A student is learning to speak British English. He wonders(想知道): Can I communicate(交际) with Americans? Can they understand me? Learners of English often ask: What are the differences between British and American English? How important are these differences?
Certainly, there are some differences between British and American English. There are a few differences in grammar. For example, speakers of British English say “in hospital” and “Have you a pen?” Americans say “in the hospital” and “Do you have a pen?”.Pronunciation is sometimes different. Americans usually sound theirs in words like “bird” and “hurt”. Speakers of British English do not sound theirs in these words. There are differences between British and American English in spelling and vocabulary. For example, “colour” and “honour” are British, “color” and “honor” are American.
These differences in grammar, pronunciation, spelling and vocabulary are not important, however. For the most part, British and American English are the same language.According to this passage, a student who is learning to speak American English might be afraid that __________.
| A．British people cannot understand him |
| B．American people cannot understand him |
| C．the grammar is too hard for him |
| D．the spelling is too hard for him |
American English and British English are different in __________.
| A．spelling | B．pronunciation | C．grammar | D．all of the above |
What is NOT mentioned(提及) in the passage?
| A．Whether there are differences between British English and American English. |
| B．Whether British English and American English are one language or two. |
| C．How the differences between British English and American English came about. |
| D．How important the differences are. |
Most ______say “Do you have a watch?”
| A．British people | B．Americans | C．children | D．teachers |
According to this passage, British people and Americans have ______ difficulty in understanding each other.
| A．little | B．much | C．some | D．great |
The Tropical Paradise Holiday
Welcome to St Anna, our tropical paradise just off the coast of Latin America. You can spend two weeks in our luxury four-star hotel. The cost of your flight is included in the holiday, and you can be picked up from your home by our special airport bus. On your arriving, our coach will be waiting to take you to the hotel. All flights leave from Heathrow on a Monday morning.
The Cowrie Hotel is built right on the beachfront, and many rooms have wonderful ocean views. If swimming and surfing are not enough for you, the hotel also offers horse rides on the island, and a discount membership of the golf club.
The Rain Forest Adventure Holiday
Every year Broughton holidays offer twelve days of unforgettable adventure in a tropical rain forest. You may have a choice of Borneo, Malaysia, Indonesia, or even to the greatest rain forest of them all, the mighty Amazonian forest.
You will fly to our special base camps at the edge of the forest, where you will be given five days of survival training, and talks on the local wildlife.
Then you take a bus into the forest. You will have to walk the final five miles to the camp sites to avoid disturbing the local ecology. All of the camp sites have been carefully built to cause the minimal amount of disturbance to the local wildlife.
Remember that these adventure holidays take you deep into the wilderness,and they are not suitable for families with young children. Also remember that no more than two dozen guests can stay at any camp at one time, so if you want to go on one of these very special holidays, you will need to book early ! Choosing the Tropical Paradise Holiday, travellers can enjoy ______.
| A．a welcome party |
| B．beautiful ocean views |
| C．different indoor activities |
| D．free membership of the golf club |
What can we learn about the rain forest holiday?
| A．Different means of transportation will be used. |
| B．Travelers will learn to talk with wild animals. |
| C．The holiday will end with a survival training. |
| D．Booking early, travelers will get a discount. |
What kind of people will probably choose the rain forest holiday?
| A．People loving water sports. |
| B．People travelling with children. |
| C．People preferring comfortable hotels. |
| D．People concerned with environment and wildlife. |
Which of the following is mentioned in both holidays?
| A．Price. | B．Transportation. |
| C．Reservation. | D．Departure time. |
Lost iPhone
Unexpectedly, I lost my white iPhon5s in Midtown on Friday night. It had a blue green cover on it. There are many pictures of my son on it, and I’m heartbroken. Please return, no questions asked. Reward. Reply to: 2652255359@craigslist.org
Do you need a babysitter that you can trust?
My name is Tina. I am a responsible babysitter that you can trust. If you are looking for someone dependable and affordable I am that person! I HAVE MORE THAN 30 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE (including disabled children) ! I am a retired Home Health Aid and absolutely love children. I work with my sister Iris who has also 20+years as a teacher’s assistant. WE LOOK FORWARD TO MEETINC YOU! Available 24 hours and flexible with fees! I am fully bilingual—Spanish/English. Please email me or call 712-867-7688.
I BABYSIT ONLY AT MY HOME.
I accept children from all ages. Fee starts from $100-$150 a week depending on the hours. I am very flexible and my fee can change. Feel free to contact me via email or on my cell phone 566-67-1873 and we can work something out.
Part-time Chinese Babysitter Wanted
Part-time Chinese speaking babysitter needed to assist with one-year-old twins and to perform some light housework as needed. Assistance needed Fridays and occasional weekends. Please provide your salary expectation. College students are welcome to apply.
Reply to: 2652113885 @craigslist.orgWho posted the lost and found information?
| A．A mother | B．A kind woman |
| C．A heartbroken girl | D．A parent |
What do we know about Tina?
| A．She can speak two languages. |
| B．She lives alone now. |
| C．She takes care of children over 3. |
| D．She used to be a teacher’s assistant. |
If you want to send your kids to the babysitter’s home, you can find one in______.
| A．Ad 1 | B．Ad 2 | C．Ad 3 | D．Ad 4 |
Sparrow is a fast-food chain with 200 restaurants. Some years ago, the group to which Sparrow belonged was taken over by another company. Although Sparrow showed no sign of declining, the chain was generally in an unhealthy state. With more and more fast-food concepts reaching the market, the Sparrow menu had to struggle for attention. And to make matters worse, its new owner had no plans to give it the funds it required.
Sparrow failed to grow for another two years. Until a new CEO, Carl Pearson, decided to build up its market share. He did a survey, which showed that consumers who already used Sparrow restaurants were extremely positive about the chain, while customers of other fast-food chains were unwilling to turn away from them. Sparrow had to develop a new promotional campaign.
Pearson faced a battle over the future of the Sparrow brand. The chain’s owner now favored rebranding Sparrow as Marcy’s restaurants. Pearson resisted, arguing for an advertising campaign designed to convince customers that visits to Sparrow restaurants were fun. Such an attempt to establish a positive relationship between a company and the general public was unusual for that time. Pearson strongly believed that numbers were the key to success, rather than customers speeding power. Finally, the owner accepted his idea.
The campaign itself changed the traditional advertising style of the fast-food industry. The TV ads of Sparrow focused on entertainment and featured original songs performed by a variety of stars. Instead of showing the superiority of a specific product, the intension was to put Sparrow in the hearts of potential customers.
Pearson also made other decisions which he believed would contribute to the new Sparrow image. For example, he offered to lower the rent of any restaurants which achieved a certain increase in their turnover (营业额).
These efforts paid off, and Sparrow soon became one of the most successful fast-food chains in the regions where it operated.Which was one of the problems Sparrow faced before Pearson became CEO?
| A．The number of its customers was declining |
| B．Its customers found the food unhealthy |
| C．It was in need of financial support |
| D．Most of its restaurants were closed |
What does the underlined word “them” in Paragraph 2 refer to?
| A．customers of Sparrow restaurants |
| B．Sparrow restaurants |
| C．customers of other fast-food chains |
| D．other fast-food chains |
For what purpose did Pearson start the advertising campaign?
| A．To build a good relationship with the public. |
| B．To stress the unusual tradition of Sparrow. |
| C．To learn about customers’ spending power. |
| D．To meet the challenge from Marcy’s restaurants. |
What was Pearson’s achievement as a CEO?
| A．He managed to pay off Sparrow’s debts. |
| B．He made Sparrow much more competitive. |
| C．He helped Sparrow take over a company. |
| D．He improved the welfare of Sparrow employees. |
Will Nanfang University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen announce a new beginning for China’s higher education reform? It’s too early to answer. But its presence is challenging the Ministry of Education. Even without the approval of the ministry it seems that the school is determined to move forward and enroll 50 students, so-called child prodigies(奇才), to begin classes on March l, 2011.On graduating in 2015, these students will receive a diploma unauthorized by the Ministry of Education----unlike the students of their age from the state-run universities.
The school is committed to modeling itself on Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, but if the government will not approve the school, the situation could cause a lot of trouble for those 50 students if they want to do graduate studies at other higher learning institutions. Other schools could turn their applications down for their unauthorized diplomas.
The difficulties, however, have not frightened students and their parents away. On Dec.18, 2010 more than 1,000 students and their parents visited Nanfang University of Science and Technology for interviews.
Private investment marks the school out from other higher learning institutions in the nation. Not a penny comes from the government. So the government will have no voice in how the school will be run.
The Ministry of Education has published a comprehensive plan for education reform and development between 2011 and 2020.The goal is to make China’s higher education internationally competitive. To accomplish this goal, the government should have the courage to let the educators who have big ideas try them out. The ministry should have applauded the independence. The school in Shenzhen has shown and encouraged more to do likewise.
Education reform in China has reached a new and crucial stage. Nanfang University of Science and Technology has a long way to go to prove itself competitive rather than a diploma mill.Over 1,000 students and parents visited the school because _________.
| A．they believe that the school will have a bright future |
| B．they believe the government is sure to approve the school |
| C．the school models itself on Hong Kong University successfully |
| D．they will never do graduate studies at other higher learning institutions |
The trouble the students in the school may have is that ________.
| A．the government will have no voice in the school |
| B．they won’t receive any diploma when graduating from the school |
| C．other schools are unlikely to accept their diploma from the school |
| D．they will not learn how to be competitive |
What does the author think of Nanfang University of Science and Technology?
| A．It is another kind of diploma mill. |
| B．It’s impossible for the school to be competitive. |
| C．It will never get the approval from the Ministry of Education. |
| D．Its independence from the government may benefit the education reform. |
What is the best title of the passage?
| A．University of New Style. |
| B．China’s Education Reform. |
| C．Modeling Hong Kong University. |
| D．Authorized or Not? |
Nine years ago, after Leo had died, people said to me. "I never knew he was your stepfather." You see, I never called him that. At first, he was no one special in my life. Then he became my friend. In time, I felt he was also my father.
Leo married my mother when I was eleven. Two years later we moved into a house in a new suburban development, where we put down roots. At first our lawn was just a mud with wild grass, but Leo saw bright possibilities. "We'll plant trees there to give us shade as well as some flowers," he said. And just these little touches made our house different from all the others. More important, a real family was forming. Leo was becoming a full-time parent, and I was learning what it meant to have a father.
Weekday mornings when the weather was bad, Leo often drove me to school. Having a father drop you off may have been something my classmates took for granted, but I always thought it was wonderful. Saturday mornings, we went to the hardware shop, then stepped into the five-and-ten, buying a sports magazine or something else. Some people might think that doing shopping together is nothing special, but I, who had ever before spent my childhood watching other families do their everyday activities, experienced them now with extreme delight. Looking back, I realized that Leo gave me what I needed most—the experience of doing ordinary things together as a family.
Soon after we moved to the suburbs, one of our new neighbors introduced herself to me. She had already met my mother and Leo. "You know," she said, "you look just like your father." I knew she was just making conversation--but even so... "Thank you", I said. Why tell her anything different?The writer's purpose in writing this passage is _______.
| A．to show his pride to have a good stepfather |
| B．to show how interesting a person Leo was |
| C．to remind us of our parents |
| D．to explain why they moved to the suburbs |
The phrase “put down roots”in the second paragraph means _______.
| A．farmed | B．planted | C．settled | D．worked |
In the writer's opinion, _______.
| A．it is not easy to live with a stepfather |
| B．not all the stepfathers are as good as Leo |
| C．the husband and wife must think more about their children before they divorce |
| D．in stepfamilies the love and friendship are extremely precious |
The last sentence “Why tell her anything different?”means that _________.
| A．he should have told the truth |
| B．he wouldn't tell her the truth |
| C．he wanted to tell her something that had nothing to do with Leo |
| D．he wanted to keep silence whenever he met the neighbors |
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