2.Americans think that everything we British people say sounds smart.We think that they sound low-class,but secretly we think they sound cool.These are just old beliefs about British and American English,but there is some truth in them.
What is certainly true is that the differences between British and American English continue to interest us.
When the US was only about 20years old,people were already saying that British accents sounded more intelligent,according to Erin Moore's book That's Not English:Britishisms,Americanisms,and What Our English Says About Us.
However,there are many different accents in Britain-Moore says the UK may have just as many regional(地區(qū)的) accents as the US,even though the population is almost one-fifth the size.In the UK,accents have a lot to do with class(階層),but to many Americans,even an accent that British people think is"low class"is thought of as intelligent and better,according to MPR News.
American slang(俚語) has been part of British people's vocabulary for a long time-the number of American television,movies and music enjoyed in the UK means that British people have been using words like"cool"and"awesome"for years now.But sometimes words from the UK make it to the US-like"gobsmacked".
"Gobsmacked"started as slang from northern England."Gob"means mouth,so the word means"surprised as if someone smacked(掌摑) you in the mouth".Reality television brought it to the US,Moore said.When the singer Susan Boyle became famous for her unlikely great singing voice on the show Britain's Got Talent,she used it all the time."I'm gobsmacked,"she repeated,and it got popular.
"Americans love a colorful piece of slang as much as anyone else,"said Moore.And this is just one example of how Britons and Americans can leave each other"gobsmacked"with their different types of English!
32.What do American people think of British English?C
A.Cool. B.Low-class.
C.Intelligent. D.Interesting.
33.What can we know from the passage?D
A.There are more accents in Britain than in the US.
B.The UK is a large country with a small population.
C.American slang is the most important part of British people's vocabulary.
D.In the UK,people of different classes speak differently.
34.The word"gobsmacked"became widely used because ofC.
A.MPR News and the US
B.Erin Moore and northern England
C.Susan Boyle and Britain's Got Talent
D.Reality television and American slang
35.What is the best title for the passage?D
A.American slang and British slang
B.British people and American people
C.British accents and American accents
D.Differences between British and American English.
分析 本文屬于說明文閱讀,作者通過這篇文章主要向我們描述了英式英語與美式英語間的不同點,雖然同為英語,但兩者在口音理解上都有區(qū)別.
解答 32.C 細節(jié)理解題.根據(jù)第一段第一句Americans think that everything we British people say sounds smart.可知美國人認為我們英國人說的一切聽起來都很聰明.故選C項.
33.D 細節(jié)理解題.根據(jù)第四段第一句Moore says the UK may have just as many regional(地區(qū)的) accents as the US可知,英國的口音與美國一樣多,故A項錯誤;根據(jù)第四段第一句even though the population is almost one-fifth the size.可知英國人口只是美國的五分之一,故B項錯誤;根據(jù)第五段第一句American slang(俚語) has been part of British people's vocabulary for a long time可知美國俚語長期以來一直是英式英語的一部分,故C項錯誤.根據(jù)第四段第二句In the UK,accents have a lot to do with class(階層)可知,在英國,口音與社會階層有關,故選D項.
34.C 細節(jié)理解題.根據(jù)第六段最后兩句When the singer Susan Boyle became famous for her unlikely great singing voice on the show Britain's Got Talent,she used it all the time."I'm gobsmacked,"she repeated,and it got popular可知,歌手Susan Boyle因她在"英國達人秀"節(jié)目中驚人的歌聲而出名,她常說I'm gobsmacked,因此該詞就流行起來.故選C項.
35.D 主旨大意題.根據(jù)第一段最后一句What is certainly true is that the differences between British and American English continue to interest us及第二段可知人們對英式英語與美式英語間的不同點感興趣.故選D項.
點評 考察學生的細節(jié)理解和推理判斷能力,做細節(jié)理解題時一定要找到文章中的原句,和題干進行比較,再做出正確的選擇.在做推理判斷題不要以個人的主觀想象代替文章的事實,要根據(jù)文章事實進行合乎邏輯的推理判斷.