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

 

Not all memories are sweet. Some people spend all their lives trying to forget bad experiences .Violence and traffic accidents can leave people with terrible physical and emotional scars . Often they relive (重新体验) these experiences in nightmares .

Now American researchers think they are close to developing a pill ,which will help people forget bad memories . The pill is designed to be taken immediately after a frightening experience . They hope it might reduce , or possible erase (抹去) the effect of painful memories .

In November, experts tested a drug on people in the US and France. The drug stops the body releasing chemicals that fix memories in the brain . So far the research has suggested that only the emotional effects of memories may be reduced , not that the memories are eased .

The research has caused a great deal of argument . Some think it is a bad idea , while others support it . Supporters say it could lead to pills that prevent or treat soldiers’ troubling memories after war .

They say that there are many people who suffer from terrible memories . “Some memories can ruin people’s lives . They come back to you when you don’t want to have them in a daydream or nightmare . They usually come with very painful emotions ,” said Roger Pitman , a professor of psychiatry (精神病学) at Harvard Medical School. “This could relieve a lot of that suffering .”

But those who are against the research say that changing memories is very dangerous because memories give us our identity (物质). They also help us all avoid the mistakes of the past . “All of us can think of bad events in our lives that were horrible at the time but make us who we are . I’m not sure we’d want to wipe those memories out.” said Rebecca Dresser , a medical ethicist (伦理学家).

Some people fear that although the drug would first be used in only very serious cases , it would become more and more common . “People always have the ability to misuse science,” said Joeph Le Doux, a New York University memory researcher . “All we want to do is help people have better control of memories .”

What’s the main idea of the text ?

      A．People often suffer from bad memories .

       B．American researchers are trying to develop a pill .

       C．Forget bad memories , and be happy .

       D．The research has cause a heated argument .

The underlined word “it” in paragraph 4 refers to “       ”.

       A．the new drug          B．the research into the drug

       C．the memory            D．the chemical in the drug  

Which of the following is not the opinion of the supporters ?

       A．The pill can erase all the memories in the past

       B．Some memories can ruin people’s lives. The pill can relieve emotional suffering .

       C．The pill can also help many other types of people who suffer from terrible memories .

       D．The pill can also prevent or treat troubling memories in soldiers after war

Which of the following is not the opinion of the opponents (反对者)?

       A．Our memories give us our identity .

       B．The memories help humanity avoid mistake of the past .

       C．The drug should be used in only very serious cases .

       D．People may not be sure whether they want to wipe the memories out .

It could be inferred from the passage that         .

       A．the pill has been developed and will be more and more common

       B．the pill has helped soldiers forget bad experiences during the war .

       C．The pill is being tested on some people by some researchers .

       D．The pill will be forbidden because people have different opinions of it .

Coffee has a history dating back to at least the 9th century and has been a catalyst for social interaction across cultures and eras. Originally discovered in Ethiopia, coffee beans were brought into the Middle East by Arab traders, spreading to Egypt, Yemen, Persia, Turkey, and North Africa by the 15th century. Muslim merchants eventually brought the beans to the thriving port city of Venice, where they sold them to wealthy Italian buyers. Soon, the Dutch began importing and growing coffee in places like Java and Ceylon (largely through slave labor), and the British East India Trading Company was popularizing the beverage in England. Coffee spread across Europe and even reached America.
Where there has been coffee, there has been the coffeehouse. From the 15th century Middle Eastern establishments where men gathered to listen to music, play chess, and hear recitations from works of literature, to Paris' Cafe le Procope where luminaries of the French Enlightenment such as Voltaire, Rousseau, and Diderot came to enjoy a hot cup of joe, coffeehouses have traditionally served as centers of social interaction, places where people can come to relax, chat, and exchange ideas.
The modern coffee shop is modeled on the espresso and pastry-centered Italian coffeehouses that arose with the establishment of Italian-American immigrant communities in major US cities such as New York City's Little Italy and Greenwich Village, Boston's North End, and San Francisco's North Beach. New York coffee shops were often frequented by the Beats in the 1950's. It wasn't long before Seattle and other parts of the Pacific Northwest were developing coffee shops as part of a thriving counterculture scene. The Seattle-based Starbucks took this model and brought it into mainstream culture.
Although coffeehouses today continue to serve their traditional purpose as lively social hubs in many communities, they have noticeably adapted to the times. Rediscovering their purpose as centers of information exchange and communication, many coffee shops now provide their customers with internet access and newspapers. It has become extremely common to see someone sitting at a Starbucks listening to music or surfing the web on his or her laptop. Coffee stores today also maintain a fairly identifiable, yet unique aesthetic: wooden furniture and plush couches, paintings and murals drawn on walls, and soft-lighting combine to give coffee shops the cozy feeling of a home away from home.
Today, big business retail coffee shops are expanding quickly all over the world. Starbucks alone has stores in over 40 countries and plans to add more. Despite its popularity, Starbucks has been criticized and labeled by many as a blood-sucking corporate machine, driving smaller coffee shops out of business through unfair practices. This has even spawned an anti-corporate coffee counterculture, with those subscribing to this culture boycotting big business coffee chains. Increasingly popular coffee stores such as The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf are also giving Starbucks some stiff competition. In any case, it seems pretty clear that coffee has weaved itself into the fabric of our consumer-oriented culture.
【小题1】 Which of the following is the correct order of coffee spreading in history?
①Egypt         ②America   ③the Middle East   ④Netherlands   ⑤Venice

A．①③④②⑤

B．③①⑤④②

C．①⑤④③②

D．③②⑤④①

【小题2】We can infer from the passage ________.

A．Starbucks has beaten all the competitors

B．there are no changes in the development of coffee culture

C．the taste of coffee has changed a lot

D．Starbucks has some effect on the development of coffee culture

【小题3】The famous coffeehouse “Starbucks” originally come from _______.

A．Seattle

B．Ethiopia

C．Java

D．France

【小题4】 Nowadays, if you come to a coffeehouse, you can _______.

A．play chess with other customers

B．enjoy delicious dishes from South America

C．surf the internet

D．watch a TV play

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 is the 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 "chartroom". 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 “café” 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. in order to     C. as usual    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. How many people in the world are using English now?

A. One billion people                B. 340 million

C. almost all the people in the world.

D. not mentioned above, but the number is growing rapidly.

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

A. the USA      B. Nigeria   C. the Philippines     D. Norway

 

Le Trung, 33，has spent ￡14,000 creating Aiko，who he describes as“in her 20s”with a 32,23,33 figure，shiny hair and delicate features.

She can speak English and Japanese and is so good at mathematics that she can do Mr.Trung's accounts.

Mr.Trung，from Brampton in Ontario，Canada，said he has never had time to find a real partner，so he designed and created his ideal woman using the latest technology.

The former software programmer has taken out credit cards and loans，sold his car and spent his life savings on perfecting his“fem­bot”.

Now he is desperate to find a corporate sponsor(资助者)to help him complete and perfect Aiko.

He said，“Aiko is what happens when science meets beauty.”

 "I want to make her look，feel and act as human as possible so she can be the perfect companion."

    "I talk to her a lot，and hope to improve her knowledge."

"So far she can understand and speak 13,000 different sentences in English and Japanese，so she's already fairly intelligent."

"Aiko recognize faces and says hello when any of my family come around to visit. She helps me pick what to have for dinner and knows what drinks I like."

"She even helps me with directions when we're going somewhere."

"When I need to do my accounts，Aiko does all the maths. She is very patient and never complains."

"She doesn't need holidays，food or rest and she will work almost 24­hours a day. She is the perfect woman."

Mr.Trung has designed Aiko with a touch­sensitive face and body so she reacts in a natural way if she is shown affection or hurt.

 He said，"She has all senses except for smell."

1.Why did Le Trung spend much money creating Aiko?

A. Because he prefers Aiko to a real person.

B. Because he is too busy to find a partner.

C. Because he thinks Aiko is very beautiful.

D. Because he thinks Aiko is worth much money.

2. According to the passage，what is Aiko?

A. Aiko is a female person.

B. Aiko is Mr.Trung's girl friend.

C. Aiko is a robot that looks like a beautiful woman.

D. Aiko is a perfect woman.

3. Aiko can do the following things EXCEPT ________.

A. that she can understand and speak English and Japanese

B. that she can do maths questions very well

C. that she can smell the strange smell

D. that she can help to receive some familiar guests

4.What is the main idea of the passage?

A. The reason for Le Trung creating Aiko.

B. The introduction to a new scientific product－Aiko.

C. Aiko's ability or functions.

D. The process of making Aiko.