One year ago, I traveled 15,000 kilometers from Australia to the US. I am from a beachside town in the   16  of Sydney, and thought there would be almost no   17  differences between my home country and my 18  . I was surprised at how wrong I was, and at  19  different the two countries could be.
The United States is   20  in almost every aspect. The buildings are gigantic (巨大的) and so are the people who   21  and work in them. At mealtimes, the portions (份额) often   22  to me to be big enough for three or four people. I once   23  a baked potato which turned out to be bigger than my head! This was a big   24  for me.
The longer I spent in the US, the more I started to   25  smaller differences like the culture of   26  in restaurants. In Australia we don’t tend to give a tip   27  the service has been really excellent. In the US you tip for   28  everything, even at the hairdresser. Waiters and shop assistants   29  to be given 15 percent of the bill, although in places   30 New York or Washington DC, a tip can be as much as 20 percent.
  31 , I also became more wary (谨慎的) of believing the stereotypes (成见) I had heard at home as I traveled. Not all Americans are ignorant of geography, for example.
Despite this, certain stereotypes about places did seem to   32  true for me. There is an immense (强烈的) sense of speed in New York. Everyone   33  to and fro, and very seldom takes time to   34  the moment. This is very different from the Australian lifestyle. Australians are laid back. Even in a major city like Sydney, we “Aussies” take time to “stop and smell the roses”---very different from our American counterparts.
Navigating (驾驭) the culture divide between Australia and the US was challenging at times. But I took up that   35  and learned a lot from it. It was an adventure.

Farmers, as we all know, have been having a hard time of it lately, and have turned to new ways of earning income from their land. This involves not only planting new kinds of crops, but some __1__ ways of making money, the most unusual of which has got to be sheep racing. Yes, you heard me __2__! A farmer now holds sheep races on a regular basis, and during the past year over 100 000 people have __3__ to watch the race. “I was passing the farm on my way to the sea for a holiday,” one punter (赛马经纪人) told me, “and I thought I’d have a look. I didn’t believe it was serious, to tell you the truth.” According to a regular visitor, betting on sheep is more interesting than betting on horses. “At proper horse races everyone has already studied the form of the horse __4__, and there are clear favourites. __5__   nobody has heard anything about these __6__! Most people find it difficult to tell one from another in any case.” I stayed to watch the races, and I must admit that I found it quite __7__. In a usual sheep race, half a dozen sheep race down hill over a course of about half a mile. Food is waiting for them at the other end of the __8__ just to give them some encouragement, I ought to add! The sheep run surprisingly fast. __9__ they have probably not eaten for a while. Anyway, the crowd around me were obviously enjoying their day out at the races, __10__ by their happy faces and the sense of excitement. 

A. common  B. strange       C. swift   D. illegal

A. honestly  B. surprisingly       C. completely D. correctly

A. looked forward B. brought up       C. turned up   D. showed off

A. behind time    B. in progress C. in advance  D. in time

A. But  B. Therefore   C. Moreover   D. Otherwise

A. horses     B. sheep  C. races   D. stories

A. exciting   B. dangerous   C. boring D. peculiar

A. race B. hill     C. track   D. field

A. If     B. So      C. Yet     D. Although

A. observing      B. judging      C. considering       D. inferring

Expressing gratitude is an important form of good manners. Nowadays more and more people in China have found it’s high time to cultivate a thankful heart for the good others (1)______.

Everyone likes to get praised and appreciated. Gratitude is the greatest of virtues, which lets others smile and makes the world more beautiful. You just need several minutes to write down a thank-you note, but it bring much joy to the (2)______.

We live in a society where we enjoy the different services of others. But (3)______ of them should be taken for granted.

Gratitude is also a kind of (4)______ in life. In developing gratitude for every moment – for the simple joys and even for the (5)______ times—we come to truly enjoy and appreciate life. Then we are able to see the (6)______ that surrounds us.

Try to write a thank-you letter to your parents for working hard to (7)______ you a happy life.

Be grateful to your teachers because of their (8)______ with your studies and character building.

Say thanks to your friends who (9)______ both your happiness and sorrow. We are sure it will bring them much joy and add (10)______ into your own life as well.

1. A. have                     B. do                     C. share                D. like

2. A. doer                     B. receive              C. performer          D. speaker

3. A. one               B. any one             C. none               D. all

4. A. attitude                 B. feeling        C. emotion          D. sense

5. A. managing              B. challenging C. changing         D. developing

6. A. truth                     B. reality         C. experience       D. magic

7. A. offer                    B. produce             C. imagine   D. try 

8. A. study                    B. part                   C. help        D. co-operation

9. A. knew                    B. shared        C. realized   D. recognized

10. A. reflection            B. justice        C. taste               D. color

       Colors like red _______ a sense of energy and strength.