On October 19, 1959, the first Special English program was broadcast on the Voice of America. It was an experiment. The goal was to communicate by radio in clear and simple English with people whose native language is not English. Experts said the goal was admirable, but the method would not work. They were proved wrong. The Special English programs quickly became some of the most popular on VOA. And they still are.

Forty years later, Special English continues to communicate with people who are not fluent in English. But during the years its role has expanded. It also helps people learn American English. And it provides listeners, even those who are native English speakers, with information they cannot find elsewhere.

     Today, Special English broadcasts around the world seven days a week, five times a day. Each half-hour broadcast begins with ten minutes of the latest news followed by 20 minutes of feature programming. There is a different short feature every weekday about science, development, agriculture and environment, and on the weekend, about news events and American idioms.

Three elements make Special English unique. It has a limited vocabulary of 1500 words. Most are simple words that describe objects, actions or emotions. Some are more difficult. They are used for reporting world events and describing discoveries in medicine and science. Special English is written in short, simple sentences that contain only one idea. No idioms are used. And Special English is spoken at a slower pace, about two-thirds the speed of Standard English. This helps people learning English hear each word clearly. It also helps people who are English speakers understand complex subjects.

Through the years, Special English has become a very popular tool for teaching English, even though it was not designed as teaching program. It succeeds in helping people learn English in a non-traditional way. Individuals record the programs and play them over and over to practice their listening skills. In countries around the world, English teachers assign Special English to their students. They praise it for improving their students' ability to understand American English and for the content of the programs. Universities and private companies in many countries produce packages of Special English materials for student use.

At the beginning, Special English program was         .

       A．well received

       B．rejected by native people

       C．doubted by some professionals

       D．intended for teaching English

What kind of English is spoken on Special English?

       A．British English.

       B．American English.

       C．Both British and American English.

       D．Not certain.

Which of the following are the elements that make Special English unique?

       a．limited vocabulary

       b．short simple sentences

       b．good communication method

       d．slow speed

       e．interesting feature programming

       A．a, b, c      B．a, c, d       C．a, b, d      D．b, d, e

Which of the following statements is TRUE?

       A．Special English has been founded for less than 50 years.

       B．Native English speakers don’t have a great affection for Special English.

       C．Special English usually starts with 20 minutes of the latest news.

       D．People can learn some idioms from Special English.

From the last paragraph we can infer that        .

       A．listening to Special English can be a student’s homework

       B．listening to Special English can improve the content of the program

       C．some student record the Special English material for sale

       D．learning English from VOA is a traditional way for English learner.

 

Standard English is the formal（正式的） English that you need to use when you write in coursework or in the exam. Standard English is the form of English you learn in school. All written English should be standard—that means it should be clear enough for anyone in Britain to understand it. Standard English developed as the main form of printed English in the 15th Century. At the time, every region of Britain used to spell words differently, but printers needed a fixed spelling.  Printers like Caxton chose the East Midlands dialect form which was used in London and the South East. Soon Standard English replaced（取代） all written dialect forms – the other forms of English spoken around the country. It also replaced French and Latin in law and in academic（学术的） work. In the 18th Century, people wrote dictionaries and grammar books which standardized spelling — Dr Johnson’s Dictionary of 1755 fixed many of the spellings we still use today. All written English should be Standard English — any grammar rules you learn are for Standard English and you will definitely need to learn them to avoid making mistakes in your work. The rules of Standard English mean using the correct forms of words with the correct spellings.

Avoid slang words（俚语）—words that your teachers or friends wouldn’t understand. You’ll lose marks if the examiners can’t understand what you say or write. Don’t use dialect words. Every region has words or phrases that are only used there. Don’t use them in your coursework, because you won’t be understood. Make sure you revise grammar and punctuation（标点） you have learned, and learn the list of commonly misspelled words you have made. Clichés are ideas or sayings which have been used so often that they’ve become boring and unoriginal. Phrases like, “As good as it gets” “At the end of the day” “In the fullness of time” are all clichés. So are images like, “as fierce as a lion” “as cunning as a fox”. If you use them you will sound boring and unimaginative— that could mean you lose marks for writing and speaking style. So avoid clichés.

1. What three things do you have to think about when using English? 

a. no slang word or dialect     b. no grammar and spelling mistake.  c. no phrase    

d. no cliché    e. no punctuation

A. abc.                   B. bcd.             C. ade.      D. abd.

2. What is standard English?

A. the English spoken by British people.

B. the English spoken by American people.

C. the English used in London.

D. the English spoken by British people in 15th Century.

3. What is the cliché according to the passage?

A. the English full of slang words. 

B. the boring ideas or sayings because of being used often.

C. the long phrases which are used often.

D. all the English which is used outside of London and the southeast of Britain.

4. Why do we need to use Standard English?

A. Because no one can understand dialect words.

B. Because there are many kinds of English in the world, we need Standard English to make communication easier.

C. Because local dialect belongs to certain region, not every one can understand it.

D. Because standard English has been used for a long time.

5. Which statement is true?

   A. Written English should be formal and standard.

B. Standard English means people should use the words from Dr Johnson’s Dictionary.

   C. All the spoken English should be Standard English.

D. Standard English replaced all written dialect forms in the 18th century.

 

English has been very popular because it is the _______ language in many western countries.

A．official            B．fluent            C．gradual           D．frequent

 

English has been very popular because it is the _______ language in many western countries.

A. official         B. fluent          C. native           D. frequent

_______our English teacher,our English has been greatly improved.

A．Thanks to

B．Thank for

C．But for

D．Except for