21
Dear Sandy,
I have just listened to a programme on the radio. It was about a new CD-ROM pack called 'Daily English'. It is a new course from Australia. The pack includes a book and five CD-ROMs. It is very good for tourists and students. I'm sure we can learn a lot from it. We can learn about how to use the telephone and how to ask and answer questions. We can also learn to talk about the weather and the time. The course covers many topics, such as travel and hotels, food and drink, and shopping and money.
I am going to order a pack online. Do you want me to order one for you too? Regard Millie\22.
Yesterday we visited the Summer Palace and spent about three hours in it. The palace is a large Chinese garden set in a natural landscape and mainly includes a hill and a lake. The lake is very big - it takes up three quarters of the area. It was frozen, so we could not row a boat there. It was really a pity. Across the lake is a 17-hole bridge. There are over 50 stone lions on both sides of it. The lions are all different from each other. Isn't it amazing? The Summer Palace was once a nice place for the emperors to spend the summer and it was well worth a visit. 23
My neighbours are kind and helpful. Some of them are volunteers. They have different skills and often help us with all kinds of problems.
Usually there is a 'helping hands' meeting at the weekend. People go there when they need help with their problems. Computer engineers are popular. They help people check their computers. You can also find someone to fix things like broken bicycles.
Students can get help with their homework. There are some college students among the volunteers, and they are always ready to help.
We are lucky to live in a neighbourhood like that. People here are like a big family. 24
Kites have a long history in China. The Chinese began to make kites over 2,000 years ago. The first kite in history was made out of wood by Mozi. His student Lu Ban used bamboo to make kites. In the Eastern Han dynasty, Cai Lun found a new way to make paper, and then people began to use paper to make kites. In the 13th century, an Italian man called Marc Polo visited China. He told people in the West all about kites. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, kite flying became a very popular outdoor activity. People liked to fly kites on sunny, windy days in spring. 25
My ideal school starts at 8 a.m. and finishes at 3 p.m.
I love sports and computers, so we have PE and computer lessons every day. The classes are quite small. There are about 20 students in each class.
There is a big dining hall, There we can eat and chat with our friends. There is a park on one side of our school and a shopping mall on the other. We have a big library. We also have a tennis court and a swimming pool.
There are lots of clubs and after-school activities. Every month, we go on a school trip to a museum or a theatre.
6
26
Yao Ming was born in Shanghai in 1980. He got his first basketball when he was only four years old, but he did not become serious about basketball until he was 12. Yao joined the Houston Rockets in 2002 and became the best Chinese player to have ever played in the NBA.
When Yao Ming lived in the USA, he returned to China whenever he was needed. He took part in the Olympics in 2004 and in 2008 as one of the Chinese athletes. Since he ended his basketball career, Yao has done a lot of charity work, especially for poor Chinese teenagers.
27
UNICEF was set up in 1946 to help children after the war in Europe. Now, UNICEF helps children all over the world. It works in 158 countries. It helps governments and families make the world a better place for children.
UNICEF gets its money from donations. It raises money by selling Christmas cards and organizing other fund-raising activities. People can help UNICEF by doing voluntary work.
UNICEF believes that all children should have clean water and food so that they can be healthy. It also believes that they should go to school instead of working to support their families.
28
My name is Lucy. I am in Year 9 at Woodland School near London. It is a mixed school. Boys and girls have lessons together. My favourite subject is French. Learning foreign languages is fun.
Our school has a Reading Week every year. During the week, we can borrow more books from the school library. We can also bring in books and magazines from home. I often read more books than my classmates. Near the end of the week, we discuss the books with our classmates in class. Time seems to go faster when we are reading interesting books. 29
Dear classmates,
Have you ever had any problems? Are you wondering who you can ask for advice? If so, you can write to Mr. Sigmund Friend.
You may wonder who he is. He is a youth worker. Do you know what a youth worker does? Mr. Friend says that youth workers help young people solve their problems. They are doing a great job. Some of my friends wrote to Mr. Friend and asked how they could deal with their problems. Soon they got his replies. Now they know what they should do. Best wishes, Millie 30
In the Chinese lunar calendar, there are 12 animal signs. Each of them represents a lunar year. It is said that the animals held an exciting race to decide their order. After the race began, the strong, hard-working Ox took the lead. Suddenly, the clever Rat jumped on the Ox's back and won the race! The Ox came second, the Tiger third, and so it went. The Pig took his time and came last. The cycle of animal years repeats every 12 years. Some people believe that people born in the same animal year may share similar characteristics. For example, they believe people born in the Year of the Dragon are powerful and energetic.\
7
第二部分话题简述
[1-1]
1.第一次见面，英国人通常会说\你好\或者\很高兴认识你\，与你握手；
2.在公共场合，他们举止得体；他们认为插队是无礼的行为；他们总是排队；在家中他们也非常有礼貌；
3.\入乡随俗\；当我们在一个陌生的地方，我们的行为举止应当像当地人一样。
British people usually say \for the first time. They behave politely in public. They think it's rude to push in before others. They always queue. They are very polite at home as well. \When we are in a strange place, we should do as the local people do. [1-2]
1.我们能在很多地方，比如医院、博物馆、街道、公园见到各类公共标志；通常，它们颜色鲜明，用图形表达；
2.大多数公共标志能给我们提供有用的信息；它们能帮我们找路，告诉我们周围的地点；它们提醒我们远离危险，告诫我们不能做某事；比如，在艺术博物馆里我们总能看到\禁止拍照\的标志。\
We can see different public signs in places like hospitals, museums, streets, and parks.
They are often bright in colour and have pictures on them. Most of them give us useful information. They help us find our way and tell us about the places around us. They keep us safe from danger and warn us not to do something. For example, we can always see the sign \photos\ [2-1]
1.谭盾1958年出生在中国湖南省中部；很小的时候就表现出对音乐的兴趣； 2.对他而言，最好的音乐来自；由于他喜欢大自然的声音，他经常在自己的音乐里使用它们； 3.谭盾成功地把中国音乐和西方音乐融合在一起，在东西方之间架起了一座桥梁；用他自己的话讲，\我的音乐就是梦想无边。\
Tan Dun was born in 1958 in central Hunan, China. When he was very young, Tan showed an interest in music. To him, the best music comes from nature. As he likes the sounds of nature, Tan uses them a lot in his music. Tan has successfully brought Chinese and Western music together. He has helped build a bridge between the East and the West. In his words, \music is to dream without boundaries.\[2-2]
1.谭盾是当今世界最伟大的艺术家之一；他在年轻的时候用石头、纸张等常见的物品来制作音乐；
2.他喜欢来自大自然的声音；他经常在自己的音乐里使用它们；
3.比如，在他的一部作品《水乐》中，他没有使用任何乐器；通过控制水流的速度，他用水制造出了五十多种声音；那真是太神奇了！
Tan Dun is one of the greatest artists in the world today. He used to make music with common objects like stones and paper when he was young. He loves the sounds of nature. He uses them a lot in his music. For example, in one of his works, Water, he doesn't use any musical instruments. He makes over 50 sounds from water by controlling the speed of water flow. That's really amazing!
[3-1]
8
1.我喜欢看罗伯特-路易斯-史蒂文森的书，我认为它们真的太精彩了； 2.比如，《金银岛》讲述的是一个小男孩的故事；他出海航行，寻找宝藏；故事给了我很大的信心；
3.读完这本书后，我不再像以前那样害羞；将来我还想去旅游，拥有一些令人兴奋的经历。 I enjoy reading the books of Robert Louis Stevenson because I find them really exciting. For example, Treasure Island tells the story of a young boy. He sails the sea to look for hidden treasure. His story gives me a lot of confidence! After reading the book, I am not as shy as I used to be. I also want to travel and have exciting experiences in the future. [3-2]
1.我喜欢阅读；每周我花七个多小时阅读各种类型的书；我对历史题材的书感兴趣，但是我最爱看小说；
2.朋友们给我很多读书建议；我们常见面，讨论读什么书；
3.阅读总是段美好的时光；好书让我在忙碌一天之后轻松下来；同时也向我打开了一个全新的世界。
I love reading. I spend over seven hours a week reading different types of books. I am interested in history books, but I like novels best. My friends give me a lot of advice on books. We often meet together and discuss what to read. Reading is always a wonderful time. Good books help me relax after a busy day. They also open up a whole new world to me. [4-1]
1.人人喜欢大熊猫；大熊猫温顺且安静，吃一种特别的竹子； 2.野外现仅有大约1600只大熊猫，它们的数目越来越少；
3.大熊猫生活的地方正在变为农田，而且人们也为取其毛皮而猎捕它们；如此下去，世界上很快将再无大熊猫。
Everyone likes giant pandas. Giant pandas are quiet and peaceful. They eat a special kind of bamboo. Now, there are only about 1,600 giant pandas in the wild. Their number is going down. Their living areas are becoming farmlands. Also people hunt them for their fur. If this continues, there will soon be no giant pandas in the world. [4-2]
1.熊猫宝宝名叫“希望”，出生时重约90克，每天喝母乳；6个月时，开始吃竹子； 2.可悲的是，大熊猫在野外很难存活；假如人们砍掉树和森林，大熊猫将无栖身之处； 3.我们应当尽力保护它们。
The baby panda is called Xi Wang. When she was born, she weighed about 90 grams.
She drank her mother's milk every day. When she was six months old, she started to eat bamboo. Sadly, it is difficult for giant pandas to survive in the wild. If people cut down trees and forests, giant pandas will have nowhere to live. We should try our best to protect them. [5-1]
1.我表弟安德鲁对DIY很着迷；他喜欢修理物品，装饰房间；但事后，房间总是一团糟； 2.曾经有一次他想在自己的卧室里安装一盏更亮的灯，但是他犯了一个错误，整个房子都停电了；
3.我给他买了一些DIY书籍，建议他选修一些DIY课程。
My cousin Andrew is crazy about DIY. He loves to repair things and decorate his house. But when he finishes, the house always looks terrible! He once tried to put in a brighter light in his bedroom, but he made a mistake. Then his whole house had a power cut. So I bought some books about DIY for him, and I also advised him to take some courses in DIY.
9
[5-2]
1.这里有一些制作水果沙拉的小建议；
2.首先，使用当季水果；其次，搭配不同颜色的水果；比如，把红色的苹果、青色的梨子和紫色的葡萄搭配起来会使沙拉看上去五彩缤纷；
3.最后，在食用沙拉前再做沙拉；有些水果在空气中放置一段时间后会很快变色。
Here are some tips for making a fruit salad. First, use fruit in season. Then, use fruit of different colours. For example, mixing red apples, green pears and purple grapes together will make the salad look very colourful. Last, prepare the fruit salad just before you are going to eat it. Some of the fruit will quickly turn brown when you leave it in the air for some time. [6-1]
1.刘浩是连接阳光城到天津路段高铁的总工程师；他严肃，话不多；做事有条不紊； 2.工作上，他总是追求高标准；刘浩认为失之毫厘，谬以千里，因此必须重视每个细节； 3.他对他的团队成员很友好；大家觉得他是一个谦虚、易相处的人。
Liu Hao is the chief engineer of the high-speed railway connecting Sunshine Town to Tianjin. He is serious and doesn't like to talk much. He is well organized. He always works to high standards. Liu Hao believes a miss is as good as a mile, so it is necessary to pay attention to every detail. He is friendly to his team members. They think he's modest and easy to work with. [6-2]
1.五年前，孙宁放弃了她会计师的职业；开始在一家大公司的销售部门工作； 2.她的上一份工作中，她天天只能与数字打交道；那使得她很不开心；因为喜欢与人打交道，她选择了新的工作；
3.现在，孙宁是这家公司的总经理；她说她随时准备接受新的挑战。
Sun Ning gave up her job as an accountant five years ago. She started to work for the sales department in a big company. In her last job, she could only work with numbers day after day. That made her unhappy. She chose her new job because she loved working with people. Sun Ning is now the general manager of the company. She said she was ready to take on new challenges anytime. [7-1]
1.如果你在考虑去北京旅游，我推荐这本书；
2.这本书描述了北京的许多旅游景点，还介绍了当地的纪念品；书中有许多漂亮的照片； 3.从这本书中你可以了解到北京的许多情况； 4.书不贵，可到附近的书店购买。
If you are thinking about visiting Beijing, I recommend this book. It describes many tourist attractions in the city. It also tells you about the local souvenirs. There are many beautiful photos in the book. You can learn a lot about Beijing from this book. This book is not expensive. You can buy it in the nearby bookshop.
[7-2]1.我推荐海伦担任网球俱乐部的负责人；
2.她成为俱乐部成员已经三年了；他一直积极参加俱乐部活动；我常看到她刻苦训练；今年她在学校网球比赛中获得第一名；她做事有条不紊； 3.我认为她是俱乐部负责人的恰当人选。
I recommend Helen to be the Tennis Club leader. She has been a club member for three years. She always takes an active part in club activities. I often see her practising hard. This year, she came first in the school tennis competition. She is also very organized. I think she is a good choice to be the Tennis Club leader.
10