I arrived in the United States on February 6,1997, but I remember my first day there very clearly. My friend was waiting for me when my plane __1__ at Kennedy Airport at three o' clock in the afternoon. The weather was very cold and it was snowing, but I was __2__ excited to mind. From the airport, my friend and I __3__ a taxi to my hotel. On the way, I saw the skyline of Manhattan for the first time and I stared __4__ astonishment at the famous skyscrapers and their __5__ beauty. My friend helped me unpack at the hotel and then __6__ me because he __7__ go back to work. He __8__ to return the next day.

__9__ my friend had left, I went to a restaurant near the hotel to get something to eat. Because I __10__ speak a word of English, I couldn't __11__ the waiter what I wanted. I was very upset and __12__ to make some gestures, __13__ the waiter didn't understand me. Finally, I __14__ the same thing the man __15__ the next table was eating. After dinner, I started to walk along Broadway __16__ I came to Time Square with its movie theatres, and huge __17__ people. I didn't feel tired so I continued to walk __18__ the city.

When I returned to the hotel, I couldn't sleep because I __19__ hearing the fire and police sirens(汽笛)during the night. I __20__ awake and thought about New York. I decided that I had to learn to speak English.

1. A. took off                B. landed              C. got out            D. took down

2. A. too               B. so                   C. very                       D. much

3. A. got               B. took up           C. got on             D. took

4. A. in                  B. at                   C. for                        D. to

5. A. old－made     B. man－made    C. newly－made  D. natural

6. A. had left       B. would leave    C. left          D. was leaving

7. A. must              B. had to             C. should       D. ought

8. A.                      B. said                C. told         D. promised

9. A. Shortly after  B. Long before    C. Shortly      D. Soon

10. A. couldn't      B. could                C. didn't         D. did

11. A. ask        B. say            C. tell         D. order

12. A. begun      B. started         C. had         D. started to

13. A. and            B. so                C. then             D. but

14. A. ordered        B. booked      C. asked         D. got

15. A. on              B. for         C. at          D. to

16. A. when      B. until        C. after        D. before

17. A. crowds of  B. groups of    C. crowd of    D. group of

18. A. around    B. in           C. by        D. near

19. A. was       B. went       C. kept        D. started

20. A. lain       B. lay        C. laid         D. was

The United States is mainly an English－speaking country. The great number of population(人口) speaks English as their native language. Business, education and most publish aspects(方面) of  life are conducted in English. Across the country, people pronounce English sounds in several  different ways and some regional(地区) differences in word spelling exist, but for the most part,  Americans speak one common language. This language is sometimes called American English.

However, not everyone in the US is a native speaker of English. Most of the persons coming into the country are speakers of other languages. There are hundreds of communities around the US where English is not the most commonly used language. Chinese, Italian, German, American, Greek, Vietnamese and French are all spoken in a great number of communities in the United States. Spanish is the second most commonly spoken language after English in the US. It is widely spoken in New York and across the southern part of the country.

For speakers of other languages, learning English is important, but traditionally(传统上),  teaching people to speak English as a second language was given little attention. Non－English  speakers were expected to “pick up” the language through getting in touch with people in public. Recently, this has changed. Today, most large public schools and community colleges have ESL,  English as a Second Language, programs. American English teachers feel that English students should learn the language the way they will be using it. Therefore, ESL programs teach different English lessons to different students.  Some programs teach students to communicate in English in public.

1. What language or languages do people in the United States speak?

A. English.

B. American English.

C. English and Spanish.

D. English and lots of other languages

2. ESL stands for ________.

A. English as a Special Language        

B. English as a Spoken Language

C. English and Spanish Languages        

D. English as a Second Language

3. Where is Spanish spoken in the United States?

A. In most part of New York and the southern states.

B. In New York and all the southern states.

C. In New York and across the southern part of the country.

D. In New York and many southern states.

4. “Non－English speakers were expected to ‘pick up’  the language through listening to and talking with people in public.” Here “pick up” means “________”．

A. master(without difficulty)    

B. do one's best to study

C. learn(without taking lessons)  

D. know only a little about

5. “American English teachers feel that English students should learn the language the way they will be using it.” Here “English students” means “________”．

A. the students who are English        

B. the students who know nothing about English

C. the students who wish to learn English

D. the students who come to the US from some other countries

If English means endless new words, difficult grammar and sometimes strange pronunciation, you are wrong. Haven't you noticed that you have become smarter since you started to learn a language?

According to a new study by a British university, learning a second language can lead to an increase in your brain power. Researchers found that learning other languages changes grey matter. This is the area of the brain which processes information. It is similar to the way that exercise builds muscles.

The study also found the effect is greater, the younger people learn a second language.

A team led by Dr Andrea Mechelli, from University College London, took a group of Britons who only spoke English. They were compared with a group of “early bilinguals” who had learnt a second language before the age of five, as well as a number of later learners.

Scans showed that grey matter density(密度) in the brain was greater in bilinguals than in people without a second language. But the longer a person waited before mastering a new language, the smaller the difference.

“Our findings suggest that the structure of the brain is changed by the experience of learning a second language，” said the scientists.

It means that the change itself increases the ability to learn.

Professor Dylan Vaughan Jones of the University of Wales, has researched the link between bilingualism and maths skills. “Having two languages gives you two windows on the world and makes the brain more flexible(灵活的)，”he said. “You are actually going beyond language and have a better understanding of different ideas.”

The findings were matched in a study of native Italian speakers who had learned English as a second language between the ages of 2 and 34.Reading, writing, and comprehension were all tested. The results showed that the younger they started to learn, the better. “Studying a language means you get an entrance to another world，” explained the scientists.

6. The main subject talked about in this passage is ________.

A. science on learning a second language

B. man's ability of learning a second language

C. language can help brain power

D. language learning and maths study

7. In the second paragraph, the writer mentions “exercise” in order to________.

A. say language is also a kind of physical labor

B. prove that one needs more practice when he (she) is learning a language

C. show the importance of using the language when you learn the language

D. make people believe language learning helps grey matter work well

8. The underlined word “bilingual” probably means________.

A. a researcher on language learning

B. a second language learner

C. a person who can speak two languages

D. an active language learner

9. We may know from the scientific findings that ________.

A. the earlier you start to learn a second language the higher the grey matter density is

B. there is no difference between a later second language learner and one who doesn't know a second language

C. the experience of learning a second language has bad effect on people's brain

D. the ability of learning a second language is changing all the time

10. In the last two paragraphs, the author wants to tell us that________.

A. learning a second language is the same as studying maths

B. early learning of a second language helps you a great deal in study other subjects

C. Italian is the best choice for you as a second language

D. you'd better choose the ages between 2 and 34 to learn a second language

Ⅲ. 短文改错(2011·浙江杭州四中第一次强化训练)

下面短文中有10处语言错误。请在有错误的地方增加、删除或修改某个单词。

增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号(∧)，并在其下面写上该加的词。

删除：把多余的词用斜线(\)划掉。

修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写上修改后的词。

注意：每处错误及其修改均仅限一词。

As the high school student, I like to talk with foreigners to practise my oral English but learn more about other cultures. There were two foreign teachers in our school in this term. They often go to the English corner so that we can have a chance to practise the language. I seize every chance talk with them. However, I sometime find they are not so interesting in what I say, and it's hard for I to choose a suitable topic. I would like some advices about  how to communicate proper with foreigners, and what topics to pick.

Ⅳ. 补全短文(2011·银川一中月考)

根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中的两项为多余选项。

This is the VOA Special English Education Report. A few weeks ago, we talked about the Test of English as a Foreign Language, or TOEFL. A listener in Cambodia named Thida asks if American colleges and universities also accept the IELTS exam. IELTS is the International English Language Testing System. It was developed by University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations.

Cambridge ESOL says the test measures true－to－life ability to communicate in English for education, immigration or employment. The IELTS tests listening, reading, writing and speaking skills. It uses a mixture of accents and spellings, including British English and American English.

The test is used by government agencies, schools and professional organizations in one hundred twenty countries. __1__ Many American schools that accept the IELTS can be found on the Web at ielts.org.

__2__ But the graduate school at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, for example, says it prefers the IELTS.

The listening and speaking parts are the same for everyone who takes the IELTS. But people have a choice of reading and writing tests—either academic or general training. The listening test takes thirty minutes. __3__

The reading test takes sixty minutes. Students answer forty questions based on three written passages.

The writing test also takes sixty minutes. Students have to write two essays. One essay has to be at least one hundred fifty words long and the other at least two hundred fifty words. __4__ The longer one has to support an argument.

__5__ The score is based on a recorded talk between the student and a test examiner.

A. IELTS is a comprehensive test of your English proficiency.

B. And, yes, that includes the United States.

C. The shorter one is a description of something.

D. Some schools accept both the TOEFL and the IELTS.

E. These language skills are increasingly demanded by international employers, education institutions and professional associations.

F. There are forty questions based on a recording.

G. The speaking test takes less than fifteen minutes.

1. ________　2. ________　3. ________　4. ________

5. ________