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英语阅读问题汇总(二)(7)

ers of Chinese (Mandarin, Cantonese, etc.), just as there are phonological and grammatical problems which particularly affect speakers of Spanish. These require specialized local training. However, the overall objectives do not vary according to the native language of the learner.
我真希望我能给你一个简单的、有针对性的办法,但我不能。对中国学生来说,学习英语的最佳方式与世界其他地区的学生学习英语的最佳方式一样。你必须了解:
 学习一门外语是获得技巧,而不是获得知识。
 学习一门外语,我们应该掌握四项基本技能:
——理解
——口头表达
——阅读
——写作
这些基本技巧中的每一项又包含许多小技巧,例如:听与答、听与吸收、听与记笔记、听与同声传译,等等。培养英语听力是根本,是获得其他技巧的基础。
 要掌握听力/口头交际技巧,我们必须做到:
——理解
——回答
——询问
——说
然后我们可以以如下领域的交流安排这四项活动:
——交易(以外语为工具与人打交道,如在银行兑换现金或在餐厅点菜)
——互相交流(指非争论性地交流信息)
——辩论(交流思想,有时有争论)
在培养阅读技巧或写作技巧时,我们也可定下相似的目标。但无论我们来自何种文化环境(中国的、墨西哥的或是埃塞俄比亚的),这些目标依然如此。当然,影响中国英语学习者口头表达有音位与语法上的因素(普通话、广东话,等等),就像这两种因素同样也作用于西班牙的英语学习者一样。这就要求针对各地方的专门的训练。然而,总的目标并不因说话者的国籍不同而有所变化。

203. There are some differences between British English and American English in pronunciation, spelling, usage, etc. I always get confused. Would you please tell me the main differences between them? And which do you think is better and more standard?

英国英语与美国英语在发音、拼写、用法等方面有一些区别,我对此经常犯愁。您能告诉我它们之间的主要区别吗? 您认为哪种英语更好、更标准呢?

It’s all too easy to exaggerate the differences between British and American English. The first thing to understand is that they are exactly the same language. Speakers of American English have very little difficulty understanding speakers of British English and vice versa. The few differences there are can be summed up as follows:
 phonological: This is probably the main and most noticeable difference. American English is spoken in a different way from British English. In general terms, to British English ears, American English sounds as though it is spoken through the nose. To American English ears, British English sounds as though it is spoken through the teeth.[ZK)]
 lexical: There are a number of well-known differences: cookie (AmE) for biscuit (BrE), the trunk of a car (AmE) for the boot of a car (BrE) and so on. AmE uses drapes where BrE uses curtains, but AmE also has curtains. These differences are slight and well-documented. There are also slight spelling variations: color, traveler (AmE) for colour, traveller (BrE).
 grammatical: These are mainly differences in emphasis. Both languages use have got, for example, but ‘I don’t have much time’ is probably preferred in AmE to ‘I haven’t got much time’. AmE sometimes uses the simple past where BrE uses the present perfect (‘Did you see Tosca yet?’ for ‘Have you seen Tosca yet?’). There are different combinations with have: a British English speaker is likely to say ‘I’m going to have a wash’ where an American-English speaker would say ‘I’m going to wash up (before a meal)’.
And that’s about it. You will find more extended lists in good student dictionaries. The latest (third) edition of the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English painstakingly itemises the differences, if you want detailed inventories. But, as I said, don’t over-estimate these differences. Neither version of English is ‘better’ or ‘more standard’. In British English, there is such a thing as ‘Received Pronunciation’ (= RP), which is a kind of standard most people can cope with. The equivalent in American English is ‘Standard American’, which fulfils precisely the same function. No matter what version of English you are exposed to as a learner, you are likely to end up speaking Chinese English, which is highly acceptable for the purposes of communication.

这个问题很简单,以至于不能简单地夸大它们之间的区别。首先我们必须明白它们是同一种语言。操美国英语的人几乎可以没有任何困难就听懂说英国英语的人士,反之亦然。它们之间的微小差别可总结如下:

 从音位上说:这是最主要也是最显著的差别。美国英语的发音方式与英国英语的发音方式有些不同。总的来说,对操英国英语的人士来说,美国英语听起来像是用鼻子发音,对操美国英语的人士来说,英国英语像是在齿间。
 从词汇上说:这方面有一些显著差别:饼干在美国英语中是cookie,在英国英语中是biscuit;汽车的车厢在美国英语中是trunk,在英国英语中是boot。美国英语用drapes 指窗帘,而英国英语用curtains指窗帘,当然美国英语中也可用curtains。这些区别是微不足道的,且有详细的记录。而且还有些细微的拼写上的变体:美国英语中的color和traveler,在英国英语中则是colour和traveller。
 从语法上说:主要的区别在于强调方面。例如,这两种语言都用have got,但美国英语更倾向于说I don’t have much time,一般不说I haven’t got much time.美国英语倾向用一般过去时,而英国英语更倾向于用现在完成时(前者说:Did you see Tosca yet?,而后者说Have you seen Tosca yet?)。与have的搭配在两种英语中也有所区别:一位说英国英语的人更有可能说I’m going to have a wash,而一位说美国英语的人则说I’m going to wash up(before a meal)。
大致就是这些。你可以在较好的学生词典中发现更多的例子。最新的Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (第三版)系统地列举了二者的区别。但依我看来,不要夸大二者的区别。二者并无优劣之分。英国英语中有一种所谓的“标准音”(Received Pronunciation,简略成RP)的说法,这是大多数人可以接受的标准音。在美国英语中,同样也有一种“标准美国英语”(Standard American)的提法,职能同标准的英国英语一样能广为人们所接受。作为一名英语学习者,无论你接触的是哪一种英语,你的可能结果是讲中国式英语,讲中国式英语同样能达到交流的目的。

204. I’ve studied English for four years. I want to know about my English level. How can I test it?

我学习英语已有四年了,我想知道我的英语水平。我该如何检测它呢?

Without more information, I cannot advise you. How intensively have you studied English? i.e. How many hours a week? Have you been developing all four skills (understanding, speaking, reading and writing), or have you been concentrating on (say) reading? Have you been working with a teacher or on your own? What materials have you been using? And so on. Unless I know precisely what you have been doing, I cannot advise you about level. However, I would draw your attention to four different kinds of tests:
 progress tests: These are administered frequently and tell students how they are getting on. These are often designed for students to complete on their own.
 attainment tests: These are administered at the end of a period of study and tell students how well they have acquired what they have been taught. A school exam might use these.
 placement tests: These are similar to attainment tests, but they enable teachers to place students in a class which is closest to their needs and level. A language school might use these.
 proficiency tests: These tell students how well their English is in gene

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