Today people can use the phone to talk with others almost anywhere on the earth. But when you use the phone, you don’t see the person you are talking with. This may change in the near future.
Today some people are using a kind of telephone called the picture phone or vision phone. With it, two people who are talking can see each other.
Picture phones can be useful when you have something to show to the person you’re calling. They may have other uses in the future. One day you may be able to ring up a library and ask to read a book. Then you’ll be able to read the book right over your picture phone. Or you may be able to go shopping through your picture phone. If you want to buy something in the newspaper, you’ll use your phone and call the shop. People at the shop will show you the thing you’re interested in right over the phone. You’ll be able to shop all over town and never even leave your room!
【小題1】Today people can use the phone to talk with others ______.

Dear Michael,
I’m very glad to be your pen-friend. My name is Li Tian, and my English name is Leo. I’m from Wuhan. It’s in the middle of China. I’m in the Number 3 Middle School. There are 55 students in my class, and 28 are boys. From Monday to Friday, we have Chinese, math, physics and P.E. in the morning. I like Chinese and physics, because they’re interesting. I don’t like math. It’s too boring. At noon, I have to have lunch at school because my home is far from my school. We usually have two classes in the afternoon. After school , I like watching TV and listening to the music. I also like playing football, but not the American football.
Please write to me soon.
Yours,
Leo
【小題1】This letter is for_____.

Mobile phone has become a problem for middle schools. Some middle schools in Australia have banned students from carrying mobile phones during school hours.
Mobile phone use among children has become a problem for the school this year. Several children have got mobile phones as Christmas gifts, and more students will want them.
Mary Bluett, an official, said mobile phone’s use is a distraction to students during school hours and it also gives teachers so much trouble in their classrooms. Teachers were also saying that sometimes students might use phone messages to cheat during exams.
She said some schools had tried to ban mobile phones. Some parents felt unhappy because they couldn’t get in touch with their children.
Many teachers said students should not have mobile phones at school, but if there was a good reason, they could leave their phones at school office. They also said there were many reasons why the students should not have mobile phones at school: they were easy to lose and were a distraction from studies.
Many people say that they understand why parents would want their children to have phones, but they think schools should let the students know when they can use their mobile phones.
【小題1】Some middle schools in Australia have banned students from carrying mobile phones __.

When I tidied up（整理）some old boxes under my bed, I found an old letter for me from my best friend. Her name was Minnie.
In the letter, Minnie wrote, “I am really sorry about before. Tell me if you will be my best friend again and tell me if you accept（接受）my apology . ”I wrote, “YES. I will be your best friend. ”
The twelve-year-old letter made me remember the time that Minnie and I spent together. We often wrote to each other during that time. One minute, Minnie and I would be playing happily together; the other moment we would get into arguments. But things would always be better again. She gave me a doll（洋娃娃）for my tenth birthday. I still keep it.
Finally things changed. We stopped writing letters to each other after she moved away, and I could no longer ride my bike to her house. Years later, she invited me to her sixteenth birthday party. I don’t see Minnie very often from then on. But I’ll always keep the letter and I’ll never forget the time we spent together.
【小題1】Minnie wrote the letter to       .

If you are sitting at a table with people you don’t know, it is impolite to smoke without first asking if it will disturb them.
At American restaurants and coffee shops, cold water is usually served before you order. You may find the bread and the butter are free, and if you order coffee, you may get a free refill.
Most cities and towns have no rules about opening and closing time for stores and restaurants, though they usually do make rules for bars. Especially in big cities, stores may be open 24 hours a day.
Servings in restaurants are often large. If you can’t finish the meal but would like to enjoy the food later, ask the waiter or the waitress for a “doggie bag”(剩菜袋). It may have a picture of a dog on it, but everybody knows you are taking the food for yourself.
Tips are not usually added to the check. You should leave a tip of about 15% on the table when you leave. In some restaurants, a waiter or waitress often bring your check on a plate, and you can put your money there. Then the waiter or the waitress brings you your changes.
【小題1】______ is usually served before you order at American restaurants or coffee shops.

Going to an American friend’s house is very exciting. But you must remember to be polite.
When to arrive  If your friend tells you to come “ around 3:00”, that means you can go there a little bit after 3:00. But usually it is a good idea to arrive at the right time.
What to bring   It’s nice to bring something to your friend’s house. This could be a box of chocolates for you two to share, or maybe a movie that you can watch together. You can also bring some flowers. A little gift is a nice way to show your friend that you are excited to be at his house.
How to greet   When you visit your friend’s house, you may also meet his parents. You should tell who you are and they may tell you their names. As a child, I went to visit my friend Paul. I call his parents by their first names John and Mary. But now I know it is more polite to call them Mr or Mrs Smith. You can also call them Madam or Sir.
It is a cool thing to visit a friend’s house. Be polite to your friend and your friend’s parents, and you will be invited again!
【小題1】If you are told to get to an American friend’s house around 5:00pm, it is polite to arrive at ______ pm.

A sign is another kind of language. Here are some of them that you see on the roads.
Number One is a sign with the number thirty on it. When drivers see this sign, they must not go at more than thirty kilometers an hour. We see this sign when we are getting near a town. Number Two is a sign that we’re near a crossing. We must drive carefully. Number Three is a sign that there is a bend (拐彎) in the road. Again, we must drive slowly and carefully. It is not safe to go around a bend very fast. Number Four is a sign that there is another road coming in from the right. There is a junction (交叉) at this place. Number Five is a sign that there is a hill and Number Six is a sign that the road gets narrow. Drivers must go slowly and carefully. Number Seven has the word “SCHOOL” on it. This is a sign that there is a school at the side of the street or the road. Perhaps there are children going to or leaving school. So drivers must look carefully and go slowly. Number Eight is a sign with the letter “P” on it. The letter “P” means “Parking”. At some places, there are the signs “No parking” or “No waiting”. If a driver leaves his car near one of these signs, a policeman may come and write down the number of his car.
【小題1】At the places where you see Sign 1, ____________. .

Matt's hobby was collecting stamps. He had stamps from many countries, like America, Egypt and China. On his birthday, can you guess what people gave him? That's right——stamps.
Matt's favorite stamps came from France. He had almost every stamp from 1954 to 2003 except one. That was a 1974 special edition (版). It was very hard to find.
He looked for it everywhere. He asked his friends and relatives to help him. But nobody could find the stamp. It made Matt very sad.
"Don't worry," his father said to him. "You'll find it one day."
"I hope so," Matt said.
"Be patient (耐心的),"his father said. "Don't give up."
Besides collecting stamps, Matt liked writing. He had a pen friend in France. They wrote to each other every month. Matt's pen friend, Philip, gave him a big, green stamp. It looked old. When Matt received the letter, he was very surprised. On the envelope, he looked closely at the stamp. It was the 1974 special edition stamp. Matt was so happy! He told his sister, his mother and his father.
"You see," his father said, "You did find your stamp. So, you see, it's good to have two things in life."
"What are they?" Matt asked.
“Friends and patience (耐心).” he answered.
【小題1】Matt loved the stamps from ______best.

Every day when I enter the classroom, I will take a look at the wall beside my seat. You will find nothing special about this old wall if you just look at it. But for the students in my class, it is a special wall. Take a good look at it, and you will get to know the real feelings and thoughts of us, the 9th graders.
In the middle of the wall, there is a big “VICTORY”. It was written in pencil. I guess it must have been written by someone who got a good mark in an exam.
A little higher above the formulas, there is a poem. It only has two sentences. It reads: All those sweet memories have disappeared. Like tears dropping in the heavy rain.
Oh! It must have been written at the end of the last semester in middle school. Classmates had to leave school and good friends had to part. What a sad poem!
If you look at the wall more carefully, you will find many other interesting things, like a crying face, or a happy face, and other patterns(圖案). There are still some patterns and letters that I can’t understand, but they all show the feeling of the students who drew them.
For years, the wall has witnessed(目睹) all the things that have happened in the classroom. I don’t know how it will be next year, two years from now, or even ten years from now. But I hope more smiling faces will be drawn on it.
【小題1】There is ______ special on this wall.

Betty is an American school girl. She is very happy because her parents will take her to China for a visit. They are going to fly from New York on June 30 and get to Beijing on July 1. They will stay at Lido Holiday Inn. Their Chinese friends will show them around Beijing. They are going to visit the Palace Museum, the Summer Palace, the Temple of Heaven and the Great Wall. They will also visit some Chinese homes and try some Chinese food. They will spend a week in Beijing and then go to Xi’an, Guilin and some other places for sightseeing. The whole trip will take three weeks and she is sure she will have a great time in China.
【小題1】Betty is very happy because she will _______ with her parents.
A. visit China 　B. go home 　C. watch TV
【小題2】Their _______ friends will show them around Beijing.
A. Australian   B. Chinese  　C. American
【小題3】From the text we can know that they will _______ in Beijing.
A. cook Chinese food
B. Learn to speak Chinese
C. try some Chinese food
【小題4】After they visit Beijing , they will go to _______.
A. Xi’an and Guilin
B. The Summer Palace
C. Shanghai
【小題5】How long will the whole trip take?
A. one week 　B. two weeks 　C. three weeks