More people speak English than any other language except Chinese .English is the main language spoken in the United Kingdom，Ireland，Australia，New Zealand，Canada，the United States and some other countries. Altogether more than 450 million people speak English as their everyday language .Another 100 million or more speak at least some English. Most English words come from old Anglo Saxon，French，or Latin words.
Modern English developed through the efforts（努力） of literary(文学的)and political writings .Modern English was influenced by old English，the beginning of the university educated people，Shakespeare，the common language found in the middle of presentday England and an effort to show and standardize(使标准化)English.
British English，known as Standard English or Oxford English，underwent changes during the colonization(殖民)of North America and the creation（创建）of the United States .British English words changed into American English words，such as centre to center，metre to meter，theatre to theater and so on.
Until the 18th century，British and American English were very similar with almost no difference .Immigration（移民） to America by other English peoples changed the language by 1700.Noah Webster，author of the first authoritative(权威的)American English dictionary，created many changes.
1.Modern English developed through______.
A．the efforts of literary writings B．the efforts of political writings
C．old Chinese D．both A and B
2.American English changed from______ during the colonization of North America and the creation of the United States.
A．British English B．Standard English C．Oxford English D．all of the above
3.British English was almost similar to American English until the______ century.
A．20th B．19th C．18th D．17th
4.What is the title of the passage?
A．Why more people speak English B. What modern English is
C．When British and American English had no difference D．English and its development
The United States is full of cars. There are still many families without cars, but some families have two or more. However, cars are used for more than pleasure. They are a necessary part of life.
Cars are used for business. They are driven to offices and factories by workers who have no other way to get to their jobs. When salesmen are sent to different parts of the city, they have to drive in order to carry their products. Farmers have to drive into the city in order to get supplies.
Sometimes small children must be driven to school. In some cities school buses are used only when children live more than a mile away from the school. When the children are too young to walk too far, their mothers take turns driving them to school. One mother drives on Mondays taking her own children and the neighbors' as well. Another mother drives on Tuesdays, another on Wednesday, and so on. This is called forming a car pool. Men also form car pools, with three or four men taking turns driving to the place where they all work.
More car pools should be formed in order to put fewer cars on the road and use less gas. Too many cars are being driven. Something will have to be done about the use of cars.
1.The United States is filled with cars, but .
A. not every family has a car B. few families have two cars or even more
C. every American has a car D. every family has a car
2.What's the main idea of the second paragraph?
A. Workers drive cars to offices and factories B. Salesmen drive to carry their products.
C. Farmers drive into cities to get supplies. D. Cars are widely used.
3.Which statement is true according to the third paragraph?
A. Small children are driven to school.
B. All children go to school by bus in some cities.
C. Mothers drive their children who can't walk to school.
D. School buses pick up all children.
4. Mothers form car pools in order that
A. they can drive to school B. they can take turns driving their children to school
C. they reach school quickly D. they can drive their children to school in time
Some people have very good memories, and can 26 learn quite long poems by ___27__ . There are other people who can only __28__ things that they have said again and again.
A __29__ memory is a great help in learning a language. __30__ learns his own language by remembering __31__ he hears when he is a small child. Some children __32__in their own country, and they seem to learn two languages ___33__ as easily as one. In school it is not so easy to learn __34__ foreign language because students have so __35 __time for it and they are busy with other lessons, too.
A man’s mind is rather like a camera, but it takes photos not only __36__ what we see but also of what we feel, hear, smell and taste. When we take a real photo__37__a camera, there is much to do when the photo is finished and __38__to show to our friends. In the same way there is much work __39__ before we can keep a picture __40__ in our minds.
1.A. easy B. easily C. interesting D. interestingly
2.A. heart B. mind C. memory D. attention
3.A. notice B. recognize C. remember D. learn
4.A. good B. poor C. rich D. bad
5.A. Nobody B. Somebody C. Everybody D. Anybody
6.A. that B. which C. / D. what
7.A .live B. don’t live C. didn’t live D. lived
8.A. almost B. mostly C. nearby D. hardly
9.A. the B. this C. one D. a
10.A. much B. little C. many D. few
11.A. about B. at C. with D. of
12.A. as B. for C. of D. with
13.A. certain B. ready C. clear D. sure
14.A. to be done B. to be doing C. having been done D. being done
15.A. up B. on C. ever D. forever
—Bruce, we are taking a ship trip to Australia tomorrow.
—That sounds exciting. _______.
A. All right B. Have a nice trip C. Very sorry D. Goodbye
He changed so much that I didn’t _______ him at first sight.
A. know B. recognize C. enjoy D. agree
Do you know when ________?
A. does the basketball game begin B. begins the basketball game
C. the basketball game begins D. will the basketball game begin
