English is the most widely used language in the history of our planet. One in every seven human beings can speak it. More than half of the world’s books and three quarters of international mail are in English. Of all languages, English has the largest vocabulary—perhaps as many as two million words.
However, let’s face it: English is a crazy language. There is no eggs in an eggplant, neither pine nor apple in a pineapple and no ham in a hamburger. Sweet-meats are candy, while sweetbreads, which aren’t sweet, are meat.
We take English for granted. But when we explore its paradoxes ( 探讨它的矛盾)， we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square, public bathrooms have no baths in them.
And why is it that a writer writes, but fingers don’t fing, grocers don’t groce, and hammers don’t ham? If the plural(复数形式) of tooth is teeth, shouldn’t the plural of booth be teeth? One goose, two geese—so one moose, two meese?
How can a slim chance and a flat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? How can overlook and oversee be opposites, while quite a lot and quite a few are alike? How can the weather be hot as hell one day and cold as hell the next?
English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects( 反映) the creativity of human beings. That’ why, when stars are invisible. And why , when I wind up my watch, I start it; but when I wind up this essay, I end it.
【小题1】According to the passage ______.

A．sweet-meats and sweetbreads are different things

B．there should be an egg in an eggplant

C．pineapples are the apples on the pine tree

D．boxing rings should be round

【小题2】Which of the following is the correct plural?

A．Beeth

B．Greese

C．Meese

D．Tooth

【小题3】Which of the following includes two items which have the similar meaning?

A．A wise man and a wise guy	B．Overlook and oversee
C．Quite a lot and quite a few.	D．Hot as hell and cold as hell.

【小题4】The underlined words “wind up” in the last paragraph probably mean “___”.

A．blow

B．roll up

C．get hurt

D．finish

【小题5】Through the many paradoxes in the English language, the writer wants to show that human beings are _______.

A．clever

B．crazy

C．lazy

D．dull

English is the most widely used language in the history of our planet. One in every seven human beings can speak it. More than half of the world’s books and three quarters of international mail are in English. Of all languages, English has the largest vocabulary—perhaps as many as two million words.

However, let’s face it: English is a crazy language. There is no eggs in an eggplant, neither pine nor apple in a pineapple and no ham in a hamburger. Sweet-meats are candy, while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat.

We take English for granted. But when we explore its paradoxes ( 探讨它的矛盾)， we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square, public bathrooms have no baths in them.

And why is it that a writer writes, but fingers don’t fing, grocers don't groce, and hammers don’t ham? If the plural(复数形式) of tooth is teeth, shouldn't the plural of booth be teeth? One goose, two geese—so one moose, two meese?

How can a slim chance and a flat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? How can overlook and oversee be opposites, while quite a lot and quite a few are alike? How can the weather be hot as hell one day and cold as hell the next?

English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects( 反映) the creativity of human beings. That’ why, when stars are invisible. And why , when I wind up my watch, I start it; but when I wind up this essay, I end it.

1.According to the passage ______.

A. sweet-meats and sweetbreads are different things

B. there should be an egg in an eggplant

C. pineapples are the apples on the pine tree

D. boxing rings should be round

2.Which of the following is the correct plural?

  A. Beeth   B. Greese   C. Meese  D. Tooth

3.Which of the following includes two items which have the similar meaning?

  A. A wise man and a wise guy    B. Overlook and oversee

  C. Quite a lot and quite a few.  D. Hot as hell and cold as hell.

4.The underlined words “wind up” in the last paragraph probably mean “___”.

   A. blow   B. roll up   C. get hurt   D. finish

5.Through the many paradoxes in the English language, the writer wants to show that human beings are _______.

A. clever   B. crazy   C. lazy   D. dull

 

根据中文注释及所给单词首字母，写出空缺处各单词的正确形式

1.France is a____________（　欧洲的  ） country。

2.The book provides ____________（有价值的） information on recent trends.

3.Though he was  old ， his mind ____________（仍然处于） active 。

4.After the explosion, the police  did a lot of work to find some clues from

the ____________（目击者）  Ks*5u

5.A ____________（溺水的）man will catch at straw.

6.He pushed against  the rock with all his____________（力量）

7.The headmaster’s ____________ (回应) to our plan was encouraging..

8.A serious ____________（缺少） of availabe cash forced the closure of the company

9.Your are ____________ （流血 ）at the noise 。

10.The Queen is on a _________(私下的) visit to Scotland.

 

用leading或lead的正确形式填空

He is one of the ________ writers of his day.

根据所给汉语，写出单词的正确形式

1.It is said that the first ___________(定居者) of this country are prisoners.

2.This is the ________(标准) textbook on the subject.

3.He gave a ________(生动的) account of his life as a fighter pilot.

4.The _______(焦点) of the news is earthquake happening in Sichuan.

5.If the fire-alarm goes, ________ (全体员工) should assemble outside the building.