Man has a big brain. He can think, learn and speak. Scientists once thought that men are different from animals because they can think and learn. They know that animals can learn—dogs, rats, birds can learn. So scientists are beginning to understand that men are different from animals because they can speak. Animals cannot speak. They make noises when they are afraid, or angry, or unhappy. Apes（猿） can understand some things more quickly than human, one or two have learnt a few words. But they are still different from us. They cannot join words and make sentences; they cannot think like us because they have no language. They can never think about the past or the future.
Language is a wonderful thing. Man has been able to build a modern world because he has language. Every child can speak his own language very well when he is four or five—but no animal learns to speak. How do children learn? What happens when we speak? Scientists do not know.
They only know that man can speak because he has a big brain.
1.In what way are men different from animals?
A. Men have learnt to use language.
B. Men can learn.
C. Men can understand things quickly.
D. Men have brains.
2.What is the thing an ape cannot do?
A. Making noises. B. Understanding things.
C. Learning words. D. Speaking like men.
3.Scientists now know _______.
A. how children learn to speak
B. what happens when men speak.
C. why apes can learn a few words
D. man's brain helps him to learn to speak
4.What is the suitable topic for this passage?
A. Ape's Language. B. Man's brain and Language.
C. Human Brain. D. Animals Learning.
Today, roller skating （滑旱冰）is easy and fun. But a long time ago, it wasn't easy at all. Before 1750, the idea of skating didn't exist. That changed because of a man named Joseph Merlin. Merlin's work was making musical instruments. In his spare time he liked to play the violin. Joseph Merlin was a man of ideas and dreams. People called him a dreamer.
One day Merlin received an invitation（邀请） to attend a fancy dress ball（舞会）. He was very pleased and a little excited. As the day of the party came near, Merlin began to think how to make a grand entrance at the party. He had an idea. He thought he would get a lot of attention if he could skate into the room.
Merlin tried different ways to make himself roll finally, he decided to put two wheels under each shoe. These were the first roller skates. Merlin was very proud of his invention and dreamed of（梦想） arriving at the party on wheels while playing the violin.
On the night of the party Merlin rolled into the room playing his violin. Everyone was astonished to see him. There was just one problem. Merlin had no way to stop his roller skates. He rolled on and on, suddenly, he ran into a huge mirror that was hanging on the wall. Down fell the mirror, breaking to pieces. Nobody forgot Merlin's grand entrance for a long time!
1.The text is mainly about ________.
A. a strange man
B. an unusual party
C. how roller skating began
D. how people enjoyed themselves in the 18th century
2.People thought Merlin was a dreamer because he ________.
A. often gave others surprises
B. was a gifted musician
C. invented the roller skates
D. was full of imagination
3.What is the main point the writer is trying to make in the last paragraph?
A. The roller skates needed further improvement.
B. The party guests took merlin for a fool.
C. Merlin succeeded beyond expectation.
D. Merlin got himself into trouble.
Mr. and Mrs. Gordon were sitting on the sand, reading their magazines. Mr. Gordon was too stingy (吝啬) to rent (租) a chair. Their twelve-year-old daughter. Sandra, was playing at the water's edge. Suddenly a huge wave（波浪） lifted Sandra up and carried her out to sea. Luckily, a lifeguard(救生员) was on duty and he saw the wave carry Sandra away. He ran along the beach and dived into the sea. He swam quickly to where the girl, with her head only just above the water, was shouting for help. She was very frightened. When the lifeguard reached her, she struggled (斗争) with him, as drowning (快淹死) people often do. However, he was a skillful lifeguard and quickly took hold of her and swam with her back to the beach. By the time he reached it, Mr. and Mrs. Gordon had realized what had happened. They had run down to the water's edge, neither of them could swim. They just stood in the shallow water, and worried about their daughter. Had the lifeguard reached her in time? Luckily, he had. "That was quick work, young man," Mr. Gordon said. He turned to his wife, "Give the lifeguard a dollar. ""A dollar!" Sandra cried," dad, how can you give him a dollar! He saved my life. I was half dead. "" Quite right, girl " Mr. Gordon said, pleased by his daughter's awareness (意识) of the value of money. He turned to his wife again and said," She's right. She was only half dead. Give him fifty cents. "
1.What happened to Sandra?
A. She ran into the sea.
B. She died.
C. She was drowned.
D. Her life was saved by a lifeguard.
2.What did Mr. and Mrs. Gordon do when Sandra was carried out to sea by the wave?
A. They shouted to the lifeguard.
B. They dived into the water.
C. They offered the lifeguard money to save Sandra.
D. Perhaps they were reading magazines.
3.Why was Sandra angry with her father?
A. He didn't give the lifeguard any money.
B. He didn't swim out to save her.
C. He didn't show the lifeguard hearty thankfulness.
D. He gave the lifeguard too much money.
4.Why was Mr. Gordon pleased with her daughter.
A. She was safe again.
B. She was polite to the lifeguard.
C. He thought she did not want him to give the lifeguard too much money.
D. She gave the lifeguard fifty cents.
书面表达
假设你是李华， 你校学生会准备举办一次元宵节晚会。请你代表学生会给交换生Mike 发一封英文邀请函。主要内容包括：
1. 活动时间：1月22日晚7点到9点
2. 活动地点：铁人广场
3. 活动内容：赏灯、品尝元宵、猜灯谜等
注意：1. 词数100左右 2. 适当增加细节，使行文连贯；
参考词汇： 元宵节：Lantern Festival， 灯笼:lantern, 元宵：sweet dumpling 灯谜： lantern riddle
短文改错
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处，每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1.每处错误及其修改均限一词。
2.只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分.
Yesterday morning, I was surprising to hear that my best friend Allee has been hit by a car and was in hospital. The other day when he was going to cross a street,he was such careful that he didn’t go until he saw the traffic light to turn green. But hardly had he got to the middle of the street while he saw a car suddenly appear on his right-hand side and come directly towards them. It was too late for Allee to escape. He was hit by the car or was thrown a few meters away. He was sent to the nearest hospital immediately and had operation. When I went to see him, he was out of dangers but still looked pale. I sincere hope he will recover and return to normal as soon as possible.
结合句子用所给单词的适当形式填空或根据汉语意思填空。
1.I’m skeptical _____ the result of the survey.
2.How many __________(explain) are given for the disappearance of the dinosaurs?
3.If you throw light_____ something, you make it easier to understand.
4.The red dragon which appears on the Welsh flag is a positive symbol, _______(indicate) strength and a sense of national identity.
5.In Chinese culture, dragons are _______(慷慨的) and wise, although they can be unpredictable.
6.The Chinese refer to their language ___ Han, as it became popular during the Han Dynasty.
7.His first book, the Elementary Spelling Book, suggested_______(simple) the spelling of English words.
8.It is the best lecture that I ______(attend) since I came to this school.
9.I’d like to watch the news on CNN. It ______(start) at eight o’ clock.
10.We have really everything ____ common with America nowadays, except of course, language.
11.The other two areas ______ the two varieties differ are spelling and pronunciation.
12.Do Chinese people from different regions have problems_______ (understand) each other?
13.The Irish writer Bernard Shaw made the famous remark ______ the British and the Americans are two nations divided by a common language.
14.The British _______(批评) the dictionary, but it quickly became a standard reference book in the States.
15.By the end of last week, we______ (learn) ten lessons.
