Americans spend their weekends in different ways. But usually they choose the same aim— to rest, to enjoy the time with their family and friends.

    Some Americans hold parties on Saturday night.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Then they won't get up until 9, 10 even 11 o'clock next morning. As soon as they get up, they will go to the nearest corner ship to buy the daily newspaper.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}  It will help them to decide what to do on Sunday afternoon.

Before going out on Sunday, they will have a meal, which is called " brunch"—"br" from "breakfast" and "unch" from" lunch".{#blank#}3{#/blank#} After brunch some Americans may have a picnic with their family or friends. They will take many things with them, such as fresh vegetables, seafood, drinks, table cloth and so on. Usually they drive to a beautiful park, a lake or the seaside.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} It is the biggest meal of the week and all family members try to present(出席).

    Weekends are to be welcome everywhere.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Can you imagine a sea of sand three times bigger than India? This is the Sahara Desert, the largest desert in the world. It covers 11 countries in North Africa and is over 9 million square kilometers.

    In the Sahara, temperatures are very different during the day and at night. It is much hotter during the day than at night. During the day, the hottest time is between 2 p. m. and 4 p. m.-when temperatures rise to 33℃. But it is very cold at night, the coldest time is at 4 am, when temperatures fall to -1℃.

    Because of the extreme temperatures in the desert, it is a very difficult place to survive (幸存). Marco Rivera, our survival expert, has some tips.

    Take warm clothes and a blanket. You will need a hat, long trousers and a thick sweater to keep you warm at night. During the day, cover your body, head and face. Clothes protect you from the sun and keep water in your body. You will also need a warm blanket at night. It can get cold rapidly. When the temperature drops, it can be a shock and make you feel even colder.

    Try to drink some water at least once every hour. You need your water to last as long as possible. Drink only what you need. If you eat, you will get thirsty and your water will run out soon. You can eat a little, but only to stop you from feeling very hungry. Eat a small amount of food slowly.

    It's important to stay out of the sun during the day. Make a hole under your car and lie there. This will keep you cool and help you sleep. Find a warm place to sleep at night. A small place near a tree or a rock will be the warmest. But be careful before you decide where to sleep. Dangerous animals like snakes also like to sleep in these places. Look carefully for animals before you lie down.

    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(路标) 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(在……之内) miles. So instead of landmarks, people will tell you directions and distance. For example, people will say, "Go north two miles(英里). {#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 the 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 always 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 direction.

A. Turn east, and then go another mile.

B. But one thing will help you everywhere.

C. People there think "I don't know." is not polite.

D. Turn left at the big hotel and go past a fruit market.

E. Then he or she will take you through the street of the city to the post office.

    Eyes are important. It's necessary for us to take care of them for our whole lives.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} No. In fact, if we do a few simple things every day, we can protect our eyes and reduce (减少) the risk of hurting them.

    Most doctors agree that we can improve and protect our eyes by eating lots of fresh fruit. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Vegetables like carrots are good for our eyes. We need to protect our eyes when spending a lot of time in bright sunlight. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}What's more, it is important to protect our eyes when we work at some places. For example, we should always wear goggles (护目镜) in chemistry labs. And we should not spend too much time in front of the computer or television screen. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}That is why we should take a short break every fifteen or thirty minutes if we have to use the computer for a long time. Keeping good eyesight is also important. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. We can do some eye exercises to keep good eyesight.

B. Is it difficult to protect our eyes?

C. Using computers for a long time may cause eye problems

D. It's important for us to eat all kinds of vegetables.

E. The best way is to wear sunglasses.

    It is a rainy day. A train stops at a small station. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} He looks out of the window and sees a shop. A woman is selling cakes in the shop and the cakes look nice. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} But the shop isn't near the train. The man doesn't want to walk in the rain. Then he sees a boy. The boy is about five years old. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} "Come here, boy!" says the man, "Do you know how much the cake is?" "Two dollars for one." says the boy. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} "One is for you and the other is for me," he says to the boy.

    After a while (过了一会儿), the boy comes back. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} He gives the man two dollars and a piece (块) of cake. "Sorry, there is only one cake left (剩余). I eat one half of the cake and here is the other half for you," says the boy.