Me: Hello, Television Viewers! I am Aziza Bellamy, and thanks for watching. I want to especially thank you, Ms. Bertha, for agreeing to this interview on live television. It’s a pleasure to meet you, the first-known trans-galactic visitor to Earth. Now, I understand that you are from a planet called Zadernol?

Bertha: Just call me Miss Bertha or Bertha, please, but not “Ms. ”

Me: Okay, sorry about that. So, you’ve been on Earth for about a week now. What have been your biggest disappointments or challenges so far?

Bertha: It’s not the worst planet I’ve ever been to. Mercury was much worse. The aliens— oops, I mean humans, have been unkind, overall. The family I’m staying with, for example, were nice at first. But now they roll their eyes whenever I open my mouth to say anything. They’re not interested in any of my stories. And I think they may be trying to avoid me. Worst of all, they make me wash my own dishes and bathe myself. They’re so rude.

Me: Oh, um. . . wow. That’s just. . .

Bertha: I am used to having high standards when I choose where to stay, by the way. I have stayed with royalty and presidents on other planets. And they all adored (崇拜) me and begged me not to leave. But I gave this human family a chance to host me. I mean, really, they should be grateful that I selected them, of all the people on Earth, to wash my clothes and cook my meals and entertain (款待) me.

Me: Well, what you’re saying is surprising, Bertha. Do you think it’s possible that this family just wants you to pitch in a little, to be a good guest?

Bertha: It’s odd to me that you’re not agreeing with me. If you were smarter, you’d agree with me. That’s another thing. Everyone on Zadernol is smarter than the smartest person on Earth. Earth is below me.

Me: You know what. Bertha? I’m starting to see why you’re so unhappy here on Earth. You’re just a boastful (自夸的), spoiled alien.

1.Who is hosting the interview?

A.Aziza Bellamy. B.Bertha. C.A trans-galactic visitor. D.A president.

2.Which of the following sentences from the passage is an opinion?

A.Well, what you’re saying is surprising, Bertha.

B.So, you’ve been on Earth for about a week now.

C.I have stayed with royalty and presidents on other planets.

D.But now they roll their eyes whenever I open my mouth to say anything.

3.From the passage, we know that Aziza is ________.

A.proud of Bertha B.interested in Zademol

C.dissatisfied with Bertha D.scared of Bertha’s words

4.What might Aziza write in his diary about the interview?

A.Talking to Bertha was great fun. I now know much about Zademol.

B.We should try to improve our earth as Berthas hometown is much better.

C.The interview was interesting. But I dislike the family Bertha is staying with.

D.It was an unusual interview, and an unexpected experience as well.

5.We can learn from the passage that ________.

A.being boastful will win us few friends B.there are many good reasons to be boastful

C.people who boast a lot are better than others D.boasting a lot is a good way to get people to like us

LIFE is AWKWARD. What should you do when your parents are embarrassing (使尴尬) you in front of your friends? Or what if you see what looks like a classmate stealing someone else’s headphones? In our social Q’s column (专栏), the teenager Harper Ediger and the adult Philip Glances give their best advice to kids looking for help navigating real-life situations. Now it’s your turn: Do you have a question about an uncomfortable social situation at school, at home, on social media or among friends? Email it to us at Kjdsqs@njpost. com and Harper and Philip may answer it in a future issue. Please include your age and hometown. C’mon, we know you have one.

To inspire (激励) you, here are reader-submitted questions we’ve published in previous issues:

My mom signs me up for camps and activities without asking what I want to do. I only learn what I’m doing at the last minute. I don’t like that it’s a surprise, and I feel that I should be able to help plan my time. How can I have more of a say?

At my school, fourth graders need to learn different dances, then dress up for a fancy party where we ask partners to dance with us. This makes me nervous, and I’m not looking forward to it. How should I handle this situation?

My sister is home for college break, and lucky me, she’s my roommate. As I’m 12 and she’s almost 19, we both want our own space. I know she doesn’t mean it personally, but she always complains that she doesn’t have a home, which makes me feel as if I’m intruding in my own room. Do I tell her how I feel or let it go?

1.What should be included in your email to the social Q’s column?

A.Name, age and social media. B.Age, school and hometown.

C.Age, hometown and questions. D.Name, school and questions.

2.The underlined word “say” in the passage means ________.

A.the ability to plan time B.the chance to set up camps

C.the right to make decisions D.the plan to enjoy activities

3.The writer uses some published reader-submitted questions in order to ________.

A.show kids ways of solving problems B.give kids examples of what to write about

C.share Harper and Philip’s advice with kids D.offer kids a chance to complain about their lives

4.The social Q’s column is designed to ________.

A.help kids deal with their troubles B.train kids to write

C.have kids introduce themselves D.advise kids to behave well

Tea is tasty and good for you. It is also one of the most popular drinks around the world. But what is tea? And why is it so popular?

All tea comes from tea leaves but tea is not always the same. There are many kinds of tea. You can drink black tea, green tea, white tea or fruit tea. Each type of tea has a different taste and a different colour.

The history of tea begins in Asia. In China, Korea and Japan, tea is still very important today. In Japan, it can take many hours to prepare and drink tea with your guests. In Malaysia, a popular drink at breakfast is teh tarik (‘pulled tea’). Malaysians say it is good for you and tastes good with canai bread.

Tourists in Kuala Lumpur like watching the tea sellers make ‘pulled tea’. The tea sellers pour hot water on black tea. After five minutes, they add sugar and milk. Then they ‘pull’ the tea—they pour the tea from one cup to another many times.

In many countries, you must have a special kettle to make tea. People in different countries also like to add different things to their tea. For example, Russians use a special kettle called a samovar. They like drinking tea with lemon. Sometimes, they also drink tea with some sugar or jam.

In Turkey, tea comes in a Caydanlik. A Caydanlik has two kettles: one for the water and one for the tea. Drink Turkish tea with some sugar.

Arab tea, called karak, has cardamom, ginger, milk and sugar. In the United Kingdom, they add some milk and sugar.

The British usually eat biscuits with their tea. In Japan, they like. . .

1.Tea, a drink with a long history, first appeared in ________.

A.Europe B.America C.Asia D.Africa

2.The writer uses the punctuation mark “…” at the end of the passage to ________.

A.express his uncertainly of the subject B.show his special taste in Japanese tea

C.attract readers’ interest in further reading D.hide his limited knowledge in this field

3.What is the best title for the passage?

A.The History of Tea B.Different Tea Kettles

C.The Most Popular Drink D.The World in a Teacup

1.The Walla Walla Wallaby Foundation is set up to ________.

A.sell the wallaby’s food B.support the wallaby

C.take photos of the wallaby D.provide news about the wallaby

2.If you want to give money to support WWWF, you can click on the icon “________”.

A.About WWWF B.Donate C.Discussion Forums D.Educational Resources

3.The reading material above is ________.

A.a diary B.a story C.a questionnaire D.a web page

According to several recent surveys, some people fear public speaking more than anything else. _______, this fear can be overcome (克服) with two simple methods: practice and using positive (正面的) energy from the audience. Practicing for a speech is essential. _______ the task of writing the speech is complete, speakers must practice, practice, practice. The more times they practice the speech, the more _______ they are discussing the topic. Using _______ such as mirrors or video recordings as they practice can show speakers what they look and sound like to the audience. Video is particularly helpful as it can be _______ many times, with the presenters focusing (集中) on one part at a time. Another _______ of dealing with public speaking fears is using the audience’s positive energy. Speakers need to remember that the audience wants them to _________. Something as basic as a small nod or a smile from a member of the audience should give _______ to the presenters behind the podium. While it is easy for nervous speakers to focus only on getting through the presentation, using the audience's _______ will (意愿) helps much in making a speech better.

All in all, these two strategies are sure to help with fear of public speaking. With proper practice and audience empathy (共鸣), it is ________ to overcome the fear of public speaking and deliver a successful speech. So there is no need to fear public speaking any more.

1.A.Luckily B.Suddenly C.Sadly D.Terribly

2.A.Unless B.After C.Until D.Before

3.A.nervous B.scared C.comfortable D.difficult

4.A.objects B.activities C.signs D.instructions

5.A.found B.sold C.cleared D.watched

6.A.cause B.problem C.way D.purpose

7.A.surprise B.scream C.suppose D.succeed

8.A.confidence B.challenge C.humour D.service

9.A.poor B.good C.weak D.free

10.A.necessary B.important C.interesting D.possible

—It was a fantastic trip. So, which city did you like best, Wuhan, Chengdu or Chongqing?

—________. There were good things and bad things about them.

A.No problem B.It is hard to say

C.Enjoy yourself D.You must be joking

Many Chinese characters symbolise their meanings, unlike English words which are spelt out according to how they sound.

The underlined word “symbolise” in the sentence is a(n) ________.

A.noun B.verb C.adjective D.adverb

Maria is always full of ________ because she takes exercise every day.

A.energy B.talent C.humour D.wealth

Now waste from daily life in the city of Shanghai ________ to be separated into four different groups.

A.is requiring B.is required C.was required D.required

—Which bicycle should I choose, sir?

—It ________ what you want to use it for.

A.takes on B.carries on C.puts on D.depends on