When I was growing up in America, I was ashamed of my mother’s Chinese English. Because of her English, she was often treated unfairly. People in department stores, at banks, and at restaurants did not take her seriously, did not give her good service, pretended not to understand her, or even acted as if they did not hear her.
My mother has realized the limitations of her English as well. When I was fifteen, she used to have me call people on phone to pretend I was her. I was forced to ask for information or even to yell at people who had been rude to her. One time I had to call her stockbroker (股票经纪人).I said in an adolescent voice that was not very convincing, “This is Mrs.Tan...” And my mother was standing beside me, whispering loudly, “Why he don’t send me check already two weeks ago.”And then, in perfect English I said, “I’m getting rather concerned. You agreed to send the check two weeks ago, but it hasn’t arrived.”
Then she talked more loudly. “What he want? I come to New York tell him front of his boss.” And so I turned to the stockbroker again, “I can’t tolerate any more excuse. If I don’t receive the check immediately, I am going to have to speak to your manager when I am in New York next week.”
The next week we ended up in New York. While I was sitting there red-faced, my mother, the real Mrs.Tan, was shouting to his boss in her broken English.
When I was a teenager, my mother’s broken English embarrassed me. But now, I see it differently. To me, my mother’s English is perfectly clear, perfectly natural. It is my mother tongue. Her language, as I hear it, is vivid, direct, and full of observation and wisdom. It was the language that helped shape the way I saw things, expressed ideas, and made sense of the world.
Why was the author’s mother poorly served?
A.She was unable to speak good English. |
B.She was often misunderstood. |
C.She was not clearly heard. |
D.She was not very polite. |
What does the author think of her mother’s English now?
A.It confuses her. |
B.It embarrasses her. |
C.It helps her understand the world. |
D.It helps her tolerate rude people. |
We can infer from the passage that Chinese English . .
A.is clear and natural to non-native speakers |
B.is vivid and direct to non-native speakers |
C.has a very bad reputation in America |
D.may bring inconvenience in America |
Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side.
Most people know this joke. But recently, some people have been much more worried about how the grizzly bear and mountain lion can cross the road.
“Millions of animals die each year on U.S. roads,” the Federal Highway Administration reports. In fact, only about 80 ocelots, an endangered wild cat, exist in the U.S. today. The main reason? Roadkill.
“Eco-passages” may help animals cross the road without being hit by cars. They are paths both over and under roads. “These eco-passages can be extremely useful, so that wildlife can avoid road accidents,” said Jodi Hilty of the Wildlife Protection Society.
But do animals actually use the eco-passages? The answer is yes. Paul Beier of Northern Arizona University found foot marks left by mountain lions on an eco-passage that went under a highway. This showed that the lions used the passage.
Builders of eco-passages try to make them look like a natural part of an area by planting trees on and around them. Animals seem to be catching on. Animals like salamanders(火蜥蜴) and grizzly bears are using the bridges and underpasses.
The next time you visit a park or drive through an area with a lot of wildlife, look around. You might see an animal overpass!The writer uses the example of “ocelots” to show that _______.
A.wild animals have become more dangerous |
B.the driving condition has improved greatly |
C.the measure for protecting wildlife fails to work |
D.an increasing number of animals are killed in road accidents |
From the story, we know an eco-passage is ________.
A.an underground path for cars |
B.a path for animals to cross the road |
C.a bridge for animals to get over a river |
D.a fence built for the safety of the area |
When the writer says that “animals seem to be catching on”(Para. 6), he means ________.
A.animals begin to learn to use eco-passages |
B.animals begin to realize the dangers on the road |
C.animals are crossing the road in groups |
D.animals are increasing in number |
The writer asks visitors and drivers to look around when traveling because ________.
A.they may see wild animals in the park |
B.wild animals may jam the road |
C.they may see wild animals on eco-passages |
D.wild animals may attack cars |
Book 1: Iggy peck, Architect
——By Andrea Beaty
32 pages, US $ 15.95
This book is the classic oddball (古怪的人) story about a kid whose head teacher does not recognize his great talent ( he makes buildings out of anything at hand, including table cloths, fruit and chalk) until it saves her life.
Book 2: The Chicken-Chasing Queen of Lamar County
——By Janice N. Harrington
40 pages, US $ 16.00
Our character here loves to run after chickens, particularly Miss Hen, who’s very fat. But, as all farming folk know, this is not a good way to produce happy, productive chickens. What will make her change her ways? The author is a professional storyteller and this book is full of fun, and has great illustrations (插图) .
Book 3: Diary of a Fly
——By Doreen Cronin
40 pages, US $ 15.99
This is the diary of a fly. A fly who, when she’s not landing on your head or swimming in your soup, is trying to escape her 327 brothers and sisters who are driving her crazy. Even though she’s little—just like her best friends, Worm and Spider—she wants to be a superhero. This is the story of a little fly who’s not afraid to dream really big.
Book 4:Cherry and Olive
——By Benjamin Lacombe
32 pages, US $ 16.95
Children’s books can quickly take little readers into new worlds, such as the big city, 1930s Georgia, or outer space. This book takes us on a little trip to some European capitals. Cherry is fat and likes books, and she has few friends until she meets a stray SharPei puppy (迷途的沙皮犬) . She names it Olive. Through it she finds confidence and friendship. But what will happen when its owner returns?In book 2, the character________.
A.can make buildings out of anything | B.is a kid who likes to play tricks on teachers |
C.keeps lots of chickens | D.likes to run after chickens |
Which of the following can best describe the fly in Book 3?
A.Lazy and proud. | B.Stupid and funny. |
C.Brave and courageous. | D.Loyal and honest. |
Which of the following is TRUE, according to the text?
A.Strange students are mentioned in Book 1 and Book 3. |
B.Book 4 introduces lots of farm animals. |
C.A fly is a superhero on outer space in Book 2. |
D.Book 1 is the cheapest of the four books. |
If you are interested in European cities, you may want to read the book by________.
A.Benjamin Lacombe | B.Janice N. Harrington |
C.Andrea Beaty | D.Doreen Cronin |
In the summer of 1978 an English farmer was driving his tractor through a field of wheat when he discovered that some of his wheat was lying flat on the ground. The flattened (变平的) wheat formed a circle about six meters across. Around this circle were four smaller circles of flattened wheat. The five circles were in a formation like five dots (点). During the following years, farmers in England found the strange circles in their fields more and more often.
The circles are called “crop circles” because they appear in the fields of grain—usually wheat or corn. The grain in the circles lies flat on the ground but is never broken; it continues to grow, and farmers can later harvest it. Farmers always discover the crop circles in the morning, so the circles probably form at night. They appear only in the months from May to September.
At first, people thought that the circles were a hoax. Probably young people were making them as a joke, or farmers were making them to attract tourists. To prove that the circles were a hoax, people tried to make circles exactly like the ones that farmers had found. They could not do it. They couldn’t enter a field of grain without leaving tracks, and they couldn’t flatten the grain without breaking it.
Many people believe that beings from outer space are making the circles to communicate(交流)with us from far away and that the crop circles are messages from them.
Scientists who have studied the crop circles suggested several possibilities. Some scientists say that a downward rush of wind leads to the formation of the circles—the same downward rush of air that sometimes causes an airplane to crash (坠毁). Other scientists say that forces within the earth cause the circles to appear. There is one problem with all these scientific explanations: crop circles often appear in formations, like the five-dot formation. It is hard to believe that any natural force could form those.In the summer of 1978, an English farmer discovered in his field that ________.
A.some of his wheat had been damaged |
B.his grain was growing up in circles |
C.his grain was moved into several circles |
D.some of his wheat had fallen onto the ground |
According to the text, the underlined part “a hoax” (line 1, para. 3 ) probably means ________.
A.an action made to fool people |
B.a special way to plant crops |
C.a research on the force of winds |
D.an experiment for the protection of crops |
Which of the following may prove that the crop circles are not made by man?
A.The farmers couldn’t step out of the field. |
B.The farmers couldn’t make the circles round. |
C.The farmers couldn’t leave without footprints. |
D.The farmers couldn’t keep the wheat straight up. |
A new study has found evidence of aggressive(富于攻击性的)behaviors in children who drink four or more servings of soft drinks every day. Information for the study came from the mothers of 3, 000 5-year-olds.
Researchers asked the women to keep a record of how many servings of soft drinks their children drank over a two-month period. The women were also asked to complete a checklist of their children’s behaviors.
The researchers found that 43 percent of the boys and girls drank at least one daily serving of soda, 4 percent of the youngsters had four or more servings of soda to drink every day.
Shakira Suglia is with Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health in New York City. She worked on the study with researchers from the University of Vermont and Harvard University School of Public Health. She says they found that children who drank the most soda were more than two times as likely as those who drank no soda to show signs of aggression.
“For the children who consumed four or more servings of soft drinks per day, we see an association between aggressive behaviors, attention problems and withdrawn behaviors. ”
The aggressive behaviors included destroying possessions belonging to others, taking part in fights and physically attacking people.
Doctor Suglia says it’s not clear why young children who drink a lot of soda have behavior problems.
“We can’t prove that this is a direct cause and effect relationship, having said that, there are a lot of ingredients in soda, a lot of ingredients that have not been examined in relation to behaviors. ”
Earlier studies of young adults have found the highest sugar levels in those who carry weapons and show signs of negative social behaviors.What’s the main idea of the second paragraph?
A.The aim of the research. |
B.The members of the research. |
C.The method of the research. |
D.The organizer of the research. |
Which of the following is TRUE about the study?
A.Researchers had face-to-face talks with some children. |
B.Mothers played an important part in the study. |
C.Half of the children drank one daily serving of soda. |
D.The result of the study is unknown. |
What does the underlined word mean?
A.Bought. | B.Drank. | C.Fought. | D.Studied. |
What can we learn from Doctor Suglia?
A.The relation between aggressive behaviors and soft drinks is not clear. |
B.Children who drink a lot of soda must have behavior problems. |
C.There are a lot of ingredients examined in relation to behaviors. |
D.Children shouldn’t drink soda. |
Harbour Cruises LTD.
Dining, Sightseeing and Special Events
Get on board to experience Vancouver from a different perspective (视角). Join Harbour Cruises Ltd. For Vancouver's only guided tour of the inner harbour, the always popular dinner cruise(乘船巡游), or a luncheon cruise through a quiet coastal mountain bay(海湾). Special event cruises are available throughout the year including during the yearly fireworks competition and December's Christmas Carol Ships. Harbour Cruises Ltd. is located next to world-famous Stanley Park. Dates of Operation: April - October and December Seasonal Hours: 8 : 00 am - 7 : 00 pm, 7 days a week Directions: Drive west on Georgia and turn right at the lights at Denman Street. Take the # 135 Stanley Park bus or walk west along Georgia for 15 minutes towards Stanley Park from downtown.
Information: 604.688.7246
Reservations(预订): 1. 800. 663. 1500
Website: www. boatcruises. corn
Email: tours@boatcruises . corn
# 1, North Foot of Den-man Street, Vancouver, BC V6G 2w9
The Lookout at Harbour Centre Tower
Not sure where to start? The Lookout,which is high atop Harbor Center Tower,is your best first choice in Vancouver.Majestic cruise ships,mountains sprinkled with fresh snow and a west coast sunset are but a few highlights of this grand 3600 view.Drink your cappuccino,join a free guided tour,learn something new about Vancouver and enjoy the view!
Dates of Operation:Open 365 days/year
Seasonal Hours:Winter 9:00 am - 9:00 pm
Summer 8:30 am - 10:30 pm
Directions:Located downtown at the SeaBus and SkyTrain station.
Just steps away from the Cruise Ship Terminal and historic Gastown.
Infonnation and Reservations:604.689.0421
Website: www. vancouverlookout.com
Email: info@vancouverlookout.com
555 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC V6B 4N4
Burnaby Village Museum And Carousel
Step back in time to 1925. The museum features a village, a farmhouse and the historic CW Parker Carousel. Costumed townspeople welcome you to exhibits that include a schoolhouse, a blacksmith, a Chinese medicine store and an ice - cream parlour.
Seasonal Hours: May 4 - Sept 2 (11: 00 am - 4:30 pm )
Christmas Hours: Nov 23 - Dec 13 & Dec31 - Jan 4(12:00 - 5:30 pm) and Dec 14 - 30 (12:00 - 8:00 pm) Closed Dec 24& 25
Directions: Take exit 33 from Hwy 1 to Canada Way. Follow the signs along the sidewalk to Deer Lake Park. 20 minutes from downtown Vancouver.
Information: 604. 293. 6501
Telephone: 604. 293. 6500
Website: www. city. burnaby.cb.ca.
6501 Deer Lake Avenue, Burnaby, BC V5G 3T6If you want to visit one of the places from 8:30 am to 10:30 am on Christmas Day, you can get further information on ___________.
A.Website: www.vancouverlookout.com |
B.Email: info@vancouverlookout.com |
C.Website: www.city.burnaby.cb.ca |
D.Website: www.boatcruises.com |
Which of the following statements is true?
A.A guide is necessary for people to visit Harbour Center Tower. |
B.There is fresh snow at Harbor Center Tower for people to enjoy. |
C.Harbour Cruises LTD is closer to downtown than Burnaby Village Museum. |
D.The ice - cream parlour provides you local delicious food at lunch time on Christmas Day. |
The main purpose of the advertisements is to attract tourists to Vancouver
A.for the view of mountains | B.for a ship sightseeing |
C.for a cultural visit | D.for great fun |