British English and American English

A student is studying British English. He wonders: Can I have a talk with Americans? Can they catch me? Learners of English often ask--what are the differences between British English and American English? How important are these differences?

Certainly, there are some differences between British English and American English. There are a few differences in grammar（语法）. For example, speakers of British English say “in hospital” and “Have you a pen?” Americans “in the hospital” and “Do you have a pen?” Pronunciation (发音) is sometimes different. Americans usually sound the “r” in words like “car”and “farm”. Some speakers of British English do not sound the “r” in these words. There are differences between British English and American English in spelling and vocabulary. For example, “colour”and “honour” are British English spellings. “Color” and “honor” are American English spellings.

These differences are in grammar, pronunciation, spelling and vocabulary. However, they are not important. For the most part, British English and American English are the same language.

1.In American English, we can say, “      ? ”

A．Have you a new book

B．Do you have a new book

C．Are you have a new book

D．Can you to have a new book

2.Between British English and American English, sometimes pronunciation is        .

A．poor             B．different          C．high              D．short

3.In American English, the word “favourite”can be spelt      .

A．favoruite          B．favurite           C．favorite           D．favrite

4.Englishmen say “in hospital”, while Americans say        .

A．at the hospital                          B．in the hospital

C．by hospital                            D．to hospital

5.The main idea of the passage is that                  .

A．there are no differences between British English and American English

B．British English and American English are two different languages

C．speakers of British English and American English speak the same language

D．we shouldn't speak English

 

I really only meant it as a joke. I wasn't trying to steal anything honestly.
My friend Matthew started bringing his new cell phone to class last week. He was walking around bragging (吹嘘) about it to everyone. He was saying, "My cell phone can download the newest  36 off the Internet."Then he 37 everyone by downloading a game and starting to play it. The pictures and sound were really 38  .
39  class, he would use his cell phone to watch TV. The rest of us didn't have a phone like 40  , so we had to crowd(拥挤) around him. I was just trying to see the screen,  41there were so many other kids that I could not see it clearly. I was getting really jealous.
But then yesterday, he forgot his cell phone at the end of class. He left it right on his desk. 42  noticed it was there except me. I decided to teach him a lesson. I took his phone quietly off the desk, and put it in my own bag. My  43  was to give it back to him the next day. I44  wanted to see his reaction (反应). Maybe he would stop being such a show-off.
But this morning he rushed into class, screaming and yelling (吼叫). He was very 45 and almost mad. He started accusing (指责) different people of 46  his phone, but I had it in my  47  the whole time. He even started fighting with another classmate  48   Matthew was sure that person had taken it. The teacher sent them to the headmaster's office. They 49  got in a lot of trouble. Now I don't know what to 50  ! If I tell him that I took the cell phone, he'll think I stole it. If I don't tell him, then I really did steal it. How did I get into such a trouble?

【小题1】

A．ads B．songs C．films D．games

【小题2】

A．gave B．showed C．lent D．asked

【小题3】

A．good B．bad C．noisy D．unclear

【小题4】

A．After B．During C．In D．From

【小题5】

A．hers B．ours C．his D．theirs

【小题6】

A．and B．but C．then D．so

【小题7】

A．Everybody B．Somebody C．Anybody D．Nobody

【小题8】

A．plan B．suggestion C．dream D．action

【小题9】

A．always B．hardly C．just D．sometimes

【小题10】

A．happy B．quiet C．sad D．angry

【小题11】

A．losing B．stealing C．playing D．using

【小题12】

A．desk B．hand C．bag D．pocket

【小题13】

A．if B．because C．until D．though

【小题14】

A．both B．all C．neither D．none

【小题15】

A．say B．take C．see D．do

A Christina from Spain

  On the last day of the year, the 31^st of December, people wait till 12 pm. Everybody must have 12 grapes(葡萄) to eat at midnight. At each sound of the clock, we must eat a group. But we can’t ever finish eating the grapes on time! Usually when people still have some grapes in their mouths, they look at each other and start to laugh. This tradition started in Spain long ago. One year, when there were a lot of grapes, the king of Spain decided to give grapes to everybody to eat on New Year’s Eve.

B Cordon from Britain

On New Year’s Day in Britain, people have parties. At 12 o’clock, the music stops, and we listen to the radio. On the radio we hear Big Ben, the famous clock in London. Then everybody sings a song about friendship and kisses their friends. We say “Happy New Year” to each other. It’s lucky if a tall man with dark hair is the first person to come to the house in the new year. So I go and visit as many friends as I can. They all give me a drink.

C Angela from Brazil

In all cities in Brazil, we have a big party on New Year’s Eve, especially in Rio de Janeiro. People in this city go to the beaches to watch fireworks(焰火)。We put flowers in the sea and think about things we want for ourselves or others. We usually wear white clothes for good luck during the New Year.

1.Picture___________ is about paragraph 1.

2.Who have parties on New Year’s Day?

A. People in Spain.   B. People in Britain.

C. People in Brazil.  D. Both B and C.

3.From the 2nd paragraph, we can infer (推断)that___________.

A. People listen to the radio at home.

B. Cordon can’t drink much. 

C. Cordon is a tall man with dark hair.

D. there are no people near Big Ben.

4. On New Year’s Day, Brazilians usually wear white clothes because_________.

      A. that reminds them of their happy life

B. they hope that can bring them good luck

C. they think that they look beautiful in white

D. that’s what they have to do during the New Year

5.This article mainly tells us ________________.

     A. what people in Britain do on New Year’s Day

     B. when and where people have New Year parties

     C. why people in different countries like the New Year

     D. what people around the world do on New Year’s Day

 

Have you ever heard an echo of your voice?

An echo is a reflected(反射)sound. Stand in a very large, empty hall with nothing on the walls. Then shout. The sounds you make will hit the walls and come back to you. The walls reflect the sounds. These reflected sounds are called “echoes”.

We can use reflected sound to make sound travel farther. Hold a watch about fifty centimeters from your ear. You cannot hear it. The sound of the watch travels a short way in all directions. It does not travel as far as your ear. You can make it travel to your ear by using a roll of cardboard(纸板筒).

Make the roll of cardboard about fifty centimeters long. Put one end over your ear and hold the watch at the other. Now you can hear the watch because the sound has not gone in all directions. It is reflected down the roll to your ear.

A megaphone(喇叭筒)works in the same way. It makes sound travel farther. It reflects the sound into a beam which can travel a long way. In the ship, the sailor uses the megaphone to make his voice travel. Without the megaphone, his voice cannot travel far.

We use reflected sound in many ways. We use it to measure the depth of the sea, for example. Among the animals, bats and whales use reflected sound to tell them where they are and what things are near them.

1.What is called “echo”?

A．Very loud voices.

B．Very loud voices that are made by man.

C．Very loud voices that are made by animals.

D．The sound that is made by man or animals comes back from some place.

2.We can hear our echoes if we     .

A．shout in a small room

B．shout in a large house full of things

C．shout in narrow valleys(山谷)

D．shout in the open air

3.Which is the right order of hearing our echo in a very large, empty hall?

a. We hear the reflected sound

b. The sound returns to us

c. The sound hits the walls

d. We make a sound

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

4.From the text we learn that __________ .

A．reflected sound is useful only to blind people

B．people haven’t made use of reflected sound yet

C．bats use reflected sound to fly and get food

D．whales don’t use reflected sound as they live in the sea

5.If you haven’t got a megaphone, ____ will help you to make your voice travel farther.

A．a long piece of wood                     B．a roll of cardboard

C．a thin thread                           D．a long piece of silk