American is a mobile society. Friendships between Americans can be close and real, yet disappear soon if situations change. Neither side feels hurt by this. Both may exchange Christmas greetings for a year or two, perhaps a few letters for a while—then no more. If the same two people meet again by chance, even years later, they pick up the friendship. This can be quite difficult for us Chinese to understand, because friendships between us flower more slowly but then may become lifelong feelings, extending (延伸) sometimes deeply into both families.
Americans are ready to receive us foreigners at their homes, share their holidays, and their home life. They will enjoy welcoming us and be pleased if we accept their hospitality (好客) easily.
Another difficult point for us Chinese to understand Americans is that although they include us warmly in their personal everyday lives, they don’t show their politeness to us if it requires a great deal of time. This is usually the opposite of the practice in our country where we may be generous with our time. Sometimes, we, as hosts, will appear at airports even in the middle of the night to meet a friend. We may take days off to act as guides to our foreign friends. The Americans, however, express their welcome usually at homes, but truly can not manage the time to do a great deal with a visitor outside their daily routine (常规). They will probably expect us to get ourselves from the airport to our own hotel by bus. And they expect that we will phone them from there. Once we arrive at their homes, the welcome will be full, warm and real. We will find ourselves treated hospitably.
For the Americans, it is often considered more friendly to invite a friend to their homes than to go to restaurants, except for purely business matters. So accept their hospitality at home!The writer of this passage must be ___________.
| A．an American | B．a Chinese | C．a professor | D．a student |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Friendships between Americans usually extend deeply into their family. |
| B．Friendships between Americans usually last for all their lives. |
| C．Americans always show their warmth even if they are very busy. |
| D．Americans will continue their friendships again even after a long break. |
From the last two paragraphs we can learn that when we arrive in America to visit an American friend, we will probably be _________________.
| A．warmly welcomed at the airport | B．offered a ride to his home |
| C．treated hospitably at his home | D．treated to dinner in a restaurant |
From the underlined sentence, we can know the Chinese people __________.
| A．are strict with time | B．don’t take time seriously |
| C．don’t know how to use time | D．are willing to spend time for friends |
A suitable title for this passage would probably be “________________”.
| A．Friendships between Chinese |
| B．Friendships between Americans |
| C．Americans’hospitality |
| D．Americans’and Chinese’s views of friendship |
One night, as Diaz stepped off the train and onto a nearly empty platform, a teenage boy approached and pulled out a knife.
“He wanted my money, so I just gave him my wallet and told him, ‘Here you go ’” Diaz says.
As the teen began to walk away, Diaz told him, “Hey, wait a minute. You forgot something. If you’re going to be robbing people for the rest of the night, you might as well take my coat to keep you warm.”
The robber looked at him puzzled, saying, “Why are you doing this?”
Diaz replied, “If you’re willing to risk your freedom for a few dollars, then you must really need the money. I mean, all I wanted to do was get dinner and if you really want to join me…..”
Diaz says he and the teen went into a diner and sat in a booth.
“The manager comes by, the dishwashers come by, the waiters come by to say hi,” Diaz says.
The kid said, “You know everybody here. Do you own this place?”
“No, I just eat here a lot,” Dias said. “But you’re even nice to the dishwasher,” he said.
Diaz replied, “Well, haven’t you been taught you should be nice to everybody?”
“Yeah, but I didn’t think people actually behaved that way,” the teen said.
When the bill arrived, Diaz said, “You’re going to have to pay for this bill because you have my money and I can’t pay for this. So if you give me my wallet back, I’ll gladly treat you.”
The teen returned it immediately. “I gave him $20…. I figure maybe it’ll help him.” Diaz says he asked for something in return--- the teen’s knife--- “and he gave it to me.”
Afterwards, when Diaz told his mother what happened, she said, “You’re the type of kid that if someone asked you for the time, you gave them your watch.”
“I figure, you know, if you treat people right, you can only hope that they treat you right. It’s as simple as it gets in this complicated world.”What did Diaz do to the teen?
| A．He gave the teen a new wallet | B．He treated the teen to dinner |
| C．He gave his coat to the teen | D．He bought the teen’s knife |
From the passage we can infer that the boy _______.
| A．expressed his gratitude for Diaz’s kindness |
| B．gave up the idea of robbing in the end |
| C．wasn’t taught how to be nice to everybody |
| D．gave the knife to Diaz in return for his forgiveness |
As for what Diaz did, his mother showed an attitude of _______.
| A．anger | B．concern | C．criticism | D．praise |
By telling the story of Diaz, the author intends to tell us ______.
| A．to keep calm in danger | B．not to go out alone at night |
| C．to treat others kindly | D．not to harm others on purpose |
Homeschool materials are every where .In fact, as a homeschool parent, one of the best learning tools you can use is making use of songs. Think of it .When you hear your favorite songs come on the radio and as soon as the lyrics begin , you can join in at once and sing along. Perhaps, you haven’t heard this song for months or even years! Doesn’t it amaze you? There is no doubt that learning through lyric and rhyme(韵律)is a great way!
With some careful searching , you can come up with many songs ,lyrics ,and rhymes that fit well with your homeschool lesson plan or unit study. Some places even have songs that have the same themes with the lessons. They are perfect to be used to add to your homeschool materials ! Even if you don’t find a particular great song for what you may be teaching at the time, you can write your own. With a little practice, you can not only write your own songs over time but also be surprised how good you can become.
Take any of the traditional chidren’s songs and modify(修改) them to meet your needs .This is an interesting exercise for both you and your children. It helps you with reading , recognizing(识别)sounds, and improving memory. Soon you’ll have your children want to write and sing their own songs!
Song and singing is such a great way to teach your children. It’s fun and relaxing. Sometimes. you really need such a break from your study and work .It will cost nothing. So turn your creativity and imagination loose and have fun .Whisrle (吹口哨) while you work!In Paragraph 1,the author proves his point through______
| A．his favorite songs | B．his own experience |
| C．people’s common experience | D．singing along with the radio |
What does the underlined word “They” in Paragraph 2 refer to?
| A．Songs. | B．Themes. | C．Lessons | D．Places |
According to the passage, modifying traditional songs can ______
| A．improve people’s writing ability |
| B．make materials more interesting |
| C．help children sing better |
| D．help people improve memory |
The passage is probably written to______
| A．homeschool students |
| B．homeschool parents |
| C．all the children |
| D．school teachers |
Which of the follwing would be the best title for the passage?
| A．How to raise children at home |
| B．How to find homeschool materials |
| C．Homeschool materials in songs |
| D．Children’s singing materials |
Two years ago my grandmother was going to turn 75. My family discussed what was the best way to celebrate. Should we throw her a party? Should we take her on a trip ? We remembered that she had touched so many people's lives , and there were so many people for her to cosider. Then someone got the idea that we should include everyone in the celebration by turning it into a tribute(献礼) to my grandmother.
We secretly sent out letters to the people in Grandmother's address book and asked them to send a letter with a memory that they had shared with her. People sent us letters with poems, stories and pictures. The deep feeling that was shared through the response(回应)surprised us. We compiled(编辑)these letters into a memory book and amazed her with it on the morning of her birthday.
The unusual thing about my grandmother's friends was not the number that she had, but the connection they shared. In many ways this book of friendship was the greatest achievement of my grandmother's life.
I believe that developing true friendships is one of the most important things that anyone can do in one's lifetime. It is not a matter of the number of friends one has, but the quality of the bonds. If one has had at least one true friendship before dying, then one can say one has lived a successful life. I have made many friends and I believe I have begun to develop the same types of friendships my grandmother kept up over her lifetime. I only hope that I will be as successful as she has been. How did the author's family celebrate Grandmother's birthday ?
| A．They took her on a trip across the country. |
| B．They gave her a memory book of friendship. |
| C．They invited all her friends to her birthday party. |
| D．They asked all her friends to send her cards. |
When receiving her birthday gift, the author's grandmother probably felt _____.
| A．disappointed and lonely |
| B．sorry and sad |
| C．surprised and pleased |
| D．nervous and excited |
The underlined word “bonds” in the last paragraph probably means________
| A．relationships | B．works | C．successes | D．celebrations |
According to the passage, the author probably agrees that _____.
| A．the more friends you have, the better |
| B．friends are more important than family |
| C．understanding leads to greater success |
| D．true friendship is very important to us |
Which of the following words can best describe the author's grandmother ?
| A．Famous | B．Great. | C．Polite | D．Pleasant |
International students in Christine Rhodes’ English class in Australia share their favorite places they have visited in Australia.
Canberra, the nicest city in Australia.
Siggi Siebold from Germany
I went for a short holiday to Canberra because my son lives there. It’s the nicest city in Australia, a little bit similar to Cairns. There’re lots of big rivers and trees around the city. The small city of Mount Isa
Indra Ekanayake from Malaysia
I came to Mount Isa six months ago. It’s a long way from Brisbane-about 2,000 km .It’s a small city, with a population of 21,000, but it has all the basic facilities(设施)such as a hospital, six schools and supermarkets. It’s a mining city. It’s hot and gets little rain. There’re two big lakes to keep the rainwater for drinking for the city.Lake Moondarra and a mine
Ida Robb from Indonesia
In Mount Isa, there’s a dam called Lake Moondarra. On the weekend you can go there with your friends.People go fishing and even catch a crocodile. There’s a big mine in Mount Isa.Many people come to work in the mine and earn much money.It isn’t a beautiful green place, but many people love it.My impression(印象)of Sydney
Namfon Pitaxsin from Thailand
The fist time I came to Australia,I was happy. I traveled to Sydney. Four million people live there ,and many are Asians. I saw the harbor (港口)，Sydney Harbor Bridge and the Opera House and I went to see the koalas and kangaroos in Taronga Park Zoo. After that I went to the Thai restaurants. There is a revolving (旋转的) restaurant, so you can eat and see the city.Why did Siggi Siebold go to Canberra?
| A． Because it’s the nicest city in Australia. |
| B．Because her son lives there |
| C．Because it is similar to her hometown |
| D．Because there’re lots of rivers |
According to Indra Ekanayake, Mount Isa______
| A．is a famous harbor in Ausralia |
| B．has a large population |
| C．probably doesn’t have enough drinking water |
| D．doesn’t have enough basic facilities |
Where is Lake Moondarra?
A. In Canberra. B. In Mount Isa. C.In Brisbane. D.In Sydney
64.The first time Namfon Pitaxsin went to Australia, she________
A. saw some special Australian animals
B. met more Americans than Asians
C. ate in a revolving restaurant
D. enjoyed the music in the Opera HouseHow many cities does the passage mainly talk about?
| A．Two | B．Three | C．Four. | D．Five |
I was 15. She looked like she was over 70. But on that day. I think she understood me more than anyone else.
Walking into the church that Sunday was hard. I had never let anyone see me cry. But I knew I would cry that day .My grandfather was suddenly ill .The doctors said he might not live much longer. Everyone in my family was crying .Grandpa was the sweetest man in the world .Why was he leaving us?
There weren't many people at church that day. One of them was an old lady sitting at the end of my row. She was smiling. I closed my eyes and prayed for my grandfather to get better. Soon, my eyes were full of tears. I opened my eyes and saw a hand in front of me. It was giving me a tissue(纸巾)。
The old lady was sitting next to me, smiling. She didn't say a word. She just gave me a tissue and a smile. I tried to thank her, but only tears came out. Then she took my hand. I looked into her eyes. They were clear and blue, and they make me feel peaceful. Her smile said to me :I am with you. Everything will be OK. I closed my eyes again. When I opened them, she wasn't there. I left the church but still couldn't find her. I never saw her again.
My grandfather died the next week. We all cried a lot. But when I thought of that old lady's warm smile, I felt a little better.
How did she know how I was feeling ? I wish I could see her again, to say thank you.According to Paragraph 2, what made the whole family cry ?
| A．Grandfather's words | B．Grandfather's death. |
| C．The author's cry. | D．The doctor's words. |
The author went to church to _____.
| A．pray for grandfather. | B．ask the old lady for help. |
| C．avoid being seen crying. | D．thank the old lady. |
Whose hand does the underlined word "It" in Paragraph 3 refer to
| A．Grandfather's | B．The old lady's. |
| C．The author's. | D．Father's. |
What do we know about the old lady ?
| A．She knows the author. | B．She can't speak. |
| C．She needs understanding. | D．She is very kind. |
What made the author feel better after Grandfather died ?
| A．The old lady's words. | B．The old lady's smile. |
| C．The old lady's eyes. | D．The old lady's hand |