Every English learner hopes to find a patient native speaker who will politely correct mistakes and teach him some useful new vocabulary. But native speakers can be hard to find. If you’re having trouble communicating in English, American situation comedies are one good way to help.
They can not only give you a lot of information about American culture, but also offer some useful daily expressions. Watching them will help you enlarge your vocabulary and teach you correct language usage in different situations. Best of all, situation comedies are a fun way to learn.
The Apprentice
The American reality (现实) TV show is hosted by the famous businessman Donald Trump. It’s based on the idea of the final job interview for the final job. The show picks 16 people to compete for a job with Trump’s business. Those who fail their weekly tasks have to meet with Trump. They have to explain why they should not be fired (解雇).
The Apprentice is useful for English students who want to learn how to make up a persuasive (令人信服的) argument. For example, rather than say “I think I did a good job”, one may also learn to throw off the possibility of uncertainty by saying, “I did a good job.”
Desperate Housewives (DH)
Desperate Housewives is set in an invented American town, Wisteria Lane. It follows a group of middle-aged women as they go through their daily family lives. But in fact, those women live a life of lies, secrets, criminal (犯罪的) acts, and mystery.
This program is good at expressing the funny life of American neighbors. And, it’s the perfect comedy series for foreign learners wanting to see how to hold a relaxed daily conversation.
Another reason for watching DH is to learn some expressions American families use that are not in your English language textbooks. For example, the mothers often use words such as “sport” and “you guys” to speak about their kids. 　　

1. 1.

   According to the passage, The Apprentice and DH are introduced because _____

   1. A.
      they are now the most popular programs
   2. B.
      they are helpful in English learning
   3. C.
      they are advertised for English beginners
   4. D.
      they are enjoyed by most young people
2. 2.

   Through watching the two American comedy series, English learners can do the following EXCEPT _____

   1. A.
      communicate with native speakers
   2. B.
      know about American culture
   3. C.
      pick up English daily expressions
   4. D.
      learn more English words
3. 3.

   In the author’s opinion, learning English through TV series is _____

   1. A.
      common
   2. B.
      difficult
   3. C.
      enjoyable
   4. D.
      possible
4. 4.

   We can learn from the passage that The Apprentice _____

   1. A.
      tells a story of school life
   2. B.
      is about real life
   3. C.
      has 15 actors
   4. D.
      is about some businessmen
5. 5.

   Which of the following statements about DH can we get from the introduction?

   1. A.
      The story happens in a village of America
   2. B.
      The housewives join in the same job interview
   3. C.
      The women in the American town lead a life full of sadness
   4. D.
      It does well in describing an interesting neighborhood in America

      Learning English is a great challenge, but with a little help from technolo-gy it can be as easy as a piece of cake.

     As well as the classroom, teachers and textbooks, the Internet, TV and radio programmes can play an active role in helping learn English.

     The Internet is full of rich and up-to-date information. English learners might wish to try http://www.in2english.com.cn./

     This website is co-established by the British Council, the BBC World Serv-ice and Central Radio and TV University.

     It provides cultural information about Britain and has an example of the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) that students can use   for practice. Different levels of grammar tests can also be found.

Make friends online

       Another useful website for middle school students and teachers is www.21se.com.cn. Besides reading 21st Century School Edition online, students are also invited to put their views on different topics up on the website.

Users have the opportunity  to make friends  with people who share their interests.

       In the teaching and learning section, there are reading and vocabulary tips for students.

      Compared with the Internet, TV programmes have their own advantages: one does not have to sit at a computer and the audio and visual effects can even be relaxing.

     One popular English-learning program is called "Modern English". This focuses  on oral English in  practical situations such as taking photos and shopping.

     The short dialogues and useful phrases may help students to express themselves if they go abroad or meet foreigners in China. More than 50 TV stations in about 300 cities have aired the program.

Word to World

If you watch Beijing Television Channel 8, you might see a program titled "Study Abroad". On this show Professor Wang Qiang  from New Oriental School hosts "From Word to World".

He selects words with  deep cultural background and teaches useful phrases related to that word.  Cartoons  are  also  used to explain  how to use the word in daily life. Listening to the radio may not be a new way to learn English but it is easy.

      China Radio International airs a program called "Studio Classroom" at 6:30 a.m. every day. This 25-minute program is aimed at middle school students and covers subjects from current news to travel and history, all in simple language.

71. This passage ______.

     A. introduces some new websites and TV and radio programmes

     B. focuses on advantages and disadvantages of different medium forms

     C. recommends technological help in learning English

     D.  aims at advertising various English courses

72. If you want to read an English newspaper and make comments on different topics, you try_____.

      A. www.in2english.com.cn.                             B. www.21se.com.cn.

      C. Modern English                                           D. Studio Classroom

73. One can practise oral English in everyday situations in _____.

      A. Studio Classroom                                       B. From Word to World

      C. Study Abroad                                             D. Modern English

74. According to the author,one superiority of TV programmes over the Internet is that they ____.

      A. offer more English learning resources

      B. cost you nothing

      C. have better audio and visual effects

D.  have English courses available whenever you need them

75. The author wants the readers to know that learning English ______.

      A. is difficult

      B. is easy

      C. is neither easy nor difficult

      D. can be made much easier with a little help of modern technology