1.What do you like m_______ about English?
2.The U______ N_______ is a place where the countries of the world meet.
3.What do you m______ by the word "miss"?
4.In M______, people Spanish.
5.More than 450 m________ people in the world can speak English.
6.W______ to China,Mr White.
7.Learning a new Language is e_____.
8.What is the o______ language in Canada?
9.English,Chinese and French are the m_________ languages used at the UN.
10.What is the m________ of "nation"?

     Many students of English think that learning a new language is very difficult. Now think how difficult it
is to learn English when your brain is only the size of a bird's brain! That is what some birds can do.
     Many different kinds of birds can copy the sounds of language. African grey parrots are the best known
for this.
     Every December in London, the National Cage and Aviary Bird Show tries to find the best "talking" bird
in the world. One bird named Prudle stood out among the "talking birds". She won this prize for 12 years
from 1965 to 1976.
     Prudle was taken from her nest in Uganda in 1958. She was sold to Iris Frost in Seaford, England. Prudle
knew almost 800 words in English.
     Prudle was also the oldest bird in the world that lived in a cage. Ms. Frost took care of the bird until
Prudle died in 1994. Prudle was 35 years old.
     A different kind of bird, not a parrot, named Puck was tested in 1993. It turned out that Puck knew more
English words than Prudle knew. Puck knew more than 1,700 words.
     If a bird can do it, anybody can do it.

1. What kind of birds is the most famous for speaking?

A. African grey parrots.
B. The birds with big brains.
C. The birds in cages.
D. English parrots.

2. What dose the word "stand out" mean in this passage?

A. 站出来
B. 飞起来
C. 脱颖而出
D. 取出来

3. How many years did Prudle win the speaking competition for birds?

A. 35 years.
B. 12 years.
C. 55 years.
D. 8 years.

4. Puck was better than Prudle because ______.

A. he could fly higher
B. he knew more words
C. he spoke faster
D. he was bigger

5. Who was Iris Frost?

A. A parrot.
B. Puck's owner.
C. Prudle's owner.
D. An English teacher

     Here are some tips which may help you to learn English language !
     Speak Without Fear
    The biggest problem most people face in learning a new language is their own fear. They worry
that they won't say things correctly or that they will look stupid, so they don't talk at all. The fastest
way to learn anything is to do it-again and again until you get it right. Don't let a little fear stop you from
getting what you want.
    Listen to English Music
    Music can be a very effective method of learning English. The best way to learn is to get the lyrics
(words ) to the songs you are listening to and try to read them as the artist sings. There are several good
Internet sites where one can find the words for most songs. This way you can practice your listening and
reading at the same time.
    Watch English Films and Television
    This is not only a fun way to learn but also it is very effective (有效的). By watching English films
you can expand your vocabulary and hear the fluent speech from the actors. If you listen to the news,
you can also hear different accents (口音).
    Do Exercises and Take Tests
    Many people think that exercises and tests are boring. However,by completing exercises and taking
tests you can really improve your English. If you never test yourself , you will never know how much you
are progressing.

1. In learning a new language, the biggest problem people face is          .

A. listening
B. test
C. fear
D. exercise

2. It is a fun and effective way to learn English to          .

A. do exercises
B. take tests
C. listen to English music
D. watch English films

3. There are           ways of learning English in the passage. 

A. three
B. four
C. five
D. six

4. Which is NOT TRUE according to the passage?

A. Fear can stop people from learning English.
B. People can't practice listening and reading at the same time.
C. When listening to the news , you can hear different accents.
D. If you test yourself, you will know how much you are progressing.

5. The main idea of the passage is          .

A. how to learn English
B. what is English
C. why to learn English
D. how practice listening

     Learning a new language is always a challenge. There are new words, new grammar, and new
pronunciation. Language is an important part of culture, and becoming familiar with (熟悉) the culture
as well as the language can make the learning experience much more enjoyable.
     When I was a university student, I studied Chinese for three years. Before I went to university, I had
very little knowledge of China. Therefore, when I started learning to speak Chinese, it was important for
me to also learn about China's history and culture. China's culture is very different from my own and I
become interested in it soon.
     It will be much more fun to learn about culture when you study a new language. Culture can teach you
so many things about a language. It can give you background information about the language and tell you
the history of the language. I also found out one fact, that is, if you have some knowledge about the country
and the culture, you will communicate with its people much easier.
     Whenever I try to learn a new language, I enjoy knowing information about the culture as well. It's a
challenge to dig (挖掘) deeper for more information, but it is very rewarding!

1. When we learn a new language, we will have a chance to _______.

A. learn new words, new grammar, and new pronunciation
B. learn about China's history and culture
C. stay in the other country and learn its language
D. communicate with people in China

2. According to the passage, the writer must be _______.

A. a Chinese student who is studying abroad (国外)
B. a foreign student who is studying in China
C. a famous writer who wants to learn a new language
D. a teacher who is teaching English in China

3. If you have some knowledge about the country and the culture, _______.

A. you can get a good grade in the exam
B. you will communicate with its people much easier
C. you will be interested in its history
D. you will make more friends

4. The underlined word "rewarding" means _______ in Chinese.

A. 有益的
B. 困难的
C. 值得鼓励的
D. 实用的

5. What's the best title for this passage?

A. An Enjoyable Experience
B. How to Learn a New Language
C. How to Face the Challenge When You in Trouble
D. The Importance of Culture in Learning a Language