Growing up in Venezuela, there was never really much cause to learn English.
For years I knew nothing past “hello,” until I started high school. For five years, I spent two hours a week immersed in understanding the verb “to be”, numbers, colors, and the difference between saying “good evening” and “good night”.
I thought two hours a week was enough time to invest in learning a foreign language. I would always get top marks, and my teachers would regularly praise me.
Even as an adult, I still thought I spoke the language, just by understanding English menus or translating common phrases.
Yep, that used to be me, walking like a queen among everyday Spanish speakers.
“Bring it on, life,” I said.
“I can handle whatever you’ve got; I’m a rock star.” But when I moved to Canada, life hit me so hard that it knocked me down. Years later, I am still recovering.
Living in a new land, with different people, new rules, new weather, a new culture and language, I was no longer a queen.
Did I speak English?
No, not at all.
So, I went back to school, thinking that it was a challenge I would conquer in record time. But the reality was different. English was more like a solid wall in my path.
Even after getting a job, it took all my courage to stop myself from hiding in the washroom during my lunch break, crying, completely overwhelmed (不知所措的) and scared.
Learning English, speaking, listening – it hurt me. Not the language. Not the unkind people, it hurt because I wasn’t good, despite my efforts.
Now, after almost seven years in Canada, I’ve decided not to apologize for my accent, grammar mistakes, or pronunciation. I’m going to chase my dreams and enjoy a beautiful, rich, and fascinating language without being ashamed.
Don’t get me wrong, my brain still screams “Give me a break!” from time to time, but that’s completely natural.
I know it’s going to take a while, but at least now I accept the person I am – not the perfect person I thought I was.
1.What do we learn about learning English in Venezuela?
A.Everyone invested a lot of time in it.
B.It could bring a lot of benefits to students.
C.Its standard was very high in high school.
D.It didn’t require much effort.
2.What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 6 show about the author?
A.She was proud of her command of foreign languages.
B.She felt confident enough to face any challenge.
C.She delighted in all kinds of competition.
D.She looked down on others.
3.What happened after the author moved to Canada?
A.She expected to improve her English easily.
B.She regretted not working hard in English.
C.She quickly put her language talent to use.
D.She adjusted to the new environment rapidly.
4.What can we infer from the last three paragraphs?
A.The author now can pass as a native speaker.
B.The author has conquered English eventually.
C.The author has a realistic understanding of herself.
D.The author is frustrated with her English.
Cancer is a leading cause of death around the world. When it comes to cancer, the sooner you know you have it, the better your chances of surviving. A new blood test could change the way doctors and researchers find cancer in patients. Researchers say the test could provide evidence to the early forms of the disease.
Scientists at Swansea University in Wales came up with the idea. Gareth Jenkins is a professor at the university. “ In this blood test we don’t measure the presence of cancer; we measure the presence of mutant red blood cells which are collateral(附属的) damage that occurs---a by-product of the cancer developing.”
The researchers used normal laboratory equipment to perform the test. This equipment looks for changes in the structure of millions of red blood cells. Those mutant cells lack a surface protein that healthy cells normally have. “The main purpose of the test is to look for very rare cells which have picked up a mutation. The number of mutant red blood cells in a healthy person is around 5 or so per million. You have to look at millions of red blood cells to detect those rare events. These numbers increase in cancer patients---they go up to 40 or 50 mutants on average.”
The researchers tested blood from about 300 people, all of whom have cancer of the esophagus(食道). Patients with esophageal cancer have high levels of mutant red blood cells. Jenkins says that at this point he is not sure if other cancers will produce similar results.
The hope is that the new test and other non-invasive methods could one day become part of commonly used medical methods. He says that using a battery, or series, of tests will be the best way to find out if a person has cancer. These new technologies could save millions of lives.
1.According to the test, how do scientists find out if a person has cancer?
A.By calculating the speed of changes in the structure.
B.By observing the surface protein.
C.By looking for changes in the number of mutant red blood cells.
D.By measuring the presence of cancer.
2.What does the underlined word “mutant” in the 3rd paragraph mean?
A.Decreased. B.Changed. C.Increased. D.Multiplied.
3.The author adopts a/an tone in the passage.
A.humorous B.favorable C.critical D.objective
4.In which section of a website can you most probably find the passage?
A.Health. B.Fashion. C.Education. D.Culture.
Simply being quiet is a growing appeal. Lots of business have appeared to meet a rising demand for quiet time, from silent weekend getaways to silent dining, silent reading parties and even silent dating. Silence can mean different things to different people. We are usually silent only with those closest to us. So there is something almost radical(不同凡响的)about the recent trend towards enjoying silence with strangers.
Mariel started a regular silent reading party in Dundee just under a year ago. Readers bring their books and meet in a bar, where they read together in silence for an hour or sometimes two and then put their books away to chat and have a drink. “When the reading party starts, everything goes quiet,” says Mariel, “ It’s a little bit surreal (超现实的), especially in what is usually a noisy bar. However, there is something special about sharing the silence with others. It offers a chance to escape from reality; everyone is so busy with work and with technology being ever present. An event like this gives people the opportunity to escape these things for a while.”
Honi Ryan is an artist based in Berlin who began hosting silent dinner back in 2006. The rules of the dinner are: no talking, no using your voice, no reading or writing, trying to make as little noise as possible, not connecting with technology, and staying for at least two hours. So far she has taken her silent dinner project to Mexico, the US, Australia and China. “It’s evident that the age-old connections we make over food do not depend on the words around it. Silence creates the space for the people and places involved to fill with whatever is needed; it is quite different from our usual social behaviors.”
1.Why have lots of silent businesses appeared?
A.To satisfy people’s demand for silence.
B.To make people get close to each other.
C.To appeal to young people.
D.To change people’s old way of life.
2.What can we learn about Mariel’s silent reading parties?
A.Readers can use their voice while reading.
B.Readers can be busy with their work.
C.Readers can connect with technology.
D.Readers can chat and drink after reading.
3.The underlined word “it” in the last paragraph refers to .
A.noise B.space C.silence D.food
4.What can be a suitable title for the text?
A.Escape from Reality. B.Enjoying Being Quiet.
C.Silent Reading Parties. D.Silent Dining Projects.
Travel Journal
Friday
We arrived in Paris on Friday lunchtime and went straight to our apartment. We then went for a walk around our area and realized how close we were to the centre of Paris. It only took us 20 minutes to walk to the Louvre. After a walk around the Tuileries Gardens, we went for afternoon tea in a café called Angelina which has the most delicious hot chocolate. After warming up we then walked along to the big department store Printemps, on the top floor where you get a wonderful view of Paris (this was free). We walked along a street called Grands Boulevards which was beautiful with all its Christmas lights. The shops on this street are famous for their Christmas window displays. In the evening we cooked at the apartment and went to a Scottish pub which was funny as two of my friends are Scottish.
Saturday
In the morning we went for brunch (a meal between breakfast and lunch) at a really cool café called FAB (French American Bakery). We had waffles with bacon and fresh carrot and ginger juice. We found out that we were really close to a chocolate museum, so of course we took a visit--- who doesn’t love chocolate! In the afternoon we went to a Christmas market with unique handmade gifts and crafts. In the evening we ate at a Tunisian restaurant and had roast chicken and vegetable stew with couscous. It was delicious and the restaurant was in a cute little lane.
Sunday
On Sunday we went for breakfast at the same café and we caught our train back home at midday, carrying shopping bags full of lovely presents that we had bought at the Christmas market. We had a great weekend in Paris. Exploring this beautiful city with no plans was an unusual but great idea as we got to do things we wouldn’t normally discover. I highly recommend spending a weekend somewhere trying to be a local!
1.Where did they enjoy the beautiful view of Paris?
A.In a Scottish pub. B.In a department store.
C.In a café called Angelina. D.In the Louvre.
2.What may the Christmas market be famous for?
A.Christmas lights. B.Delicious food.
C.Handmade gifts and crafts. D.Christmas window display.
3.When did they leave Paris according to the text?
A.On Sunday lunchtime. B.On the morning of Saturday.
C.On the morning of Sunday. D.On Friday lunchtime.
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.What can we learn from the news?
A.Nobody was killed.
B.15 houses were badly damaged.
C.Over 200 people were made homeless.
2.How many people were badly injured in the storm?
A.7. B.9. C.10.
3.What do we know about the farmer?
A.His house was destroyed.
B.One of his children was missing.
C.His wife was hurt by the falling walls.
4.What did the woman do when she saw her house shaking?
A.She tried to take something out.
B.She told her husband not to leave.
C.She rushed out with her children.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.How did the man react when he saw the woman dancing?
A.He was annoyed. B.He was inspired.
C.He was surprised.
2.How does the man usually exercise?
A.He likes to ride a bicycle. B.He likes to play soccer.
C.He likes to run.
3.What will the speakers probably do next?
A.Study for a test. B.Go to the gym together.
C.Show each other their moves.
