and business, for example，India．Pakistan，Nigeria and the Philippines．English is also one of the official languages of Hong Kong．

　　　But global advertising and pop music mean that in most countries, you will see or hear some English．Thanks to McDonalds, we all know about "burgers"．"fries "and "milkshakes"．Songs by Madonna，Britney Spears and Celine Dion are in English．We can sing along, even if we do not understand what we are singing!

　　　English is a messy （杂乱的） language．Every year, dictionaries include new words that talk about popular culture, for example, computer-related words such as "blogging", "download "and "chatroom"．Also included are words that teenagers use．Who does not know "cool", "OK "and "hello"?

　　　Other languages also influence English．Many English words come from French．Words like "café" and expressions like "c'est la vie"（that is life）are all part of the English language．On the other hand, the French language includes English words like "le weekend "and "le camping"．German words are also part of English．Words like "kindergarten" come from the German language．

　　　Recently British people have become interested in "yoga"．But the word comes from an ancient Hindu language in India．

　　　4．The English language has a history of_______.

　　　A． over 2000years

　　　B． over 500years

　　　C． over 1500years

　　　D． over 1000years

　　　5．Which of the following statements is true about the language of English?

　　　A． It has been changing all the time．

　　　B． It has borrowed words from all the other languages．

　　　C． French words are used by the English because dictionaries have French words．

　　　D． Singers and film stars have the greatest influence on language．

　　　6．How many people in the world are using English now?

　　　A． One billion people

　　　B． 340million

　　　C． almost all the people in the world．

　　　D． not mentioned above，but the number is growing rapidly．

　　　7．Many countries and regions use it for politics and business except_________.

　　　A． the USA

　　　B． Nigeria

　　　C． the Philippines

　　　D． Norway．

　　　Sports can help you keep fit and get in touch with nature. However, whether you are on the mountains, in the waves, or on the grassland, you should be aware that your sport of choice might have great influence on the environment.

　　　Some sports are resource-hungry. Golf, as you may know, eats up not only large areas of countryside, but also tons of water. Besides, all sorts of chemicals and huge amounts of energy are used to keep its courses(球场) in good condition. This causes major environmental effects. For example, in the dry regions of Portugal and Spain, golf is often held responsible for serious water shortage in some local areas.

　　　There are many environment－friendly sports. Power walking is one of them that you could take up today. You don't need any special equipment except a good pair of shoes; and you don't have to worry about resources and your purse. Simple and free, power walking can also keep you fit. If you walk regularly, it will be good for your heart and bones. Experts say that 20 minutes of power walking daily can make you feel less anxious, sleep well and have better weight control.

　　　Whatever sport you take up, you can make it greener by using environment－friendly equipment and buying products made from recycled materials. But the final goal should be "green gyms". They are better replacements(代替物) for traditional health clubs and modern sports centers. Members of green gyms play sports outdoors, in the countryside or other open spaces. There is no special requirement for you to start your membership. And best of all, it's free.

　　　8．Which of the following is the author most probably in favor of?

　　　A． Playing basketball in a gym. B． Motor racing in the desert.

　　　C． Cycling around a lake. D． Swimming in a sports center.

　　　9．What do we know about golf from the passage?

　　　A． It is popular in Portugal and Spain.

　　　B． It needs water and electricity to keep its courses green.

　　　C． It pollutes the earth with chemicals and wastes.

　　　D． It causes water shortages around the world.

　　　10．The author uses power walking as an example mainly because ________．

　　　A． it uses fewer resources

B． it improves our health