Today, roller skating is easy and fun. But a long time ago, it wasn’t easy at all. Before 1750, the idea of skating didn’t exist. That changed because of a man named Joseph Merlin. Merlin’s work was making musical instruments. In his spare time he liked to play the violin. Joseph Merlin was a man of ideas and dreams. People called him a dreamer.

One day Merlin received an invitation to attend a fancy dress ball. He was very pleased and a little excited. As the day of the party came near, Merlin began to think how to make a grand entrance at the party. He had an idea. He thought he would get a lot of attention if he could skate into the room.

Merlin tried different ways to make himself roll. Finally, he decided to put two wheels under each shoe. These were the first roller skates. Merlin was very proud of his invention and dreamed of arriving at the party on wheels while playing the violin.

On the night of the party Merlin rolled into the room playing his violin. Everyone was greatly surprised to see him. There was just one problem. Merlin had no way to stop his roller skates. He rolled on and on. Suddenly, he ran into a huge mirror that was hanging on the wall. Down fell the mirror, breaking to pieces. Nobody forgot Merlin’s grand entrance for a long time!

1．The text is mainly about __________.

A.a strange man

B.an unusual party

C.how roller skating began

D.how people enjoyed themselves in the 18th century

2．People thought Merlin was a dreamer because he __________.

3．Merlin put wheels under his shoes in order to __________.

Are you looking for some new and exciting places to take your kids (孩子) to? Try some of these places：

•Visit art museums. They offer a variety of activities to excite your kids' interest. Many offer workshops for making hand­made pieces, traveling exhibits, book signings by children's favorite writers, and even musical performances and other arts.

•Head to a natural history museum. This is where kids can discover the past from dinosaur(恐龙) models to rock collections and pictures of stars in the sky. Also, ask what kind of workshops and educational programs are prepared for kids and any special events that are coming up.

•Go to a Youtheater. Look for one in your area offering plays for child and family visitors. Pre­show play shops are conducted by area artists and educators where kids can discover the secret about performing arts. Puppet(木偶)making and stage make­up are just a couple of the special offerings you might find.

•Try hands­on science. Visit one of the many hands­on(亲自实践的) science museums around the country. These science play­lands are great fun for kids and grown­ups alike. They'll keep your child mentally and physically active the whole day through while pushing buttons(按钮), experimenting, and building. When everyone is tired, enjoy a fun family science show, commonly found in these museums.

4．If a child is interested in the universe(宇宙), he probably will visit______.

5．What can kids do at a Youtheater?

6．What does “hands­on science” mean in the last paragraph?

7．Where does this text probably come from?

Do you like chocolate? Maybe most people do. A box of it can be a great gift. Buy one for a friend and give it as a surprise. See how happy that person gets.

Say you just got a box of chocolate. Which piece do you pick first? A man has studied people’s choices. He says they tell something about the person. Did you choose a round piece? You are a person who likes to party. Did you choose an oval shape? You are a person who likes to make things. Picking a square shape shows something else. The person is honest and truthful. You can depend on him or her.

What kind of chocolate do you pick? Maybe you like milk chocolate. This shows you have warm feelings about the past. Dark chocolate means something else. A person who chooses it looks toward the future. What about white chocolate? Would you choose it? If so, you may find it hard to make up your mind. Some people like chocolate with nuts. These are people who like to help others.

Do you believe these ideas? Can candy tell all these things? It doesn’t really matter. There is one sure thing about eaters of chocolate. They eat it because they like it.

8．This passage mainly tells us ______.

A.why people like chocolate

B.almost everyone likes chocolate

C.about different kinds of chocolate

D.different choices may show different characters

9．Picking a round shape of chocolate shows that a person ______.

10．From this passage we can see that a helpful man may choose chocolate ______.

11．The last paragraph suggests that the writer ______.

A.believes all the information about chocolate

B.does not believe the information about candy

C.is trying to get you to believe false information

D.doesn’t think it important whether you believe the ideas

In order to know a foreign language entirely，four things are necessary. Firstly, we must hear it spoken. Secondly, we must be able to speak it ourselves correctly , with confidence and without hesitation(犹豫). Thirdly, we must be able to read the language and fourthly, we must know how to arrange(安排) sentences in paragraphs，so as to write a good composition.

There is no easy way to succeed in language learning. A good memory is a great help, but it is not enough simply to learn rules by heart from a grammar book. It is no much use learning by heart long lists of words and their meanings. We must learn words not by themselves, but in sentences. We must learn by using the language. “Learn through use” is a good piece of advice for those who are studying a new language. Practice is very important. We must practice speaking and writing the language whenever we can.

12．The word “confidence” here probably means“       ”.

13．The writer advises us to        .

14．The first step in learning a language is         .

15．Words should be learned in a       .

Suppose you are a visitor in the land of Mongolia, some friends ask you to eat with them. What kind of manners(礼貌) do they want you to have? They want you to give a loud burp(饱嗝) after you finish eating. Burping would show that you like your food. In some countries, if you give a big burp, you are told to say “Excuse me, please”.

In many places people like to eat together. But in some parts of Polynesia it is bad manners to be seen eating at all. People show their good manners by turning their backs on others while they eat.

What are manners like in an East African town? The people try not to see you. They are being polite. You may see a friend. He may not see you at all. If you are polite, you will sit down beside him. You will wait until he finishes what he is doing. Then he will talk to you. Manners are different all over the world. But it is good to know that all manners begin in the same way. People need ways to show that they want to be friends.

16．In Mongolia, burping is a way of showing that __________.

A.you enjoyed the meal prepared by the host

B.you are impolite

C.your meal was not enough

D.you are friendly with your host

17．In Polynesia, to be polite while eating you should __________.

18．People in an East African town are being polite by __________.

A.trying not to see you

B.sitting down beside others

C.seeing a friend quickly

D.waiting for a long time before visits

19．The best title for this passage is __________.