People all over the world celebrate the new year. However, not all countries celebrate in the same way, and in some countries, the new year doesn’t begin on the 　46　 date very year.

In many countries, the new year begins on 1st January, but people start celebrating on 31st December, New Year’s Eve. In New York many people go to celebrate in Times Square. 　47 　 they’re waiting for the New Year, they listen to music, sing traditional songs and have fun. Just before 12 o’clock, everyone 　48 down from 10: 10, 9, 8… As soon as it’s 12 o’clock, everyone shouts very 　49 , “Happy New Year!”

New Year’s Day is often a family day. Some families get together for a special meal. When the weather is fine, many families go out for a 　50 .

On New Year’s Day, many people make resolutions for the new year. They 　51　 a list of things, such as “I will help out more with housework. I will work 　52 at school than others.” or “I won’t spend so much time playing video games.” When they have made 　53 list, they read it to their family or friends and promise to 　54 their resolutions.

So it doesn’t matter how they celebrate, 　55 people in countries all over the world, it’s a time to say goodbye to the old year, and to welcome the new.

46. A. familiar　　　　 B. same　　　　　 C. important　　　　 D. normal

47. A. If　　　　　　 B. Even though 　　 C. While　　　　　 D. Before

48. A. comes　　　　 B. turn　　　　　　 C. looks　　　　　　 D. counts

49. A. loudly　　　　 B. quietly　　　　　 C. sadly　　　　　　 D. safely

50. A. walk　　　　　 B. secret　　　　　 C. job　　　　　　　 D. treatment

51. A. put on　　　　 B. write down　　　 C. take away　　　　 D. look after

52. A. quickly　　　　 B. hard　　　　　　 C. harder　　　　　 D. hardly

53. A. its　　　　　　 B. his　　　　　　 C. her　　　　　　　 D. their

54. A. follow　　　　 B. make　　　　　 C. do　　　　　　　 D. give

55. A. by　　　　　　 B. for　　　　　　　 C. with　　　　　　 D. from

  Everyone has worries（忧虑，忧愁）. How do you deal with（处理，对付） your worries? There is always something you can do to help yourself feel less worried. Sitting there worrying is no fun and it won't solve your problems.
Grades（分数，得分） at school are often a top worry for children. If you worry most about grades, ask yourself these questions:
●  Why are grades important? What do grades mean to me?
●  How do I get ready for class? Do I go over my notes even when there isn't a test?
●  Do I have a good place to do my homework?
●  Have I tried different ways of studying?
If your worry is about a fight you had with your friend, you might write down all the things you could do----write a note to him or her, invite him or her to watch a basketball game, say sorry to him or her and so on. Once you have a list of things you could do, you can choose one thing that could get your friend back.
You can ask for help when you're worried. You can find someone to talk to, such as your parents, friends, and teachers.
【小题1】What do children often worry most about?

Children who spend more time reading with their parents have a greater chance of becoming better readers than those who don’t. With the help from their parents, children can learn techniques to improve their reading skills.
“A lot of parents think after their child learns to read, they should stop reading to them,” Donna George said. “They are sadly mistaken.”
George offers her services to parents at the Title I Learning Centers. She said reading aloud to children may be the most valuable thing parents can do. “It is better for children to hear things at a higher level than where they are,” George said. “Parents are their child’s first teacher.” Parents help their children build listening, phonics, comprehension and vocabulary skills when they read aloud to them.
Before parents can identify reading problems, they should escape the enemy
—television and limit the time their children spend watching television. George suggested not allowing kids to have a TV in their bedrooms, setting a schedule of when kids can watch or keeping a list of how many programs children watch. Louise Joines said while her 14-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son enjoy reading, the television sometimes becomes a distraction. So she tries to build the situation by suggesting books the entire family will enjoy reading together, like the Harry Potter series.
Parents who do not read themselves should not count on their children being interested in it. If parents would read to their children at least 15 minutes every day, children would not have so many problems in school. It is the parents’ job to help build that desire in their children, and of course to know what kind of books to read is also important.
【小题1】According to George, reading aloud to children_______________.

任务型阅读 (共l0空；每空l分，计l0分)

阅读下列短文，根据短文中的信息完成文后表格。（每空一词)

Small talk is pleasant conversation about common interests. The ability to make “small talk” is highly valued. But making small talk is difficult not only for English learners, but also for many native speakers of English. Most English learners may have difficulty discussing topics they are unfamiliar with because of lack of(缺少) suitable vocabulary.

Now that we understand the problem, the next step is to improve the situation. Here are some tips to improve small talk skills.

◆Do some research

Spend time on the Internet, books, magazines, TVs to special about the type of people you will meet, and this can make your conversations more interesting.

◆Use the Internet for specific vocabulary

This is a bit like doing research about other people. If you have a business conference, or are meeting people who share a common interest, make use of the Internet to learn specific vocabulary.

◆Ask yourself about your culture

Take time to make a list of common things that you will discuss when making small talk in your own culture. And then check to make sure that you have the English vocabulary to make small talk about those subjects.

◆Find common interests

Once you have a subject that interests both of you, keep to it! You can do this in many ways: discussing travel, discussing the school or friends, discussing the differences between your culture and the new culture.

◆Listen

Don’t get so worried about being able to communicate that you don’t listen. Listening carefully will help you understand and encourage those speaking to you. You might be nervous, but letting others express themselves will improve the quality of the discussion and give you time to think of an answer!