The Vieira family moved to the United States in 1981. At that time, they decided to stop speaking Spanish at home and only communicate in English. This was because they were now living in an English-speaking country.

     Now the Vieira children are adults, and they sometimes travel to Spain to visit their family and friends. But they cannot communicate with them. Unfortunately this is common. When people move to new countries, they often leave their own customs and mother language behind. This is a mistake because there are many benefits to knowing more than one language.

     One advantage of speaking more than one language is that you can communicate directly with more people around the world. You do not have to depend on others to talk for you, so you’re more independent. People who know only one language must use others to help them communicate.

     Furthermore, speaking a second language also allows people to experience other cultures and customs more effectively. Local expressions, vocabulary, and even jokes can have a powerful effect on a person’s understanding of another culture. So, knowing more than one language increases your knowledge of other cultures.

     Finally, having more multi-language speakers improves relationships between countries. If people from different countries can communicate well, the world can become closer. Countries will then have more respect for each other and better understand each other’s problems.

     The benefits of knowing more than one language are clear. In fact, there are no disadvantages. It is very sad that many people don’t try to learn another language. It is even worse when people let themselves forget their mother language and become silenced.

1.What is the passage mainly about?

A. The benefits of learning other languages.

B. The reasons why people come to America.

C. The importance of learning English.

D. How to learn another language.

2.The passage begins with the experience of the Vieira family in order to_______.

A. discuss the need for teaching a new language

B. introduce the passage’s main characters to the readers

C. describe the advantages of moving to another country

D. show the problems of speaking only one language

3.The underlined phrase “multi-language speakers” (Paragraph 5) means “people who know ______.”

A. their mother language          B. a new language

C. more than one language        D. body language

4.According to the passage, if you can speak more than one language, you can____.

A. find a better job

B. make more friends

C. better understand history

D. communicate more independently

5.Based on the last paragraph, which of the following is the worst?

A. Not knowing another language.

B. Forgetting one’s mother language.

C. Refusing to learn another language.

D. Failing to communicate with others.

 

What's your dream vacation? Watching wildlife in Kenya? Boating down the Amazon? Sunbathing in Malaysia? New chances are opening up all the time to visit the world. So we visit travel companies, compare prices, and pay our money.
We know what our vacation costs us. But do we know what it might cost someone else? It's true that many poorer countries now depend on tourism for foreign income. Unfortunately, though, tourism often harms the local(本地的) people more than it helps them.
It might cost their homes and lands. In Myanmar, 5,200 people were forced to leave their homes among the pagodas(佛塔) in Bagan so that tourists could visit the pagodas.
Tourism might also cost the local people their jobs and dignity(尊严). Local workers often find only low-paying jobs in the tourist industry. And most of the money do not help the local economy（经济）. Instead, money return to the tour operators in richer countries, When the Maasai people in Tanzania were driven from their lands, some moved to poor places of the city. Others now make a little money selling things or acting for photos.
Problems like these were noticed more than 20 years ago. But now tour operators and local governments are working together to begin correcting them. Tourists, too, are putting on the pressure.     
The result is “ethical（合乎职业道德的）tourism”. Ethical tourism has people at its heart. New international agreements and rules can help protect the people's lands, homes, economies and cultures. The beginnings are small, though, and the problems are complex(复杂的).
But take heart. The good news is that everyone, including us, can play a part to help the local people in the places we visit. Tour operators and companies can help by making sure that local people work in good conditions and earn the money they should get.
They can make it a point to use only locally owned hotel, restaurants and guide services. They can share some money to help the local economy. And they can help the local people plan and manage tourism.
What can tourists do? First, we can ask tour companies to provide information about the conditions of local people. We can then make our choices and tell them why. And while we're abroad, we can:
Buy local foods and products.
Pay a fair price for goods and services and not bargain for the cheapest price.
Ask before taking photographs of people.
They are not just part of the scenery!
Let's enjoy our vacation and make sure others do, too.
【小题1】Which of the following is not mentioned?

A．Local people protected the pagodas in Bagan well.

B．Tourists may stay in hotels opened by local people.

C．Local people are mainly provided with low-paying work.

D．Tourists had better not bargain with local people for a cheap price.

【小题2】 The underlined phrase "take heart" means"      ".

A．pay attention

B．take care

C．cheer up

D．give up

【小题3】 According to the passage, the writer thinks          .

A．tourism is not a promising industry

B．dream vacations should be spent abroad

C．the problems caused by tourism are easy to settle

D．tourists should respect local customs and cultures

【小题4】What is probably the best title for the passage?

A．Tourism Causes Bad Effects.	B．Tourism Calls for Good Behavior.
C．Vacations Bring a Lot of Fun.	D．Vacations Cost More Than You Think.

Mobile phone (手机)has become a problem for middle schools. Some middle schools in Australia have banned (禁止) students from carrying mobile phones during school hours.

Mobile phone use among children has become a problem for the schools this year. Several children have got mobile phones as Christmas presents, and more students want them.

Mary Bluett, an official(官员), said mobile phone use is a distraction(分心) to students during school hours and it also gives teachers so much trouble in their classrooms. Teachers were also saying that sometimes students might use phone messages to cheat during exams.

She said some schools had tried to ban mobile phones. Some parents felt unhappy, because they couldn’t get in touch with their children.

Many teachers said students should not have mobile phones at school, but if there was a good reason, they could leave their phones at school office. They also said there were many reasons why the students should not have mobile phones at school; they were easy to lose and were a distraction from studies.

Many people say that they understand why parents would like their children to have phones, but they think schools should let the students know when they can use their mobile phones.

1. Some middle schools in Australia have banned students from carrying mobile phones

____.

A．because they are students	B．when they are free
C．when they are at school	D．because they are children

2.We know from the passage that some children get mobile phones from _______.

A．the makers and sellers	B．the passers-by and strangers
C．their parents and friends	D．some mobile phone users

3.What does the word “cheat” mean in the passage in Chinese?

A．聊天

B．核对

C．查询

D．作弊

4. Some parents felt unhappy because they couldn’t  ________ during school hours.

A．use their mobile phones

B．leave their mobile phones at school office

C．help the teachers with their work

D．get in touch with their children

5. The passage tells us that_______.

A．students shouldn’t have mobile phones at school except for some special reasons

B．it is impossible to ban students from using mobile phone at school

C．some parents felt unhappy because they couldn’t Use their phones at school

D．parents should teach their children how to use mobile phones during school hours

 

It’s so beautiful outside that spending the day in the office would be very boring. So why not take the vacations(假期)off? A new survey(调查)found that 31﹪of U.S workers don’t always take all of their vacation days. Americans have 12 vacation days on average(平均)each year, but they give back an average of 3 vacation days each year.
So why don’t they use up their vacation days? Some say they would rather get money back for their unused days; some busy workers say they just can’t leave their work. Americans have fewer vacation days than workers in any other country surveyed.
The French take their vacations seriously. French workers get an average of 39 vacation days, and 40﹪ plan to take at least one there-to-four-week vacation.
Workers in Sweden receive an average of 25 vacation days a year, but they can’t find time to use them all. More workers there return vacation days than any other country surveyed.
British workers have the longest working week in Europe(欧洲),with 23 vacation days --the shortest vacation. So they feel overworked.75﹪ say their weekends or vacations are too short and 40﹪ would sacrifice a day’s pay(工资)for one more vacation day.
【小题1】____________ U.S workers don’t always take all of their vacation days.

A．All

B．Most

C．Some

D．Few

【小题2】How many vacation days do Americans have on average each year in fact?

A．9

B．12

C．15

D．23

【小题3】Which country has the most workers working during the vacation days?

A．America.

B．France.

C．Sweden.

D．great Britain.

【小题4】What does the word “sacrifice” mean in the last sentence?

A．Use up.

B．Put up.

C．Take up.

D．Give up.

【小题5】Which of the following is true?

A．Some American workers are too busy to leave their work.

B．French workers can take one Three-to-four week days.

C．Swedish workers can enjoy all of their vacation days.

D．British workers have the shortest vacation days of all the countries surveyed.

Mobile phone has become a problem for high schools. Some high-school students in Australia are not allowed to carry mobile phones during school hours.

Mobile phone used among children has become a problem for the school years. Several children have got mobile phones as Christmas presents, and more students will want them. .

Marry Brown, a headmaster, said that mobile phone was a distraction(分心事) to students during school hours and it also gave teachers so much trouble in their classrooms. Teachers were also saying that sometimes students might use phone messages to cheat during exams .

She said some schools had tried to ban(禁止) mobile phones. Some parents felt unhappy because they couldn’t get in touch with their children.

Many teachers said students should not have mobile phones at school. But there was a good reason that they could leave their phones at school offices. They also said they were easily lost and were a distraction for studies.

Many people say that they understand why parents would want their children to  have phones, but they think schools should let the students know when they can use their mobile phones.

1.Some high schools in Australia have stopped students from carrying mobile phones         

A. because they are students    B. when they are free

C. when they are at school       D. because they are children

2.What does the word “cheat” mean in Chinese in this passage?

A. 聊天    B. 核对     C. 查询     D. 作弊

3.Some children get mobile phones from           as presents.

A. the makers and sellers  B. the passers-by and strangers

C. their parents and  friends    D. some mobile phone user

4.Some parents felt unhappy because they couldn’t         during school hours.

A. use their mobile phones         

B. leave their mobile phones in the school office

C. help the teachers with their work  

D. get in touch with their children

5.The passage tells us that        .

A. students shouldn’t have mobile phones at school except for special reasons

B. it is important to ban students from using mobile phones at school

C. some parents felt unhappy because they couldn’t use their phones at home

D. parents should teach their children how to use mobile phones during school hours