Round the World

    Mr and Mrs Spencer both had very busy jobs and didn't have much time to spend with their young children. They wanted to change this, and because their hobby was boating, they decided to sail round the world together.

    It took six years to prepare everything for the trip. First, they bought a new boat. Then, both the husband and wife had to take advanced(先进的) sailing lessons and learn all about the sea and the weather. Mr Spencer also did several courses in repairing engines and Mrs Spencer spent an hour in a restaurant learning to cut up fish.

    In October, they had one year off from their jobs and sailed away from England with their two children. The next year, in August, their long journey ended in Australia.

    The boat was not big, but they took a teacher for the children with them. None of them found the trip boring because there were three computers, many CDs, a TV and a DVD player on the boat.

    The family loved being at the sea and seeing the stars in the sky. But, most of all, Mr and Mrs Spencer enjoyed spending time with their children while they were still young.

    It seems that a family just isn't complete (完整的) without a pet. But if pets aren't suitable to a family's lifestyle or environment, they can quickly lead to problems such as stress or arguments (争执). To save yourself and your family such problems, treat this decision seriously. When choosing a pet, people must consider the family's health. Many people are allergic (过敏的) to cats and dogs. Perhaps a dog or cat with short hair will be fine. And a dog might not be the best choice for a child who is naughty (顽皮的) because the dog might bite him or her. Some people can also have problems with certain pets. It's a good idea to spend a little time with the pet around each member of the family before making your decision. Consider the quality of life of the pet, too. If a pet is used to having space to run around, it can quickly develop psychological (心理的) problems when it is kept in a small flat all day. If pets are allowed to run about in areas with lots of traffic, they can meet an early end. Cats shouldn't be brought into homes that already have large dogs because they won't be able to get along well with each other.

    The decision as to what kind of pet to choose is very important. If you find the right one to suit (适合) everyone in the family and their lifestyle, then it's time to choose one. Remember that your decision is important because it can have effects that last for many years.

    Before you visit a country, knowing about the customs of the country is important and useful. Here are 4 customs you should know before traveling to Japan.

    No. 4 is avoided at all cost.

    In Japan, the number "four" is avoided because it sounds very similar to the word for death. No. 4 is very unlucky as No, 13 in Western culture. And it is used as little as possible. You must always avoid giving anyone something in fours because it can be seen as a very ominous(不吉利的)gt.No.49 is especially unlucky, as it sounds similar to the phrase that means "pain until death". The practice of avoiding No. 4 is called" Tetraphobia (四的禁忌)" and it is common in many East Asian and Southeast Asian regions.

    People will sleep on the trains with their head on your shoulder.

    If someone in Japan falls asleep with his or her head on your shoulder, it is common practice to Just tolerate(容忍) it, because the place where most people work is far from their homes. After working long hours, many people will get very tired and often fall asleep on the train.

    You must always bring a host a gift.

    If you want to visit someone, you must always bring a gift. The gift shoud also be wrapped(包). You should also never refuse a gift if someone visits you.

    Pouring your own glass is considered rude.

    It is common in the US and many other countries in the world to serve others before you serve yourself, _____in Japan you shouldn't pour yourself a drink. If you have poured for others, another guest will hope to see that your drink is empty and pour for you.

⑴题完成句子; ⑵~⑶题简略回答问题; ⑷题找出并写下全文的主题句; ⑸题将文中画线句子译成汉语

Country：Cuba    Name：Rita

Age(年龄)：13    Favorite color：blue        Tel：8288—9765

Country：America    Name：Jenny

Age：11    Favorite color：yellow     Tel：8302—5430

Country：China    Name：Liu Yang

Age：14    Favorite color：black       Tel：8706—7459

Information Card

The country Rita comes from {#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

The age of Jenny {#blank#}2{#/blank#}.

The first name of Liu Yang {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

The person(人)who likes yellow {#blank#}4{#/blank#}.

The telephone number of Liu Yang {#blank#}5{#/blank#}.

    There once was a woman. She had a faithful (忠实的) dog. The dog was so faithful that she could leave her baby with the dog when she went out. (A) And after she returned, she would always find her baby safe.

    One day, the woman left the baby with the dog and went shopping. When she returned, she found something had taken place in the house. There were bloodstains(血迹)all over the bedroom. The woman then thought of her baby. She cried and started looking for him. Then she saw the faithful dog. It was licking(舔) its mouth. It seemed that it had just finished a delicious meal. The woman was angry and thought that the dog had killed her baby. Without thinking too much, (B)       .

    But as she continued looking for her child, she saw something else. Close to the bed, there was her baby and he was sleeping. And under the bed, there was a dead jackal (豺), The woman now understood what had happened. The dog tried to protect her baby from the jackal, but just now she killed the dog. How regretful she was!