Birthday Traditions in Different Countries

England

Certain symbolic objects are mixed into the birthday cake as it’s being prepared. If your piece of cake has a coin in it, then you will be rich. Also, when it’s your birthday, your friends give you the“bumps”.They lift you in the air by your hands and feet and raise you up and down to the floor; one for each year you lived, then another one or two for luck.

Denmark

A flag is flown outside a window to show that someone who lives in that house is having a birthday. Presents are placed around the child’s bed while he/she is sleeping，so he/she will see them at once upon awakening.

Holland

Special year birthdays such as 5，10，15，20，21 are called“crown”years.The birthday child receives an especially large gift on a crown year birthday.The family also decorates the birthday child’s chair at the dining room table with flowers，paper streamers and balloons.

Canada

The birthday child’s nose is greased（涂抹）with butter for good luck.The greased nose makes the child too slippery for bad luck to catch him/her.In some parts of Canada，the birthday person even receives a punch（一拳）for each year he/she is alive and then one for good luck.

Brazil

The birthday child receives a pull on the ear for each year he/she has been alive.The birthday person also gives the first plece of cake to his/her most special friend or relative，usually mom or dad.

Korea

There is a big family party on the first birthday.The table is set with food, and four items：a pencil，a ruler，thread，and money. The item that the baby chooses is said to forecast his/her future：excellent student, good with hands, long life or riches.

South Africa

On the twenty-first birthday, a key made of anything from paper to silver to gold is presented by the parents as a sign that the child is ready to unlock the door to their future.

1.If a British friend is raised up and down to the floor 18 yimes on his birthday，he is most likely（可能的）to be .

A.17 B.18 C.19 D.20

2.The following tradition is mentioned in the passage EXCEPT for .

A.giving a pull on the ear

B.having a big family party

C.greasing butter on the nose

D.flying a flag at the child’s bed

3.In which countries do people celebrate their 21st birthday specially?

A.Canada and England.

B.Denmark and Korea.

C.Brazil and Holland.

D.Holland and South Africa.

4.The passage mainly tells us .

A.people in different countries have their own special year birthdays

B.people in different countries celebrate their birthday in different ways

C.people always have a big birthday party at home in different countries

D.people always know a 1-year-old baby’s future from the item he chooses

Let’s try doing the following experiment.

What to do：

Use string to hang a paper clip or other small object at about chest（胸部）level.

Pick up a stick, such as a broom handle. Take three or four steps away from the paper clip.

Now close one eye and walk toward the paper clip. Try to touch it with the tip of the stick. If you miss，try again，still keeping one eye closed. Now try it with both eyes open and see if it’s easier to do.

How it works：

In the experiment, you have to judge how far away the paper clip is. Your brain has several ways of doing this.

One simple way depends on how much your eye has to focus（聚焦）itself. Using only one eye，most people will find it difficult to touch the paper clip on the first try，but the brain still gets some information about distance—though not much.

Your brain can judge distance much better when you look at something with both eyes. In fact, your brain has more than one way to use both eyes in judging distance. For example, to see anything clearly, you have to make both of your eyes point at the object. When you look at a nearby object, your eyes turn inward. You can feel this happening if you look at the tip of your finger and move your finger toward your nose.

Your brain gets information from the eyes about how much they are pointing toward each other. Using that information, the brain can tell how far away any object is, whether it is a basketball or a paper clip.

1.How many materials do we need at least to do the experiment?

A.Two B.Three C.Four D.Five

2.The passage is mainly about that with eyes our brain can judge .

A.how big an object is

B.how high an object is

C.how far away an object is

D.how much information an object is

3.Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A.Our brain judges distance in one way when we use both eyes.

B.Our brain cannot judge the distance of a small object but a big one.

C.How much our eyes focus helps our brain judge the size of an object.

D.How much our eyes focus helps our brain judge the distance of an object.

4.From the experiment we can infer（推断） .

A.with one eye we can see an object as clearly as we use two eyes

B.our eyes turn towards the inside when we look at an object very near

C.within 3 or 4 steps, the nearer an object is, the more clearly we can see it

D.our brain can hardly get any information about distance when we use one eye

My mom isn’t fancy like other moms. They wear fancy clothes and drive fancy cars. My mom wears her gardening clothes when she walks me to school.

When fancy moms laugh, their laughs sound soft and whispery. You can hear my mom’s laugh from down the hall. I show her how to laugh quietly and she practices. But before long she starts laughing even harder than before.

At the talent show, my mom cheers loudly, “Bravo, everyone！Bravo！”instead of clapping politely the way fancy moms do.

For our class hike（徒步旅行）, parents are invited. At breakfast I go over my rules for Mom, “Please don’t whistle. Don’t laugh loudly. No clapping. And stay in line. ”

The other moms show up wearing fancy jackets and sneakers. My mom wears cutoffs, a floppy straw hat, and her old hiking boots.

We hike along, all in a line. Soon Mom starts to whistle her hiking songs, She’ll Be Coming Round the Mountain. I shake my head at her. She stops and whispers, “Oops. Sorry, Jane. ”

We keep hiking. Everything is perfect until…

Our teacher, Ms. Steele, stops and points, “A snake！”All the moms hold their kids hands and back up, except my mom. “Watch out！It might be poisonous（有毒的）！”Ms. Steele says.

The other moms shuttle back some more. However, my mom steps forward and says, “Hmm. Let’s see what kind it is. Nope, It’s not poisonous. ”

I shut my eyes. I know what’s coming next. Mom makes a sudden attack. “Got it！”she says. The other moms scream, not sounding fancy at all.

Kids gather around as Mom examines the snake. “It’s OK to touch, ”she says.

Everyone’s too scared, but I go first. “snakes aren’t slimy, ”I tell them. Right away, others line up. A couple of the fancy moms come up to touch the snake’s tail.

Later, Ms. Steele tells us to draw our favorite part of the hike. After a while, I look around quickly. Everyone’s picture is of Mom and me with the snake.

As we hike back to the bus, I squeeze Mom’s hand. “I’m glad I didn’t tell you my don’t-catch-snakes rule.” She smiles. But soon, she’s whistling her hiking songs again！

I start to make her silent, then stop. Instead, I take a deep breath and sing out too. Everyone joins in, even the fancy moms.

1.The word“fancy”in this passage is close to“ ___________”.

A.fashionable or expensive B.energetic or valuable

C.modern or comfortable D.common or popular

2.Jane tries to make some rules for her mom because .

A.she expects her mom not to catch snakes

B.she is afraid her mom will make her lose face

C.she wants her mom to be different from others

D.she wishes her mom to act more politely than the other moms

3.Jane begins to feel proud of her mom when .

A.she goes first to touch the snake and other kids follow her

B.she joins her mom in singing together with the other moms

C.she tries to stop her mom whistling but later she gives up

D.she finds everyone drawing about her mom and her with the snake

4.Which can be the best title for the passage？

A.My Mom Isn’t Fancy B.Our Hike Isn’t Perfect

C.An Unpleasant Talent Show D.An Unforgettable Experience

What are some tips on becoming a writer?

1.

Most writers read whatever books they can find because they love to lose themselves in them. They like the sounds of language and the way that reading a good description can feel as satisfying as winning a baseball game or eating a banana split.

2.

It’s easy to forget a good idea if you do not write it down immediately. If you get in the habit of carrying a notebook with you everywhere you go, you can write down anything you want to remember. When you are talking to friends in the cafe or waiting for the bus, something might spark an idea for a character or a scene in a story.

3.

Nearly all writers agree that writers must write. It doesn’t matter if you feel like you have nothing to say; the important thing is that you write every single day. Sometimes, you need to give yourself permission to write things which won’t be your best work.

4.

Do you have any friends who enjoy writing? Think about starting a writing group with other people who have similar interests. It helps to have the support of other writers. You will also receive valuable feedback, or suggestions, about how to make your work better.

5.

If you decide that you would like to send your work for publication, make sure to do your research. If you are sending your writing to a magazine, look through old ones. Does it seem like your writing fits in with the other stories or articles? That is the homework for you after writing.

A. Join or start a writing group.

B. Read everything you can.

C. Write every day.

D. Keep a notebook.

E. Stay active.

F. Do your homework.

As I sat motionless on the steps of the pool, watching everyone else swim back and forth, I realized that I had spent most of my life watching others enjoy themselves. It was then that I___________ a little girl staring at me with a look of confusion. I smiled at her, hoping to ___________the ice by talking to her. Unfortunately, my try failed and she just kept on staring. My curiosity increased as a little boy swam up to me and said, "I feel sorry for you."

After the encounter(遭遇), a though____________me, I had to change ___________ the world viewed me. Because it was children who stared at me the most, I decided to write a children’s book that taught them about ___________in a fun way. This is when KatGirl, a super hero in a 48 who helps children that are being bullied, came into my __________.

I quickly__________ inside my apartment and began creating the story. As I wrote each word, I could __________ my future as a world-renowned author and public speaker. My excitement _________ like wildfire. Over the next two years, the story ____________ many changes before it saw the world in the spring of 2011. My perseverance(坚持)__________ paid off.

One day I was invited to speak to the students at a neighboring school. I confidently wheeled into a classroom filled with students who __________ at me just like the little girl in the pool. “ How do you feel when you see me?” I asked them. The kids bravely responded, “I feel sorry for you.”

I opened my book and started reading. Immediately I noticed the children’s stares turned to __________. “How do you feel when you see me?” I asked again. Without hesitation they replied, “You are so cool! Does your chair fly too?” I just smiled, “No, not yet, but maybe someday.” I knew in my heart that this was ___________. The past two years had proven to me that with ___________ anything is possible.

1.A.suggested B.watched C.appreciated D.noticed

2.A.break B.forget C.remove D.deliver

3.A.occurred B.stuck C.struck D.beat

4.A.which B.when C.how D.why

5.A.disabilities B.potentials C.paintings D.manners

6.A.heart B.mind C.thought D.imagination

7.A.wheeled B.walked C.rushed D.raced

8.A.regard B.realize C.consider D.picture

9.A.suffered B.spread C.recovered D.decreased

10.A.turned down B.went through C.looked up D.got around

11.A.generally B.carefully C.eventually D.separately

12.A.called B.glimpsed C.laughed D.stared

13.A.doubts B.jokes C.smiles D.tears

14.A.funny B.strange C.false D.true

15.A.generosity B.determination C.popularity D.harmony

阅读下列材料，在空白处填入适当的内容(1个单词)或括号内所给单问的正确形式。

The following cool inventions are listed in Tim magazine’s 25 best inventions of 2017. They are making the world better and smarter.

Drones(无人机)that take photos

Spark is a new type of drones. A Chinese company in Shenzhen called DJI1. (bring) it to the world in 2012. It helps people take photos and 2. (video). Spark might be the smallest drone ever made. When folded, it is as big3. a can of soda. The coolest part is that users can control the small drone just 4. using hand gestures. For example,5.you wave your hand from left to right, the drone will fly in the same direction. When you want it 6. (land), you just put your hand out. The drone will come to you. This makes taking photos7. (easy) and more convenient.

Social Robot

Robots may not be good communicators. But Jibo, made by US company Jibo Inc, may be different. With8.big round head, Jibo looks like a cartoon character. When it talks to you, it moves 9. (it) head and body 10.(natural) to interact with you. Right now Jibo can only do some basic things. But it may learn to do more in the future.

Hi Wang Ming,

How are you doing these day? I’m so glad that I’ll meet you in September! I know you’ll celebrate the Mid-autumn Festival and I’m interested in it. Could you tell me something about it?

By the way, I want to come to Hangzhou by myself, but my parents thinks it’s too dangerous for me to travel alone. Do you think I should be allowed to travel alone? What should I do?

William

To: Wang Ming

From: William

Hi William,

I’m so glad to hear from you. ____________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

Wang Ming

He is only 8-year-old boy, but he can play piano well.

A.a; the B.a; / C.an; the D.an; /

—Is Mr. Green good at ?

—Yes, he is also good his students. They all love him very much.

A.sing; with B.singing; with C.singing; at D.sing; for

There are about teachers in our school. All of them are friendly.

A.two hundred B.two hundreds C.hundred of D.two hundred of