1. I.Reading for the Main Idea—Skimming Skim the reading and choose the best answer. ( ) The reading is mainly about ___. (A) the origin of English surnames (B) different ways to choose an English surname (C) the reasons why people didn’t need surnames in ancient times (D) the best tips for distinguishing between people with the same surname A

2. II. Reading for Details—Scanning Scan the reading and choose the best answer to each of the following questions or statements. ( ) 1. Without surnames, what problem might people today encounter? (A) They might not be able to tell a father from his son. (B) They might find it impossible to recognize their relatives. (C) They might not be able to distinguish between those people who share the same first name. (D) They might not be able to know people’s occupations. C

3. ( ) 2. What might be the surname of the only person with brown hair in a village? (A) Brown. (B) Black. (C) Baker. (D) Bank. A

4. ( ) 3. Which of the following is NOT the reason why people in the past didn’t need surnames? (A) Traveling between villages was rare. (B) There were few visits from strangers. (C) Giving people surnames was not allowed. (D) People lived in small villages and knew one another well. C

5. ( ) 4. From people’s surnames, we can get more information about them except for ___. (A) the places or locations where their ancestors came from (B) the personal features that their ancestors might have had (C) the occupations of their ancestors (D) the interests their ancestors might have had D

6. ( ) 5. According to the reading, which of the following statements is true? (A) English surnames have existed for a long time. (B) Surnames can provide information about a family’s origin. (C) In the past, using surnames may have caused confusion among people. (D) The surname Miller may suggest that one’s ancestors made things from iron. B

7. III. Topics for Discussion 1. According to the reading, how were English surnames formed? 2. Do you know any other English surnames and the ways they were created? Share your answers with your classmates.