When we do not understand each other’s language, we can talk with the help of signs.

A Frenchman was once traveling in England . He could not speak English at all. One day he went into a restaurant and sat down at a table. When the waiter came, he opened his mouth, put his fingers in it and took them out again. He wanted to say “Bring me something to eat.”

The waiter soon brought him a cup of tea. The man moved his head from side to side. The waiter understood him and took the tea away. In a moment he came with a cup of coffee. But the man again refused (拒绝) it. He shook (摇) his head whenever the waiter brought him something to drink, for drinks are not food.

When the man was going away, another man came in. This man saw the waiter, and he put his hand on his stomach (胃). That was enough. In a few minutes there was a large plate of meat and vegetables on the table in front of him.

　　So, you see, we cannot understand the language of signs as well as we can understand the language of words.

1.According to the passage when people do not understand each other’s language, they can talk with the help of ___________.

A．a waiter	B．a teacher
C．an Englishman	D．their hands, heads and other parts of their bodies

2. A Frenchman signed to the waiter ___________.

A．to give him some medicine

B．to bring him a cup of coffee

C．to ask him for food

D．to tell him what he said

3. The waiter brought the Frenchman ___________.

A．a cup of tea, a cup of coffee and a lot of other drinks

B．a large plate of meat and vegetables

C．a lot of drinks and a large plate of meat

D．a lot of food and drinks

4. Another man saw the waiter, and put his hands on his stomach. He meant ___________.

A．he had a stomach-ache

B．he was hungry

C．he was very thirsty

D．he was full

5. From this story, we know ___________.

A．people can only understand the language of words

B．people know the language of signs as well as the language of words

C．people can make a waiter understand what they want

D．people can only understand their languages

 

We recycle(回收利用）rubbish, so why not language? Recycling language means using vocabulary that you have learnt before again and again. However, unlike rubbish that piles up(堆积)in our environment. if we do not recycle language, we simply forget it. So how do you recycle language?

There are basically three ways to do it. The first is through reading. Go back to your favourite articles and read them once more. Just reread them and do not worry about each vocabulary item. If there are some that you are not sure about, make a guess and you will probably guess right. The second way to recycle is through writing. Look at some of your favourite articles and write either a short paragraph or a few sentences in your own words. After you have done this a few times, go back and read through what you have written, checking vocabulary functions. Don't worry if you have made mistakes. That's how you learn. The third way to recycle language is by having an imaginary chat with yourself about your favourite articles at home. You can pretend there is someone with you who speaks English and tell him what you are thinking about or how you feel.

(     )12. According to the passage, recycling language means ______.

A. repeating vocabulary at times    B. revising vocabulary at a proper time

C. learning new vocabulary as much as possible

D. using vocabulary that we have learnt very often

(     )13. If we recycle language, it may ______.

A. be kept in our mind                  B. be forgotten easily

C. pile up in our environment            D. disappear from our mind soon

(     )14. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in recycling language?

A. Reading.        B. Listening.       C. Writing.        D. Speaking.

(     )15. Which of the following is probably the best title of the passage?

A. Why to Recycle Language              B. How to Learn Vocabulary

C. How to Recycle Language              D. Why to Learn Vocabulary

 

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 ___.

A．is a kind of conversation with short words

B．is a greeting when people meet each other

C．is to let people disagree about something

D．is something we talk about to start a conversation

【小题2】The best topic of small talk is about ___.

A．the weather

B．politics

C．Games

D．languages

【小题3】The passage suggests that when we learn a language ___.

A．we should learn about the transport system of the country

B．we should only master the grammar and vocabulary

C．we should know the culture about the country

D．we should grasp the importance of the language

【小题4】When we say “Great game, isn’t it?” we in fact___.

A．ask a question	B．have a conversation
C．greet each other	D．begin a small talk

【小题5】What we learn from the passage is that ___.

A．different language has different grammar

B．small talk is an important part in a language

C．small talk depends on the purpose of the conversation

D．in English-speaking countries we should talk about the weather.

What’s language for？Some people seem to think it’s for practicing grammar rules（规则） and learning lists of words --the longer the lists, the better. That’s wrong. Language is for the exchange of ideas and information. It’s meaningless if you can’t use it freely. Many students I have met know hundreds of grammar rules, but they can’t speak correctly or fluently(流利地). They are afraid of making mistakes. One shouldn’t be afraid of making mistakes when speaking a foreign language. Native（本土的） speakers make mistakes and break rules, too. Bernard Saw once wrote, “Foreigners often speak English too correctly.” But the mistakes that native speakers make are different from those that Chinese students make. They’re English mistakes in the English language. And if enough native speakers break a rule, it is no longer a rule. What used to be wrong becomes right. So Chinese students should pay attention to grammar, but they shouldn’t overdo(做过头)it. They should put communication(交际)first.

1. Language is used to __________ .

A．express oneself

B．practise grammar rules.

C．talk with foreigners only

D．learn lists of words

2. If too many native speakers break a rule,________ .

A．what they use will become right.

B．they are against the law

C．they should say sorry to others.

D．they will become heroes

3. When we speak a foreign language, we should________ .

A．speak in Chinese way

B．speak by the rules

C．speak to native speakers

D．not be afraid of making mistakes

4.What should Chinese students put first?

A．Language         B．Communication     C．Rules             D．Grammar

 

We recycle(回收利用）rubbish, so why not language? Recycling language means using vocabulary that you have learnt before again and again. However, unlike rubbish that piles up(堆积)in our environment. if we do not recycle language, we simply forget it. So how do you recycle language?
There are basically three ways to do it. The first is through reading. Go back to your favourite articles and read them once more. Just reread them and do not worry about each vocabulary item. If there are some that you are not sure about, make a guess and you will probably guess right. The second way to recycle is through writing. Look at some of your favourite articles and write either a short paragraph or a few sentences in your own words. After you have done this a few times, go back and read through what you have written, checking vocabulary functions. Don't worry if you have made mistakes. That's how you learn. The third way to recycle language is by having an imaginary chat with yourself about your favourite articles at home. You can pretend there is someone with you who speaks English and tell him what you are thinking about or how you feel.
(     )12. According to the passage, recycling language means ______.
A. repeating vocabulary at times    B. revising vocabulary at a proper time
C. learning new vocabulary as much as possible
D. using vocabulary that we have learnt very often
(     )13. If we recycle language, it may ______.
A. be kept in our mind                  B. be forgotten easily
C. pile up in our environment            D. disappear from our mind soon
(     )14. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in recycling language?
A. Reading.        B. Listening.       C. Writing.        D. Speaking.
(     )15. Which of the following is probably the best title of the passage?
A. Why to Recycle Language              B. How to Learn Vocabulary
C. How to Recycle Language              D. Why to Learn Vocabulary