Learning English is one of the few things I have been doing consistently over the past 16 years. Like most Chinese students, I started learning English because it was a compulsory (必修的) course in my middle school. More importantly, English was a central subject for the college entrance exam.

At that time , studying English was not a pleasant experience for me . There was no fun in the process of learning . The focus of our English education was getting a good mark in exams . And nobody told me that the real meaning of studying mother language was communication.

When I became a university student , I spent nearly half of my time on English . In fact , more than 90 percent of the job offer ads in Shanghai list “ proficiency (精通) as a main requirement.

How did I improve my English ? People told me that TOEFL was very helpful and useful. As a result, I took a TOEFL training course and studied like mad. After six months’ preparation, I took part in the exam and got a high score . Later on , I had a chance to further my study in Britain . I soon discovered that all of my past English learning had been futile (没用的) . When I first went shopping in a local supermarket , I really could not understand what the cashier was saying at all.

It was then that I realized I had totally missed the point . Instead of just passing exams , the main function of learning English or any other language is communication . What is more , lanuage does not exist independent of culture. Hence , mechanical memorization helps very little in communication. That’s why I was still unable to freely express myself after learning English for many years . By no means am I talented in any foreign language . I am still learing English . Why ?

First and foremost , my job requires me to use English everyday . Secondly , English helps me to have access to more information . Thirdly , as a bookworm , English gives me a chance to dive into the huge pool of inspiring English books . Last but not least , it is such a great experience to write in another language . Indeed , English has become part of my life .

小题1:How did the writer find English when he was a student?

A．He was interested in it .

B．He studied it because it was compulsory course.

C．He thought it funny to study English.

D．He often recited something when he studied English.小题2:What is the purpose of studying English according to the writer’s idea ?

A．To get high marks in exams.

B．To prove that Englsih is very important.

C．Studying Eglish well can ehlp you get a good job.

D．To use English for communication with others.小题3:According to the text , how is my English ?

A．I am good at English.

B．I can speak Englsih like natives.

C．I can master it but I can’t use it correctly.

D．I continued to study Englsih.小题4:How can we master Englsih well ？

A．We need more mechanical memorization.

B．We should read and recite more books.

C．We should study Englsih as well as its culture and use it more .

D．We can study hard in classrooms and houses and get high marks in exams .