Throughout history, people have been interested in knowing how language first began, but no one knows exactly where or how this happened. However, we do know a lot about languages, the language of today and also the languages of earlier times. There are probably about three thousand languages in the world today. Chinese is the language with the most speakers. English, Russian and Spanish are also spoken by millions of people. On the other hand, some languages in the world have less than one hundred speakers.
There are several important families of languages in the world. For example, most of the languages of Europe are in one large family called Indo-European. The original language of this family was spoken about 4,500 years ago. Many of the present-day languages of Europe and India are modern forms of the language of 4,500 years ago.
Languages are always changing. The English of today is very different from the English of 500 years ago. In time, some even die out completely. About 1,000 years ago, English was a little known relative of German spoken on one of the borders of Europe.
If a language has a number of speakers, or if it is very old, there may be differences in the way it is spoken in different areas. That is, the language may have several dialects. Chinese is a good example of dialect differences. Chinese has been spoken for thousands of years by many millions of people. The differences between the dialects of Chinese are so great that speakers of Chinese from some parts of China can’t understand speakers from other parts.
1.The first paragraph mainly tells us that_______.
A. most people in the world speak Chinese
B. there are thousands of languages in today’s world
C. man has much knowledge about languages
D. some people know several languages
2.Most European and Indian languages_______.
A. will soon die out completely
B. were once a relative of English
C. are no longer spoken
D. come from the same family of language.
3.Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
A. Chinese is the language with the most speakers.
B. English was a well-known relative of German spoken on one of the borders of Europe.
C. A language has many speakers, but there may be no differences in the way it is spoken in different areas.
D. Speakers of Chinese from some parts of China can understand speakers from other parts.
4.It is considered a most difficult thing for one to learn to speak Chinese because_______.
A. there are great differences between the dialects of Chinese
B. Chinese and many foreign languages are not of the same family
C. Chinese is a very old language
D. there are great differences between the old Chinese and the present-day Chinese
5.The underlined word “dialect” in the last paragraph means_______.
A. a special language spoken by Chinese
B. the sign used by Chinese people in a special area
C. the difference between the old and today’s Chinese
D. the form of a language used in one part of the country
For some people, it’s easy to get dressed for work. Pilots and police officers, for example, don’t have to make decisions about their work clothes. They wear uniforms to work every day.
For many office workers, however, it is more difficult to choose clothes for work. They do not wear uniforms to the office. Also, many organizations are changing their dress codes. They are allowing their employees to wear casual(随意的) clothes to work.
The change to casual work clothes began in the 1990s. At first, many companies in the United States allowed employees to wear casual clothes on one day of the week—Friday. Friday became “Casual Friday” or “Dress-down Friday”. Today, however, many companies are allowing their employees to wear casual clothes every day of the week.
Some studies show that people are producing and achieving more when they are wearing comfortable clothes. Some companies also like the casual dress code because they don’t need to buy special clothes for work. They can save money this way.
Unfortunately, a casual dress code can also cause problems. Sometimes employees think they can wear anything. Many companies have rules about casual clothes. They list the kinds of clothes that are not “business-casual” clothes. Blue jeans, sandals, and sportswear are examples of clothes that are usually too casual for the office.
1.What do pilots and police officers wear to work?
A. Casual clothes. B. Sportswear. C. Blue jeans. D. Uniforms.
2.What do the underlined phrase “dress codes” mean?
A. They tell what you can do and can’t do.
B. They are rules about what clothes to wear.
C. They save a lot of money.
D. They show you what to say at work.
3.“Dress-down Friday” is a day when employees are allowed to_______.
A. eat delicious food
B. have smart uniforms on
C. wear casual clothes to work
D. work longer hours
4.Why do some companies agree to the casual dress code?
A. They don’t need to buy special clothes for work.
B. It is difficult for them to choose clothes for work.
C. They don’t like the same uniforms.
D. It is easy for them to make decisions about work clothes.
5.What problems can a casual dress code cause according to the passage?
A. Employees seldom wear comfortable clothes.
B. Usually employees put on expensive clothing.
C. Employees always have too little on themselves.
D. Sometimes employees dress too casually.
Last weekend, twenty thousand people gathered in the state of Georgia to watch students from twenty-eight countries compete with robots they built. More than ten thousand students and more than five hundred robots took part in the competition.
Almost one thousand and seven hundred high school teams entered a level of competition called LUNACY. The competitors came from eleven countries, including the United States. In January, the organization sent the same supplies for robots to each team. The teams had six weeks to build robots that could compete in the LUNACY game. The playing area had six robots, three on each team. Each robot had a trailer(拖车) connected to it. The robots had to pick up large balls and throw them into the trailers of opposing robots. The robots were moving on a surface where they could slide(滑行). A team from California won the competition.
A second competition involved building a robot that could travel on uneven(不平坦的) surfaces, move objects with unusual shapes and withstand(承受) physical stress.
Another competition was for younger students, aged nine to fourteen years old. Eighty-four teams from twenty-seven countries competed with robots made with LEGO products. They had to design, build and program robots to explore the Earth’s climates.
1.The competitors coming from _______countries entered a level of competition called LUNACY.
A. twenty-eight B. twenty-seven
C. eighty-four D. eleven
2._______sent the supplies for robots to each team.
A. Schools B. Volunteers
C. The government D. The organization
3.Each team can have _______robots to compete in the LUNACY game.
A. two B. three C. six D. eight
4.The underlined word “involved” in this passage can be replaced by “_______”.
A. included B. removed C. corrected D. invented
5.Which statement is NOT true according to the passage?
A. In January, each team got the same supplies for robots.
B. A team from California won the LUNACY competition.
C. The writer introduces three kinds of competitions in this passage.
D. The students had to design or buy robots for the competition.
The following four advertisements are from Yangtse Evening News, Mar 8th , 2012.
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Guitar lessons An excellent musician. Good at teaching kids for 5 years. Your home or mine. Call Larry at 86087593. |
Taxi driver wanted Full time. Experience and good knowledge of the city needed. Under 45 years old. Call Mr. White at 75132633 or 13935728866. |
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Lost dog Medium size, spotted white short hair. Answer you when you call it David. Many thanks for returning it. Call Susan at 87328059. |
Flat for sale Two bedrooms, a kitchen and a bathroom. Hot water 8:00—18:00. Beautiful sights out of the windows. QQ: 770519666. Call Ms. Green at 86777555 or 13813913788. |
1.Which of the four people may get the job as a taxi driver?
A. A 50-year-old person.
B. A 40-year-old person who can drive well in the city.
C. A person who has just got his driver’s license.
D. A person who can drive and has free time on weekends.
2.How can you contact (联系) the owner of the flat for more information?
A. By visiting her. B. By sending a letter.
C. By making a phone call. D. By sending an e-mail.
3. Who can teach children to play the guitar?
A. Larry. B. David. C. Mr. White. D. Susan.
4.When you find a medium-sized dog with spotted white short hair, you may call at_______.
A. 86087593 B. 75132633 C. 87328059 D. 86777555
5.Where are these advertisements from?
A. China Daily. B. New York Times.
C. Yangtse Evening News. D. Jingling Evening News.
The other day my daughter finally had a day off work. We decided to go out in the 16 for the time, together! It was an enjoyable experience. Then a surprising thing happened. She turned and asked, “Hey, Dad, can I 17 the boat?” I had a look of fear in my eyes 18 the boat can be driven at a very high speed and can be turned over very quickly. However, I gave the driving seat to her and began 19 her how to properly control the boat. I told her to remain calm as I had completely believed in her.
It can be both frightening and exciting when your child tries doing something, even if it’s a small thing, you still feel like they are growing up too fast and it’s out of your 20 . Time goes by so quickly, so it’s 21 to spend time with your kids, with your family. It is an amazing feeling to experience as their confidence grows.
In every situation if you relax, take your time, and show confidence, you will have a great 22 . We not only had a 23 morning on the boat, but also invited our little neighbour who is 8 years old and put him in the 24 right between us. As I drove at top speed, making sudden turns and jumping over the waves, all I could hear was my neighbour 25 and screaming at the top of his voice because he was having such a great time.
1.A. plane B. train C. car D. boat
2.A. drive B. touch C. carry D. buy
3.A. if B. but C. since D. until
4.A. teaching B. reminding C. warning D. asking
5.A. sense B. control C. state D. sight
6.A. early B. important C. quick D. easy
7.A. thought B. friend C. time D. chance
8.A. safe B. fun C. free D. cold
9.A. queue B. bed C. floor D. seat
10.A. laughing B. speaking C. dancing D. Singing
— I prefer western food. It’s tasty and good for us.
—_______? But western food is said to be high in sugar and fat.
A. Is that right B. How do you know that
C. Do you really think so D. Who told you that
