About a year ago, a couple with 3 children moved into the apartment next door to me．I never heard any noise from the children, but the parents were always 1 them, in a frightening way．We met often in the hallway when we were coming or going．I always spoke, but the only answer I ever got was a hello from the 4-year-old girl．
I usually go out for breakfast and one day when I returned they were just coming from their apartment and the little girl was holding the door open for the others．I remained in the car doing unnecessary things 2 I wasn't in a hurry．The parents were telling her to get in the car immediately．I looked up and saw the little girl was still holding the door open, waiting for me．
As a handicapped(有残疾的)man, I can't hurry at anything, but I hurried as much as I could and thanked her．She was smiling like a lovely angel．I was so touched but her small act of kindness．That afternoon I was shopping at the K-mart and I saw a white bear．I thought of the 3 and said to myself．“I believe she would like that” so I bought it．
The next day there was a knock on the door and it was the little girl and her father．She was so proud of her bear and thanked me like I had never been thanked before．The mother and father both thanked me．
Now when we meet in the hall we all speak, and in a friendly manner I might add．As time passes, I don't hear that shouting as often． 4 , hardly at all．
Last night we had about four inches of snow．I looked out at my car and wondered how I was going to keep my doctor's appointment．
When I opened the outside door, there was my car with all the snow cleaned．I can't express how I felt at that moment．The man next door was the only person I knew in the whole building, so when I saw him the next day．I asked him if he was the good man that cleaned my snow．He said 5 ．He wanted to but his wife said she wanted to do it．
Isn't it amazing how a 4-year-old girl can change so many things for the better? My guardian angel(守护天使)says that good things usually come from 6 ．
The tradition of birthday parties started a long time ago．There are some traditions that you can find almost anywhere, anytime, such as sending birthday cards, blowing out the candles on a birthday cake and singing the ‘Happy Birthday’ song．Others are only found for certain ages and in certain countries．
In China, on a child’s second birthday, family members put many things on the floor around the child．According to Chinese tradition, the first thing that the child picks up tells you what profession the child will choose later in life．
For Japanese children, the third, fifth and seventh birthdays are especially important．At this age, there is a special celebration Shichi-Go-San(seven, five, three in Japanese)when children go to the temple wearing a new kimono(和服)．The priest(僧侣)gives them special sweets, and the parents usually organize a party for their friends in their home．
In Argentina, Mexico and several other Latin American countries, girls have a special birthday celebration when they reach the age of fifteen．After a special ceremony(仪式), the girls dance a waltz with their father and other boys．
Eighteen is the traditional ‘coming of age’－the age when(in many countries)you have the right to vote(选举), join the army and(in Britain)drink alcohol or buy a house．
In many English-speaking countries, a twenty-first birthday cake often has a key on top, or the cake itself is sometimes in the shape of a key．The key means that the young person is now old enough to leave and enter the family home at any time they want to!
(1)
Which of the following birthday traditions can be found almost anywhere, anytime?
[ ]
A．
Putting many things on the floor．
B．
Wearing a new kimono．
C．
Dancing a waltz．
D．
Sending birthday cards．
(2)
The ________ usually organize a party at children’s special birthday celebration in Japan．
[ ]
A．
priests
B．
parents
C．
friends
D．
relatives
(3)
Mexican girls have a special birthday celebration at the age of ________．
[ ]
A．
five
B．
seven
C．
fifteen
D．
twenty-one
(4)
In many countries you can ________ when you reach the age of eighteen．
[ ]
A．
join the army
B．
have a key
C．
have a special ceremony
D．
have special sweets
(5)
Which of the following sentences is NOT true?
[ ]
A．
The tradition of birthday parties started a long time ago．
B．
Some birthday traditions are only found in certain countries．
C．
You become the owner of your house at the age of fifteen．
D．
In many countries you have the right to vote at the age of eighteen．
(6)
Which is the best title of this passage?
[ ]
A．
Birthday Traditions around the World
B．
Chinese Birthday Celebrations
C．
Japanese Special Celebration
D．
The Drinking Age in Many Countries
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J．K．Rowling is probably the most famous author alive today．Her books about the adventures of a young wizard(魔法师)named Harry Potter have sold more than 325 million copies．They have also been translated into 64 different languages．
Joanne Kathleen Rowing was born in 1965 in England．She always dreamt of becoming a writer, and began writing stories when she was six years old．After she studied French at university, in 1990 she decided to move to Manchester, and went there to look for a flat．Her journey back to London was long and boring．But on that journey the idea for the Harry Potter stories first entered her mind．
Over the next year, she worked hard on her novel．Then, her mother died from a long and difficult illness．She was only 45．To forget her grief, Rowling moved to Portugal(葡萄牙)to work as an English teacher．There, she had a lot of free time to work on her book, and rewrote many parts of the story．
When she arrived back in Britain in 1994, she had a baby daughter and very little money．She moved to Edinburgh to live near her sister, and worked on her novel．Whenever her daughter feel asleep, Rowling would write as quickly as she could．After several months, she finished the book．
It may be surprising, but no publishers wanted to buy her book at first．They thought that people today would not like a story about magic．In 1996, after a year of searching, she found a company that would publish the novel．It soon became a bestseller, and was later turned into a successful film．People around the world have gone crazy for Harry Potter ever since．
(1)
The numbers in the first paragraph shows the book Harry Potter is ________．
[ ]
A．
expensive
B．
difficult
C．
popular
D．
harmless
(2)
J．K．Rowling began writing at the age of ________．
[ ]
A．
6
B．
16
C．
25
D．
45
(3)
She first had the idea for the Harry Potter stories in ________．
[ ]
A．
1965
B．
1990
C．
1994
D．
1996
(4)
J．K．Rowling finished writing her novel when she was in ________．
[ ]
A．
Portugal
B．
France
C．
America
D．
Britain
(5)
J．K．Rowling was able to make her dream come true because ________．
[ ]
A．
she traveled to many places
B．
she kept working hard
C．
her sister helped her a lot
D．
she was very young．
(6)
According to the passage, which of the following is Not True?
[ ]
A．
J．K．Rowling studied French at university．
B．
J．K．Rowling was very sad about her mother's death．
C．
J．K．Rowling went to Portugal to teach French．
D．
It was not easy for her to find a publisher for the book．
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