Unit1TextAHowDifficultIsEnglish?英语有多难LikethenationalpushforAsianliteracy（n.有文化，有教养，有读写能力）inAustralia，therehasbeenforeignlanguagesfervorinChina，withEnglishontopofthelist.就如澳大利亚在全国推行学亚洲语言一样，中国也掀起一股外语热，在这股热潮中，英语高居榜首。Englishisnotonlytaughtatschools，collegesanduniversities，butalsoateveningclasses，onradioandTV．不仅各级学校教英语，夜校、电台、电视台也都设有英语课程。Parentshireprivatetutorsfortheirschoolchildren；adultEnglishlearnerswouldsacrificetheweekendatanEnglishcornerinapublicparkpracticingtheirspokenEnglishwithpeop1eofthesameinterestanddetermination.父母为学龄的孩子聘请英语家教，成年英语学习者会牺牲周末休息日，到公园参加英语角，与志趣相投的英语学习者练习口语。IsEnglishsuchadifficultlanguagethatitreallydemandspeopletoinvestalargeamountoftimeandenergybeforeitismastered?英语真的有这么难，需要人们投入大量的时间和精力才能掌握吗?Theanswer，ifIamaskedtooffer，isundoubtedly，yes．如果我被问及这个问题，那么毫无疑问，我的答案是：是的。Frommypersonalexperience,IthinklearningEnglishmeansfarmorethanlearningitspronunciation，itsgrammaticalrules，itswords，etc．从我个人的经验来看，英语学习不仅仅是学习英语发音、语法规则、词汇等，Itinvolveslearningeverythingaboutthecountrieswhereitisusedandthepeoplewhouseit．它包括学习与使用该语言的国家和民族有关的所有内容。Withoutsuchacompleteunderstandingofthelanguage,theEnglishaforeignerspeakswillinevitablysoundstrangeorevenunintelligiblethoughthereisnotanythingwrongwithhispronunciation，sentencestructureandthewordsheuses．对英语没有这样全面的理解，即使发音、句子结构、措辞毫无错误，一个外国人所讲的英语也难免听起来稀奇古怪甚至难以理解。ThesocialcustomsandhabitsoftheEnglish-speakingpeoplecontributealottothedifficultyaforeignerhasinlearningit．讲英语民族者的社会风俗习惯增加了外国人学习英语的难度。TaketheChineseEnglishlearnersforexample．以学英语的中国人为例，"Hello"and"Goodmorning"maysoundalittlebitsimpletoChinesepeople．"你好"和"早上好"是非常简单的。ItistotallybeyondtheunderstandingofaChineseEnglishlearnerthatnativeEnglishspeakerswouldbeannoyedwhenthey'readdressed"Whereareyougoing?"，whichisacommonlyusedaddressingamongtheChinese．"你去哪儿?"是中国人常用的问候语，若英语母语者被问及"你去哪儿?"，他们会因此感到不悦，这一点让中国的英语学习者大为不解。IsthereanythingwrongwiththeEnglishsentencestructure?Ofcoursenot．这个英语句子结构不对吗?当然不是。IttakesquitesometimeforaChineseEnglishlearnertounderstandthewesternconceptofprivacybeingviolatedinthisaddress.学英语的中国人得费点儿时间才能理解这一问候语侵犯了西方人的隐私。Bythesametoken，"Haveyoueaten?"(whichisanotheraddressingtermtheChinesepeopleusuallyuse)willsoundtonativeEnglishspeakersthattheChinesearesohospitablethattheyinvitepeopletomealsoff-handedly.同样，英语母语者听到"你吃了吗?"(中国人常用的另外一个问候语)，会觉得中国人非常好客，会在事先毫无准备的情况下请人吃饭。Meanwhile，theChinesewouldbeshockedtohear，"Oh，it'sveryniceofyou．When?"，iftheaddresseehappenstohaveacravingforChinesecookingandhasnothadhisdinneryet.如果听话者此刻正希望品尝一下中国美食，又碰巧没有吃饭，他会回答"太好了，什么时候?"，中国人为此也会大吃一惊。"Wecansaywearegoingtohavechickenfordinner．Whycan'twesaypig，bullorsheepfordinnerinsteadofpork，beeformutton?"ChineseEnglishlearnersmayraisesuchquestions．中国的英语学习者可能会这样问："我们可以说吃鸡，为什么不能说吃猪、吃...
