C

    Autumn is a good time for children to go outside and see the changing colors of nature. The wind is cool, the days are short and the leaves are changing colors. Autumn is a great season for kids to play outside. What outdoor activities do children like?

    In China, students often have an autumn picnic held by their school. Usually, they will go to an amusement(娱乐) park or to places that are close to nature.

    What kinds of autumn activities are there for children in other countries?

    Japanese students often go hiking. It is a perfect way to get exercise while enjoying the scenes(景色). Mountain climbing in such nice weather is also a good choice(选择).

    Children in the USA like to go for bike rides in autumn. Take a mountain bike ride and you can explore new trails (探索新路). Playing in a leaf pile is popular, too. Kids jump into the leaf pile to see the colorful leaves fly all around. They also make leaf rain and leaf beds — all a lot of fun.

    In the UK, school kids like to camp outside with their parents. They make snacks over the fire and tell ghost stories.

    Students' Favourite Autumn Activities in D{#blank#}1{#/blank#}  Countries

Giving directions in different places

    If you ask people of different countries "Could you tell me the way to the post office?", you will get different answers.

    In Japan, people use landmarks instead of street names. For example, the Japanese will say to travelers, "Go straight down to the corner. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} The post office is across from the bus stop."

    In Kansas, America, there are no towns or buildings within miles. So instead of landmarks, people will tell you directions and distance. For example, people will say, "Go north two miles {#blank#}2{#/blank#}".

    People in Greece sometimes do not even try to give directions. They will often say, "Follow me." {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Sometimes if a person doesn't know the answer to your question, he or she, like a New Yorker, might say, "Sorry, I have no idea." But in Yucatan, Mexico, no one answers "I don't know". {#blank#}4{#/blank#} They usually give an answer, but often a wrong one. A visitor can often get lost in Yucatan!

{#blank#}5{#/blank#} You might not understand a person's words, but maybe you can understand his or her body language. He or she will usually point to the correct direction. Go on in that direction and you may find the post office!

    As you know, homework is a big part of going to school. Luckily, here are several suggestions for you to make homework easy.

    Make a homework plan

    Most middle school students have two or three hours of homework a night. If it is a heavy homework day, you may need to spend even more time. It is a good idea to come up with some kind of homework schedule(进度表), especially if you are going to do sports or other activities after school.

    Watch where you work

    A bedroom, study or any room where you can get away from noise is good for you to do your homework. But don't study on your comfortable bed, or you might fall asleep there.

    Take a break

    Most people's attention (注意力) don't last very long, so take some breaks while doing your homework. Sitting for too long without relaxing will make you less productive(多产的) than if you stop to take a break regularly. Taking a 15-minute break every hour is a good way for most people.

    Get help when you need it

    Sometimes even though you are listening carefully in class, some subjects seem too hard. The first person to ask for help is your teacher. He or she may be able to work with you before or after school and explain things more clearly. Your classmates may also be able to give you a hand. However, this might not give you the results you want. Lots of people understand something well but are not able to explain it.

    Having a cheetah as a pet in the house?Does it sound scary to you?But for a family in South Africa，one cheetah is treated as a VIP(Very Important Person)in the house．

    The big cheetah is named Jolie，after the film star Angelina Jolie{#blank#}1{#/blank#}She can often be found eating from the kitchen table，taking a short sleep on the sofa，or even sleeping on Lucy and Jeff's bed．The big cat also sleeps and plays with the Browns'other pet，the more usual one-a sheepdog(牧羊犬){#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Having a cheetah as a pet is unusual．At first，Mrs．Brown wasn't willing to keep a cheetah as a pet．She said，"{#blank#}3{#/blank#}But we are now happy that we did it she is part of the family．"

Just like her name，four-year-old Jolie has achieved celebrity status(名人地位)in the Browlisl hometown．Fans often come to their home to take pictures of her{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    However．a cheetah is always a cheetah{#blank#}5{#/blank#}"She makes a lot of mess in the house，urinating(小便)everywhere and chewing everything．It's her wild instincts(本能)，"said Mrs．Brown．

    There might be some problems of having a cheetah as a pet in the house，but some unusual fun must also be waiting ahead．

A．Interestingly，Jolie enjoys all the special attention that is paid to her．

B．I was really pleased to have a cheetah as a pet at the beginning．

C．Though Jolie is now a pet in the house，she still has some wild habits．

D．She is surely the VIP at Lucy and Jeff Brown's home．

E．I was really against the idea of getting a cheetah as a pet．

F．An impossible friendship has happened between these two animals．

    Most of us think the telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}In fact, an Italian named Antonio Meucci was officially recognised(认定)as the inventor a few years ago. Who is Meucci and why wasn't he known for his invention at the time?

    Antonio Meucci was born in Italy in 1808. He studied engineering and drawing. During his studies, Meucci started to experiment with electricity. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}When two places were connected with wire, people in those places could hear each other talk.

    In 1850, Meucci and his wife. Ester, moved to New York. Meucci was worried about his wife, because she had become very ill. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}To solve this problem, he connected metal cables between his home and his workshop. This way, they could talk to each other conveniently.

    Meucci invited a group of people to see his new invention. They listened in amazement as the voice of a singer was heard through the wires.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Even worse, Meucci never applied for a patent (专利) on his invention. Meanwhile, Alexander Graham Bell was working on the same idea and in 1876 the patent for the telephone was given to him.

    In 2002, more than a century after Meucci's death, his work was finally recognised by the government. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    A passenger told a flight attendant(服务员) that he needed a cup of water to take his medicine just as the plane was taking off. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} The passenger agreed.

Thirty minutes later, when the passenger called for service, the flight attendant felt worried. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} As a result, the passenger couldn't take his medicine on time. She hurried over to him with a cup of water, but he refused it.

    In the following hours, each time the flight attendant passed by the passenger, she asked him with a smile if he needed anything. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

When he was getting off the plane, the passenger asked the flight attendant to hand him a service review(评价) card. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} But she politely handed it to him.

Later, she looked at the card and a smile came over her face. "On the flight, you asked me 12 times if I needed help," the passenger wrote. "{#blank#}5{#/blank#}" Even after someone does something wrong, no one can say no to 12 sincere smiles.