There is a one-day holiday in most western countries on New Year’s Day. The real celebration begins on New Year’s Eve-the night before New Year’s Day. There are several interesting customs（习惯）in the west, and there are many differences in different countries.

Though Christmas is a good time for families to get together, New Year’s Day is a time for some western people to be with friends. On New Year’s Day, there are always parties. At such parties, there is food, drinks and dances until New Year comes

At midnight, people often say “Happy New Year! ”to each other. In many western countries, fireworks are let off at midnight and some people like to shout aloud to drive away evil spirits.

1.People begin to have great celebrations for the New Year on___________.

2.In the west, ___________on New Year’s Day.

3.On New Year’s Eve, western people don’t often____________.

4.This passage mainly（主要）tells us___________.

What do you think is the most common illness? Do you get ill sometimes? We are lucky to live now, because there are lots of medicines to make people better.
The most common illness in the world is the cold. It often begins with a sore throat. Then you sneeze and your nose runs. You usually have a headache too. Often you cough later. It’s not a very bad illness, but you can feel quite ill.
There isn’t a cure (治愈) for a cold, but you can take medicines to make you feel better. For instance, aspirin (阿斯匹林) can stop your headache. It is good to rest, and to drink a lot of water too. A doctor once said to me, “With the proper medicine, a cold will continue for seven days. With no medicine, it will continue for a whole week!”
Where does our medicine come from? A long time ago, people knew that some plants made them feel better. They ate the leaves, the roots, the fruit, or the seeds of plants. For instance, the juice of lemons makes a sore throat feel better.
In modern times, scientists have looked at these plants, and found out which chemicals (化学物质) are in them. Many of our medicines today are made from those chemicals.
There are some illnesses which we can’t cure yet. And nobody has found a cure for old age. But because of modern medicines, most people now live longer than their grandparents.
【小题1】How does a cold often begin?
______________________________________________________________
【小题2】Can aspirin stop a headache?
______________________________________________________________
【小题3】How long does a cold usually continue?
______________________________________________________________
【小题4】What kind of juice makes a sore throat feel better?
______________________________________________________________
【小题5】What are many of our medicines today made from?
______________________________________________________________

In junior high school in America, kids study English, writing, math, science, biology, music and art.

At 12 o’clock, the students eat lunch at school. They have meat, vegetables, fruit, bread and a drink, but they like hot dogs and hamburgers best. American kids like sugar (糖), and after the meal they can have a small piece of cake.

Students sleep (睡觉) for a short time after lunch. They begin classes at 1:30 in the afternoon. They go to school on weekdays and have classes for six hours every day and then return home.

Parents let their kids play or watch TV until dinner at 6:00 p. m. After dinner, they do their homework. Sometimes kids and their parents have a family activity after dinner.

根据短文内容，选择正确答案。

1.What do the students like best for lunch at school?

A. Meat and fruit. B. Hot dogs and hamburgers.

C. Hot dogs and sugar. D. Bread and hamburgers.

2.In America, students go to school __________ days a week.

A.4B.5 C.6 D.7

3.The American kids usually have dinner_____ in the evening.

A. at five o’clock B. at six thirty

C. at six o’clock D. at five thirty

4.Which of the following is NOT true?

A. American students like hot dogs and hamburgers best.

B. After lunch students sleep for a short time.

C. The classes begin at2:00 p. m.

D. Sometimes students have a family activity with their parents.

5.The best title标题for the passage 短文 is ______.

A. Favorite food B. Junior high school

C. Outdoor activities D. School life in America

根据短文内容和首字母提示，在下文空格处填入适当的词使短文完整。在答题卡标有题号的横线上，完整写出空缺处所填单词的正确形式。（每空一词）

You’re standing with your classmates. E  1.   is talking except you. Perhaps you’re afraid they will laugh at when you say. Maybe you just aren’t b  2.  enough to speak.

Shyness is like a snake that crawls（爬进）into our mouth and s  3.   us speaking. But we shouldn’t let it stay there.

I am 29 years old. Even today, that snake still sometimes v 4. me. When I was in high school, I was so shy that I wouldn’t talk to anyone except my parents and best friends. If a stranger asked me the

w  5.   to a local shop, it was as if I’d forgotten how to talk. One summer, I got a j  6.   in a restaurant and that helped a lot. It meant I had to talk to customers（顾客）. I had to tell them how m  7. 

their meal cost. I had to ask them if they want to drink Coke or Sprite.

This job taught me how to speak with people.

You may be too young to find a part-time job. But you can look for other c  8.   to speak with people. You can offer to help an old woman carry her heavy bag. O  9.  you can go to get a newspaper for your family.

If you do these things for a while, the ‘shyness’ snake will soon begin to l  10.   you alone. It’ll look for another mouth to crawl into.

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。
You’re standing with your classmates. E  66 ___  is talking except you. Perhaps you’re afraid they will laugh at when you say. Maybe you just aren’t b  67  enough to speak. Shyness is like a snake that crawls（爬进）into our mouth and s  68  us speaking. But we shouldn’t let it stay there.
I am 29 years old. Even today, that snake still sometimes v  69  me. When I was in high school, I was so shy that I wouldn’t talk to anyone except my parents and best friends. If a stranger asked me the w  70  to a local shop, it was as if I’d forgotten how to talk. One summer, I got a j  71  in a restaurant and that helped a lot. It meant I had to talk to customers（顾客）. I had to tell them how m  72 their meal cost. I had to ask them if they want to drink Coke or Sprite.
This job taught me how to speak with people. You may be too young to find a part-time job. But you can look for other c  73  to speak with people. You can offer to help an old woman carry her heavy bag. O  74  you can go to get a newspaper for your family. If you do these things for a while, the ‘shyness’ snake will soon begin to l  75  you alone. It’ll look for another mouth to crawl into.