Dear Laura,
Thanks for your message. Yes, I’m having  a great time on my exchange program in France. It’s even  better  than I thought it would be. I was a bit nervous before I   arrived  here, but there was no reason to be. My host family is really nice. They go out of their way to  make  me feel at home. And you  wouldn’t  believe how quickly my French has improved! I’m very comfortable  speaking  French now. Although I still make lots of mistakes, it doesn’t bother me like it used to. My  biggest  challenge is learning how to behave at the dinner table. As you can imagine, things are really different from the way they are at home.  For example, you’re not supposed to  put  your bread on your plate. You’re supposed to put it on the table! I thought that was pretty strange at first, but now I’m used to it. You’re not supposed to eat  anything  with your hands except bread, not even fruit! (You have to cut it up and eat it with a fork). Another thing is that it is very rude to  say  you’re full. If you don’t want any  more  food, you should just say, “It was delicious.” Also, it’s rude to put your hands  in  your lap. You should always keep your hands ,but not your elbows, on the table. I have to say, I find it difficult to  remember  everything, but I’m gradually  getting  used to things and don’t find them so strange any more. I’ll write soon and  tell you more about life in France. Hope you’re having a good school year.
Wang Kun
【小题1】How was Wang Kun before  she arrived in France?
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【小题2】Why did she have no reason to be nervous?
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【小题3】How has her French improved?
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【小题4】What  is  one particular challenge she is facing?
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【小题5】What does she find surprising?
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My name is Ben Mansury. I’m fifteen years old and study in a middle school. In school, I never join in any group discussion or stage (舞台) program. So, I never knew what stage nervousness was.
Our community (社区) has a weekly “Students Ideas” program. About two years ago, I received a(n)   1   from the chairman of our community. He invited me to the “Students Ideas” talk the next morning to speak to the group.
The time between his call to the next morning was like several weeks for me. The whole night, I could not sleep. Many   2   were coming. One of them was to call the chairman, with regret, and tell him that I could not come. But finally, I thought, if I missed this   3  , the community would never invite me again to any of their programs. So, I decided to go.
I reached the hall in time. When my turn came and I started, my heartbeat increased and my mouth went dry. I wasn’t even able to   4   the words on the paper properly. I had no idea where I was standing and what I was talking. That was the day when I   5   my biggest weakness: public speaking.
After I finished, I met with the chairman and   6   what happened to me. He said that this happens to everyone. It is very   7  . He suggested that I should come again the next week.
I   8   a talk carefully. This time when I gave the talk, I was somewhat comfortable but not confident (自信的). Afterwards, I met with the chairman again and told him about the improvement I   9   I had made. He was kind enough to invite me again.
For around one month, I practiced a lot for my talk. This time I was feeling comfortable and both the chairman and my neighbors thought I did a good job.    
I learned that everything is   10   if we take the first step, as the saying goes: A journey of thousand miles begins with first step.

Food or friends? Lip salve (润唇膏) or iPod? What is the most important thing in the US teenagers’ lives today? Let’s take a look.
Some find that they can’t do without people.
“My biggest need is my friends. Without them, I wouldn’t do much,” said Adrian Fernandez, a 14-year-old boy.
With others, food always comes first.
“I do not think that I could live without chili con carne (辣子肉丁). I eat it every day. And if I didn’t have it, it’s all I would think about,” said Max Wu, an 8th-grade boy.
Sometimes, the things teenagers can’t do without are strange.
Take 14-year-old girl Hannah Sacchini for example. “I cannot live without lip salve, especially in winter,” said Hannah Sacchini. “I go mad if my lips get dry.”
Of course, today everybody uses mobile phones and computers. Some teens can’t live without these high-tech (高科技的) things.
Justin Beck, a 15-year-old boy, feels like this: “I would not be able to live without my iPod. I use it for so many different things. I always have it with me,” he said.
So, now we know the things US kids really must have. What about you and your classmates? What can’t you live without?
根据短文内容，选择最佳选项。 （10分）
【小题1】To Adrian Fernandez, 　　　 is the most important.

Food or friends? Lip salve (润唇膏) or iPod? What is the most important thing in the US teenagers’ lives today? Let’s take a look.
Some find that they can’t do without people.
“My biggest need is my friends. Without them, I wouldn’t do much,” said Adrian Fernandez, a 14-year-old boy.
With others, food always comes first.
“I do not think that I could live without chili con carne (辣子肉丁). I eat it every day. And if I didn’t have it, it’s all I would think about,” said Max Wu, an 8th-grade boy.
Sometimes, the things teenagers can’t do without are strange.
Take 14-year-old girl Hannah Sacchini for example. “I cannot live without lip salve, especially in winter,” said Hannah Sacchini. “I go mad if my lips get dry.”
Of course, today everybody uses mobile phones and computers. Some teens can’t live without these high-tech (高科技的) things.
Justin Beck, a 15-year-old boy, feels like this: “I would not be able to live without my iPod. I use it for so many different things. I always have it with me,” he said.
So, now we know the things US kids really must have. What about you and your classmates? What can’t you live without?
根据短文内容，选择最佳选项。 （10分）
【小题1】To Adrian Fernandez,     is the most important.