Making sense of how the US shows humor
Living in a new country gives me many surprises. The first surprise was the way that the US people speak
One day I saw someone was having a public speech in a square. I thought it would be a serious speech. But I soon found it became a kind of entertainment show.
The speaker told the audience to protect the environment with humorous words. Later he said some people’s behavior didn’t go with their words. He took the example of Taylor Swift’s song We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.[
He said that since Swift doesn’t want to be with the boy any more, she doesn’t need to speak it aloud, she doesn’t need to sing unless she still keeps in touch with that guy. It sounds like she is a hypocrite.
Then he sang the song in a funny way. The audience laughed out loudly. I felt a little angry because Swift is my favourite star. I couldn’t understand why they laughed at Swift.
As time goes on, I find many US people make fun of others. But they don’t mean to hurt them. They do that to show closeness and humour. And people who are laughed at seldom get angry. Now I understand the speaker at the square. Now I’ve got used to the way the US people speak.
It’s easy to find culture shock when you’re in a new place. But everyone should learn to understand different cultures and customs. The man in the square was _______________.
| A．teaching people how to give a speech |
| B．calling on people to protect the environment |
| C．giving a singing show in public |
| D．criticizing the US government |
What does the underlined word “hypocrite” in Paragraph 4 mean?
| A．会唱歌的人 | B．真诚的人 | C．虚伪的人 | D．爱护环境的人 |
From Paragraph 6, we learn that_________________.
| A．many US people like to laugh at others |
| B．many US people are friendly and humorous |
| C．the US people get angry at others easily |
| D．the writer doesn’t like the way the US people speak |
Which is Not suitable for the passage?
| A．The writer went to America and protect the environment. |
| B．Americans show humour in a different way from China. |
| C．It’s easy to find culture shock when you are in a new place. |
| D．Tailor Swift is an American famous singer. |
What does the article mainly talk about?
| A．Differences between the Chinese and the US people. |
| B．In what way the US people speak in public. |
| C．How to get used to life in the US. |
| D．A Chinese girl’s culture shock experience in the US. |
You can buy chewing gum in nearly every country of the world. ① But it wasn’t always like that.[
The American Indians were the first people to chew gum. This gum came from a special tree that grew on their land. In 1848, a sailor called John Curtis began selling it. He was the first person to sell chewing gum. The gum he sold cost just a few cents for two pieces. It became popular very quickly even though it was very hard to chew. ② Nowadays, other things are added to the gum to make it soft and sweet.
By 1890, there were hundreds of different chewing gums. The most famous name in chewing gum, however, is probably William Wrigley. He spent a lot of money in advertising and even sent free pieces of gum to children on their birthdays. ③ He also said that chewing gum helped people work better and that it stopped people from feeling tired.
Although today many millions of people chew gum, not everyone thinks it is a good thing to do. Many people think it is dirty. The Singapore government does not allow people to buy chewing gum. One reason for this is that when some people have chewed all the taste out of their piece of gum, they take it out of their mouths and put it on to the backs of seats or other places.请将①处翻译成汉语。________________________
请根据②处内容完成下面句子。（每空一词）
People make chewing gum soft and sweet _________something to it.把③处改为直接引语。（每空一词）
He also said“, Chewing gum______ people work better and it ______people from feeling tired.”
We always celebrated Dad’s birthday on Thanksgiving Day, even after he entered a nursing home. When we knew it might be his last birthday, the whole family decided to get together for a huge birthday celebration at the nursing home.
Dad was a good storyteller and we were always his listeners. During a quiet moment, I announced it was now Dad’s turn to listen to stories for a change. I wanted everyone to tell Dad what we loved about him. The room became quiet. Then one after another, people told stories from their hearts, while Dad listened with tears in eyes.
Everyone seemed to have more than one story. Even the little grandchildren couldn’t wait to tell Dad why they loved him. For a man who had been kind to so many hundreds of people in his life, here was our chance to tell him how much we love him. A few months later, at Dad’s memorial service, we more fully realized what we had given to Dad that night. Those are the stories people normally tell at a funeral (葬礼) after a loved one is no longer alive to hear the words. They tell stories, full of tears. But we had given those memories to Dad in his life, and we had told them through laughter, together with hugs and joy. He had them to hold and enjoyed them from time to time in his mind during his last days and months.
Words do matter, and they are enough. We just need to say them or to speak them publicly the ones we love. That’s the ways to give back love and that’s our chance to celebrate a person in his or her life.The writer’s family decided to have a huge birthday celebration because______.
| A．Dad was to leave the hospital |
| B．it might be Dad’s last birthday |
| C．they would celebrate Thanksgiving Day |
| D．Dad was at the nursing home |
According to the passage, we know______.
| A．all the family loved the father, including the little grandchildren |
| B．the writer’s father was still enjoying good health |
| C．the party was held at the writer’s home |
| D．the doctor told the writer his father was going to die at once |
From the passage, we know the writer’s father was______ to hear
the stories.
| A．surprised | B．moved | C．sad | D．frustrated |
The best title of the passage can be______.
| A．An Amazing Story | B．A Kind Father |
| C．Say Our Love Publicly | D．A Big Party |
A recent research shows that physical activity(体育活动) may help students do better in their classes. The research comes because educators in some countries are reducing time for activities like P.E. class.
Researchers go over the results of fourteen studies. Twelve were from the United States, one from Canada and one from South Africa. The studies appeared between 2009 and 2013. They included more than 55,000 children, aged six to eighteen.
Thomas Singh, one of the researchers, says the studies showed a relationship between physical activity and scores on subjects such as math, English and reading. Ms. Singh offers some possible explanations (解释):
“ There are, first, physiological (生理的) explanations, like more blood flow, and so more oxygen (氧气) to the brain. Being physically active means there are more hormones（ 荷尔蒙） produced like endorphins ( 脑内啡). And endorphins make your stress level lower and your mood improved, which means you will perform better in class. Also, students who take part in organized sports learn rules and how to follow them. This could improve their classroom behavior and help them know what they should do.
All in all, the finding tells us that physically active kids are more likely to do better in school. Ms. Singh says schools should consider the finding before they cut physical education programs.What led the researchers to do the studies?
| A．Schools’cutting physical activity. |
| B．Their interest in physical activity. |
| C．The tests including about 55,000 children. |
| D．Kids’unsatisfying schooling performance. |
How many countries took part in the studies?
| A．14. | B．12 | C．2. | D．3. |
Which of the following is NOT one of the advantages of physical activity according to the passage?
| A．Getting more blood flow. |
| B．Better classroom behavior. |
| C．Feeling relaxed and refreshed. |
| D．Greater ability to organize activities. |
（1）
| Books Contents |
|
 Leo the Snow Leopard By Craig Hatkoff |
It was written by the best story-teller. The story is about Leo, a young snow leopard(雪豹) that was helped by a kind man in the snowy mountains in Pakistan. Snow leopards are in danger. Leo was just two months old when he was found and he could not live in the wild on his own. |
 Where Do Recyclable Materials Go By Sabbithry Persad |
Tiana has been learning about recycling at school. But after her dog, Bubbles, gets lost chasing after a recycling truck, she decides to learn a lot more about recycling! Following Tiana, readers will learn how to take care of the environment. |
 The Scrap Kins Build By Brian Yanish |
Meet the Scrap Kins. They are friendly monsters. In the book, they’ll show you how to turn rubbish into some pretty cool things. Readers will learn how to make toy planes from plates, bags, old clothes and more. You know what they say: One person’s rubbish is another person’s love. |
 Explore( 探索) Life Cycles ！ By Kathleen M. Reilly |
Do you know the largest seed( 种子)in the world or an egg can weigh up to 4 pounds? You ’ll learn about all of these things and more with the latest book in the Explore Your World series( 系列). The books give readers a good look into the life cycles of plants and animals on the Earth. |
How old was Leo when he was found?
| A．Four months old. | B．Two years old. |
| C．Three months old. | D．Two months old. |
If Jim is interested in making toys from rubbish, he will probably
like to read______.
| A．Leo the Snow Leopard | B．The Scrap Kins Build |
| C．Where Do Recyclable Materials Go? | |
| D．Explore Life Cycles! |
The four books are all about______.
| A．nature and the environment | ||
| B．monsters | C．animals | D．plants |
Many of us don’t pay attention to the importance of eye care. It’s said that if you take care of your body, then you can be healthy. That is why our eyes should be given a lot of care. Natural eye care should be put in a number one place.
There are several causes leading to poor eyesight like not enough food, gene(基因) and aging(年龄增长). Televisions, computers and reading are also the causes of having poor eyesight.
If you happen to work in front of the computer, it is best to take a rest every once in a while. Something dirty can cause redness and they will make you feel uncomfortable. It is bad for your eyes, too. If this happens, the best way is to clean your eyes by using cold water. You must also try your best to protect your eyes from harmful thing. For example, sunglasses are not just fashion but they can also serve as a great way to protect your eyesight from UV rays.
Eating healthy foods will do good to your eyesight. Remember that vitamins(维生素) A、C and E are good for eyes. Try to eat food groups that have these vitamins. And you should do eye exercises because exercise protects your eyesight, too. If a person exercises regularly(规律地) and eats the right kind of food, his eyes will stay in good condition for a long time.
All above are natural ways of eye care that help us keep healthy eyes. Being happy all the time can be helpful to a person’s eyesight, too. In a word, eye care is very important, no matter how old a person is. __________ is the most important way to protect our eyes.
| A．Natural eye care | B．Taking medicine |
| C．Seeing the doctor | D．Being happy all the time |
All the following causes can lead to bad eyesight except _________.
| A．age | B．height | C．reading | D．computer |
What should you do if you have to work in front of the computer?
| A．Eat healthy foods. | B．Clean the eyes by using cold water. |
| C．Wear a pair of sunglasses. | D．Have a rest after working for a while. |
What do the under words “UV rays” mean?
| A．沙土 | B．闪电 | C．紫外线 | D．超声波 |
Which is the best title of the passage?
| A．Ways of Eye Care | B．Ways of Eye Exercises |
| C．Way of Being be Happy | D．Way of Being Healthy |