阅读下列材料，按要求完成各题。

    Confidence is very important in daily life. It can help you to develop a healthy attitude (态度). A study shows that the people who are more confident are much happier. They can have more chances to make themselves successful. The following is about how to be more confident.

    Speak loud.  When you are not confident, you can't do well what you want to do. You speak in a voice so low that other people can hardly hear you. Try to speak loud enough so that people can hear you clearly. The high voice can help you become more confident.

    Play sports.  Physical exercise makes you tired but completely relaxed. A strong body helps you be full of confidence.

    Encourage yourself.  To see how many things you have done well, you can write down a list of things you did during the day. Did you finish your homework? Did you tell a joke that made everybody laugh? Give yourself praise for the good things you've done.

    Pick up a hobby.   If you like singing, sing as much as you can. In some ways, a hobby can make you outstanding. And it will make you happy and confident.

    Get rid of (消除) fear. Fear comes along with failure (失败). But it's easy to overcome (克服) if you know that failure is part of your life. Don't hide your head just because you said something stupid last time. Try to start again and believe you can do better.

    Police arrested a 19-year-old teenager yesterday who was involved in a ‘4-cats-killed' case in Hong Kong. The case drew the public's attention towards animal rights. Still, many people in Hong Kong would like to own a pet dog without giving serious thought to the consequences(后果).

    We are concerned（关注） that some owners will drive away the pets once they have become useless. Homeless dogs and cats run here and there in the parks and streets. Many owners send their pets away for three reasons. Firstly, they have got diseases. Secondly, they are noisy and annoying（烦人）. Thirdly, they have broken the vase bought by a boyfriend. Because of these silly reasons, many pets lose their homes . More pets will be saved if we think twice before buying them.

    We must pay attention to pets' health. To have them injected(注射) with different types of vaccines(疫苗) at the correct age is necessary. You should always keep an eye on your pet. If they behave strangely, take them to an animal hospital at once. It's dangerous for dogs to eat chocolate. Never leave your pets at home alone for a long time. Pets will show better behavior once they have developed good habits. Owners can take them to some training courses or teach them patiently at home.

    Animal experts say that Hong Kong is not an ideal place for keeping pets at home. Hong Kong people are too busy and the flat spaces are limited. Above all, animals are an important part of nature. They should not be locked in cages. So, if you do not have the time and ability to keep them well, do not take them home. Please think twice before you pay.

    Listening to songs is a great way to learn English. Here are a few reasons.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. And when you are enjoying yourself, you learn without even realizing it. The best thing is that there are so many good songs in English and there are so many kinds of music, including pop, country, R&B, rock, soul and so on. Let David Bowie, Madonna, The Beatles, Alicia Keys...be your teachers!

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. Just take your MP3 player with your favorite tracks and press “play”. And you can listen to them whenever and whatever you want, so you can learn English while you're walking, driving, doing sports or relaxing on the sofa.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. While you're listening to songs, you are raising your awareness of language structures. And you're seeing how the structures are formed and used.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. And after singing along to the songs several times, all those phrases and expressions will become firmly fixed in your long-term memory. Then later you'll find that you use them naturally when you're speaking or writing.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. For example, the song American Pie is about the 1959 plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the The Big Bapper, which was an important event in US history.

    So, load up your MP3 player, put on your headphones and press “play”!

A. Learning English by listening to music is easy, too.

B. Songs can also teach you about history, culture and traditions.

C. Songs are full of useful language that you can use when you're speaking and writing.

D. Songs are good for developing your understanding of English grammar.

E. Listening to music is fun.

    In Thailand, people do not eat with chopsticks like in China, Japan, and Korea. They use spoons and forks.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}.Most food is already cut. If you need to cut things, use the side of your spoon first and then use your fork.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}. If you are right-handed, keep the spoon in your right hand and the fork in your left hand.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.The rice is not on the same plate with other food. It is not necessary to finish all your rice or all your food. It is good to leave a little on your plate. If you eat up anything,it means you want more.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}.The host (主人)will ask you twice or three times if you want more food. It is the same with whatever you are drinking. During the meal, never empty your cup or glass. When it is less than half full, your host or neighbor will fill it again.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}. Always refill (再加满) your neighbor's glass. This means that you must keep an eye on your neighbor's glass all through the meal.

    August has always been difficult for me. It is the time when I realize that the books my English teacher assigned(布置) to me are not going to read themselves and that I have a difficult month in front of me.

    You might think that I don't want to spend my summer reading, hut that's not the problem；I love reading. On the first day of summer holiday this year, I borrowed a Gathering of Old Men by African-American writer Ernest Gaines. I enjoyed it very much. I read all the magazines that my parents subscribe to(订阅) and spend about     minutes every day with the morning newspaper.

    So why do I hate summer reading for school？Because the books on summer reading lists are often slow-going and just uninviting(不吸引人的) . Teachers don't under-stand that summer reading can be interesting as well as educational. They choose books called "spinach books": good for you, but not much fun to take in. Every summer, I read them, hate them and get bitter about the experience.

    This bitterness started three years ago when 1 began high school. As preparation. my English teacher told me to read The Age of Innocence(《纯真年代》). At 14, I couldn't understand the love 100 years ago in the story. I only know my love for baseball. The Age of Innocence was completely different to my life. What is more, sometimes I guess teachers don't think exciting plots make for "good literature". To me, a good writer describes events and characters in a way that makes the reader want to know what happens next.

    If I were making up a summer reading list, it would include The Friends of Eddie Coyle by George V. Higgins. The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe, and Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer. These are all books that have literary value(文学价值) and can also entertain kids. If the teachers could add a little fun into the books they assign, my Augusts would be a lot more enjoyable.