You may know the difference between an American accent and a British accent. But do you know what a “posh（上流社会的）” British is _______? The difference between British accents may be less important than you think.

There are many different accents in the UK, some of which are very _______ for foreigners to understand. In the south, many people speak with what is _______ as a “posh” accent, an accent that makes people _______ the British royal family and the high-class people in the UK. In this accent, “grass” sounds more like “gr-ar-ss”. And _______ “bath” sounds more like “barth”. Often, British people who take jobs on TV on elsewhere have to _______ their own accents and make them “posher” to be _______.

So, do accents still _______? Last year Alexander Baratta, PhD, from the UK’s University of Manchester spoke about “accentism” — people being treated worse _______ how they speak — and ________ it to racism（种族歧视）, according to The Guardian. In a study, he asked people why they changed their accents and how it made them _________

It’s not hard to see why they do it — everyone wants to do well in life, and the best way to do that is to fit in.________, there is a price to pay. Facing the world with a（n）________ that is not your own can hurt your sense of ________. This was shown when a third of those questioned said they were ________ of changing their accents.

Is it necessary to stop people changing how they ________? Well, times may be changing, too. The Guardian’s lead writer Hugh Muir has a ________, “The listener must adapt when ________. The speakers must make themselves ________, whatever accent they choose.”

So as you’re learning English, don’t worry too much about how your accent makes you sound — _______it’s clear what you’re saying!

Learning a second language

   The word “ OK”, the most frequently spoken expression on the planet, celebrated its 178th anniversary (周年纪念日) on March 23.

Henry Nass, a 66-year-old retired English teacher, had spent the last few weeks handing out cards supporting “ Global OK Day” in advance of the coming anniversary.

The term “ OK” was born in the 19th century. Late etymologist Allen Walker Read found the twoletter word in 1839, when editors at The Boston Morning Post signed off on articles as “ all correct” with an “ OK” or “ oll correct”.

The word made it into print on March 23 of that year in an article against an editor in Providence who had said, wrongly, that a group of Bostonians heading for New York would pass through the Rhode Island capital. “We didn’t say a word about our group passing through the city of Providence,” The Boston Morning Post reported. “O. K. — all correct.”

The humour of the Providence-Boston joke has been lost to history — but the word OK took off from there, soon meaning agreement, acceptance, satisfaction, quality or likability. In 1840, it served as a slogan (口号) for President Martin Van Buren’s unsuccessful re-election campaign. OK was picked up by telegraph operators as an easy abbreviation (缩写词) to say they received transmission. “Buzz Aldrin’s first words spoken on the moon were ‘ OK. Engine stop,’” says Allan Metcalf, author of “OK: The Improbable Story of America’s Greatest Word”.

Modern texting has produced a new generation of abbreviations — BTW (by the way) and LOL (laugh out loud) among them, but none has replaced OK. That’s why many people support the English teacher’s call for an OK birthday celebration.

“We happen to know the exact date and place of the very first OK and that’s not very usual for many words, so why not celebrate that day?” says Metcalf.

My name is Ann. I've been in China in a few years. With the help of Li Hua, a good friend of mine, I've been used to live in China. Li Hua, like other girls, are beautiful and lively. We became friends after we meet each other a few years ago. Although her English isn't easy to understand, but we enjoy chatting and we usually talk a lot about our favorite books. We're all surprised that Chinese culture and American culture are so differently. Now we are planning nice party for next Sunday. There, I will introduce Li Hua to my friends, one of who has been to China several time.

   There are some differences between American English and British English. Some differences are quite interesting.

When my friend Lily from London used the word "larder", I didn't know what it meant. Realizing I didn't follow her, she used another word. I finally knew she wanted to find something to keep some food.

The next word came up when we were planning a lunch date. She jotted down the date and time in her diary, while I marked my calendar. If she called me on the phone, she would ring me up. But if the line was busy, she would say the line was engaged.

Most times, I can know what Lily means. Last week, she regretted sending her boys to watch an early morning tennis game without their fleeces. I thought that she meant without their jackets or something like those. Other times, we have to ask each other. She recently told me a funny tale about a woman who was pissed. I wondered what had made the lady angry. It turns out that pissed means drunk.

Here is one more example. My British friend Jane was filling out a ticket at the grocery store（食品杂货店）recently. She asked the young man if he had a rubber. When she noticed he didn't follow her, she quickly asked for an eraser, which, in England, is often called a rubber.

In order to communicate well with the British, we Americans should learn some words that the British use differently. And I think people who learn English as a second language should also realize that there are differences between American English and British English.