In the deserts(沙漠)of North Africa and Saudi Arabia lives the smallest fox with the largest ears. This animal is the fennec fox.

Fennec foxes have ears that are 5 to 6 inches long. That's big for an animal that weighs less than four pounds. Their ears help shed (去除) body heat. And, as you may have guessed, they also provide great hearing.

    It's also interesting to think about the hair of fennec foxes. Why would a fox that lives in the desert need a thick, fur coat? Actually, the desert isn't always warm. During the nighttime, a desert can be terribly cold! A fennec fox's fur keeps them warm during those desert nights. They also have long bushy tails that they use as a blanket. And the hair on their feet protects them from the hot sand in the daytime.

    Fennec foxes live in small communities of dens (兽穴).They spend most of the day sleeping in their dens, out of the hot sun. Then, when night comes, they come out in search of food. In addition to(除……之外) their great hearing, fennecs also use their great sense of smell and big eyes to track down dinner.

    Fennecs eat both meat and plants. They like eating birds, eggs, insects, snails, fruit and leaves best. Fennec fox mothers have one to five babies at a time. Sometimes they are in danger. They have to be careful with predators (捕食性动物), such as caracals (a type of wild cat) , jackals, eagle owls, hyenas and humans. Humans catch them for their fur and to sell as pets.

Do you live in a city? Do you know how cities began? Long long ago, the world had only a few thousand people. These people moved from one place to another. They moved over the land, hunting animals for food. No one knows how or when these people learned about growing food. But when they did, their lives changed. They did not have to move houses any more. They could stay in one place and grow it. People began to live near each other, so the first village grew. Many people came to work in the villages, and these villages became larger and larger. Then people had machines, life in the villages changed again. People built factories. More and more people lived near the factories. So the villages grew into cities. Some of them grew very big. Today, it's strange that some people are moving back to small villages. Can you tell me why ?

假设你们班级在开展英文文学作品阅读活动。请你阅读四则作品片段，在A、B、C、D中找到它们所表达的主题，并完成下面小题。

Teacher: So, how was your vacation, Karen?

Karen: It was great. I had a vacation with my friends in Hainan last winter. There were beautiful beaches and blue sea water. It was sunny and warm. We stayed there for a week. We went swimming every day. We played beach volleyball together. We ate seafood, too. We felt very relaxed.

Teacher: How about you, Brad?

Brad: I went to Beijing with my parents on vacation. The weather was fine and the trip was happy. We spent five days in Beijing. We visited Tian'anmen Square and the Palace Museum. We also went shopping. The shops were crowded. We ate in some Chinese restaurants, too. The food was cheap and delicious. The Chinese people were very friendly. We had great fun in Beijing.

    Being a good friend isn't always easy, but taking the time to nurture（培养） a lasting friendship is worth the effort. As the years pass, some people will stay by your side; but many won't. And you'll realize that each friendship you keep is valuable. To have a good friend, you must be one. But, what is the quality of a good friend? {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Being trustworthy. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} If you say you'll go out with a friend and just cannot go, give your friend a gift and tell him or her you're sorry. Nobody's perfect, and it's okay if you break a promise once in a blue moon, but don't make it a regular thing.

    Be respectful. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} If your friend doesn't share the same values and beliefs with you, respect his or her choices and be open to hearing more about them.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Don't interrupt conversations. Take the time to truly understand when your friend is talking to you. Listening may open space between the two of you.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} The best gifts are often hand-made and come from the heart. A phone call can mean as much as a visit!

A. You don't have to spend a lot of time or money to be good friend.

B. Good friends show respect for each other by being open and supporting each other.

C. Just follow these steps.

D. Be a good listener.

E. Don't ever make a promise that you can't keep.

    It's December 31, New Year's Eve. Bob and Sally are celebrating the holiday with *heir children, Lucy and Tom. The family is a very happy one.  Next year is going to be a very good year for the family.

    Next year Bob and Sally are going to take a long holiday. They are going to visit Sally's parents in California. Tom is going to finish high school. He is going to move to Boston and go to college. Lucy is going to be 16 years old. She is going to finish middle school and go to high school.

    In a word, it is going to be a happy year for all of them.