The tradition of birthday parties started a long time ago. There are some traditions that you can find almost anywhere, anytime, such as sending birthday cards, blowing out the candles(吹熄蠟燭) on a birthday cake and singing the ‘Happy Birthday’ song. Others are only found for certain ages and in certain countries.
In China, on a child’s second birthday, family members put many things on the floor around the child. According to Chinese tradition, the first thing that the child picks up tells you what job the child will choose later in life.
For Japanese children, the third, fifth and seventh birthdays are especially important. At this age, there is a special celebration(慶祝) Shichi-Go-San (seven, five, three in Japanese) when children go to the temple wearing a new kimono (和服). The priest (僧侶) gives them special sweets, and the parents usually organize a party for their friends in their home.
In Argentina, Mexico and several other Latin American countries, girls have a special birthday celebration when they reach the age of fifteen. After a special ceremony (儀式), the girls dance a waltz with their father and other boys.
Eighteen is the traditional ‘coming of age’— the age when (in many countries) you have the right to vote (選舉權(quán)), join the army （參軍）and (in Britain) drink alcohol （酒）or buy a house.
In many English-speaking countries, a twenty-first birthday cake often has a key on top, or the cake itself is sometimes in the shape of a key. The key means that the young person is now old enough to leave and enter the family home at any time they want to! 
【小題1】Which of the following birthday traditions can you find almost anywhere, anytime?
A. Putting many things on the floor.
B. Sending birthday cards.
C. Dancing a waltz.                         
【小題2】Mexican girls have a special birthday celebration at the age of       .
A. five           B. seven              C. fifteen 
【小題3】In many countries you can ___ when you reach the age of eighteen.
A. join the army    B. have a key    C. have a special ceremony  
【小題4】Which of the following sentences is NOT true?
A. The tradition of birthday parties started a long time ago.
B. Some birthday traditions are only found in certain countries.
C. You become the owner of your house at the age of fifteen.
【小題5】Which is the best title of this passage?
A. Birthday Traditions around the World 
B. The Drinking Age in Many Countries
C. Japanese Special Celebration

How often one hears children wishing they were grown-ups, and old people wishing they were young again. Each age has its pleasures and its pains(痛苦), and the happiest person is the one who enjoys what each age gives him without wasting his time in useless regrets(后悔).
Childhood is a time when there are few responsibilities(責(zé)任) to make life difficult. If a child has good parents, he is fed, looked after and loved, whatever he may do. It is impossible that he will ever again in his life be given so much without having to do anything in return. What’s more, life is always giving new things to the child--- things that have lost their interest for older people because they are too well-known. But a child has his pains: he is not so free to do what he wishes to do; he is repeatedly being told not do something or being punished for what he has wrongly done.
When a young man starts to earn his own living, he can no longer expect others to pay for his food, his clothes, and his room, but has to work if he wants to live comfortably. If he spends most of his time playing about in the way he used to as a child, he will go hungry. And if he breaks the laws of society(社會(huì)) as he used to break the laws of his parents, he may go to prison. If, however, he worked hard, keeps out of trouble and has good health, he can have the greatest happiness of building up for himself his own position(地位) in society.
【小題1】What is the happiest person according to the passage?

How often one hears children wishing they were grown-ups, and old people wishing they were young again. Each age has its pleasures and its pains(痛苦), and the happiest person is the one who enjoys what each age gives him without wasting his time in useless regrets(后悔).

Childhood is a time when there are few responsibilities(責(zé)任) to make life difficult. If a child has good parents, he is fed, looked after and loved, whatever he may do. It is impossible that he will ever again in his life be given so much without having to do anything in return. What’s more, life is always giving new things to the child--- things that have lost their interest for older people because they are too well-known. But a child has his pains: he is not so free to do what he wishes to do; he is repeatedly being told not do something or being punished for what he has wrongly done.

When a young man starts to earn his own living, he can no longer expect others to pay for his food, his clothes, and his room, but has to work if he wants to live comfortably. If he spends most of his time playing about in the way he used to as a child, he will go hungry. And if he breaks the laws of society(社會(huì)) as he used to break the laws of his parents, he may go to prison. If, however, he worked hard, keeps out of trouble and has good health, he can have the greatest happiness of building up for himself his own position(地位) in society.

1.What is the happiest person according to the passage?

A. A child who can do whatever he likes.

B. An old person who lives in a comfortable life.

C. A grown-up who no longer expects other to pay for him.

D. A person who never wastes his time in his whole life.

2.Which of the following is true, according to the second paragraph?

A. Life for a child is fairly easy.

B. A child is always loved whatever he does.

C. If much is given to a child, he must do something in return.

D. Only children are interested in life.

3. What is the main idea of the passage?

A. Life is not enjoyable since each age had some pains.

B. Young men can have the greatest happiness if they work hard.

C. Childhood is the most enjoyable time in one’s life.

D. One is the happiest if he can make good use of each age in his life.

4. What will the fourth paragraph most probably discuss following this passage?

A. Examples of successful young men.

B. How to build up one’s position in society.

C. Joys and pains of old people.

D. What to do when one has problems in life.

How often one hears children wishing they were grown-ups, and old people wishing they were young again. Each age has its pleasures and its pains, and the happiest person is the one who enjoys what each age gives him without wasting his time in useless regrets.
Childhood is a time when there are few responsibilities to make life difficult. If a child has good parents, he is fed, looked after and loved, whatever he may do. It is impossible that he will ever again in his life be given so much without having to do anything in return. What’s more, life is always giving new things to the child--- things that have lost their interest for older people because they are too well-known. But a child has his pains: he is not so free to do what he wishes to do; he is repeatedly being told not do something or being punished for what he has wrongly done.
When a young man starts to earn his own living, he can no longer expect others to pay for his food, his clothes, and his room, but has to work if he wants to live comfortably. If he spends most of his time playing about in the way he used to as a child, he will go hungry. And if he breaks the laws of society as he used to break the laws of his parents, he may go to prison. If, however, he worked hard, keeps out of trouble and has good health, he can have the greatest happiness of building up for himself his own position in society.
【小題1】What is the happiest person according to the passage?

How often one hears children wishing they were grown-ups, and old people wishing they were young again. Each age has its pleasures and its pains, and the happiest person is the one who enjoys what each age gives him without wasting his time in useless regrets.

Childhood is a time when there are few responsibilities to make life difficult. If a child has good parents, he is fed, looked after and loved, whatever he may do. It is impossible that he will ever again in his life be given so much without having to do anything in return. What’s more, life is always giving new things to the child--- things that have lost their interest for older people because they are too well-known. But a child has his pains: he is not so free to do what he wishes to do; he is repeatedly being told not do something or being punished for what he has wrongly done.

When a young man starts to earn his own living, he can no longer expect others to pay for his food, his clothes, and his room, but has to work if he wants to live comfortably. If he spends most of his time playing about in the way he used to as a child, he will go hungry. And if he breaks the laws of society as he used to break the laws of his parents, he may go to prison. If, however, he worked hard, keeps out of trouble and has good health, he can have the greatest happiness of building up for himself his own position in society.

1.What is the happiest person according to the passage?

A．A child who can do whatever he likes.

B．An old person who lives in a comfortable life.

C．A grown-up who no longer expects other to pay for him.

D．A person who never wastes his time in his whole life.

2.What pains does a child have?

A．He has few responsibilities to make life difficult.

B．He doesn’t have to do anything in return.

C．He is not so free to do what he wishes to do.

D．He has to work if he wants to live comfortably.

3.Which of the following is true, according to the second paragraph?

A．Life for a child is fairly easy.

B．A child is always loved whatever he does.

C．If much is given to a child, he must do something in return.

D．Only children are interested in life.

4.What is the main idea of the passage?

A．Life is not enjoyable since each age had some pains.

B．Young men can have the greatest happiness if they work hard.

C．Childhood is the most enjoyable time in one’s life.

D．One is the happiest if he can make good use of each age in his life.

5.What will the fourth paragraph most probably discuss following this passage?

A．Examples of successful young men.

B．How to build up one’s position in society.

C．Joys and pains of old people.

D．What to do when one has problems in life.