A mouse looked through a crack(缝隙) in th...

Frankenstein is one of the world’s most famous horror stories. It’s about a doctor who creates a new man from the body parts of dead people and brings it to life. But the experiment goes wrong and the monster(怪兽) kills the doctor and many others. The story has been read by millions since it was first published and in the last hundred years it has been made into dozens of movies. Many people are surprised to learn its writer was a 19-year-old woman, called Mary Shelley.

Mary was born into a rich London family in August 1797. She was educated by her parents and when she was 13 she decided to become a writer. In 1812, she met the famous writer Percy Shelley and they soon got married. Sadly for Mary, their first child died soon after birth in Italy. In her diary, Mary wrote about a dream：“I dreamt that my little baby came to life again---that it had only been cold and that we rubbed it before the fire and it lived.”

In 1816, Percy Shelley and 19-year-old Mary visited the poet Lord Byron at his home in Switzerland. Because of the bad weather they stayed indoors reading horror stories. On night, Byron asked everyone to write their own story. Mary thought of her dream and wrote the story of Frankenstein

Frankenstein was published when Mary was 21, and became a huge success. Many people didn’t think a 19-year-old woman could write so well and believed her husband was the real writer.

Although famous, Shelley’s life was full of sadness. Only one of her four children lived and in 1822 her husband died in a swimming accident. Mary was broken-hearted and decided not to marry again. She devoted herself to her child and continued to write until her death in 1851.

1.Where was Mary Shelley when she wrote the story Frankenstein ?

2.In which order do the following take place?

a. Bad weather made everyone stay indoors reading horror stories.

b. The story Frankenstein was first published.

c. Mary wrote about a dream in her diary.

d. Mary met the famous writer Percy Shelley.

e. Movies based on the story of Frankenstein were made.

3.How old was Mary Shelley when she died?

You probably know you should say “please” and “thank you” at restaurants. You probably know the rules of a library. You know you should respect and be nice to your classmates. But do you have music manners?

Keep It Down! You have to notice the volume of your music. You should not play your music so loud that everyone around you can hear it. Some people might even get angry. Usually, when you play the music loud on an MP3 player, other people can’t hear the words of the song. They just hear a loud sound. Not one wants to listen to this. Very loud music can also be bad for your ears, so even if you are alone when listening to your MP3 player, you shouldn’t have it turned up too high.

Take Them Off! You need to know when to turn your MP3 player off and put it away. Libraries and schools don’t allow MP3 players. There are other places, like museums, that don’t have rules, but it would be rude to have your MP3 player on. Sometimes, it just doesn’t make sense to listen your MP3 player at event. Why would you listen to music at a play, a movie or a sporting event? You would miss what is going on and others would wonder why you even came.

Take One Out! Once in a while it’s okay just to take out one earphone and not other. Imagine you are listening on your MP3 player when someone asks you the way. It would not be rude to take out one earphone, tell him the way, and put back the earphone and continue listening. You can also do this when you order food at a fast-food restaurant or when you answer the telephone.

It’s Your Choice! There are times when you need to decide what is best. For example, some people can listen to music on their MP3 players when reading books, while others think it is disturbing. In cases like this, you need to do what seems right for you.

1.The underlined word “volume” in Paragraph Two probably means “_____”.

2.We should turn down the music when we are alone because loud music  _____ .

3.It’s all right to use our MP3 player in __________.

4.What can be the best title of this passage?

I'm glad you showed great interest in what is happening in China. You are right. I am very 21 of the great achievement that the Long March-2F carrier rocket successfully sent China's manned Shenzhou-9 spacecraft into space on June 16, 2012. Now, China is the third country in the world to use its own 22 to send a female into space.

I agree with you that if we work together and 23, the future will be ours, the two old civilizations will rejuvenate(焕发青春). The last thirty years has 24 great changes that have taken place in both India and China. We are lucky we are living in this great period.

You wanted to know more about Xi’an. Let me tell you: Xi’an is the biggest city in the 25 of China, with a population of over 9 million. Xi'an 26 the capital of China for over 13 dynasties. It was perhaps the most 27 and culturally advanced city in the entire world. 28 this place silk roads went westwards through Asia to Europe and Africa. Along one of the silk roads, over 1300 years ago, a great thinker called XuanZang 29 all the way from Xi'an to India with the 30 of getting true spirit of Buddha(佛). He succeeded after many 31 difficulties. After that, some new ideas from India spread over China, Japan and Korea. A 65-meter-high 32 called Dayan Pagoda was built for him for what he had done for the nation after he died, which 33 stands in the south of Xi'an, the most famous 34 of the city.

Xi'an is a city with splendid 35. A lot of historical interests attract millions of visitors from both China and all over the world, 36 which the Terra Cotta Warriors and the Old City Walls are the most well-known, whose details you can 37 find through the Internet.

Today's Xi'an is modern and even more beautiful, 38 to film-makers, IT experts, and business people of every description. Here in this city, famous for calligraphy(书法), a new chapter in China's history is being 39

I think you may have some idea of where I'm living. If you want to know more, come to China, I'll be your 40.

Tell me more about your city. Maybe my next long journey is India.

Hope to get your reply.

Liu Shaowen

You have _____ me. I didn’t refer to anyone here when I mentioned that at the meeting. What I wanted to say was that such a mistake could have been avoided.

Early American settlers were great_____ -- they could build almost anything from wood.