Not all English is the same
To many learners of English, it’s easy to think that all native speakers have no trouble communicating with one another.
1.
Well, it turns out that being a native English speaker from one country doesn’t mean that you’re able to perfectly understand a native English speaker from another country, and vice versa (反之亦然)
Take the UK and the US for example.
As a Briton, I grew up hearing American accents alongside British ones – on TV shows, movies and in songs.2. and how they would eat “cookies” instead of “biscuits”. And it took me a while to figure out that the “trunk” (n. 后备箱) of a car is what us Britons call its “boot”.
The confusion didn’t stop at just vocabulary –3. For example, when talking about shopping malls, Americans pronounce it “mawl” instead of “mal”. And for some reason that’s hard for Britons to understand, Americans remove the “H” sound from “herb”, pronouncing it “erb”.
These small differences may not change much in a day-to-day conversation between a Briton and an American.4. Recently, for example, an American friend told me that she liked my pants. “You can see them?” I asked, shocked. Pants means “underpants” to most British people, which explains my horror.
5. In the US, for example, a “bum” is a homeless person, while the same word in the UK is used to describe one’s backside（n.臀部）.
And, more amusingly, “trump” was only ever really used as a verb in the UK – meaning “to pass gas” – until the US’ current president came into the spotlight.
But as long as you can speak one version of English, it’s easy enough to understand any other – and any confusion just makes your day more interesting.
A. English is changing as it spreads around the world.
B. After all, English is English, isn’t it?
C. I soon noticed how Americans would put “gas” in their cars instead of “petrol” .
D. However, confusion can still happen every now and then.
E. There are different words that mean the difficult thing.
F. Some words can even be offensive (adj.无礼的) without you realizing it.
G. I discovered that many words are even pronounced differently.
Many science fiction stories tell about explorers arriving in a new world. The explorers then use some kind of high-tech device to test for breathable air or signs of life. But here on Earth, science fiction is becoming reality through a new sampling technology called environmental DNA, or eDNA for short. Scientists can use it to identify rare species or estimate fish populations with just a little air or water.
Environmental DNA can be used in two ways. One is to identify the creatures that live in a certain place. The other is to confirm the presence or lack of a specific creature.
Caren Goldberg is one of the first biologists to take the technology from the testing stage to actually using it. She sees eDNA as a way to get answers more efficiently and with less destruction compared to traditional survey techniques. Until recently, scientists depended on snorkeling ( 潜水), netting or using an electric current to temporarily catch fish.
This newer way to identify what lives in the environment is becoming popular around the world. Animal experts in Vietnam are using the eDNA to find the last, wild Yangtze giant softshell turtles. One researcher on the Caribbean island of Trinidad is using the sampling technology to find endangered golden treefrogs. In Madagascar, it is being used to identify amphibian(两栖动物)diseases.
Ms Goldberg has used eDNA testing to confirm the local extinction (灭绝) of a leopard frog in the American state of Idaho. She has also been asked to document the spread of the New Zealand mudsnail in the state of Washington. The creature has been found in lakes and other waterways across the state.
Scientists working with the technology say they do not expect robots to replace field biologists anytime soon. But the old-fashioned field work could soon be more targeted.
1.Compared to traditional survey techniques, eDNA is more______.
A. complex B. eco-friendly
C. dangerous D. convincing
2.By using eDNA, Caren Goldberg has______.
A. succeeded in catching many fishes
B. found the existence of golden treefrogs
C. documented the spread of softshell turtles
D. confirmed the disappearance of the leopard frog in Idaho
3.What can we infer from the last paragraph ?
A. Robots will replace scientists soon.
B. Some scientists are against using eDNA.
C. The old-fashioned field work may disappear.
D. Many biologists are unwilling to do the field work.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A. Science Fiction Becomes Reality for Species Surveys
B. Biologists Explore Space with the Help of eDNA
C. Scientists Found Methods to Test for Signs of Life
D. New Technologies Are Presented in Science Fictions
When we talk about famous UK writer Agatha Christie, it seems that her famous detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple are must-reads. So, of course, are her best-selling novels Murder on the Orient Express (1934) and Death on the Nile (1937).
But when the readers around the world were asked to name their favorite Christie novel to mark her 125th birthday on Sept 15, And Then There Were None (1939) topped the list, reported The Guardian.
It may surprise you to learn that it is a crime novel without a detective. What it does have is suspense (n.悬念) and a very sinister (adj.邪恶的) atmosphere. It is “on a knife edge”, as Mathew Prichard, Christie’s grandson, told the newspaper.
Ten people get an invitation to come to a house on a small island near Devon in South West England. Nobody refuses these invitations since each one promises something the person wants: a job, a holiday, a chance to meet up again with an old friend .
These people are all responsible for deaths. Some are directly responsible, others are responsible because of what they did not do. Anthony James Marston, for instance, killed two children while driving dangerously. He did not feel guilty and actually complained when he was banned from driving. Another, Emily Caroline Brent, is a harsh person who threw out a young servant for becoming pregnant while unmarried. The servant later killed herself.
When they arrive at the house they are played a recording. The voice gives details of the wrongdoing of each of the guests. Starting with Marston, each is killed in a way that fits their crime. The series of deaths is completed with a hanging, “and then there were none”, as the title suggests.
Christie can be quite a predictable writer. Some of her stories are a little unoriginal. But this book is full of clever writing. Look it up to find out what this hugely successful mystery writer, the “Queen of Crime” as she was called, could do at her best.
1.All of the following are Agatha Christie’s works EXCEPT ______.
A. Queen of Crime
B. Death on the Nile
C. And Then There Were None
D. Murder on the Orient Express
2.What makes Then There Were None more astonishing ?
A. The unique theme offered by Agatha Christie.
B. The criminal plot without a detective.
C. The attractive place shown in the novel.
D. The varied characters created by Agatha Christie.
3.According to the author, the title of the novel suggests that ______.
A. no guests survive in the end
B. no detectives appear in the novel
C. there are no mysteries in the novel
D. nobody is to blame for the deaths of the guests
4.Which of following is TRUE about the novel And Then There Were None?
A. All the people in the novel have killed someone before.
B. Ten innocent people are killed on a small island.
C. The people in the novel accept the invitations because of something they are offered.
D. A detective finds out who is responsible for the people’s deaths in the end.
Emmoni Lopez used to take dance lessons while her older brothers wrestled – but it turned out that she liked wrestling better.
Her mom wasn’t surprised when Lopez told her she liked wrestling more than dance, and three years after Lopez took up the sport, she enjoys watching her daughter wrestle. Still, when a coach first asked Lopez to join his program, her mom hesitated– she never thought her daughter would want to be a wrestler.
Lopez is among a growing number of girls who are taking up wrestling. Officials with youth organizations in Chicago and the Illinois Kids Wrestling Federation (IKWF) said they’ve seen the number of girls participating in the sport take off in recent years.
In Lopez’s program, about half of the students participating in the organization’s free youth wrestling camp this summer are girls, coach Frankie Zepeda said.
Many of the girls Zepeda sees become interested in wrestling through their brothers, he said.
“They probably just learn to … fight back,” he said.
One of those was Yamilet Aguirre. She took up wrestling because she was bored just watching her brother wrestle, she said.
“I can have fun doing it,” she said. “And I can prove girls are just as strong as boys are.”
Though girls have competed on high school wrestling teams in Illinois for years, coaches and female wrestlers said there weren’t many participating a decade ago.
“It’s really picked up over the last few years,” said Jim Considine, president of the IKWF.
Between the 2015-16 and 2017-18 seasons, the number of girls registered with IKWF grew from 363 to 503, and more of the organization’s events are featuring a girls-only division. Girls and boys wrestle together during the season through IKWF, but there’s a girls-only championship at the end of the year.
And by adding female wrestling programs, colleges are giving girls and young women another option.
“Female wrestling isn’t something unacceptable anymore,” Considine said. “Things have happened so quickly. Ten years ago, you’d never have dreamed of doing this.”
1.What has helped her take up wrestling, in Yamilet Aguirre’s case?
A. Her wish to be stronger than boys.
B. Her awareness to protect girls.
C. Her parents’ expectations.
D. The experience of watching wrestling competitions.
2.The underlined word “option” is closest in meaning to ______.
A. challenge B. chance
C. choice D. change
3.What can we learn about female wrestling in the US from the article?
A. Its popularity in college is declining.
B. It’s still unacceptable in many people’s eyes.
C. It has been accepted by colleges.
D. College girls like it less than dancing.
4.Which of the following would be the best title for the text ?
A. A Female Sport Event
B. Not Just for Boys
C. The Great Sports Personality
D. Make Way for Male Wrestlers
Head of Research
Salary:￡55.271
We are looking for a Head of Research to manage the CWU Research Department and Information Centre. You would be required to exercise control of all research work of the department and manage a team of three researchers and four support staff.
The person appointed would be expected to carry out research work of a strategic nature across the range of businesses in which the CWU has or seeks membership and to contribute to the strategic thinking and direction of the union as a whole.
You will need: proven line management skills, especially in managing and motivating a team；good research skills, holding a good degree in a related subject or other similar experience；a high level of mathematical and calculating skills；the ability to produce high quality work under pressure；a commitment to any knowledge of the trade union movement and social democratic politics；and knowledge and/or experience of the postal and/or telecommunications industry.
To apply, please demand an application pack by emailing hr@cwu.org or by telephoning HR(Human Resources)on 020 8971 7482.When applying, please stay your source.
Closing Date for Applications: 4th August
Anticipated interview date: 17th August
No agencies please
1.In which column of a newspaper could we find this advertisement?
A. Arts. B. Sales.
C. News. D. Jobs.
2.One of the duties of the person to be appointed is________.
A. seeking membership for the trade union
B. taking charge of research work
C. managing a team of three or four members
D. running a telecommunications company
3.If you want to apply for this position, you can do all EXCEPT________.
A. send in your application before 4th August
B. dial 020 8971 7482 for more information
C. email hr@cwu.org for an application pack
D. ask an agency for an application form
阅读下面短文，根据所给情节进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。
In 1989, fresh out of high school, I had the difficult task of choosing a career path before college started in three months. In those days in Pakistan, there were limited choices: becoming a doctor or an engineer, or entering the financial world after getting a business degree. I wasn’t interested in engineering, so that I was left with medicine or business. I couldn’t decide.
My uncle suggested that I do a work placement(实习) to experience it for a month in an international company followed by a month in a hospital. After that, I could make a decision. It seemed like a good idea.
I was accepted for a month’s placement at a foreign bank in Karachi. I got a feel for how the world of finance functioned, made new friends, and generally enjoyed the mostly easy-going work surroundings.
The month passed rapidly, and soon I began working at a leading hospital in Karachi. The experience couldn’t have been more different. The hospital had a stressful environment. The days started early (at 7 am, compared to 9 am at the bank), and were filled with endless duties. And the night calls! This was crazy, working all day, through the night, and again the next day.
I began thinking about my two experiences. The bank had offered a more relaxing atmosphere, better working hours and less stress. The hospital was full of excitement, but the studying and training was difficult. It seemed that the business choice was going to win out.
Near the end of my month at the hospital, I was driving home after an especially busy night call. In front of me was a public bus, with college students sitting on the top. As the driver weaved through (穿梭) traffic, I could see the boys shaking from side to side.
注意:
1.所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2.应使用5个以上短文中标有下划线的关键词语；
3.续写部分分为两段，每段开头语已为你写好；
4.续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语；
Paragraph 1:
Suddenly, a boy fell off the back of the bus.
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Paragraph 2:
The next day, when I went to the hospital to see the boy, all his family got up, with grateful smiles on their faces.
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