Throughout history, people have been interested in knowing how languages first began, but no one knows exactly where or how this happened. However, we do know a lot about languages, the languages of today and also the languages of earlier times. There are probably about 3,000 languages in the world today. Chinese is the language with the most speakers. English, Russian and Spanish are also spoken by many millions of people. On the other hand, some languages in the world have less than one hundred speakers. There are several important families of languages in the world. For example, most of the languages of Europe are in one large family called Indo-European. The original language of this family was spoken about 4,500 years ago. Many of the present day languages of Europe and India are modern forms of the language of 4,500 yeas ago. Languages are always changing. The English of today is very different from the English of 500 years ago. In time some even died out completely. About 1,000 years ago, English was a little-known relative of German spoken on one of the borders of Europe. If a language has a large number of speakers or if it is very old, there may be differences in the way it is spoken in different areas. That is, the language may have several dialects. Chinese is a good example of _ differences. Chinese has been spoken for thousands of years by many millions of speakers. The differences between the dialects of Chinese are so great that speakers of Chinese from some parts of China can't understand speakers from other parts. According to the passage, _ seems to have changed a lot. A) German B) English C) Spanish D) Chinese
B
Even people who don't understand English can enjoy Chaplin's films because they are mostly silent. It isn't what he says that makes us laugh. It depends upon actions which mean the same thing to people all over the world. He is _ of the art - a kind of world language. As a young man, he and his brother traveled to America in a small company of actors. Chaplin was then invited to join a new company that was making film comedies. Very soon he had made dozens of short films for this company. And it was in his second film that he wore the clothes which made his reputation - black hat, tight coat, baggy trousers, huge shoes, moustache and walking stick. He intended simply to make people laugh. But the odd make-up made him look both comic and sad. By the time he was thirty, Chaplin was the greatest, best known and best loved comedian in the world. He received thousands of dollars for each film he made. He had formed his own manner of acting. He was welcomed by excited crowds wherever he went. But he worked very hard and had few close friends. Perhaps that is why the sad side of the little tramp began to show more clearly in the films he made. The little man began to want more than food and a roof over his head. He began to want love. In one of his most famous films "The Gold Rush" a girl plays tricks on the little man. Then she begins to feel sorry for him and treats him kindly. He mistakes her pity for love. The girl in "City Lights" is blind. She thinks he is the most wonderful man she has ever met. But then she recovers her sight and sees what a foolish figure he is. This sadness gives Chaplin's films a depth of human experience which few comedians can equal. After living in America for forty years he moved to Switzerland. There he died on Christmas Day 1977. He once described himself as a citizen of famous pictures that were made during the 1920s and 1930s, the time of the silent films. But, to many people all over the world Chaplin will always be the king of comedy. Which one is wrong according to the passage? A) The little man didn't want love. B) Chaplin made a lot of money. C) He didn't live in the same country. D) He became famous in a short time
A
Q: Art is everywhere in our lives.Every manmade object is linked with art--a house,a motor car,a bridge,a chair,a teapot,or a piece of cloth.Throughout history,humans have made articles for a wide variety of purposes;generally for everyday practical requirements.The style of practical objects reflects the outlook and the spirit of the times in which they are made and in consequence style is constantly changing. It seems that humans possess a natural urge to improve constructed objects with decoration:sometimes for beautification,sometimes for religious reasons,sometimes to show off their wealth and power,and sometimes to tell a story.Decoration is not art in itself.Unnecessary decoration can ruin the form and perhaps the function of an object,but when decoration is used with care,it can beautify,produce variety,and add interest. The first essential in every creation is that it should properly _ its purpose;for instance,a teapot should pour perfectly,an easy chair should provide comfortable relaxation,a block of flats should be a pleasant place in which to live,and a factory or commercial building should be a suitable building in which to work. The second essential is that an object should please the eye with its form,line,proportion ,colour and texture ,and it should be capable of inspiring the emotions.For example,contemporary furniture designers must think of form,function and structure,and have taken their lead from the outstanding Scandinavian designs of Denmark,Finland and Sweden,whose preference was for simple functional furniture to suit the architectural environment of the day.Heavy furniture is no longer desirable,and by contrast,modern furniture is often characterised by its good proportion,pleasing lines,simple fittings and attractive structures. Motor vehicles are a perfect example of how design has changed to suit function.Early car design was greatly influenced by the horsedrawn carriage,but today we find functional design satisfying every requirement of practical use and good appearance.Designs... What is the best title for the text? A) Form Follows Function B) Life Is Art,Art Is Life C) Art in Everyday Life D) The Best Work of Art
A: C
(Question)
Our children feel stressed out by an educational system that actually uses stress as an educational technique. It's a constant pressure of homework deadlines,essays and exams. And our children are told at a young age that failing a test means that they are failures in life. They'll end up nowhere if they don't pass this or that exam. Our educational system is based on a very Western idea that life is a struggle and you'd better measure up. It's survival of the fittest. While there is some truth to this,not as much as people think. Our ancestors didn't develop a constant stress environment. Back then,stress came quickly and was over quickly,it wasn't like the stress of modern education. Stress was originally just a shortterm biological response to danger;however,the constant stress of modern education rarely stops. It's long term,at least ten years and usually more. Recent research has shown that the neurological response to stress is the same response that is found in depression. So,what's the solution? A number have been proposed,including but not limited to the following. _ .Exercise consumes energy that would otherwise build up in the stress response and could cause physical and mental problems. Teach relaxation exercises. Allowing the mind and body to relax cuts off the stress response and reduces the neurological fatigue ,enabling the individual to recover at least somewhat. Pay attention to thinking. Training the stressed student to pay attention to his or her own mind to a point where he or she is sufficiently aware to shut off the stress response when necessary. Of course,there's a logical answer to the problem. Just rearrange our teaching methods to encourage,rather than prevent,the natural curiosity and joy in learning that we are all born with. This would remove the stress and probably cut learning time in half. Which of the following is the best for the blank? A) Try to save energy as much as possible. B) Quite a few children avoid exercise. C) Make sure that kids get exercise. D) Set a few limits to your physical activities.
(Answer)
C