Did you ever wonder how some of your favorite foods, products or toys came about? Believe it or not, they may have been an accident, or a failure of some other intention. Below, we found three mistakes we’re thankful for turned out to be what they are.

1. Most historians hold that the Chinese invented fireworks in the 9th century when they discovered how to make gunpowder. Story has it that a Chinese cook accidentally mixed together what were then considered common kitchen items and noticed they burnt. When put tightly in a bamboo tube and lit, it blew up.

2. In May of 1886, a law led John Pemberton, a pharmacist(药剂师), to rewrite the formula(配方) for “Pemberton’s French Wine Coca”, his popular headache treatment. Containing sugar instead of wine as a sweetener, the outcome became something for Coke, which was later mixed with carbonated(碳酸) water. His bookkeeper suggested the name Coca-Cola because he thought the two C’s would look good together, which is how what we call Coca-Cola, a world-wide drink came into being.

3. During World WarⅡ, scientists at the University of Birmingham invented the magnetron(磁控管)—an important heat-producing part of the microwave oven. While working for Raytheon Corporation after the war, the American engineer Percy Spencer was testing the magnetron when a chocolate bar in his pocket melted. He went on to test other foods including popcorn kernels(仁), and found it to be a much more efficient way to cook. In 1947 Raytheon came out with the first restaurant microwave oven, which was six feet tall and weighed 750 lbs.
【小题1】The right time order of the three inventions should be ________.

A.fireworks, the microwave and Coca-Cola
B.fireworks, Coca-Cola and the microwave
C.Coca-Cola, fireworks and the microwave
D.the microwave, Coca-Cola and fireworks
【小题2】Percy Spencer found the microwave efficient in cooking when he was ________.
A.looking for a way to melt his chocolate
B.trying to know how a magnetron could cook
C.working to know how the magnetron works
D.asked to invent a restaurant microwave oven
【小题3】The underlined phrase “ blew up” might mean _______ in Chinese.
A.爆炸B.膨胀C.升华D.蒸发
【小题4】What can we learn from the above invention stories?
A.Experiments make great inventors of our time.
B.Nothing is impossible if one tries each day.
C.Inventors come out of hard work at any time.
D.A small incident may lead to a great invention.

Different countries have different customs. When you travel to another countries,please follow their customs,just as the saying goes,“_________ .”
Very often people who travel to the United States forget to tip(付小费).It is usual to tip porters who help carry your bags,taxi drivers and waiters. Waiters expect to get a 15% tip on the cost of your meal. Taxi drivers expect about the same amount.
In England,make sure to stand in line even if there are only two of you. It’s important to respect lines there. It’s a good idea to talk about the weather. It’s a favorite subject of conversation with the British.
In Spain,it’s a good idea to have a light meal in the afternoon if someone invites you for dinner. People have dinner very late,and restaurants do not generally open until after 9 pm.
In Arab countries,men kiss one another on the cheek(脸颊). Your host may welcome you with a kiss on both cheeks. It is polite for you to do the same.
In Japan,people usually give personal or business cards to each other when they meet for the first time. When a person gives you a card,don’t put it into your pocket right away. The person expects you to read it.
Don’t forget to be careful of your body language to express something In conversation. A kind of body language that is acceptable in one culture may be impolite in another.
【小题1】When you travel to the USA,you don’t need to tip  __________.  

A.portersB.waitersC.taxi driversD.conductor
【小题2】The missing sentence in the first paragraph should be“  __________ .”
A.Love me,love my dog .B.He who laughs last laughs best
C.When in Rome,do as the Romans doD.Where there is a will,there is a way
【小题3】The underline word “porters” in the passage means  __________. 
A.搬运工B.清洁工C.接线员D.售票员
【小题4】Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage ?
A.In Spain,People usually have dinner very early.
B.In England it’s a not polite to talk about the weather.
C.In Arab countries,men kiss one another on the cheek .
D.In Japan you should not read the business card as soon as you get it.
【小题5】What’s the best title of the passage ?
A. How to Tip                      B Body Language
C. When to Have Dinner         D. Advice to International Travelers


You can easily find that your sister or brother is different from you. You live together in the same house and have the same parents, but you have different personalities(性格).
Why? One possible reason is the way your parents treat you.
Firstborn children receive all the attention from their parents. Generally speaking, a firstborn has twice as many photos as any other child has. Parents usually give firstborns more responsibilities (责任)and depend on them to take care of younger brothers and sisters. As a result, firstborns are often responsible, hard-working, and serious. They often want to do well at school and in work. More firstborns became American Presidents, for example George W.Bush, George Washington and Lyndon Baines Johnson, than second or last-borns.
When a second child arrives, parents are more relaxed. The second child has to compete (竞争)with the first-born for parents’ attention and love. These children often choose different sports and hobbies to develop different personalities. They are often outgoing, but can be jealous and get angry easily.
The youngest child is usually the happiest, and has fewer responsibilities and more freedom(自由的). These children do well at school and in work, but have to be creative(创造性的) to get their family’s attention. They are often friendly and cool. Many famous talk-show hosts were born last.
【小题1】The underlined word “jealous” means_______ in Chinese
A. 友好的             B. 嫉妒的            C. 快乐的
【小题2】The writer thinks that the second-born children are often ______.
A. outgoing but jealous
B. cool and friendly
C. hard-working and serious
【小题3】. ______ is usually the happiest in the family according to the passage.
A. The eldest child
B. The second child
C. The youngest child
【小题4】 We can learn from the passage that ______.
A. the second child is very similar to the firstborn child
B. brothers and sisters usually have the same personalities
C. more firstborns became American presidents than second or last-borns
【小题5】 The passage is mainly about ______.
A. birth order and personalities
B. children and their parents
C. different children and different work

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