While reading a book in English, every few lines of text, you run across a word or two that you don't know. You look every new word in the dictionary. Bad move. All that does slow you down. Even electric or CD-ROM dictionaries can get in the way of your reading progress. A dictionary is like a road map. It can help you if younger lost and point you in the right direction. But if you stop to look at the "map" each time you take a step, you'll get nowhere fast .

On your English learning "journey （旅行）”, a dictionary Can be a helpful “travel companion"---if it is not overused. To help you start thinking in English, use an English-to-English dictionary. Otherwise（否则），you will always depend on your native（本国的）language and end up translating in you head.

A good dictionary can help you do more than just find the meaning of a word. it can help you verify （test and check） spelling, check word forms and grammar usage, find example sentences and learn pronunciation. Some dictionaries even provide exercises to teach you how to use their resources（资源）.

Take time to get to know your dictionary. Learn the pronunciation symbols （符号）.

Understand what the abbreviations （缩写字） mean. Try to master the important grammar rules. Look for charts, diagrams and lists that might be useful in the future. You will discover how helpful it can be to make friends with your dictionary. And as they say, "A friend in need is a friend indeed."

1．According to the passage,________________________

A．we should look up each new word we meet while reading

B．dictionaries will be helpful if we use them properly

C．we can't look up any new words we come across while reading

D．we can get everything we want in dictionaries

2．The underlined word "companion" means____________________

A．指南            B．札记            C．工具       D．路标

3．Why do we need a good English-to-English dictionary?

A．Because it is a good friend.

B．Because it can help us to find the right direction if we get lost.

C．Because it can help avoid to think in our native language.

D．Because it can help us to start thinking in English and in Chinese.

4．The underlined word "that" in the last paragraph refers to （指） ____________ 

A．pronunciation symbols and grammar rules

B．abbreviations and usage for grammar rules

C．the meaning of a word, spelling and grammar usage

D．charts, diagrams and lists

5．According to the passage, we learn that____________________

A．the more you use a dictionary, the better you can understand the article

B．the more you use a dictionary, the faster you may read

C．the more you use the resources in a dictionary, the more information you can get

D．the better a dictionary is, the more expensive it is

【小题1】My life is filled with p_____________, and I’m very happy now.
【小题2】Mike _____________(记忆) new words more quickly than me.
【小题3】Reading English aloud every day will of course help you to improve your __________(发音).
【小题4】If you try your best now, you are sure to have a chance of ____________(实现) your dream.
【小题5】Have you ever c___________ buying a new MP4 player?
【小题6】Be careful not to d___________ your glasses. They might be broken.
【小题7】Without my p______________ , don’t touch my things.
【小题8】I like to go out to enjoy the _____________(新鲜的) air.
【小题9】Can you have dinners with f_______________ and knives?
【小题10】I’m sorry to ______________(打扰) you. Can you tell me how to send an e—mail?

When you are reading something in English, you may often meet with a new word. What’s the best way to know it?
You may look it up in the English-Chinese dictionary. It will tell you a lot about the word: the pronunciation, the Chinese meaning and how to use the word. But how can you know where the word is thousands of English words? How to find it in the dictionary both quickly and correctly?
First, all the English words are arranged(安排) in the letter order. In the dictionary you can first see the words beginning with letter A, then B, C, D…. That means, if there are two words “desert” and “pull”, “desert” will be certainly before “pull”. Then if there are two words both beginning with the same letter, you may look at the second letter. Then the third, the fourth… For example, “pardon” is before “plough”, “judge” before “just”, etc.
Do you understand how to look up in the dictionary?
The dictionary will be your good friend. I hope you’ll use it as often as possible in your English study.
【小题1】This passage is about______.

Many students ask for advice about improving their English. There are three basic questions.
The first question is about real English. Li Hao from Hubei wrote, “I enjoy watching English films and listening to real English songs. But it takes a long time. What do you think?”
This is a great way to learn English! Talk about the film or song with your friends, and guess the meaning of the new words. Just enjoy yourself!
The second question is about speaking. Sam, from Suzhou wrote, “Our school has a foreign teacher. But I’m shy and can’t speak to her. What should I do?”
When I visit China, lots of people in the street say, “Hello! How are you? Where are you from? Do you like China?” These are good questions to start a conversation. Many people are shy when they speak English, so before you begin, take a deep breath and smile! Smiling always helps.
The third question is about vocabulary. Olive, from Anhui wrote, “I want to remember all the new words. I wrote them down, but I forget them quickly. What should I do?”
Try to remember eight or nine words a day. Write them on pieces of paper and place them in your bedroom. Say the words when you see them, and change them every day. And when you’re shopping, how about counting the English words, or saying the English names for everything you see?
【小题1】How many basic questions do the students often ask?

阅读下面短文，根据短文内容回答问题。

What to go on holiday, but don’t have enough money for luxury (豪华的) hotels and expensive trips? Backpacking might be right up your street.

Backpacking is a very cheap kind of travel. European and American students and young adults who may not have all that much money often do it. It is called backpacking because, instead of using a suitcase (手提箱), people put all their things in a large backpack. A backpack sits on your back, and you pack all your clothes inside.

The most popular places for backpacking are Southeast Asia and South America. These countries aren’t very expensive, and are also very hot for most of the year. India and Australia are also very popular. In 2002, over 400,000 backpackers hit Australia. Sometimes, backpacking can be dangerous. A British backpacker was recently shot dead at a beach party in Thailand, and every year similar things happen.

Backpacking, in fact, is much more than a holiday—for young people in Europe, it is seen as a way of learning about the world.

Backpackers often travel alone for many months, as this is seen as more of an adventure and challenge. Beyond finding new words, backpacking, people say, is all about “finding yourself”.

1.Is backpacking an expensive kind of travel?

2.Why is it called backpacking?

3.Where are the most popular places for backpacking?

4.How many backpackers traveled to Australia in 2002?

5.What do people think of backpacking?