【推荐1】When I was a child, my parents always told me that I should never talk to strangers. This was part of a whole list of things I should never do: Never accept food or candy from strangers, never get in a car with strangers, and son on. But if we didn’t start a conversation with strangers, we’d never make new friends. We’d never get a job. We may miss the joy that comes from talking with strangers. The more people you know, the more chances you’ll get. The following passage offers you some advice on bow to break the ice. Don’t just stare at your shoes. Go and say “Hi” to that new guy. It will be easier to break the ice if you know more about different cultures.

     British: Beautiful day, isn’t it?
     The weather in Britain is changeable. So, it’s one of the topics the British care most about. And there’s a simple rule: Say “Yes” whether you agree with the person’s idea on the weather or not. That’s because the British start a conversation using the weather so that they can continue their talk.
     French: Where did you go on holiday?
     To talk with a French person, the safest way is to ask about his or her last holiday. French students enjoy a 10-to-15-day holiday every two months. French employees get more than six weeks of holidays per year.
     American: So,where are you from?
       The US is so big and people move so often that location is always a source of talk. You can try to find a connection with the place they’re from. For example, if someone’s from Los Angeles, you could say, “Oh, I have a friend who studied there.”
1. When the writer was a child, his parents always told him _____.
2. If we didn’t start a conversation with strangers, we’d never _____.
3. The British start a conversation using the weather _____ their talk.
4. If you start a conversation with a French person, the safest way is _____.
5. The US is so big and people move so often that location is always _____.

【推荐2】This year, about 2,300 teenagers from all over the world will spend about 10 months in US homes. At the same time about 1,300 American teenagers will go to other countries to learn new languages and learn the rest of the world.
Here is a two-way student exchange in action. Fred,19, spent last year in Germany with George's family. In turn, George's son Mike spent a year in Fred's home in America.
Fred, a lively young man, knew little German when he arrived. But after two months of studying, the language became easy for him. School was completely different from what he had expected and it was much harder. Students rose respectfully when the teacher entered the room. They took 14 subjects instead of 6 that were usually taken in the US.
Family life, too, was different. The father's word was the law. All the activities were done with the family rather than individually. Fred found the food to be too simple at first. He also missed having a car.
"Back home, you pick up some friends in a car and go out to have a good time. In Germany, you walk but you soon learn to like it ."
At the same time, in America, Mike, a friendly German boy, was also forming his own ideas. "I suppose I should criticize American schools" he says, "It is far too easy for our level but I have to say that I like it a lot. In Germany, we do nothing but study. Here we take part in many other activities. I think that maybe American schools are better in training their citizens. There ought to be some middle ground between the two."
Differences between American school life and German school life

Comparisons	1     students	German students
school life	They don’t have to stand up when their teacher comes into the classroom They have six subjects which are very    2       to learn. They take part in many other activities besides study	They have to stand up and show    3    to their teacher when he enters the room They have 14 subjects which are much more    4       . They have to     5    hard all the time.
Family life	They do their own things individually. They can go to meet friends in a car and    6    themselves.	They have to listen to their       7    . They have to    8    all the way. All the activities shouldn’t be done     9
Mike’s idea
Although school life in Germany is a little difficult, it is worthwhile. But American school can    10    students how to be citizens better. There should be some middle ground between the two

【推荐3】Americans use many expressions with the word “dog”. People in the United States love their dogs and look after them well. They take their dogs for walks, let them play outside and give them good food and medical care. However, if dogs have no owners to care for them, they will live a different life. The expression “to lead a dog’s life” describes a person who has an unhappy life.

Some people say we live in a dog-eat-dog world. That means many people are competing (竞争) for the same things like good jobs. They say if a person wants to be successful (成功的), he has to work like a dog. This means they have to work very, very hard. Such hard work can make people dog-tired. And, the situation (情况) will be even worse if they become sick like a dog.

Still, people say every dog has its day. This means that every person enjoys a successful period during his or her life.

To be successful, people often have to learn new skills. Yet, some people say “you can never teach an old dog new tricks”. They believe that older people do not like to learn new things and will not change the way they do things.

Dog expressions	Descriptions
To lead a     1     life.	A person has an     2     life. He lives like a dog that doesn’t have an owner to take     3     of him.
Live in a dog-eat-dog world.	People compete for good     4     . Only with     5     work may they be successful. If they are     6     , their situation will be even worse.
Every dog has its     7     .	During the life, every person enjoys a successful period
You can never teach an old dog new     8     .	It is not     9     for the older to learn new skills, because they don’t like to learn new things and they don’t enjoy     10     the way they do things.

【推荐2】Xuan Paper is one of the Four Treasures of Study. Chinese Xuan Paper has a history over 1,000 years. ① first, it, the, appeared, in, Dynasty, Tang. Its quality (质量) was so fine and soft,      ② painters liked to use it all the time. The traditional skill of making the paper by hand has been passed down by people. Even today, it is still widely used in painting.

It’s said that Jing County, Anhui, which was called Xuanzhou in ancient time, produces the best Chinese Xuan Paper. The materials to make it are usually bamboo, qingtan (青檀), rice straw (稻草) and so on. That is the reason why Xuan Paper is known for its pleasant smell of plants.

Since the Tang and Song Dynasties, people have found the paintings on Xuan Paper look more lively than on other kinds of paper. ③And no matter how many years have gone by, paintings are kept well.     

However, making Xuan Paper is not an easy job. It can’t be made by machines but by hand. Besides, it needs 18 steps to make a perfect piece of Xuan Paper. So it usually takes about one year to make a piece of complete Xuan Paper. The skill of paper making was listed as a world intangible culture (非物质文化遗产) by UNESCO in 2009.

1. 请将①处划线内容连词成句，题中标点已给出。
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2. 请结合文意，在②处填一个连词，使上下文通顺、连贯。
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3. What is Xuan Paper known for?
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4. 请将③处画线句子翻译成汉语。
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5. How long does it take to make a piece of complete Xuan Paper?
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【推荐1】    1     Many people write on paper only one side. Why not try using both sides? Some students only use half the pages in their notebooks before getting new ones. Try to use up all the paper. People often give cards on festivals. How about trying to send e-mail instead?

    2     There are many poor families in China. You may ask your parents to keep your unwanted clothes. Then you can pass them to poor kids. You’ll feel happy that you are helping someone else. Also, you can see if your friend wants them before throwing them away.

    3     In San Francisco of the US, there is a beautiful bridge. It took more than four years to build it, and it was finished in 1937. You can cross the bridge by car or on foot, but you must pay. Do you know the bridge? Yes, it is the Golden Gate.

    4     Many people can use computers, but few of them know how to use them correctly. Remember the following when you use your computer: Keep your computer in a cool, dry room; don’t put water or food near your computer; keep your screen clean and not too bright.

    5     E-mail means messages sent from one computer to another. It is becoming more and more popular. You can send and receive e-mails everywhere. It is quick to use e-mails, and it is much cheaper than long-distance telephone call.

（a）根据短文内容，从方框中选出每段的主旨大意，其中有一项是多余的。

A. Use computers in right ways. B. Make old clothes useful. C. The Golden Gate. D. A new way of sending messages. E. How can paper be saved? F. What’s the first paper made from?

（b）根据短文内容，完成信息卡（每空不超过三个词）。

Encyclopedia (百科全书) of Life

●To avoid     6     paper, we should try using both sides, not half the pages. ●We should also try to send e-mail instead of giving cards.

●Help others to be happy: If you     7    that are out of style or small, you can give them away to the people in need.

●It took people in San Francisco more than four years to build     8    , but you must pay if you want to cross it.

●Remember to put your computer in a cold and dry room and keep your screen clean. It’s important to put water and food     9     the computer.

●Sending and receiving messages     10     is becoming more and more popular. It’s quick and much cheaper.

【推荐2】The summer vacation is coming. During the vacation, you can do what you like and prepare yourself well for the future. You will enjoy your summer vacation with the help of the following suggestions(建议).

*Take exercise. After studying hard for months, you must be bored and tired. Taking exercise is a great way to get energy again. Among different ways of exercise, swimming and walking are good choices. They are good for your health.

*Get some basic life skills(技能). You will leave your parents and live by yourself. So you should learn some useful basic life skills such as washing clothes and cooking. At the same time, you should help your parents with housework to express thanks to them.

* Travel. The world is a book. Traveling is so interesting. During the trip, you will have a chance to get more knowledge. While learning about different cultures and customs, you will also make lots of friends.

*Enjoy the time with family members. They give you love, care and support all the time. Don’t forget to spend time together with them. You can talk about your dreams, your hobbies or your school life and so on.

As long as your follow the suggestions above, you will have a wonderful vacation.

1. 文章划线处“They”指的是什么?
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2. Which of the following is not about basic life skills?

A．Washing clothes

B．Cooking

C．Doing housework

D．Expressing thanks to parents

3. 仿照例子列举两条旅行的好处。
get more knowledge
① _______________________________________________________________________
② _______________________________________________________________________
4. Why should we spend our time with our parents according to the passage?
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5. 请给这篇文章拟一个合适的题目。(不多于8个单词)
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