Everyday, 340 million people speak it. One billion people are learning it and it is said that by 2050,
half of the world's population will be using it. What are we talking about? That global language-English.
     The English language started in Britain in the 5th century. It is a mixed language. It was built up when
German. Scandinavian and French invaders settled in England and created a common language for
communication.
     Today it is the official language of the UK, the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa
and Ireland as well as many islands in the Caribbean . Many other countries and regions use it for politics
and business, for example, India. Pakistan, Nigeria and the Philippines. English is also one of the official
languages of Hong Kong.
     But global advertising and pop music mean that in most countries, you will see or hear some English.
Thanks to McDonalds, we all know about "burgers". "fries" and "milkshakes". Songs by Madonna,
Britney Spears and Celine Dion are in English. We can sing along, even if we do not understand what we
are singing!
     English is a messy (杂乱的) language. Every year, dictionaries include new words that talk about
popular culture, for example, computer-related words such as "blogging", "download" and "chatroom".
Also included are words that teenagers use. Who does not know "cool", "OK" and "hello" ?
     Other languages also influence English. Many English words come from French. Words like "cafe"
and expressions like "c'est la vie" (that is life) are all part of the English language. On the other hand, the
French language includes English words like "le weekend" and "le camping". German words are also part
of English. Words like "kindergarten" come from the German language.
     Recently, British people have become interested in "yoga". But the word comes from an ancient Hindu
language in India.

1. The English language has a history of ______.

A. over 2000 years
B. over 500 years  
C. over 1500 years
D. over 1000 years

2. The underlined expression "thanks to " can be replaced by ______.

A. because of
B. thankful to    
C. not until
D. as if.

3. Which of the following statements is true about the language of English ?

A. It has been changing all the time.  
B. It has borrowed words from all the other languages.
C. French words are used by the English because dictionaries have French words.
D. Singers and film stars have the greatest influence on language.

4. How many people in the world are using English now?

A. One billion people                      
B. 340 million
C. almost all the people in the world.
D. not mentioned above, but the number is growing rapidly.

5. Many countries and regions use it for politics and business except______.

A. the USA    
B. Nigeria      
C. the Philippines    
D. Norway

     Can you remember the day when you spoke your first word? If you can, you are unusual. Try to
imagine what first few months of your life were like. I am sure you just spent most of your time eating,
sleeping and crying. As you grow older, you were awake more of the time. It took your parents more
time to play with you and talk to you. You watched and listened curiously. You began to know that
people made certain sounds to go with certain things.
     Then you began to try making the sounds you heard. And step by step you were able to make the
right sound for one thing.
     On that day you came to understand the secret of language. The secret is that a certain sound means
a certain thing. One sound might be as good as another. But it is no good as a word unless everybody
agrees on its meaning. Only when a group of people use the same set of sounds of things, can they
understand each other. Then, and only then do these people have a LANGUAGE.
     After you found the secret of language, you learned words. Some of the words meant things, such as
BOOKS, CHAIRS and SHOES. Some words meant doing things, such as GO and SWIM. And other
words describe things, such as GOOD and DIRTY. Soon you learned to put words together to express
one's idea, such as "1 want to go out and play with my friends." This is language. By means of language
people can communicate. So we say languages are means of communication.

1.      can remember the day when___________.

A. One; he spoke his first word              
B. No one; he spoke his first word
C. Most people; they spoke their first words    
D. None; they spoke their first words

2. When you were a little baby, you_________.

A. made sounds to let people know that you wanted to eat
B. spent most of your time playing with your parents
C. could not hear any sound around you
D. spent most of your time eating, playing and crying

3. The secret of language is that____________.

A. one sound might be as good as another      
B. people can understand each other
C. a certain sound is for a certain thing        
D. there is a special sound for each person

4. You could learn words_____________.

A. before you knew what the language was      
B. after you knew what the language was
C. if you knew the secret of the language        
D. when you were a baby

5. The aim in using language is           .

A. to get everything one wants from others          
B. to say what one wants to know
C. to share ideas, opinions, news, etc with one another
D. to make oneself understood by others

      Now and again I have had horrible dreams, but not enough of them to make me lose my delight in
dreams. To begin with. I like the idea of dreaming, of going to bed and lying still and then, by some
queer magic, wandering into another kind of existence. As a child, I could never understand why
grown-ups took dreaming so calmly when they could make such a fuss about any holiday, This still
puzzles me. I am puzzled by people who say they never dream and appear to have no interest in the
subject. It is much more astonishing than it would be if they said they never went out for a walk. Most
people do not seem to accept dreaming as part of their lives. They appear to see it as an irritating little
habit, like sneezing or yawning I can never understand this. My dream life does not seem as important
as my waking life because there is far less of it, but to me it is important.

1. What is the author's attitude toward dreaming?

A. He thinks it puzzling            
B. He likes it                     
C. He is interested in it              
D. He doesn't accept it as part of his life

2. For the author of the passage, dreaming is________.    .

A. another kind of existence          
B. an irritating little habit            
C. a horrible but wonderful experience 
D. a true reflection of reality      
    
3. The author of the passage suggests that people who say they never go out for a walk are_____.

A. interesting    
B. unbelievable    
C. mysterious(难以理解的)      
D. lazy

4. The author of the passage enjoys dreaming most______.    .

A. only when he was a child          
B. only when he is a grown-up
C. both as a child and as a grown-up    
D. only in his old age

5. Why does the author of the passage complain? 

A. Because most people are overexcited about their dreams 
B. Because most people are not interested in talking about their dreams
C. Because most people have had dreams most of the time
D. Because most people consider their dreams of to much importance

     In the U. S. ,the public has tended to believe that all motorcycles are ridden by wild,irresponsible
lawless young men.
     There are several things about motorcycling that the average citizen dislikes. A cyclist's appearance
has something to do with this dislike. Motorcyclists frequently look dirty；in fact,they are dirty. 0n the
road there is little to protect them from mud,crushed insects and bird droppings. For practical reasons
they are often dressed in old clothing which looks much less respectable than the clothing of people who
  ride in cars. For the same reason motorcyclists usually wear dark colors. Perhaps this helps to explain
why they are sometimes suspected of having evil natures. In old plays of long ago,evil characters usually
wore black. In cowboy movies the "bad guys" usually wear black hats while the "good guys" wear lighter
colors.
Something else about their appearance makes an unfavorable impression.  In their practical,protective
clothing they look very much like the men on military motorcycles in the movies of World War II-cruel
enemies who roared into peaceful villages filling people's hearts with fear.
     Probably the machine itself also produces anger and fear.  Motorcycles are noisy,though some big
trucks are even noisier. But trucks are big and carry heavy loads；they are accepted(if not really
welcomed)because they perform a needed service,making America move. Motorcycles,on the other
hand,make all unpleasant noise just to give their riders pleasure. That is what is commonly thought. In the
woods motorcycles,frighten animals. Roaring along quiet streets, they wake sleeping families and make
babies cry.
     Of course the danger of motorcycling,also helps account for many people's low opinion of the sport.
Its defenders, however,claim that careful cyclists are in less danger than commonly behaved.
     A cyclist must drive as if everybody around him wanted to kill him. He must pay careful attention to
his driving. From that point of view,a man on a motorcycle is safer than,a man in a car.

1. Which of the following about good characters of old American movies is right?

A. had no difference from evil characters      
B. usually wore lighter colors
C. looked gracious                        
D. often rode horses

2. Most Americans believe that_____.

A. motorcyclists are all blue-collar workers
B. motorcycling has become one of America's most popular sports
C. motorcyclists can't afford to buy cars
D. only wild,irresponsible,lawless young men enjoy motorcycling

3. We can conclude that______

A. all good guys in cowboy movies weal white
B. there existed different opinions towards motorcycling sport
C. animals in the woods like motorcycles because motorcyclists usually feed crashed insects to them
D. motorcycles will make noise as soon as people go to sleep

4. Why do Some people claim that a man on a motorcycle is safer than a man in a car ?

A. because car race is a sport with several disadvantages
B. because motorcyclists must drive very carefully
C. because most people want to keep a distance from the dirty motorcycles for fear that they
     should lose dignity
D. because motorcycles tend to be accepted by more and more people

5. Which of the statement is right?

A. all motorcycles are wild young men    
B. all motorcycles are irresponsible young men
C. all motorcycles are lawless young men
D. they frequently look dirty,they often make an unpleasant noise,and their appearance
     contributes to people's terrible imagination

     Taiwan police cannot decide whether to treat it as an extremely eleven act of stealing or an even
cleverer cheat  Either way , it could be the perfect crime, because the criminals are birds-horning pigeons !
     The crime begins with a telephone message to the owner of a stolen car : if you want the car back,
pay up then, the car owner is directed to a park, told where to find a bird cage and how to attach money
to the neck of the pigeon inside . Carrying the money in a tiny bag , the pigeon flies off .
     There have been at least four such pigeon pick-ups in Changwa. What at first seemed like the work
of a clever stay-at-home car thief, however , may in face be the work of an even lazier and more
inventive criminal mind-one that avoid not only colleting money but going out to steal the car in the first
place . Police officer Chen says that the criminal probably has pulled a double trick: he gets money for
things he cannot possibly return . Instead of stealing cars , he lets someone else do it and then waits for
the car-owner to place an ad. in the newspaper asking for help .
     The theory is supported by the fact that , so far , none of the stolen cars have been returned . Also,
the amount of money demanded-under 3,000 Taiwanese dollars -seems too little for a car worth many
times more .
     Demands for pigeon-delivered money stopped as soon as the press reported the story. And even if
they start again, Chen holds little hope of catching the criminal . "We have more important things to do, "
he said .

1. The "lazier and more inventive" criminal refers to          .

A. the car thief who stays at home      
B. one of those who put the ads in the paper
C. the owner of the pigeons        
D. one of the policemen in Changwa  

2. After the car owner received a phone call. He         

A. gave the money to the thief and had his car back in a park
B. sent some money to the thief by mail
C. told the press about it
D. went to a certain pigeon and put some money in the bag it carried

3 . The writer mentions the fact that "none of the stolen cars have been returned" to show      .

A. how easily people get fooled by criminals        
B. the thief is extremely clever                
C. the money paid is too little                    
D. what Chen thinks might be correct

4. We may infer from the text that the criminal knows how to reach the car owners because  __  .

A. he lives in the same neighborhood        
B. he has seen the car owners in the park
C. he reads the ads in the newspaper          
D. he has trained the pigeons to follow them

5. The underlined word "they" in the last paragraph refers to          .

A. criminals            
B. pigeons      
C. the stolen cars    
D. demands for money

     Suppose you are a visitor in the land of Mongolia, some friends ask you to eat with them. What kind
of manners do they want you to have? They want you to give a loud burp after you finish eating. Burping
would show that you like your food. In some countries, if you give a big burp, you are told to say "Excuse me, please".
     In many places people like to eat together. But in some parts of Polynesia it is bad manners to be seen eating at all. People show their good manners by turning their backs on others while they eat.
     What are manners like in an East African town? The people try not to see you. They are being polite.
You may see a friend. He may not see you at all. If you are polite, you will sit down beside him. You will
wait until he finishes what he is doing. Then he will talk to you. Manners are different all over the world.
But it is good to know that all manners begin in the same way. People need ways to show that they want
to be friends.

1 . In Mongolia, burping is a way of showing that __________. 

A . you are impolite            
B . you enjoyed the meal prepared by the host
C . your meal was not enough    
D . you are friendly with your host

2 . In Polynesia, to be polite while eating you should __________.

A . eat quickly    
B . sit still    
C . turn your back on others  
D . say "Excuse me, please"

3 . People in an East African town are being polite by __________.  

A . waiting for a long time before visits    
B . sitting down beside others
C . seeing a friend quickly              
D . trying not to see you

4 . We have good manners to show that we __________.

A . are different from other people    
B . don't want other people to worry us
C . begin all manners in the same way  
D . want to be friends with other people

5. The best title for this passage is __________. 

A . Good Manners              
B . All manners is the Same Way
C . Different Kinds of Manners    
D . Do Have Manners