七、根据短文内容，选择最佳选项填入短文空白处。(共8分，每题2分)

A. They usually have to give a lot of money.

B. Most American children begin to go to school when they are five years old.

C. American students like studying Chinese very much.

D. And they have homework for every class.

E. There are two terms in a school year.

American school begin in September after a long summer holiday. ___1___The first term(学期) is from September to January, and the second is from February to June. ___2___ Most children are seventeen or eighteen years old when they finish middle school. Middle school students study only four or five subjects each term. They usually go to the same class every day. ___3___ After class they do many interesting things. After middle school , many students go to college (上大学). They can go to a small one or a large one. ___4___ So many college students work after class to get the money for their studies.

八、阅读与表达(共10分，每题2分)

In some foreign(外国) countries, some people don't like the number 13. They don't think 13 is a lucky number. For example, they don't like to live on the thirteenth floor.

My friend Jack has got the same idea. He doesn't like the number 13, either(也). Today, he asks some friends to dinner. When all of his friends arrive, he asks them to sit around the dinner table. He begins to count the people in his mind while they are having the delicious food. Suddenly, he cries out, "Oh, there are thirteen people here!" Everybody's face turns white except Mr Brown. He says slowly with a smile on his face, "Don't worry, my dear friends! We have fourteen people here. My wife Mrs Brown will have a baby in a few weeks. She's in the family way now. "

All of them become happy again.

"Congratulations(祝贺)!" they say to Mrs and Mr Brown. They enjoy the nice food and have a good time that evening.

1. Why don’t foreign people like the number 13?

2. Does Jack like the number 13?

3. Where does Jack ask his friends to sit?

4. How many people are there in fact(实际上), thirteen or fourteen?

5. Why are they happy again?