“How’s it going? ” I ask the barista(服务生). “How’s your day been?”
“Ah, not too busy. What are you up to?”
“Not much. Just readin. ”
This，small talk, is one of the key rituals(规矩）of American life. It has taken me only a decade to master.
I immigrated to the United States in 2001, for college. I brought only my Indian experience in dealing with shopkeepers and tea sellers. In Delhi, where I grew up, when doing business, people don't ask each other how the other's day has been. They might not even smile. The customer doesn't tremble before complaining about how cold his food is. Each side believes the other will cheat him.
“God, Mahajan, you’re so rude to waiters!” Tom, an American friend, said, laughing, after he watched me ordering food at a restaurant, in the West Village, years ago. Considering myself a mild and friendly person, I was surprised. Tom always asked servers how they were doing or praised their shirts or made jokes about the menu. At that time, this seemed dishonest to me. Did he really like what they were wearing?
American life is based on a principle that we like one another but won’t violate one another’s privacies. This makes it a land of small talk. Two people greet each other happily, with friendliness, but might know each other for years before asking basic questions about each other’s backgrounds. The opposite is true of Indians. At least three people I’ve sat next to on planes to and from India have asked me, within minutes, how much I earn as a writer (only to turn away in disappointment when I tell them).
Living in Brooklyn and then in Austin, Texas. I made coffee shops the places of my movements. Meeting the same baristas day after day produced context, and I got practice. I was beginning to fit in. It felt good and didn’t seem fake anymore.
1.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. The author takes pride in everything of his homeland.
B. The author still thinks the American way of treating strangers is not sincere.
C. The author finally got used to small talk after a lot of practice in America.
D. It only took the author a short time to learn the real ritual of American life.
2.What do people in the US tend to do in a restaurant?
A. They have friendly small talk with the servers.
B. They ask if the servers are satisfied with their pay.
C. They complain about the food and service straightforwardly.
D. They make objective comments on the servers’ clothing.
3.What do we know about Indians according to Paragraph 7?
A. Indians don’t like each other.
B. Indians live in a land of small talk.
C. Indians show little respect for others; privacy.
D. Indians know little about their friends’ backgrounds.
4.What might be the best title of this passage?
A. A Rude Indian in America
B. Small Talk and Great Friendship
C. My Struggle with American Small Talk
D. Cultural Differences between Countries
We’d arrived at Rockefeller Center station on the D train. As in many of New York’s underground stations, trains pull in at both sides of the platform. Or rather, they seem to erupt into the station first on one side, then on the other.
Abruptly, my wife stopped.
“Uh, what’s this?” she said.
I looked over her shoulder. There at our feet lay a young woman of about 20. She was on her stomach with the top half of her body on the platform, while her legs hung over the tracks kicking powerlessly.
She was stuck. She had also, clearly, been down on the tracks and discovered that climbing back up is really hard.
But unlike in our imaginings, this woman was not in panic, expecting her approaching death by the F train which would be screaming into the station in the next few minutes, if not seconds.
She was laughing! So was her friend who half-heartedly leant down to assist. The assistance was somewhat weakened by the fact that the friend was holding her smartphone. Was she hoping to capture this moment with a picture? Or composing a text?
It’s well known that people’s compulsive checking of their phones can be deadly. Among young people in America, texting is now the number one cause of car crashes. Maybe it’s also a leading cause of leaving friends to die when they fall in the river or on to the train tracks.
I stepped forward, leant out as far as I could, got hold of her leg somewhere near the knee and, together with her finally-engaged friend, dragged the young woman on to the platform.
And you can guess why she'd been on the tracks. Still laughing, but maybe chastened (内疚）by my look of horror she said, “Thanks. Sorry. My phone fell down there. ”
While I turned to hold my daughter’s hand and head upstairs, the young woman and her friend walked away. I wonder when she'll be scared.
1.What was the young woman doing on the edge of the platform?
A. Trying to get down on to the train tracks to pick up her phone.
B. Trying to get back on to the platform after jumping down.
C. Desperately waiting for someone to help her get back her phone.
D. Posing for her friend to capture a good picture with her smartphone.
2.Which of the following did the author think was NOT a cause of the young woman’s dangerous situation?
A. The station was too crowded.
B. She did not realize the danger.
C. She cared too much about her phone.
D. Her company didn't assist her whole-heartedly.
3.What was the author’s worry about people like this young woman?
A. They would cause damage to the underground system.
B. They knew too little about how to help others as well as themselves.
C. It would be too late when they understood how dangerous the situation is.
D. They would send misleading information to the public with their smartphones.
When summer arrives, it's not uncommon to get a strong desire for sand and water. But those who can only make day-long trips may find it hard to achieve. Don't worry! Plenty of opportunities for kicking back in the sand exist here in Ohio, although it's far away from the oceans.
East Harbor State Park Beach
1169 N. Buck Rd., Lakeside-Marblehead
Those looking for a bit of extra space between their blankets and their neighbors' will like this beach. At 1,500 feet long, the sandy strip has a significant amount of real estate(房产）for sunning or relaxing in the shade. Amenities(设施）include a bathhouse, vending machines, grills and picnic tables.
Nickel Plate Beach
Corner of Tiffin Avenue and Nickel Plate Drive, Huron
Anyone who spends a day at the beach knows that swimming and doing sports on the beach give you a good appetite. Luckily, Nickel Plate Beach offers a variety of dining options nearby, including beachside pizza delivery. Amenities include a sheltered picnic area, charcoal grills, playground equipment and beach volleyball courts.
Main Street Beach
Main Street, Vermilion
No beach umbrella or chairs? No problem. This beach offers hourly rents of chairs, umbrellas, tables, shade tents and wheelchairs. And with downtown Vermilion only a block away，shops and restaurants are nicely within reach. Amenities include an observation deck and some benches. No lifeguards are on duty.
Kelleys Island State Park Beach
920 Division St. Kelleys Island
With its gradual water depth, this beach is perfect for young children. The park's campground also includes a playground and a store with snacks and ice cream. Other amenities include a picnic shelter and hiking trails.
1.What do the beaches have in common?
A. They are all at the seaside.
B. They are all close to downtown areas.
C. There are lifeguards on duty on all the beaches.
D. They serve the needs of people who cannot travel long distance.
2.Which beach is the best choice for people who don’t like to be crowded around?
A. East Harbor State Park Beach.
B. Nickel Plate Beach.
C. Main Street Beach.
D. Kelleys island State Park Beach.
3.Who will be more likely attracted by Nickel Plate Beach?
A. Hiking lovers who are going on a diet.
B. Athletic men who get hungry easily.
C. A family with two children under 10.
D. An aged couple with no shade tents.
4.Which of the following is one of the attractions of Kelleys Island State Park Beach? /
A. Children can swim in the shallow water.
B. People can rent whatever they need there.
C. Parents can leave their children with lifeguards.
D. People can do shopping and enjoy the sunshine at the same time.
假设你是红星中学学生会主席李华，你校交换生Jim在给你的email中提到他对学生会组织的活动感兴趣，并希望你给他提供一项适合他参加的活动。请你给Jim回邮件，内容包括：
1. 活动名称及意图；
2. 活动具体安排；
3. 邀请他参加。
注意：1. 词数100左右；
2. 开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
3. 学生会the Students’ Union
Dear Jim,
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作女文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号(∧)，并在其下面写出该加的词。
刪除：把多余的词用斜线(\)划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线。并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词：
2. 只允许修改10处，多者(从第11处起)不计分。
Last weekend, my classmate and I went on a camping trip near the river. It was not long distance, so we chose to get here by bike.
We started with early in the morning. On the way, we talked about that we saw around. It takes about half an hour to get to the place. On arriving, some girls sat down, had her breakfast and listened to the birds sings. Some admired the river while others drew pictures. My friends and I found a quietly place and went fishing. To our surprise, we got much fishes.
Time passed so quickly and we had to say goodbye. I enjoyed the pleasant or exciting trip.
As less people choose to make sugar paintings, the traditional Chinese folk craft might have become a 1. (distance) memory in some ways. However, a 38-year-old craftsman, Li Jiangzhong, is committed to 2. (keep) the art of sugar painting alive.
Li worked as a miner for more than ten years. After 3. mine closed down, Li turned 4. housing decoration, until he 5.(force) to give that up due to a finger injury. Earlier this year, he discovered sugar painting, something he really had an interest in.
Since there was no sugar painting craftsman in his village, he studied by 6. (he) through large quantities of videos and information on the Internet. Li loved painting when he was young, and he found it easy to learn the skill in sugar painting. He soon mastered the skill and could make a 7.(vary) of sugar paintings. A sugar painting is made with 8.(melt) brown or white sugar. Craftsman 9.(normal) paint animals and flowers on a stone board with the syrup(糖浆). When the sugar cools down, 10. appears is a piece of sugar art.
