Learning any language is hard, but learning English can be especially challenging. Why? Because native speakers use the language in some ways that textbooks could never describe. In particular, words that British people use cause many language students to scratch(抓) their heads.
Here’s an example: You overhear(无意中听到) an Englishman calling someone a “wazzock”. But what exactly is a wazzock? This word, in fact, means a foolish person, although there’s nothing about it that would help you guess that. There are many strange terms like this in British English – the Oxford English Dictionary would be much smaller without these odd (古怪的) usages filling its pages.
How can these odd words be explained? Part of the answer is the British sense of humor. The British don’t like to take things too seriously, and this is obvious through many British words and phrases. For example, to “spend a penny” means to use the bathroom. It refers to the days when people had to pay a penny to use a public toilet.
In an interview for the BBC’s website, British linguist David Crystal suggested there may be historical reasons for the number of odd words and phrases in British English. He thinks that they began in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. This was a great age for the theater, when Shakespeare and other writers worked hard to keep up with the demand for new plays. The theater’s popularity also created an incentive (刺激) to invent new words.
With this in mind, perhaps Shakespeare and his peers are to blame for unusual British words such as “codswallop” and “balderdash” – which both mean “nonsense”.
While these strange words may be confusing to non-native speakers, they certainly make studying English a lot more interesting.
1.According to the text, why may non-native speakers find it hard to learn English?
A. Dictionaries don’t explain odd usages of many words.
B. A great many strange words make no sense to them.
C. The English textbooks they study are usually out of date.
D. They are unable to understand the humor in conversations.
2.With the example of “spend a penny”, the author intends to _________.
A. explain one reason of how some strange phrases were created
B. complain about the meaning and background of the phrase
C. show what typical British sense of humour is
D. show British people’s attitude toward strange words
3.According to David Crystal, _________.
A. many of the words that Shakespeare invented were nonsense
B. Shakespeare’s works are boring because of the odd words involved
C. the theatre’s success in the 17th century inspired the birth of many odd words
D. the odd words in Shakespeare’s plays contributed a lot to the theatre’s popularity
4.What is the text mainly about?
A. The development of the British English.
B. Shakespeare’s influence on British English.
C. The origin and meanings of British humour.
D. Some reasons for the large number of odd words in British English.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Shortly after my fourth birthday， my parents and I arrived from China in Sydney， Australia． It was 1991 and my mother had left behind everything she knew--family， friends and career．
Yet within two years， my parents' marriage had broken down． After one particularly unpleasant fight， my mother left my father， taking me with her． With no family or friends， and in a country where she couldn't even communicate， she took me to Chinatown， the only area of Sydney she was familiar with． That night she laid me on a bench in Dixon Street， packing suitcases around us for security（安全）． I will never forget the despair in her face that night．
At around 4 a．m．， a group of four young Chinese men noisily exited a club nearby． I remember them falling silent as they saw us． They approached and asked my mother why she was sleeping on the streets with such a young child． My mum burst into tears as she told them our story． Without hesitating， they warmed me up， took our suitcases， and drove us to their students housing．
In the weeks that followed， the men looked after us with a youthful enthusiasm． Being poor students living on their own for the first time， they simply knew how to cook in a stupid way． However， they insisted that a child should have homemade meals． They quickly adjusted their lives around us， buying fresh food， cooking， teasing me to make me laugh， and advising my mum on how to sort out her life．
Eventually， Mum reconciled （和解） with Dad and we moved back in with him， although they continued to split and make up several times．
Gradually we lost touch with the men as we all moved on． But at every milestone of my life--graduations， entering university， getting a good job--I never forget that all of this was made possible because 22years ago， a group of complete strangers took us in and shared everything they had to save us from life on the street．
1.Why did Mom and I stay in Dixon Street that night？ ______
A. We were waiting for the Chinese men．
B. Mom was unfamiliar with Australia at all．
C. It was safe to stay there for night．
D. We had no other place to go．
2.How did the students feel the moment they saw us in the street？ ______
A. Ashamed． B. Shocked．
C. Amused． D. Nervous．
3.What message is conveyed in the passage？ ______
A. There is no perfect husband or wife in marriage．
B. It's the timely help to someone in need that matters．
C. It's a great challenge for the Chinese to study abroad．
D. Childhood memory contributes to guiding present behavior．
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Still seeking a destination for your weekend break？There are some places which are probably a mere walk away from your college.
King's Art Centre
A day at the Centre could mean a visit to an exhibition of the work of one of the most interesting contemporary artists on show anywhere. This weekend sees the opening of an exhibition of four local artists.
You could attend a class teaching you how to ‘learn from the masters’ or get more creative with paint—free of charge.
The Centre also runs two life drawing classes for which there is a small fee.
The Botanic Garden
The Garden has over 8,000 plant species；it holds the research and teaching collection of living plants for Cambridge University.
The multibranched Torch Aloe here is impressive. The African plant produces red flowers above blue green leaves，and is not one to miss.
Get to the display house to see Dionaea muscipula，a plant more commonly known as the Venus Flytrap that feeds on insects and other small animals.
The Garden is also a place for wildlife enthusiasts. Look for grass snakes in the lake. A snake called ‘Hissing Sid’ is regularly seen lying in the heat of the warm sun.
Byron's Pool
Many stories surround Lord Byron's time as a student of Cambridge University. Arriving in 1805，he wrote a letter complaining that it was a place of “mess and drunkenness”．However，it seems as though Byron did manage to pass the time pleasantly enough. I'm not just talking about the pet bear he kept in his rooms. He spent a great deal of time walking in the village.
It is also said that on occasion Byron swam naked by moonlight in the lake，which is now known as Byron's Pool. A couple of miles past Grantchester in the south Cambridge shire countryside，the pool is surrounded by beautiful circular paths around the fields. The cries of invisible birds make the trip a lovely experience and on the way home you can drop into the village for afternoon tea. If you don't trust me，then perhaps you'll take it from Virginia Woolf—over a century after Byron，she reportedly took a trip to swim in the same pool.
1.As mentioned in the passage，there is a small fee for ______.
A. attending the masters' class B. working with local artists
C. learning life drawing D. seeing an exhibition
2.“Torch Aloe” and “Venus Flytrap” are ______.
A. common insects B. impressive plants
C. rarely seen snakes D. wildlife enthusiasts
3.We can infer from the passage that Byron seemed ______.
A. to fear pet bears B. to like walking
C. to be a heavy drinker D. to finish university in 1805
4.What is the passage mainly about?
A. Some places for weekend break.
B. A way to become creative in art.
C. The colourful life in the countryside.
D. Unknown stories of Cambridge University.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Many times we tend to use our hands to explain our needs and thoughts.1.So you must be careful when using hand gestures in communication.
Hand gestures are a way of communicating with others and conveying your feelings. These gestures are most helpful when one is speaking to someone with no language in common. The meanings of hand gestures in different cultures may translate into different things.2. Former President George W. Bush had to face a major faux pas（失礼） during a visit to Australia. He tried to signal a peace sign by waving the two-finger or V-sign at the crowd.
You may think of this as a simple gesture, but he made a major mistake.3.The meaning of this hand gesture in Australia was asking the crowd to get out, a rude expression used to show you’re very angry! 4. Therefore, it is very important to understand the meanings of gestures before you travel to different countries.
5. Those considered as good gestures in one country may be termed as offensive(冒犯的) gestures in some countries. So, if you are a frequent flier to different countries, improve your communication skills by learning the meaning of hand gestures.
A. Here is a very common example.
B. Instead of his palm facing outwards, it faced inwards.
C. The great man received warm welcome by the Australians.
D. We communicate not only by words, but by hand gestures as well.
E. A serious error committed by the then most powerful man in the world.
F. But the same hand gesture may mean something quite offensive to a person from a different cultural background.
G. Before you communicate with people in different cultures, you need to understand the meaning of gestures.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
A year ago I went through one of the most difficult times in my life. I had ______ all my business within a month. I chose a less crowded area for tourists to see if I could gain my ________ in life again. I booked a day trip to see the ________. I sat in a little motor boat with 5 other people to see the whales.
We __________ saw a couple of water spouts（水柱）, which our guide said were whales. To my amazement, all of a sudden, one __________ right in front of my face. Everyone __________ to take pictures of her under the water __________ she swam away. She looked me right in the eye. I __________out to touch her. She stayed out of the water long enough for me to __________ her. It was an amazing feeling. Then she swam away. A little later, the guide _________ that two whales were coming close to the boat. It was my new friend with her baby. It was __________ to see how she pushed her baby towards our boat. She was bringing her baby to __________ me!
On the trip back everyone was ________ talking about the experience. The guide told us that only once before had he witnessed a whale allowing __________ to touch it. Why did this happen? I have no ________ for why she chose me for the special advantage. Maybe the mother whale __________ my sadness. She helped me to see the light, __________ I was in a very dark place.
That __________ meeting paved the way for me to put life back into perspective(远景). That huge beautiful creature made me __________ that despite the obstacles(障碍) life puts in your way, there is always an opportunity for a new __________.
You must never give up.
1.A. recovered B. gained C. done D. lost
2.A. health B. confidence C. victory D. experience
3.A. whales B. friends C. sprouts D. pictures
4.A. still B. already C. also D. soon
5.A. sank B. surfaced C. dived D. escaped
6.A. feared B. hesitated C. tried D. pretended
7.A. before B. when C. after D. while
8.A. climbed B. swam C. jumped D. reached
9.A. smell B. catch C. feel D. see
10.A. shouted B. suggested C. urged D. insisted
11.A. boring B. unbelievable C. frightening D. uncomfortable
12.A. attack B. meet C. scold D. thank
13.A. carelessly B. naturally C. regretfully D. cheerfully
14.A. someone B. me C. everyone D. him
15.A. excuse B. explanation C. duty D. responsibility
16.A. spotted B. predicted C. enjoyed D. shared
17.A. so B. even though C. if D. now that
18.A. regular B. normal C. magical D. common
19.A. think B. remember C. recall D. understand
20.A. boating B. swimming C. beginning D. meeting
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（不多于3个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。
I was nine years old when I learnt to ride a bike. The bike was a birthday present from my uncle. You can imagine how 1.(excite) I was when I saw the bike, and I begged my uncle to teach me how 2.(ride) it right away. However, before I got on the bike, I felt 3.(extreme) nervous and I was afraid that I would fall off and hurt 4. (me). My uncle held onto the seat and helped me to get 5. the bike. While I was riding, he was running along beside me, 6.hold) the seat so I would not fall over. I was so 7.(grate) to him for his help.
As I was practicing, I became more and more confident. Then, I heard my uncle shouting, "You are riding it by yourself now!" I was both excited and scared. I was really riding by myself, but what if I fell off? Could I use the brakes to stop? As I was wondering about this, my uncle ran after me and got hold of the bike. I 8.(slow) down and came to a stop. My heart was still beating fast when I got off the bike. 9.(late) that day, having learnt how to get on the bike and get off it, I felt like I was walking on air! I am still thankful to my uncle for teaching me to ride a bike on my 10.(nine) birthday.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。错误涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
I’m more than happy to hear you．You told me you were having trouble learn Chinese and wanted some advices from me．
Firstly，why not to learn to sing Chinese songs? It’s a good way to learn Chinese and can make you feel relaxing．Secondly，you can make some Chinese friends．Although you get along well with it，they will help you to learn Chinese．Beside，it will be helpful if you watched some Chinese TV programmes and read some Chinese novels．Finally，joining a club is also the good way to learn Chinese．In this way，you will get more chances to practice Chinese．
I hope the suggestions will be useful．
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
假如你是学生会主席李华，为了让外国人了解中国传统文化，学生会将进行“唐诗吟大赛”(Tang Poetry Recitation Contest)，特邀请学校国际部学生参加，请你根据提示写一则通知。主要内容包括：
1.大赛目的和意义；
2.主办方：校学生会。时间：2017年2月10日。地点：校报告厅（assembly hall)；
3.范围：唐诗三百首（Three Hundred Tang Poems)。
注意：1.词数100左右；2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文流畅。
Notice
Do you want to have a further knowledge of Chinese culture?_____________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
难度: 中等查看答案及解析