Millions of people all over the world use the word OK. In fact, some people say the word is used more often than any other word in the world. OK means all right or acceptable. It expresses agreement or approval.

    Some people say it came from the Native American Indian tribe known as the Choctaw(乔克托语). The Choctaw word “okeh” means the same as the American word okay. Experts say early explorers in the American West spoke the Choctaw language in the nineteenth century.

But many people doubt this. Language expert Allen Walker Read wrote about the word “OK” in reports published in the 1960s. He said the word began being used in the 1830s.    Some foreign-born people wrote “ all correct” as “o-l-l-k-o-r-r-e-c-t”, and used the letters OK. Other people say a railroad worker named Obadiah Kelly invented the word long ago. They said he put the first letters of his name---O and K---on each object people gave him to send on the train. 

  The organization supported Martin Van Buren for president in 1840. They called their group the OK club. The letters were taken from the name of the town where Martin was born---Old Kinderhook, New York.

Then there is the expression A-OK. It is a space-age expression. It was used in 1961 during the flight of astronaut Alan Shepard. He was the first American to be launched into space. His flight ended when his spacecraft landed in the ocean, as planned. Shepard reported, “Everything is A-OK.”    One story says it was first used during the early days of the telephone to tell an operator that a message had been received.

There are also funny ways to say okay.    These expressions were first used in the 1930s. Today, a character on the American television series “The Simpsons” says it another way. He says okely-doke.

A. Some people say okey-dokey or okey-doke.

B. Still others say a political organization invented the word.

C. Therefore, it has become popular in that area from then on.

D. But many experts don’t agree on what the expression means.

E. Still, language experts do not agree about where the word came from.

F. It was a short way of writing a different spelling of the word “all correct”.

G. However, some experts say the expression did not begin with the space age.

对话填空（共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分）

认真阅读下面对话，并根据各题所给首字母的提示，在答题卡上标有题号的横线上，写出一个英语单词的完整、正确形式、使对话通顺。

(J=Joyce; T=Tom)

J: Tom, I am going to the UK for my further study. Could you give me some a         about living there?

T: Yes, of course. I will tell you all that I know to help you a              to the new life easily. Is your English good?

J: I think it’s not bad. I can speak it f        .

T: OK. Then you shouldn’t have a problem finding a p         job.

J: What kind of job?

T: I used to work in a bar in the evening when I was at university but the pay is

u         not very high.

J: But it can improve your English, right?

T: Yes. You’re expected to talk to the c         all night because they may ask you a lot of questions or ask you to give them different kinds of wines. But there are also some problems         in a bar. It’s a bit noisy and quite smoky.

J: Er. I don’t think I would like such a job.

T: Well, in that case, you can work in a restaurant as a waitress, taking people’s o        . That’s another way to use your English to c         with different people.

J: OK, that sounds good. I will c         it.

T: And if you’re struggling a bit, you can work in the back of a restaurant.

J: Yeah, I used to wash dishes, and I remembered my legs were hurt after s         up all day. It was a terrible job.

T: I wouldn’t refuse that one. It is not suitable for a girl.

Funny English Errors and Insights

Laugh... And Learn!

Welcome to the website for Funny English Errors and Insights (2010), a new book of unconscious humour published by the National Library of Australia.

Funny English Errors and Insights will be launched at the National Library in Canberra on 29^th, October 2010.

In the meantime, explore this website for other collections of real-life English language mistakes, including funny answers to exam questions, media misprints, and silly signs.

See Funny English Errors: The B List for more than a hundred examples of funny English gaffes（失言）. For more funny English errors, read author Troy Simpson's blog. For still more examples,, join this website to download a free PDF version of English As She Is Taught, which lists our top 250 funny English language mistakes from that classic howlers book.

Join this website FREE, and you can also:

o   Enter member-only competitions

o   Contribute your comments

o   Download free e-Cards

o   Be the first to know about our much-anticipated book, Funny English Errors and Insights (2010) ...

Features

   Follows in the tradition of the runaway best-seller Howlers books of the 1920s and 1930s

o   Includes quotes(引文) that have never been published before in this way

o   Includes more than 30 carefully selected funny photos

o   Topics include English, science, history, geography, religion, mathematics, and more

o   A perfect gift for students, teachers, parents, grandparents, public speakers, doctors, lawyers, journalists, clergy and religious, and anyone with a sense of humour!

1.The word launched in the second paragraph is closest to the meaning:

A. sent up for the first time.                     B. written for the first time.  

C. for sale for the first time.              D. printed for the first time.

2.On the website ,you can do the following things except      .         

A. read some funny news

B. know something about this book previously

C. find a lot of examples about English errors

D. express your opinions freely

3.About this book, you know that       .

A. it only includes English, science, history

B. it is quite different from Howlers books

C. all the quotes in it are familiar with us

D. it is intended for people all walks of life

4. The text is aimed at introducing      .

A. a popular website   B. some selected funny photos

C. a new book        D. some funny English errors

My mind went blank when I saw the gun pointing against the car window as we pulled out of the garage. This can't be happening to me. Then I felt the gun, cold, against my head, and I heard my friend Jeremy saying，“What do you want? Take my wallet，” but at the time I thought of nothing.

I remember being a little annoyed when the gunman pulled me from the car by the hair. I remember the walk to the house—Jeremy, me, the two men with two guns. I remember the fear and anger in the gunmen's voices because Jeremy was being slow, and I remember wondering why he was being slow. I did not realize that Jeremy had thrown the keys into the bush. But I remember that sound of the gun hitting Jeremy's head and the feeling as the man who had hold of my hair released me. And I remember the split second when I realized he was looking at Jeremy，and I remember wondering how far I could run before he pulled the trigger. But I was already running, and upon reaching the car across the street, I didn't crouch (蹲伏) behind it but screamed instead.

I remember thinking there was something ridiculous and illogical about screaming “Help, help！” at eight o'clock on a Tuesday evening in December and changing my plea(恳求) to the? more specific “Help, let me in, please let me in！” But the houses were cold, closed, unfriendly, and I ran on until I heard Jeremy's screams behind me announcing that our attackers had fled.

The neighbors who had not opened their doors to us came out with baseball bats and helped Jeremy find his glasses and keys. In a group they were very brave. We waited for the police to? come until someone said to someone else that the noodles were getting cold, and I said politely，“Please go and eat. We're OK.”

I was happy to see them go. They had been talking of stricter sentences for criminals, of? bringing back the death penalty(处罚) and how the President is going to clean up the country. I? was thinking, they could be saying all of this over my dead body, and I still feel that stiffer? sentences wouldn't change a thing. In a rush all the anger I should have felt for my attackers was? directed against these contented people standing in front of their warm, comfortable homes? talking about all the guns they were going to buy. What good would guns have been to Jeremy? and me?

People all over the neighborhood had called to report our screams, and the police turned out? in force twenty minutes later. They were ill?tempered about what was, to them, much trouble? about nothing.? After all, Jeremy was hardly hurt, and we were hopeless when it came to? describing the gunmen. “Typical，” said one policeman when we couldn't even agree on how tall? the men were.? Both of us were able to describe the guns in horrifying detail, but the two? policemen who stayed to make the report didn't think that would be much help.

The policemen were matter?of?fact about the whole thing. The thin one said，“That was a? stupid thing to do, throwing away the keys. When a man has a gun against your head you do? what you're told.” Jeremy looked properly embarrassed.

Then the fat policeman came up and the thin one went to look around the outside of the? house. “That was the best thing you could have done, throwing away the keys，” he said. “If you? had gone into the house with them...” His voice became weaker. “They would have hurt her” ——he twisted his head toward me——“and killed you both.” Jeremy looked happier. “Look，” said the fat policeman kindly, “ there's no right or wrong in the situation. There's just luck.”

All that sleepless night I replayed the moment those black gloves came up to the car? window. How long did the whole thing last? Three minutes, five, eight? No matter how many? hours of my life I may spend reliving it, I know there is no way to prepare for the next time—no? intelligent response to a gun. The fat cop was right. There's only luck. The next time I might end up dead.

And I’m sure there will be a next time.? It can happen anywhere, anytime, to anyone.Security is an illusion(幻觉); there is no safety in locks or in guns. Guns make some people feel safe and some people feel strong, but they're fooling themselves.

1.When the writer saw the gun pointing against the car window，________.

A．she felt very annoyed

B．she lost consciousness

C．she felt very much nervous

D．she lost the power of thinking

2.What most possibly drove the two gunmen away?

A．Jeremy's fighting.

B．The author's screaming.

C．Their neighbour's brave action.

D．The police's arrival.

3.When the author called for help, the neighbors didn't come out immediately because________.

A．they were much too frightened

B．they were busy preparing dinners

C．they needed time to find baseball bats

D．they thought someone was playing a trick

4.What the author wants to tell us is that________.

A．neighbors are not helpful in moments of difficulty

B．the police are not reliable when one is in trouble

C．security is impossible as long as people can have guns

D．preventing robbers entering your house is the best choice

When you are in another country, it is important to know the language, but it is equally important to know how to communicate nonverbally(非语言地), before saying anything by making gestures. According to a pioneer in nonverbal communication, only 30 to 35 percent of our communication is verbal. When people don't know the language, the most common way to communicate is through gestures. However, many gestures have different meanings, or no meaning at all, in different parts of the world.

In the United States, for example, nodding your head up and down means “yes”. In some parts of Greece and Turkey, however, this motion can mean “no”. In Southeast Asia, nodding your head is a polite way of saying “I've heard you”.

In ancient Rome, when the emperor wanted to spare someone's life, he would put his thumb up. Today in the United States, when someone puts his / her thumb up, it means “Everything is all right”. However, in Sardinia and Greece, the gesture is insulting and should not be used there.

In the United States, raising your clasped hands above your head means “I’m the champion” or “I’m the winner”. It is the sign prizefighters make when they win a fight. When a leading Russian statesman(政治家) made this gesture after a White House meeting, Americans misunderstood and thought he meant he was a winner. In Russia, however, it is a sign of friendship.

In the United States, holding your hand up with the thumb and index finger in a circle and the other three fingers spread out means “Everything is O.K.” and is frequently used by astronauts and politicians. In France and Belgium, it can mean “You’re worth nothing.”

There are other nonverbal signals that people should be aware of when they go to another country, such as the distance to maintain between speakers. Americans usually feel comfortable when speaking with someone if the distance between them is about eighteen inches to arm’s length. Anything closer makes them feel uncomfortable.

When talking to Americans, it is also important to make eye contact. If you look down when talking to an American, he / she may feel that you are embarrassed, afraid, or trying to hide something.

In addition to knowing how to communicate nonverbally in a country, it is important to know what you and he cannot discuss. In the United States, there are certain topics to avoid when you first meet someone, For example, don’t ask people their age, weight, religion, marital status(婚姻状况), how much money they earn, or how much something costs. You can talk about work, the weather, traffic problems, sports, food, news of the day, where one lives, consumer subjects (computers, car repairs, and so forth), and travel or vacation plans.

These few examples illustrate that your actions can speak louder than your words. In a particular cultural contest, what you say and what you don’t say are equally important.

Which of the following is true?

A. People all over the world only communicate verbally.

B. Most of our gestures have no meaning at all.

C. Some people think that 65 to 70 percent of our communication is nonverbal.

D. Gestures are the most common way to common way to communicate.

As we can see from the passage there are ______ kinds of nonverbal communication signals. 

A. four                B. five                  C. six                    D. seven

Please paraphrase the clause“…your actions can speak louder than your words. 

A. Your deeds are better than your words

B. What you do is better than what you say

C. You try to show your best manners

D. you are better understood by your gestures than through your words

The main idea of the passage is that when you are in another country, ______.

A. it is unimportant to know the language

B. it is important to know what you can talk about to a foreigner

C. to know how to communicate nonverbally is as important as to know the language

D. to communicate the rough gestures is more important than to know the language