My best friend and I are in the same school. Her name is Alice. We first met each other two years ago. We were all new in the school then. She is beautiful. She has long black hair, round black eyes and a small nose. She doesn't like to dress up, so I usually see her wearing jeans and a T-shirt or sweater.

    Alice and I are always talking or laughing about something. She has a wonderful sense of humor (幽默感). When I am not happy, I like talking to her. And she always tries her best to make me happy.

    We have the same interests. We both enjoy playing the guitar and singing. We like going to the movies. Sometimes in summer, I go with her and her family to their summer house by the lake. We usually spend most of the afternoon swimming. In the evenings we walk into town or stay at home and watch TV. It's always fun to be with her.

    Though our lives get busy, we still have time to see each other. I am better in math and science and she is better in English, so we often help each other with our homework.

    I am lucky to have a friend like her.

Some birthday customs（习惯） are quite similar（相似） in many parts of the world—- birthday candles, birthday games，and birthday cakes. But some customs are more special to some countries. Here are some children talking about their customs.

Linda—I am fourteen. I come from Aruba. In our country, children take something special to school for their classmates and all teachers. Every teacher gives the birthday child a small present like a pencil, an eraser or a postcard. The birthday child doesn't need to wear special uniform(校服). He or she can wear family clothes.

Lucy—I am one year older than Linda. Denmark（丹麦） is my country. We hung a flag(旗帜) outside a window to show that someone in that house is having a birthday. Presents are placed around the child's bed while they are sleeping so they will see them at once when they wake up.

Tom—I am as old as Linda. I am from Brazil(巴西). The birthday child receives a pull on the earlobe(耳垂) for each year in my country. The birthday person also gives the first slice of cake to his most special friend or relative, usually mom or dad.

    In 2011, when British photographer David J. Slater was visiting a park in Indonesia, his camera was taken away by a group of black monkeys. The result was hundreds of monkey selfies(自拍照). The best ones show a monkey smiling toothily for the camera. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Nobody knew they would create a copyright (版权) battle three years later.

    Last month, a website put the monkey selfies online under a collection d free photos without Slater's permission (允许). {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    However, the website refused to do so. They said that according to US copyright law, whoever pushes the button on the camera owns the copyright to the photo. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    They said, "US copyright law says that works that come from a non-human source can't ask for copyright. That means monkeys don't own copyright. "

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} He said he bought the cameras; he spent a lot of money traveling to Indonesia, and it was his carelessness that allowed the monkeys to take his cameras away.  All these have made him own the pictures, no matter who pushed the button. In a sense, the monkeys helped him take the photos, Slater said.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Who do you think will win this interesting battle?

A. It was the monkeys but not Slater that pushed the button.

B. As of now, there has been no result in the Monkey Selfie case.

C. Slater then sold the photos and they became popular on the Internet.

D. Slater asked the website to take them down since he owns the copyright.

E. Slater argues that the pictures belong to him as they were taken from his camera.

    American schools are quite different from those in China. In America, at the beginning of the term, students must select (挑选) their subjects and teachers first.

    Selecting is very important for your marks in America. So at the first term, don't select too many subjects, or you'll feel very nervous and tired. Then you have to ask for some teaching plans. There is some information about subjects, time arranging, marks and textbooks. At the same time, you must choose the teachers. Different teachers have different teaching methods. If the teacher is called "killer" by the last grade, many students will give up choosing him, because this kind of teacher will leave too much homework, too many exams and give too low grades. There is another thing after you select the subjects and teachers. How to buy textbooks makes each student feel hard. The textbooks in America are very expensive. Each one is about $30—50. In order to save money, many students buy some used textbooks, and some students usually borrow textbooks from the school library.

    In class, discussing is very important. The teacher encourages you to ask questions or show your own opinions. They don't usually ask you to sit well. Instead they allow you to sit or stand anywhere you like.

    Do you know the Tantou New Year Picture? It's a famous traditional art form in Shaoyang. It is used for the Spring Festival.

    The Tantou New Year Picture appeared in the Tang Dynasty first. And it has a long history more than 1,300 years. Since the end of the Ming Dynasty, the Tantou New Year Picture has got its special features(特点)一 bright colors, old and exaggerated images(夸张的图象), ordinary materials and special skills. There are more than 20 steps to make the Tantou New Year Picture. All these steps, from making paper by hand to producing the New Year Picture, are finished in one place. This is not usual in our country.

    In 1994, the Tantou New Year Picture won the silver medal at the folk arts fair. However, fewer people know the skill well now and most young people are not interested in it. The Tantou New Year Picture is in danger of disappearing in the world. Luckily, the government has taken action to protect and save it.

    Tantou New Year Picture

    History It appeared in the Tang Dynasty and has a long history ﹣ more than {#blank#}1{#/blank#}years.

{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Bright colors

    Old and exaggerated images

    Ordinary materials and special skills

Producing steps: There are more than 20 steps to make the Tantou New Year Picture, and finishing all these steps in one place in a country is {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

    Prize: It won the {#blank#}4{#/blank#}medal at the folk arts fair in 1994.

Situation The Tantou New Year Picture is in danger of disappearing, but the government has taken action to{#blank#}5{#/blank#}it.

    Last week Lu visited England. He stayed with my grandmother. He said it was a strange visit. "I don't understand, but I frightened(害怕) your grandmother a lot. When I arrived, I gave her a purse from Zhengzhou, she looked in it and asked me to take it back.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Do English people like spiders?"

    "Later we went shopping. Someone was painting a shop front, so there was a ladder(梯子).Grandmother stopped me from walking under it and said I must walk around it. I liked the shops and bought some lovely rose soap(肥皂) for my mother, a smart umbrella for my father and some new shoes for myself.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Your grandmother came in and screamed(尖叫) !"

    "Then I broke a small mirror in the bathroom.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}I felt very sorry. When I left I gave your grandmother some flowers. She counted and there were 13. She didn't like it.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}"I explained to Lu, "My grandmother follows the old customs(习俗). You must not give someone an empty purse or they will have no money. You must not kill a money spider or the same will happen. Also it is very unlucky to walk under a ladder and to put new shoes on the table. An open umbrella in a house means someone will die. Breaking a mirror brings seven years' bad luck, and 13 is also a very unlucky number.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}."