My dear son，
I think my life has been long enough now．And I won't be able to visit you any（56） ，but would it be too much to ask（57） （是否）you could come and visit me once in a while？I miss you so much．I am so glad when I hear you are coming to the school for a meeting．But I have （58）d not to go to the school because I am seriously（59） ．
I'm sorry that I only have one eye，and I have been an embarrassment for you．But before I leave this world，I have to tell you one thing that has been hidden in my（60）h for over twenty years．When you were very little，you got into an accident，and（61）l your eye．As a mother，I couldn't stand watching you having to（62）g up with only one eye．So I gave you （63） （我的）．I was so proud you could see a whole new world for me．（64）I was （从不）angry with you for anything you did．Sometimes when you were upset with me，I thought to myself，"It's because you love me．"I miss the time when you were still young around me．
I miss you so much．I love you．You（65） the world to me．Wish you a safe trip．
Your mum．
Why Live Near the River？
Imagine pioneers traveling west in the 1800s． In those days， it was hard to find running water and shops where to buy things． As time went by， most pioneers had to make their homes near a river so that they could get water easily．
How did rivers help people live in the past？
Back in the pioneer days， people grew their own food，caught their own fish，and collected their own water．（1） People also used rivers as roads，traveling on boats．Traders shipped goods （货物）to people from other areas．
（2）
When building many factories right next to rivers for the water's power to make machines work， some people choose to live near a river for working． They use the river to ship large goods， and some of them work at these factories where power factories provide electricity to homes and businesses． （3）
Who wouldn't want to live near a river？
Some people are nervous about living near rivers because rivers can cause floods （洪水）． Every once in a while， floodwaters rise higher than a house， ruining （泡坏） many things in the house．（4） Such waste causes water to smell bad and pollutes the crops （庄稼） we eat． Water and crops in polluted areas can make people very sick．
How do people decide where to live？
（5） Rivers can provide jobs and fun activities in a beautiful place． However， those living by rivers should be willing to accept possible problems as well．
|
A． Why do people live near rivers now？ B． Why did people want to live near a river？ C． Some factories put their waste into rivers． D． Staying close to a river was easy to get water for living． E． Some factories stop waste water from running into rivers． F． People who carry goods onto ships live near the river， too． G． People should think over the possible risks before deciding where to live． |
A growing number of Chinese stories are being told by foreigners through the Internet．
Recently， a video made by an Australian on Douyin swept the screen，followed by more than 2 million zans and 110， 000 comments（评论）． In the video he said． "I'm pleased with the Chinese lifestyle．It's really difficult to live in a country like Australia， especially after you have spent so much time in China． If you don't drive a car in China， you just ride a bike． You can get anywhere easily， and there are subways． But in Australia， if you don't have a car， you can do nothing．"
The Australian uncle also complained about（抱怨）the price of Uber， an Australian taxi﹣hailing software． "My God， one kilometer is almost 20 Australian ollas（about 97 yuan RMB）．"
The blogger of Beijing Expat Guide， Paul Stoker， compared life in Beijing with life in America． He said． "Life is usually controlled by ears in the US． There's no cheap and good public transportation， so it's so difficult to get somewhere． You always have to borrow or rent a car or ask for a ride．""Compared to the colorful life in Beijing， life seems so boring in America． It seems nothing has changed at home， except for you．"
Coming back to America， Cynthia Lopez said at eChinacities． "The number of mass shooting in the US has quickly increased in recent years． You don't have to worry about your safety in China﹣guns are not allowed by law in China． Because of America's gun culture， guns will never be illegal in the US．"
|
Many foreigners who have spent so much time in China are happy about the Chinese ifestyle． And they（1） living in China． They think public traffic in China is very fast and cheap， which can take them anywhere（2） ． However， in their hometowns like Australia and America， public traffic is not so convenient， but（3） ． They can hardly go anywhere without a car． In their eyes， life in China is（4） while the lifestyle in their own countries seems so boring． Another good thing in China is that they don't have to worry about their（5） because guns are not allowed by law． In fact， there must be something good both in China and any other foreign country． It's important to understand and learn from each other． |
"The only constant（不变）in life is change． "Heraclitus said in about 500 B． C． That could be more true today．（1） Technology is out of date almost by the time you buy it． We get plenty of information every day． Francis Bacon said． "Knowledge is power．" In fact． there is more information in a newspaper than he would have experienced in his whole life．
Why are we afraid of change？（2） After all， who knows what new dangers might appear？ However， change is also the only way of development． Nobody can stop it in life． Luckily， our brains become stronger when meeting the unknown．（3） To be more imaginative and creative， you should look for and find environments you have no experience with．
（4） For example， try a new restaurant， or go to a play or a concert you normally wouldn't attend． Small changes can help you gradually get used to uncertainty（不确定）． So when bigger things happen． you'll be more fully prepared for them．
People who fear change often stick to a certain lifestyle． They believe they can control the future by doing so．（5） If you can move from just accepting it to actively finding it out and dealing with it， you will be successful．
|
A． People are thirsty for knowledge． B． That's because our brains want to protect us． C． But change comes whether you ask for it or not． D． We live in a world that is changing every minute． E． You can learn how to face the changes in daily life． F． Dealing with the unexpected needs imagination and creativity． |
Have you ever been sad because you failed in something？ If so， please remember， for often，achieving what you expect is not the most（1） thing．
One day， after watching a science program，a little boy（2） to dig a hole behind his house． As he was working， a couple of boys stopped by to watch． "What are you doing？" asked one of them． "I want to dig a hole all the way through the（3） !" the boy answered excitedly． The older boys laughed and told him that it was impossible to do it． Then they left．
The little boy kept on digging and digging． Suddenly， a few small colorful stones caught his eyes． He（4） them and put them into a glass jar（罐子） Patently．The jar was full soon．Then the boy went to the older boys with the jar and said（5） ， "Maybe I can't finish digging all the way through the earth， but look at what I have found in the process（过程） of digging!"
The boy's goal was too difficult， but it caused him to（6） ， in other words， to cause us to keep working!
Not every goal will be achieved． When you can't achieve your goal， maybe you can say，"Yes， but there are so many wonderful things that have come into my life（7） I tried to do something!" It is the unexpected joy on the journey that really has a（8） ． Just like the little boy， it is in the digging that life is lived．
|
（1）A． traditional |
B． important |
C． difficult |
|
（2）A． refused |
B． needed |
C． decided |
|
（3）A． house |
B． hill |
C． earth |
|
（4）A． collected |
B． threw |
C． dropped |
|
（5）A． angrily |
B． proudly |
C． politely |
|
（6）A． give up |
B． come out |
C． go on |
|
（7）A． because |
B． before |
C． whether |
|
（8）A． problem |
B． meaning |
C． choice |
Do you know what your friends watched on TV last night？Do your friends know what you had for breakfast today？Do you think you are using social media（社交媒体） too much？
（1） It is reported that around 2，800 million people often use social media．That's almost 40 percent of the world's population．But how much time do we really spend on social media？And what exactly do we spend that time doing？
Research shows that，worldwide，the average（普通的） person spends two hours and 19 minutes on social media each day．（2） An average person there spends four hours and 17 minutes a day on social media．Research also shows that women use social media more than men．In the United States，for example，women spend around two hours more a week than men on social media．
（3） In general，it seems we spend more time looking at other people's pages than adding to our own．According to one survey，the most common social media activities are visiting friends' pages，reading their news，and commenting（评论） on their posts．
（4） It has over 2，000 million users．In second place，however，is the Chinese site Qzone．In 2017，Qzone was China's most popular social media site，with around 600 million users worldwide．That's more than Twitter and Instagram
Social media continues to grow．（5） And as Internet access（通道） becomes available to even more people around the world，this growth won't stop anytime soon．
|
A．What do most people do on social media？ B．Why do people communicate on social media？ C．People in Philippines are the most active users． D．The most popular social media site is Facebook． E．On Facebook，people post their news and photos． F．Right now，there are 5 new Facebook users every second． G．Social media is now a part of many people's everyday lives． |