The number of speakers of English in Shakespeare’s time is estimated(估计) to have been about five million. Today it is estimated that some 260 million people speak it as a native language, mainly in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. In addition to the standard varieties of English found in these areas, there are a great many regional and social varieties of the language as well as various levels of usage that are employed both in its spoken and written forms.
In fact, it is impossible to estimate the number of people in the world who have acquired an adequate(足够的) working knowledge of English in addition to their own languages. The purpose for English learning and the situations in which such learning takes place are so varied that it is difficult to explain and still more difficult to judge what forms an adequate working knowledge for each situation.
The main reason for the widespread demand for English is its present-day importance as a world language. Besides serving the indefinite needs of its native speakers, English is a language in which some of important works in science, technology, and other fields are being produced, and not always by native speakers. It is widely used for such purposes as meteorological(气象的) and airport communications, international conferences, and the spread of information over the radio and television networks of many nations. It is a language of wider communication for a number of developing countries, especially former British colonies. Many of these countries have multilingual populations and need a language for internal communication in such matters as government, commerce, industry, law and education as well as for international communication and for entrance to the scientific and technological developments in the West.
1.What would be the best title for this passage?
A. The Difficulties of Learning English
B. International Communications
C. The Standard Varieties of English
D. English as a World Language
2. Which of the following statements is NOT true?
A. Some 260 million people in the world have an adequate working knowledge of English.
B. There are some 260 million native speakers of English in the world.
C. It is almost impossible to estimate the number of people with an adequate working knowledge of English.
D. People learn English for a variety of reasons.
3. According to the passage, what is the main reason for the widespread use of English?
A. It was popular during Shakespeare’s time.
B. It is used in former British colonies.
C. It serves the needs of its native speakers.
D. It is a world language that is used for international communication.
4. What forms an adequate working knowledge of English?
A. The ability to read a newspaper.
B. Being able to speak several languages.
C. It is difficult to judge because it differs for each situation.
D. Being a native speaker.
5.What type of developing countries would be most likely to use English?
A. Those geographically close to the United States.
B. Those interested in the culture of the United States.
C. Former colonies of Great Britain.
D. Countries where international conferences are held.
There was once a professor of medicine, who was very strict with the students. Whenever he took the chair on the exam committee, the students would be in fear, because he was seldom pleased with the answers they gave. A student would be lucky enough if he or she could receive a good mark from him. At the end of the term, the students of medicine would take their exam again. Now a student entered the exam room and got seated before the committee. This student was a little nervous as he knew it would not be so easy to get through the exam at all.
The professor began to ask. The student was required to describe a certain illness, his description of which turned out to be OK.
Then the professor asked about the cure (药剂) for illness, and the student, too, answered just as right.
“Good,” said the professor, “ and how much will you give the patient?”
“A full spoon”, answered the student.
“Now you may go out and wait for what you can get.”, said the professor. At the same time, the committee discussed carefully the answers the student had given. Suddenly the student noticed that there was something wrong with his last answer. “ A full spoon is too much,” he thought to himself. Anxiously he opened the door of the room and cried, “Mr Professor, I’ve make a mistake! A full spoon is too much for a patient. He can take only five drops.”
“I’m sorry, sir.” Said the professor coldly, “But it’s too late. Your patient has died.
1.The students were afraid of the professor because_________.
A. they often angered and disappointed him
B. their answers often astonished him
C. their answers seldom satisfied him
D. he often misunderstood(误解) them and give them bad marks
2.The student’s description of the illness was _____.
A. not correct B. not satisfied C. completely discouraging D. accepted.
3.Before he left the room the student was almost sure that ______.
A. he had passed the exam, and the only thing was to wait for the mark
B. his last answer was satisfying
C. he had made a mistake
D. he had not done well in the exam.
4.Which of the following is Not true?
A. The patient will be in danger if he’s taken as much as a full spoon.
B. The doctor will be in trouble if he’s given the patient a full spoon.
C. Since one spoon is less than five drops, the patient will be all right soon if he takes only one full spoon at a time.
D. If the patient wants to remain safe, he should take no more than five drops at a time.
5.Which guess is the most reasonable from the passage?
A. The student must have passed the exam.
B. The student may not have passed the exam.
C. The student must have been very happy when he heard, “Your patient has died.”
D. The professor must have been very pleased and given the student a good mark.
Riding School：
You can start horse—riding at any age．Choose private or group lessons any weekday
between 9 a．m．and 8：30 P．m．(3：30 p．m．on Saturdays)．There are 10 kilometers of tracks and paths for leisurely rides across farmland and open country．You will need a riding hat．
Opening Hours：Monday through Friday：9：00 a．m．—8：30 p．m．
Phone：(412)396—6754 Fax：(412)396—6752
Sailing Club：
Our Young Sailor’s Course leads to the Stage 1 Sailing qualification．You’ll learn how to sail safely and the course also covers sailing theory and first aid．Have fun with other course members , afterwards in the clubroom．There are 10 weekly two-hour 1essons (Tuesdays 6 p．m．～8 p．m．)．
Opening Hours：Tuesdays：6：00 p．m．—8：00 p．m．
Phone：(412)396—6644 Fax：(412)396—6644
Diving Centre： Our experienced instructors offer one-month courses in deep-sea diving for beginners．There are two evening lessons a week，in which you learn to breathe underwater and use the equipment safely．You only need swimming costume and towel．Reduced rates for couples．
Opening Hours：Monday and Friday：6：30 p．m．—8：30 p．m．
Phone：(412)396—6312 Fax：(412)396—6706
Medical Center：
The staff of the Medical Center aim to provide convenient and comprehensive medical care to students and staff of the university．The center is well equipped and the staff here are trained to deal with a broad range of medical problems．Both female and male doctors as well as nursing staff are available for consultation．Also，all kinds of medicines are sold here and are cheaper for students than other drugstores．
Opening Hours：24 hours from Monday to Sunday
Phone：(412)396--6649 Fax：(412)396—6648
Watersports Club：
We use a two-kilometer length of river for speedboat racing，and water-skiing，A beginners’course consists of ten 20-minute lessons．You will learn to handle boats safely and confidently，but must be able to swim．The club is in a convenient central position and is open daily from 9 a．m to 4 p．m，with lessons all through the day．
Opening Hours：Monday through Friday：9：00 a．m．—4：00 p．m．
Phone: (412)396—6899 Fax396—6890
1.If you want to swim and enjoy activities which are fast and a bit dangerous，you should join ________ ．
A． Diving Centre B. Riding School C．Watersports Club D．Sailing Club
2.If you want to experience a new activity in the countryside in the mornings，you may fax _____________________________ ．
A．(412)396—6752 B．(412)396—6648 C． (412)396—6876 D．(412)396—6706
3.If you are planning to explore the ocean depths．you should attend your lessons at ______ .
A．Monday through Friday：7：00 a．m．—10：00 p．m．
B．24 hour from Monday to Sunday
C．Tuesdays：6：00 p．m．—8：00 p．m．
D．Monday and Friday：6：30 p．m．—8：30 p．m．
4.You want to do an activity one evening a week and get a certificate in the end，you can go to __________________________．
A． Diving Center B．Sailing Club C． Riding School D．Watersports Club
5.Which is NOT the convenience that the Medical Center provides?
A． Well trained staff members． B．Nursery for newly-born babies.
C．Good equipment． D．Various less expensive medicines．
Popeye the Sailor first became a popular cartoon in the 1930s.The sailor in that cartoon ate lots of spinach to make him strong. People watched him, and they began to buy and eat a lot more spinach. Popeye helped sell 33 percent more spinach than before! Spinach became a necessary part of many people’s diets. Even some children who hated the taste began to eat the vegetable.
Many people thought that the iron in spinach made Popeye strong, but this is not true. Spinach does not have any more iron than any other green vegetable.
People only thought spinach had a lot of iron because the people who studied the food made a mistake. In the 1890s, a group of people studied what was inside vegetables. This group said that spinach had ten times more iron than it did. The group wrote the number wrong, and everyone accepted it.
Today, we know that the little iron that is in spinach cannot make a difference in how strong a person is. However, spinach does have something else which the body needs—folic acid.
It is interesting to point out that folic acid can help make a person strong. Maybe it was really the folic acid that made Popeye strong all along.
1. A good title for this reading passage is______.
A. Popeye the Sailor B. The Truth About Spinach
C.A Mistake with Numbers D. Folic Acid Makes You Strong
2. Why did many people eat spinach after they saw Popeye the Sailor?
A. They thought spinach made them strong.
B. They thought Popeye was funny.
C. Spinach had a lot of iron.
D. People liked folic acid.
3.A research group told people that spinach______.
A. made Popeye strong
B. was a green vegetable
C. had less iron than other green vegetables
D. had more iron than other green vegetables
4.The reading passage says that perhaps Popeye got his strength from______.
A. iron B. folic acid C. spinach D. exercise
5.Folic acid is ______.
A. something in food B. a vegetable C. dangerous D. a certain kind of spinach
My husband and I arrived in a new country just a month ago. We were a bit _ __about what was waiting for us. However, when we _ ___at the airport, a tall man with smiling eyes greeted us. The days and months were _ ___made easy for us by this kind man. He greeted us every day with his smiling face. He __ ___us in going to the bank, in buying our groceries, in showing us__ __to buy almost everything. He told us he is our big brother. Twice, we __ __ the match in a coffee shop.
During the first get-together, he __ __ us that we are lucky--- my husband and I are___ _ in this foreign land. He said he has been__ __for eight years now because he hardly sees his family,__ ___they are in his home country.
During the second get-together , he __ __told us that we are his family. He said that he loves us and that he will__ __us because he has been given a __ ___of 45 days to go back to his home country. That night, he spoke these words which__ ___a great effect on my life:“ You changed my life…”That night deep in our hearts we were __ ___by our friend’s words. We texted him upon reaching home,__ ___him for being a Big Brother to us in the foreign land. We told him__ __that we feel safe in going out when we are with him, to which he__ ___,“You are my family here.” On the first week of October, we’re going to_ ___him back from his vacation. We ’ll watch the football match again in that__ __shop that holds dear memories.
1.A. serious B. crazy C. certain D. worried
2.A. checked B. dropped C. landed D. settled
3.A. therefore B. instead C. also D. otherwise
4.A. expected B. troubled C. comforted D. accompanied
5.A. when B. where C. why D. whether
6.A. won B. met C. watched D. played
7.A. advised B. warned C. blamed D. convinced
8.A. together B. nearby C. around D. apart
9.A. sick B. lonely C. cheerful D. afraid
10.A. once B. unless C. as D. although
11.A. secretly B. jokingly C. proudly D. sincerely
12.A. hate B. miss C .forget D. respect
13.A. delay B. right C. vacation D. date
14.A. had B. designed C. solved D. received
15.A. puzzled B. moved C. astonished D. bothered
16.A. thanking B. forgiving C. repaying D. punishing
17.A. after all B. as well C. in return D. in advance
18.A. agreed B. objected C. added D. replied
19.A. see B. inform C. call D. force
20.A. book B. grocery C. coffee D. sports
---Can I join your club, dad?
---You can when you _______ a bit older.
A. are getting B. will get C. get D. will have got
