Years after throwing a bottle-up note into a lake for a class project and just one year after his death, a man’s childhood message was found and returned to his mother.
Eleven years ago, a then 10-year-old boy, Joshua Baker, wrote the message, folded and put it in an empty container, his mother, Maggie Holbrook said. He died last February in a motor vehicle accident in California. He had recently returned after a serving in the Middle East as a US marine. “I think he was just letting us know he was OK and keep doing what we are doing.” Holbrook said.
The message surfaced in White Lake in late April, just days after the 11^th anniversary of its being thrown into the lake. It was found by one of Baker’s closest friends, Steve Lieder, she said. Lieder and two friends were chatting near the lake when Lieder looked down and saw the bottle. He broke it open and found the note inside.
“My name is Joshua Baker. I am 10. If you find this, put it on the news. The date is 4/16/98.” They immediately took it to Holbrook, who said she is now having the note preserved and will display it in her home.
She can remember when her son wrote the message for the school project. She said she always wondered why he didn’t put it in the nearby Wolf River, which has a much stronger current.
“I still remember the day he wrote it, ” Holbrook said. “I couldn’t understand why he threw I in the lake. No one would never see it again. Now I know.”
【小题1】What was Joshua Baker when he died in motor vehicle accident in California?

A．An official

B．A soldier

C．A worker

D．A teacher

【小题2】 Which of the following statements is correct according to the passage?

A．The man threw the bottle into the lake without any purpose.

B．The man didn’t put the bottle into the nearby river because it had a strong current.

C．Not until recently did his mother understand why he put the bottle into the lake.

D．The man made the bottle-up note so as to let his parents know he was OK.

【小题3】The best title for this passage would be___.

A．A man’s Bottle Message Found After His Death

B．A Ridiculous and Unbelievable Bottle Message

C．A Strange Bottle-up Note Appearing In a Lake

D．An Important Childhood Message 11 Years After His Death

According to the law, it is _____ get your driving license.

A．not until you’re eighteen can you	B．until you’re eighteen that you can’t
C．not until you’re eighteen that you can	D．until you’re eighteen when you can’t

 

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

 

It was ______ back home after the experiment. 

A． not until midnight did he go               B． until midnight that he didn’t go

C． not until midnight that he went            D． until midnight when he didn’t go

 

It was ______ in the exam that ______ how much time I had wasted. 

A．not until I failed;I realized                 B．until I failed; I didn’t realize

C．not until I failed; did I realize               D．until I failed; I realized