Do you know what really troubles me? For some reason, words with silent letters have always bothered me. For example, consider these words: know, design, island, school, wrist, naughty, and salmon. All of these words have at least one letter that is not typically pronounced, and these words are just a very small part of words with silent letters in them.
Some words are even worse, consider this word: colonel. Not only are some letters not pronounced, but letters that are not even there are pronounced.
Even foreign languages, especially French, are guilty of this needless complexity and confusion. I know there must be some main historical reasons why the words are spelled and pronounced the way they are, but that does not mean bad traditions must continue to survive. Especially if they are no longer logical.
Unfortunately, there is very little that anyone can do for it, because there’s no group of people who can change or have the right to change the English language for everyone. However, the only thing we can do is make changes in the way we talk and write in hopes that it catches on. For example, I pronounce the letter “l” in salmon on purpose to make people annoyed and to sound more different or complicated. I even pronounce colonel the correct or French way.
I can only hope these two minor changes to the English language make sense to you, and you will help to keep up these minor changes forever in your everyday life.Which of the following is the main reason for silent letters?
| A．French language. | B．Historical reasons. |
| C．Some linguists | D．Bad traditions. |
The underlined phrase “catches on” probably means “________”.
| A．becomes popular | B．gets across |
| C．follows the fashions | D．doesn’t fall behind |
Which of the following is the best title for this passage?
| A．Troubles in everyday life |
| B．Traps in English words |
| C．Words with silent letters |
| D．Necessary changes of languages |
Su Hua is studying at Cambridge, UK. She has bought a bicycle and is worried about security. Her friend, Kate, found this article and sent it to her.
Introduction
A lot of crime is against bicycles. About 150,000 bicycles are stolen every year and most are never found. You can prevent this happening by following a few careful steps.
Basic Security
Do not leave your bicycle in out-of-the-way places. Always lock your bicycle when you leave. Secure it to lampposts or trees. Take off smaller parts and take them with you, for example lights and saddles(车座).
Locks
Get a good lock. There are many different types in the shop. Buy one that has been tested against attack. Ask for a recommendation from a bike shop.
Marking
Security marking your bike can act as a deterrent(威慑) to a thief. It can also help the police find your bicycle. It should be clearly written and include your postcode and your house or flat number. This will provide a simple way to identify your bicycle.
Registration
There are a number of companies who will mark your bicycle for you. They will then put your registration number and personal details on their computer database. Then if your bicycle is found it will be easy to contact you.
Finally
Keep a record of the bicycle yourself: its make, model and registration number. You can even take a photograph of it, this will prove the bicycle belongs to you.. Which part of the article gives you information on how to lock up your bicycle when you leave it?
| A．Locks | B．Marking |
| C．Registration | D．Basic Security |
. The article advises you to keep a record of your bicycle ____________.
| A．in the bike shop and your computer |
| B．in a police station and security company |
| C．in a security company and your university |
| D．by yourself and in a security company |
. Which of the following statements is true?
| A．More than 150,000 bicycles are stolen every year. |
| B．Leave your bicycle in out-of-the-way places. |
| C．Taking a photograph of your bike will help prove the bicycle belongs to you. |
| D．Always lock your bicycle even if you don’t leave. |
. The main purpose of this article is _____________.
| A．to tell you what to do if your bicycle is stolen |
| B．to suggest ways of keeping your bicycle safe |
| C．to give you advice on where to buy a good lock |
| D．to say why you shouldn’t keep your bicycle in a quiet place |
A couple had a son eleven years after they married. They were a loving couple and the boy was the apple of their eye. When the boy was around four years old, one day the father was very tired after work so he asked his wife to pick up their son. The mother, who was very busy in the kitchen, totally forgot about it.
Later the boy lost his way on the street. When the son was found missing, the mother hurried to look for him, but she didn’t find him. The mother felt very sad and didn’t know how to face her husband.
When the father went to the police station after hearing that the son was missing, he looked at his wife and said just four words. What do you think the four words were? The husband just said "I love you, darling."
The son was missing. If she had picked him up earlier, this would not have happened. There is no point in blaming (责备) anyone. His wife had also lost her only child. What his wife needed at that moment was comfort and understanding from her husband. That is what the husband gave his wife. Several weeks later, with the help of the police, the couple finally found their lost son. The family’s relationship became stronger over that time.
Sometimes we spend lots of time asking who is to blame. We miss many chances to give each other support and let each other feel the warmth of human relationships. Get rid of all your unwillingness to forgive, selfishness, and fears and you will find the world is much more wonderful.. What is the meaning of the underlined phrase “the apple of their eye”
| A．A person who always has a sweet smile in their opinion. |
| B．A person who is as pretty as an apple in their opinion. |
| C．A person who is loved more than anyone else in their opinion. |
| D．A person who looks like an apple in their opinion. |
. Why didn’t the father pick the boy up himself?
| A．He was very lazy. |
| B．He thought the mother had picked him up. |
| C．He forgot to pick him up. |
| D．He was too tired to do it. |
. What can we learn from this passage?
| A．Be careful in everything you do. | B．Love is the most important thing. |
| C．Learn to forgive others. | D．Everyone can make mistakes. |
. What do you think of the husband?
| A．Warm-hearted. | B．Careful. |
| C．Hard-working. | D．Broad-minded. |
Ji Xianlin, a famous paleographer(古文书学家), historian, and writer, was born in 1911. In 1930, Ji was admitted to Tsinghua University as a major in Western literature. In 1935, he went to Germany as an exchange student to study ancient languages, receiving his PhD degree in 1941. Ji returned to China in 1946, and in the autumn of the same year, became a professor in Peking University.
Ji Xianlin believes, “Cultural exchange is the main drive for humankind’s progress. Only by learning from each other’s strong points to make up for shortcomings can people constantly progress, the ultimate（最终的）target of which is to achieve a kind of Great Harmony. ” Over the past ten years, Ji has actively participated in discussions on the cultural problems between the East and the West, based on the same ideology. According to him, human culture is divided into four parts: Chinese culture, Indian culture, Arabic-Islamic culture and European-American culture, with the former three making up the Eastern cultural system and the last the Western one.
With his achievements in the history of Sino-Indian cultural relations, Buddhism history, Indian literature, and comparative literature, Ji Xianlin is known as a master of Eastern studies both at home and abroad.What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．The brief introduction of Ji Xianlin. |
| B．Ji Xianlin’s ideology. |
| C．Ji Xianlin’s achievements. |
| D．Ji Xianlin’s discussions on the cultural problems between the East and the West. |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．In 1930, Ji was admitted to Tsinghua University as a major in Eastern literature. |
| B．The ultimate target of cultural exchange is to achieve a kind of Great Harmony. |
| C．Ji Xianlin is a master of Western studies both at home and abroad. |
| D．Ji Xianlin received his PhD degree in 1935. |
What does the underlined word in the second paragraph mean?
| A．Decision. | B．Measure. |
| C．Support. | D．Aim. |
Which of the following is different from the others according to Ji Xianlin?
| A．Chinese culture. |
| B．Indian culture. |
| C．Arabic-Islamic culture. |
| D．European-American culture. |
Two brightly colored butterflies have just flown by. They seems to be exactly alike, but actually one is a little larger than the other. The larger insect has a wingspread (翼长) of up to four inches. The smaller one has a wingspread of less than three inches and also a black line on its back wings.
At first sight, it is hard to tell them apart. Would you guess from this that they are different-sized butterflies of the same species? Or that they are different species of butterflies but close relatives belonging to the same family? If you said yes to either question, you would be wrong, for these look-alikes belong to quite different families.
The larger insect is the monarch butterfly (黑脉金斑蝶). As a baby insect, the monarch feeds on milkweed, which seems to give the monarch a disagreeable taste and smell. The bright coloring of the monarch acts as a warning sign to its enemy. Birds that eat butterflies soon recognize the monarch and quickly learn to leave it alone.
The smaller insect is the viceroy (副王峡蝶), which feeds on the leaves of trees. Birds would find this insect tasty, but because it looks like the monarch, birds keep away from it. The viceroy’s similarity to the monarch gives it some protection from its enemies and helps it survive.
There are other pairs of look-alike butterflies, bees and moths. In each case, one either has a disagreeable taste or smell, or can give a painful sting (叮咬). The larger is called the model. The insect that imitates (模仿) this model for protection is called the mimic.The best title for the passage is ______.
| A．The taste and the smell |
| B．The model and the mimic |
| C．Look-alikes learn from each other |
| D．The similarities and the differences |
The bright coloring of the monarch butterflies is used to ______.
| A．catch other butterflies | B．warn small insects |
| C．express their ideas | D．scare away the enemy |
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．There are few look-alikes among insects. |
| B．The monarch butterfly and the viceroy are not close relatives. |
| C．There are only a few species of butterflies in the wild. |
| D．A monarch butterfly rules the world of butterflies. |
It doesn’t matter when and how much a person sleeps, but everyone needs some rest to stay alive. That’s what all doctors thought, until they heard about Herpin. Al Herpin, it was said, never slept. Could this be true? The doctors decided to see this strange man themselves.
Herpin was 90 years old when the doctors came to his home in New Jersey. They thought for sure that he got some sleep of some kind. So they stayed with him and watched every movement he made. But they were surprised. Though they watched him hour after hour and day after day, they never saw him sleeping. In fact, he did not even own a bed. He never needed one.
The only rest that Herpin sometimes got was sitting in a comfortable chair and reading newspapers. The doctors were puzzled by this strange continuous sleeplessness. They asked him many questions, hoping to find an answer. They found only one answer that might explain his condition. Herpin remembered some talk about his mother having been injured several days before he was born. But that was all. Was this the real reason? No one could be sure. Herpin died at the age of 94.The main idea of this passage is that_____.
| A．large numbers of people do not need sleep |
| B．a person was found who actually didn’t need any sleep |
| C．everyone needs some sleep to stay alive |
| D．people can live longer by trying not to sleep |
The doctors came to visit Herpin, expecting_____.
| A．to cure him of his sleeplessness |
| B．to find that his sleeplessness was not really true |
| C．to find out why some old people did not need any sleep |
| D．to find a way to free people from the need of sleeping |
One reason that might explain Herpin’s sleeplessness was _____.
| A．his mother’s injury before he was born |
| B．that he had gradually got rid of the sleeping habit |
| C．his magnificent physical condition |
| D．that he hadn’t got a bed |
Al Herpin’s condition could be regarded as ______.
| A．a common one | B．one that could be cured |
| C．very healthy | D．a rare one |
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