Asking for information or help is a very common and necessary activity, especially when we visit a foreign country. So knowing how to ask for information politely is important. In English, "Where are the restrooms?" and "Could you please tell me where the restrooms are?" are similar requests—both are correct English, but the first could sound rude. It's important to use correct language, but sometimes this alone is not enough—we need to learn how to be polite when we make requests.

In English, just like in Chinese, we change the way we speak when talking with different people. The expressions you use might depend on whom you are speaking to or how well you know them. If you say to your teacher, "Where is my book?" this will sound rude. But if you say, "Excuse me, Mr West. Do you know where my book is?" your question will sound much more polite. On the other hand, it might be alright to say "Where is my book?" in some situations, perhaps with people you know well.

And you would not usually say, "Peter, lend me your pen. " A very direct order like this can sound rude in English. Usually in English polite questions are longer and include extra language, such as "Could you please...?" or "Can I ask...?" It sounds more polite to say, "Peter, could you please lend me your pen?" Sometimes we might even need to spend some time leading in to a question or request. For example, if you stop a stranger in the street, we might first say, "Excuse me. I wonder if you can help me. " or "I'm sorry to trouble you but," before asking them for help.

It might seem that speaking politely is more difficult than being direct, and in a way this may be true. However, in order not to offend people, learning about the language etiquette is just as important as learning grammar or vocabulary. And doing this will also help you become better at English, or any other language you wish to speak.

1. It's important to know how to_     _in English when we visit a foreign country.

2. When you talk with different people, you need to__       _.

3. Extra words are used to help__      ___.

4.._      _is as important as learning language structure.

5. How do you say " Don't smoke here. " politely? "_         __*

 

A

The weather is getting hotter. You are thirsty playing basketball or riding home from school. A cold drink may be just the thing. But be careful what you are drinking. Something that looks cool may not be good for your health.

There are plenty of "energy drinks" on the market. Most of them have beautiful colors and cool names. The lists on them tell you they are helpful to your health. Sounds great!  

But after a careful check you may find that most energy drinks have lots of caffeine (咖啡因) in them. These drinks are especially aimed at young people, students, busy people and sports players. Makers sometimes say their drinks make you better at sports and can keep you awake. But be careful not to drink too much.

Caffeine makes your heart beat fast. Because of this, the International Olympic Committee has limited( 限制) its use. Caffeine in most energy drinks is at least as strong as that in a cup of coffee or tea. Possible health dangers have something to do with energy drinks. Just one box of energy drink can make you nervous, have difficulty sleeping and can even cause heart problems. Scientists say that teenagers should be discouraged from taking drinks with a lot of caffeine in them.

1.Many people like drinking energy drinks because of the following EXCEPT that ________.

A．they have beautiful colors and cool names

B．they have lots of caffeine

C．they can keep them awake and better at sports

D．they are said to be helpful to health

2.The main reason for people not to drink too much energy drinks is that they may cause _____.

A．heart problems                         B．nervousness

C．sleeping difficulty                       D．possible health dangers

3.The underlined word "discouraged" can be replaced(替换) with "________".

A．encouraged                           B．stopped

C．helped                               D．disliked

4.From the passage we can know that _________.

A．advertisements are important in getting people to buy energy drinks

B．energy drinks are helpful to teenagers' study

C．sports players need to drink a lot of energy drinks

D．energy drinks are especially aimed at teenagers

5.Which of the following can be the best title(标题) of the passage?

A．What's the Use of Energy Drinks?           B．Who Can Drink Energy Drinks

C．What's That in Energy Drinks?              D．Why Can't We Buy Energy Drinks?

 

"Can you  ______ English?" "Yes, but only a little."

A．say

B．tell

C．talk

D．speak

 

The weather is getting hotter. You are thirsty playing

basketball or riding home from school. A cold drink may

be just the thing. But be careful what you are drinking.

Something that looks cool may not be good for your health.

There are plenty of "energy drinks" on the market. Most of

them have beautiful colors and cool names. The lists on

them tell you they are helpful to your health. Sounds great!

  

But after a careful check you may find that most energy drinks have lots of caffeine (咖啡因) in them. These drinks are especially aimed at young people, students, busy people and sports players. Makers sometimes say their drinks make you better at sports and can keep you awake. But be careful not to drink too much.

Caffeine makes your heart beat fast. Because of this, the International Olympic Committee has limited( 限制) its use. Caffeine in most energy drinks is at least as strong as that in a cup of coffee or tea. Possible health dangers have something to do with energy drinks. Just one box of energy drink can make you nervous, have difficulty sleeping and can even cause heart problems. Scientists say that teenagers should be discouraged from taking drinks with a lot of caffeine in them.

1.Many people like drinking energy drinks because of the following EXCEPT that ________.

A. they have beautiful colors and cool names

B. they have lots of caffeine

C. they can keep them awake and better at sports

D. they are said to be helpful to health

2.The main reason for people not to drink too much energy drinks is that they may cause _____.

A. heart problems                    B. nervousness  

C. sleeping difficulty                 D. possible health dangers

3.The underlined word "discouraged" can be replaced(替换) with "________".

A. encouraged                                   B. stopped

C. helped                                             D. disliked

4. From the passage we can know that _________.

A. advertisements are important in getting people to buy energy drinks

B. energy drinks are helpful to teenagers' study

C. sports players need to drink a lot of energy drinks

D. energy drinks are especially aimed at teenagers

5.Which of the following can be the best title(标题) of the passage?

A. What's the Use of Energy Drinks?

B. Who Can Drink Energy Drinks

C. What's That in Energy Drinks?

D. Why Can't We Buy Energy Drinks?

 

"Can I see my baby?" asked the happy new mother. When the baby was in her arms, she couldn't believe her eyes. The baby was born without ears.

Time proved(证明) that the baby's hearing was very good though he had no ears. He got on well with his classmates. But one day, he said to his mother, tears in his eyes, "A big boy called me a freak (畸形的)."

　　The boy's father asked the family doctor. "Could nothing be done?"

　　"I believe I could graft (植入) on a pair of outer ears if they could be got," the doctor said. They tried to find a person who was helpful for the young man.

　　One day, his father said to the son, "You're going to the hospital, son. Mother and I have someone who will donate the ears you need. But we must keep it a secret who the person is."

　　The operation(手术) was a great success, and a new person appeared. His cleverness and hard work made him a very successful person. He married and lived a happy life.

　　He once asked his father, "Who gave me the ears? I could do enough for him or her."

　　"I do not believe you could, "said the father." The agreement was that you are not to know...not yet."

　　For years they kept it a secret, but the day did come. He stood with his father over his mother's body. Slowly, the father raised the thick, brown hair. To his surprise, the son found his mother had no outer ears.

　　"Mother said she was glad she never needed to cut her hair," his father said in a low voice, "and nobody ever thought mother less beautiful, did they?”

1.The mother was surprised to see her baby for the first time because the baby__.

A．had no outer ears	B．was born without hair
C．was in her arms	D．could not hear her

2.The sentence"...a new person appeared." means"______."

A．a new baby was born in the hospital	B．a stranger came into the hospital
C．a new doctor took care of the boy	D．the boy began to live a new life

3.Why did the boy's mother never cut her hair?

A．Because she liked her thick, brown hair.

B．Because her work didn't allow her to do that

C．Because the hair was good for her health

D．Because she wanted to keep the fact a secret

4.Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A．The boy couldn't hear without ears at first.

B．The boy didn't know the truth (真相) until his mother died.

C．His parents often encouraged him to work hard.

D．His classmates were always making fun of him.

5.Which is the best title for the passage?

A．A Clever Boy

B．Kind Parents

C．Great Love

D．An Ear Operation