If you ask people to name the one person who had the greatest effect on the English language, you will get answers like “Shakespeare” “Samuel Johnson”, and “Webster”, but none of these men had any effect at all compared to a man who didn’t even speak English—William the conqueror.

Before 1066,in the land we now call Great Britain lived peoples belonging to two major language groups. In the west-region lived the Welsh, who spoke a Celtic language, and in the north lived the Scots, whose language, though not the same as Wish-wash also Celtic. In the rest of the century lived the Saxons, actually a mixture of Anglos, Saxons, and other Germanic and Nordic people, who spoke what we now call Anglo--Saxon(or Old English) ,a Germanic language. If this state of affairs had lasted, English today would be close to German.

But this state of affairs did not last. In 1066 the Normans led by William defeated the Saxons and began their rule over English. For about a century, French became the official language of England while Old English became the language of peasants. As a result, English words of politics and the law come from French rather than German. In some cases, modern English even shows a distinction between upper-class French and lower class Anglo Saxon in its words. We even have different words for some foods, eaten in particular, depending on whether it is still out in the fields or at home ready to be cooked, which shows the fact that the Saxon peasants were doing farming, while the upper-class Normans were doing most of eating.

When Americans visit Europe for the first time, they usually find Germany more “foreign” than France because the German they see on signs and advertisement seems much more different from English than French does. Few realize that the English language is actually Germanic in its beginning and that the French influences are all the result of the man’s ambition.

1. The two major languages spoken in what is now called Great Britain before 1066 were__________.

A. Welsh and Scottish　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　    B. Nordic and Germanic

C. Celtic and Old English　　　　　　　　　　　　　　    D. Anglo-Saxon and Germanic

2.Which of the following groups of words are, by inference, rooted in French?

A. President, lawyer, beef.　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  B. President, bread, water.

C. Bread, field, sheep.　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　    D. Folk, field, cow.

3. Why does French appear less foreign than Germany to Americans on their first visit to Europe?

A. Most advertisements in France appear in English.

B. They know little of the history of the English language.

C. Many French words are similar to English ones.

D. They know French better than German.

4. What is the subject discussed in the text?

A. The history of Great Britain.

B. The similarity between English and French.

C. The rule of England by William the conqueror.

D. The French influence on the English language.

Exchange a glance with someone, then look away. Do you realize that you have made a statement? Hold the glance for a second longer and you have made a different statement. Hold it for three seconds, and the meaning has changed again. For every social situation, there is a permissible(可允许的)  time that you can hold a person’s gaze without being intimate, rude, or aggressive. If you are on an elevator, what gaze-time are you permitted? To answer this question, consider you typically do. You very likely give other passengers a quick glance to size them up(打量) and to assume them that you mean no threat. Since being close to another person signals the possibility of interaction, you need to send out a signal telling others you want to be left alone. So you cut off eye contacts what sociologists Erving Goffiman(1963) calls “a dimming of the lights”. You look down at the floor, at the indicator lights, anywhere but into another passenger’s eyes. Should you break the rule against staring at a stranger on an elevator, you will make the other person extremely uncomfortable, and you are likely to feel a bit strange yourself.

If you hold eye contacts for more than 3 seconds, what are you telling another person? Much depends on the person and the situation. For instance, a man and a woman communicate interest in this manner. They typically gaze at the each other for about 3 seconds at a time, and then drop their eyes down for 3 seconds, before letting their eyes meet again. But if one man gives another man a 3-second-plus stare, he signals, “I know you”. “I’m interested in you.” or “You look peculiar and I am curious about you.” This type of stare often produces hostile feelings.

1. It can be inferred from the first paragraph that__________.

A. every glance has its significance(meaning or importance) 

B. staring at a person is an expression of interest

C. a gaze longer than 3 seconds is unacceptable

D. a glance carries more meaning than words

2. If you want to be left alone on an elevator the best thing to do is__________.

A. to look into another passenger’s eyes

B. to avoid eye contacts with other passengers

C. to signal you are not a threat to anyone

D. to keep a distance from other passengers

3. By “a dimming of lights”, Erving Goffiman means __________.

A. closing one’s eyes

B. turning off the lights

C. stopping glancing at others

D. reducing gaze-time to the minimum

4. The passage mainly discusses __________.

A. the limitations of eye contacts

B. the exchange of ideas through the contacts

C. proper behavior in situations

D. the role of eye contacts in interpersonal communication

Since many of you are planning to study at a college or university in this country, you may be curious to know what you usually do in a typical week, how you can get along with your fellow students, and so on. These are the questions I want to discuss with you today.

First, let’s talk about what your weekly schedule will look like. No matter what your major may be, you can expect to spend between four and six hours a week for each class attending lectures. Lectures are usually in very large rooms because some courses such as introduction to sociology or economics often have as many as two or three hundred students, especially at large universities. In lectures, it’s very important for you to take notes on what the professor says because the information in a lecture is often different from the information in your textbooks. Also, you can expect to have exam questions based on the lectures. So it isn’t enough to just read your textbooks; you have to attend lectures as well. In a typical week you will also have a couple of hours of discussion for every class you take. The discussion section is a small group meeting usually with fewer than thirty students where you can ask questions about the lectures, the reading, and the homework. In large universities, graduate students, called teaching assistants, usually direct discussion sections.

If your major is chemistry, or physics, or another science, you’ll also have to spend several hours a week in the labor laboratory, doing experiments. This means that science majors spend more time in the classroom than non-science majors do. On the other hand, people who major in subjects like literature or history usually have to read and write more than science majors do.

1. The main purpose of this text is __________.

A. to help the students to learn about university life

B. to persuade the students to attend lectures

C. to encourage the students to take part in discussions

D. to advise the students to choose proper majors

2. We can learn from the passage that university professors__________.

A. spend about 5 hours on lectures each week

B. must join the students in the discussion sections

C. prefer to use textbooks in their lectures

D. require the students to read beyond the textbooks

3. A discussion section does NOT include__________.

A. working under the guidance of university professors

B. talking over what the students have read about the courses

C. discussing the problems related to the students’ homework

D. raising questions about what a professor has said in a lecture

4. According to the author, science majors __________.

A. have to work harder than non-science majors

B. spend less time on their studies than non-science majors

C. consider experiments more important than discussions

D. read and write less than non-science majors

Recently, a professor of philosophy in the US has written a book called money And The Meaning Of Life. He has discovered that how we deal with money in our day-to-day life has more meaning than we usually think. One of the exercises he asked his students to do is to keep a record of every penny they spend for a week. From the way they spend their money, they can see what they really value in life.

He says our relation with others often become clear in meaning, when money enters the picture. You might have wonderful friendship with somebody and you think that you are very good friends. But you will know him only when you ask him to lend you some money. If he does, it brings something to the relationship that seems stronger than ever before. Or it can suddenly weaken the relationship if he doesn’t. This person may say that he had a certain feeling, but if it is not carried out in the money world, there is something less real about it.

Since money is so important to us, we consider those who have a lot of it to be very important. The author interviewed some millionaires in researching his book.

Question: What is the most surprising thing you have discovered about being rich, because you are self-made man?

Answer: The most surprising thing is how people give me so much respect. I am nothing. I don’t know much. All I am is rich.

People just have an idea of making more and more money, but what is it for? How much do I need for any given purposes in my life? In his book, the professor uncovered an important need in modern society, to bring back the idea that money is an instrument rather than the end. Money plays an important role in the material world, but expecting money to give happiness may be missing the meaning of life.

1. The author seems to believe that asking your friend to lend you some money __________.

A. is a good way to test your friendship

B. will do harm to your friendship

C. will strengthen your friendship

D. is a good way to break off your friendship

2. What can we learn about the millionaire from his answer in the interview?

A. He doesn’t feel that he is well educated.

B. He doesn’t think that he is a very important person.

C. He doesn’t think that being rich gets so much attention.

D. He doesn’t consider himself to be very successful.

3. What does the American professor of philosophy want to explain in his book?

A. Money is an end.

B. Money is a means.

C. Money is everything.

D. Money is unimportant.

4. Which of the following might the author disagree with?

A. Money is important in modern society.

B. The meaning of life does not completely lie in money.

C. Wealth will surely bring the owner happiness.

D. Happiness is not necessarily the result of wealth.

Some time ago, an interesting discovery was made by archaeologists on the Aegean island of Kea. An American team explored a temple which stands in an ancient city on the promontory of Ayia Irini. The city at one time must have been prosperous, for it enjoyed a high level of civilization. Houses were built of stone. They had large rooms with beautifully decorated walls. The city was even equipped with a drainage system, for a great many clay pipes were found under the narrow streets.

The temple which the archaeologists explored was used as a place of worship from the fifteenth century B.C. until Roman times. In the most sacred room of the temple, clay fragments of fifteen status were found. Each of these stood for a goddess and had, at one time, been painted. The body of one statue was found among remains dating from the fifteenth century B.C. Its missing head happened to be among remains of the fifth century B.C. This head must have been found in Classical times and carefully kept in good condition. It was very old and precious even then. When the archaeologists reconstructed the fragments, they were amazed to find that the goddess turned out to be a very modern-looking woman. She stood three feet high and her hands rested on her hips. She was wearing a full-length skirt which swept the ground. Despite her great age, she was very graceful indeed, but, so far, the archaeologists have been unable to discover her identity.

1. The city enjoyed a high level of civilization, because __________.

A. some of the houses were built only one story high

B. a great number of fragments were found in the temple

C. the city had been built in clay

D. advanced techniques had been employed in building and decorating

2. Which of the following is true according to the article?

A. An American team found an ancient tower on an lonely island.

B. The statue of a goddess was first discovered by the American team.

C. The goddess was very graceful because she looked very young.

D. The temple the archaeologists found was once used as a worship place.

3. What is the interesting discovery made by the American team?

A. The statue of a goddess.

B. The old temple.

C. The ancient city on the Aegean Island of Kea.

D. The full-length skirt the goddess was wearing.

4. Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

A. An Ancient Prosperous City

B. An Unknown Goddess

C. A Sacred Tower

D. Rescuing the Old Temple

August has always been difficult for me. It is the time when I realize that the books my English teacher assigned to me are not going to read themselves and that I have a difficult month in front of me.

You might think that I don’t want to spend my summer reading, but that’s not the problem: I love reading. On the first day of my summer holiday this year, I went to the library and got A Gathering of Old Men by African-American writer Ernest Gaines. I enjoyed it very much. I read all the magazines that my parents subscribe to(订阅) and spend about 30 minutes every day with the morning paper.

So why do I hate summer reading for school? Because the books on summer reading lists are often slow-going and just uninviting(不吸引人的) .Teachers and librarians don’t understand that summer reading can be entertaining as well as educational.

They choose books that a friend of my mother’s calls “spinach books”: good for you, but not much fun to take in. Every summer, I read them, hate them and get bitter about the experience.

This bitterness started three years ago when I was about to begin high school. As preparation, my English teacher told me to read The Age of Innocence(《纯真年代》)  by American author Edith Wharton. I’m sure there are many people who enjoyed The Age of Innocence —some might even say it’s their favorite book.

But I don’t think any of these people read it as 14-year-old boy on his summer vacation.

The Age of Innocence is the story of a forbidden romance in New York 100 years ago. At 14,my only experience with romance was my love for baseball. I couldn’t imagine being in love, much less being in love in 1900.The Age of Innocence was totally different to my life.

Most of my required summer reading has been like that—books written in a style that plays up the adjectives and plays down the verbs. I guess teachers don’t think exciting plots make for “good literature”. To me, though, a good writer describes events and characters in a way that makes the reader want to know what happens next.

If I were making up a summer reading list, it would include The Friends of Eddie Coyle by George V.Higgins, The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe, and Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer. These are all books that have literary value but, just as important, can also entertain kids on vacation. If the teachers could stand a little fun in the books they assign, my Augusts would be a lot more enjoyable.

1. The author thinks he/she will have a difficult August because __________.

A. he/she doesn’t like reading in summer vacation

B. he/she is to read the books, boring and not right for kids

C. he/she hates the English teacher assigning homework

D. he/she hates August

2. What can make student interested in August reading ought to be __________.

A. romantic

B. out of date

C. entertaining and educational

D. pure

3. The author listed such books as The Friends of Eddie Coyle because he/she thinks __________.

A. they can change his/her opinion

B. he/she can learn a lot more from them

C. they are of literary value and enjoyable

D. he/she has to do as teachers tell

4. In the opinion of the author of this passage, a good writer should be__________.

A. one who describes events and characters in different ways

B. one who uses a way of describing that makes the reader wish to know what to happen next

C. one who is learned

D. one who is full of imagination

5. The best title of this passage should be__________.

A. Why Can’t Teacher Set Us Books that Are Fun?

B. I Don’t Like Reading on the Vacation

C. Teachers, don’t Set Us Any Reading Assignments

D. Teachers, Set Us Free

Our good habits are very important for good health and a strong body. There are times when most of us would rather eat sweets and ice cream than meat and rice. Sweets and ice cream are not bad if eat them at the end of a meal. If we eat them before a meal, they may take away our appetite. It is important for us to eat our meals at the same time each day. When we feel hungry, it is a sign that our body needs food. When we are angry or excited, we may not want to eat. A long time ago, in England, some judges used to decide whether a man was telling the truth by giving him some dry bread. If the man could not eat the bread, it showed that he was telling lies. Although this seems very strange and rather foolish, it is indeed a very good way of finding out the fact. A man who is worrying about something has difficulty in eating anything dry. Because he is worrying, he loses his appetite and does not want to eat.

1. We must have good eating habits because __________.

A. we want to eat more

B. we want to enjoy ourselves

C. we want to be healthy and strong

D. we want to save time

2. It is good to eat sweets and ice cream__________.

A. when we are hungry

B. when we want to eat

C. after the meal

D. before the meal

3. We’d better have our meals__________.

A. at the same time each day

B. when our work is over

C. when the meal is still hot

D. when the meal is ready

4. According to the judge in England, if a man tells a lie, he__________.

A. eats dry bread easily

B. eats dry bread with difficulty

C. eats a lot of dry bread

D. drinks milk with difficulty

5. A man who is angry__________.

A. has a better appetite

B. likes to tell lies

C. likes to eat ice cream

D. has a poor appetite

New York has a larger population than any other city in America. In 1970,its population was about 8 000 000.Chicago has the second largest population. More than 3 000 000 people lived in Chicago in 1970.The third largest city is Los Angeles, with a population of 2 810 000 people. Philadelphia is the fourth largest city. More than 2 000 000 people live in Philadelphia, the first capital city of the US. New York, Chicago, Los Angles, and Philadelphia are all larger than the nation’s capital city, Washington D.C.

The population of Washington is more than 700 000,but several cities have a larger population than that. Washington is one of the most beautiful cities in America, but it is only the ninth city in size.

1. __________ has the largest population in the United States.

A. New York　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  B. Washington

C. Chicago　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. Los Angeles

2. __________ was the first capital of the US.

A. Chicago　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. New York

C. Washington　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　    D. Philadelphia

3. The nation’s capital city is __________ now.

A. Philadelphia　　　　　　　　   　　　　　　　　　　 B. Washington D. C.

C. Los Angeles　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   D. Chicago

4. Washington is one of the __________ cities in America.

A. smallest　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. largest

C. most beautiful　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　    D. beautiful

5. The passage tells that__________.

A. America has a larger population

B. though Washington is a capital, it is one of the smallest cities in America

C. New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Philadelphia are the four largest cities in America

D. all the above

Children have their own rules in playing games. They seldom need a referee(裁判)  and rarely trouble to keep scores. They don’t care much about who wins or loses, and it doesn’t seem to worry them if the game is not finished. Yet, they like games that depend a lot on luck, so that their personal abilities cannot be directly compared. They also enjoy games that move in stages, in which each stage, the choosing of leaders, the picking-up of sides, or the determining of which side shall start, is almost a game in itself.

Grown-ups can hardly find children’s games exciting, and they often feel puzzled at why their kids play such simple games again and again. However, it is found that a child plays games for very important reasons. He can be a good player without having to think whether he is a popular person, and he can find himself being a useful partner to someone of whom he is ordinarily afraid. He becomes a leader when it comes to his turn. He can be confident, too, in particular games, that it is his place to give orders, to pretend to be dead, to throw a ball actually at someone, or to kiss someone he has caught.

It appears to us that when children play a game they imagine a situation under their control. Everyone knows the rules, and more importantly, everyone plays according to the rules. Those rules may be childish, but they make sure that every child has a chance to win.

1. Which is true about children when they play games?

A. They can stop playing any time they like.

B. They can test their personal abilities.

C. They want to pick a better team.

D. They don’t need rules.

2. To become a leader in a game the child has to __________.

A. play well

B. wait for his turn

C. be confident in himself

D. be popular among his playmates

3. What do we know about grown-ups?

A. They are not interested in games.

B. They find children’s games too easy.

C. They don’t need a reason to play games.

D. They don’t understand children’s games.

4. Why does a child like playing games?

A. Because he can be someone other than himself.

B. Because he can become popular among friends.

C. Because he finds he is always lucky in games.

D. Because he likes the place where he plays a game.

5. The writer believes that__________.

A. children should make better rules for their games

B. children should invite grown-ups to play with them

C. children’s games can do them a lot of good

D. children play games without reasons

Major cities take steps to protect water resources

    Faced with the threat of water shortages, Beijing and Shanghai will take effective measures to save water and protect water resources.

    Beijing will stick more strictly to water saving policies through the readjustment（调整）of industrial structures. Beijing is expected to be short of 1.85 billion cubic meters of water by 2020. Beijing will shut down factories with high water consumption（消耗）and pollution including electric power, steel and paper making equipment. Advanced water-saving technology will be introduced to new industrial projects in the capital city.

    Grain-growing areas will be reduced to save ground water and more trees will be planted. Animal breeding（饲养）and other highly efficient agriculture with modern water-saving irrigation methods will be developed. It is said that water used in agriculture will drop to 35 percent of the city’s water consumption in 2010 from 43% in 1998, and the figure will continue to drop to 28～30% in 2020. Beijing will increase the speed of renovation of its urban water supply equipments. It’s reported that more than 15 percent of water is lost during distribution（分发）. Water-saving equipment and efficient management can save Beijing more than 537 million cubic meters by 2010.

    Shanghai still faces key problems connected with its water resources and environment. Since 1998, the city has invested nearly $169 million to treat its rivers, especially Suzhou Creek. The city’s rivers have become noticeably clearer since putting it into action. The government will provide a further $24 million for the treatment of rivers and $8.7 million to treat sewage（污物）.

This year’s task is to improve the water quality at the three ports of Longhua, Yangshupu and Hongkou. Another emphasis is to raise the water system in Songjiang New Area with a project worth $4.8 million. Efforts will be made to improve public awareness about the need to protect water resources.

1. How many measures has Beijing taken to save water and protect water resources?

    A. Three.　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   B.Four.

C.Five.　　　　　　　　　　  　　   D.Seven.

2. Grain-growing areas in Beijing will be reduced because ________.

    A. grains can’t fetch a good price in China

    B.a lot of ground water will be saved a lot by this means

    C.Beijing helps to develop advanced technology

D.highly effective agriculture needs fewer farmland

3. The underlined word “it” in Paragraph 4 refers to ________.

    A. the water-saving equipment

    B.the money Shanghai has invested sine 1998

    C.the water used in agriculture

D.the water resources and environment treatment

4. From the passage, we know Shanghai will invest ________ million on the treatment of rivers and sewage.

    A.169　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　    B.36

C.40.8　　　　　　　　   　　  D.201.7

5. The author wrote the passage to tell us ________

    A.Beijing and Shanghai are short of water

    B.big cities like Beijing and Shanghai are trying their best to protect water resources

    C.to save every drop of water in our daily life

    D.water shortages have become one of the most important problems that China had to deal with