As I was leaving to meet Lynne, my roommate told me that I'd better take some money. But I didn't listen to him. I thought that Lynne would pay because she had invited me. I arrived at the restaurant exactly on time. I'd been told that Americans expect you to be on time. Lynne and I sat at a table in the corner of restaurant and a waitress came and took our order.

    The dinner was a great success. I talked a lot about Saudi Arabia and Lynne told me all about herself. After two hours, the waitress finally came and asked if we wanted one check or two. Lynne said two. We went to the cashier and Lynne paid her check. I was embarrassed (尴尬) when the cashier gave me my bill. I had no money to pay for my meal. Then I had an idea. I pretended to look for something in my pockets and said, “Oh! I forgot my wallet! Can I call my roommate, please?” The cashier showed me where the phone was and I quickly called my roommate. In a few minutes, he arrived with some money, but he couldn't hide how he felt. He laughed all the way home. Now, I think it's funny too, but at that time I was terribly embarrassed. I thought that an invitation to have dinner in the United States meant the same thing as that in China. I guess you have to understand that your customs are only your customs. When you visit a foreign country, you have to learn about their customs, too.

    Mary Dexter is a student．She is from the USA．She studies in a middle school． 1  Her favorite subject is science．Though Mary is only 13 years old，she begins to think about her future(未来)．After she finishes high school，she wants to study at a big college(大学)in SanDiego． 2

    Mary wants to study marine biology．That is to say,she will learn about all the animals in the sea．And San Diego is a great place to study marine biology because it is near the sea，and the city has a great Sea World．People can see many sea animals there．

     3 "I want to work with sea animals and help them．"says Mary．

根据材料内容完成下列任务。

    Why should students play sports? Some people think that students play sports in order to get exercise. Others think it can help students have fun. But that is not enough. If students play sports, they can get more than healthy bodies. Why? Here are three more reasons.

    Students who play sports do better in school. Some people think that doing exercise will take up（占据） students' study time. But a recent study has shown that students who play sports get better scores in school than those who don't. Exercise gets students to learn, remember things and concentrate（集中） better.

    Students who play sports develop their teamwork spirits（精神） and learn problem-solving skills. When they are working together with others to win games and reach goals, they're learning how to be successful in practice. And these skills will be useful to them for study or their future work.

    Playing sports can also improve confidence（自信）. Students who play sports feel better about themselves. When they know they can improve and reach their goals by practicing, it builds their confidence. And sports can also help them communicate with others actively and make new friends.

    Now, how about going out to play sports with your friends every day?

    New rules and behavior standards（标准） for middle school students came out. Who are the most excellent students? Middle schools use a new way to decide that. The best students won't only have good grades. The following are some of the new rules.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Have you ever copied others' work during an exam? Don't do it again. That's not what an honest student should do. If you played computer games for two hours in your room, don't tell your parents you were doing your homework.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} April is Bird-Loving Month in China. Is your school doing anything to celebrate? You should join! That way, you can learn more about animals and learn how to protect them.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} When your classmates are in trouble, remember to give them a hand. You know a friend in need is a friend indeed. Try to do more for others.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Try to stay away from Web pages that are bad for you. Find good websites and use them for homework.

     {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Have you ever thought that people could live on the moon? Maybe you can discover a new planet someday. Don't look down on new ideas. You should welcome them because new ideas can make life better.

    One Sunday, Jim went to town to buy new clothes. First he tried on a sweater. He didn't like it, so he returned it to the storekeeper. Then he tried on a T-shirt that had the same price as the sweater. Jim was satisfied with the T-shirt, and he left the store with it. Before he climbed on his horse to go home, the storekeeper and the assistant ran out at the same time.

    "You didn't pay for the T-shirt!" said the storekeeper.

    "But I gave the sweater in exchange for the T-shirt, didn't I?" replied Jim.

    "Yes, but you didn't pay for the sweater!" said the storekeeper.

    "But I didn't buy the sweater." said Jim,

    "I am not so stupid to pay for something that I have never bought."