How many hours does it take to be fluent in English? There are plenty of people in the UK for whom even basic English is a problem. According to the survey, 726,000 people in England and Wales said they could not speak English well, and another 138,000 said they did not speak it at all. Ling, 40,who arrived five years ago from China, found it difficult to learn English. " When I came here l was pregnant and so I was at home for the next three years. It took me longer to learn as l was very busy with the children." Eventually she was able to begin taking classes and now speaks good conversational English. But even with classes, it can be a long process to pick up the language. Age is the most important factor in language acquisition, says Mila Vulchanova, professor of linguistics at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. "There is a sensitive period in language learning, which is biologically determined, with an onset at birth and a decline around puberty. So the younger the immigrant, the better. Since this decline is only gradual, teenagers are at an advantage over adults." he says. There are a number of systems for grading English. The government expects immigrants to reach "ESOL Entry 3" or "B1 level" in Scotland, before they can be granted citizenship. It's equivalent to being able to hold a confident conversation and-it might take 360 hours of study to achieve. George Osborne said in June following the spending review that welfare claimants who don't speak English will have their benefits cut if they fail to attend language courses. Huan Japes, deputy chief executive of English UK, a trade body for language colleges, says a rule of thumb is 360 hours-120 hours for each of three stages-to get to the standard the government expects benefit claimants to reach. But many of the people who attend courses are visiting students rather than people settling in the UK. Immigrants tend to have very varied levels of education. " Using 120 hours( for each stage of English fluency) is a rather traditional... The example of Ling is given to show that _ . A) it's important to speak fluent English B) many immigrants attend English classes C) it's difficult to learn English well D) many immigrants can't speak English in England
C
(Question)
Smith was a landlord . He loved money very much and never gave anything to anybody. Soon he became rich. One day the weather was fine. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and the sun was very warm. The landlord was walking along a river with his friends, when, all of a sudden, he slipped and fell into it. He cried, "Help! Help!" One of his friends held out his hand and said, "Give me your hand and I will pull you out." The landlord's head went under the water and then came up again, but he did not give his hand to his friends. Then another of his friends tried but the same thing happened. Just then a farmer came over and saw all this. He knew the landlord very well. He said to the others, "Let me try." He held out his hand and said to the landlord," Take my hand and I will pull you out." Hearing this, the landlord took the farmer's hand, and in a minute the farmer pulled the landlord out of the water. All the others got very surprised at this and asked the farmer, "Why did he give his hand to you but not to us?" The farmer said, "You don't know your friend very well, When you say 'give' to him, he does nothing, but when you say 'take', he takes." Smith was a _ . A) doctor B) farmer C) landlord D) waiter
(Answer)
C
Ques: Thomas Edison was one of ten said to be the greatest genius of his age. There are only a few men in all of the history, who have changed the lives of other men as much as the inventor of the first useful electric light. But Edison could never be happy only because someone said he was a genius." There is no such thing as genius," Edison said. He said that what people called genius was mostly hard work. But Edison was a dreamer as well as a worker. From his earliest days as a child he wondered about the secrets of nature. Nature, he often said, is full of secrets. He tried to understand them; then, he tried to learn what could usefully be done with them. Edison enjoyed thinking. He knew that most people will do almost anything instead of the difficult work of thinking, especially if they do not think very often. But he knew, too, that thinking can give men enjoyment and pleasure. Edison could not understand how anyone could be uninterested in life. As he loved to think, he also loved to work. On the day he became 75 years old, someone asked him what ideas he had about life. "Work," he answered. "Discovering the secrets of nature and using them to make men happier." He said he had enough inventions in his mind to give him another 100 years of work. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage? A) Edison invented the electric light. B) Many other people have changed Edison's life. C) Edison has changed the life of many other people. D) Few men in history can change other people's life.
Ans: B
Ques:The barks of dogs surrounded me as I got off the bus. They ran around their cages jumping up and down. My heart became soft at the sight of these poor creatures. I entered the building and discovered more unwanted animals. A white rabbit jumped around in its cage. I walked around the shelter,screaming "oh" and "ah" at every animal,as they looked out of their cages,waiting for love and help. A pit bull particularly interested me. She was as gentle as a baby. I slightly touched her head with affection as she sat on the floor. The pit bull licked my hand with appreciation as she cried. A litter of puppies were in the cage opposite the pit bull. They snuggled together for warmth as one of the puppies let out a weak bark,as if calling to its mother. Recognizing my love and willingness to help these puppies,the director suggested I give them a bath. I lifted one of the puppies,Yukie,from his brothers and sisters. His black fur was as soft as cotton candy. I held him tightly. The sweet smell of liquid soap surrounded the wash area. The puppy seemed like a tiny fish,swimming delightedly in a pool. Water dropped down his black,soft ears as he tried to shake off the heavy water. I wrapped Yukie in a towel as he licked my hand. After all the cleaning and drying,he looked as if he'd come from an expensive pet shop. I kissed his little face as I unwillingly placed him back. Next,I walked some dogs around the shelter. They jumped out of their cages,unable to hold back their urge for exercise. I ran around with them,while touching them gently and talking to them. They moved back when the time came to put them back. The time came to leave. I silently promised these creatures to come and again provide them with love. The sad eyes and the faces of these creatures will always be impressed on my memory. Through the passage,the author shows us _ . A) the cuteness of the animals B) his experience in the animal shelter C) the bad conditions of the poor animals D) the thoughtful care in the animal shelter

Ans:
B