I did some research and examined how British English and American English changed between the 1930s and the 2000s. Take spelling, for example towards the 1960s it looked like the UK was going in the direction of not using the “u” in “colour” and writing “centre” as “center”. But since then, the British have become more confident in some of their own spellings. In the 2000s, the UK used an American spelling choice about 11% of the time while Americans use a British one about 10% of the time. There is also no need to worry too much about American words, such as “vacation”, “liquor” and “lawmaker” entering British English. There are a few examples of this kind of vocabulary change but they are mostly uncommon words and are not likely to change British English too much. The British are still using “mum” rather than “mom” and “petrol” rather than “gas”.
But when we start thinking of language more in terms of style than vocabulary or spelling, a different picture appears. Some of the bigger trends (趋势) in American English are moving towards a freer use of language. American sentences are usually one word shorter in 2006 than they were in 1931.
Americans also use a lot more apostrophes (撇号) in their writing than they used to, which has the effect of turning the two words “do not” into the single “don’t”. “The hand of the king” becomes the shorter “The king’s hand”.
However, in all these ways Brits are changing too—and in the same way as Americans. They’re just about 30 years behind the trend that Americans seem to be leading.
So this raises a question, is British English actively following American English or is this something that is simply a natural trend in language use? Perhaps the British would have gone in that direction even if America had been discovered? I'd like to agree with the second idea but because of the fact that British people learn plenty of American language through different ways, I think the first is more correct.
1.What did the British do in the 1960s?
A.They use some American spellings.
B.They built up confidence in their language.
C.They did research on language difference.
D.They went in the direction of harder spellings.
2.What does the author try to show by using examples like “petrol”?
A.British English has changed a lot.
B.Some uncommon words are used less often.
C.American words are entering British English.
D.American spelling won’t change British English too much.
3.Which of the following is a trend of American English?
A.It is using shorter words.
B.It is turning to proper grammar.
C.It is trying to make sentences simpler.
D.It is avoiding using apostrophes.
4.Which of the following is the author’s opinion about the languages?
A.American English is going the wrong way.
B.British English is following American English’s example.
C.American English is borrowing a lot from British English.
D.Languages wouldn’t change much if America was not discovered.
高一英语阅读理解中等难度题
I did some research and examined how British English and American English changed between the 1930s and the 2000s. Take spelling, for example towards the 1960s it looked like the UK was going in the direction of not using the “u” in “colour” and writing “centre” as “center”. But since then, the British have become more confident in some of their own spellings. In the 2000s, the UK used an American spelling choice about 11% of the time while Americans use a British one about 10% of the time. There is also no need to worry too much about American words, such as “vacation”, “liquor” and “lawmaker” entering British English. There are a few examples of this kind of vocabulary change but they are mostly uncommon words and are not likely to change British English too much. The British are still using “mum” rather than “mom” and “petrol” rather than “gas”.
But when we start thinking of language more in terms of style than vocabulary or spelling, a different picture appears. Some of the bigger trends (趋势) in American English are moving towards a freer use of language. American sentences are usually one word shorter in 2006 than they were in 1931.
Americans also use a lot more apostrophes (撇号) in their writing than they used to, which has the effect of turning the two words “do not” into the single “don’t”. “The hand of the king” becomes the shorter “The king’s hand”.
However, in all these ways Brits are changing too—and in the same way as Americans. They’re just about 30 years behind the trend that Americans seem to be leading.
So this raises a question, is British English actively following American English or is this something that is simply a natural trend in language use? Perhaps the British would have gone in that direction even if America had been discovered? I'd like to agree with the second idea but because of the fact that British people learn plenty of American language through different ways, I think the first is more correct.
1.What did the British do in the 1960s?
A.They use some American spellings.
B.They built up confidence in their language.
C.They did research on language difference.
D.They went in the direction of harder spellings.
2.What does the author try to show by using examples like “petrol”?
A.British English has changed a lot.
B.Some uncommon words are used less often.
C.American words are entering British English.
D.American spelling won’t change British English too much.
3.Which of the following is a trend of American English?
A.It is using shorter words.
B.It is turning to proper grammar.
C.It is trying to make sentences simpler.
D.It is avoiding using apostrophes.
4.Which of the following is the author’s opinion about the languages?
A.American English is going the wrong way.
B.British English is following American English’s example.
C.American English is borrowing a lot from British English.
D.Languages wouldn’t change much if America was not discovered.
高一英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
There are some differences between American English and British English. Some differences are quite interesting.
When my friend Lily from London used the word "larder", I didn't know what it meant. Realizing I didn't follow her, she used another word. I finally knew she wanted to find something to keep some food.
The next word came up when we were planning a lunch date. She jotted down the date and time in her diary, while I marked my calendar. If she called me on the phone, she would ring me up. But if the line was busy, she would say the line was engaged.
Most times, I can know what Lily means. Last week, she regretted sending her boys to watch an early morning tennis game without their fleeces. I thought that she meant without their jackets or something like those. Other times, we have to ask each other. She recently told me a funny tale about a woman who was pissed. I wondered what had made the lady angry. It turns out that pissed means drunk.
Here is one more example. My British friend Jane was filling out a ticket at the grocery store（食品杂货店）recently. She asked the young man if he had a rubber. When she noticed he didn't follow her, she quickly asked for an eraser, which, in England, is often called a rubber.
In order to communicate well with the British, we Americans should learn some words that the British use differently. And I think people who learn English as a second language should also realize that there are differences between American English and British English.
1.When Lily used the word "larder", she was probably looking for a ________.
A. cup B. ladder
C. cupboard D. cooker
2.What does the underlined phrase "jotted down" in Paragraph 2 mean?
A. Wrote down. B. Left behind.
C. Looked for. D. Settled down.
3.According to the passage, Lily regretted sending her boys to watch a tennis game mainly because ________. .
A. the game was boring
B. she wanted to spend time with her boys
C. she didn't dress her boys in thick clothes
D. her boys got lost
4.What is the passage mainly about？
A. The British way of using words.
B. Some new words the writer's British friends taught her.
C. The reasons why Americans can't follow the British at times.
D. Some words used differently in British English and American English.
高一英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
There are some differences between American English and British English. Some differences are quite interesting.
When my friend Lily from London used the word “larder”, I didn’t know what it meant. Realizing I didn’t follow her, she used another word. I finally knew she wanted to find something to keep some food. The next word came up when we were planning a lunch date. She jotted down the date and time in her diary, while I marked my calendar. If she called me on the phone, she would ring me up. But if the line was busy, she would say the line was engaged.
Most times, I can know what Lily means. Last week, she regretted sending her boys to watch an early morning tennis game without their fleeces. I thought that she meant without their jackets or something like that. Other times, we have to ask each other. She recently told me a funny tale about a pissed woman. I wondered what had made the lady angry. It turns out that pissed means drunk.
Here is one more example. My British friend Jane was filling out a ticket at the grocery store recently. She asked the young man to help her if he had a rubber. When she noticed he didn’t follow her, she quickly asked for an eraser, which, in England, is often called a rubber.
In order to communicate well with British people, we Americans should learn some words that the British use differently. And I think people who learn English as a second language should also realize that there are differences between American English and British English.
1. When Lily used the word “larder”, she was probably looking for a ______.
A. cup B. ladder
C. cupboard D. cooker
2.According to the passage, in British English ______.
A. the word “pissed” means angry
B. the word “jacket” is often used
C. the word “engaged” means tired
D. the word “rubber” means eraser
3.What does the underlined phrase “jotted down” in Pragraph2 mean?
A. Wrote down B. Cared about
C. Looked for D. Settled down
4.What is the passage mainly about?
A. The British way of using words.
B. Some new words the writer’s British friends taught her.
C. The reasons why Americans can’t followed the British at times.
D. Some words used differently in British English and American English.
高一英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
“Boys and girls, I’m very glad to_____ you some difference between American English and British English today.” the speaker said.
| A．tell | B．speak | C．say | D．talk |
高一英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
If you ask some people, “How did you learn English so well?” you may get a surprising answer: “In my sleep!”
These are people who have taken part in one of the recent experiments (实验) to test “the learn while you sleep” method (方法), which is now being tried in several countries, and with several subjects. English is among them.
Scientists say that this sleep study method greatly speeds language learning. They say that the ordinary person can learn two or three times as much during sleep as in the same period during the day—and this does not affect (影响) his rest in any way. However, sleep teaching will only put into your head what you have studied already while you are awake.
In one experiment, ten lessons were broadcast over the radio for two weeks. Each lesson lasted twelve hours — from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. The first three hours of English grammar and vocabulary (词汇) were given with the students awake. At 11 p.m. a lullaby (催眠曲) was broadcast to send the student to sleep and for the next three hours the radio in a soft and low voice broadcast the lesson again into his sleeping ears. At 2 a.m. a sharp noise was sent over the radio to wake the sleeping student up for a few minutes to go over the lesson. The soft music sent him back to rest again while the radio went on. At 5 o’clock his sleep ended and he had to go through the lesson again for three hours before breakfast.
1.In the experiment, lessons were given____ .
| A．in the night time | B．after lullabies were broadcast |
| C．while the student was awake | D．all through the twelve hours |
2.Before each lesson finishes, the student has to____ .
| A．get up and take breakfast |
| B．be woken up by a loud voice |
| C．listen to the lesson again in sleep |
| D．review (复习) the lesson by himself |
3.The sleep study method is being tried in many countries to teach____ .
| A．the English language | B．grammar and vocabulary |
| C．a number of subjects | D．foreign languages |
高一英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Australian English differs ___ British English ___ that some of the vocabulary has
special meanings.
| A．from; in | B．with; in | C．from; except | D．with; except |
高一英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析
Sooner or later, most students are to take some form of English examinations. Often the more successful students are better prepared. However, sometimes students who do well have better test taking skills. These abilities really have nothing to do with understanding English better. They are skills that make taking the test easier, and therefore provide better results.
Here are some very important—and often ignored—guidelines to taking a test successfully.
Do not insist on completing each question before going to the next. This is extremely important. Remember one question may only be worth one point! You will become nervous when you fail to find out its answer, making you lose your concentration and leading to worse results.
Go through the test a second time working out the answers to more difficult questions. Sometimes questions asked are answered in later questions asking for different things.
Usually(but not always) a strong first impulse(冲动) means we know the answer and we don’t really have to think about it too much. Going back to think about it usually makes you unsure and often causes a mistake. This is very common, so be very careful!
If you don’t know the answer, write something. If you are answering a 4 possibility multiple choice question you will still have a 25% chance of being correct!
Taking a test is as much for you as is for your teacher, so never cheat. If you cheat, you don’t help yourself in the long run.
1.In the first paragraph, the writer stresses the importance of ______.
A. better preparations for exams.
B. better understanding of English.
C. better skills at taking exams.
D. better results of taking exams.
2.When taking an exam, you are advised ______.
A. to first answer the questions which are easier to you.
B. to depend on your first impulse to answer the questions.
C. to search the test paper for all the answers to the questions.
D. to give up the questions whose answers you don’t know.
3.It is common that many students______.
A. pay much attention to their testing skills.
B. often give up a difficult test halfway.
C. often get higher results by cheating.
D. don’t believe in their first impulse.
4.What would be the best title of the passage?
A. Effective Studying Methods.
B. Effective Test Taking Skills.
C. Getting Better Exam Results
D. Being Successful Students.
高一英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Sooner or later, most students are to take some form of English examinations. Often the more successful students are better prepared. However, sometimes students who do well have better test taking skills. These abilities really have nothing to do with understanding English better. They are skills that make taking the test easier, and therefore provide better results.
Here are some very important—and often ignored—guidelines to taking a test successfully.
Do not insist on completing each question before going to the next. This is extremely important. Remember one question may only be worth one point! You will become nervous when you fail to find out its answer, making you lose your concentration and leading to worse results. However, answering the questions you are sure you know results in your being more relaxed and feeling more confident.
Go through the test a second time working out the answers to more difficult questions. Sometimes questions asked are answered in later questions asking for different things.
Usually(but not always) a strong first impulse(冲动) means we know the answer and we don’t really have to think about it too much. Going back to think about it usually makes you unsure and often causes a mistake. This is very common, so be very careful!
If you don’t know the answer, write something. If you are answering a 4 possibility multiple choice question you will still have a 25% chance of being correct!
Taking a test is as much for you as is for your teacher, so never cheat. If you cheat, you don’t help yourself in the long run.
1.In the first paragraph, the writer stresses the importance of ______.
A. better preparations for exams.
B. better understanding of English.
C. better skills at taking exams.
D. better results of taking exams.
2.When taking an exam, you are advised ______.
A. to first answer the questions which are easier to you.
B. to depend on your first impulse to answer the questions.
C. to search the test paper for all the answers to the questions.
D. to give up the questions whose answers you don’t know.
3.It is common that many students______.
A. pay much attention to their testing skills.
B. often give up a difficult test halfway.
C. often get higher results by cheating.
D. don’t believe in their first impulse.
4.What would be the best title of the passage?
A. Effective Studying Methods. B. Effective Test Taking Skills.
C. Getting Better Exam Results. D. Being Successful Students.
高一英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Sooner or later, most students are to take some form of English examinations. Often the more successful students are better prepared. However, sometimes students who do well have better test taking skills. These abilities really have nothing to do with understanding English better. They are skills that make taking the test easier, and therefore provide better results.
Here are some very important—and often ignored—guidelines to taking a test successfully.
Do not insist on completing each question before going to the next. This is extremely important. Remember one question may only be worth one point! You will become nervous when you fail to find out its answer, making you lose your concentration and leading to worse results. However, answering the questions you are sure you know results in your being more relaxed and feeling more confident.
Go through the test a second time working out the answers to more difficult questions. Sometimes questions asked are answered in later questions asking for different things.
Usually(but not always) a strong first impulse(冲动) means we know the answer and we don’t really have to think about it too much. Going back to think about it usually makes you unsure and often causes a mistake. This is very common, so be very careful!
If you don’t know the answer, write something. If you are answering a 4 possibility multiple choice question you will still have a 25% chance of being correct!
Taking a test is as much for you as is for your teacher, so never cheat. If you cheat, you don’t help yourself in the long run.
1.In the first paragraph, the writer stresses the importance of ______.
A. better preparations for exams.
B. better understanding of English.
C. better skills at taking exams.
D. better results of taking exams.
2.When taking an exam, you are advised ______.
A. to first answer the questions which are easier to you.
B. to depend on your first impulse to answer the questions.
C. to search the test paper for all the answers to the questions.
D. to give up the questions whose answers you don’t know.
3. It is common that many students______.
A. pay much attention to their testing skills.
B. often give up a difficult test halfway.
C. often get higher results by cheating.
D. don’t believe in their first impulse.
4. What would be the best title of the passage?
A. Effective Studying Methods.
B. Effective Test Taking Skills.
C. Getting Better Exam Results.
D. Being Successful Students.
高一英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
There are many differences between British English and American English.I used to teach a course about the differences between the two.We speak English on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean but we have many differences in our common language.We have examples of the same words having very different meanings，differing spellings of the same words as well as completely different words for the same things.Here are some examples.
A cookie in the US is called a biscuit in the UK. A biscuit in the US is a small cake in the UK. Crisps in the UK，are known as chips，but we British people eat a plate of chips that you call fries in the US. In the UK，a pie can be made from either meat or fruit, while in the US pies are normally made from fruit；pot pies are made from meat.Most things are measured in grams and kilograms in the US，not pounds and ounces.
One very obvious difference is the side of the road we each choose to drive on. Petrol in the UK is gas in the US.The place where we fill up our cars，in the UK，is a garage; while in the US，it’s a gas station.The term garage is also used as a place to store your car next to or close by your house.In the UK we call a lorry what is known as a truck in the US.
An elevator in the US is called a lift here，and the first floor in the US，is called the ground floor here，so many visitors get off on the wrong floor in British hotels.
I could continue with this.There are countless examples of differences within our one shared language.With so many differences, no wonder it’s hard to understand each other well.
1.The passage is mainly about the differences between British English and American English in .
A. vocabulary B. grammar C. sound D. spelling
2.It’s implied in the passage that the author may be .
A. a driver from the US B. a cook from the US
C. a teacher from the UK D. a gas station worker from the UK
3.In the author’s opinion， .
A. language differences don’t affect understanding
B. the same words in the two different types of English may have different spellings
C. there will be fewer differences between American and British English in the future
D. it is impossible that some Americans get off on the wrong floor in British hotels
4.What can we learn from the passage?
A. “Elevator” is commonly used in the UK.
B. Pies mean the same thing in the UK and the US.
C. In the UK，things are measured in pounds and ounces.
D. British and American people drive on the same side of the road.
高一英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析