阅读一
English as a Foreign Language
Who taught you to speak English?Your parents，while you were a young child?Your teachers at school?Perhaps even the BBC as a grown-up.Whoever it was，somehow you have developed an understanding of what is rapidly becoming a truly global language.
There are now about 376 million people who speak English as their first language，and about the same number who have learnt it in addition to their mother tongue.There are said to be one billion people learning English now and about 80% of the information on the Internet is in English.
Is this a good thing，or a bad thing?Should we celebrate the fact that more and more of us can communicate，using a common language，across countries and cultures(文化)?Or should we worry about the dangers of“mono-culturalism”，a world in which we all speak the same language，eat the same food and listen to the same music?
Does it matter if an increasing number of people speak the same language?On the contrary(相反)，I would have thought-although I have never accepted the argument that if only we all understood each other better，there would be fewer wars.Ask the people of India(where many of them speak at least some English)and Pakistan(the same situation with India)….
If we all speak English，will we then all start eating McDonalds burgers Surely not.If English becomes more dominant(占主导地位的)，it will kill other languages?I doubt it.When I travel in Africa or Asia，I am always surprised by how many people can speak not only their own language but often one or more other related languages，as well as English and perhaps some French or German as well.
When we discussed this on Talking Point a couple of years ago，we received a wonderfully poetic email from a listener in Ireland.“The English language is a beautiful language.Maybe it’s like a rose，”he said.“But who would ever want their garden just full of roses?”
Well，I love roses，and I think they make a beautiful addition to any garden.But the way I see it，just by planting a few roses，you don’t necessarily need to pull out everything else.If more and more people want to plant English roses，that’s fine by me.
1.By saying“Ask the people of India…and Pakistan”(in Paragraph 4)，the author is trying to show that .
A.speaking the same language doesn’t necessarily bring peace
B.wars can destroy the relationship between two countries
C.English doesn’t kill other languages D.English is widely used in the world
2.What does“garden”in the last two paragraphs stand for?
A.Language. B.Family. C.The world D.The Earth.
3.The author would probably agree that .
A.it’s very hard to plant many kinds of flowers in a garden
B.it’s good for people from other countries to learn English
C.more and more people like to plant roses in their gardens
D.English is easier to learn than other languages
4.This passage is mainly about .
A.why English has become a global language
B.how many people in the world speak English
C.how people in the world learn English as a foreign language
D.whether we need to worry about English being a world language
答案 A C B D
阅读二
Transportation and communication networks bring people together. Yet sometimes people themselves create barriers (障碍) to transportation and communication.
In some countries, laws stop people from moving freely from place to place. Over the centuries, many groups of people have been denied the freedom to travel because of their race, religion, or nationality. In the Middle Ages, for example, Jews were often forbidden to move about freely within certain cities. South Africa’s government used to require black Africans to carry passes when they travel within the country. Some governments require all citizens to carry identification papers and to report to government officials whenever they move.
Countries set up customs posts at their borders. Foreign travellers must go through a customs inspection before they are allowed to travel in the country. Usually travellers have to carry special papers such as passports and visas (签证). Some countries even limit the number of visitors to their country each year. Others allow tourists to visit only certain areas of the country, or they may require that travellers be with an official guide at all times during their stay.
Many of those barriers to travel also act as barriers to communication. When two governments disagree with each other on important matters, they usually do not want their citizens to exchange news or ideas freely. Countries often try to keep military or industrial information secret.
Today, people have the ability to travel, to communicate, and to transport goods more quickly and easily than ever before. Natural barriers that were difficult or dangerous to cross a hundred years ago can now be crossed easily. The barriers that people themselves make are not so easy to overcome. But in spite of all the different kinds of barriers, people continue to enjoy travel and the exchange of goods and ideas.
1. The examples in paragraph 2 are used to tell the readers that .
A. people have been allowed to travel freely within the country
B. people have not been permitted to travel freely for various reasons
C. travellers have to carry special papers such as passports and visas
D. customs posts are necessary at the borders of the countries
2.Some governments limit the freedom of communication because .
A. they intend to keep their national secrets unknown to others
B. they think such freedom will lead to wars
C. they often disagree with each other on important matters
D. they want to show their authority over communication
3.We may learn from the passage that .
A. people do not care about the removal of barriers between countries
B. people can not remove the obstacles made by themselves
C. man-made barriers are sometimes harder to overcome that natural ones
D. barriers should be taken for granted as they always exist
4.Which of the following can serve as the best title of the passage?
A. Barriers Made by People
B.Functions of Communication
C.Restrictions on Transportation
D.Progress of Human Society
答案 B A C A
阅读三
Native Tongue
At first Kate thought the Romanian girl could not speak and understand English.Nadia would not reply to anything Kate said.Kate was in charge of showing Nadia around on her first day at Buckminster Grade School.Kate could not figure out why the school had put Nadia in a class where she could not understand what people were saying.
“Why did they do this?”Kate wondered aloud.“I mean,you can’t learn if you can’t understand the teacher.”
Nadia’s voice was a whisper.“I understand English.I will learn.”Nadia’s English was perfect.
Kate was perplexed.She couldn’t understand why Nadia did not like to speak.Then she realized that moving to a new country probably wasn’t the easiest thing to do.There were hundreds of unfamiliar and unusual things to learn—all at the same time.
“There’re a lot of new things to learn,huh?”said Kate.
Nadia nodded rapidly.In a quiet voice she replied,“Many things people say,I do not understand.I have been speaking English and Romanian all my life,but I do not know what some children are saying.For example,yesterday a boy asked if I could help him find the USB port on a thin black box he was carrying.Isn’t a port a place for ships?It made no sense to me.”
“Don’t worry,”said Kate.“You’ll figure everything out in time.You see,that thin black box was a computer.A USB port is a place where you can connect other machines to a computer.”
Nadia and Kate were quiet after that.They took notes while the teacher gave a maths lesson.To Kate’s surprise,Nadia put up her hand and offered to answer questions at the blackboard.
Nadia handled every question the teacher gave her.Some of the questions were really difficult,and no one understood what was going on except Nadia and the teacher.When the teacher said that Nadia answered everything correctly,the whole class clapped their hands.
Nadia was smiling when she sat back down next to Kate.“Some things,”she said in a normal voice,“are the same all over the world.”
1.At the beginning of Nadia’s first day at school.She was______.
A.disappointed ` B.helpful C.lively D.shy
2.The underlined word“perplexed”probably means______.
A.puzzled B.angry C.shocked D.serious
3.We can infer from the passage that______.
A.Nadia did not like Kate
B.Nadia had lived by the sea before
C.Nadia had never seen a computer before
D.Nadia spoke in a soft voice out of politeness
4.Which of the following statements is true?
A.Nadia was better at maths than other students.
B.Nadia found some of the maths questions difficult.
C.Nadia was encouraged to answer questions in class.
D.Nadia understood the maths teacher better than other teachers.
5.What is the message of the story?
A.Talking about something familiar gives you confidence in communication.
B.Answering questions in class makes you better understood by classmates.
C.Language plays an important role in communication between cultures.
D.Mathematics helps to improve communication between cultures.
答案 1.D 2.A 3.C 4.A 5.A
阅读四
Have you ever got stuck with unwanted courses or a class schedule that cannot be changed?If so，that’s because you don’t know how to select the perfect schedule.But by following a few simple steps，you can begin any term with the right courses at the most convenient times.
First，you must find the right courses.These are the ones that have the least amount of work，the fewest tests and the kindest professors.Ask your friends about courses in which they received A’s after attending only 70 percent of the classes.Ask around，too，to see which instructors have given the same tests for the last fifteen years.Photocopies of these tests are usually cheap and can be easily found in school.Then，pick up a copy of the master schedule and study it carefully.Find the course titles that mean an easy pass for a painless subject.Look for titles like “Arts and Crafts for Beginners.”and“Rock Music of the 1950s”.
Next，when you have got lists of easy instructors and subjects，you can begin to select your time periods.If you stay up late in order to watch old movies，you may want a daily schedule that begins no sooner than noon.You should schedule only afternoon courses，too，if you’re one of those people who hate to leave a warm bed in the morning.On the other hand，if you are a person who gets out of bed at dawn，you may want to get your classes out of the way as early as possible.That way you have the rest of the day free.Morning classes are also necessary if you are a soap opera(肥皂剧)fan.
Finally，you want your schedule to pass through registration successfully.The main way to do this is to register(注册)early.If a course does happen to be closed because you simply couldn’t register at 7：00 a.m.，you may still be able to get in.Talk to the professor and tell him or her that a serious and hardworking student like yourself would be a shining example to other students.Be sure to carry a list of back-up courses to registration，though，just in case one of your chosen classe
s changes professors or time periods.
By following these suggestions，any student can pick the perfect class schedule.College can thus become an almost pleasant activity.
1.Which of the following statements is true?
A.You can get copies of tests if you are willing to pay the price.
B.“Rock Music of the 1950s” may be an easy course.
C.It is difficult to pick the perfect class schedule.
D.Attendance is required in all classes.
2.You should .
A.register for classes in the morning if you get up early
B.have classes late in the morning if you stay up late
C.sign up for afternoon classes if you want to see soap operas
D.choose classes in the evening if you want to watch old films
3.If a course happens to be closed，you should .
A.register at 7：00 a.m.
B.sit in on the class anyway
C.register for a back-up course
D.get help from the professor
4.Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
A.Course Registration Made Easy
B.How to Find the Right Courses
C.Classes and After-class Activities
D.How to Pick the Perfect Schedule
答案 B A D D