.

Among the four skills in learning English, which of these is the “Odd-Man-Out”? The answer is speaking. The other three you can do alone on your own. But you can't really speak alone! Speaking to yourself can be “dangerous” because men in white coats may come and take you away !

Where can you find people to speak English? And how can you practise speaking when you are alone? At school if you pay to go to a language school, you should use the chance to speak .If your teacher asks you to speak in pairs or groups with other students, try to say as much as possible. Don't worry about your mistakes. Just speak!?

Conversation Clubs　Many cities around the world have conversation clubs where people can exchange one language for another . Look in your local newspaper to find a conversation club near you .They are usually free although some may charge a small entrance fee.?

Shopping　Even if you don't want to buy anything ,you can ask questions about products that interest you in a shop. “How much does this cost?” “Can I pay by cheque?” Often you can start a real conversation—and it costs you nothing!?

Cafe and Bars　There are often American, Britain, Irish and Australian bars in many large cities .If you can find one, you'll probably meet many people speaking English as a first or second language.?

Language is all around you　Everywhere you go, you find language .Shop names, street names ,advertisements ,notices ,and car numbers....When you walk down the street , practice reading the words and numbers that you see .Say them to yourself .It's not exactly a conversation ,but it will help you to “think” in English .But don't speak too loud!?

Songs and Video　Repeat the words of an English-language song singing with the music until it becomes automatic. It's good practice for your memory and for the mouth muscles that you need for English.?

Above all, speak as much as possible! Make as many mistakes as possible! When you know that you have made a mistake, you know that you have made progress!?

57．What does “Odd-Man-Out” probably mean according to the passage??

A. Someone or something appearing different from others.?

B. Someone or something standing out of the group.?

C. Someone or something arranged in pairs.?

D. Someone or something easily mistaken for another.?

58．What might happen if you speak to yourself loudly in public??

A. The police will take you away and punish you.?

B. The doctors will force you to stay in hospital.?

C. You will have to pay to escape being punished.?

D. You will be forbidden to be member of the club.?

59．Why does the writer say “Make as many mistakes as possible”? Because _______.

A. everyone will make mistakes in learning English?

B. everyone will meet people speaking English with some mistakes?

C. making mistakes is a must in making progress in learning English?

D. making mistakes can make one realize the importance of speaking?

60．According to the passage, which way is not likely to be accepted by English beginners?

A .Recite poems loudly along the riverside.?

B. Listen to some English pop songs and video.?

C. Find an Englishman to speak English with.?

D. Take to the TV showing programmes at home.??

 

“Any time! Any where! Decades ago there was no such thing” – “Communication”.

Then, September 7th 1987, the global system for mobile communication or GSM was born. And international agreements that laid out the standards, regulations and practices gave rise to a global mobile phone industry.

To be honest, the world’s first mobiles were not so attractive and the range of effectiveness wasn’t very good. But they became a must-have among those wealthy people who could afford that. However, by advantage of GSM which has many different elements to it, we can all enjoy the ability to go around the world in 217 countries, land in that country and know that a phone would work.

There are other cell phone systems using different technology in the world. The majority of the United States and parts of South America have been using something called CDMA which is very rare in Europe. In some Asian countries like China, GSM and CDMA both exist at the same time. But the GSM Association claims 85% of the global mobile phone market. They estimated there are now about 2.5 billion different users who make more than 7 trillion minutes of calls everyday, and that’s not all.

20 years later, the mobile phone is so much more than just a phone. You can use it to send text messages, take pictures, show video, even surf the internet.

“The phone itself is involved from just being a communication tool, to be a tool for round-the-clock connectivity, you can not live without it even in a minute.” Mobile consultant Nick Lane also points out with so many customized styles and features, your mobile phone will become a symbol of you.

Where will the global mobile phone industry be in another 20 years? Certainly, there will be more connections than better coverage. As for where else technology will take us, one can only imagine.

According the passage, we can know that GSM is ____________.

A. a global-used mobile phone                   B. a global mobile phone industry

C. a global mobile phone association           D. a global mobile communication system

It's most difficult to find a CDMA mobile phone in ____________.

A. the United States              B. South America               C. Europe                 D. China

From this passage, we can infer that ____________.

A. as soon as the first mobiles appeared, they became popular and many people have one

B. with a GSM mobile phone, you can make a phone call in most parts of the USA

C. there are only two cell phone systems in the whole world: GSM and CDMA

D. most of the mobile phone users in the world now are using the GSM mobile phone

By pointing out “your mobile phone will become a symbol of you”, what does Nick Lane want to tell us about the mobile phone in the future?

A. You can have a mobile phone with the unique look and functions as you like.

B. Others can find us without any difficulties if we carry our mobile phone.

C. The mobile phone can be used as a permit when you enter some places.

D. The mobile phone we carry can show others how wealthy we are.

What does the writer feel about the GSM development in the following 20 years?

A. Satisfied.　　          B. Worried.　　             C. Confident.　　        D. Confused.

阅读理解

    In the 1930's, a lot of people in the USA were out of work. Among these people was a man named Alfred Butts. He always has an interest in word games and so, to fill his time, he planned a game which he called“Lexico”. However, he was not completely satisfied with the game, so he made a number of changes to it and, in time, changed its name from“Lexico”to“Alph”and then to“Criss·Cross”. He wanted to make some money from his new game, but he didn't have any real commercial（商业性的）success.

　　In 1939, Butts happened to meet a man called Jim Brunot who showed an interest in the new game. The two men worked together on developing the game and in 1984 it was offered for sale in the United States under its new name--“Scrabble”.

　　At first, it didn't sell very well. In the first year it sold just 2,250 sets and by 1951 it had only reached 8,500sets a year.

　　Then, in 1952 the manager of Macy's department store in New York, Jack Strauss, happened to play“Scrabble”while he was on holiday. He thought it was a wonderful game and, when the went back to work after his holiday, he insisted that Macy's should stock（储备）the game and make an effort to call the public's attention to it.

　　As a result,“Scrabble”became a big success in the United States and it soon spread to Australia and then to other English-speaking countries.

（1）The text is mainly about _______.

[　　]

（2）Alfred Butts invented the game“Lexico” ________.

[　　]

A. to make himself famous

B. to make spelling simpler

C. when he was out of work and looking for a job

D. when he was playing word games to pass the time

（3）Who made“Scrabble”popular?

[　　]

A. Alfred Butts.

B. Jack Strauss.

C. Alfred Butts and Jim Brunot.

D. Jack Strauss and Jim Brunot.

（4）When did Alfred Butts first put his game on the market?

[　　]

A. In 1939.

B. In 1948.

C. Before 1939.

D. Between 1939 and 1948.

（5）What does the underlined word“call”mean in Paragraph 4?

[　　]