Foreign visitors to the UK might be disappointed when they learn that not everyone there speaks like Harry Potter and his friends. Usually, there’s an assumption by many non-Brits that everyone in Britain speaks with what’s known as a Received Pronunciation (RP, 标准发音) accent, also called “the Queen’s English”. However, while many people do talk this way, most Britons speak in their own regional accents.
Scouse, Glaswegian and Black Country – from Liverpool, Glasgow and the West Midlands – are just three of the countless non-RP accents that British people speak with. There are even differences in accents between towns or cities just 30 kilometers apart. What is even more disappointing is that not speaking in a RP accent may mean a British person is judged and even treated differently in their everyday life.
In a 2015 study by The University of South Wales, videos of people reading a passage in three different UK accents were shown to a second group of people. The group then rated how intelligent they thought the readers sounded. The lowest-rated accent was Brummie, native to people from Birmingham, a city whose accent is considered working class.
However, there is no need to be disappointed though you are not speaking in an RP accent. In fact, doing the opposite may even give you strength.
Kong Seong-jae, 25, is an internet celebrity from Seoul. After studying in the UK, he picked up several regional accents. He’s now famous for his online videos, where he shows off the various accents he’s learned. “British people usually get really excited when I use some of their local dialect words, and they become much friendlier. I think it makes a bit of bond between local people and foreigners to speak in their local accent,” he said.
So if you’re working on perfecting your British accent, try to speak like someone from Liverpool, Glasgow or Birmingham. You may not sound like Harry Potter, but you are likely to make more friends.
1.What can we infer from paragraph 1?
A. Non-Brits usually hold that all Britons speak in a RP accent.
B. Only “the queen’s English” is accepted in the UK.
C. Foreign visitors are disappointed at their own spoken English.
D. Any Received Pronunciation around the world is also called “the Queen’s English”.
2.What do people think of the Brummie accent?
A. Favored by foreign visitors to the UK. B. Closest to the RP accent.
C. Smart and easy to understand. D. Spoken by people of lower class.
3.What does the underlined phrase “doing the opposite” in Paragraph 4 refer to?
A. Speaking in a RP accent. B. Speaking in regional accents.
C. Speaking the Brummie accent. D. Speaking like Harry Potter.
4.What is the passage mainly about?
A. A study about the most intelligent accent in Britain.
B. A comparison between different British accents.
C. How much British people value the RP accent.
D. The impact of regional accents on people’s lives.
When school started on that warm August day, I threw myself into everything I did, including playing volleyball. I decided to become beautiful, or at the very least, skinny. I stopped eating completely. Soon I began losing weight, which thrilled me, and I even grew to love the tiredness and lightheadedness( 头晕)that came with my poor diet, for those feelings meant that I was winning.
As the season progressed, things had become tense between my head volleyball coach, Coach Smith, and me. She felt that something was wrong with my health. She talked with me about my eating and was angry that I wouldn’t listen to her when she tried to make me eat. She tried to persuade me in a determined way and so we fought constantly. Then my hunger started to affect my performance. I was so tired that practice and games were becoming a struggle. One afternoon, with hurt in her eyes, Coach Smith asked me what I had eaten and I told her nothing yet. She looked at me, disappointment in her eyes, knowing she couldn’t make me stop, and walked away.
A couple of weeks later I attended a formal dinner for our volleyball team. I stood there as my coach managed to say something nice about me. I realized then that I had ruined my senior year by being disrespectful, and I had probably ruined hers as well. So that evening I wrote her a letter apologizing and thanking her.
Then one Saturday, as I was reading in the library, I felt someone gently take my arm and say softly, “Lynn Jones, how are you doing?” I looked up and saw the familiar face. “Thanks for the letter,” she said. “It meant a lot.” When I think of a coach, I think of someone above me, someone who gives instruction — not a friend. But Coach Smith is different, and, like any other good friend, she dealt with my problem in a determined way even when I hated her for it at that time. I didn’t deserve her kindness, but she gave it anyway. I will forever be gratefulfor her help, and now for her friendship.
1.How did the author feel when she ate a poor diet and had a sense of tiredness?
A. Funny. B. Nervous. C. Proud. D. Ashamed.
2.The author fought with Coach Smith because .
A. she refused to go on a diet . B. she caused failure of her team. C. she kept her idea of losing weight. D. she changed the training course.
3.Why did the author write a letter to Coach Smith?
A. She felt sorry for eating too little food.
B. She was grateful for Smith’s care for her health.
C. She decided to improve her performance.
D. She wanted to build a close relationship with Smith.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A. My Way of Losing Weight. B. A Fight with My Coach. C. A Strict Volleyball Coach. D. Unexpected Friendship.
Who is the greatest teacher in Chinese history? Many people would think of Confucius, whose birthday was September 28. Although he lived over 2,000 years ago, people still remember and respect him for his contribution to the education today.
Confucius lived in the Kingdom of Lu, which lies in Shandong Province. He lived during the Spring and Autumn Period. He had a hard childhood. His father died when he was only 3. His mother brought him up. As a child, he had to work to help his mother, but young Confucius didn’t give up studying. He visited many famous teachers and learned music, history, poetry and sports.
Later, he became a teacher and started the first public school in Chinese history. At that time only children from noble families could go to school, but Confucius believed everyone should go to school if they wanted to learn. He had about 3,000 students in his lifetime.
Today, people still follow Confucius’ lessons. He told us that we all have something worthy to be learned. “When I am with three people, one of them must be better than me in some areas. I choose their good qualities and follow them.”
He also taught us that thinking is very important in study. “All study but no thinking makes people puzzled. All thinking but no study makes people lazy.”
Confucius is not only a great teacher, but also a famous thinker with wise thoughts about the world and society. His most important teachings are about kindness and good manners. “A person should be strict with himself, but be kind to others.” he said.
1.Today we still remember Confucius mainly because .
A. he lived a poor life in his childhood
B. he traveled with his students from state to state
C. he had wise thoughts and great views about education
D. he lived during the Spring and Autumn Period
2.Confucius learned music, history, poetry and sports as a child.
A. by visiting many famous teachers B. with the help of his mother
C. by going to school D. by teaching himself at home
3.The underlined word “noble” in Paragraph 3 has the closest meaning to .
A. cute B. bright C. poor D. wealthy
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.What is the weather like on the journey?
A. Cold. B. Sunny. C. Cloudy.
2.Where is the bank?
A. On Floor A. B. On Floor B. C. On Floor C.
3.Where can passengers find a toilet on Floor A?
A. Beside the bar. B. Beside the restaurant. C. Beside the shop.
4.Who can use the relaxing room on Floor C?
A. All passengers on board. B. Passengers travelling with cars. C. Passengers travelling without cars.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.Where does Susan live now?
A. In Italy. B. In England. C. In America.
2.How long did Susan work for Ferragamo?
A. Six months. B. Five years. C. Six years.
3.What does Susan mainly design for companies?
A. Shoes. B. Handbags. C. Jackets.
4.How has Susan’s industry changed since 1982?
A. Italian design has become more popular. B. The product quality has become poorer. C. It has become much more competitive.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.What are the speakers discussing?
A. What to do for a project. B. When to draw a picture. C. How to be a good artist.
2.How does the man feel about the woman’s first suggestion?
A. Surprised. B. Hesitant. C. Uninterested.
3.What would the man do according to the woman’s second suggestion?
A. Do much preparation beforehand. B. Work with talented students. C. Draw in front of the class.
