Standard English is that variety of English which is usually used in print,and which is normally taught in schools and to non-native speakers learning the language.It is also the variety which is normally spoken by educated people and used in news broadcasts and other similar situations.The difference between standard and non-standard,it should be noted,has nothing in principle to do with differences between formal and informal language:Standard English has informal as well as formal variants. Historically the standard variety of English is based on the London Dialect of English that developed after the Norman Conquest resulted in the removal of the Court from Winchester to London.This dialect became the one preferred by the educated,and it was developed and promoted as a model,or norm,for wider and wider parts of society.It was also the norm that was carried overseas.But not one unaffected by such export.Today,standard English is codified to the degree that the grammar and vocabulary of English are much the same everywhere in the world where English is used:difference among the local standards is really quite minor,so that the Singapore,South Africa,and Irish varieties are really very little different from one another so far as grammar and vocabulary are concerned.Indeed,standard English is so powerful that it puts a tremendous pressure on all local varieties,to the degree that many of the long-established dialects of England have lost much of their vigor and there is much pressure on them to converge towards the standard.This latter situation is not unique to English:it is also in other countries where processes of standardization are under way.But it sometimes creates problems for speakers who try to strike some kind of compromise between local norms and national,even super-national ones. The main topic of the text is A) the difference between standard English and non-standard English. B) the influence between standard English and non-standard English. C) the origin and development of standard English used nowadays. D) the difference between standard English and the London dialects.
C

One bitterly cold day, a snowstorm blew into our area. Needing firewood, I quickly set out with my best friend, Bruce, to look for a tree to cut down. I was glad to have Bruce along. Cutting down a tree in a snowstorm can be dangerous. So it was important to have a friend who could warn me of dangers. When I chose a big 23-meter-tall tree and prepared to cut it down, my best friend suddenly warned me, "Don't cut down that tree! It's too close to the power line!" I wasn't sure about it. So I decided to _ his warning. I wanted to finish the job quickly and go home. So I began cutting down the tree. When the tree fell, there was no longer any doubt that my friend was right. The tree caught the power line, bringing it to the ground. I considered cutting the tree off the line. After all, electricity can't travel through wood, so I could safely remove the tree. As I reached out my finger to touch the tree, pain ran up my arm and through my head. I had been shocked! After I returned home and told my mother what had happened, she quickly called the power company. Workers from the power company soon arrived on the scene. One of them asked if I had touched the tree, and when I told him I had, his face turned pale. "You should have been killed," he said. So why am I still alive? It was my boots that saved my life. Within two hours, the workers removed the tree. Soon the snowstorm calmed down--but not my mother. Even though she was glad I wasn't hurt, my mother was well serious with me. After all, I shouldn't have brushed off my friend's warning. Through this experience, I learned that it's important to listen to people who offer a different perspective . Taking the time to listen might actually save a lot of time and trouble. It certainly would have kept me from getting the "shock of my life". The author wrote the passage mainly to   _  . A) give an account of one of his terrible experiences B) make us know it's important to listen to people who offer a different perspective   through his experience C) tell us not to cut trees down any more D) remind us to be careful while working
B

The phone ID flashed, "Emergency Vet". "Oh no" I whispered. I could not lose Merlin now. Ron and I had tried to have children for a long time with depressing results. I threw myself into my work. Any maternal feelings I had were spent on Merlin. I couldn't wait to get home from work each night. I wanted to pick up that warm bundle of loving fur and nestle him. I wanted to sing "Rock-a-bye Merlin", as I did every night as he would put his paws around my neck. Merlin was my comfort especially at times when I wondered if God was listening. But last night something had changed. Not only did I sing "Rock-a-Bye Merlin", but I asked, "What will I do after you're gone?" Although Merlin was 19 years old, a senior in the age of a cat, he didn't look or act that way. I didn't want to accept the fact that he was nearing the end of his lifetime. My job at the law firm was so demanding and stressful that I couldn't imagine getting through the day without Merlin waiting to greet me at home. I dialed the vet's number. I asked for my husband but he already left. Then I took a breath and asked the question that no one wants to ask, "Is my Merlin still alive?" The nurse said "yes." Ron came home and said that Merlin had almost no red blood cells left. White blood cells were replacing them. Merlin would need expensive transfusions most likely on a monthly basis. We both knew Merlin was running out of time. I asked Ron to drive me to the vet so I could say goodbye to my little boy cat but he was beat tired and it was late. Ron said if Merlin was still alive the next morning then he would take me to the vet.  _ Merlin had survived the night. After driving to the vet, I went into the examining room. The nurse brought Merlin and placed him on an examining table on his side. His eyes were tightly shut. I thought he died already. I carefully edged my hand to reach his body. His body felt warm, but when I spoke his name there was no response. No response to his name or that I was there and that I loved him. I was extremely sad. In that... Which of the following can be the proper title? A) The Miracle Granted B) A Dying Cat C) God Accompanying Us D) Gratitude Out Of Miracle

A