Peter wondered why he didn't have many friends. The reason（原因）was he was always taking, never giving. One day Peter told Bill, "I'd like to give a party on Saturday, I'd like you to come and bring Martha, too." "Thanks, Peter. We' d be happy to come." " Perhaps you'd like to bring your violin. You and Martha sing well together. I'm sure everyone will want you to sing for us." That was how Peter began to plan his party. Next he asked another friend, Betty, to bring a cake. "You make the best cake in the world, Betty, and I like to eat your cake better than have one from the bakery." Peter invited（邀请）a few other friends to come to his party. He didn't forget（忘记）to ask something from each one of them. He even asked Jim and Mary Jackson to let him give the party at their house! They agreed（同意）. The party was a big success（成功）. However, as the guests（客人）were leaving, they said "Thank you" to Bill and Martha for the music, Betty for the cake, the Jacksons for the use of the house and to others for their hard work. To Peter they just said, "Thanks for the invitation（邀请）."The party was held（举行） .
| A．at Peter's house | B．in a large hall（大厅） |
| C．at Peter's friend's house | D．in a secret（秘密的）place |
Which of the following is NOT TRUE?
| A．Betty made the best cake. |
| B．Mary Jackson sang well. |
| C．Bill played the violin well. |
| D．The Jacksons did hard work for the party. |
liked Peter.
| A．Many of his friends | B．Few people |
| C．Everyone | D．All his friends |
Peter to give the party.
| A．tried his best | B．did nothing |
| C．only invited some friends | D．did everything |
From the story, we can see Peter was .
| A．a warm -hearted（热心的）man | B．good at making friends |
| C．a selfish（自私的）man | D．a welcomed（受欢迎的）friend |
Idioms are phrases and sentences that do not mean exactly what they say. Even if you know the meaning of each word you see or hear, you may not understand the idiom because you don’t understand the culture behind it.
For example, if an American boy asks his mother what’s for dinner tomorrow, she may say “I’ll play it by ear”, that means she doesn’t have plans for dinner and she will decide later. "Play by ear" used to mean playing music using the sheet music, but now people often use it when they’re not talking about music.
There’re many idioms in English. If you learn to use them, your English will be more vivid and colorful. English idioms are more common in spoken English. They can be difficult to remember sometimes. Next time when you hear somebody saying to you, "Give me a hand", you don’t necessarily stretch out your hand to him/her, but you do need to be helpful. And when the situation is out of hand, you usually can do very little to manage all that. What about a green hand? It’s not about the color of your hand! You’re a green hand when you are very new at your work and don’t have much experience. If you and your partner always work together hand in glove, you two definitely work together very well.
Can you guess the meanings of some common English idioms to do with parts of your body?What is an idiom ?
What does “ Can you give me a hand “ mean ?
Are English idioms more common in written English or spoken English ?
My problems started after I went to a boar ding school. I was only 14, and at first I missed my family a lot. I often called them and cried on the phone. But after two weeks, I found I enjoyed being with my classmates at school.
I had many friends who were boys. I thought of them as my best friends - but only friends. I never guessed my friendships with boys would become a problem.
Then, three months later, my friends told me that some teachers and girls said I was hanging out with boys all day long in order to get attention from them. Seven months after that, the head teacher Mr. Wang asked the class to choose some students to join the Student Union. I thought I could win for I was doing well in school. I'd already won prizes for the best math and English exams. A week later, the list came out and it didn't include me. I was sad.
Mr. Wang came to me and sai d, "Don't be sad. I know you're excellent! Maybe
you're a little distant from the girls in our class. They don't know much about you, so some of them didn't choose you. It doesn't matter. Do your best to get along well with everyone and I think you'll make it next time."What was the writer's problem when she first entered the boarding school?
| A．She didn't like her new school. |
| B．She didn't get along well with her classmates. |
| C．She missed her family very m uch. |
| D．She didn't like her new teacher. |
Many of the writer's friends in her new school were _______.
| A．teachers | B．boys | C．girls | D．women |
Why did the writer fail to join the Student Union?
| A．Her teachers didn't like her. |
| B．She was a poor student. |
| C．Some girls didn't choose her. |
| D．She likes showing off herself. |
Which of the following is NOT true, according to the passage?
| A．The writer won prizes for the best science and English exams. |
| B．The writer didn't realize that her friendships with boys would cause problems. |
| C．The writer was sad because she failed to join the Student Union. |
| D．The teacher thought she was an excellent student |
Very hot weather is common in many parts of the world. Although hot weather just makes most people hot, it can cause medical problems and death.
Floods, storms and other terrible natural events kill thousands of people every year. And we hear much about them in news reports. We general hear little about heat, which experts say may be nature’s most dangerous killer.
Health experts say that since the year 1900, very hot weather has killed more people in the United States than any other natural event. One year--- the unusually hot summer of 1980 heat caused about 1,700 deaths in the United States. In 1995, more than 600 people died in another heat wave in one city----Chicago, Illinois.
Besides drinking lots of cool water , doctors say there are some other things to do to protect against the health dangers of heat. Stay out of the sun, if possible. Wear loose and light—colored clothes. Wear a hat while in the sun. Eat fewer hot and heavy foods. And, when possible, cook foods during cooler time of the day. If possible, rest more often.
Health experts say these simple steps can prevent the dangerous health problems caused by heat. They will prevent sickness, help you feel better and may even save your life. Hot weather is common ______.
| A．all over the world. | B．in many parts of the world |
| C．in some parts of the world | D．in a few parts of the world |
Experts say maybe _______is natural’s most dangerous killer.
| A．heat | B．a flood | C．a storm | D．an earthquake |
About 1,700 people died of heat in the US _______.
| A．in 1900 | B．in 1980 | C．in 1995 | D．in 2000 |
The passage is talking about _______.
| A．all kinds of terrible natural events in the world |
| B．some health problems caused by hot weather |
| C．how to prevent health problems |
| D．the health problems in hot weather and the ways to stop them |
Readers’ favorite landmarks
Arizona’s Grand Canyon Skywalk(人行天桥)is the best new bridge, New York by Gehry(盖里设计的纽约大厦) is the top new skyscraper and the National September11Memorial(911纪念馆)is the favorite new public space, according to Travel+ Leisure magazine (《悦乐》杂志).
What do the three architectures have in common? They were all opened in the last fifteen years and are this year’s new best landmarks. It shows that some architectures could become classics in a very short time.
How were these top new landmarks voted(投票)?The New York-based travel magazine carried out an online survey to discover the world’s top new landmarks in2012.They asked readers to vote their favorite ones in different categories(类别)—skyscrapers, parks and public spaces, museums, bridges, sports and performance places.
The architectures having the most votes in each category are crowned as the best new landmarks. Each category has a top new landmark.Arizona’s Grand Canyon Skywalk is ________.
| A．the best new bridge | B．a high building |
| C．a new walkway | D．a street. |
In the passage , ______ famous architectures are mentioned.
| A．1 | B．2 | C．3 | D．4 |
How long have the architectures been open ? ________.
| A．5 years | B．10 years | C．15 years | D．150 years |
The architectures are crowned as the best new landmarks according to having the most votes on_________ .
| A．skyscrapers, parks and public spaces, museums, bridges, sports and performance places. |
| B．skyscrapers, parks and public spaces, museums, bridges and performance places |
| C．parks and public spaces, museums, bridges, sports and performance places. |
| D．skyscrapers, parks and public spaces and performance places. |
The cartoon series , Tom and Jerry, is a very popular program. What do you think of it ? Come on and try our question.
NAME: Paul Smith
AGE: 12
SCHOOL: primary school.
| Questions and Comments |
(very satisfied ) 1 |
(satisfied) 2 |
Not satisfied) 3 |
| 1. Do you like the stories in it ? |
P |
||
| Comments: The stories are great ! Tom and Jerry are both lovely guys. I have fun watching it. |
|||
| 2. Do you enjoy the pictures in it |
P |
||
| Comments: How cute the pictures are ! I really want to know who draws them. I hope one day I can learn from him how to draw cartoons. |
|||
| 3. Are you happy with the music in it ? |
P |
||
| Comments: Every time I hear the music in it, I’ll be excited! I always follow the songs in it. |
|||
| 4. Are you satisfied with the show time ? |
P |
||
| Comments: The show time is OK. If it is a little later, that’ll be better, because I’m having the painting class at 6:00 pm. Sometimes I miss the beginning of the program. What a pity! |
Paul Smith is _______.
| A．the chart designer | B．one of the characters |
| C．a primary school student | D．a primary school teacher |
We can guess from the chart that Paul may be interested in _______.
| A．drawing | B．dancing | C．sports | D．writing |
According to the chart, Paul Smith is not very satisfied with _______.
| A．the stories | B．pictures | C．music | D．the show time |