Unit 1   Where did you  go  on  vacation?

Section  B,  2b

Read  Jane’s  diary  entries  about  her  vacation  and  answer  the  questions. Did  Jane  have  a  good  time  on  Monday?  What  about  on  Tuesday?

Monday,July 15^th

I  arrived  in  Penang  in  Malaysia  this  morning  with  my  family. It  was  sunny  and  hot, so  we  decided  to  go  to  the  beach  near  our  hotel. My  sister  and  I  tried  paragliding. I  felt  like  I  was  a  bird. It  was  so  exciting! For  lunch,  we  had  something  very  special----Malaysian  yellow  noodles. They  were  delicious! In  the  afternoon, we  rode  bicycles  to  Georgetown. There  are  a  lot  of  new  buildings  now, but  many  of  the  old  buildings  are  still  there. In  Weld  Quay, a  really  old  place  in  Georgetown, we  saw  the  houses  of  the  Chinese  traders  from  100  years  ago. I  wonder  what  life  was  like  here  in  the  past. I  really  enjoyed  walking  around  the  town.

                                   Tuesday,July 16^th

What a different a day makes! My father and mother decided to go to Penang Hill today. We wanted to walk up to the top, but then it started raining a little so we decided to take the train. We waited over an hour for the train because there were too many people. When we got to the top, it was raining really hard. We didn’t  have an umbrella so we were wet and cold. It was terrible! And because of the bad weather, we couldn’t see anything below. My father didn’t bring enough money, so we only had one bowl of rice and some fish. The food tasted great because I was so hungry.

Unit 2   How often do you exercise?

Section B,  2b  

Read the article and complete the pie charts on the next page.

 What Do No.5 High School Students Do in Their Free Time?

Last month we asked our students about their free time activities. Our questions were about exercise, use of the Internet and watching TV. Here are the results.

We found that only fifteen percent of our students exercise every day. Forty-five percent exercise four to six times a week. Twenty percent exercise only one to three times a week. And twenty percent do not exercise at all.

We all know that many students often go online, but we were surprised that ninety percent of them use the Internet every day. The other ten percent use it at least three or four times a week. Most students use it for fun and not for homework.

The answer to our questions about watching television were also interesting.Only two percent of the students watch TV one to three times a week.Thirteen percent watch TV four to six times a week. And eighty-five percent watch TV  every day! Although many students like to watch sports,games shows are the most popular.

It is good to relax by using the Internet or watching game shows,but we think the best way to relax is through exercise.It is healthy for the mind and the body.Exercise such as playing sports is fun, and you can spend time with your friends and family as you play together.And remember, “old habits die hard”.So start exercising before it’s too late!

Unit 3  I’m more outgoing than my sister.

Section B,  2b

Should friends be the same or different? Read about what these people think.Underline the comparative words

and phases in the passages.

Jeff Green : My mother told me a good friend is like a mirror.I’m quieter and more serious than most kids. That’s why I like reading books and I study harder in class. My best friend Yuan Li is quiet too, so we enjoy studying together. I’m shy so it’s not easy for me to make friends. But I think friends are like books---you don’t need a lot of them as long as they’re good.

Huang Lei: It’s not necessary to be the same. My best friend Larry is quite different from me. He is taller and more outgoing than me. We both like sports, but he plays tennis better, so he always wins.However, Larry often helps to bring out the best in me.So I’m getting better at tennis. Larry is much less hard-working,

though.I always get better grades than he does, so maybe I should help him more.

Mary Smith: I don’t really care if my friends are the same as me or different.My favorite saying is, “A true friend reaches for your hand and touches your heart.”My best friend Carol is really kind and very funny. In fact, she’s funnier than anyone I know. I broke my arm last year but she made me laugh and feel better. We can talk about and share everything. I know she cares about me because she’s always there to listen.

Unit 4    What’s the best movie theater?

 Section B,  2b

Read the passage.Which three talent shows are mentioned?

 Who’s Got Talent?

Everyone is good at something, but some people are truly talented. It’s always interesting to watch other people show their talents. Talents shows are getting more and more popular. First, there were shows like American Idol and America’s Got Talent. Now, there are similar shows around the world,such as China’s Got Talent.

All these shows have one thing in common: They try to look for the best singers,the most talented dancers, the most exciting magicians, the funniest actors and so on. All kinds of people join these shows. But who can play the piano the best or sing the most beautifully? That’s up to you to decide. When people watch the show, they usually play a role in deciding the winner. And the winner always gets a very good prize.

However,not everybody enjoys watching these shows. Some think that the lives of the performers are made up. For example,some people say they are poor farmers,but in fact they are just actors.However,if you don’t take these shows too seriously,they are fun to watch. And one great thing about them is that they give people a way to make their dreams come true.

Unit 5  Do you want to watch a game show?

Section B,  2b

Read the passage and complete the time line on the next page.

When people say “culture”,we think of art and history. But one very famous symbol in American culture is a cartoon. We all know and love the black mouse with two large round ears—Mickey Mouse. Over 80 years ago,he first appeared in the cartoon Steamboat Willie. When this cartoon came out in New York on November18,1928,it was the first cartoon with sound and music. The man behind Mickey was Walt Disney.He became very rich and successful. In the 1930s,he made 87 cartoons with Mickey.

Some people might ask how this cartoon animal became so popular. One of the main reasons is that Mickey was like a cartoon man,but he always tried to face any danger. In his early films,Mickey was unlucky and had many problems such as losing his house or girlfriend,Minnie. However,he was always ready to try his best.People went to the cinema to see the “little man” win. Most of them wanted to be like Mickey.

On November 18,1978,Mickey became the first cartoon character to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Today’s cartoons are usually not so simple as little Mickey Mouse,but everyone still knows and loves him. Who has a pairs of ears more famous than Mickey’s?

Unit 6   I’m going to study computer science.

Section B,  2b

Read the passage and match each paragraph [1-3] with its main purpose in the box.Underline the words and phrases that helped you decide.

To question the idea of making resolutions

To give the meaning of resolution

To discuss the different kinds of resolution3

1.Do you know what a resolution is? It’s a kind of promise.Most of the time,we make promises to other people. “Mom, I promise I’m going to tidy my room when I get back from school.” However, promises you make to yourself are resolutions,and the most common kind is New Year’s resolutions. When we make resolutions at the beginning of the year,we hope that we are going to improve our lives.Some people write down their resolutions and plans for the coming year.This helps them to remember their resolutions. Others tell their family and friends about their wishes and plans.

2.There are different kinds of resolutions.Some are about physical health.For example, some people promise themselves they are going to start an exercise program or eat less fast food.Many resolutions have to do with self-improvement. Some people might say they are going to take up a hobby like painting or taking photos,or learn to play the guitar.Some resolutions have to do with better planning,like making a weekly plan for schoolwork.

3.Although there are differences,most resolutions have one thing in common. People hardly ever keep them! Sometimes the  resolutions may be too difficult to keep. Sometimes people just forget about them. For this reason,some people say the best resolution is to have no  resolutions! How about you--will you make any next year?

 Unit 7  Will people have robots?

Section B,  2b

Read the article and match each paragraph with the questions it discusses.

Paragraph 1 Will robots think like humans in the future?

Paragraph 2 What will robots be like in the future?

Paragraph 3 What can robots do today?

Paragraph 4 What are robots like in movies?

Do You Think You Will Have Your Own Robot?

1.When we watch movies about the future,we sometimes see robots.They are usually like human servants.They help with the housework and do jobs like working in dirty or dangerous places.

2.Today there are already robots working in factories.Some can help to build cars,and they do simple jobs over and over again.Fewer people will do such jobs in the future because they are boring,but robots will never get bored.

3.Scientists are now trying to make robots look like humans and do the same things as we do.Some robots in Japan can walk and dance. They are fun to watch.However,some scientists believe that although we can make robots move like people,it will be difficult to make them think like a human.For example,scientist James White thinks that robots w

4.Some scientists believe that there will be more robots in the future.However,they agree it may take hundreds of years.These new robots will have many different shapes.Some will look like humans,and others might look like animals.In India,for example,scientists made robots that look like snakes.If buildings fall down with people inside, these snake robots can help look for people under the buildings. This was not possible 20 years ago, but computers and rockets also seemed impossible 100 years ago.We never know what will happen in the future.

Unit 8  How do you make a banana milk shake?

Section B,  2b

Read the article and number the pictures 【1-5】

  Thanksgiving in the United States

In most countries,people usually eat traditional food on special holidays. A special day in the United States is Thanksgiving. It is always on the fourth Thursday in November,and is a time to give thanks for food in the autumn.At this time,people also remember the first travelers from England who came to live in America about 400 years ago. These travelers had a long,hard winter,and many of them died.In the next autumn,they gave thanks for life and food in their new home.These days,most Americans still celebrate this idea of giving thanks by having a big meal at home with their family. The main dish of this meal is almost always turkey,a large bird.

Making a turkey dinner

Here is one way to make turkey for a Thanksgiving dinner.

First,mix together some bread pieces,onions,salt and pepper.

Next,fill the turkey with this bread mix.

Then,put the turkey in a hot oven and cook it for a few hours.

When it is ready,place the turkey on a large plate and cover it with gravy.

Finally,cut the turkey into thin pieces and eat the meat with vegetables like carrots and potatoes.

Unit 9   Can you come to my party?

Section B,  2b

Read the message quickly. Why did the people write them? Match the reason with each message.

1. accept an invitation

2.make an invitation

3.turn down an invitation

Hi David,

What a great idea! I really like Ms.Steen a lot. She helped me to improve my English so much. I’m sad to see her go,and this party is the best way to say “Thank you and goodbye.” I can help to buy some of the food and drinks. I can also help to bring Ms. Steen to the party. I already have a great idea about how to do that.

He Wei

Hi David,

Thanks so much for planning this. I’d love to come to the party,but I’m not available. My family is taking a trip to Wuhan at the end of this month to visit my aunt and uncle. However, I’d still be glad to help out with any of the party preparations,like planning the games.Let me know if you need my help.

Jake

Dear classmates,

As I’m sure you know by now,our favorite teacher,Ms. Steen,is leaving soon to go back to the US. We ‘re very sad that she ‘s leaving because she is a fun teacher. To show how much we’re going to miss her,let’s have a surprise party for her next Friday the 28^th!

Can you come to the party? If so, can you help with any of these things? Please tell me by this Friday.

1) Buy food and drinks.

2) Think of games to play.

3) Prepare things we need for the games (glue,paper,pens,...).

4) Bring Ms. Steen to the party without telling her so that she can be surprised.

I look forward to hearing from you all.

David

Unit 10  If you go to the party, you’ll have a great time!

Section B,  2b

Look at statements and then read the passage quickly. Which statement expresses the main idea of the passage?

a.If people have problems, they should get advice from an expert.

b.If people have problems,they should keep them to themselves.

c.If people have problems,they should talk to other people.

Students these days often have a lot of worries. Sometimes they have problems with their schoolwork,and sometimes with their friends. What can they do about this？Some people believe the worst thing is to do nothing.Laura Mills,a teenager from London,agrees. “Problems and worries are normal in life,”says Laura. “But I think talking to someone helps a lot.Unless we talk to someone ,we’ll certainly feel worse.”

Laura once lost her wallet,and worried for days.She was afraid to tell her parents about it. She even walked three miles to school each day because she didn’t have any money. She just kept thinking, “If I tell my parents,they’ll be angry!”In the end,she talked to her parents and they were really understanding.Her dad said he sometimes made careless mistakes himself.They got her a new wallet and asked her to be more careful. “I will always remember to share my problems in the future!”Laura says.

Robert Hunt advises students about common problems. He feels the same way as Laura. “It is best not to run away from our problems. We should always try to solve them.” He thinks the first step is to find someone you trust to talk to. This person doesn’t need to be an expert like himself.Students often forget that their parents have more experience,and are always there to help them.In English,we say that sharing a problem is like cutting it in half. So you’re halfway to solving a problem just by talking to someone about it!