There are many differences between British English and American English.I used t
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There are many differences between British English and American English.I used to teach a course about the differences between the two.We speak English on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean but we have many differences in our common language.We have examples of the same words having very d ifferent meanings，differing spellings of the same words as well as completely different words for the same things.Here are some examples.
A cookie in the US is called a biscuit in the UK.A biscuit in the US is a small cake in the UK.Crisps in the UK，are known as chips，but we British people eat a plate of chips that you call fries in the US.In the UK，a pie can be made from either meat or fruit，while in the US pies are normally made from fruit；pot pies are made from meat.Most things are measured in grams and kilograms in the US，not pounds and ounces.
One very obvious(明显的)difference is the side of the road we each choose to drive on.Petrol in the UK is gas in the US.The place where we fill up our cars，in the UK，is a garage；while in the US，it’s a gas station.The term garage is also used as a place to store your car next to or close by your house.In the UK we call a lorry what is known as a truck in the US.
An elevator in the US is called a lift here，and the first floor in the US，is calle d the ground floor here，so many visitors get off on the wrong floor in British hotels.
I could continue with this. There are countless examples of differences within our one shared language.With so many differences，no wonder it’s hard to understand each other well.
小题1:The passage is mainly about the differences between British English and American English in________.| A．vocabulary | B．grammar | C．sound | D．spelling |
小题2:It’s implied in the passage that the author may be________.| A．a driver from the US | | B．a cook from the US | | C．a teacher from the UK | | D．a gas station worker from the UK |
小题3:In the author’s opinion，________.| A．language differences don’t affect understanding | | B．the same words in the two different types of English may have different spellings | | C．there will be fewer differences between American and British English in the future | | D．it is impossible that some Americans get off on the wrong floor in British hotels |
小题4:What can we learn from the passage?| A．“Elevator”is commonly used in the UK. | | B．Pies mean the same thing in the UK and the US. | | C．In the UK，things are measured in pounds and ounces. | | D．British and American people drive on the same side of the road. |
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答案
小题1:A
小题2:C
小题3:B
小题4:C |
解析
试题分析：英式英语和美式英语有多少不同？至少就词汇而言已经有很多不同的词和同词不同意的情况。有那么多区别，难怪相互了解的很好是很难办到的。
小题1:细节理解题。本文主要介绍了英式英语和美式英语在“词汇”上的差别。grammar 语法；sound 语音；spelling拼读。故选A。
小题2:推理判断题。由“I used to teach a course about the differences between the two.”可知，作者曾经教过一门两者（美、英式英语）的差别这门课程，所以推测他是“一名英国教师”。故选C。
小题3:细节理解题。由“We have examples of the same words having very different meanings，differing spellings of the same words as well as completely different words for the same things.”可知同一个词在两种英语中可能会有不同读音。A项，语言不同会影响理解交流；C项未提及；D项美国人很可能会走错楼层。故选B。
小题4:推理判断题。由“Most things are measured in grams and kilograms in the US，not pounds and ounces.”可知英国人使用磅和盎司做单位。故选C。 |
举一反三
People in the United States honor their parents with two special days: Mother’s Day, on the second Sunday in May, and Father’s Day, on the third Sunday in June.
Mother’s Day was proclaimed（宣告）a day for national observance by President Woodrow Wilson in 1915. Ann Jarvis from Grafton, West Virginia, had started the idea to have a day to honor mothers. She was the one who chose the second Sunday in May and also began the custom of wearing a carnation（康乃馨）.
In 1909, Mrs. Dodd from Spokane, Washington, thought of the idea of a day to honor fathers. She wanted to honor her own father, William Smart. After her mother died, he had the responsibility of raising a family of five sons and a daughter. In 1910, the first Father’s Day was observed（庆祝）in Spokane. Senator Margaret Chase Smith helped to establish Father’s Day as a national commemorative day, in 1972.
These days are set aside to show love to parents. They raise their children and educate them to be responsible citizens. They give love and care.
These two special days are celebrated in many different ways. On Mother’s Day people wear carnations. A red one symbolizes a living mother. A white one shows that the mother is dead. Many people attend religious services to honor parents. It is also a day when people whose parents are dead visit the cemetery（墓地）. On these days families get together at home, as well as in restaurants. They often have outdoor barbecues for Father’s Day. These are days of fun and good feelings and memories.
小题1:According to the passage, which of the following about the second Sunday in May is not true?| A．It is a day to show love to mothers. | | B．It is a day to wear carnations. | | C．It is a day for people to visit the cemetery. | | D．It is a day for many people to attend religious services. |
小题2:Choose the right time order of the following events.
a. The first Father’s Day was observed.
b. Mother’s Day was proclaimed a day for national observance.
c. Father’s Day became a day for national observance.
d. The idea of honoring fathers was put forward. | A．a b c d | B．d a b c | C．b a c d | D．d a c b |
小题3:Who plays the most important role in Father’s Day becoming a national commemorative day?| A．Margaret Chase Smith | B．Mrs. Dodd | | C．Ann Jarvis | D．Woodrow Wilson |
小题4:From the passage, we know in the U.S. __________.| A．one should wear a red carnation if one’s mother passed away | | B．on Mother’s Day, families often go out to have barbecues | | C．on Father’s Day, people often stay at home to celebrate the special day | | D．the purpose to have these two special days is to show love to parents |
小题5:The author’s purpose of writing this passage is to __________.| A．call on people to love and respect their parents | | B．introduce Mother’s Day and Father’s Day | | C．tell the difference between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day | | D．show how important fathers and mothers are |
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A Japanese student called Mami told me about her own experiences in Britain. She spent 10 months in the UK last year, studying English at a language school. She really enjoyed her first two weeks in the UK. But soon she started to miss things of her own country. She found it hard to make friends，and got annoyed(恼火的) about local people"s behaviour. Mami said，“After a few weeks I started to cry a lot. I felt homesick.I thought the weather was dark and too changeable，and that affected my mood as well.”
To comfort herself Mami began to spend many hours on the Internet chatting with her friends back home. She spent a couple of weeks in the countryside in Kent. She went to a social club for British people who were interested in Japan and started to make some friends there. In addition, she took a short course in calligraphy(书法)to get an opportunity of mixing with local people. A few months later，Mami"s impression of the UK had greatly changed .She found that most of the British were friendly, witty and fun.
However，once Mami was back in Japan，she experienced “culture shock”again. She said，“I missed the friends I had made in England. My way of thinking had changed. Sometimes I was annoyed by the views of people in my country—for example，about the value of money and time. I thought people around me lived in such a small world.” Mami noticed some changes in her behaviour：“I kept the habit of always carrying an umbrella with me, even on a fine day—my friends thought I was crazy！”
小题1:The second paragraph tells us ________．| A．how Mami overcame culture shock in Britain | | B．how Mami felt as soon as she arrived in Britain | | C．what Mami learned in her language school | | D．what Mami liked and disliked about Britain |
小题2:The reason why Mami had the habit of carrying an umbrella was that ________．| A．she liked umbrellas very much | | B．the umbrella reminded her of her life in the UK | | C．she had got used to the changeable weather in Britain | | D．it often rained in Japan those days |
小题3:Why did Mami experience culture shock in Japan?| A．She didn"t like Japanese culture any more. | | B．The Japanese behaviour had changed a lot. | | C．The world in Japan was too small for her. | | D．She had got used to British culture and life. |
小题4:The best title for the passage would be “________ ”．| A．Why not make friends with the British | | B．Cultural differences between Britain and Japan | | C．Culture shock experienced by a Japanese student | | D．How to prepare for culture shock |
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People in the United States love their dogs and treat them well. They take their dogs for walks, let them play outside and give them good food and medical care. However, dogs without owners to care for lead a different kind of life. The expression, to lead a dog’s life, describes a person who has an unhappy existence.
Some people say we live in a dog-eat-dog world. That means many people are competing for the same things, like good jobs. They say that to be successful, a person has to work like a dog. This means they have to work very, very hard. Such hard work can make people dog-tired. And, the situation would be even worse if they became sick as a dog.
Still, people say every dog has its day. This means that every person enjoys a successful period during his or her life. To be successful, people often have to learn new skills. Yet, some people say that you can never teach an old dog new tricks. They believe that older people do not like to learn new things and will not change the way they do things.
Some people are compared to dogs in bad ways. People who are unkind or uncaring can be described meaner than a junkyard dog. Junkyard dogs live in places where people throw away things they do not want. Mean dogs are often used to guard this property. They bark or attack people who try to enter the property. However, sometimes a person who appears to be mean and threatening is really not so bad. We say his bark is worse than his bite.
Husbands and wives use this doghouse term when they are angry at each other. For example, a woman might get angry at her husband for coming home late or forgetting their wedding anniversary. She might tell him that he is in the doghouse. She may not treat him nicely until he apologizes. However, the husband may decide that it is best to leave things alone and not create more problems. He might decide to let sleeping dogs lie.
Dog expressions also are used to describe the weather. The dog days of summer are the hottest days of the year. A rainstorm may cool the weather. But we do not want it to rain too hard. We do not want it to rain cats and dogs.
小题1:To achieve success, you must ______.| A．feel dog-tired | | B．work like a dog | | C．become sick as a dog | | D．be meaner than a junkyard dog |
小题2: To everyone’s surprise, Jack has been employed by a big company, about which we can say, “_______”.| A．Every dog has its day | | B．Jack works like a dog | | C．His bark is worse than his bite | | D．Jack really lives in a dog-eat-dog world |
小题3:What kind of people live a difficult life? | A．Those who are in the doghouse. | | B．Those who have the dog days. | | C．Those who lead a dog’s life. | | D．Those whose bark is worse than his bite. |
小题4:What does the article mainly talk about?| A．Dogs’ life in America. | | B．How to treat dogs well. | | C．Why Americans love dogs. | | D．Expressions with the word “dog”. |
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It can’t be true that when in Rome do as the Romans do. So here’s some necessary information for you on what you can talk with the local people in France, Australia and Switzerland, and different customs of these countries.
In France
You’ll find that conversations often turn into heated debates. Give opinions on subjects that you are knowledgeable about. There is rarely a moment of silence, except when the topic under discussion has been exhausting, and nothing new has been introduced.
Food, art ,music and current events or history are welcome topics. The French believe in freedom. You can criticize anyone, but not Napoleon, who is a symbol of French spirit, and never use the standard U.S. opening remark “ What do you do?”
In Australia
Australians tend to be enthusiastic debaters. A wide range of topics may be open to discussion, including religion and politics. The best policy, however, is to wait for Australian companions to bring up subjects: be prepared to hear their arguments.
Sport is a common topic of conversation in Australian and Australians tend to use sporting comparison. Australian like to criticize themselves, but they can’t stand criticism from others.
Don’t talk big. Australians prefer to judge your competence and abilities through your actions. People who show off their education in conversation may be subject to tease.
In Switzerland
The Swiss may seem cold. Once you get close to them, however , you’ll find that they are honest and responsible people, who will be loyal to your interests.
They are good listeners and will remember practically everything you say to them. Sometimes they will even go so far as to take notes while you speak. The Swiss are very private people, so you should avoid asking personal questions. They can be rather serious, so it is advisable to avoid making jokes on them.
小题1:According to the passage, when talking you are advised_______.| A．to discuss the heated issue with the French | | B．not to use sporting comparison with Australians | | C．to have the Australians start a subject | | D．not to ask people of the three countries personal questions |
小题2:We can learn from the passage that___________.| A．Australians may not show off their education before others | | B．Australians like to criticize other people | | C．you can express your ideas for everything you know little about to the French | | D．you can criticize anyone in France because you have freedom |
小题3:What is the theme of the passage?| A．How to adapt to the life abroad. | | B．What to argue about with foreigners. | | C．How to find better topics. | | D．What to talk about with foreigners. |
小题4:Following the passage, the author would most probably tell us_____| A．effective communication with foreigners | | B．customs of the three countries | | C．his or her own experiences | | D．how to be a good listener |
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Alice"s Adventures in Wonderland is one of the most loved children"s books of all time, and many adults enjoy it as well. It tells the story of a young girl named Alice, who follows a rabbit entering a magical world called Wonderland: she has many experiences which seem to change the rules of reasoning or common sense. The popularity of the book comes from its imagination, interesting story, and art work.
The writer of the book is Lewis Carroll. In fact, Lewis Carroll was not the writer"s real name. His real name was Charles Dodgson. One day, he took a boat ride down the Thames River to have a picnic with three little girls who were friends of the family. To keep them entertained on the ride, he told them a story in which Alice, the middle child, was the main character. They enjoyed the story very much.
Charles later wrote the story down under the name Alice"s Adventures under Ground and gave it to Alice as a Christmas present. Later, he gave a copy to his friend George MacDonald. George read it to his children and they loved it. George suggested to Charles that he make a book from his story. Charles then wrote more parts to the story until it was around 35,000 words. It was first printed in 1866, with art work by John Tenniel, under the name Alice"s Adventures in Wonderland. The book was an immediate success.
One of its first fans was Queen Victoria. She immediately requested a collection of all of Lewis Carroll"s works. She was surprised to find that they included many works on math. In fact, Charles Dodgson was a highly respected mathematician. This can be seen in many puzzles and plays on reasoning that appear in his books and poems.
Since the story was first printed, it has kept selling up to the present day. It has been translated into over fifty languages and has had several movies based on it. The story is even mentioned in the popular 1999 film The Matrix by the character Morpheus.
小题1:The passage is mainly about _____.| A．Charles" family life | | B．a girl"s adventurous experience | | C．a magical world called wonderland | | D．the birth of a book and its lasting influences |
小题2:Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?| A．The writer published his works under his real name. | | B．The character Alice was based on from George"s child. | | C．John contributed partly to the popularity of the book. | | D．Charles offered a copy to George as a present. |
小题3:We can learn from the passage that _____.| A．Queen Victoria asked for a few of Charles" writings | | B．Charles was good at reasoning and writing | | C．Charles had his works translated into fifty languages | | D．The Matrix was based on Alice"s Adventures in Wonderland |
小题4:Which of the following is the right order of the passage?
a. Charles gave his story to Alice as a Christmas present.
b. Charles had a picnic with three little girls on the Thames.
c. Alice"s Adventures in Wonderland was first printed in l866.
d. More parts were added to the story by Charles.
e. The book won a large number of fans.| A．c-b-a-d-e | B．c-a-b-e-d | C．b-a-d-c-e | D．b-a-c-e-d |
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