What's a “gift”? If you look it up in the dictionary, you'll see that it's another word for a present. For example, “They brought him some gifts.” However, if you're German, “gift” means something completely different: poison!
The word “gift” is an example of a “false friend”—a word that looks the same in two languages, but actually has two different meanings. As English is basically a mixture of German, French and Latin, there are many words that are similar in these languages. For example, the English word “education” is “education” in Spanish. And the English words “word”，“book”， “nine”， “house” are “wort”， “buch”， “neun”，“haus” in German.
These similar-looking words can be very helpful when learning other languages—they're our “friends”. However, sometimes they can turn out to be “false friends”. Here are a few examples.
In English, someone who is “sensible” thinks before he acts and shows good judgement. For example, “The sensible thing to do would be to consult a lawyer.” However, in Spanish, “sensible” means “sensitive” (showing understanding of other people's problems, needs or feelings).
The English word “coin” refers to a piece of money made of metal. For example, “I had a few coins in my pocket.” But the French word “coin” means “corner”.
The English word “library” is a place where you can go to borrow books. For example, “I borrowed six books from the library.” But the Spanish word “libreria” refers to a bookshop where you buy books.
The English word “actually” means “in fact”. For example, “Actually I'm not Italian; I'm from America.” But the Spanish word “actualmente” means “currently” or “at the moment”.
Finally, the English word “embarrassed” means “ashamed”. For example, “They looked a bit embarrassed.” However, the Spanish term “embarazada” means “pregnant”.
1.We can learn from the first two paragraphs that English ________.
A.is easy to master
B.is simpler than Spanish
C.has a complex background
D.has changed greatly throughout history
2.Which of the following pairs of words are “true friends” according to the author?
A.Nine and neun.
B.Library and libreria.
C.Actually and actualmente.
D.Embarrassed and embarazada.
3.According to the passage, in Spanish ________.
A.“coin” means “corner”
B.“gift” refers to something negative
C.“educacion” simply means “book”
D.“sensible” doesn't necessarily mean “wise”
4.The author develops the passage mainly by ______.
A.following the order of space
B.comparing different ideas
C.providing typical examples
D.analysing the cause and effect
【文章大意】 本文讲的是英语是德语、法语、拉丁语的混合语言，有很多单词看起来很相似，这对学习其他语言是有帮助的，但还有很多单词虽然看起来相似，意思上却有很大的不同。作者举了很多这样的例子。
1.C 细节理解题。根据文章第二段中的“As English is basically a mixture of German, French and Latin…”可知C项正确。
2.A 细节理解题。根据文章第二段中的“…the English word ‘education’ is ‘education’ in Spanish. And the English words ‘word’， ‘book’， ‘nine’， ‘house’ are ‘wort’， ‘buch’， ‘neun’， ‘haus’ in German.”可知A项正确。
3.D 细节理解题。根据第四段的内容可知D项正确。
4.C 文章结构题。纵观全文可知作者给出了很多的例子。
