When you are learning a language, listening, speaking and writing are important, but reading can also be very helpful. When you read, you can not only learn some new words, but also learn how to use them. When you read a passage, it gives you a good example for writing. Here are some good reading tips.

    Firstly, try to read at the right level (水平). Read something that you can understand. If it is too hard for you, it is not interesting.

    Secondly, try to understand the new words. If there are four or five new words on a page, don't use a dictionary. Instead, try to guess their meanings as you read. Mark (作标记) them with a pencil. Then look them up in a dictionary when you finish reading, and write them in your own vocabulary book. Try to remember them.

    Thirdly, try to read for a short time once a day. Fifteen minutes or half an hour every day is better than two hours every Sunday. For example, you can read before you go to bed, or after you get up or at lunchtime.

    Lastly, read something that interests you. Choose a newspaper, a book or a magazine about a subject that you like. It will be easy enough for you to understand.

    My name is Sally. I am 14 years old and I am in New York. My favorite subject is music. I don't like science because it is boring. I usually do my homework at 7 o'clock and I go to bed at 9 o'clock. My favorite teacher is Mr. Furness.

    My name is Jackie. I am from New Zealand. I get up at 6 o'clock and I have breakfast at 7 o'clock. I like swimming and painting. I want to join the art club. I don't like science. I think it is boring. I speak English and a little Chinese.

根据短文内容完成下列小题

    Today is Emily's 15th birthday. The following are some presents she receives.

    Halloween is a strange holiday. It started several centuries ago in Europe. It began as "Hallow Evening" which means "holy night". At that time November 1st was called "All Saints' Day" (万圣日) and people honored all the saints who did not have their own special day. People believed that all the spirits of dead people were active on the night of October 31st. So people would play all sorts of tricks on each other.

    Black is one of the traditional Halloween colors, probably because Halloween festivals and traditions took place at night. Pumpkins area symbol of Halloween, so orange has become the other traditional Halloween color. Making lanterns out of pumpkins is a Halloween custom.

    Halloween is great fun for children. They dress up as ghosts(鬼) or witches(女巫). Small children go "Trick-or-Treat". They wear costumes, knock on doors, and shout, "Trick or Treat!" People almost always choose to give them candy as a treat, instead of choosing to receive a trick from the children. Adults sometimes "trick or treat" their friends, too. Usually the "treat" is a glass of wine or some small gifts.

    We live on the earth. We use the sea around us. What do we take from the ocean? And what do we give to it?

    We take fishes from the ocean—millions of kilograms of fish, every year, to feed millions of people. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}We take minerals (矿物) from the ocean. We can get salt by evaporating (蒸发) seawater. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}such as gold. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Seaweed (海草) becomes food of many kinds—even candy and ice cream—as well as medicine. Believe it or not, fresh water is another gift from the sea. We can't drink ocean water. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}But ocean water becomes fresh water when the salts are removed. In the future, we will find ourselves depending more and more on fresh water from the sea.

    The sea gives us food, fertilizer, minerals, water and other gifts. What do we give the sea? We pollute the ocean all the time. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Throwing waste into the ocean is killing off sea life. Yet as the world population grows, we may need the sea and its gifts more than ever.

    We are finally learning that if we destroy our sea, we might also destroy ourselves. Hopefully, it is not too late.