A
Among the four skills in learning English，which one of these is the “odd-man-out”? The answer is speaking．The other three you can do alone on your own．But you can’t really speak alone! Speaking to yourself can be “dangerous” because men in white coats may come and take you away!
Where can you find people to speak English? And how can you practice speaking when you are alone?
At school- If you pay to go to a language school, you should use the opportunity to speak．If your teacher asks you to speak in pairs or groups with other students, try to say as much as possible．Don’t worry about your mistakes．Just speak!
Conversation Clubs-Many cities around the world have conversation clubs where people can exchange one language for another．Look in your local newspaper to find a conversation club near you. They are usually free although some may charge a small entrance fee(费用)．
Shopping-Even if you don’t want to buy anything，you can ask questions about products that interest you in a shop．“How much does this cost?” “Can I pay by cheque?” Often you can start a real conversation-and it costs you nothing!
Café and Bars-There are often American，Britain，Irish and Australian bars in many large cities．If you can find one, you’ll probably meet many people speaking English as a first or second language．
Language is all around you-Everywhere you go，you find language．Shop names，street names，advertisements，notices，and car numbers….When you walk down the street，practice reading the words and numbers that you see．Say them to yourself. It’s not exactly a conversation, but it will help you to “think” in English．But don’t speak too loud!
Songs and Video-Repeat the words of an English song singing with the music until it becomes automatic．It’s good practice for your memory and for the mouth muscles that you need for English．
Above all, speak as much as possible! Make as many mistakes as possible! When you know that you have made a mistake，you know that you have made progress!
21. What does the underlined part “odd-man-out” probably mean according to the passage?
A．Someone or something that can be easily mistaken for another．
B．Someone or something appearing different from the others．
C．Someone or something standing out of the group．
D．Someone or something arranged in pairs．
22. In which places can you learn English NOT free of charge?
A．At school, in shops and café bars．
B．In conversation clubs and in the streets．
C．In conversation clubs，shops，songs and video．
D．At school, in conversation clubs and café and bars．
23. Why does the writer say “Make as many mistakes as possible”?
A．Because everyone will make mistakes in learning English.
B．Because making mistakes is a must in making progress in learning English.
C．Because everyone will meet people speaking English with some mistakes.
D．Because making mistakes can make one realize the importance of speaking.
24. What is the purpose of the passage?
A．To tell us that English is all around us.
B．To tell us that we can speak English alone.
C．To give us some advice on how to practice speaking.
D．To tell us speaking is the easiest of the four skills in learning English.
