It’s hot in the shopping mall, because the air-conditioning system ______.

A. broke up      B. broke down       C. broke in       D. broke out

International students in Christine Rhodes’ English class in Australia share their favorite places they have visited in Australia.
Canberra, the nicest city in Australia.   
Siggi Siebold from Germany
I went for a short holiday to Canberra because my son lives there. It’s the nicest city in Australia, a little bit similar to Cairns. There’re lots of big rivers and trees around the city.
The small city of Mount Isa
Indra Ekanayake from Malaysia
I came to Mount Isa six months ago. It’s a long way from Brisbane-about 2,000 km .It’s a small city, with a population of 21,000, but it has all the basic facilities(设施)such as a hospital, six schools and supermarkets. It’s a mining city. It’s hot and gets little rain. There’re two big lakes to keep the rainwater for drinking for the city.
Lake Moondarra and a mine
Ida Robb from Indonesia
In Mount Isa, there’s a dam called Lake Moondarra. On the weekend you can go there with your friends.People go fishing and even catch a crocodile. There’s a big mine in Mount Isa.Many people come to work in the mine and earn much money.It isn’t a beautiful green place, but many people love it.
My impression(印象)of Sydney
Namfon  Pitaxsin from Thailand
The fist time I came  to  Australia,I was happy. I traveled to Sydney. Four million people live there ,and many are  Asians. I saw the harbor (港口)，Sydney Harbor Bridge and the Opera House and I went to see the koalas and kangaroos in Taronga Park Zoo. After that I went to the Thai restaurants. There is a revolving (旋转的) restaurant, so you can eat and see the city.
【小题1】Why did Siggi Siebold go to Canberra?

MY Chinese friend is going to the US and he is nervous about what to talk about. “Talk about the weather,” is my advice.
“How are you?” is often followed by comments about the weather. “Nice day today.” “Cold/hot enough for you?” “Will it ever stop raining?” “Some winter we’re having.” “Can’t remember a winter/summer so cold/hot.” “Whew, it’s hot out there.”
These introductory statements are often followed by a long conversation entirely about weather conditions. Past, present and – with global warming – speculation (推测) about the future.
Our fascination with weather might seem silly, but the real purpose behind those endless discussions is small talk. Weather’s a safe topic of conversation. As a group, we Americans seem to enjoy chatting with those around us. Whenever we stand in line at the grocery store, we tend to engage in this sort of conversation with other people standing in line with us. If I were seated next to another American on any form of public transport, I’d expect both of us to make some harmless comment about the weather as a way of acknowledging (承认) each other’s presence (存在). At parties, the weather is a common topic, especially with those you are meeting for the first time.
In contrast we are taught to avoid certain topics like religion and politics. Weather is neutral (中性的); you don’t have to have an opinion about it, just make a statement of a fact. What is truly interesting is the fact that we can go on and on about it.
My Chinese friend has a hard time understanding why we put so much effort into this topic – and why I warn him about bringing up much more “interesting” subjects like salaries or how much something costs.
Sometimes it is tricky (复杂的) to wend (行走) one’s way through winding cultural roads, especially those that are never taught in books.
【小题1】What does the writer suggest her Chinese friend should talk about with people in the US? (No more than two words)
【小题2】Why do Americans enjoy talking to people around them about the weather, in writer’s opinion? (No more than ten words)
【小题3】List four topics that people should avoid talking about in the US. ( No more than 5 words)

Do you sometimes argue about what seems to you to be simple fact? Do you argue whether it’s cold outdoors or whether the car in front of you is going faster than the speed limit?

If you get into such arguments, try to think about the story about the six blind men and the elephant. The first blind man who felt the elephant’s trunk said it was like a snake. The second who felt the elephant’s side said it was like a wall, while the third said it was like a spear as he touched the animal’s tusk. The fourth, who got hold of the elephant’s tail insisted that it was like a rope. The fifth man said it looked like a tree as he put his arms around one of the elephant’s legs. The sixth, who was tall and got hold of the elephant’s ears, said it was like a huge fan.

Each man’s idea of the animal came from his own experience. So if someone disagrees with you about a“simple fact”, it’s often because his experience in the matter is different from yours.

To see how hard it is for even one person to make up his mind about a“simple fact”, try this simple experiment. Get three large bowls. Put ice water in one. Put hot water in the second. Put lukewarm water in the third. Now put your left hand in the ice water. Put your right hand in the hot water. After thirty seconds, put both hands in the lukewarm water. Your right hand will tell you the water is cold. Your left hand will tell you it’s hot!

What makes people think about simple facts differently?

A. The fact that simple facts differ from one another.

B. The fact that people have different experience in the same simple fact.

C. The fact that people often disagree with one another.

D. The fact that it’s hard to make up one’s mind about simple facts.

Which of the following temperatures can the word“lukewarm”be applied to?

A. Around 1℃          B. Above 60℃      C. Around 25℃        D. Below 0℃

After reading the last paragraph, we may think of        .

A. Newton’s law                       B. Gallileo’s theory of falling objects

C. Einstein’s theory of relativity    D. Marx’s On Capital

The main idea of this passage is         .

A. people often judge something according to his own experience

B. people often agree about simple facts

C. it’s hard for a person to make up his mind about a simple fact

D. don’t care too much about simple facts

Some places in the world have strange laws. It’s important for you to know about them before going there.

   Whoever likes to chew gum(口香糖) may have to leave Singapore. The government really wants to keep the city clean and will fine you for chewing gum.

   Before you leave for the United Arab Emirates you’d better make sure you aren’t visiting during Ramadan(斋月). During that time you aren’t allowed to eat or drink in public. Tourists have been fined up to $275 for drinking in public.

   Lovers spend so much time kissing each other goodbye at train stations that trains often start late. This law — no kissing your lover goodbye at train stations – is rather old, and isn’t in use today in France.

   In Thailand it’s against the law to drive a car or motorcycle without a shirt on, no matter how hot it is. Punishments are different in different areas and can include warnings and tickets costing about $10. No joke -- the local police will stop you.

  Studies in Denmark have shown that cars with their headlights on are more noticeable by other drivers than those with their headlights off. Drivers there are required to leave their headlights on even during the day, or they may face a fine up to $100.

   Do you often buy things using coins? Don’t do it in Canada. The Currency Law of 1985 doesn’t allow using only coins to buy things. Even the use of the dollar-coin is limited (受限制的). The shop owner has the right to choose whether to take your coins or not.

   Make sure you know about these laws before your next trip. Better safe than sorry.

1.What is mainly talked about in the text?

A. How to make your trip around the world safe.

B. Why there are strange laws in the world.

C. Interesting places you can go to around the world.

D. Some strange laws you should know about for your trip.

2.If you are driving a car in Thailand, _____.

A. the police will play a joke on you

B. you should wear your shirt even though it’s hot

C. the police will give you tickets costing about $10

D. you should always keep your headlights on

3.What can we learn from the text?

A. Kissing goodbye at train stations isn’t allowed in France today.

B. The Singaporean government cares a lot about its environment.

C. Tourists in the United Arab Emirates shouldn’t eat in public.

D. You can turn your headlights off in daytime in Denmark.

4.What do we know about the strange law in Canada?

A. It is a newly invented law.           B. You aren’t allowed to use dollar-coins.

C. You will be fined if you use coins.     D. Shop owners can decide if you can use coins.