In English the spelling of words does not always represent the sound. So people say /rait/ but spell it right or write, or even rite. Combinations of letters may be pronounced in many ways. And some words just seem to have too many letters.
For Americans things are a little bit easier, thanks to the work of Noah Webster, a teacher who graduated from Yale University in 1778. As a young man, he had fought against the British in the American War of Independence, and he felt that written English in the newly independent United States should have a distinctive American look.
So he began his work on American English. His first book, The Elementary Spelling Book, suggested simplifying the spelling of English words. The book was extremely popular. By the 1850s, it was selling one million copies a year, making it one of the most popular school books ever.
Many of the suggestions were quickly adopted. Center instead of centre, program instead of programme, and flavor instead of flavour. Others, however, such as removing silent letters like s in island or the final e in examine, were not .
Webster is best known for his American Dictionary of the English language, which first appeared in 1828. It introduced lots of new American words, with information about their pronunciation and use, and, of course, the new spelling. The British criticized the dictionary, but it quickly became a standard reference book in the States. Today, Webster's dictionary is still the number one dictionary for American students. What is the text mainly about?
| A．Webster and his best sellers. |
| B．British and American English. |
| C．The history of American English. |
| D．The man who made spelling simple. |
Which is the right order according to the text?
①Webster graduated from Yale University.
②American Dictionary of the English language came out.
③Webster's book was selling one million copies a year.
④Webster took part in the American War of Independence.
| A．②①③④ | B．③①②④ | C．④①③② | D．①②③④ |
What can we learn from the text?
A. All the spelling of words does not represent the sound.
B. The Elementary Spelling Book was published in the 1850s.
C. Webster's suggestions were accepted completely.What attitude do the British have towards Webster's dictionary?
| A．They thought highly of it. |
| B．They found fault with it. |
| C．They argued bitterly about it. |
| D．They followed the examples of it. |
Whatever your level is, choosing to take French lessons in France is the best way to learn French．Place yourself in the local culture and practice your newly found skills in your free time．
You will be taught by native (本地的) French speakers who have a love for teaching and use excellent teaching techniques．Lessons are interesting and you will speak French on the first day both inside and outside the classroom．
Learners
●Suitable for all levels from beginners to advanced (高级的)
● Over 18 years old
Class Schedule (课表)
● Classes start on Mondays and run throughout the summer．
● Please arrive at the school by 8:15 am on your first day for a short level test．It will help to place you in the right class．
● Classes run from Monday to Friday each week．
● Classes start at 8:45 am each day depending on your level．
● You will have 3 classes per day lasting 55 minutes each．
● You will have a short break between classes．
Free Time and Tours
● The school offers a lot of cultural activities throughout the week．These activities can include cooking lessons, wine and cheese tasting, visits to Paris, cycling, movies and much more．
● You will have plenty of free time to explore (探索) the local area and practice your newly found language skills or just relax on this learning holiday with a difference．
Other Information
● You should bring a small dictionary, pens and paper with you．
Get more from your holiday, have fun, meet new people and take home a new language skill that will stay with you forever．What is special about the French courses?
| A．They are taught in small groups． |
| B．The teachers are young French speakers． |
| C．People learn French in and out of class． |
| D．They will offer a wine tasting license． |
On the first day, the students should ______．
| A．take a language test |
| B．pay for their study |
| C．do a survey |
| D．introduce themselves to the class |
How many lessons are there in a week?
| A．21 |
| B．30 |
| C．15 |
| D．12 |
Friends come to visit us in the evening, they spend their time telling us they are in a hurry and looking at their watches．It isn’t that our friends are all very busy, it is just that When we haven’t got a television．People think that we are very strange．“But what do you do in the evening?”，they are always asking．The answer is very simple．Both my wife and I have hobbies．We certainly don’t spend our evenings staring at the walls．My wife enjoys cooking and painting and often attends evening classes in foreign languages．This is particularly useful as we often go abroad for our holidays．I collect stamps and I’m always busy with my collection．Both of us enjoy listening to the music and playing chess together．
Sometimes there are power cuts and we have no electricity in the house．This does not worry us, we just light candles and carry on with what we were doing before．Our friends, however, are lost---no television!---So they don’t know what to do．On such evenings our house is very full ---they all come to us．They all have a good time．Instead of sitting in silence in front of the television, everybody talks and plays games．
The couple have not got a television, because ．
| A．they are not rich enough |
| B．they are strange people |
| C．they enjoy spending evenings in their own ways |
| D．they don’t know what to do when there are power cuts |
Both of the couple are interested in ．
| A．learning languages |
| B．traveling |
| C．staying home alone |
| D．watching people play games |
At night when there is no electricity, the couple ．
| A．have to stare at the walls |
| B．can do nothing but sit in silence |
| C．will have many visitors |
| D．have to go out for candles |
The writer tries to tell us that ____．
| A．the television is useful |
| B．electricity is important |
| C．life is enjoyable without television |
| D．life is impossible without a television |
One day a lawyer’s wife fell ill, and he went to get a doctor．The doctor willingly came to see the woman and to do what he could for her, but before he went into the house, he made a short stop．He knew that the lawyer was famous for not paying his bills, even if they were due(正当的)．He therefore said to the man．“But if I save your wife, I am afraid you may not pay me．”
“Sir,”replied the lawyer．“Here I have＄500,,whether you cure my wife or you kill her．I'll give you all this．”
The doctor was reassured and went into the house．When he reached the woman's bedside, it soon became clear to him that he could do little．She was seriously ill, and though he prescribed(开药方) her medicine, she soon dieD．
He told the lawyer he was very sorry, and then asked for the money which he had promiseD． “Did you kill my wife?”asked the lawyer．“Of course I didn't,” said the doctor．“Well! Did you cure my wife?” asked the man．“I'm afraid that was impossible,” replied the doctor．“Well, then since you neither killed my wife nor cured her, I have nothing to pay you．”Before entering the lawyer’s house the doctor stopped for a while, because_____ ．
| A．the doctor wanted to ask something about his wife's illness |
| B．the doctor thought it impossible to save the woman |
| C．the doctor was afraid that the lawyer would refuse to pay him |
| D．the lawyer was too poor to pay his bills |
Because the lawyer’s wife was seriously ill, the doctor_____ ．
| A．couldn’ t do much and didn't save her life |
| B．tried his best and saved her at last |
| C．had to do everything he could for her |
| D．had to spend a lot of time to cure her |
The word “reassured” in the passage means __________．
| A．he was told again and again |
| B．he was paid some money first |
| C．he was quite sure that he would be paid |
| D．he was quite sure that he could cure the woman |
Which of the following is the best title (标题)for the passage?
| A．The Lawyer and His Wife |
| B．The Lawyer's Trick |
| C．A Good Doctor and a Poor Lawye |
| D．A Serious Illness |
This wonderful 16-day tour is designed to highlight South Africa’s amazing diversity of cultures, its curious mixture of old and new, as well as its wonderful scenery and wildlife, together with its unique history．
Join us to experience Cape Town and the exciting Kruger safari (游猎) on our tour to South AfricA． We believe that a more naturally beautiful country than South Africa would be difficult to find: from the rocky peaks of the Drakensberg Mountains, to the timeless semi-desert landscapes of the Karoo and then the forested seashores and mirror-like lakes of the Garden Route, the attractive valleys of the Winelands and the symbol of the country, Table Mountain — all under an endless blue sky．Quite amazing!
Included in our price:
Return flights from London Heathrow
Three-and-four-star hotels, sharing rooms, breakfast and lunch included
Internal flight to the beautiful Garden Route
Full-day guided safari in the Kruger National Park
Visit the legendary Zulu War battlefields of Isandlwana, Rorke's Drift, the historical Cape of Good Hope, Cape Town, Apartheid Museum and Blyde River Canyon
Travel on Outeniqua steam train or go whale watching depending on the season
For more information, call 0845 155 6706.On this 16-day tour, visitors might experience the _______ of South Africa.
| A．history, cultures and education |
| B．cultures, scenery and education |
| C．history, scenery and education |
| D．history, cultures and scenery |
What can we learn about the tour?
A． The tour is available all year rounD．
B． Tourists will have a single room each.
C． Tourists are sure to go whale watching．
D． Suppers are not included in the price.The passage is written to _______.[
| A．talk about touring experiences |
| B．attract people to the tour |
| C．talk about the history of Africa |
| D．introduce places of interest in Africa |
It’s well-known that meditation (冥想) has many benefits, but do you know how to practice it for a beginner?
Set a proper scene
Find a space for meditation．It should be private and quiet．Make sure the temperature is comfortable．Sit on a cushion (垫子) if the floor is uncomfortable．You may play soft music if you like.
Take a moment to loosen up．Remember that the goal of meditation is to relax．Loosen your clothing, remove your shoes and have a good stretch．Do your best to ease any muscle tension that might keep you from achieving relaxation．Make an effort to relax your facial muscles．
Focus on your breath
Sit down in the space you’ve prepareD． Close your eyes and breathe．Each time you breathe in, count “one”．Each time you breathe out, count “one”．The idea is to strengthen being in the moment — the last breath doesn’t matter, and the next one doesn’t matter; only this one matters．
Feel your breath inflate (胀大) your lungs and push on your diaphragm (隔膜)．Feel how sweet it is to inhale the fresh air．As you do this, your body will gradually begin to relax and all of your attention will be centered within your minD．
Return to real life
Once you feel fully centered in your mind, allow yourself to gradually drift back to real life．Move your fingers and toes and slowly wake your body up．Open your eyes and remain there for a few minutes until your senses come back, and then slowly stand up．
Even if you can’t make it fully into your mind, you still get some benefits from it．If you want to feel better, you just need to practice．Set about 10 minutes around the same time every day and repeat this exercise.The text is about _________.
| A．steps in practicing meditation for beginners |
| B．tips on how to breathe slowly |
| C．the benefits of practicing meditation |
| D．the best way to stay relaxed |
Which of the following can best fill in the blank?
| A．Forget yourself. |
| B．Prepare yourself for it. |
| C．Avoid being disturbed. |
| D．Pay attention to your inner self． |
The underlined word “inhale” in the text can be replaced by “__________”.
| A．look for |
| B．take in |
| C．keep away |
| D．think of |
To gain greater benefits of meditation, beginners are advised to __________.
| A．do some exercise in advance |
| B．listen to some popular music |
| C．practice it every day |
| D．spend a long time in practicing it |
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