If you’re like most students, you may find it challenging to learn a foreign language. However, there are a few tips you can use in order to earn a top grade —— as well as actually use the skills you’ve learned.
One of the most important and basic lessons in dealing with a foreign language is to learn and understand each concept and lesson before moving on to the next one. If you don’t understand one concept but move on to the next chapter anyway, you’re less likely to understand the new material.
Learning a new language is not only an academic tool, but can help you in your everyday life as well. Being good at another language can help you communicate with other people, and help you when traveling to foreign countries, and even make your resume look better.
And it is important to learn correct pronunciation as soon as possible for poor pronunciation can be hard to break. Native speakers of the language as well as others fluent in the language you are learning will appreciate your efforts to learn correct pronunciation.
Gather outside materials such as books, study guides, books on tape, and travel books to aid you in learning the language. Your textbooks can’t possibly teach you everything you need to know, so seeking outside sources is generally a good rule of thumb to keep in mind.
A significant motivator in learning a foreign language is traveling to the country where the language is spoken. That way, you can see firsthand how the language is used, learn the culture, and meet native speakers of the language. Native speakers appreciate sincere attempts of others who take the time to learn their language.
Seek out native speakers of your new language in your school or neighborhood. They can help you with many skills, including pronunciation, and they can provide immediate feedback on your progress.
1.This passage is written to .
A．explain why learning a foreign language is challenging
B．tell us the importance of learning foreign languages
C．tell us some ways of earning a top grade
D．give us some tips on learning foreign languages
2.Which of the following can best summarize the main idea of Paragraph 3?
A．Think beyond academics.
B．Learn each concept.
C．Plan a trip to use your skills.
D．Consider a language as a tool.
3.We can learn from the passage that .
A．textbooks are not good for us when learning a foreign language
B．learning pronunciation well from the very beginning is very important
C．poor pronunciation can be easy to break with the help of native speakers
D．seeking too many outside sources will be more harmful than beneficial
4.What is suggested doing in the last paragraph?
A．Going on a trip abroad.
B．Practicing with native speakers.
C．Asking for feedback from our teachers.
D．Finding a motivator in learning language.
5.In which part of a website would this text probably appear?
A．Entertainment. B．History. C．Education. D．Nature.
When building houses, people used to think about not only the climate of the areas but also the building materials and the fashions for their houses. However, since electricity became more and more expensive, people began to pay much more attention to the energy they could get for their houses and the new ways they could find to protect their houses from both cold and heat.
Now, houses of an old yet new type have been widely built. In some parts of the world, people share their houses with their livestock. During cold weather, they gather their cows, goats, or other animals and keep them on the first floor of their houses. The reasons are that the animals can be protected from the cold and that they can help to heat the houses as well. The body heat given off by the animals rises to the second floor of the houses, where people live. By sharing their houses with their livestock, people gain a source of heat.
People who live in or near cities do not usually keep livestock. However, home builders use the fact that heat rises. This natural law can be used in building houses in these areas. Instead of keeping livestock on the first floor, builders fill it with large rocks. As they are open to the sun’s rays during cold weather, these rocks take in heat. They also give off the heat, and, of course, the warm air rises into the living areas of the houses. So these houses are energy-saving.
House building becomes a great challenge to building designers and energy engineers. They try to meet this challenge by learning from old traditions and by using modern technology. And someday in the future, people will be able to live in more energy-saving houses.
1.What did people begin to consider as electricity was no longer cheap?
A．The climate of their areas
B．The building materials for their houses
C．The fashions for their houses
D．The energy for their houses
2.People in some areas gain a source of heat by _________.
A．keeping their livestock downstairs
B．protecting their livestock from the cold
C．sharing their houses only with their cows
D．living on the second floor with their livestock
3.The underlined words “natural law” in the third paragraph refer to the fact that ________.
A．heat raises the temperature in the houses
B．heat goes in the upward direction
C．heat goes up if temperature is raised
D．heat increases the temperature of rocks
4.From the passage, we can conclude that _______ .
A．people will no longer consider building materials in the future
B．almost all people will move into the houses heated by large rocks
C．energy-saving buildings will become more popular in the future
D．energy engineers will devote themselves only to modern technology
5.What is the main idea of the passage?
A．Energy-saving house building
B．House building is a great challenge
C．How to live in energy-saving houses
D．Energy-saving houses’ bright future
Today, I felt terrible. My head was full of problems, burdens and confusion. I decided to take a walk even though I didn’t know where I would go.
The most extraordinarything happened when I was out on this walk. I saw an old man sitting on a chair. He was a seller of second-hand shoes. He looked at least 70 years old. He seemed so tired and nobody bought his shoes. I wanted to give him something but I had not brought anything with me.
Then, a little girl came toward him. I heard the child say, “Grandpa, may I polish your shoes?” That old man took pity on her and he gave her a shoe to polish. The girl said, “I polish the shoe because I need money to buy my brother a new school uniform.”
I heard this and tears filled my eyes. The old man answered, “Oh, little girl. Just stop doing this. Come with me and I will buy you a uniform.” Then they walked to a market and I followed close behind them. There he bought her a uniform. The girl said, “Thank you so much for doing this. May God bless you.” Then she left, leaving the old man smiling.
The old man walked away from the market, but I stopped him. I whispered in his ear, “You are a hero! Thank you for your kindness!” As I walked away, I glanced back and I could see him still smiling.
My own sadness had disappeared, chased away by the light of this kind act. I began realizing that I have a lot to be thankful for. I hope, some day, I can show my appreciation of what I have by following the example of the old man who only had a little, but shared it happily with someone who had nothing.
1.The author decided to take a walk in order to .
A．build himself up
B．lighten his mood
C．enjoy the scenery nearby
D．find out something special
2.When seeing the old shoe seller, the author felt .
A．happy B．sympathetic C．regretful D．disappointed
3.Why did the girl offer to polish shoes for the old man?
A．She took pity on him.
B．She intended to take care of him.
C．She meant to be friendly to him.
D．She wanted to earn some money.
4.By sharing the story, the author conveys a message that .
A．a kind act can cheer us up
B．old men often set us examples
C．people value what they don’t have
D．helping others means helping ourselves
5.What would be the best title for the passage?
A．A clever little girl B．A pair of old shoes
C．A kind shoe seller D．A girl’s new uniform
Dear Xiaohua,
I’m very glad to receive your letter. From your letter I know you have shown 1.______ great interest in inventing new things. That’s great. As for how to be an inventor, there is no quick answer to 2.______.
Coming from different cultures and having different backgrounds, inventors don’t seem to have much 3.______ common. But creative thinking, 4._______ is greatly valued, is perhaps the basic skill an inventor should have. In order to explore new possibilities, you will have to learn to break5.______ from old thought patterns. When you get stuck, try to look at the problem in 6.____ many ways as possible. Each new way may improve your understanding.
More importantly, always keep it in mind 7.______ success is no accident. It is the result of a long process of trial and error. Above 8._____, the main task for you is to study hard and try to learn more knowledge. This, of course, will lay a solid foundation.
Hope your future invention will make a difference.
Good luck!
Yours,
Wang Li
When I was a teenager, I volunteered to give out water at a marathon. Watching the different runners who passed by and grabbed a cup was 36 . The next year I signed up for the race. I did little preparation and my only goal was to finish. On the day of the race, it was 37 hot. I remember struggling at about the 5th mile, thinking, “I am never doing this again!”
Have you ever felt that way about something? You eagerly choose a goal 38 soon realize it is 39 to achieve than you imagined it would be. That first 10 km race was quite an experience. I jogged, I walked, I jogged and I walked. Then 40 a decisive moment. Near the end, a 70-year-old man ran past me. I felt 41 that I was younger than him but I couldn’t keep up with him. I felt defeated for a second but then I realized 42 . He was running his race and I was running mine. He had different experience, training and goals and I had mine. 43 in life do we 44 ourselves with others and feel disappointed in ourselves when we really shouldn’t? I decided, then, that one day I would be one of those 70-year-olds who were still running. 45 I crossed the finish line, I was proud of my achievement. Since then I have run several races and run purely for fun.
In life we all 46 compare ourselves with others, which is only natural. But don’t let them weaken you. 47 , you should use them to inspire you and show you what is possible. Then you are a true winner.
1. A．pleasing B．interesting C．inspiring D．amazing
2. A．extremely B．strangely C．sadly D．certainly
3. A．and B．but C．while D．or
4. A．easier B．harder C．better D．worse
5. A．went B．flew C．happened D．came
6. A．exhausted B．disappointed C．embarrassed D．annoyed
7. A．something B．anything C．everything D．nothing
8. A．How many B．How much C．How often D．How old
9. A．cooperate B．compare C．combine D．compromise
10. A．When B．Because C．Since D．Until
11. A．hardly B．sometimes C．always D．never
12. A．Furthermore B．Therefore C．Meanwhile D．Instead
If we ________ the other road, we might have arrived here in time for the meeting.
A．had taken B．take C．took D．have taken
