Katie wrote a letter to her Chinese teacher and got a reply from him. Read their letters and answer the
questions.
Dear Mr. Hu,
     My family moved here from England three months ago. I can't speak Chinese well, and it's difficult for
people to understand me. I'm losing confidence.
     Could you please tell me what I should do?
Katie Dear Katie,
      I'm glad that you let me know about your problem. Here are some things you can do:
     1. Your class is going to have a Story Time this month. All of you should tell stories. You should tell one,
too. I'm sure you can learn a lot from doing so.
     2. Try to practise speaking with your teachers and classmates. Don't be afraid.
     3. Talk to Nanako and Yu-kim. Nanako is from Japan,and Yu-kim is from Korea. They might be able to
give you some advice.
     4. Some foreign students told me that watching Happy Times on TV can help. The language is easy.
     Please try these ideas and see if you can do better. Don't worry too much. I have confidence in you.
                                                                                                                                          Mr. Hu

1. Katie's family has been here for ________.

A. 3 years
B. 3 months
C. 6 years
D. 6 months

2. What is Katie's problem?

A. She misses her parents.
B. She can't speak Chinese well.
C. She is taking too many classes.
D. She thinks the teachers are too serious.

3. Happy Times can help students with their ________.

A. Chinese
B. English
C. Japanese
D. Korean

4. Which is NOT Mr. Hu's suggestion in his letter?

A. Telling stories in class.
B. Watching a TV program.
C. Writing a letter every day.
D. Talking to other foreign students.

5. From the letter we know that ________.

A. Mr. Hu is Katie's English teacher
B. Katie's family came from Australia
. Katie's going to have a Story Time next month
D. Mr. Hu tries to help Katie to learn Chinese well

     You may have heard of the famous saying, "East or West, home is the best."
     What does the word "home" mean to you? How do you say the word in French? In Chinese? In your
language? Although people usually know what the word means, it sometimes has no exact translation. It's
not surprising, because the idea of home is"different from country to country, and from person to person.
A home is more than a roof and four walls. It's the cooking, eating, talking, playing and sleeping that go
on inside. And at home you usually feel safe and relaxed.
     Homes look different in different countries. They also have different things inside. For example, in cold
northern Europe, there's a fire in the living room or kitchen and all the chairs face it. In the south, where
the sun shines a lot and it's more important to keep the heat out, there are small windows and cool stone
floors.
     We asked some people about their homes.
     How often do people move house in your country?
     "In my country many people don't stay in one place for a very long time. They often move every ten
years or so."
                                                                                                                       -Cherry, Boston, USA.
     What a e features (特征) of homes in your country?
     "In Britain, even in town, there's always a garden. We have separate bedrooms and living rooms. But we
don't often have balconies (陽(yáng)臺(tái)). The weather isn't warm enough!" 
                                                                                                                        -Pat, Exeter, England

1. The word "home" sometimes has no exact translation because _____.

A. people can't find this word in the dictionary
B. no one knows what it is
C. it has different meanings in different countries
D. people can't understand each other very well

2. According to the passage, at home, you can do everything except _____.

A. making friends
B. cooking and eating
C. playing and talking
D. sleeping and relaxing

3. Why is it important to keep the heat out of the houses in southern Europe? 

A. Because they want to breathe fresh air outside.
B. Because there's a fire in the living room.
C. Because they wear heavy clothes all day long.
D. Because the sun there shines a lot.

4. From the second paragraph, what kind of homes people have depends on _____.

A. whether they are rich or not
B. the climate (氣候) they have
C. how old they are
D. whether they live in the city or countryside

5. Which one of the sentences below is true?

A. People in Britain seldom have balconies because it's so hot outside.
B. Some Americans move house several times during their lifetime.
C. Homes look the same in different countries.
D. Houses in northern Europe have big windows and cool stone floors.

     There are many books for young readers. Some of these are for children from 12 to 18. Others are for
those who are under 12. There are even some books for babies.
     Books for young children use a lot of beautiful pictures. They are a big part of each book. So many
writers of children's books also draw the pictures. These writers make sure that their books are more than
just fun stories to read. They make them look good, too!
     Some children's books tell very old stories. Many have animals in them that talk and do things that people
do. Some of these animals might be bears. Others might be foxes. A little mouse and a big lion might even be
in the same story.
     Many books for very little children are all pictures. Others may have a word here and there. Books for
babies may have something to push that makes sounds. This kind of book may make animal sounds. Then
it may have a picture of the animal that makes each sound. It may also have its name. This way, the baby
gets to know what sounds some animals make.

(     )1. We have many books for both teenagers and little kids.           
(     )2. In children's books, animals can talk to readers like real people.
(     )3. Some books-for babies have pictures with a few words.           
(     )4. Babies can also learn something from books.                      
(     )5. The passage is mainly about different books for people of all age.

Alice:  Hi, Jerry, I heard you have fun with Peggy in Merry Park yesterday.
Jerry: Yes. We had a great time there. Why didn't you come with us? We got there by bus in
         only ten minutes.
Alice: I know, but the ticket is more expensive on the weekend. Also, I've been there many times
        since it opened five years ago. Did you try the Dandelion Seat there? It's so popular that people 
        have to wait for over an hour to get a ride.
Jerry: You mean those flower-like umbrellas that fly high in the sky?
Alice: Yes. I enjoyed riding on the Dandelion Seat and looking over the city. It was a great experience.
Jerry: Eh… I liked taking the train to get around the park better. I don't think it's fun to ride in the air.
         I'd feel like I could fall down any time.
Alice: Maybe you would like it more at night. It's wonderful to see the beautiful lights below your feet.
Jerry: Well… I'm afraid of high places.
Alice: Oh, I see. That's too bad.

1. What can we learn about Merry Park?

A.  It is newly opened.
B.  It is also open at night.
C.  It is across from Jerry's house.
D.  It has the same ticket price every day.

2. What may the Dandelion Seat look like?

        A                    B                   C                  D

3. Which is NOT true?

A. Alice went to Merry Park before.
B. Jerry enjoyed going around Merry Park by train.
C. Jerry would like to try the Dandelion Seat next time.
D. Jerry and Peggy went to Merry Park on the weekend.