Are you ready for the coming festive season? What gifts will you give to make your friends feel special? Here teenagers share their ideas for gifts and look forward to the ones they'll get.

Hu Ziwei, 15, Nanjing Foreign Language School

My class will have a gift exchange party, during which we will put on a small talent show. Many of us had our gifts ready a week ago. I believe that the boys will give magic tools, stationary （文具） or sweets, while girls are likely to give dolls or mobile accessories （挂件）.

The biggest fun about these parties is not knowing from whom you'll receive a gift and who will receive your gifts. The computer will decide everything! Our teacher hopes the activity will help us get to know each other better – you see, we've only known each other for three months. I'm looking forward to my surprise gift!

Liu Wei, 17,Beijing No 8 High School

Although my birthday was in November, I'll get a special birthday gift from my classmates this week. A．collective （集体的） birthday party is scheduled for all the students who had birthdays fall in the last six months.

My classroom has been decorated with colorful ribbons and Christmas balls. Someone told me that there will be a huge birthday cake and that a personalized gift sent with best wishes from other students is being prepared for each birthday student. I'm sure we will treasure this event and I'm so looking forward to the big moment!

Yin Zhaohua, 19, Jixi No 1 High School in Heilongjiang

I'm still enjoying the gifts I received on Christmas Eve. Nowadays traditional greeting cards are being replaced with apples and sweets, which symbolize （象征） hope for the year ahead. I got more than 20 apples this Christmas, which means I sent a similar number of apples out. I think apples are healthier, more environmentally and friendly gifts than cards sent through the post.

Wu Shang, 16, Mianyang High School in Sichuan

These last two weeks have been filled with every kind of exam so the atmosphere（气氛） on campus is not at all like a holiday. I miss the days when I got handwritten cards.

In fact, I haven't received or sent holiday cards since the Internet became popular. It's so fast and easy to send an e-card. Also, text messages are fun and convenient （方便的）. I'll send warm hugs to my best friends on New Year's D．ay to let them know that I'll be always there for them.

1. Where is Yin Zhaohua from?

A．He is from the east of China                   B．He is from the capital of China

C．He is from the north of China                  D．He is from the west of China

2. Before the gift exchange party, Hu Ziwei knows _____________

A．from whom she'll receive a gift           B．who will receive her gifts.

C．what gift she will send to her classmates    D．that she may get a magic tool

3. In Liu Wei’s classroom we can’t see _____________ during the collective birthday party.

A．some colorful ribbons                              B．some Christmas balls

C．a huge birthday cake                               D．some mobile accessories

4. On New Year’s D．ay Wu Shang will _____________.

A．have an important exam                   B．send some handwritten cards

C．meet and hug her best friends warmly       D．send some text messages to her friends

5. From the passage we can infer _____________

A．the kids share the same ideas about gifts  

B．the kids will receive and send expensive gifts

C．apples are sent as gifts to keep young kids healthy

D．the kids are trying to show their wishes in different ways

“Can you work outdoors in any weather?” “How would you like a job working with children?” Before this year, US public school students rarely（极少的）had to answer such questions about their possible future careers （职业）.

   But now, public schools in 24 states are developing new learning plans for each student, according to the US Education Commission （教育部）. The learning plans will help students discover their own strengths and weaknesses. （A） They will also give parents and teachers a more complete（完整的）report besides grades.

   Linwood Middle School, in North Brunswick, New Jersey, is one of these schools. Students there take an online test （B） called Matchmaker to make learning plans for their future careers. This online test uses some information about students’ （C） learning styles, personal interests, skills and career goals.

   （D） “If you don’t know yourself and want to be scientist, you may realize in college you don’t like science,” said Mercedes Arias, a Linwood language arts teacher. “The learning plans can （E）________ ________ better prepare students for college _______ _______ encourage students to work harder.”

   Daniella Martins, 14, a Linwood ninth grader, dreams of （F） _________ （be） a singer or an actress. （G）“Nobody likes to take tests,” she said before the career test. But she was pleased with the results, which listed her top career as the arts, followed by education and human services.
   “The results show that I have a great possibility to be a singer,” said Martins. “But I know I’ll still have to work hard to （H） make it.”

任务一：根据短文内容，回答下面两个问题。

1. What do students in Linwood Middle School take an online test for? __________

2. According to Daniella’s test result, what is she most likely to become? _________

任务二：将（A）、（D）、（G）处划线句子翻译成汉语。

（A）3. ____________________________________________________

（D）4. ____________________________________________________

（G）5. ____________________________________________________

任务三：写出（C）处划线短语的汉语意思：

  （C）6. ______________________

任务四：写出（B）处和（H）处划线单词和短语的同义词：

7. （B）__________   （H）___________

任务五：在 （E） 处句子中的空白处填入合适的单词：

8. ________________________________

任务六：在（F）处用所给单词的适当形式填空：

9. ___________________

任务七：在文中找出能概括主题的句子。

10. _____________________________________________

Name: Julie Age: 13 I’m a student in Australia. I speak English. I want to find new friends from China. I like reading and listening to music. I want to know more about China.

 

Name: Jodie Age: 14 I’m from Paris. I like dogs, and I have three dogs. I also like playing computer games and watching action movies! I want to write to anyone with the same (相同的) likes.

Name: Andrew Age: 12 I want to have pen pals from the USA or Canada. I like painting, singing, and playing baseball. If you are from either (任何一个) of the two countries, please e-mail me.

 

Name: Sam Age: 13 I’m from the USA. I want to make pen pals from any country. I can write in French and English. I like sports and reading. I like history and math best at school. I often play tennis on weekends. Please write to me. Thanks.

1. 1.

   Julie wants to make friends from ________.

   1. A.
      Canada
   2. B.
      the USA
   3. C.
      China
   4. D.
      Australia
2. 2.

   What does Jodie like doing?

   1. A.
      Singing and dancing.
   2. B.
      Playing baseball.
   3. C.
      Playing tennis.
   4. D.
      Playing computer games.
3. 3.

   Andrew is ________ years old.

   1. A.
      14
   2. B.
      13
   3. C.
      12
   4. D.
      11
4. 4.

   Sam comes from ________.

   1. A.
      America
   2. B.
      Australia
   3. C.
      China
   4. D.
      Canada
5. 5.

   Sam writes to Andrew. Andrew will be (将会) ________.

   1. A.
      sorry
   2. B.
      happy
   3. C.
      unhappy
   4. D.
      sad