People like to celebrate when they move into a new home. Maybe it’s the first flat someone has owned，a couple’s first home since getting married or maybe a growing family has moved to a bigger house. For whatever reason，the home is new. It represents a change and an exciting new beginning，with walls to paint，rooms to decorate and neighbors to meet．And what better way to meet people than to throw a party?

    Parties to celebrate moving into a new home are called "house一warming" or“flat一warming" parties. If you think about it，they，re appropriate names because an empty house with no people or furniture in it is a cold shell of a place. A house full of people，on the other hand，often requires some open windows or air conditioning to keep from getting too hot.

    So what are house一warming parties like? Usually，the hosts invite their new neighbors as well as their friends. They usually provide some food and drinks and guests usually bring house一warming gifts. The gift might be something for the house，like a plant，or something for the guests to share，like a bottle of wine. There may be a dress code or theme. For example，if it is a“Hat Party"，people will wear unusual or funny hats. This helps break the ice by making people laugh. This makes it easier to meet new people and creates a fun and cheerful atmosphere.

    "There’s an old saying that“home is where the heart is"．When people throw a house一warming party，they’re opening their hearts as well as their homes to the people around them. So if you’re ever invited by new neighbors to a house一warming，go！Then invite them to your home another time. Your home might already be warm，but new friends are the surest way to warm your heart.

1．Why would a family be described as“growing"？

    A．Grandparents are moving in with the family.

    B．The members of the family are growing taller.

    C．A child or children are being born to that family.

    D．The members of the family are putting on weight.

2．Why is the name“house一warming" appropriate according to the writer?

    A．It’s the opposite of a house一cooling party.

    B．A house or flat with people in it seems to be lively.

    C．When people drink wine at these parties they get very warm.

    D．At these parties there is always a fire that people sit around to warm themselves.

3．What does the underlined phrase“break the ice" mean in a social situation?

    A ．It means to get conversation flowing.

    B．It means to make a hole in the ice through which to fish.

    C．It means conversation is very difficult because people don’t know each other.

    D．It means the atmosphere at a house一warming party is very cold and unfriendly.

4．Why does the writer suggest that you invite people to your home？

    A．It can show your politeness to your neighbours.

    B．Everyone should have a house一warming.

    C．:Making new friends will make you happy.

    D．Inviting them will warm up your cold house.

The   16   picked up the thermos and poured some hot water into the tea-cup and placed it on the small table in front of his  17   , who were a father and daughter, and put the lid on the cup with a clink．Apparently  18  of something, he hurried into the inner room, leaving the  19  on the table．His two guests heard a chest of drawers opening and a rustling （飒飒响声）．

       They  20  sitting in the living-room, the 10-year-old daughter, looking at the flowers outside the window．The father was just about to take his cup when the  21  came, right there in the living-room．Something was hopelessly broken．

       It was the thermos, which had fallen to the floor．The girl looked  22  her shoulder at once, startled （吓一跳）,  23  ．It was  24   neither of them had touched it, not even a little bit．

       The sound caused the host to rush back from the inner room．He looked at the  25  floor and blurted out, “It doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter!”

       The father started to say something．Then he muttered, “Sorry, I  26  it and it fell．”

       “ It doesn’t matter,” the host said．

       Later, when they left the house, the daughter said, “ Daddy, I saw your  27  in the windowpane （窗玻璃）．You were sitting perfectly  28  ．Why did you say…．”

The father  29  , “What then would you  30  as the cause of its fall?”

       “ It fell by itself．The floor is uneven （不平）．It wasn’t steady when Mr．Li put it there．”

       “It won’t  31  , girl．It sounds more  32   when I say I knocked it down．There are things people accept less the more you  33   them．The truer your story is, the less true it sounds．”

The daughter was  34  in silence for a while．Then she said, “ Can you  35   it only this way?”

       “Only this way,” the father said．

16．A．owner         B．host             C．guest            D．master

17．A．friends         B．neighbours         C．children           D．guests

18．A．knowing       B．remembering             C．hearing           D．thinking

19．A．thermos       B．cup               C．lid              D．tea

20．A．enjoyed       B．remained         C．imagined         D．hated

21．A．stranger        B．host             C．crash            D．noise

22．A．around         B．at               C．behind           D．over

23．A．staring        B．watching         C．shouting           D．crying

24．A．helpless       B．exciting          C．strange           D．terrible

25．A．broken        B．steaming         C．dirty             D．flooded

26．A．touched       B．used              C．hit              D．moved

27．A．face           B．shadow          C．reflection                D．action

28．A．calm          B．still             C．silent            D．straight

29．A．shouted        B．whispered        C．laughed           D．repeated

30．A．tell                 B．make            C．accept           D．give

31．A．do             B．suit               C．go              D．fit

32．A．comfortable    B．friendly          C．acceptable        D．agreeable

33．A．defend        B．support          C．discuss            D．argue

34．A．kept          B．shut             C．worried            D．lost

35．A．do             B．explain            C．make              D．manage