Different people have different ideas about time. People in the USA think that it is1to know the time. In cities in America, there are2in stations, factories and other buildings. Radio announcers (播音员) give you the correct time during the day. Most Americans also have watches with them3they go. They want to do certain things4certain time. They don't like to be late. They think everyone is supposed to do5on time.
But time is not6important to everybody in the world. When you visit a country in South America, you will 7that people there don't like to rush. If you had an appointment with somebody, he could probably be late8he might not want to arrive on time.
In South America, even the radio programs may not begin on time. The men on the radio may not think it is important to tell the exact9. People in South America think that clocks or watches are just machines. They think that you will10 a clock or a watch control (控制) your life if you do everything on time.
Do you think there is a ghost(鬼) in the world? More than 20 years ago, a student jumped from the top of the clock tower in the University of Birmingham. He did this only because he failed his final exam.
After his death, a superstition(迷信)began: Anyone who walks under the clock tower will have bad luck in his exam. Years later, students there still remembered the story of the tower. Although Birmingham is the second largest city in Britain, the university is green and quiet. The grass around the tower has been worn away by the feet of students who refuse to pass underneath the tower.
The university had to pave(铺)extra paths, so students could walk to their classrooms without passing under the most terrible area. But, one day just before an important exam, a top student in the university walked under the clock tower because he was lost in thought.
However, he got high marks in the exam the next day. Quickly students all knew about it. Then they realized that the most important thing is working hard.
Whenever I go under the clock tower, I will tell myself, “Working hard is the key to success.”
My 10-year-old Donna said,“Mom,I had a new friend at school today.Can she come over tomorrow?”Donna was a shy girl and I wanted her to make some friends to bring her out of her shell.
“Sure,honey,that sounds great,”I said,thinking back to my own best friend,Lillian.We lived across the street from each other in Washington Heights,New York.We met at the age of 10,too.Like my daughter,I was shy,but Lillian drew me out.She was one of the friendliest people in school,with shiny black hair and a mile-wide smile.
In senior high school,Lillian went on a trip to Florida.This was the first time we had to be away from each other for a few days.“I'll be back soon,”she told me.But three days later,Lillian's sister told me that she had fallen into a river and hadn't come out any more.Soon,my family moved to New Jersey.Whenever I thought of her,tears came into my eyes.
The next day Donna brought her new friend home.“Hi,Mrs.Loggia,”the little girl said.Her hair was so shiny and black and she shot me a big smile.“My name is Laura.”
My daughter's new friend was so much like Lillian.I was still puzzled (迷惑) when Laura's mom came to pick her up later that afternoon.I opened the door to let her in.“Judy!” she cried.“It's me,Lillian's sister,from Washington Heights.”Yes,my daughter's friend looked familiar.She was Lillian's niece.
Have you heard of the English band called the Beatles（甲壳虫）? It was so popular in the world in the 1960s people have been crazy about them ever since.
The Beatles is one of greatest bands of the 20th century. And Paul McCartney is one of the four numbers. Besides, he is now the third richest man in Europe. He has worked at music nearly forty years and today he is one of the world's most famous.
He was in Liverpool, England in 1942. He started to play the guitar when he was 14. This was perhaps the most important point in life.
Later, he joined the Beatles, which became the most successful band in the history of rock music. During the 1960s, the Beatles continued to make songs. in 1970, the band broke up.
In 1972, Paul formed a new band called Wings, it was not as successful the Beatles.the 1980s, Paul has written pop music and has worked on films. He is one of the best songwriters and musicians that no rock fan will forget.
（B）
配对阅读:左栏是描述5个人曾经去过的名山，右栏有7座名山的简介，请为他们找出对应的名山。
Junko Tabei is a famous mountain climber from Japan. She was the first woman to reach the top of the mountain, Himalayas, in 1975. Mr Wong loves skiing. Last winter, he went to Europe with his wife and enjoyed themselves in a skiing park in France. Mr. Lin lives in Guangzhou. He likes traveling. Last May Day, it took him about 2 hours to drive to the mountain. He was interested in Danxia landform. Judy went to Japan for a vocation last year. She lived in a hotel in Tokyo, and the snow-capped mountain can be seen from there on a clear day. Mr. Chen is a businessman in Shenzhen and has a happy family. On the first day of the Chinese New Year, Mr. Chen drove 3 hours to the mountain and prayed(祈祷) for his family to have good luck. | A. Mount Danxia It is located in Shaoguan city, not far from Guangzhou. It is famous for its Danxia landform, a world famous UNESCO geopark of China. B. Mount Emei It is a mountain in Sichuan Province. Mt. Emei is the highest of the Four Buddhist(佛教的) Mountains of China. The Mount Emei Scenic Area, including Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area was famous in the world. C. Mount Fuji It is the highest mountain in Japan at 3,776.24 meters, not far from Tokyo. It is the symbol of Japan. The top is covered by snow for several months of the year. D. Qomolangma The highest mountain in the world, which is 8844.43 meters high. It is covered with snow all year round. Although it is very hard to climb the mountain, it is an honor for climbers to get to the top of it. E. Mount Tai It ranks the first place of the ten famous mountains in China, located in Shandong. Every year, millions of people from home and abroad go to the top of it and watch the sunrise. F. Mount Xiqiao It is one of the four famous mountains in Guangdong. It has the highest Guanyin statue(塑像) in the world. It is a favorite place for the people in Guangdong to bless for their luck. G. The Alps The Alps lies from France to Slovenia. They are the highest and most extensive mountain range system in Europe. It is a wonderful place for ski lovers. |
We spoke to three students from around the world about different national holidays. There are different customs (习俗) for each festival.
Tan Xiaodong, 15, Hong Kong, China
“It'll soon be Chinese New Year. Before it, we'll clean the house and decorate it for good luck. Every shop is going to close for a few days and we'll go out a lot to celebrate in the streets. We might go and see the lion and dragon dances in the city center. I love this festival.”
Wendy, 16, Sydney, Australia
“Australia Day is on 26th January and it's an important holiday here. We always have a Monday off, so we celebrate for three days. My parents and I go to the countryside for a picnic and friends always come over. Many people go to beach parties or street parties and there's lots of music and dancing. What fun！”
Amy, 14, New York, USA
“The first Thanksgiving Day was hundreds of years ago when Europeans who came to America thanked God for his help. It's still a very important day for families to be together. This year we're going to visit my grandparents and we'll eat a delicious meal of turkey. Thanksgiving Day is on the fourth Thursday in November every year.”
Information Card
The number of festivals mentionedt in the passage | . |
The age of Tan Xiaodong | . |
The Nationality(国籍) of Wendy | . |
The date of Australia Day | . |
The people who started the first Thanksgiving Day | . |
