1、1The Great Fire of London started in the very early hours of September 2,1666. In four days, it destroyed more than three quarters of the old city, where most of those houses were built out of wood and close together. One hundred thousand people became homeless, but only few lost their lives. The fi
2、re started on Sunday morning. By eight oclock, three hundred houses were on fire. On Monday, nearly a kilometer of the city was burning along the River Thames. Tuesday was the worst day. The fire destroyed many wellknown buildings.The fire stopped only when the king finally ordered people to destroy
3、 hundreds of buildings in the path of the fire. With nothing left to burn, the fire became weak and finally died out.Questions: 1. To stop the fire, what did the king finally order people to do? The king ordered people to destroy hundreds of buildings in the path of the fire.2. Do you want to live i
4、n a house made of wood? Why?2Emma and Mary are 13-year-old school girls. They are good at making new things and both of them are also good at sales. They are selling charms(小装饰物) made out of bottle caps.The girls came up with the idea last summer when they found charms were popular with kids. They t
5、alked with their parents about the idea. Since then, they have sold enough charms to buy a bike for Mary.The girls collect bottle caps and then clean them. They find some interesting pictures on the Internet or on paper, and then put them onto the inside of the caps. Now, charms can be found everywh
6、ere at their school. Students put charms on backpacks and their lunchboxes. Emma and Mary also have a shop on the Internet. They hope they can sell their charms to more kids. Their business is not only for getting money. At their Christmas sale, 20% of the income went to charity.Questions: 1. What d
7、o they put onto the inside of the bottle caps? Some interesting pictures on the Internet or on paper.2. Do you have any hobby? Tell us something about it. 3Reading is very important. World Book Day falls on April 23 every year. It encourages people, especially teenagers, to discover the pleasure of
8、reading. Many countries celebrate World Book Day. On that day, millions of school children can buy books at a much lower price than usual in any bookstore in England. It has been done every year since 1998. Reading helps us become smarter. Reading helps us to follow the latest developments of scienc
9、e. Reading gives us information about other cultures in the world. Reading is also one of the most important ways to learn a foreign language like English. We can also learn the ways that English people are living and working today by reading.Reading can help us to know more about the outside world.
10、 Therefore, it is necessary for us to spend time reading every day.Questions:1. How do people celebrate World Book Day in England? On that day, millions of school children can buy books at a much lower price than usual in any bookstore in England.2. Do you like reading? Tell us something about your
11、favorite book. 4Cats are the most popular pets among Americans. So it is not surprising that there are many expressions about cats. Do you know any of them? Now let me introduce some to you.Sometimes, a cat likes to play with a small animal that it catches. So if you play cat and mouse with someone,
12、 you change between different kinds of behavior when dealing with another person. For example, a child might offer something sweet to her little brother, and then take it away when he reaches for it.A cat will often catch a small animal and present it to its owner. The saying that looks like somethi
13、ng the cat dragged in describes something in bad condition.A fat cat is a person with a lot of money.There are many other expressions about cats in America. How interesting! Which kind of cat are you, or which kind would you like to be?Questions:1. What does the expression “a fat cat” mean in Americ
14、an English?A fat cat is a person with a lot of money.2. Do you want to keep a pet? Why or why not? 5One day, Tomas Jefferson, the president of the USA, was crossing a river with a group of travelers. The river was overflowing its banks. So it was very dangerous to cross it on a horse. Each man was f
15、ighting for his life! Then another traveler came and he wanted to cross it, too. But he didnt have a horse. He watched the group and then asked Jefferson to take him. Jefferson agreed immediately. The man climbed on. After they were both safe to the other side of the river, someone asked the man, “W
16、hy did you ask the president for help? Did you know him?” The man was shocked because he didnt know Jefferson was the president. “All I know,” he said, “on some ofyour faces were written the answer NO, but there was the answer YES on his face.”Questions:1. What were Tomas Jefferson and the travelers
17、 doing one day?They were crossing the river (on horses). 2. Do you think you are a helpful person? Why? 6The book Harry Potter is quite popular with the children in China. It sells well across China. Why is the book so attractive to children? After reading it, I was attracted by the magic world. I c
18、an not help asking: where is our own Harry Potter?China has a long history and colorful culture, and there are also many popular books among children, but they are not as good as those foreign ones. Why?Firstly, many childrens books are not interesting, instead, they have a strong sense of teaching.
19、 Reading them, children often have a feeling of being “educated”. Certainly, they dont like them. Secondly, fewer children like the same stories, but most Chinese books are usually much the same. One knows the ending as early as in the beginning. Finally, the writers seldom think about childrens nee
20、ds.Good reading for children should be interesting, and written in their language.Questions:1. What kind of books do children like?Children like books that are interesting and written in their language.2. What is your favorite book? Tell us something about it. 7This was the last exam before the stud
21、ents graduated from the college and found jobs. The teacher passed out the papers. The students smiles became wide as they saw that there were only five questions.Three hours passed and the teacher began to collect the papers. The students looked worried. The teacher looked at all the worried faces
22、and asked,“How many students completed all five questions?” Not a hand was put up.How many of you answered four?” Still no hands.“Three? Two? One, then. Certainly somebody finished one.” But the class stayed silent. The teacher put down the papers. “That is just what I expected. I just wanted to mak
23、e sure you know that even if you have studied for four years, there are still many things you dont know. You have to learn as you go.”Then, smiling, she added,“You will all pass the course, but remember that your education has just begun.Questions:1. Why did the teacher give the last exam in such a
24、way? To make the students know that they still had much to learn after graduation.2. Please tell us something about your favorite teacher. 8Disasters happen all the time somewhere in the world. Find out what you need to do now before it is too late. Lets take an earthquake for example.During an eart
25、hquake, get under a strong object like the kitchen table. Dont leave the building during the shaking, or you might be hurt by falling objects.If you are watching TV and you cannot easily run away by getting out through the door, then lie down next to a sofa, or a large chair.Never go to the stairs.
26、The stairs are likely part of the building to be broken. Even if the stairs are not destroyed by the earthquake, they may fall down later when people run down.If you are driving when an earthquake suddenly happens, just stay in your car until the shaking ends. However, if the bridge falls and breaks
27、 your car, get out of it and sit or lie next to it. Questions:1. During an earthquake, if you are watching TV and you cannot easily run away, what should you do?2. When you are in danger, who will you ask help for? Why? 9A passenger told an air hostess that he needed a cup of water to take his medic
28、ine when the plane just took off. She told him that she would bring him the water in ten minutes.The air hostess was so busy that she forgot it, so the passenger wasnt able to take his medicine. Thirty minutes later, when the passengers ring for service sounded, she hurried over to him with a cup of
29、 water, but he refused.In the following hours, each time the air hostess passed by the passenger, she would ask him with a smile if he needed help. But the passenger never answered a word. When he was going to get off the plane, the passenger asked the air hostess for the passengers booklet. She was
30、 very sad. She knew that he would write down sharp words, but with a smile she handed it to him.Off the plane, she opened the booklet and smiled, for the passenger put it, “You asked me if I needed help for twelve times. How can I refuse you twelve smiles?”Questions:1. Why didnt the passenger get th
31、e water ten minutes later? Because the airhostess was so busy that she forgot it.2. What do you learn from the story? 10In Germany there are different kinds of high schools. Some prepare students for workers, others prepare them for college. All schools are great places for making friends and learni
32、ng German.Short days. Most high schools in Germany begin at about 8:00 a.m. and end at 3:30 p.m. This means your morning will be busy with classes. You will have time to do homework and take part in private clubs after school.Getting to school. Most students take public transport to school or ride a
33、 bicycle. Some areas have school buses. Parents usually dont drive students to school.Private clubs. In Germany, after-school activities are usually organized through private clubs. There are clubs for things like soccer, dance, theatre and almost everything else. Once you are in Germany, ask around
34、 at school and talk to other students to find out what private clubs are in your area and meet your interests.Questions:1. What do students do after school in Germany?They do homework and take part in private clubs.2. What after-school activity do you usually do? 11An old man has spent all his life
35、in a small village which is far from the city. One day, someone told him some interesting things about the city. He was so amazed at it that he decided to visit it. Everything was new and strange to him. The old man got excited and visited a lot of interesting places. Then he went into a large tall
36、building and saw a lift. He didnt know what it was used for. As he was watching it, an old woman got into the lift and the door closed behind her. After a few minutes, the door opened and a very beautiful young girl came out. The old man was very surprised. “What an interesting little room!” he said
37、 to himself, “Terrific, it can change an old woman into a young girl. I will be here with my wife next time.”Questions:1. Why did the old man decide to visit the city?Because someone told him some interesting things about the city and he was amazed at it.2. Tell us an interesting place that you have
38、 ever visited. 12Many famous people had dreams when they were young. They often worked hard to make their dreams come true.When I was only 13 years old, I first thought about what I should do in the future. I used to dream about being a basketball player, soccer player or a baseball player. However,
39、 I gave up these dreams because I was too short. Then I thought about going into music, so I bought a guitar. But I couldnt play it very well. Then I had to give up my dream again. After that I thought about being a reporter and I worked really hard at it. At the age of 25, my dream came true and I became a reporter.Finally, I learned the truth about making dreams come true. I should never give up and I must work hard.Questions:1. In the opinion of the writer, what was the truth of making dreams come true?One should never give up and he must work hard.2. Whats your dream?
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