Betty is not a traditional American beauty. She is unfashionable, has thick red glasses, untidy hair and large metal braces (牙套) on her teeth. But this hasn’t stopped her from becoming one of American’s favorite TV characters. So how did she manage to do it?

The answer is that charm can be more attractive than beauty. Betty is the main character in a TV show Ugly Betty. The show is about her life as an office worker at a fashion magazine in New York.

　　The TV show has just started. Betty has many exciting experiences and romantic stories. Betty is often looked down on and laughed at by the people around. But she manages to do better than others with her hard work, charm and wisdom. The show tells us about how a girl goes from an ugly young duck into a beautiful swan.

　　Though you may know the ending of the show from the beginning and the story is familiar to many of us, it has still been a big success in the USA. It has attracted a large number of viewers and won two Golden Globes awards, one of the highest honors for a television program in the USA.“ I think you can see a bit of Betty in all of us, and I mean men as well, because it’s about the underdog (弱者)”，says Ashley Jensen, who plays one of the characters on the show.

　　The program is so successful because of the good performance of the 23-year-old actress America Ferrera who plays the role of Betty. She brings the character alive on the screen.

1.Betty is popular because of ____.

A. her clothes 　　　　　B. her charm 　　　   C. her metal braces  　　　D. her appearance

2.In Paragraph 4, the underlined word “it” refers to (指的是) ____.

A. the beginning 　　　　B. the ending 　　  　C. the story 　　　        D. the show

3.Which is the reason for the success of the show?

A. A large number of viewers. 　　　　　　B. Her life as an office worker.

C. The wonderful performance. 　　　　　 D. Two Golden Globes awards.

4.Which of the following is NOT true according of the show?

A. Betty is a girl of wisdom.

B. Betty acts as a beautiful swan on the show.

C. Betty is an American favorite TV character.

D. Betty is often looked down on by the people around.

5. What can be the best title for the passage?

A. Beauty from within. 　　　　　  B. A romantic story.

C. An ugly girl. 　　　　　　　　  D. An exciting experience.

Letter A

Dear Rose,

I like your programmes very much. I’m now writing to ask you something about American social customs (社交习惯). My American friends want me to join them in their dinner party. I am very happy and have decided to go, but I’m a little worried about it, too. The social customs in my country are very different from here, so I’m afraid of making mistakes.

Should I bring a present, such as sweets or flowers? Should I arrive on time or a little late? At the dinner table, how can I know which fork (叉子) or knife to use? How can I let the family know that I’m thankful for their kindness?

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Wang Lin

Letter B

Dear Wang Lin,

It’s a good idea to bring a small present when you go to a dinner party. Flowers are always nice, or you may bring a bottle of wine (葡萄酒) if you know that your friends drink it.

You should arrive on time or five to ten minutes late. Don’t get there early. If you’re going to be more than fifteen minutes late, you should call and tell them.

Try to be free at the dinner table. If you don’t know about choosing the right fork or knife, just watch the other people, and follow them. If you still have no idea of what to do, ask the person next to you.

If you like the food, say so. Of course, you’ll thank them for the meal and for their kindness. It’s also a good idea to send a thank-you card the day after.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 Rose

1. Wang Lin wants to _______.

A. make friends with Rose　　　　　　

B. know some social customs for a dinner party

C. make her friends happy　　　　　　

D. give her friends a surprise

2. Rose is possibly ________.

A. a good housewife　　　　　　　　　 B. a TV hostess (主持人)

C. a member of the dinner party　　　　 D. a friend of Wang Lin’s

3. If you’re asked to a dinner party but not sure about what to bring as a present, it’s good to bring _______.

　 A. some fruits　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. a bottle of wine

　 C. some flowers　　　　　　　　　　　 D. a knife and fork

4. Which of the following is NOT proper (适当的) for joining in a dinner party?

　 A. Get there 15 minutes earlier.　　　　　 B. Make yourself at home.

　 C. Follow others to use forks and knives.　 D. Thank your friends for the meal.

5. From the letters we’ve learned that it’s very _____ to know something about American social customs.

　 A. difficult　　 B. friendly　　　 C. enjoyable　　　 D. helpful

The best way of learning a language is using it. The best way of learning English is talking in English as much as possible. Sometimes you'll get your words mixed up(混合) and people will not understand you. Sometimes people will say things too quickly and you can' t understand them. But if you keep your sense of humor(幽默感)，you can always have a good laugh at the mistakes you make. Don't be unhappy if people seem to be laughing at your mistakes. It's better for people to laugh at your mistakes than to be angry with you，because they don't understand what you are saying. The most important thing for learning English is："Don't be afraid of making mistakes because everyone makes mistakes."

1. 1.

   The writer thinks that the best way for you to learn a language is ____

   1. A.
      writing　　　　
   2. B.
      listening
   3. C.
      using it　　　　　　
   4. D.
      learning grammar
2. 2.

   What should you do in learning English?

   1. A.
      Be careful not to make any mistake
   2. B.
      Write as quickly as you can
   3. C.
      Laugh more often
   4. D.
      Speak English as much as you can
3. 3.

   When people laugh at your mistakes，you should ____

   1. A.
      not care　
   2. B.
      be happy
   3. C.
      feel worried
   4. D.
      be unhappy
4. 4.

   When you make a mistake，you should ____

   1. A.
      keep quiet　　　　　
   2. B.
      keep your sense of humor
   3. C.
      be kind　　　　　　
   4. D.
      get angry
5. 5.

   The story tells us："_____"

   1. A.
      Only foolish(愚蠢的) people make mistakes
   2. B.
      Few people make mistakes
   3. C.
      People never make mistakes
   4. D.
      There is no one who doesn't make mistakes