Do you speak English? Do you speak e-mail English? Maybe you don’t. E-mail English is a new kind of English that many people use to save time. A lot of e-mail English words come from a computer program called QQ, which means I seek(寻找)you. Ian Lancashire, a Canadian teacher, likes QQ, “People can use QQ to talk with each other using computer. But, you have to be able to type quickly or the other person will be bored. So e-mail English can give some help.”

   A message in e-mail English mostly uses two kinds of new words. The first kind is made up of the first letters of the words. These are called acronyms. The second kind is homophones，letter combination(合并), symbols that sound like other words.

Acronyms in an e-mail save space and time. It takes a long time to write by the way. BTW is much faster. Other acronyms are F2F which stands for face to face, CSL for can’t stop laughing and DBEYR for don’t believe everything you read! Some of the acronyms look like strange words, such as SWAK. But this one means sealed(封口) with a kiss.

   Homophones often use letters and numbers that sound like words or parts of words. For example, 8 sound like—eat in great, to save time, people write gr8. Another example is CU for see you or sometimes CU l8r (see you later)

   The number 2 is used for to or too and the number 4 is used instead of for.

   Another part of e-mail is emotive symbols(表情符号) which make faces when you look at them sideways. The most common emotive, is the happy face :). A comma (逗号) is often used to help add other parts of the face and show different expressions.

   E-mail English is fun. An e-mail message with lots of e-mail English starts to look like secret code(密码). Your best friend will probably understand it, but your parents and teachers may not. In fact, many teachers don’t like e-mail English. It’s not just because they can’t comprehend what it means. It’s because students start to use e-mail English in their everyday writing. E-mail English is great for writing quickly. But most teachers say that e-mail English should only be used in e-mails to one’s friends.

1.What does the writer talk about in the first paragraph?

   A. How to read new e-mail words.

   B. How new e-mail words are made.

   C. Why people use e-mail English.

   D. Canadian teachers and their e-mails.

2.The underlined word “comprehend” in the last paragraph means “_______”.

   A. accept                               B. understand           C. guess                               D. prefer

3.What do teachers insist according to the passage?

   A. Parents will have to learn some e-mail English.

   B. E-mail English will develop our everyday writing.

   C. E-mail English can’t be used among schoolmates.

   D. E-mail English shouldn’t be used in school writing.

4.What’s the title for this passage?

   A. E-mail English on Computer.                   B. American E-mail English.

   C. The Forms of E-mail English.                   D. The Changing of English.

 

It’s over three years since I began to learn English. I’m glad that I am getting on well with it.
I find English quite difficult, but very interesting. When I first started, I thought I had only to remember the new words and learn some grammar  I knew little about English idioms（习语）.I thought each English word had the same meaning in Chinese. When I learn to say“I see a book on the desk,” I thought the English word “see ” was just like the Chinese word “ kan ”，So one day when my teacher asked me,“ what are you doing?”, I answered， “I’m seeing a book.” “That’s wrong .”  the teacher said, “you don’t see a book, You read a book. You can’t use English word like a Chinese one.. Be sure not to make the same mistake again.”
After that I began to pay more attention to the differences between Chinese and English. For example, in English we say a“ high mountain”, but a“ tall man. ” In Chinese we use the same word “gao ” for both.。Again in English we say“ take part in the sports meeting ”, “ attend the meeting ” and“ join the army,”  while in Chinese we can use “can jia ” for all three. Interesting ，isn't?
So to study English doesn't only mean hard wok, it can be great fun,  too! We not only have to pay attention to pronunciation, grammar spelling and handwriting, we also have to understand English idioms. We can learn English well only in the way!
But all this is only a beginning and I still have a long way to go. I’ll try my best and work even harder than before. I must speak and listen to English more both in and out of class. I must learn English well so that I can work well when I grow up.
【小题1】I have learned English for ___________ years.

A．one

B．five

C．three

D．more than three

【小题2】 When I first started English I ________________.

A．knew more English words

B．knew more English idioms

C．used an English word like a Chinese one

D．found English easy and interesting

【小题3】I began to pay more attention to the differences between Chinese and English __________
A When I began to learn English
B. when I said“ I see a book on the desk.”
C. before I began to learn English
D. after the teacher told me not use an English word like a Chinese one.
【小题4】We should speak and listen to English __________.

A．only in class

B．out of class

C．both in and out of class

D．either in or out of class

【小题5】To study English well, we have to ______________.

A．remember the new words and learn more grammar

B．know the differences between Chinese and English

C．pay attention to pronunciation, spelling, handwriting and idioms

D．do all the above things

There are differences between western culture and Chinese culture. We can see differences when we pay attention to the way words are used. Let’s look at the words about animals and plants. Most expressions in Chinese is about the dog, for example, “a homeless dog”, “a mad dog”, “a running dog” and “a dog catching a mouse”, have negative(消极) meanings. But in western countries, dogs are thought to be honest and good friends of humans. In English, people use the dog to describe positive(积极的) actions. For example, “you are a lucky dog” means you are a lucky person. And “every dog has its day” means each person has good luck sometimes. To describe a person’s serious illness, they say “sick as a dog”. The word “dog—tired” means very tired. However, Chinese love cats very much. But in western culture, “cat” is often used to describe a woman who is cruel(冷酷的). There are many other examples of how “cat” is used differently as well.
The rose is regarded as a symbol of love in both China and some western countries. People think the rose stands for love, peace, courage and friendship. And the rose is the national flower of England, America and many other countries.
The words about plants and animals are used in positive or negative ways in different cultures. We can learn about many differences in cultures by comparing how some words are used.
【小题1】The word “dog” in Chinese usually ______.
A. stands for friendship                  B. has a negative meaning        C. has a positive meaning
【小题2】“Every dog has its day.” means “______”
A. Everybody in the world is lucky. B. Each person lives his own way of life.
C. Everybody has a time in life to be lucky.
【小题3】 Western people usually use “cat” to refer to “______”.
A. a tired person                            B. a brave man                        C. an unkind woman
【小题4】 Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Words show differences in cultures.                                         
B. Western people think cats to be good friends.
C. Rose is the national flower of all western countries.
【小题5】 This passage mainly tells us ______.
A. negative or positive things          B. different countries have different cultures
C. what dog and cat mean in English and Chinese

As we know, there are differences between western culture and Chinese culture. We can see differences when we pay attention to the way words are used. Let’s look at the words about animals and plants. Most expressions in Chinese about the dog, for example, “a homeless dog”, “a mad dog”, “a running dog” and “a dog catching a mouse” have negative(消极的) meanings. But in western countries, dogs are thought to be honest and good friends of humans. In English, people use the dog to describe positive(积极的) actions. For example, “you are a lucky dog” means you are a lucky person. And “every dog has its day” means each person has good luck sometimes. To describe a person’s serious illness, they say “sick as a dog”. The word “dog-tired” means very tired. However, Chinese love cats very much. But in western culture, “cat” is often used to describe a woman who is cruel(残酷的)。
The rose is regarded as a symbol (象征) of love in both China and some western countries. People think the rose means love, peace, courage and friendship. And the rose is the national flower of England, America and many other countries.
The words about plants and animals are used in positive or negative ways in different cultures. We can learn about many differences in cultures by comparing how some words are used.
【小题1】“Every dog has its day.” Means “__________”

A．Everybody in the world is lucky.

B．Each person lives his own way of life.

C．If one works hard, he’s sure to succeed.

D．Everybody has a time in life to be lucky.

【小题2】Western people usually use “cat” to refer to “___________”.

A．a tired person

B．a brave man

C．a homeless person

D．an unkind woman

【小题3】Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A．Words show differences in culture.

B．Chinese people prefer dogs to cats.

C．Western people think cats to be good friends.

D．Rose is the national flower of all western countries.

【小题4】What’s the best title for the passage?

A．Negative or Positive

B．Different Countries Have Different Culture

C．Rose Means the Same in Chinese and English

D．What Dog and Cat Mean in English and Chinese

There are differences between western culture and Chinese culture. We can see differences when we pay attention to the way words are used. Let’s look at the words about animals and plants. Most expressions in Chinese is about the dog, for example, “a homeless dog”, “a mad dog”, “a running dog” and “a dog catching a mouse”, have negative(消极) meanings. But in western countries, dogs are thought to be honest and good friends of humans. In English, people use the dog to describe positive(积极的) actions. For example, “you are a lucky dog” means you are a lucky person. And “every dog has its day” means each person has good luck sometimes. To describe a person’s serious illness, they say “sick as a dog”. The word “dog—tired” means very tired. However, Chinese love cats very much. But in western culture, “cat” is often used to describe a woman who is cruel(冷酷的). There are many other examples of how “cat” is used differently as well.

The rose is regarded as a symbol of love in both China and some western countries. People think the rose stands for love, peace, courage and friendship. And the rose is the national flower of England, America and many other countries.

The words about plants and animals are used in positive or negative ways in different cultures. We can learn about many differences in cultures by comparing how some words are used.

1.The word “dog” in Chinese usually ______.

A. stands for friendship                         B. has a negative meaning          C. has a positive meaning

2.“Every dog has its day.” means “______”

A. Everybody in the world is lucky.      B. Each person lives his own way of life.

C. Everybody has a time in life to be lucky.

3. Western people usually use “cat” to refer to “______”.

A. a tired person                                     B. a brave man                                C. an unkind woman

4. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A. Words show differences in cultures.                                                        

B. Western people think cats to be good friends.

C. Rose is the national flower of all western countries.

5. This passage mainly tells us ______.

A. negative or positive things              B. different countries have different cultures

C. what dog and cat mean in English and Chinese