a. Maybe you're right.

b. Is there anything wrong?

c. I'll try to understand her.

d. She nags me about almost everything.

e. That's a good idea.

f. But she doesn't like it at all.

g. Could I use your telephone, please?

A: Hello, Xiao Hong!

B: Hello!

A: You look a little upset. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

B: Yes. It's just my mom. She always nags(唠叨)me.

A: Really? What does your mother nag you about?

B: {#blank#}2{#/blank#}"Get up now. . . . Everything must be in place. . . . Don't forget your piano lesson. . . . "

A: Well, all the mothers like saying these words to their children.

B: Also, I'm fond of pop music. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}We don't have the same interest in many things.

A: {#blank#}4{#/blank#} But I should say she nags you because she cares about you. You're lucky to have such a good mother.

B: I agree with you. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A: That's right. Understanding is important. If your mom knows that everything is fine, she will never nag.

Humans' Greatest Achievements

     The Earth is 4.5 billion years old, but the human race has lived on it for just 200,000 years. In that short time, we have achieved some amazing things.

{#blank#}1{#/blank#} The list is almost endless. The invention of the airplane has changed our lives. The discovery of antibiotics (抗生素) has saved the lives of millions of people. Can you imagine living without electricity? What about the printing press (印刷术)? Without the printing press, you wouldn't be reading this. In the last 50 years, there have been great achievements in communication, such as radio, TV, computers, the Internet, and smartphones (智能手机). {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    What about the arts? The arts have brought pleasure to many people, but are the Beatles and Bach more important than antibiotics? {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

Finally, we must not forget humans' early achievements. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} We can't imagine modern life without cooked food and cars.

    What are humans' greatest achievements? To answer the question, we need to decide what we mean by “great”. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Or is it just something that makes us say “Wow,” like the Great Wall? What do you think?

    In schools all over the world lots of boys and girls are learning foreign languages.

    There are thousands of languages in the world. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} It is used not only in England and the USA, but also in the other parts of the world.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} We should remember how we all learned our own language when we were children. If we could learn a second language in the same way, it would not seem so difficult. Think of what a small child does. He listens to what people say, and he tries to copy what he hears. When he wants something, he has to ask for it. He is using the language, talking in it and thinking in it all the time. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    It is important to remember, also, that we learn our own language by hearing people speak it, not by seeing what they write. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} In school, though you learn to read and write as well as to hear and speak, it is best to learn all new words by ear. You can read them, spell them and write them later.

A. We copy what we hear.

B. What is the best way to learn a language?

C. English is one of them.

D. If a second language is used all the time, it would soon be learned.

    A hobby can be almost anything that a person likes to do in his spare time. Hobbyists raise pets, watch birds, paint pictures, play the piano and grow flowers. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} They collect everything from books to butterflies and from boxes to stamps.

    People take up hobbies because these activities offer enjoyment, friendship and relaxation. Hobbies help people relax after a long time of hard work, and provide a balance between work and play. Hobbies offer interesting activities for the old. Some hobbies can make a child grow as a person, develop his interest and help him learn new skills. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Doctors have found that hobbies are useful in helping patients recover from illness. Hobbies give patients who can't move around something to do, and provide interests that keep them from thinking about themselves. Many hospitals treat patients by having them take up interesting hobbies. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    In early times, most people were too busy making a living to have many hobbies. But some persons who had spare time did enjoy hobbies. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} People today have more time than ever before for hobbies. Machines have now reduced much time that people must spend on their jobs.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Those who have developed hobbies never need to worry about what to do with their newly-found free time hours.

    Sir William Osler, a famous Canadian doctor expressed the value of hobbies by saying, “No man is really happy or safe without a hobby.”

A. More people retire(退休) at an earlier age than before.

B. Hobbies can also help a patient to keep healthy.

C. The ancient Egyptians played games with balls made of wood.

D. They also go to concerts, climb mountains, go fishing, skate and swim.

E. Anyone, old or young, sick or well, rich or poor, can follow a good hobby, in spite of his age, health or money

F. As some hobbies have become less popular.

(Nancy comes to Huanggang for a tour. She meets Li Fei in the street.)

N: Good afternoon! I'm Nancy. Nice to meet you!

L: Nice to meet you, too. I'm Li Fei. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

N: Yes. Huanggang is a beautiful city. Oh, where are you going?

L: I'm going to relax myself by West Lake. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

N: Sure, I'd love to.

(Ten minutes later.)

N: Look! There are so many people boating on the lake. Why?

L: {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Qu Yuan was a great poet in ancient China. On that day, we also throw zongzi into the lake or river.

N: Sounds very interesting. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

L: You're welcome. Oh, Nancy. I have to leave now. I'll get something for tomorrow's final-exam.

N: {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Good-bye!

L: Bye-bye!

A: It is such a lovely day. I love sunshine.

B:{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

A: I hope it stays like this.

B:{#blank#}2{#/blank#}.

A: Is the weather usually like this here?

B: A bit hotter than today.

A：{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

B: It's pretty cold and it often snows in winter.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

A: A lot like the weather here, not too hot or cold.

B: I heard it rains a lot.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A: Mmm, yes. It rains but not any more than other places.