My name is Grace. Today is Sunday. It is a nice day. It is also my grandfather's birthday. He is 80 years old. My parents and I go to his home. We don't get up early because the alarm clock (闹钟) doesn't work. We don't have much time for breakfast. We go to a supermarket to buy some fruit and a birthday cake at eight thirty. Then we go to my grandparents' home quickly. We get there at 11:15. My grandparents are very happy to see us. We have lunch at 12 o'clock. After lunch, we play chess with my grandfather. It is interesting. We go home at about four o'clock in the afternoon. It is a happy day.

Having a cheetah （猎豹）as a pet in the house? Does it sound scary to you? But for a family in South Africa， one cheetah is treated as a VIP (Very Important Person) in the house. The big cheetah is named Jolie, after the film star Angelina Jolie{#blank#}1{#/blank#}. She can often be found eating from the kitchen table, taking a short sleep on the sofa, or even sleeping on Lucy and Jeff's bed. The big cat also sleeps and plays with the Browns' other pet, the more usual one— a sheepdog{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

Having a cheetah as a pet is unusual. Atfirst，Mrs.Brown wasn't willing to keep a cheetah as a pet. She said,''{#blank#}3{#/blank#}. But we are now happy that we did it— she is part of the family.''

    Just like her name, four-year-old Jolie has achieved a celebrity(名人) status（地位）in the Browns' hometown. Fans often come to take pictures of her{#blank#}4{#/blank#}.

    However, a cheetah is always a cheetah{#blank#}5{#/blank#}. '' She makes a lot of mess in the house, urinating （小便）everywhere and chewing everything. It's her wild instincts (天性), said Mrs. Brown. There must be some problems of having a cheetah as a pet in the house, but some unusual fun must also be waiting ahead.

A. Interestingly, Jolie enjoys all the special attention that is paid to her.

B. An impossible friendship has happened between these two animals.

C. Though Jolie is now a pet in the home, she still has some wild habits.

D. She is surely the VIP at Lucy and Jeff Brown's home.

E. I was really against the idea of getting a cheetah as a pet.

    Look at the tower! Nothing is wrong with your eyes. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} As the name says, the Leaning （倾斜的）Tower of Pisa leans. It is in Pisa, a city in Italy.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} In 1173, people in Pisa began to build the tower. In 1178, when the tower was just three storeys（层）tall, it began to lean. There were wars in Pisa at the time. So the construction（建造）of the tower stopped for years. After about 200 years, in 1370, people finished the construction.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} It is 55.86 meters tall.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} There are many opinions. One goes like this: The tower is very tall and heavy, but the ground is made of soft sand and clay. When the ground sinks, the tower leans.

    Did you know these? The tower was first the bell tower to a large church.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Each bell stands for a musical note（音符）. From 1990 to 2001, the tower was closed to visitors. Workers repaired it. The tower may stand for another 200 years.

阅读短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。

A.The tower has eight storeys.

B.There are seven bells in it.

C.There is something wrong with the tower.

D.Why does it lean?

E.Let's know about its history

    It's normal for you to feel shy and nervous when you are in the new environment. It's natural to feel nervous, or shy in front of others at times. If you think you are too shy and want to be a little more active, try the following advice.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} There is no need to hide it. When people get to know you are a shy person, they may understand you better. It will also help you feel easier in talks.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} When you smile, people will think you're friendly and want to talk with you. Remember that all people have feelings and most people will stay away from an angry-looking face.

You shouldn't keep quiet at a party all the time. If you find it hard to start a talk, you can say something nice about people around you. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} It must be very helpful for you to start a talk! And after you begin to talk to someone or smile at someone for the first time, remember to say "I did it!" to yourself.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Think about more ways to enjoy the party and have fun. Don't waste time worrying about your look or whether all people like you or not.

    If you keep trying the advice, you may not be shy in the new environment one day. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

Mr. and Mrs. Albino, with 64 children, have the world's largest family. Not one of their children is adopted(领养).

When people hear about the Albinos' large family, the first question they ask is, "How is it possible? How can one woman give birth to 64 children in her lifetime?" The answer is simple: {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

Soon after the Albinos got married, the children came quickly, in twos and threes. The first 21 children were boys. Mrs. Albino loved her sons, but she wanted a daughter very much.

The Albinos spent the early years in Argentina. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} To travel from Argentina to Chile, they had to cross the Andes Mountains. Mr. and Mrs. Albino and their 21 sons made the difficult, two-week journey on mules. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

During the snowstorm, Mrs. Albino gave birth to triplets, a boy and two girls!

The oldest Albino children are in their thirties and forties. They are on their own now, but 18 of the Albino children still live with their parents. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} The shack has electricity but no toilet or running water. The children wash in a small bowl in the dusty backyard.

At times there is very little food in the Albinos' small house when there is not enough food for everyone, Mrs. Albino makes sure the youngest children do not go hungry. "The smallest eat first, and then the bigger ones. We've always done it that way," she says. Obviously, the Albinos do not have enough money for their big family, then, do they continue to have children?

The Albinos do not use birth control because it is against their religion(宗教). They could let other people take care of their children, but Mrs. Albino will not allow it, "When my two brothers and I were babies," she says, "our mother left us at an orphanage(孤儿院) and never returned. We lived there together until we were five. Then a couple adopted my brothers and I was left behind. I was heartbroken.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Even if I didn't have much money, I would always take care of my children by myself." Mrs. Albino has kept her promise.

Many of our conversations are gossip(闲话).I have noticed three effects of gossip: it can hurt people; it can give gossipers a strange kind of satisfaction; and it can cause social pressure in a group.

An important negative(负面的）effect of gossip is that it can hurt the person being talked about. Usually, gossip spreads information about a topic that a person prefers to keep secret. The more embarrassing or shameful the secret is, the juicier the gossip it makes. Probably the worst type of gossip is the absolute lie. People often think of gossipers as harmless, but cruel lies can cause pain.

If we know that gossip can be harmful, then why do so many of us do it? The answer lies in another effect of gossip. Sharing the latest rumor (传言) can make a person feel important because he or she knows something that others don't. Similarly, hearing the latest rumor can make a person feel like part of the "in group". In other words, gossip is satisfying because it gives people a sense of belonging or even superiority (优越感). 

Gossip also can have a third effect: it strengthens unwritten, unspoken rules about how people should act. For example, if everybody you hang around with is laughing at what John wore or what Jane said, then you can be sure that wearing or saying something similar will get you the same kind of negative attention. The dos and don'ts carried through gossip will never show up in any student handbook.

Next time you feel the urge (冲动) to spread the latest news, think about why you want to gossip and what effects your "juicy story" might have.