If you get a good English dictionary，you will be better than 90% of English learners．Most people（even people who want to learn English very much）simply go to a bookstore and buy the first dictionary they see．

That is a big mistake! A bad dictionary will give you problems sooner or later- maybe in two months，maybe in one year - and you will have to buy a good one anyway !Isn't it better to buy a good dictionary at the first time?

Getting a good English dictionary is important because a good dictionary will be your guide to English．It will teach you new words，how to pronounce them and how to use them．It will help you understand English texts．Successful English learners use their dictionaries all the time：when reading books，at English classes，when writing e-mail，when doing homework，when surfing the Web．

It is an easy first step in your English-learning program -you only need to spend a little money（much less than you would pay for an English course）．Once you've made the first step， it will be easier for you to do the rest．

You need to spend money on it．Yes，this is a good thing．Spending some of your money on learning English will give you an encouragement to learn English well．

1．According to the writer，a good dictionary can make you _________．

A．become a successful teacher                B．become one of the best English learners

C．know the bookstore very well              D．know what the dictionary is

2．The writer thinks that _________．

A．English learners should buy a good dictionary at the first time

B．anyone has to change his dictionary after using it for a few years

C．buying a dictionary for a child is a mistake

D．only 10% of English learners can buy the dictionaries

3．Which of the following is TRUE about a dictionary?

A．It is not necessary for everyone to have one．

B．People can only find it on the Internet．

C．One person buys it to tell others that he is learning English．

D．It can help people learn how to pronounce and use the new word．

4．According to the passage，if you want to learn English well，you should _________．

A．spend more money on the dictionary         B．take more English courses

C．use the dictionary at any time you need        D．watch English programs every day

5．We know that the passage is a/an _________ after we read it．

A．advertisement for a dictionary

B．introduction to a dictionary

C．guide to having a good dictionary

D．report of the function（功能）of a dictionary

　　The most successful students are those who use large college edition dictionaries with about 100,000 words but do not use them too often. When they are reading, these students first try to get the general idea and understand new words from the context（上下文）.Then they reread and use the dictionary to look up only key words that they do not understand. They use dictionaries more for writing. If they are not sure how to spell a word, or divide it into syllables （音节）, they always use a dictionary. Also, if they think a noun might have an unusual plural form or a verb might have an unusual past form, they cheek these in dictionary.

(1) The writer tends to（倾向）think that ________.

A．choose a good dictionary, and you'll succeed in learning English

B．dictionaries are not very necessary to the students who learn English

C．it is very important for students to use good dictionaries properly

D．using dictionaries very often can't help to improve writing

A．Dictionaries have little effect on learning to speak English.

B．No matter what new words you meet while reading, never use dictionaries.

C．Small two-language dictionaries have serious defects（缺陷）.

D．Reading something for the first time, you'd better not use dictionaries.

A．that students shouldn't use small two-language dictionaries

B．what were the defects of small two-language dictionaries

C．why students should use large college edition dictionaries

D．what dictionary students should choose and how to use it

(4) The function（作用）of the first sentence in the third paragraph is _______.

A．to form a connection link between the preceding and the following

B．to raise the main point of the third paragraph

C．to end the subject talked about in the first two paragraphs

D．to change the subject to talk about something else

(5) Which is not mentioned（提到）in this article?

A．How to make good use of a dictionary.

B．When to use a dictionary.

C．How to improve spoken English.

D．How to practise reading fast.

There are about fifteen hundred languages in the world. But only a few of them are very important. English is one of them. Many, many people use it, not only in England and the USA, but also in other parts of the world. About 200,000,000 people speak it as their own language. It is difficult to say how many people are learning it as a foreign language. Many millions of people are trying to do so. Is it easy or difficult to learn English? Different people may have different answers. Have you ever noticed ads(广告) of this kind in the newspapers or magazines? “Learn English in six weeks, or give your money back…” “Easy and funny…” “Our records and tapes help you master English in a month”. Of course, it never happened quite like that.
The only language that seems easy to learn is the mother tongue. We should remember that we all learned our own language well when we were children. If we could learn English in the same way, it would not seem so difficult. Think of what a small child does. He listens to what people say. He tries what he hears.
So it is hard to say that learning English is easy. We must do a lot of practice. And practice needs great efforts and takes much time. Good teachers, record, tapes, books, and dictionaries will be helpful, but they cannot do the student’s work for him.
【小题1】How many languages are very important in the world?