America is a mobile society. Friendships between Americans can be close and real, yet disappear soon. They don’t feel hurt. If the same two people meet again, even years later, they pick up the friendship. This can be quite difficult for us Chinese to understand. Friendships between us develop more slowly but may become lifelong (终身的)feelings, extending (延伸) deeply into both families.
There is another difficult point for us to understand. Although Americans treat friends warmly in their personal everyday lives, they don't show their politeness to them if it requires a great deal of time. But in China, we are usually generous with our time. We, as hosts, will appear at an airport even in the middle of the night to meet a friend. We may take a day off from our work to act as guides to our friends: It is opposite in America, Americans can not manage the time to do a great deal with a visitor outside their daily plans. They will probably expect the visitors to get themselves from the airport to the hotels. And they expect the visitors will phone them from there. Once the visitors arrive at their homes, the welcome will be full, warm and real.
For Americans, it is often considered more friendly to invite a friend to their homes than to restaurants, except for business matters. Americans are ready to receive us foreigners at their homes, share their holidays, and their home life. So accept their hospitality (好客) at home and enjoy your visit in America! 
【小题1】The underlined phrase “pick up”in Paragraph 1 may mean“_____”. 

A．keep out	B．give up
C．pay no attention to	D．continue

【小题2】Which of the following is the typical (典型的) way of American hospitality? 

A．Treating friends at home.

B．Taking days off to be with friends.

C．Meeting friends at the airport at mid night.

D．Sharing everything they have.

【小题3】Which of the following statements is true according to the passage? 

A．Americans are always generous with their time.

B．Americans don't feel hurt if their friendships disappear soon.

C．Chinese friendships develop more slowly but will never disappear.

D．Chinese friendships are more sincere than American friendships.

【小题4】This passage is most probably written for _____. 

A．American students

B．Chinese students

C．Chinese visitors to America

D．American visitors to China

【小题5】What do you think this passage is about?

A．An introduction of friendships.

B．An advertisement of mobiles.

C．Friendships between Chinese.

D．The ways Americans treat friends.

At the shopping mall, you probably think about spending, not saving. Think about all the lights that keep the mall bright. Think about all the water faucets in the toilet. Think about all the air conditioning in summer. Saving energy is a hot topic for such a big place!

　　Many things at the mall use energy. Electric lights, infrared faucets and air-conditioners need electricity to work. One way to save energy is by keeping lights clean. More and more dust and dirt make the lights less bright. When  malls keep lights clean, they can use fewer lights and keep the area just as bright ,Using fewer lights means using less energy.

You step up to the  water faucet. The water starts to flow. You don't have to touch a thing. Why do malls have such fancy faucets?. The answer is simple. They save water. Sometimes people forget to turn the water off after they wash. Infrared faucets turn themselves off.

The…

1.________is a hot topic for a big mall.

A．To spend money                        B．To save energy

C．To keep the mall bright                   D．To buy things

2.Malls use infrared faucets mainly because________

A．they save water     B．they are fancy      C．they are simple     D．they turn themselves off

3.Which of the following cannot save energy?

A．Using fewer lights.                       B．Using infrared faucets.

C．Using air-conditioners                    D．Keeping lights clean.

4.What will the fourth paragraph probably talk about?

A．How to save water when using infrared faucets in the mall

B．How to save energy when using air-conditioners in the mall

C．How to save money when shopping in the mall.

D．How to spend money when shopping in the mall.

5.The best title for the passage is_________

A．Lights, faucets and air-conditioners

B．Spending less money

C．Energy saving at the mall

D．A hot topic

 

For as long as I can remember, Grandma’s plentiful tomato garden has been a sign of summer’s end. Each September, just as the decreased heat of the sun suggests cooler days, Grandma requests (ask for something) my help in her tomato garden. I’m sure that she cannot pick tomatoes without my youthful eyes and quick mind. She says we need to examine each tomato and agree on its readiness for picking. While Grandma’s request for my help in the tomato garden is always the same, her desire for my help seems to increase each year.
　　Grandma has eyes for finding even the tomatoes hidden by undergrowth and other tomatoes. I, however, just turn circles looking for the ones I think Grandma will like. I spot what looks like a ripe（成熟的）tomato, head in its direction, and then get sidetracked by another that appears to be equally ripe. I usually end up watching Grandma and trying to stay out of her way, which seems the only way my eyes and mind are useful.
　　There we are, lost in the tomato vines（藤）. Grandma’s eyes are always knowing, and they are no different in the vegetable garden. From afar she spots (notice) what looks like a ripe tomato. As she walks toward the garden, she evaluates the tomato for a second time, but from a different angle. I already know it will end up in the basket with the pile of others Grandma has carefully chosen. However, Grandma acts as if she needs a final look to be sure. She calls me to her side, kneels beside the vine while enjoying the warmth of the fading sunlight on her face, and grasps the tomato in her hand. She turns each round, red ball toward the sunlight before disconnecting it from the vine with a half-hearted smile.
　　She then looks at me. I nod my head and smile. Grandma assumes I smile in agreement with her tomato selection. I know I smile, instead, at her.
【小题1】Why does Grandma ask the author to go to the tomato garden with her?

A．He can help pick more tomatoes.

B．He can learn the hardship of labor.

C．She enjoys staying with him while working.

D．She tries to share tomato harvest with him.

【小题2】The second paragraph shows that the writer _________.

A．isn’t good at picking tomatoes

B．doesn’t like to stay with Grandma

C．thinks his eyes and mind are useful

D．is trying to be out of Grandma’s sight

【小题3】What’s the best title of the story?

A．Gardening—good for my Grandma.

B．Growing Grandma.

C．Gardening—good for my growth.

D．Picking tomatoes.

get used to, learn … by oneself, pick up, used to, can’t stop laughing

1. Jane 　　　     　　 the book on the floor and put it on the desk.

2. Three weeks later, she 　　　     　　 her new job.

3. The man is hard-working. He is 　       　　 English 　       　　.

4. His mother 　　     　　 be a football player.

5. She 　　　     　　 when she heard the funny joke.