinary conversation. You must take special care that you can be heard.
When you speak to the class, you should speak ________.

A．as slowly as possible	B．in a low voice
C．loudly	D．forcefully

Usually, when you speak to the class, the class is ________.

A．noisy	B．quiet
C．having a rest	D．serious

If you are having a conversation with an official, the most important thing for you is____.

A．to show your ability

B．to be very gentle

C．to make sure that you can be heard

D．to put the official at ease

When my daughter realized that she had really hurt another child with a mean word, she cried and immediately wanted to apologize. That was a good thing, but I wanted her to know an apology can't always make things better. So I told her the story of Will, a 9-year-old boy whose father left his mom two years earlier.
Will was angry, and he often hurt others with hurtful words. He once told his mom, "I see why Dad left you!" Unable to deal with Will, the mother sent him to spend the summer with his grandparents. His grandmother's strategy to help Will learn self-control was to make him go into the garage and pound a two-inch-long nail (钉子) into a four-by-four board every time he said a mean thing. For a small boy, this was a hard task, but he couldn't return until the nail was all the way in.
After about ten trips to the garage, Will began to be more cautious about his words. In the end, he even apologized for all the bad things he'd said. One day his grandmother made him bring in the board filled with nails and told him to pull them all out. This was even harder than pounding them in, but after a huge struggle, he did it. His grandmother hugged him and said, "I appreciate your apology and, of course, I forgive you because I love you, but I want you to know that an apology is like pulling out one of those nails. Look at the board. The holes are still there. The board will never be the same. I know your dad put a hole in you, but please don't put holes in other people; you're better than that."
The truth is that no matter how much we apologize to people, we can't take back what we said. The best thing for us to do is to try not to hurt people in the first place.
What did the writer's daughter do when she realized she had hurt another child?
A. She cried and pretended to be hurt.
B. B. She wanted to say sorry to that child.
C. She wanted her mother to tell her a story.
D. She wanted her mother to apologize to that child.
Why did Will's mother send him to his grandparents'?

A．Because Will could hurt nobody there.

B．Because she was afraid that other children would hurt Will.

C．Because Will's grandparents told her they had a good way with children.

D．Because she didn't know how to stop Will from hurting others.

The underlined words "cautious about" in Paragraph 3 mean ___________.

A．careful about	B．excited about
C．angry at	D．interested in

What does the writer want to tell us by writing this passage?

A．Parents should never hurt their children.

B．Children are more likely to listen to their grandparents.

C．We should not hurt other people in the first place.

D．Old people are really good at bringing up children.

A．impolite and greedy	B．easy-going and optimistic
C．shy and unconfident	D．friendly and brave

A．②①④③⑤	B．⑤②③①④
C．①②⑤④③	D．⑤③④②①