Japanese people work very hard at studying English. They start studying English at the age of 12. Most young Japanese people spend a lot of time and work hard at studying English, but Japanese people are not good at English. Here are the reasons:
There are few people from English-speaking countries in Japan. They don’t have enough chances to speak with them.
Japan is an island(岛)country and they feel that other countries are far away. So they don’t use English very often. And the Japanese feel that it is strange(奇怪的) to talk to each other in English.
The Japanese education doesn’t always follow the educational trends(趋势) in the world. It puts a lot of importance on grammar and vocabulary, and less on speaking, listening and reading skills.
Many Japanese students’ English becomes worse(更糟糕的) after they go to university(大学).They have to learn English again if they work in English-speaking countries.
Sometimes the Japanese feel shy about speaking wrong or broken English.
【小题1】Most young Japanese people        English.

To learn a foreign language well, you need to spend a lot of time on it. The ___46___ time you spend on the language, the faster you will learn. This does not ___47___ sitting in class looking out of the window, nor listening to other students who do not speak well. This means spending time enjoyably on the ___48___ you are learning.
Listen to the language you are learning on your MP3 player. Read ___49___ you are listening to. Listen to and read things that you like, things that you can mostly ___50___, or even partly understand. One hour of listening or reading is more effective（有效率）than many hours of class time. If you ___51___ listening and reading, you will improve yourself.
Build up your vocabulary lists, which you’ll need lots of. Start to notice words and how they come ___52___ as phrases. Learn these words and phrases ___53___ listening and reading. Read online, using online dictionaries, and make your own vocabulary lists. Do not ___54___ for someone else to show you the language, nor to tell you what to do, and you should discover the language by yourself, like a child growing up. Talk when you feel like it. ___55___ when you feel like. You are learning and improving. The language will become clearer in your mind. Just make sure you spend enough time on the language.

In most languages, a greeting is usually followed by “small talk”. Small talk means the little things we talk about at the start of a conversation.
In English-speaking countries people often make small talk about the weather: “Nice day, isn’t it?” “Terrible weather, isn’t it?” But there is something special about small talk. It must be about something which both people have the same opinion about. The purpose of small talk is to let both people agree on something. This makes meeting people easier and more comfortable. People usually agree about the weather, so it is a safe topic for small talk. But people often disagree about religion or politics so these are not suitable topics for small talk in English. The topics for small talk also depend on where the conversation is taking place. At football matches, people make small talk about the game they are watching: “Great game, isn’t it?” At bus stops, people may comment about the transport system: “The bus service is terrible, isn’t it?”
Greetings and small talk are an important part of conversation in any language. The way people great each and the things they talk about, however, may be different from one language to another. This shows that there is much more to learn when we learn a language than just the vocabulary and the grammar of the language. We also have to learn the social behavior of the people who speak it.
【小题1】Small talk ___.

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

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?