Some Fun and Interesting Facts
◆Do you think what color oranges are？The answer to this question is "Orange"． However，the first oranges from Southeast Asia were actually green，Up to now，oranges in warmer areas like Vietnam and Thailand still stay green when they are fully grown．
◆There was a man named John Chapman who planted thousands of apple trees．But the apples on those trees were much more bitter（苦的）than the ones you'd find in the supermarket today．John didn't expect his apples to be eaten whole，but rather made into hard apple cider（苹果酒）．
◆Like most four﹣legged animals，cats have five toes on the front paws（脚爪），but their back paws only have four toes．Scientists think the four﹣toe back paws might help them run faster．Do you know any other fun facts about cats？
◆Walt Disney might have been the firs it gloves on his characters，as the star Mickey Mouse in 1929's The Opry House（《奥普里之屋》）．Besides being easier to interest，there's another reason why Disney did so："We didn't want him to have mouse hands because he was supposed to be more human．" Disney once said．
（1）What does the underlined word "they" refer to？
A．Warmer areas．
B．Oranges in warmer areas．
C．The first oranges．
D．People from Vietnam and Thailand．
（2）John expected his apples to be ．
A．known by more people
B．sold in the supermarket
C．eaten only by himself
D．made into hard apple cider
（3）How many toes does a normal cat have in total？
A．Fourteen．
B．Sixteen．
C．Eighteen．
D．Twenty．
（4）Disney put gloves on Mickey Mouse in order to ．
A．make him look more human
B．protect his hands
C．help him to run faster
D．make him feel more comfortable
（5）Which is NOT a fact according to the information above？
A．The first oranges weren't orange．
B．John's apples weren't sweet enough．
C．Walt Disney put gloves on his characters to interest people．
D．Cats have fewer toes on their front paws than the ones on their back paws．
When I was in the eighth grade，my class was assigned（指派） to be friends with the second﹣grade kids.I got this little girl named Shelley.The first time I saw her，she was silent and cold.She was small for her age，and she didn't play with the other kids in her class.
I tried all kinds of things to get her to talk to me.I bought her toys，crayons and candies，But try as I might，nothing worked.One time，I gave her a coloring book and said， "Shelley，now you can color in it any time."
Shelley looked at the coloring book and then looked up at me，and finally looked away.By that，I didn't know how I was going to get through to the little girl，but I knew I wouldn't give up on her.
One Friday.I decided to tell her a story about my childhood.I told her that l felt lonely when I was with my classmates，and how I thought only my teachers liked me.I also told her that every day was a battle（战役） for me and I fought back tears so people wouldn't know how much I was hurting.
She sat there just listening，trying to decide whether I was lying or not Finally，when my story ended，there were tears in her eyes.And then she did the unthinkable.She said， "Thank you." From then on，Shelley was a different little girl.She started smiling and talking with other kids.
Looking back at this I'm in awe（惊叹），because all I did was to help her realize that she wasn't alone.I didn't ask her to tell her story，because her story is my story.
（1）What was Shelley like when the writer first saw her？
A.Cold.
B.Lazy.
C.Noisy.
D.Slow.
（2）In order to get through to Shelley，the writer .
A.wrote her a book
B.made her a toy
C.drew her a picture
D.told her a story
（3）Shelley changed a lot because she realized that .
A.her teachers loved her
B.her classmates were kind
C.the writer understood her
D.she had to study even harder
When he was a teenager ，Hunter Adams was very unhappy ，and he spent many years in the 1960s and 1970s hospital for people with mental（精神的） health problems．
When he left hospital ，Adams decided to become a doctor ，so he went to Medical School in Virginia ，USA．But when he was there he did things in a different way．For example ，he didn't like the doctor's white coats．he preferred to wear shirts with flowers on them when he visited his patients ，and he tried to make them laugh．The doctors at the medical school didn't like Adams very much because he was too different．
But Adams believed that people in hospital need more than medicine．He saw unhappy and lonely people ，and he tried to help them as patients ，but as people too．He spent a lot of time with children in the hospital ，and often put a special red nose on his face to look like a clown and to make the children laugh．
When he finished medical school and became a doctor ， Adams opened his own hospital ，called "the Gesundheit Institute" ，together with some other doctors．They wanted it to be a place in a different way of working with sick people．
Hunter Adams became famous during the 1980s ，and in 1998 ，Universal Pictures made a film about his life．It was very successful．In the film（called Patch Adams） ，Robin Williams played Adams．Williams said ，"Hunter is a really warm person ，who believes that patients need a doctor who's friend．I enjoyed playing him．"
（1）What probably made Hunter decide to be a doctor ？
A． His interest in medicine．
B． His idea to open a hospital．
C． His early experience as a teenager．
D． His love for the lonely children around．
（2）How was Hunter different from other doctors ？
A． He was famous before working in hospital．
B． He liked to wear shirts with flowers in them every day．
C． He treated his patients as friends in every way possible．
D． He was good at dealing with people who were mentally ill．
（3）What does the underlined word "clown" in paragraph 3 probable mean ？
A． 木偶
B． 小丑
C． 外星人
D． 蜘蛛侠
（4）What can we know from Robin Williams words ？
A． He thought highly of Hunter．
B． Every doctor needs a patient friend．
C． He became a warm person ever after．
D． A good actor makes a successful film．
More children in China are putting on weight.In 2018，16 percent of Chinese children were overweight，according to the National Health Commission（NHC）.
Being too fat is bad for children' s health.According to the World Health Organization （WHO），overweight children are more likely to develop diseases like diabetes（糖尿病） at a younger age.This can lead to a higher chance of earlier death.
On Oct 23rd，the NHC，together with five other national departments，worked out a plan.The plan aims to reduce the growth of fatness among children aged 0﹣18 years by 70 percent from 2020 to 2030，Xinhua reported.
Kids are putting on weight because of changes in their diet and lifestyle，according to experts.Too much schoolwork and greater use of electronic devices（ 电子产品） could also be a cause.
According to the plan，teachers should not allow their classes to run too late or too early.They should make sure that students have breaks and enough physical（躯体上的） activity.School students should have at least three hours of active physical activity each week.
Parents should reduce their children's use of electronic devices and stop their children from eating foods that are high in sugar，fat and salt.
（1）According to the WHO，we know .
| A． |
16% of Chinese children were overweight in 2018 |
| B． |
Being too fat is good for children's health |
| C． |
Overweight children are more likely to develop diseases |
| D． |
Fatness can lead to a higher chance of long life |
（2）Which one is NOT experts' opinion？
| A． |
We should reduce the growth of fatness among adults. |
| B． |
Changing in children's diet and lifestyle leads to being too fat. |
| C． |
Too much schoolwork maybe leads to being too fat. |
| D． |
Greater use of electronic devices could cause children to put on weight. |
（3）School students should have active physical activity for .
| A． |
three hours a day |
| B． |
more than three hours every day |
| C． |
at least three hours each week |
| D． |
less than three hours each month |
（4）What's the main idea of the passage？
| A． |
Overweight isn't a problem. |
| B． |
Say no to children's getting too fat. |
| C． |
Putting on weight is necessary for the kids. |
| D． |
Teachers should not allow their classes to run too late. |
We know people can be nice，but what about animals？
Scientists say that some animals are capable（有能力的） of being nice．Animals that live in groups﹣like foxes，chimpanzees （大猩猩），and elephants﹣follow rules．They have to followrules to get along and to survive（生存）．However，animals can act nicely，even when they don't have to． Here are some surprising stories about animal behavior．
Most people usually walk away when someone is unkind to them．Marc Bekoff，a researcher at the University of Colorado，saw a female （母的）red fox do just that． The female fox was unhappy because a male（公的）fox played roughly（粗鲁地）with her．When she walked away，the male fox showed her that he wanted to play nicely．He lowered his head and rolled on his back．The female fox gave him another chance，and this time，he played more gently．
Geza Teleki is a scientist who studies chimpanzees in Tanzania．One day，Teleki hiked far away from his campsite．He didn't have any food．Teleki wanted some fruit from a tree，but the tree was too tall． A young chimpanzee watched him curiously as he tried to get something to eat．The chimpanzee climbed the tree，picked the fruit，and gave it to him!
An elephant in Kenya hurt his trunk（象鼻子）．He needed help because he couldn't put food into his mouth．Researcher Kayhan Ostovar watched silently．He saw the hurt elephant show his sore trunk to a healthy elephant．The healthy elephant didn't need any more information．He took a bush and put it carefully into his new friend's mouth．
Hippos（河马）and crocodiles are usually good friends．They hang out together in rivers．But Karen Paolillo，a wildlife expert in Zimbabwe，saw something surprising．One day，a crocodile tried to eat a monkey that was next to a river．A hippo ran quickly to the crocodile and chased it away．Why did the hippo attack （攻击） the crocodile？ Paolillo says hippos sometimes protect other animals from crocodiles．
（1）The main idea of the passage is ．
A．animals that live in groupe follow rules
B．some animals can be nice to other animals
C． most animals are nice to people
（2）The underlined phrase"do just that"means ．
A．be nice
B．play roughly
C．walk away
（3）We can say that Teleki ．
A．is short
B．hates hiking
C．could not climb the tree
（4）The elephant needed help because ．
A．the tree was too tall
B． it could not use its trunk
C． it had no food
（5）The underlined word"it"in the last paragraph refers to ．
A．the crocodile
B．the chimpanzee
C．the monkey
If you have Problems describing people，don't worry!We'll use popular film characters （角色）to help you learn some useful words.
Naive Meaning：If someone is naive，they have little experience and believe good things will always happen. Example：In the film EI，Buddy is a naive person who grows up with elves （精灵）.One day，he goes to New York City but finds things very different there. Director：David Berenbaum |
Loyal Meaning：If you're loyal，you always give support to a person or a group and help them and act honestly. Example：In the film Toy Story，Woody is loyal to his friends and owner，Andy.He stays with Andy，even when Andy grows up and goes to college. Director：John Lasseter
|
Demanding Meaning：If someone is demanding，they are not easily satisfied or pleased. Example：In the film The Devil Wears Prada，Miranda is very demanding.She always works very hard，and expects others to do the same. Director：David Frankel |
Talented Meaning：If you're talented，you have a natural ability to do something well. Example：In the film McFarland，USA，coach White notices some talented runners in his PE class.He forms a cross﹣country group that races against other schools. Director：Niki Caro |
（1）Which word is used to describe a person with a natural ability to do something well？
A.Naive.
B.Loyal.
C.Demanding.
D.Talented.
（2）Who always gives support to friends according to the films？
A.Buddy.
B.Woody.
C.David Frankel.
D.Niki Caro.
（3）In which part of a magazine can we read the text？
A.Sport.
B.Travel.
C.Environment.
D.Language.
The sound from Miranda's alarm，clock（闹钟）would not stop.Miranda reached over.and stopped the noise ringing in her room.The action brought her，a few minutes of peace and quietness.
On a usual day，Miranda jumped out of bed even before the alarm clock could ring.She did not.mind getting up early.She loved morning because she could，complete her two﹣mile run before most of her family members got up.She ran every morning so that she would realize her dream of being the best runner in the school.However，this morning was different.She would go and find out whether the pain in her leg was something that could be easily treated or would stop her.from doing something she loved most：running with the school track team.
As the alarm clock rang out again， ▲ .She cut off the annoying （讨厌的）noise and rose from her bed.She could hear the sound from the kitchen where her mother was making her favourite breakfast of pancakes and bacon.Her mother always made her favourites whenever Miranda was facing a problem or in a bad situation，but she'd never faced anything like this before.
Sighing （叹气）deeply in the quiet room，she tried to stand up.She could feel the pain in her right leg.It was serious but not unbearable.Surely，Miranda thought，it would not be as bad as she had imagined.
She shook her head to clear her thought and got ready to join her mother.As she walked into the kitchen，her mother gave her a big smile.Immediately，Miranda felt comforted.If nothing else，she at least knew one thing was certain.She was not alone in this and that would make all the differences，no matter what the day would bring.
（1）What did Miranda usually do every morning？
| A． |
She woke her family up. |
| B． |
She cleaned her room. |
| C． |
She cooked for her mother. |
| D． |
She ran for two miles. |
（2）Which of the following sentences can be put in the ▲ in Paragraph 3？
| A． |
Miranda jumped out of bed |
| B． |
her mother came into her room |
| C． |
Miranda knew she had to get up |
| D． |
the telephone rang at the same time |
（3）What did the smile on her mother's face mean to Miranda？
| A． |
Suggestion. |
| B． |
Encouragement. |
| C． |
Instruction. |
| D． |
Agreement. |
（4）What would Miranda probably do after breakfast？
| A． |
She would go to see the doctor. |
| B． |
She would go to bed and have a rest. |
| C． |
She would join her team members. |
| D． |
She would join her mother in the kitchen. |
In September，2020，I had the chance to come to China for the first time and visited Yunnan Province.
On the first day we went to a village named Xiaopingzhai.I was amazed to discover that small tea factory could bring in 6 million yuan a year with only 20 workers.
The next of our trip was the village of Kangmian.Many families now live there after leaving uninhabitable（不适合居住的）areas.The new village has 450 housing units.There I have learned that the government helps the people by providing jobs so that they can support themselves.Of the 1，331 villagers，609 now have jobs.
In Shuiduichong，a traditional Yao ethnic（瑶族）group village，we visited the workshops for making silver ornaments（饰品）.We discovered the skill had a history of more than 200 year.Besides the traditional use of silver ornaments in Yao culture， ▲ .
A set of silver ornaments can be sold for between 10，000 and 20，000 yuan on the market.The making of silver ornaments creates jobs in the village.Shuiduichong now has more than 20 family workshops.
This trip was over.I have realized that through the hard work of the Chinese government，great changes have taken place in Yunnan.These impressive（印象深刻的）results should serve as an example for other developing countries.
（1）The trip followed the way of .
| A． |
Xiaopinghai→ Shuiduichong→ Kangmian |
| B． |
Xiaopingzhai→Kangmian→ Shuiduichong |
| C． |
Kangmian→ Shuiduichong→ Xiaopingzhai |
| D． |
Kangmian→Xiaopingzhai→ Shuiduichong |
（2）In Kangmian the government helps the people by .
| A． |
selling products |
| B． |
giving money |
| C． |
opening factories |
| D． |
providing jobs |
（3）Which of the following sentences can be put in the ▲？
| A． |
tourists like them very much |
| B． |
these objects have a high value |
| C． |
people buy them as gifts |
| D． |
they can be seen everywhere |
（4）The structure of the passage may be .
（①＝Paragraph 1
②Paragraph 2
③Paragraph3
④Paragraph 4
⑤Paragraph5
⑥Paragraph 6）
| A． |
|
| B． |
|
| C． |
|
| D． |
|
Build for yourself a strong box.Build each part with care；
When it strong as your hand can make it，
Put all your troubles there.
Hide there all thought of your failures.And each pain that you take；
Lock all your heartaches in it，
Then sit on the lid（盖子）and laugh
Tell no one else what's inside，Never share its secrets；
When you've dropped in your care and worry，
Keep them for ever there.Hide them from sight（视野）so completely；
That the world will never dream half；Cover the strong box safely，
Then sit on the lid and laugh.
（1）The material above is probably .
| A． |
a story |
| B． |
a play |
| C． |
a poem |
| D． |
a letter |
（2）What does the writer advise us to put in the box？
| A． |
Happy things. |
| B． |
Sad things. |
| C． |
Interesting things. |
| D． |
Boring things. |
（3）According to the writer，we'd better keep these things in the box .
| A． |
for ever |
| B． |
for a year |
| C． |
for a month |
| D． |
for a week |
（4）After covering the box with the lid，we can sit on it and .
| A． |
cry |
| B． |
share |
| C． |
dream |
| D． |
laugh |
Marianne Carus，who started Cricket（蟋蟀）magazine in 1973 and served as Editor﹣in﹣Chief（总主编）until 2012，died on March 3 at the age of 92 this year.
Marianne believed that "only the best of the best is good enough for the young. "In Cricket，children would find wonderful stories with beautiful art，and be encouraged by ideas in the humanities and sciences.Marianne looked for stories from around the world to awaken admiration for different peoples and cultures.Most important，Cricket would never talk down to children.
Marianne knew that children were filled with fun，and she wanted Cricket to be，too - "humor from the heart that makes you laugh out loud. "And so she named her literary magazines after a funny group of bugs（虫子），such as Lady bung and Spider.
Over the years，Cricket has been read by millions of children and given many writers and artists their start.Marianne kept a special box of "love letters" to the magazine.She treasured these letters from Cricket readers，including long﹣ago readers.They told her that their interest in reading had begun with Cricket.
▲She considered other names，such as Troubadour or Taliesin，the singers and storytellers of old who traveled from one place to another to share their songs and stories.Then，one night，she was reading Isaac Bashevi Singer's memoir（回忆录）A Day of Pleasure，about his childhood in Warsaw.In it he wrote：There was a stove in Shosha's apartment behind which there lived a cricket.It chirped the nights through all winter long I imagined the cricket was telling a story that would never end. "That's exactly what Marianne wanted her children's magazine to do-to tell stories that would never end!So the name Cricket became her best choice.
Thank you for everything，Marianne.May the stories，and the laughter，never end!
（1）Cricket is a magazine most probably for .
| A． |
writer |
| B． |
children |
| C． |
artists |
| D． |
teachers |
（2）According to the passage，Marianne .
| A． |
made an effort to find the best stories |
| B． |
raised many bugs as her pets |
| C． |
replied to long﹣ago Cricket readers |
| D． |
started Cricket 39 years ago |
（3）Which of the following can be the best to fill in" ▲"in Paragraph 5？
| A． |
How was the life of crickets？ |
| B． |
When was the magazine Cricket born？ |
| C． |
What did Marianne think of crickets？ |
| D． |
Why did Marianne name her magazine Cricket？ |
（4）The best title for the passage can probably be .
| A． |
The Life of a Cricket |
| B． |
Admiration for Different Cultures |
| C． |
Best Stories for the Young |
| D． |
Achievements in Marianne 's Life |
Is there something in your community that could be changed？Is there a person in your neighborhood who could offer help？If If you're hoping for someone to make a difference，that someone could be you!
Volunteering your time is a great way to make a difference in your community.And you'll feel good about doing something that helps people or improves the places around you.
This past summer，my friends and I noticed how messy our neighborhood park was.We wanted to be different.We worked with our parents and teachers to clean up the park，We had a great time making the park even better than before，and now the whole neighborhood is able to share and enjoy it again.
Maybe cleaning up a park isn't your choice，though.No problem!You can turn anything that matters to you into a volunteer project.Do you like playing chess reading，or spending time with your pet？You can volunteer to do what you love to do.For example，you could help at an old people's center，simply by talking or playing games with them to make their days better.If you re great at math or English.you could volunteer to be a homework helper at your school.You're always needed to walk dogs or play with cats，Or you can collect things for homeless people，such as soap and toothbrushes.
You see，there is something for everyone.Whatever you do as a volunteer your time will be enjoyed and that always feels good.Kids everywhere are making a difference by volunteering.You can，too!
（1）The passage is mainly written for .
| A． |
kids |
| B． |
parents |
| C． |
teachers |
| D． |
neighbors |
（2）Last summer the writer volunteered to .
| A． |
walk dogs |
| B． |
teach pupils math |
| C． |
talk with the old |
| D． |
clean up the park |
（3）The main idea of Paragraph 4 is that .
| A． |
collecting things has a lot of fun |
| B． |
cleaning up a park isn't your choice |
| C． |
the old people always need help |
| D． |
anything can become a volunteer job |
（4）We can infer （推断）that the writer is full of when writing this passage.
| A． |
thanks |
| B． |
hope |
| C． |
surprise |
| D． |
worries |
Do you know Liu Xiuxiang？This name might be strange to you，but you must have herd about the story of him.He "carried" his sick mom to his university while studied in Shandong.His mom wasn't able to look after herself after his dad passed away.He had to support the whole family.Life was difficult，but he went on studying hard.Finally he got into the university.
Many years later，Liu was noticed by public again.He won the honor - the "May 4th" Medal of Chinese Youth.After he graduated from university in 2012，Liu refused many highly paid job and went back to his hometown，Guizhou Province.There he has been working as a teacher for 9 years.He said， "I hope to do something for more children whose lives are similar to mine."
In fact，Liu supported three poor children when he was in high school.Till now，he has helped more than 1，700 students and given more than 1，000 speeches.His story has warmed many people.As the song sings "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger." There is no doubt that he will give more hope to more children in the future.
（1）Why did Liu Xuxiang "carry" his mom to the university？
| A． |
Because his mom couldn't take care of herself. |
| B． |
Because his mom wanted to work in the university. |
| C． |
Because his mom was too lonely. |
| D． |
Because Liu was not independent. |
（2）Liu Xiuxiang worked as a after he graduated from the university.
| A． |
a policeman |
| B． |
a doctor |
| C． |
a teacher |
| D． |
an officer |
（3）Where is Liu Xiuxiang's hometown？
| A． |
In Shandong. |
| B． |
In Guizhou. |
| C． |
In Sichuan. |
| D． |
In Henan. |
（4）When did Liu start to support poor children？
| A． |
When he graduated from university in 2012. |
| B． |
After he won the May 4 thMedal of Chinese Youth. |
| C． |
When he got into the university. |
| D． |
D When he was a high school student. |
（5）What do you think of Liu Xiuxiang？
| A． |
Kind and helpful |
| B． |
Honest and brave. |
| C． |
Polite and responsible. |
| D． |
Hard﹣working and shy. |
It seems that food deliverymen （送货员） are always rushing in haste.We can always see them running every minute，and they seem to have lots of things to do the next minute.They wear blue，red or yellow helmets （头盔） and many of them don't follow traffic rules.They drive on the wrong side of the road and run red lights.They use mobile phones when they are driving.
However，not everything goes well with food deliverymen.In the first half of 2017，food deliverymen had 76 traffic accidents in Shanghai.That means every two and a half days，a food deliveryman will die or get hurt on the road.
What makes deliverymen take such risks？The strict rules of the food delivery companies and the worried customers may be the answer.Many companies will fine （罚款） a deliveryman up to 2，000 yuan if he can't deliver the food on time，reported China Daily.Fines also go to those who get bad reviews from customers.
To solve the problem，food delivery service companies need to do some changes.Some cities are also taking action.Shanghai has asked companies to train their deliverymen on traffic rules and safety.Now in Shenzhen，if a deliveryman breaks traffic rules more than twice，then he can't do the job for a whole year.
（1）The underlined phrase "in haste" in Paragraph 1 probably means in Chinese.
| A． |
匆忙地 |
| B． |
慢慢地 |
| C． |
意外地 |
| D． |
犹豫地 |
（2）The first paragraph mainly tells us that many food deliverymen .
| A． |
work very hard |
| B． |
break traffic rules |
| C． |
are good at driving |
| D． |
use mobile phones too much |
（3）How many reasons are mentioned for deliverymen's taking risks of breaking traffic rules？
| A． |
Two. |
| B． |
Three. |
| C． |
Four. |
| D． |
Five. |
（4）If a food deliveryman ，the companies will fine him.
| A． |
drives too slowly |
| B． |
delivers food on time |
| C． |
obeys traffic rules |
| D． |
gets bad reviews from his customers |
（5）What is the main idea of the last paragraph？
| A． |
Traffic rules are too strict to deliverymen. |
| B． |
Food deliverymen cannot drive on important roads in the future. |
| C． |
Some cities are working to solve the problem and make things better. |
| D． |
All the companies in China train their deliverymen on traffic rules and safety. |
If you feel sad or upset，remember not to watch a happy movie.A sad movie may be more suitable for you.
Some scientists at Ohio State University，the U.S.，have found that sad movies can make people happier.They published their study in a magazine called Communication Research.
Scientists asked 361 college students to watch a sad movie called Atonement.The movie tells a story of two lovers who were separated.They died during World War II at the end of the movie.The 361 college students answered questions from the scientists before，after and three times during the movie to find out their different feelings，including sadness.
According to the result of the survey，scientists found out that people felt better after watching the sad movie.Scientists believed this was because the movie made them think about their own lives and relationships.Compared to those of the unlucky lovers in the movie，their lives were full of hope.
"I want to live my life to the fullest，and this movie has made me think a lot，" one student wrote.
Silvia Knobloch﹣Westerwick，the leader of the study，explained that bad moods （情绪） would make people more thoughtful. "Good moods are generally a sign that everything is fine.You don't have to worry，and you don't have to think about problems in your life，" she said. "But bad emotions，like sadness，make you feel terrible about your situation.Therefore，seeing a sad movie may make you feel bad，but that will cause you to think more about your own close relationships and value them more."
（1）The scientists asked the college students to watch Atonement .
A.to help them make more friends
B.to make them feel better about themselves
C.to find out how they felt after watching it
D.to encourage them to share their feelings
（2）How many times did the students answer questions from the scientists？
A.Six times.
B.Five times.
C.Four times.
D.Three times.
（3）What does the underlined word "those" in paragraph 4 refer to？
A.Stories.
B.Feelings.
C.Friends.
D.Lives.
（4）What is the best title for this passage？
A.Feeling Sad？Watch a Sad Movie.
B.Feeling Lonely？Find True Love.
C.Feeling Bad？See a Happy Film.
D.Feeling Down？Think about Others.
With so much free time on our hands during lockdown， many of us have entertained the idea of knowing more about the world． Learning a foreign language is a good choice． Here are a few examples， in order of time it takes people to learn them．
Latin languages （about 600 hours）
The popular Latin languages ﹣ Italian， French， Spanish and Portuguese ﹣ require about 600 hours to learn． Of these， Spanish and Italian are the easiest for English speakers to learn． They are followed by Portuguese and finally French．
Latin languages share many words with English．However，those shared words look or sound similar， but have different meanings over time．
Greek （1，100 hours）
Modern Greek is maybe the easiest language to learn that uses a different alphabet（字母表）．It is also a language that has contributed many words to English． Indeed， the president of Greece once gave two speeches at an international meeting that included just Greek loan words（外来词） as well as the unavoidable basic English．
Japanese （2， 200 hours）
Counting objects in Japanese depends on whether they are long and thin （like "roads"）， small and round （like "apples"）， thin and flat （like "sheets of paper"）， and hundreds more examples．
What Japanese you speak also depends on your gender（性别）． There's a "rough" language for men and a more "ladylike" language for women， but you must understand both．
Chinese （2， 200 hours）
Each Chinese written word is hardly understandable when spoken between a Mandarin （普通话） speaker in Beijing and a Cantonese speaker in Guangdong． If you think that's strange， consider our number system： the symbol "2" is widely understood but it's pronounced "two" in English and "duex" in French．
（1）For an English speaker， which of the following is the easiest to learn？
A． Japanese．
B． French．
C． Greek．
D． Italian．
（2）What can we learn from the passage？
A． The same word in two languages always has the same meaning．
B． The English language and the Greek language use the same alphabet．
C． Objects are counted differently in Japanese according to their shapes．
D． A Mandarin speaker and a Cantonese speaker write Chinese differently．
（3）The purpose of this passage is to tell English speakers ．
A． how to learn some foreign languages
B． why they must learn a foreign language
C． some information on the difficulty of foreign languages
D． not to choose an Asian language to learn as it is too hard
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