When I lived in Spain, some Spanish friends of mine decided to visit England by car. Before they left, they asked me for advice about how to find accommodation. I suggested that they should stay at “bed and breakfast” houses, because this kind of accommodation gives a foreign visitor a good chance to speak English with the family. My friends listened to my advice, but they came back with some funny stories.
“We didn’t stay at bed and breakfast houses,” they said, “because we found that most families were away on holiday.”
I thought this was strange. Finally I understood what had happened. My friends spoke little English, and they thought “VACANCIES” meant “holidays”, because the Spanish word for “holidays” is “vacaciones”. So they did not go to house where the sign outside said “VACABCUES”, which in English means there are free rooms. Then my friends went to house where the sign said “NO VACANCIES”, because they thought this meant the people who owned the house were not away on holiday. But they found that these houses were all full. As a result, they stayed at hotels!
We laughed about this and about mistakes my friends made in reading other signs. In Spanish, the word “DIVERSION” means fun. In English, it means that workmen are repairing the road, and that you must take a different road. When my friends saw the word ‘DIVERSION’ on a road sign, they thought they were going to have fun. Instead, the road ended in a large hole.
English people have problems too when they learn foreign languages. Once in Paris, when someone offered me some more coffee, I said “Thank you” in French. I meant that I would like some more. However, to my surprise the coffee pot was taken away! Later I found out that “Thank you” in French means “No, thank you.”
1. My Spanish friends wanted advice about __________.
A. learning English
B. finding places to stay in England
C. driving their car on English roads
D. going to England by car
2. I suggested that they stay at “bed and breakfast” houses because__________.
A. they would be able to practise their English
B. it would be much cheaper than staying in hotels
C. it would be convenient for them to have dinner
D. there would be no problem about finding accommodation there
3.“NO VACANCIES” in English means__________.
A. no free rooms B. free rooms
C. not away on holiday D. holidays
4.If you see a road sign that says “Diversion” in UK, you will__________.
A. fall into a hole
B. have a lot of fun and enjoy yourself
C. find that the road is blocked by crowds of people
D. have to take a different road
5.When someone offered me more coffee and I said “Thank you” in French, I__________.
A. didn’t really want any more coffee
B. wanted them to take the coffee pot away
C. really wanted some more coffee
D. wanted to express my politeness
I am Ali. I have always believed in myself. My parents taught me to be 41 and that I could be the best at anything. I 42 challenging my neighbourhood boys to see who could jump the highest and run the fastest. Of course I knew when I made the challenge, I would win. I never even 43 losing.
I started my boxing 44 when I was 12. In high school I boasted (自夸) that one day I was 45 to be the champion of the world. As part of my training, I would run down the street. I would rush in and out of shops to 46 them I was training for the Olympics and I was going to 47 a gold medal. I never thought of failing but only glory(光荣) I was going to 48 when I won. When I said I was going to be the "Greatest of All Time", I 49 myself. And I still do.
But I didn't know that my will would be 50 when I retired. In 1996, I was asked to 51 the cauldron(圣火) at the summer Olympic Games in Atlanta.
When the 52 came for me to set fire to the cauldron, I realized I had the eyes of the world on me. Then I heard an extremely loud 53 . I was reminded of my 1960 Olympic 54 in Rome, when I won the gold medal. I remembered those 36 years between Rome and Atlanta and 55 that I had come full circle. Nothing in life has defeated me. I am still "The Greatest."
1. A. brave B. confident C. honest D. polite
2.A. excuse B. avoid C. remember D. suggest
3.A. gave up B. went on C. heard of D. thought of
4.A. breaking B. matching C. training D. watching
5.A. willing B. sure C. hopeful D. active
6. A. tell B. ask C. wish D. take
7.A. win B. lose C. find D. buy
8. A. need B. get C. decide D. make
9.A. believed in B. cared about C. turned to D. went through
10.A. forced B. increased C. damaged D. tested
11.A. protect B. carry C. light D. touch
12.A. challenge B. chance C. choice D. moment
13.A. cheer B. laugh C. noise D. shout
14. A. history B. experience C. devotion D. stage
15.A. expected B. supposed C. proved D. realized
He__________from his seat and answered the question__________by the teacher.
A. raised; rose B. raised; risen C. rose; raised D. risen; raised
We prefer__________alone rather than__________.
A. staying; go out B. staying; going out
C. to stay; to go out D. to stay; go out
The collected money should be made good use __________the people who suffered a lot in the earthquake.
A. of helping B. to help C. to helping D. of to help
The first textbooks written for teaching English as a foreign language__________in the 16th century.
A. came about B. came out C. came along D. came up
