*Question*
Dear Jenny, I am in Beijing, China now, but my parents are in the USA. I live with my brother Peter. Beijing is big and great. There are many beautiful places and much delicious food here. I like Beijing very much. Peter and I are in the same grade, but we are in different classes. We live far from the school and it takes us a long time to go to school. We have to get up at 6:20 in the morning, and then at 6:30 we ride bikes to the bus stop. It takes us about 20 minutes. At about 7:00, we take the bus to school. We get to school at about 7:30. We have four classes in the morning and two in the afternoon. I think Chinese is too difficult, but Peter thinks it is easy. He can speak Chinese very well and he often helps me with it. How is everything going with you in the USA? Write to me soon. Love, Kate ,. It takes Kate about _ to get to school from her home. A) 80 minutes. B) an hour C) 50 minutes D) half an hour
**Answer**
B

*Question*
Don't you want to go to school? You could tell your parents you're ill. But last Monday, students from Shanghai and Zhejiang had an even better excuse: a typhoon ! Typhoon Khanun hit East China on September 11. In Shanghai, all the school were closed the next day, Monday. It was the first time that Shanghai had to close schools because of bad weather. But some students still came to school that day. " I didn't get the notice that the school was closing," said Shen Sheng, a Junior 2 student from Shanghai Aiguo School. " But it was nice that we could play in school rather than study." The school kept Shen and other 20 students safe inside and let them play sports like table tennis. But the storm wasn't all fun games. Typhoon Khanun killed 14 people. In Zhejiang, it _ about 8,000 houses. More than one million people had to be taken to safer places. Every year, typhoons hit different places around the world. Most happen in July, August and September. This year 15 typhoons hit China. Khanun was the strongest. Typhoons bring strong winds and rains. The winds can blow away houses and cars. The rains are bad for farmers' fields. Typhoon also kills people. Earlier this month, Typhoon Talim hit East and Central China. It killed at least 124 people. Shanghai had to close all the schools that day because of _ . A) bad traffic B) heavy rain C) Typhoon Khanun D) Typhoon Talim
**Answer**
C

*Question*
My Town the Best Place to Be! My town is a great place to live in . It's the best place to enjoy your free time. There are three movie theaters in the town. They are all good, but the one nearest my house is the best. Shopping is also easy, There are many shops and most of them are trendy. They sell very fashionable clothes. The prices are also cheaper than in other cities, so students love to shop here. There are also a lot of video and music stores. These are very popular with students. I go to the music store every week to buy a new CD. The most crowded place for students to hang out is the park . Everyone goes there ,so it's really interesting. Sometimes there are even street performers. Some students think they are boring ,but I think they are the most creative people. I want to be a street performer, too . The writer's town is the best place of _ . A) food B) having fun C) playing games D) swimming
**Answer**
B

*Question*
If you ask me to tell how to get along in the United States, I think the following "do's" and "don'ts" would be helpful. Generally speaking, it isn't easy to find anyone to talk to in a busy city, so you should try to do the following. First, get or borrow a dog! Walk him several times a day! Americans love dogs and cats and usually stop to talk to anyone with a dog. Then, try to eat in a restaurant. People generally share the same table and will sometimes talk to you if they see you are new there. Next, take your dirty clothes to a laundry ! It takes about an hour to wash and dry them and people there often pass the time talking with each other. Always ask for information from a woman if you are a man, and from a man, if you are a woman! Learn to say, "Please" "Thank you" and "You're welcome" and use them all the time! There are some things you shouldn't do. Don't tell the truth when people ask, "How are you?" The only answer they want is "Fine". Never ask people their age--especially women! Everyone wants to be young. Don't tell heavy people they are fat. Tell them they are losing weight. Everyone wants to be thin. Don't be late when meeting people! When someone says six o'clock, be sure to be there by six. Americans respect time and want everyone to be "on time". When talking to people there, you may say _ . A) "How are you?" B) "How old are you?" C) "What is your weight?" D) "You seem to be fat."
**Answer**
A