In Canada and the United States, people enjoy entertaining(请客) at home. They often invites friends for a meal, a party or just for coffee and conversation.
Here are the kinds of things people say when they invite someone to their homes: “Would you like to come over for dinner this Saturday night?” “Hey, we’re having a party on Friday. Can you come?”
To answer an invitation, either say thank you and accept or say you are sorry and give an excuse. “Thanks, I’d love to. What time would you like me to come?” or “ Oh, sorry. I’ve tickets for a movie.”
Sometimes, however, people in the west use expressions(语句) that sound like invitation but which are not real invitation. For example, “Please come over for a drink sometime.” “Why not get together for a party sometime?” or “Why don’t you come over and see us sometime soon?” They are really polite ways of ending a conversation. They are not real invitations because they don’t mention(提到、涉及) a certain time or date. They just show that the person is trying to be friendly. To answer expressions like this, people just say, “Sure, that would be great!” or “OK! Thanks.”
So next time when you hear what sounds like an invitation, listen carefully. Is it a real invitation or is the person just being friendly?Why do Canadians and Americans often invite friends for meals at home?
| A．Because they have modern and beautiful houses. |
| B．Because they can spend less money. |
| C．Because they enjoy entertaining at home. |
| D．Because they can save time. |
Which of the following is NOT a real invitation?
| A．Please go to the concert with me some day. |
| B．Would you like to have a cup of tea with us this evening? |
| C．I’ve two tickets here. Can you go to the cinema with me? |
| D．If you are free now, let’s go to Wang’s for a drink. |
If people say, “Why not get together for a party sometime?”, you just say “__________”
| A．I’m glad to hear that. | B．How about this evening? |
| C．Oh, sorry. I’m very busy. | D．That’s great. Thanks. |
People use “an unreal invitation” in order to show __________.
| A．they’re trying to be friendly |
| B．they’re trying to make friends with others |
| C．they have already got ready for a party |
| D．their spirit of generosity |
The passage is mainly about __________.
| A．entertainment at home |
| B．real invitations or not |
| C．expressions of starting a conversation |
| D．ways of ending a conversation |
Some people have a very poor sense of direction. Unlucky , I am one of them. I have visited a place many times but I may still get lost there the next time.
When I was a little girl, I never dared ask strangers the way. And so I used to walk round in circle and hope that by chance I would get to the place I was going to.
Now , I am no longer too shy to ask people for directions, but I often receive helpless or even wrong information. So I try to avoid giving people wrong directions. If anyone asks me the way somewhere, I would say,"sorry, I am a stranger here."
Once on my way to work I was stopped by a man. He asked me if I could tell him the way to the Friendship Building. I gave him my usual reply. But just as I walked on only a few steps. I realized that he had asked the way to my office building. However, I had no time to turn back and look for him. I was rushing to meet with someone at my office and I didn't want to keep him waiting.
When I just got to my office, the secretary showed in the man who had asked me for directions. Imagine how embarrassed I was and how surprised he was when we saw each other at the first sight!
| A．she's a stranger to the city |
| B．she doesn't know the people |
| C．she has no time to help others |
| D．she's afraid of giving wrong directions. |
| A．sell her something | B．ask for the time |
| C．make friends with her | D．ask for the directions. |
| A．lives | B．studies | C．works | D．teaches |
| A．尴尬 | B．困惑 | C．激动 | D．拮据 |
| A．The writer is too shy to give others directions |
| B．The writer has a very poor sense of direction |
| C．The writer never got lost when she was young. |
| D．The man was quite nervous when he saw the writer. |
My Year Abroad
This month in Travelers Corner there are three teenagers’ experiences in year-abroad programmes.
Mariko Okada – Tokyo
My year abroad in the United States was a fantastic experience. I’m not a shy person, and I was very comfortable speaking to everyone. So I got lots of speaking practice. I also learned lots of interesting things about American culture. When I got home, my friends all said that I had improved so much! I hope to go back again in the future.
Carla Fonseca – Rio de Janeiro
I spent last year studying English in London. I’m from a small town, and London is a very big city. Sometimes I felt it was too big. There were so many people to talk to, but I always felt bad about my English. I missed my family, and I really missed my two cats. My roommate was always using our telephone, so I hardly had the chance for a nice long talk with my parents. I think it was a good experience for me, but I’m glad to be home!
Alvin Chen – Hong Kong
Studying in New Zealand was a fun experience for me, but it was also lots of hard work! I had English classes six hours a day, five days a week——with lots of homework. I also kept a diary of my experience. I like to write, and I wrote two or three pages in my diary every day. On Saturdays, my homestay family took me to lots of interesting places and showed me so many wonderful things about the culture. I’m really glad I went!
| A．to study English | B．to visit friends |
| C．to have a holiday | D．to find a job |
| A．Mariko. | B．Carla. |
| C．Alvin. | D．None of them. |
| A．a sports club newsletter |
| B．a science documentary |
| C．a travel magazine |
| D．a news website |
The Slender West Lake. named National AAAAA Tourist Area in 2010, includes the Great Rainbow Bridge, the White Pagoda, Five-pavilion Bridge, the Twenty-four Bridge, the Small Golden Hill and so on. The best time to tour the Slender West Lake is in March. During the visit to the park, the boat travels on the water and visitors travel in the picture.
Ticket: Mar. - May. ¥ 150; Other months ¥90
Time: 8:30 - 17:00
Bus: No. 4, 5, 6, 17, 61 buses
Tel: 0514-87357803; 0514-87370091
Website: http://www.shouxihu.com
He garden, the most famous garden in the late Qing Dynasty, is known for its long double-way corridor(走廊), which is regarded as the earliest footbridge.
Ticket: Mar. - May. ¥ 40; Other months ¥30
Time: 7:30 - 17:15
Bus: No. 19, 61 buses
Te: 0514-87900345; 0514-87222353
Website: http://www.he-garden.net
Six months ago. Jack came to China to study. He has heard that Yangzhou is famous for its gardens. And he plans to visit some gardens in July, so he has collected information about them online as follows:
| A．30 yuan. | B．40 yuan. |
| C．90 yuan. | D．150 yuan. |
| A．The long corridor. | B．The green bamboo. |
| C．The man-made hills. | D．The boat travelling. |
Since last year, Where Are We Going, Dad? has become the most popular TV shows. On the show, the five fathers and their children traveled around China. riding camels through the western deserts, fishing on the east coast, and selling vegetables for their bus fare(费用)home in southwestern Yunnan province.
One dad doesn’t know how to do his daughter’s hair, so some people try to help him. Another one must survive(生存)with his son for three days in the desert. because the father can’t cook ,they only eat instant noodles(方便面).
Why is Where Are We Going, Dad? so popular? Because it is about how Chinese parents look after their kids. The show makes modern parents think about what they should do with their kids.” In traditional Chinese culture, the father is strict and the mother is kind. But on the show, we see fathers who are much gentle on their kids and more involved(参与)in their upbringing(成长).” said Li Minyi, a professor of early childhood education.
In the past, children were taught to follow their parents’ wishes and look after them in their old age. But today Chinese parents increasingly realize that respecting their children ’s choices may be a better way to prepare them for modern society(社会). As they raise their children, parents are growing up at the same time.
According to the passage, what didn’t the fathers and their children do on the show?
| A．Rode camels. | B．Sold vegetables. |
| C．Climbed the mountains. | D．Fished on the east coast. |
In the forth paragraph, the underlined word “them” refers to (指的是).
| A．modern parents |
| B．the five fathers on the show |
| C．the parents in the past |
| D．the children in the old days |
Why is Where Are We Going, Dad? so popular?
| A．Because it’s about how Chinese parents raise their children. |
| B．Because there are many famous stars on the show. |
| C．Because it’s about how to help the poor. |
| D．Because it’s about how to sell vegetables. |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Fathers are much gentle on their kids on the show. |
| B．Children were told to obey their parents’ wishes in the past. |
| C．Parents can also learn something when they raise their children. |
| D．In traditional Chinese culture, parents are both strict with their kids. |
Going to a new school can be difficult, but this passage will help you in the beginning. Here is something to help you to fit in(融入).
First, take a day to enjoy your school. You won’t fit in at school if you don’t know the school. Ask for a school map. Try to get to know every corner of your new school. A good school handhook can be of great help. But to make it easy, ask the people near you where something is—tell people that you are new when you need help.
Be nice to everyone. Be nice to everyone, the young or the old, because they might just be your next teacher or friend.
Get to know your teachers and pay attention in class. Teachers always pay attention to(关注) new students, Talk to them and find out more about them. Never test their limits(底线)—don’t go too far, or you may end up getting into trouble（麻烦）
You need to make friends. Talk to different people. Be yourself and don’t lie. This is YOUR school now, take a chance(机会) on being who you weren’t at your old school. Join a few clubs or sports teams and make more friends in this way.
Be yourself and be polite. Don’t worry too much about what people think of you. Be true, be yourself, and be nice to everyone, no matter how mean (unfriendly) they may seem at first. It’s often the “girl/boy that I didn’t like at my new school” that ends up being my friend after a little while. But then again, don’t be afraid to stand up for yourself if it’s very clear that you should.
Work hard to fit in while still being yourself. The first few weeks are always hard, but you’ll soon get used to it. Who does the writer write the passage for?
| A．parents | B．teachers | C．students | D．friends |
It is very easy to find places in your new school by ____________.
| A．looking at a map | B．asking people for help |
| C．reading a handbook | D．walking around the school |
The underlined phrase “stand up for yourself” means you should ________.
| A．try to stand up all the time |
| B．be friendly to the mean persons |
| C．always do things by yourself |
| D．not change your idea if it’s right |
The passage is mainly about ________________.
| A．how to fit in when at a new school |
| B．how to make friends at a new school |
| C．how to enjoy the beauty of the school |
| D．how to be yourself at a new school |