Different countries have different customs in giving presents. In China you must never give a clock to a Chinese person, because the pronunciation of the word for “clock” in Chinese is similar to the pronunciation of “death”．Also, don’t wrap (用……包裹) a present in white, black, or blue paper, because they are the colours for funerals (葬礼)．Don’t give a knife, because something sharp can cut a friendship.

In Russia if you give flowers as presents, you have to give an odd number of them (One, Three, five, etc.) because even numbers of flowers are for funerals.

In Germany if you are invited to dinner, flowers are good presents to take to your dinner hostess (女主人), but don’t take her red roses because it means you are in love with her. Don’t take thirteen of anything because it’s an unlucky number. Don’t take an even number of anything, either. Don’t wrap your presents in white, brown, or black paper.

1.According to the passage, ________ must never be given to Chinese people as presents.

A. flowers B. clothes C. food D. clocks

2.People don’t wrap presents in black or white paper in________.

A. Germany B. China C. both China and Germany D. both China and Russia

3.What does the underlined word “even” mean in Chinese in the passage?

A. 奇数的 B. 偶数的 C. 甚至 D. 平坦的

4.What presents can you take to your dinner hostess in Germany?

A. Thirteen of something.

B. Flowers except red roses.

C. An even number of something.

D. Something wrapped in brown paper.

5.Which is the best title of the passage?

A. Foreigners’ Presents

B. Giving Flowers as Presents

C. Different Customs in Giving Presents

D. Don’t Give Thirteen of Anything as Presents

The Vieira family moved to the United States in 1981.At that time, they decided to stop speaking Spanish at home and only communicate in English. This was because they were now living in an English?speaking country.

Now the Vieira children are adults, and they sometimes travel to Spain to visit their family and friends. But they can't communicate with them. Unfortunately this is common. When people move to new countries, they often leave their own customs and mother language behind. This is a mistake because there are many benefits to knowing more than one language.

One advantage of speaking more than one language is that you can communicate with more people around the world. You don't have to depend on others to talk for you, so you are more independent. People who know only one language must use others to help them communicate.

Furthermore, speaking the second language also allows people to experience other cultures and customs more effectively .Local expressions, vocabulary, and even jokes can have a powerful effect on a person's understanding of other culture. So knowing more than one language increases your knowledge of other cultures.

Finally, having more multi?language speakers improves relationships between countries. If people from different countries can communicate well, the world can become closer. Countries will then have more respect for each other and better understand each other's problems.

The benefits of knowing more than one language are clear. In fact, there are no disadvantages. It is very sad that many people don't try to learn another language. It's even worse when people let themselves forget their mother language and become silenced.

1.What's the passage mainly about?

A. The benefits of learning other languages. B. The reasons why people come to America.

C. The importance of learning English. D. How to learn another language.

2.The passage begins with the experience of Vieira family in order to ________.

A. discuss the need of teaching a new language

B. introduce the passage's main characters to the readers

C. describe the advantages of moving to another country

D. show the problem of speaking only one language

3.The underlined phrase “multi?language speakers” (paragraph 5) means “people who know ________.”

A. their mother language B. a new language

C. more than one language D. baby language

4.According to the passage, if you can speak more than one language, you can ________

A. find a better job B. make more friends

C. better understand history D. communicate more independently

5.Based on the last paragraph, which of the following is the worst?

A. Not knowing another language. B. Forgetting one's language.

C. Refusing to learn another language. D. Failing to communicate with others.

短文填空(请用适当的词完成这篇短文，每个空只能填写一个形式正确、意义相符的单词。)

My biggest problem is that I am too busy. When I was young, I used to have1. much time, but these days I get up early and 2. in school all day.3. I go right home and eat dinner. Before I started 4. school, I used to spend a lot of time 5. games with my friends, but I just don't have the time anymore. In the evening, I used to watch TV or 6. with my grandmother, but now I 7. to study. I love 8.， and my father used to take me to the concerts. These days, I hardly ever have time for 9..I do homework and go to bed. I really miss 10. old days.

读写综合(请阅读下面这篇文章，根据所提供的信息，完成信息卡。)

We spoke to three students from around the world about different national holidays. There are different customs (习俗) for each festival.

Tan Xiaodong, 15, Hong Kong, China

“It'll soon be Chinese New Year. Before it, we'll clean the house and decorate it for good luck. Every shop is going to close for a few days and we'll go out a lot to celebrate in the streets. We might go and see the lion and dragon dances in the city center. I love this festival.”

Wendy, 16, Sydney, Australia

“Australia Day is on 26th January and it's an important holiday here. We always have a Monday off, so we celebrate for three days. My parents and I go to the countryside for a picnic and friends always come over. Many people go to beach parties or street parties and there's lots of music and dancing. What fun！”

Amy, 14, New York, USA

“The first Thanksgiving Day was hundreds of years ago when Europeans who came to America thanked God for his help. It's still a very important day for families to be together. This year we're going to visit my grandparents and we'll eat a delicious meal of turkey. Thanksgiving Day is on the fourth Thursday in November every year.”

Information Card

短文填空（请认真阅读下面短文，并根据各题所给首字母的提示，写出一个合适的英语单词完整、正确的形式，使短文通顺。）

Stress is a state of being upset that happens when we are under pressure. We students have all experienced stress over problems with our everyday l 1.. We may go to school or come back with worries. Some worry about r 2. of tests or exams，difficulty with their studies，or too much homework. O 3. feel bad about being overweight or lack（缺少）of free time.

Since stress can make us sick，we have to learn how to d 4. with it. When you are stressed，don’t forget your hobbies. If you are fond of m 5.，just turn on the radio or CD player. Generally，p 6. think that TV may interfere（干扰）with their children’s studies. However，if you worry about your English and don’t k 7. what to do，you can get help from English TV programs. It is also helpful to s 8. your worries with your friends. They will surely give you some a 9. and help you out of trouble.

So，if we treat stress properly，we can r 10. ourselves and keep away from its bad effects.

We _______ Tom _______ honest boy.

A. think, isn’t a B. think, isn’t an C. don’t think, is a D. don’t think, is an

This idea sounds fine, but we need to _______.

A. try out it B. try it out C. try on it D. try it on

--- Sarah is sick, so she is unable to go fishing with us.

. --- _________!

A. Good luck B. Sounds great C. What a shame D Have a nice trip

---I don’t know where to go this summer vacation.

--Why not _______ visiting the Great Wall?

.

A. decide B. think C. consider D. wonder

The bag is _______ all kinds of snacks.

A. full with B. fill with C. filled with D. filled of