Read a Timeline

Every family has a history. A timeline can show events in a family's history. A timeline is an ordered group of words and dates that shows when events happened. 

Learn the skill   

Step1 The title tells what the timeline is about. The timeline has a line divided in equal parts. Each park stands for 10 years.

Step2  Look at the first and last numbers on the timeline. The numbers are years. The events on the timeline happened between these years.

    Here is some information about Sanya, Beijing and Harbin.

    Sanya is in Hainan Province. It's still warm in winter. It's about 15℃ in the daytime. Sanya has beautiful beaches. You can play on the beaches or swim in the sea in Sanya. And there are many kinds of delicious fruits for you to taste. The price of a hotel room is about 320 yuan a night.

    Beijing is not very cold in winter. It's about ­10℃. It seldom rains or snows. Exploring (探索) Hutong in Beijing is very interesting. You can learn much about Chinese culture in Hutong. Hotels usually cut their prices in winter. About 200 yuan a night is enough.

    Harbin is in the north of China. It's very cold in winter, sometimes about ­30℃. Visitors need to wear warm clothes. There is an Ice and Snow Festival that lasts about six weeks. Many wonderful ice works are on show at the festival. A hotel room is about 230 yuan a night.

⑴题完成句子；⑵⑶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。

    Ma Wanqing, 13, is a Junior I at Chengdu No.3 Middle School. By looking at this kid, you would never think he's a scientist.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} He got patents（专利）this month for two inventions（发明）：a feet-washing machine and an easy trash can（垃圾桶）.

The feet-washing machine looks like a toy, but it really works." Just hit the button, and that's all it takes: the machine washes and dries your feet for you," said Wu Di at Chengdu Zhongya Patent Office.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} It's something his mum makes him do every day.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} He drew many pictures, and he made many changes to his first ideas. After lots of thinking and hard work, he is finally finished.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} "It's all because I'm too lazy, "he tells them.

But his mother, Wang Xiao lin, thinks differently." He's hard-working. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}"

    In the eyes of many foreigners, Chinese are the best hosts and the worst guests in the world. They're not really bad guests, but because the guest-host relationship in China is much different than in some western counties, it appears they are not nice guests. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Whenever I enter a Chinese person's home, there is always fruit on the table for me, and someone is quick to bring me a cup of tea or water. In the west, generally the guest is not a god. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    My wife's mother, a very kind elderly Chinese lady, doesn't smoke. When I see some of her guests smoking in her house, as a non-smoker, I feel unhappy. Usually I want to stop them directly, but I must realize that in China, to be a good host, she must not do that. In most North America homes, if you are a guest, and the hosts are not smokers, you should not smoke in their house.  {#blank#}4{#/blank#} But, don't be surprised if they say," No, you can't smoke. "

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Some western people may not adapt to these habits very soon. Thankfully my wife is Chinese, so whenever we visit a Chinese family she tells me to buy them a gift. However, giving a gift to a host is not always necessary in my country. So, if you invite international guests to your home, don't be too surprised if they don't bring you a gift.

    In China, you probably won't need to change the guest-host relationship very much because you will probably only be the host, and Chinese are naturally very good hosts. If western hosts invite you to their house, try not to be too surprised if their style of treating you is not what you have expected.

A. In China, guests are almost like gods.

B. Guests in China also have special habits.

C. At the very least, you could ask, "Is it OK if I smoke?"

D. Acting according to the host's way of doing things is usual behavior for a guest.

E. And western guests sometimes look impolite or even rude in the eyes of Chinese guests.

    Once there lived a farmer. He was the happiest man in England. He was busy all day, but he was always happy. He also liked to make everybody else happy, and people like him.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} "I will go and talk with this wonderful farmer." He said, "Maybe he can tell me how to be happy."

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} The king wanted to be happy like the farmer, so he asked the farmer to change the place with him and he lived on the farm. The farmer smiled and said, "I'm sure I don't want to do that, sir." "Now tell me what makes you so happy here on your dirty farm, {#blank#}3{#/blank#}" said the King. The farmer smiled again and said, "{#blank#}4{#/blank#} I live an easy life and I enjoy it. I make my own bread. I love my wife, children and friends, and they love me, too. That's all." The King said, "{#blank#}5{#/blank#}."