How do you address(称呼) people in English when you want to talk to them? The following may be some simple rules the beginners should follow.

1. When talking to strangers there is often no special form of address in English. Usually, if you want to catch the attention of a stranger it is necessary to use such phrases as “Excuse me”.

2. In British English “Sir” and “Madam” are considered to be too formal for most situations. They are used mostly to customers in shops or restaurants. While in American English “Sir” and “Madam” are not so formal and are commonly used between strangers, especially with older people whose names you don’t know.

3. When you talk to some people you know, you can use their names. If you are friends, use their first names; if your relationship is more formal, use “Mr.”, “Mrs.”, “Ms”, etc, before their family names.

4. There are many other forms of address which can be used between friends and strangers. However, many of these are limited in use.  For example, “pal” and “mate” can be used between strangers, but are usually only used by men talking to other men.

21. According to the passage, “Excuse me” is mainly used to ______.

   A. address a person you don’t know                      B. catch the attention of a stranger

   C. apologize to others                                     D. suggest good manners

22. If John Smith is your best friend, according to the passage you should often call him ______.

   A. Smith                        B. Mr. Smith                C. Mr. John                 D. John

23. Which of the following is NOT true?

   A. People often use “Mr.”, “Mrs.” or “Ms” before the first names of those people who they don’t know very well.

   B. “Sir” and “Madam” are used more often in America than in England.

C. “Pal” and “mate” are usually only used between men.

D. While addressing friends, people just use their first names

24. The passage is most likely taken from an English _______.

A. storybook                 B. card                        C. textbook                 D. grammar book

   One Sunday, Mark decided to go sailing in his boat with his friend Dan, but Dan happened to be away. Dan’s brother John offered to go instead though he did not know anything about sailing. Mark agreed and they set out to sea.

    Soon they found themselves in a thick fog. Mark was sure they would be hit by a big ship. Fortunately he saw a large buoy (浮标) through the fog and decided to tie the boat to it for safety. As he was getting onto the buoy, however, he dropped the wet rope. The boat moved away in the fog carrying John, Who did not know how to use the radio. He drifted about and was not seen until twelve hours later.

    Mark spent the night on the buoy. In the early morning he fell asleep. He was having a bad dream when a shout woke him up. A ship, the Good Hope, came up and he climbed onto it and thanked the captain. The captain told him that John had been picked up by another ship and the ship’s captain had sent out a message. “Without the message I would not have found you on the buoy,” he said.

25. Why didn’t Mark and Dan go sailing together?

   A. Dan asked his brother to go instead                         B. Mark was in some other place

   C. Dan was in some other place                             D. Mark would like to go with John

26. Mark tried to tie the boat to the buoy so that______.

   A. he could spend the night on it while John was looking for help

   B. he and John could go sailing again when the fog cleared

   C. he might be picked up by a passing ship                  D. it wouldn’t be hit by other ships

27. John and Mark became separated because        .

   A. there wasn’t room for both John and Mark on the buoy

   B. Mark thought it safe to stay on the buoy but John didn’t

   C. John had to stay in the boat to radio for help

D. John couldn’t control the boat and drifted away

28. What made it possible for Mark to be found on the buoy?

   A. The captain saw him as the fog cleared.            B. John told people where to look for him.

   C. He shouted when he caught sight of the Good Hope.            

   D. John radioed to the Good Hope to get him.

In the US, people prefer waiting for a table to sitting with people they don’t know. This means a hostess may not seat a small group until a small table is available, even if a large one is. If you are sitting at a table with people you don’t know, it is impolite to light up a cigarette without asking if it will disturb them.

At American restaurants and coffee shops you are usually served tap water before you order. You may find the bread and butter is free, and if you order coffee, you may get a free refill.

Most cities and towns have no rules about opening and closing time for stores or restaurants, though they usually do make rules for bars. Especially in large cities, stores may be open 24 hours a day.

Serving in restaurants is often large; too large for many people. If you can’t finish your meal but would like to enjoy the food later, ask your waitress or waiter for a “doggie bag”. It may have a picture of a dog on it, but everybody knows you’re taking the food for yourself.

Supper and dinner are both words for the evening meal. Some people have “Sunday dinner”. This is an especially big noon meal.

Tips are not usually added to the check. They are not included in the price of the meal, either. A tip of about 15% is expected and you should leave it on the table when you leave. In some restaurants, a check is brought on a plate and you put your money there. Then the waiter or waitress brings you your change.

29. Which statement is true?

 A. An American would not light a cigarette if the people who sit at the same table mind their smoking.

 B. A hostess always seats a small group at a large table.

 C. American people never sit with people they don’t know.

 D. American people like sitting with people they don’t know.

30. What do American people always do when servings are too large for them?

A. They take the food home with a doggie bag for their dogs.

B. They take the food home with a doggie bag and enjoy the food later.

C. They leave the food on the table and go away.

D. They ask the waitress or waiter to keep the food for them.

31. Sunday dinner is_______.

A. a dinner in the evening  B. A supper on Sunday    C. a big lunch on Sunday  D. A big noon meal

Most people around the world are right-handed. This also seems to be true in history. In 1799, scientists studied works of art made at different times from 1,500 B.C. to the 1950s. Most of the people shown in these works are right-handed, so the scientists guessed that right-handedness has always been common through history. Today, only about 10% to 15% of the world’s population is left-handed.

Why are there more right-handed people than left-handed ones? Scientists now know that a person’s two hands each have their own jobs. For most people, the hand is used to find things or hold things. The right hand is used to work with things. This is because of the different work of the two sides of the brain. The right side of the brain, which makes a person’s hands and eyes work together, controls the left hand. The left-side of the brain, which controls the right hand, is the centre for thinking and doing problems. These findings show that more artists should be left-handed, and studies have found that left-handedness is twice as common among artists as among people in other jobs.

No one really knows what makes a person become right-handed instead of left-handed. Scientists have found that almost 40% of the people become left-handed because their main brain is damaged when they are born. However, this doesn’t happen to everyone, so scientists guess there must be another reason why people become left-handed. One idea is that people usually get right-handed from their parents. If a person does not receive the gene(基因) for right-handedness, he / she may become either right-handed or left-handed according to the chance and the people they work or live with.

Though right-handedness is more common than left-handedness, people no longer think left-handed people are strange or unusual. A long time ago, left-handed children were made to use their right hands like other children, but today they don’t have to.

32. After studying works of art made at different times in history, the scientists found _______.

A. the art began from 1,500 B.C.                                   B. the works of art ended in the 1950s

C. most people shown in the works of art are left-handed

D. most people shown in the works of art are right-handed

33. What is the hand for most people used to do?

A. It’s used to work with things.                               B. It’s used to find or hold things.

C. It’s used to make a person’s eyes work together.

D. It’s the centre for thinking and doing problems.

34. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?

A. No one really knows what makes a person become right-handed.

B. Today children are not made to use their right hands only.

C. Left-handedness is cleverer than right-handedness.

D. Scientists think there must be some reason why people become left-handed.

35. The best title for this passage is _______.

A. Which Hand                                     B. Left-handed People

C. Scientists’ New Inventions                        D. Different Brains, Different Hands

    My mother is a diligent and kind woman. She is very busy from morning till night. As a teacher, she works hard. ___36___Both my brother and I love her dearly as she loves us.

    My mother has been teaching math at a middle school in my hometown. She goes to work early in the morning and does not return home until late in the afternoon.    37 ____She treats them with patience and teaches them well. For her excellent quality and very good teaching results, she has been elected as a model teacher several times.

    _ 38__Every day, when she comes back home from work, she sets about doing housework, sweeping the living room and bedrooms or cleaning the furniture, and putting everything in good order. She seems to be busy all the time. As she has been very busy working every day, she looks older than her age. But she looks as cheerful and happy as ever. Mother never buys expensive dresses for herself, but she often buys some inexpensive but high quality clothes for us. __39___She just eats a plain meal outside when she is too busy to cook herself. She lives a busy yet simple life, without any complaints.

    Often she says to us, “work while you work, and play while you play. That is the way to be happy. If you do not work, you will become lazy and be of no use to society”. What a piece of good advice this is! ___40___This advice of hers will always serve as a guide to my behavior. My mother is great indeed, and I always feel proud of her.

A. She enjoys listening to classic music.

B. She loves her students and cares for them.

C. Can you tell us something about your mother?

D. I never forget it and always bear it in my mind.

E. My mother is hard-working and never wastes money.

F. She never goes to expensive restaurants to enjoy meals.

G. As a mother, she takes good care of us and gives us every comfort.