A

    Imagine that you are going on a trip to Ireland. The first three days of your trip are planned below. Read the schedule and use it to answer the questions below.

B

    A small, white envelope(信封) stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree and it has been there for the past ten years or so.

    It all began because my husband Justin hated Christmas—oh, not the true meaning of Christmas. Overspending was one thing, but compared to the difficult experience of choosing gifts—running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and a pair of gloves for Grandma…… spending money is nothing. I felt too tired to think of any special gifts.

    Knowing Justin felt the same way, I decided one year not to buy the usual shirts, sweaters, ties and so on. I reached for something special just for Justin. The inspiration came in an unusual way.

    Our son Kevin, who was 12 that year, was wrestling(摔跤) at the junior level at the school he attended; and shortly before Christmas, there was a match against a team sponsored(赞助) by an inner-city church. These youngsters, dressed in such worn out shoes that shoe strings seemed to be the only thing holding them together, while our boys were in their blue and gold uniforms and new wrestling shoes.

    As the match began, I was shocked to see that the other team were wrestling without wearing helmets(头盔) to protect their ears. Well, our boys ended up defeating them. We took every weight class.

    Justin, seated beside me, shook his head sadly, "I wish just one of them could have won," he said. "They have a lot of potential(潜力), but losing like this could take the heart out of them." Justin loved kids-all kids, and he knew them, having coached little league football and baseball. That's when the idea for his present came. That afternoon, I went to a local sporting goods store and bought different kinds of wrestling helmets and shoes. I sent them to inner-city church without leaving my name.

    On Christmas Eve, I placed the envelope on the tree, the note inside telling Justin what I had done and that was his gift from me. His smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year and since then the envelope has become the highlight of our Christmas.

C

    When you watch TV programs about wild animals, it is surprising to see how an antelope (羚羊) can run away from a strong lion. In the wild, everyone has his own way to protect himself. Even plants have their own ways to fight against their enemies.

    Over millions of years, plants have developed their own way to protect themselves. Chemicals (化学物质) are used by plants to live. By making their leaves, flowers, roots and fruits poisonous (有毒的) to enemies, plants can fight back.

    One such plant is the Golden Wattle tree. The British scientist David Cameron has found when an animal eats the tree's leaves, and the number of poisonous chemicals becomes more in the other leaves. "It's like the injured (受伤的) leaves telling the others to fight against the enemy together," he said.

    The tree also sends messages to plants near it by giving out a special smell. Golden Wattle trees in the nearby 45 meters will get the message and produce more poison in 10 minutes. Now, if an enemy eats too many of the trees' leaves, he will die.

    Every kind of plant is good at producing special chemicals. Animals that feed on plants or grass, like rabbits, can safely eat the leaves of one tree, but they may be hurt by its neighbor.

    In this way, plants have not only developed their own way to protect themselves, but also shared it with others. So it's impossible for a single animal to damage even a small area of forest.

A. Be a Good Listener               B. Care About the Small Acts

C. Begin a Conversation             D. Make Time for Friendships

E. Give a Hand to New Neighbors     F. Remember Their Names

5 Ways To Build Friendship with Your Neighbors

    ①

    Often neighbors don't even know each other's names. But it's okay to be the one to break the ice. So as you see them at work in their yards, smile, wave and say hello. Ask how their kids are or what they think of the price at the local supermarket.

    ②

    Your new neighbors may be feeling lonely and unsure, especially if they're far from home. Your help will be welcomed by them. Leave your telephone number to them. If they have any questions, they can call you.

    ③

    Most of us find it difficult to remember people's names. Writing down the names of your neighbors and note about them, such as "Frank and Jill—Bob's neighbor," helps you remember their names. The next time we see Frank and Jill, we try to call them by name.

    ④

    If you value a friendship with your neighbors, spend time with them. What better way to meet your neighbors than to invite them to a pool party or holiday open house? Chat with each for five minutes to get an idea of what your neighbors are like so that you can plan for food and music.

    ⑤

    In a good relationship, it's really the little things that count. Help to bring in the mail for the elderly neighbor when there is a heavy rain. When your neighbor forgets to take in his rubbish cans, roll them back into his yard.

    A person may have a false idea about himself that will stop him from doing good work. He may believe that he is unable to do it. A child may think he is 1 because he doesn't understand how to make the use of his mental abilities. Older people may be mistaken that they can't learn things new because of their 2.

    A person who believes that he is stupid will not make a real 3 because he feels that it would be useless. He won't go at a job with the confidence necessary for success, and he won't work his hardest way, 4 he may think he is doing so. 5, He is likely to fail, and the failure will 6 his belief in his inability.

    Alfred Alder, a famous doctor, had an experience like this. When he was a small boy, he had a poor 7 in math. His teacher told his parents he had no ability in math in order that they would not 8 too much of him. In his way, they two developed the idea. He accepted 9 mistaken thinking of his ability, feeling that it was useless 10 and was very poor at math, just as they expected.

    One day he worked at a problem which none of the other students had been able to solve. Alder 11 in solving the problem. This gave him confidence. He now worked with interest, 12 and purpose, and he soon became especially good at math. He not only 13 that he could learn math well, but luckily he learnt it 14 in his life, not too late. From his own experience, we can tell that if a person goes at a job with determination and purpose, he may 15 himself as well as others by his ability.

    On the (one) day of the new term, I met my new headmaster at the school gate. "Follow me, please!" he said. He had quiet, kind voice. He took me into my new classroom and (leave). In front of me, thirty pairs of eyes looked at me. I knew he had told the students that I was blind. I could almost feel the question behind their eyes: "Blind?" I felt the answer too: "If she's blind, this should be good!" I heard quiet (voice) in a corner of the classroom. For a moment, I felt afraid. I knew at once that I had to be (strong) than before.

    "Class," I said as (loud) as I could. "I may be blind. But I am not foolish. Take those naughty smiles off your faces, and stop talking, please!" Of course, I could not see their faces; I just guessed that some of them were smiling. The class were quiet. They were very surprised. I knew that I had done the right thing.

    the days went by, the students had more surprises. I could smell when the children were eating sweets. I could easily hear combs going through hair, students (pass) messages, and so on. Once I found a girl passing a message to a friend. I took the message to the teachers' room. A teacher read it to me. On one side it said, "Do you think she can see?" On the other it said, "I think so. She always knows we're doing."

    Soon the students stopped being naughty, and started to work hard. Before long, they brought in photos of (they) families for me to look at. I knew then they were my friends. I also knew they had forgotten that I could not see.

要求：1.词数80词左右。2. 短文中不得出现真实的校名与姓名

Is it important to study geography and history at school?