【推荐1】Birthday is a special day for most people. We may spend much time celebrating (庆祝) it. On birthdays, we may go for a trip, have a party or watch a movie with our parents and friends. We can also enjoy some special food. Do you know what people eat on their birthday all over the world? Here are three people from different countries. They tell us what food they eat on their birthday.

Liu Jing is from Beijing. “The long noodles are a symbol of long life. In China, red is a symbol of good luck. We think red eggs bring us good luck. So you can see Chinese eat long noodles and red eggs when they celebrate their birthday.” says Liu Jing.

“I am so happy because today is my birthday. I want to have a birthday party. At the party, we can play games, sing and dance. We can also eat a big birthday cake with fifteen candies. I’m sure we can have a good time at my birthday party.” says David from America.

“In Canada, people put a coin (硬币) into the cake. If the birthday person eats the cake with the coin, he or she will be lucky. I am so happy because I eat the cake with acoin,” says Sandy.

1. Liu Jing comes from ________.

A．China

B．Canada

C．America

D．Australia

2. David is ________.

A．13

B．14

C．15

D．16

3. According to the first paragraph, people may ________ on their birthday.

A．watch ball games	B．watch a movie
C．eat dumplings	D．wear new clothes

4. The passage is mainly about _________.

A．three persons from different countries	B．why we celebrate our birthday
C．what to eat on one’s birthday in different countries	D．where to celebrate one’s birthday

【推荐2】Do as the Romans do

Different countries have different customs. So we often say, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” Here are some things that may help you.

In Korea, you should bow when you meet someone. In the Middle East, Arabs greet each other by touching noses. In Thailand, people greet each other by putting their hands together and bowing slightly. In South America, you can expect to be hugged when you meet someone. In the USA, people shake hands when meeting each other.

In China, it’s OK to make a lot of noise in a restaurant. In fact, if a restaurant isn’t noisy and lively, you may think there’s something wrong with it. However, in many Western countries, restaurants are quiet places. If someone is too loud, other people who are eating there won’t be happy.

Paying the bill is also different from country to country. In China, one person usually pays for everyone. In Western countries, if friends eat together, they usually share the cost. This is called “go Dutch”. Also, When Western people pay the bill（账单）, they usually leave some money for the waiter. This is called “leaving a tip（小费）”. Leaving a tip is thought to be polite.

In some Western countries, lunch is usually eaten at about 1 p. m. Dinner is served around 7 p. m. or even later. In Spain, it is common to have lunch at 3 p. m. and dinner at 10 p. m.

Knives and forks are used for most Western food. The fork is held in your left hand and the knife in your right, and the food is held with the fork and cut with the knife. Soup is eaten with a spoon. However, there is some food which can be eaten with your fingers, such as chicken wings and hamburgers.

If you are invited to have dinner in a Western family, you are expected to arrive on time. It’s better for you to prepare a gift. Be seated from the left side and put the handkerchief（手帕）on your legs.

1. What do people do when they meet in the USA?

A．Shake hands.

B．Bow.

C．Touch noses.

D．Hug.

2. How many rules should you pay attention to when visiting a Western family?

A．Two.

B．Three.

C．Four.

D．Five.

3. Which sentence of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Chinese people often share the bill when eating together.

B．People in Spain usually eat dinner very late.

C．It’s polite to arrive late when visiting a Western family.

D．Knives and forks are used for all Western food.

【推荐1】根据短文内容，判断正误（正确“T”，错误“F”）。

Many people are trying to save the earth with special days like “Meatout Day”, “Earth Day” and “Buy Nothing Day”.

“Meatout Day” is on March 20th. Many people around the world don’t eat any meat for one day. In this way, they’ll get healthier and reduce greenhouse gases.

“Earth Day” is on April 22nd. Many people all over the world try to do something green on this day. In Italy, people don’t use plastic bags. In Canada and Norway, people ride bicycles and don’t use their cars. In the USA, people dress up like plants and animals to dance in Times Square, New York.

“Buy Nothing Day” is usually on the fourth Friday in November. On this day many people don’t buy anything. “Buy nothing” means “make no rubbish”. When you make less rubbish, you can make a cleaner earth.

Do you want to join them? Then you can remember these special days and do something green.

1. Many people don’t eat any meat on “Meatout Day”.
2. All people buy and sell nothing on “Buy Nothing Day”.
3. In Italy, people ride bicycles and don’t use their cars on April 22nd.
4. Many people do something to protect the environment on “Earth Day”.
5. The passage mainly tells us the special days about saving the earth.

【推荐3】We all dream about things that we would like to do and we hope to achieve in the future. But are everybody's dreams the same? Here are some findings of a survey about hopes and dreams. Thousands of students across China took part in it.

What are the hopes of teenagers?

We received several different answers to the question: What would you like to do after finishing your education? It seems that some students would like to start work as soon as possible, so that they can help provide better lives for their families. Other students hope to continue studying. Although money is important, most teenagers said they want to do jobs they enjoy. According to the survey, the most popular choice of job is computer programming.

What are the dreams of teenagers?

Teenagers have all kinds of dreams. Some are more realistic(现实的) than others. For example, many students said they would like to be volunteers if Beijing could hold the World Cup, maybe working as translators or tour guides. And quite a few said they dream of going to the moon one day. According to the survey, less realistic dreams are also common, but many students reported that they were willing to work hard to achieve their dreams. Quite a few dream of becoming famous, perhaps famous sports people or singers. Some said they'd like to go on exciting trips. One student said she'd love to sail across the Pacific Ocean. And then there are dreams that are impossible. Three students said they'd like to be able to fly!

Conclusion

It was clear from the survey that teenagers have similar hopes. It seems that most students hope to have a good education and find a good job. Besides, students dream of very different things: good things, and even crazy things. It is very important to dream, so hold on your dreams, and one day they may just come true.

1. Some students would like to start work to ______ as soon as possible.

A．find jobs they enjoy	B．achieve their dreams
C．help look after their families	D．make money to go to university

2. When most students choose a job, ______ is very important for them.

A．a good job	B．his (or her) favorite job
C．helping him (or her) to be famous	D．making more money

3. Which of the following is NOT true?

A．From the survey, the most popular choice of job is computer programming.

B．All teenagers' dreams can come true one day.

C．It's common for teenagers to have less realistic dreams.

D．Many students were willing to work hard to achieve their dreams.

4. What is the example of an impossible dream?

A．To be able to fly.	B．To go to the moon.
C．To sail across the Pacific Ocean.	D．To become famous people.

5. What's the writer's opinion of dreams?

A．Give up impossible dreams.

B．Common dreams are not so good.

C．Teenagers should have realistic dreams.

D．Dreams are important and we should try to make them come true.