horse        the year of dog. ( 2 ) And this year is the year of dragon.
   Before New Year's Day, people are busy shopping and cleaning their houses. On New Year's Eve, there is a big family dinner. All the

families stay up late to welcome the New Year after dinner. On the first day of the New Year, people put on their new clothes and go to visit their friends and relatives. They say “Happy New Year and good luck.” and some other greetings（祝福）to each other. People usually

have a good time during Chinese New Year, the Spring Festival.
{#blank#}1{#/blank#} 将（1）句的空白处分别填上一个适当的词语, 使句意完整、上下文通顺。
___________; ___________
{#blank#}2{#/blank#} 将（2）句译成中文。
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{#blank#}3{#/blank#} 回答问题：What do Chinese people do before New Year's Day?
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{#blank#}4{#/blank#} 在文中找出与A lot of families don't sleep early because they want to welcome the New Year.的同义句。
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{#blank#}5{#/blank#} 在文中找出最能表达该短文主题的句子。
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    I have three friends. They are Lucy, Mary and Mike. They have their favourite pets(宠物). The dog is Lucy's favourite. She thinks(认为) it can help us and it is our good friend. Mary likes the cat. She thinks it is nice to play with it. Mike says his favourite pet is the bird. It can sing very well.

    Mr．and Mrs．Zipster like to be the first one for everything，but their daughter Maddie is always last.She arrives last for breakfast，because she has to say good morning to her fish．At school，Maddie is the last one to leave the library,because she puts all the books in the reading area onto the bookcases．In math tests．Maddle is the last one to hand in(提交)the math paper,because she never forgets to check(检查)her answers．After art class，Maddle is the last one to go out of the art room，because she closes(关闭)all the paintiars(颜料瓶)so the paints won't dry．

    It is the day for Maddie's parents to meet her teachers．"I'm sure the teachers will ask us why Maddie is always last．"says her mom．They get to the school and talk with Maddie's teachers．Mrs．McReady works in the library．She says，"Maddie is a big help．"The math teacher Mrs．Lerner says，"Maddie does really great work．"The art teacher Mr．Clay says，"Maddle always thinks about others．"But no one asks why Maddie is always last．

    On their Way home，Maddie's parents are happy．"Sometimes it's good to be last．"says Maddie's mom．Maddie's dad smiles and says，"Mavbe we should try it sometime．"

根据材料内容简要回答下列问题。

    Dinosaurs(恐龙)once lived on the earth for a long time. They suddenly disappeared millions of years ago. What happened to them? That's still a mystery. People never stop searching for the answer.

    Some US scientists say it is because there were not enough male(雄性的)dinosaurs. They got this idea after researching crocodiles(鳄鱼).

    Mother crocodiles lay eggs and later baby crocodiles come out. The local temperature decides the sex(性别)of the baby crocodile. When the eggs are at a temperature of 26℃ to 30℃,the babies are all girls; when the temperature is 30℃ to 34℃,there are both boys and girls; when it is 34℃ to 36℃, only boys are born.

    Dinosaurs' babies also came from eggs. So scientists have given us a new picture: millions of years ago, it suddenly became very cold. Almost all dinosaur babies were girls. There were fewer and fewer male dinosaurs. Mother dinosaurs could not give birth to more babies. Finally, these powerful animals disappeared.

    English is the first language of several countries. However, it has many differences. British, American, and South African English are all spoken differently. In many English language courses, the British and American differences are taught. There are important differences between the two.

    Probably the biggest difference between American and British English is the vocabulary. Different words and expressions are used to talk about the same thing. For example, in the United States, people throw their garbage into the trash can. In England, people throw their rubbish into the dustbin. In Britain, people take a lift to the fifth floor. In America, people take an elevator.

    American and British grammar can be also different. For example, speakers of British English will ask "What did you do at the weekend?", but Americans usually say "on the weekend." In the United States people usually say "I've gotten a new car.", but in the UK they will say "I've just got a new car."

    The pronunciation in American and British English is also different, even when the spelling is the same. The word "tomato"—pronounced "to-mah-to" in British English—is a classic example of this.Vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation are three ways English is different in different parts of the world.

    Learning all these is not easy, so English learners should just know that they are always there.