Although English is not as old as Chinese, it is spoken by many people around the world every day. English speakers are always creating new words, and we should be able to know where most words come from.
Sometimes, however, no one may know really where a word comes from. Did you ever think about why hamburgers are called hamburgers, especially when they are not made with ham( 火腿 )? About a hundred years ago, some men went to America from Europe. They came from a big city in Germany called Hamburger. They didn’t speak good English, but they ate good food. When some Americans saw them eating round pieces of beef, they asked the Germans what it was. The Germans did not understand the question and answered. “We came from Hamburger.” One of these Americans owned a restaurant, and had an idea. He cooked some round pieces of beef like what the men from Hamburger ate. Then he put them between two pieces of bread and started selling them. Today “ hamburgers” are sold in many countries around the world.
Whether this story is true or not, it certainly is interesting. Knowing why any word has a certain meaning is interesting, too. The reason may be found in any large English dictionary.
【小题1】According to the writer, English ______.

A．is as old as Chinese	B．is not so old as Chinese
C．is older than German	D．is very difficult to learn

【小题2】According to the story,_______.

A．few Americans like hamburgers

B．hamburgers are made with beef

C．hamburgers are made with ham

D．hamburgers were sold all over the world about a century ago

【小题3】According to the writer, which of the following can be found in any large English dictionary?

A．Where all the new words come from

B．Where those Germans came from

C．The reason why any word has a certain meaning.

D．The reason why English is spoken around the world

【小题4】According to the story, the word “hamburger” comes from ________.

A．China because it has a long history

B．England because Germans don’t speak good English

C．the round pieces of beef those people from Hamburger brought to America

D．English speakers because they always create new words

Word comes _____ free books will be given to ______come first in this book fair．

       A．which,no matter who                         B．that, anyone who   

       C．which,whoever                               D．that,those who

 

Word comes ____ free books will be given to ____ come first in this book store.

A. which; no matter who  B. that; anyone who  C. which; whoever   D. that; those who

 

		A LITTLE PRINCESS by Frances Hodgson Burnett Price: $7.10 （Paperback  Dec. 9, 1998) The novel tells of the story of a wealthy young girl, Sara Crewe, who is sent to a boarding school during her father’s campaign in India. Thanks to Capt. Crewe’s money, Sara is treated as a little princess until, one day, word comes of her father’s tragic death. Miss Minchin, the school’s greedy headmistress, wastes no time in putting the now-penniless Sara to work for her room and board. It is only through the friendship of two other girls and some astonishing luck that Sara eventually finds her way back to happiness.
THE SECRET GARDEN  by Frances Hodgson Burnett Price: $3.95  (Paperback  July 1, 2003) Frances Hodgson Burnett was the highest paid and most widely read woman writer of her time, publishing more than fifty novels and thirteen plays. The Secret Garden is a beautiful tale of friendship, secrets and human spirits. A spoiled orphan named Mary returns to England from India when her parents die. She is sent to live in Yorkshire with her uncle. Miserable and lonely, she begins to explore the house’s gardens and discovers a key to a secret garden that the uncle sealed off when his wife died. There she discovered a secret so important, so enchanting, that it will change her life forever.
	PETER PAN by J. M. Barrie and Scott Gustafson Price: $16.95  （Hardcover Oct. 1, 1991)   It is a children’s story full of imagination and adventures. A boy who can fly and magically refuses to grow up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood adventuring on the small island of Neverland as the leader of his gang the Lost Boys, interacting with mermaids, Indians, fairies and pirates, and from time to time meeting ordinary children from the world outside.
Order online and you can now save 20% off your total purchase on orders over $25!

Which of the following is NOT TRUE about the three books?

A. The little princess refers to a girl named Sara Crewe.

B. A Little Princess was written by a famous female writer.

C. Peter Pan is a boy with magic powers who never grows up.         

D. The secret garden mentioned in the passage is located in India.

How much does it cost to order these three books online?

       A. $5.60                B. $22.40                            C. $25.00                       D. $ 28.00

What do these three books have in common?

A. They were published in the same year.            B. They all have a hard cover.

C. They have children as their main characters.    D. They are all stories with tragic endings.

Everyday, 340 million people speak it. One billion people are learning it and it is said that by 2050, half of the world’s population will be using it. What are we talking about? That global language—English.

The English language started in Britain in the 5th century. It is a mixed language. It was built up when German. Scandinavian and French invaders settled in England and created a common language for communication.

Today it is the official language of the UK, the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa and Ireland as well as many islands in the Caribbean . Many other countries and regions use it for politics and business, for example, India. Pakistan, Nigeria and the Philippines. English is also one of the official languages of Hong Kong.

But global advertising and pop music mean that in most countries, you will see or hear some English. Thanks to McDonalds, we all know about "burgers". "fries" and "milkshakes". Songs by Madonna, Britney Spears and Celine Dion are in English. We can sing along, even if we do not understand what we are singing!

English is a messy (杂乱的) language. Every year, dictionaries include new words that talk about popular culture, for example, computer-related words such as "blogging", "download" and "chatroom". Also included are words that teenagers use. Who does not know "cool", "OK" and “hello” ?

Other languages also influence English. Many English words come from French. Words like "cafe" and expressions like "c'est la vie" (that is life) are all part of the English language. On the other hand, the French language includes English words like "le weekend" and "le camping". German words are also part of English. Words like "kindergarten" come from the German language.

Recently, British people have become interested in "yoga". But the word comes from an ancient Hindu language in India.

1.The English language has a history of  ______.

A．over 2000 years

B．over 500 years

C．over 1500 years

D．over 1000 years

2.The underlined expression “thanks to ” can be replaced by ______.

A．because of

B．thankful to

C．not until

D．as if.

3.Which of the following statements is true about the language of English ?

A．It has been changing all the time.

B．It has borrowed words from all the other languages.

C．French words are used by the English because dictionaries have French words.

D．Singers and film stars have the greatest influence on language.

4. Many countries and regions use it for politics and business except______.

A．the USA

B．Nigeria

C．the Philippines

D．Norway