Dinner customs (风俗) are different around the world. If you are a dinner guest (客人) in Ghana(非洲的加纳), this information will help you.
In Ghana, dinner is usually from four in the afternoon to six in the evening. But there are no strict rules about time in Ghana. Whenever a guest arrives, a family offers food.
When you go to a home, the host takes you to the living room first. At this time everyone welcomes you. Then you go to the dinner room. There you wash your hands in a bowl of water. All the food is on the table.
In Ghana you usually eat with your fingers. You eat from the same dish as everyone else. But you eat from one side of the dish only. It is not polite to get food from the other side of the dish. After dinner, you wash your hands again in a bowl of water.
Most meals in Ghana have a dish called fufu. People in Ghana make fufu from the powder（粉末） of some plants. Sometimes they cut the fufu with a saw（锯） because it is very hard and like rubber（橡胶）. You must chew fufu well, or you can get sick. You eat fufu with fingers of your right hand only.If you are a dinner guest to a family in Ghana, you’re first ________.
| A．told to wash your hands |
| B．taken to the dinning-room |
| C．told some strict rules about dinner |
| D．taken to the living-room |
In the fourth paragraph, the writer wants to tell us ________
| A．what to eat in Ghana |
| B．how much time to spend on a dinner. |
| C．the way of eating |
| D．different food at a dinner |
The word “chew” in the last paragraph means ________
| A．smell | B．taste |
| C．presses with your hands | D．crush with your teeth |
In Ghana, ________
| A．dinner is always at six |
| B．rules for dinner time are not strict |
| C．a family offers food only at four |
| D．you don’t have to wash your hands again after dinner. |
After a terrible electrical accident，which caused him to become both blind and deaf，the whole world became completely dark and quiet for Robert Edwards for almost ten years. The loss of sight and hearing threw him into such sorrow that he tried a few times to put an end to his life. His family，especially his wife，did their best to tend and comfort him and finally he regained the will to live.
One hot summer afternoon，he was taking a walk with a stick near his house when a thunderstorm started all at once. He stood under a large tree to avoid getting wet，but he was struck by the lightning. Witnesses thought he was dead but he woke up some 20 minutes later lying face down in muddy water at the base of the tree. He was trembling badly，but when he opened his eyes，he could hardly believe what he saw——a plough and a wall. When Mrs Edwards came running up to him，shouting to their neighbors to call for help，he could see her and hear her voice for the first time in nearly ten years.
The news of Robert regaining his sight and hearing quickly spread，and many doctors came to examine him. Most of them said that he regained his sight and hearing from the shock he got from the lightning. However，none of them could give a convincing answer as to why this should have happened. The only reasonable explanation given by one doctor was that，since Robert lost his sight and hearing as a result of sudden shock，perhaps，the only way for him to regain them was by another sudden shock.The reason for Robert's attempts to kill himself was that________.
| A．a terrible traffic accident happened to him |
| B．he had to live in a dark and silent world |
| C．he was struck by the lightning once more |
| D．nobody in the world cared about him |
What was Robert doing when he was struck by the lightning?
| A．Sheltering for the rain under a tree. |
| B．Driving a car. |
| C．Taking a walk with a stick. |
| D．Lying on the ground. |
What did Robert see first when he regained his sight after the shock?
| A．His wife. | B．His neighbours. | C．A plough and a wall. | D．Many doctors. |
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．Robert had been deaf and blind for nearly ten years. |
| B．Robert hid himself under the tree for 20 minutes. |
| C．Robert could hear his wife's shouting for help when he woke up. |
| D．The family's love helped Robert regain confidence to live. |
We can infer from the text that________.
| A．there was no accurate explanation for Robert's recovery |
| B．many doctors came because Robert was badly injured |
| C．Robert's wife sent for doctors immediately after the shock |
| D．a sudden injury in the head led to Robert's recovery |
Many everyday American expressions are based on colors.
Red is a hot colour. Americans may say they are red hot about something unfair. They are red hot when they are very angry about something. The small hottasting peppers found in many Mexican foods are called red hot for their colour and their fiery(辣的) taste. Fast loud music is popular with many people. They may say the music is red hot, especially the kind called Dixieland jazz.
Pink is a lighter kind of red. People sometimes say they are in the pink when they are in good health. The expression was first used in America at the beginning of the twentieth century. It comes from the fact that many babies are born with nice pink skin that shows that they are in good health.
The colour black is often used in expressions. People describe a day on which everything goes wrong as a black day. A blacklist (黑名单) is illegal now. But at one time, some businesses refused to employ people who were on a blacklist for belonging to unpopular organizations.
The colour green is natural for trees and grass. But it is，an unnatural colour for humans. A person who has a sick feeling in his stomach may say he feels a little green. A passenger on a boat who is feeling very sick from high waves may look very green.
Sometimes a person may be upset because he does not have something as nice as a friend has. That person may say he is green with envy. Some people are green with envy because a friend has more dollars or greenbacks. Dollars are called greenbacks because green is the colour of the back side of the paper money.Americans use “red hot” to describe the following EXCEPT________.
| A．something unfair |
| B．small hottasting peppers |
| C．the person who is very angry |
| D．popular music like Dixieland jazz |
People use “in the pink” to express they are in good health because________.
| A．the expression has a very long history |
| B．the color pink makes people feel happy |
| C．people think the colour pink is gentler than red |
| D．healthy babies are born with nice pink skin |
When we say someone feels a little green, it means he/she________.
| A．enjoys himself in boating | B．is hit by a high wave |
| C．has a stomachache | D．likes trees and grass |
In the writer's eyes, what is related to a black day?
| A．Being sent a beautiful gift. |
| B．Passing a very difficult test. |
| C．Being refused during an important interview. |
| D．Being invited to an exciting party. |
The writer wants to tell us________in American everyday expressions.
| A．the most popular colours |
| B．different meanings of colours |
| C．how to use colours correctly |
| D．why Americans like to use colours |
Vans, Keds, Dollies—they sound like the names of rock bands，but if you have teenagers, you'll know they’re actually the latest in teenage footwear.
But experts are now warning that the current shoe fashions will be causing teenagers discomfort in the short term and storing up years of foot, knee and back pain in the future. Here, the experts identify the problems caused by teenagers’ shoe choice.
KEDS/VANS
Slipon shoes with elastic (弹性的) sides are particularly popular among teenage boys—with Keds and Vans the most sought-after brands.
The main problem is that they are just too flat—so flat that the heel, which strikes the ground first, also becomes damaged and painful.
BALLET PUMPS 
The worst shoes of all are such light and thin dolly shoes. The problem is partly their flatness, as with Keds and Vans. However ballet pumps, which have no string or heel, have other specific problems.
“As the shoe has no fastening device, it relies on the toes to keep the shoe on, causing an awkward gait (步法) , this leads to short—and long-term problems such as calluses (茧子), heel and knee pain.”
WEDGES AND STILETTOS
These shoes can also cause problems with gait. They may look good, but the heels on these are so high they can force the wearer’s body weight forward, making them very unstable.
Teens who wear these shoes regularly are also in danger of joining those millions of women with constant back pain.
SCHOOL SHOES
So what do podiatrists (足科医生)have on their wish list, especially for everyday wear?
Something in a natural, breathable fabric, with a string to hold it on，with a small heel and a deep toebox that does not press the toes，such as Clark's，Marks & Spencer or Rhino.
If your teen insists on wearing “bad” shoes, get them some simple foot orthotics(矫形器) in the shoes. These support and correct the movement of the foot and, properly fitted by a podiatrist, can often transform their walk and halt the damage.Of all the shoes mentioned in the passage, which can cause the worst problems?
| A．Ballet Pumps. | B．Wedges & Stilettos. | C．Keds and Vans | D．Marks & Spencer. |
The underlined word “halt” in the last paragraph probably means________.
| A．increase | B．stop | C．worsen | D．cure |
From this passage we can infer________.
| A．podiatrists are expert at producing branded shoes |
| B．fashionable shoes all have orthotics in them |
| C．experts are strongly against wearing popular shoes |
| D．trendy shoes may ruin teenager’ health |
Pigs are always considered dirty animals because they roll in mud．But in fact they prefer being quite clean．They cover themselves with mud to help stay cool．During cooler weather, they prefer to stay clean．So do elephants, who also cover themselves in dust or mud to keep cool．When they find a place with clean water they will take a bath，using their long noses to give themselves—or each other—a nice shower
Some animals use dust to get clean．Chinchillas (南美洲栗鼠) have very fine fur． They don’t like to take water baths because water is not warm enough for them．So, instead, they roll around in fine dust．The dust helps to keep their fur and skin dry．This protects them from disease
Usually, a small bird is a light meal for a crocodile．But when a crocodile wants its teeth cleaned．it lies on the ground with its mouth open．The crocodile bird goes in and picks out any parasites(寄生虫)between the crocodile’s teeth or under its tongue．The crocodile gets its mouth cleaned，and the crocodile bird gets dinner．
You wouldn’t think fish would need baths．But some undersea parasites live under the fish’s skin．“Cleaner” fish，like the wrasse(隆头鱼)，help take them away．The wrasse stands on its head and dances to signal a big fish that it is ready to go into the cleaning business．The big fish will stop moving and open its mouth wide so the wrasse can swim inside and pick out parasites and bits of food．The passage is mainly about how animals __________．
| A．stay clean | B．help each other | C．get their food | D．take baths |
What can we learn from the first paragraph about pigs?
| A．They can help each other take baths． |
| B．They are dirtier during cooler weather． |
| C．They prefer taking baths to rolling in mud． |
| D．They like to stay cool and clean． |
Chinchillas use dust to get clean for the following reasons EXCEPT that ________．
| A．dust can dry their fur and skin | B．They are not good at swimming |
| C．Water is too cold for them | D．Dust is good for their health |
From Paragraphs 3 and 4，we can know that __________．
| A．Some animals can get clean from others’ help |
| B．Most animals are friendly to each other |
| C．Small animals couldn’t get food from big ones |
| D．All of the animals prefer to stay clean |
Over the last six years I have learned what patience is. Growing up I did not have this virtue（优点）and it is a very important virtue to have. Now I can see that if you are patient you will almost always get what you want if you are supposed to have it. I gained patience when I lost my freedom. I knew that I would eventually get it back in time.
I was locked up in prison for a period of six years because at 19 years old I was playing with a handgun and I accidentally shot and killed my friend. The first couple of years was the hardest.I was always stressed out about everything.Time was dragging by because I was always paying attention to it.While I was locked up，Tom who I talked to helped put this virtue in me.He told me that it was possible that he would never make it home but that being patient and believing that one day he would was what had made him feel better.After a while I realized why he said a lot of things to me.Once I stopped paying attention to the days and just kept in mind that I would get freedom，it seemed that my time passed quickly.
Now I am home and can see that patience paid off for me. I now use this virtue in my daily activities. I know that sometimes life gets hard and that it will pay in the end to stay patient and not to get discouraged. So if you are having a hard time in life，be patient and it will eventually work out one way or another.We can learn from the passage that the writer ______.
| A．got patience in prison |
| B．always wants to know what patience is |
| C．began to teach others how to be patient |
| D．is a successful man now through failure |
The writer was put in prison because he ______.
| A．sold handguns |
| B．stole a handgun |
| C．played handguns with friends |
| D．killed his friend accidentally with a handgun |
During the first few years when he was in prison the writer ______.
| A．made a couple of good friends |
| B．thought time passed too slowly |
| C．felt his life was full of unexpected things |
| D．was very nervous and frightened |
In the writer's opinion people will get a good result at last if they ______.
| A．try their best to help others |
| B．turn to others for help |
| C．keep patient and don't lose heart |
| D．set different goals and keep them up |