Five Things to Do Before You Are 18

Are you bored with your daily routine? Here are some things you should try before you are 18, because after that it’s too late.

Write your family tree

When you are young, get to know all the older people in your family and find out as much as you can about when they were young. Draw a family tree and make notes about each person so that you won’t forget.

Learn to swim

Seriously, this is so important that it could save your life. If you can’t swim well, you won’t be able to do water sports like waterskiing, surfing and diving. Even taking a boat trip will be dangerous for you. Make sure you do it.

Try at least one kind of team sport

Being a good team player is an important skill in life. You can’t just think of yourself, but have to work well with other people. Other advantages of team sports like basketball, football and baseball are that they keep you fit and healthy, and they are also great fun. Teams usually have a good social life too---you’ll go to lots of parties and make many friends.

Collect something

One of the best hobbies for under-18s is collecting things. You could collect rare Chinese stamps, or you could collect things that make you remember what you have done, like cinema tickets for films you have seen or emails from friends. The best way to collect is to have a special album to put your collection in and to write what each thing means to you. That way you won’t forget.

Camp out in the garden

If you don’t have your own garden, find a friend who has one! You will need: two or three friends, a small tent, sleeping bags and warm blankets. Take a lot of food and drink with you into the tent and play games until it gets dark. When it gets dark, tell ghost stories, and at midnight, eat all your sweets. You will need a torch or else you won’t be able to see all your sweets, and it might get too scary.

1．Draw a family tree and________ about each person so that you won’t forget.

A．know the name                                            B．write down some notes

C．find the birthday                                           D．ask the older for help

2．What’s the most important reason for learning to swim? 

   A．You might feel well.                                      B．It could make you healthy.

   C．You might easily do lots of things.                  D．It could save your life.   

3．The writer tells us that one of the best hobbies is to________.

   A．collect something                                         B．do some water sports

   C．camp out in the garden                                  D．send emails to your friends

4．What’s the passage mainly about?

   A．Hobbies to share.                                          B．Skills to have.

C．Things to do.                                               D．Sports to play.

Except for a few times, Americans are not big present-givers. There's no exchange of presents among business people, and if one American tries to give another a present, it may look like that he wants to bribe (贿赂) him. Americans have learned that in some other countries people like to give presents to others, but among ourselves we don't see the need for presents.
Even friends may never exchange presents. When I go to foreign countries, I try to bring back little things for close friends, but nobody would feel unhappy if I didn't. I don't often re­member a friend's birthday, and few people outside of my family remember mine. If someone gave me presents too often, I'd get unpleasant. But a present from a foreigner - that kind from his or her homeland — won't go wrong, except to government employees (政府职员) who can't be given presents.
You usually open a present at once and in front of the person who gives it except Christmas and birthday presents. You should only say, "It's so nice. Thanks…" when you get Christ­mas or birthday presents.
You may want to bring a bottle of wine (葡萄酒) or flowers to a dinner party, but you're
never asked to.  Nobody will mind if you bring wine, but your friend may not use it that evening.
At Christmas we often give presents to our family and sometimes our friends. We also give presents to people who have been helpful during the year- doormen, babysitters, housecleaners, newspaper senders— anyone who has often helped us.
【小题1】   What does "close friends" mean in the passage?

A． The friends who are very kind.

B． The friends who live close to each other.

C． The friends who were once classmates.

D． The friends who you like most.

【小题2】  What kind of presents don't Americans usually open in front of the givers?

A．The small presents.	B． Christmas or birthday presents.
C． The expensive presents.	D． The presents for dinner party.

【小题3】           Why do Americans also give presents to housecleaners at Christmas?

A． To pay them.	B． To help them.
C． To thank them.	D． To make them work harder.

【小题4】   Which of the following do you think is right?

A． American business people don't want presents because they are rich enough.

B． The writer of this passage must be an American.

C． Everyone must give presents to one's family and friends at Christmas.

D． Government employees can get little presents from a foreigner.

【小题5】   What is the main idea of the passage?

A． Present-giving in the United States.

B． Customs (习俗) in the United States.

C． American people and present-giving.

D． When and how to give presents.

Except for a few times, Americans are not big present-givers. There’s no exchange of presents among business people, and if one American tries to give another a present, it may look like that he wants to bribe (贿赂) him. Americans have learned that in some other countries people like to give presents to others, but among ourselves we don’t see the need for presents.
Even friends may never exchange presents. When I go to foreign countries, I try to bring back little things for close friends, but nobody would feel unhappy if I didn’t. I don’t often re­member a friend’s birthday, and few people outside of my family remember mine. If someone gave me presents too often, I’d get unpleasant. But a present from a foreigner - that kind from his or her homeland — won’t go wrong, except to government employees (政府职员) who can’t be given presents.
You usually open a present at once and in front of the person who gives it except Christmas and birthday presents. You should only say, "It’s so nice. Thanks…" when you get Christ­mas or birthday presents.
You may want to bring a bottle of wine (葡萄酒) or flowers to a dinner party, but you’re
never asked to.  Nobody will mind if you bring wine, but your friend may not use it that evening.
At Christmas we often give presents to our family and sometimes our friends. We also give presents to people who have been helpful during the year- doormen, babysitters, housecleaners, newspaper senders— anyone who has often helped us.
【小题1】   What does "close friends" mean in the passage?

A． The friends who are very kind.

B． The friends who live close to each other.

C． The friends who were once classmates.

D． The friends who you like most.

【小题2】  What kind of presents don’t Americans usually open in front of the givers?

A．The small presents.	B． Christmas or birthday presents.
C． The expensive presents.	D． The presents for dinner party.

【小题3】           Why do Americans also give presents to housecleaners at Christmas?

A． To pay them.	B． To help them.
C． To thank them.	D． To make them work harder.

【小题4】   Which of the following do you think is right?

A． American business people don’t want presents because they are rich enough.

B． The writer of this passage must be an American.

C． Everyone must give presents to one’s family and friends at Christmas.

D． Government employees can get little presents from a foreigner.

【小题5】   What is the main idea of the passage?

A． Present-giving in the United States.

B． Customs (习俗) in the United States.

C． American people and present-giving.

D． When and how to give presents.