The White House is an important historical building in the USA. It lies1the country's capital. Many people expect to see the palace with their own eyes.

    We spent six months getting tickets to visit the White House. I was2with excitement while we were waiting in the White House South Lawns. The first thing3 interested me was the colorful flowers and green grass.

    Everything inside and outside was4kept in the white House. We went through many security checks(安检) 5entering the building. In the east hallway on the first floor, I saw the pictures of past presidents on the walls. The6had over 2700 books. The Vermeil Room and China Room showed different collections.

    We walked upstairs to the State Floor. The East Room, the7in the White House, was the most wonderful in its size and furniture. This is the room where the president usually8the reporters. The Green, Blue and Red Rooms on the same floor got their names because of the9 of the furniture and walls. These rooms are 10 having parties for state guests.

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    Watching TV is a very popular thing in the UK, but what kind of shows do people in the UK like to watch? Well, the most-watched TV shows every week are very popular dramas（戏剧）that are usually on at least four times every week. They are dramas1the life in the UK. We call these dramas “soap opera” or “soaps”.

    Every day, lots of fans are waiting 2 their favorite soap operas. Soap operas were 3on TV in 1952. The soap opera is not about a soap, and it is not an opera, either. It got this name because in the 1930s, soap companies(公司)4for the shows, and they told stories just like operas did. What makes the soap opera special is that the story never comes to an end.

    There are daytime and nighttime soaps. Daytime soaps usually have more 5 and they are usually made for the housewives who are often at home, 6 some washing and looking after the house and the children. Nighttime soaps are usually on once a week, and each lasts(持续) for about one hour. Most soap operas these days are shown in the evening. Each show7have many different storylines. Some of them happen at once and 8 may continue(继续) over the following shows. The same actor or actress may be seen in every show.

    Soap operas are in different time in today's TV market, 9 they are still here to say. Big fans will never give them up10.

    Body language is known as the "silent language" of every culture. It can be the key to 1 communication. We point a finger or move another part of the body to show what we want 2. It is important to know the body language of every country or we may 3. In the United States, people greet each other with a handshake in a formal introduction. The handshake must be firm. If the handshake is weak, it is considered 4 or unfriendly. Space is important to Americans. People in America usually stand two and a half 5 away when talking to each other, so they don't face each other 6. Americans get uncomfortable when a person stands too 7. They will move back to have their space. If an American touches another person 8, he says "Pardon me " or "Excuse me". Americans like to look the other person in the eye when they are talking. If you don't do so, it means you are bored or 9 something. But when you stare at someone for a long time, it is considered rude. Learning a culture's body language is sometimes very 10. If you don't know what to do, the safest thing to do is smile.

    I'm Victor, from the United States. This is my first time in 1 .One day some new colleagues(同事) invited me to 2 . At first, I was quite happy and learned to use chopsticks, but later 3 started.

    That day, I had a 4. I felt uncomfortable with my nose, 5 I turned away from the table and blew my nose(擤鼻涕). My colleagues looked at me 6 . They explained to me that in Japan, people don't blow their noses in 7—especially at table.

    When I was trying to stick my 8 in my bowl of rice, one of my colleagues said, "Don't do that. Just leave them on the table." Later, I found that leaving your chopsticks in your rice 9 death in Japanese culture!

    The next time I 10 to blow my nose, I left the table and went to the toilet. 11 I returned, it was nearly time to leave. I noticed there were some small bowls 12 water in them on the table. It smelt good and I started 13 it before it got cold. Then I saw some of my colleagues cover their mouths. They were trying not to 14. "What's the matter?" I asked the colleague next to me. "It's for washing 15 fingers," he said. For a moment, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

    People of all ages, especially young children, follow comic strips in newspapers, magazines and the movies. Who is your favourite superhero-SPIDER-Spiderman? Wonder Woman? These heroes have been around for a long time. Comics came out even earlier. In ancient times, people made funny drawings of animals1paper.

    Comic strips first came out during the 1800s and remain much the same style today. These comics are drawn in connected boxes. The HENIFILMT IDE boxes usually show a dramatic2. Some comic strips are printed in newspapers, which often continues from day to day. Some people even read the comics before they read the front page.

    The comic books first3during the 1930s. It seemed that everyone wanted to read comic books. They loved reading about the adventures of the Man of Steel and Batman. During the 1940s, the nation was at war and some comic book characters, such as Captain America, reflected(反映) the times. Others, such as Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, made people laugh during this4time in history.

    After the war, people became5interested in old comic book characters, so new superheroes had to be made. The new superheroes, such as Fantastic Four, X-Men, and Spiderman, talked and acted more like real people. As time went on, comic books had to6TV because TV has offered a lot of fun to people.

    Comic strips are usually good for a laugh or at least a smile. But they have held a place in history. They take people away from their daily lives into another world. In this world, the hero always wins, and failure only comes to the bad guys.

April Fool's Day

    April Fool's Day is a western festival. No one 1 exactly when and how April Fool's Day began. However, there are some stories about2 it came into being. One story3 like this: in the sixteenth­century France, the start of the new year was on April first. It was celebrated 4much the same way 5 it is today with parties and dancing into the late hours of the night.

    Then in 1562, Pope (教皇) Gregory introduced a new calendar for the Christian world, and the new year fell on January first. There were some people,6 who hadn't heard or didn't believe the 7 in the date, so they8 to celebrate New Year's Day on April first.9played tricks on them and called them "April fools". They tried to make them believe that something false was10. In France today, April first is called "April Fish". Frenchchildren fool their friends by taping a paper fish to their friends' 11. When the "young fool"12this trick, the prankster (恶作剧者) shouts "April Fish！" 

    Today Americans play small tricks on friends and strangers alike on the first of April. One13trick on April Fool's Day is 14 down to a friend's shoe and saying, "Your shoelaceis untied." School children might tell a classmate that school has been canceled (取消).15the trick is, if you fail for the joke the prankster shouts "April Fool！"

    In Britain today, on the first of April, even 16newspapers, radio and TV programs tell big lies. You17 read a science18 showing that doctors have found a way to cure (治愈) AIDS, 19you would probably listen to a piece of news about a UFO20on an island.