1 . Ann and her mother had lived in a small house as long as Ann could remember. Christmas was so close. Ann wished she could get a beautiful dress. But she knew how hard her mom worked. Maybe she could make a wish--Santa Claus would come...
Her classmates were talking about Christmas gifts.
“My aunt is going to give me a pretty branded doll again,” said Rita.
“I have told my parents about that expensive watch. They will buy it for me,” Tessi said.
Ann felt left out in those conversations. She had neither rich parents nor rich relatives to give her expensive gifts.
It was not just the gift that worried Ann. Her mother was working overtime and looked weak these days.
Days passed and soon it was Christmas Eve. Ann went to bed with a heavy heart. Ring ... Ring ... Ann jumped, hearing the alarm. Without much hope, she wondered if there were any gifts for her. She found a beautiful packet! There was a beautiful white dress and a short note inside. Ann read the note:
| Dear Ann, This dress is a gift for you for being a good girl. Your loving friend, Santa Claus |
Ann looked into the note carefully. Then she realized that the handwriting was the same as her mother’s. Her mother had worked overtime to save money to buy this wonderful gift for her!
根据短文内容，判断下列句子正(T)误(F)。1. Ann and her mother lived a good life, and they cared about each other a lot.
2. Ann was still looking forward to getting a Christmas present though she thought it would be impossible.
3. Ann felt left out when hearing her classmates’ conversations.
4. Ann felt so surprised, because Santa Claus sent her a pretty doll as she always wanted.
5. This passage is mainly about a mother’s love.
2 . Many years ago, there was a young girl named Pepsy. She thought she was bad-looking and didn’t feel like going out. But there were times when she had to go out shopping. She was unhappy and sometimes even angry when people looked at her face.
One night, a strange old woman came to Pepsy’s house. She said to Pepsy, “My child, let me help you. Put this magic (有魔力的) flower in your hair, and you’ll become beautiful.”
Pepsy did what the woman said. Something strange happened. Pepsy was surprised to see herself so beautiful in the mirror. She ran happily out of her house. She walked on the street and smiled at everyone. She became very friendly and nice, very different from what she was before. Almost all the people said, “Pepsy is so beautiful today!”
Finally, Pepsy returned to her house. But when she entered the house, she saw the magic flower on the floor. She left the flower there before she went out. She didn’t wear it when walking on the street!
根据短文内容判断正 (T)、误 (F)。
1. Pepsy didn’t like going out because she thought she was bad-looking.
2. At first when people looked at her face, Pepsy was angry.
3. The strange old man gave Pepsy a flower.
4. Nothing happened after Pepsy put the flower in her hair.
5. The passage tells us being confident (自信的) is more important for us.
3 . We make decisions every day. Everything we say and do is the result of a decision. Sometimes it’s not easy to make the right decision. If you have a big decision to make, you may feel afraid. But there are some simple things you can do to make yourself less worried. Keep reading to learn more about how to make decisions.
Write about your fears (畏惧). It may help you know about them and make a better decision. Start by writing about the decision you need to make. Describe or list everything that you are worried about.
Think about the worst situation. Once you write about the decision you need to make and why you have fears, take it a step further (深远). Try to think about the worst result for every possible choice.
Think about whether the decision you make will last for a long time. Once you think about anything that could go wrong think about whether you can change the decision later on. Most decisions can be changed, so don’t be afraid to make a wrong decision.
Judge the following statements true (T) or false (F) according to the passage.
1. The writer thinks it’s always easy to make decisions.
2. The writer thinks writing about your fears can help you learn about those fears.
3. The writer advises readers not to think the worst result.
4. The writer thinks it’s important to make right decisions at first, because it’s hard to change them later.
5. This passage mainly gives us some advice on making decisions.
4 . According to a new survey, student safety has become a big problem. Now in many big cities of China, many schools start a new lesson: self-protection. Students like this lesson because there are no exams or boring classes. And they can learn how to save lives and know how to stop danger before it really happens. Lin Li, a teacher from Yantai, gives young students advice on how to deal with danger.
*If you are in a traffic accident.
If a car hits you, you should remember the car number. If it is a bicycle, try to call your parents before you let the rider go. This is because you don’t know how seriously you are hurt.
*If it is raining hard and there is lightning.
Don’t stay in high places and stay away from trees.
*If there is a fire.
Get away as fast as you can. Put wet things on your body and try to find an exit. Don’t take the lift.
*If someone is drowning (溺水).
If you can’t swim, don’t get into the water. Cry out for help.
Remember that danger is never as far away as you think. Take care of yourself at all times!
*If you are robbed (抢劫).
Keep calm. If you cannot cry for help or run away, give the robber your money. Try to remember what the robber looks like and tell the police later.
根据短文内容，判断正 (T)、误 (F)。
1. Many schools have started a new lesson on self-protection because it is a big problem.
2. If you are hit by a car, you are supposed to remember what the driver looks like.
3. When you are in the rain, you must stay close to the trees and stay in low places.
4. You should shout for help first if your money and treasures are robbed by someone.
5. We can learn how to protect ourselves if we are in danger from the passage.
5 . What programs do you like to watch? How do you watch them? TV has always entertained (娱乐) and given us information, but how we watch has changed a lot.
The first electronic black and white television was invented in the 1920s. Back then, TV sets were very expensive. As the price came down, more people bought one. In the 1950s, color television was shown for the first time. By the late 1960s, many people had color TVs.
In those days, programs were shown only at certain times. You had to be sure you turned on the TV set, or you missed your program. The VCR (videocassette recorder) was invented in the 1950s, and became popular in the 1970s and 1980s. VCRs allowed people to record a program or film and watch it later. In the 1990s, people began watching digital (数字化的) films on DVDs. They were of better quality (质量) than VCR tapes. By 1997, you could order a DVD from the Internet and it was sent to your house by post.
Now we can download TV shows and films directly to our TV sets. We even watch on our computers, tablets (平板电脑) and phones. This technology continues to improve. Just imagine how we’ll be watching in 100 years. People say that 3D TV and virtual reality (VR) — which makes you feel like you’re actually there — are the future. Whatever it is, we’ll be watching!
根据短文内容，判断句子正（T）、误（F）。
1. Color TV sets were invented in the 1920s.
2. Most people had a VCR by the 1950s.
3. Digital films on DVD were of better quality than films on VCR tapes.
4. The way we watch programs and films in 100 years won’t have any changes.
5. The passage is mainly about how TV programs have helped people have fun over the years.
A friend of mine told me a story about Thanksgiving, a holiday American people celebrate on the fourth Thursday of November. It is their custom to give thanks to God for the harvest. A big dinner is prepared, and turkey is the main dish.
One Thanksgiving Day, a teacher of a primary school asked her first graders what they were grateful for. She asked them to draw a picture of it. These children were from poor neighborhoods. Their families could hardly provide them with a big dinner most of them would draw pictures of turkeys on tables, because they had looked forward to having turkey for a long time. The teacher was surprised and puzzled by the picture that Jack handed in — a hand, a simple childishly (幼稚地) drawn hand!
But whose hand? The class was excited by the strange painting. “I think it must be the hand of God that brings us food,” said one child. “It must be the farmer’s hand,” said another, “because he raises turkeys.”
Finally, when the others were back at work, the teacher bent over Jack’s desk and asked whose hand it was. “It’s your hand, Teacher,” he said in a weak voice.
She remembered she had taken Jack, a poor shy child, by the hand several times. She often did that with the children. But it meant so much to Jack. Perhaps this was everyone’s Thanksgiving, not for the material things given to us, but for the chance, in whatever small way, to give to others.
1. What does Thanksgiving mean to Americans?2. What happened on Thanksgiving Day at a primary school?
3. Why was the teacher surprised?
4. What did the class say about it?
5. It is the teacher’s hand, isn’t it?
6. What is the true meaning of Thanksgiving according to the author?
Britain’s Got Talent is a popular British TV show looking for the most talented people in the country. This year, a music group named “Sign Along With Us” got the show’s first Golden Buzzer for their excellent performance. They got much closer to win a bigger prize.
The group is made up of 18-year-old Jade Kilduff, her 4-year-old little brother Christian Kilduff, and some others. Aged from 4 to 58, there are 37 children and 28 adults in the group. They sang a beautiful song named This is Me and used sign language (手语).
They chose to give their performance in this way to help young Christian face his illness. Christian has great difficulty talking with others. His family took him to many hospitals, but they were told that he could never talk. Jade didn’t believe that and she taught her little brother sign language. “I just know there was a voice inside there waiting to come out.” she told the judges (评委) on the show.
Their performance touched everyone’s heart. There was not a dry eye in the house. “Every one of you gave a wonderful performance. It was really great.” said one of the judges.
1. A music group, “Sign Along With Us”, won a big prize in Britain’s Got Talent.2. To win the big prize, Jade’s brother aged 4 sang loudly and clearly.
3. Everyone is touched because of the great performance and the story behind it.
4. From the passage we know, we’d better sing songs with sign language.
A new term means a new start. What do you like to do to welcome the beginning of your new study life? | |
| David | I do a special thing on the first day of every term. On the night before, I use a piece of paper and coloured pens to make a “first day of school” sign. I draw pictures on it. The next day, I take a picture with the sign in front of the school. To me, this is a meaningful way to welcome the beginning of a new term. |
| Mary | At the beginning of the school year, I will write down some words about study and life. For example, now as a freshman in middle school, I write “Dreams big and work hard” on a piece of white paper. After finishing all these, I will put up this piece of paper on the wall by my bed. Whenever I look at it when I’m tired, it can encourage me to learn. |
| Mike | The most important thing to do at the start of the new term is to look back at the happy memories (记忆) of the summer holiday. I’ll turn on the camera and open my notebook the night before the new term starts. |
| Susan | I will have a haircut at the beginning of a new term. The day before I go to school, I’ll go to the barber shop (理发店) near my neighbourhood by myself. I feel really relaxed and have fun during the haircut. After I get a new hairstyle, I feel like everything is new from now on. |
1. David doesn’t draw pictures on his sign.
2. Mary writes down some words and puts them up on the wall by her bed.
3. Mike would like to look back happy memories by looking at the camera and notebook.
4. Susan gets a new hairstyle in the barber shop far from her neighbourhood.
5. Both David and Mary use pens and paper to welcome the new term.
6. The passage is about some students’ ways to welcome the beginning of the new study life.
| You are what you eat | Keeping better eating habits can help you reduce (减少) illness. A healthy eating plan means choosing the right foods to eat and preparing foods in a healthy way. |
| Change the toothbrush | Do you often change your toothbrush (牙刷)? Maybe you think it is not necessary. A study shows old toothbrushes bring disease. You should often change your toothbrush. |
| Exercise | Swimming, running, skating, skiing, dancing, walking and some other activities can help you stay healthy. You should exercise at least three times a week and for twenty minutes or more each time. Do it. |
| Plan out your life | You should have breakfast before you go to school. Have a right meal for lunch. Follow a healthy diet (饮食). |
1. Good eating habits can help your health.
2. Old toothbrushes can reduce disease.
3. We should exercise only three times a month.
4. We should have breakfast before going to school.
5. The passage is mainly about healthy lifestyle.
An American friend has invited you to visit his family. You’ve never been to an American’s home before, and you’re not sure what to do. Should you take a gift? What should you dress? When should you arrive? Glad you asked. When you’re the guest, you should just make yourself at home.
The question of whether or not to bring a gift often troubles guests. In American culture, a guest is not obligated (强迫) to bring a present. Of course, some people do bring some small gifts to their hosts. Proper gifts generally might be flowers, candy or—if the family has small children—toys. If you choose not to bring a gift, don’t worry. No one will even notice that.
For most informal (非正式的) dinners, you should wear everyday clothes. Plan to arrive on time, or call to tell your hosts about the delay (延迟). During the dinner conversation, it’s customary to compliment (称赞) the hosts about the wonderful meal. Of course, the biggest compliment is to eat lots of food! When you’ve had plenty, you might offer to clear the table or wash the dishes. But since you’re the guest, your hosts may not let you do that. Instead, they may invite you to move to the living room for dessert with tea or coffee. After an hour or so of general talking, it’s probably time to head for the door.
Americans usually like to have advance notice (提前通知) when people come to see them. Only very close friends drop by without any notice. This is especially true if the guests want to stay for a few days. Even relatives don’t usually stay for several weeks at a time. Here’s some good advice for house guests: Short stays are the best. While you’re staying with an American family, try to keep your living area clean and tidy. Your host family will be thankful for your consideration. And they may even invite you back!
| How to be | ||
| Gift | ☆Proper gifts: flowers, candy or toys. ☆No present is also OK. | |
| Before the dinner | ☆Try to arrive on time. *If you can’t ☆Wear everyday clothes. | |
| During the dinner | ☆Compliment the hosts about the meal. ☆ | |
| After the dinner | ☆Offer to do some cleaning work, though your hosts may not let you do that. ☆Leave after about an hour after dinner. | |
| A short stay | ☆You are ☆Don’t stay too long. ☆Keep your living area clean and tidy. | |
