Christmas in the United States is traditionally a time of gift-giving and family gatherings. But small towns across the country have their own traditions.
Middleburg, a small town in the state of Virginia, is known for its horses. For more than 50 years, Middleburg has organized a yearly Christmas parade. Men and women ride horses through the woods and fields. They follow hunting dogs as they search for a wild fox. But first, these hunters ride in the yearly parade, wearing their bright red hunting clothes and hats.
John Hale, a citizen of Middleburg says many city people visit his town. “We have a lot of people from an urban area that come to visit, but it incorporates a lot of the old traditions.” The night-time hayride is one such tradition. Small groups gather under the moonlight on an open wagon (四轮马车) filled with hay (干草). The passengers sing as farm horses pull the wagon slowly across the fields.
There are some newer traditions, too. Trey Matheu works at the nearby Salamander Resort. He says a visit to Middleburg is a chance to slow down for a day. He says Middleburg can be a calming, peaceful place without tension.
“Middleburg is an opportunity to take a step back, to take a deep breath, and understand that even though life is moving on at a very fast pace, there’s really an opportunity where you’re allowed to step off for a little bit.”
Parade organizers say more than 13,000 people attend even in below freezing weather. But if you ask, you will hear many different reasons why people come to watch the parade:
“I come here because I’m from a small town. I like how everybody comes together.”
“I live right down that street, right there. And that’s my dog.”
Middleburg looks its best at Christmastime. That may be why so many people return each year.
1.At Christmas, people in Middleburg usually ________.
A.visit friends and families B.ride in the annual parade
C.feed farm horses with hay D.hunt for dogs in the woods
2.According to Trey Matheu, why do people visit Middleburg?
A.To enjoy the fresh air. B.To escape competition.
C.To relax themselves. D.To challenge themselves.
3.What do we know about the small town Middleburg?
A.It attracts many people each year. B.It makes a large money from tourism.
C.It doesn’t respect Christmas traditions. D.It is a good place for family gatherings.
4.Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
A.Middleburg’s Christmas Parade B.A Small Town Known for Horses
C.Newer Traditions at Christmastime D.Christmas Traditions in Middleburg
This summer there is plenty to keep you all busy from free movies at Regal Mayfaire stadium to free theater performance.
Free Movies
Free movies will be shown on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8 a.m. at Regal Mayfaire stadium from June 14 to Aug 11. Call 9102563425 for more information.
Free Admission to Hundreds of Museums
This Saturday, July 25, hundreds of US museums are admission-free for the Smithsonian’s annual Museum Day.
Unlike previous Museum Day celebrations, you must sign up for a free ticket that allows two people to any of the participating museums. That means filling out a form and having the ticket emailed to you. Not bad for a free offer that will give you admission to museums such as the Adler Planetarium and the Air & Space Museum in Downtown Wilmington. Please see the website for the list of collections: http://www.mec.com.
Downtown Wilmington Concert
Downtown Sundown Concert Series will take place every Friday at 6 p.m. from June 16 to Aug.15. See the following link for a list of bands: http://www.wilmingtondowntown.com. Local performers will be performing “Much Ado about Nothing” at the newly built Greenfield Lake Amphitheater. All shows are free to the public.
Free Night of Theater
It’s the yearly run of the Free Night of Theater, when hundreds of theaters in 120 US cities give away thousands of tickets to local productions.
While the opening date is June 15, many of the theaters start giving away their free tickets by Oct. 1 or in waves during the month of June for performance dates throughout the month. Ticket seekers are limited to two tickets for one performance.
Find your city on the Free Night of Theater website (http://www.retheater.com) and check the listings for performances, their dates and their ticket giveaway times and locations.
1.You can go to watch a free movie on ________.
A.A Monday in June B.A Thursday in July
C.A Sunday in September D.A Wednesday in November
2.How can people get a free ticket to the Museums?
A.By getting the ticket in the participating museums.
B.By downloading and printing out a form by yourself.
C.By signing up and paying for the ticket on the website.
D.By filling out a form and having the ticket emailed to you.
3.Which of the following shows the similarity between Museum Day and Free Night of Theater?
A.They take place once a year. B.They last for the same length of time.
C.The tickets can be used in any US city. D.Their opening dates are the same.
阅读下面短文，根据所给情节进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。
When I was 9 years old, I used to cut grass for Mrs. Long. The elderly lady paid me very little, for she hadn’t much money. But she did promise me, “When Christmas comes, I shall have a present for you.” I spent much time wondering what it would be. The boys I played with had baseball gloves and bicycles and ice skates, and I was so eager to acquire any one of these that I convinced myself that Mrs. Long intended choosing from among them.
“It would hardly be a baseball glove,”I reasoned with myself. “A woman like Mrs. Long wouldn’t know much about baseball.” Since she was old and weak, I also ruled out the bicycle, for how could she handle such a large item.
On my last Saturday at work, Mrs. Long said, “At Christmas you come to the door and collect the present. “ These words clinched(确定)my guess. Since she was going to have the present in her house and handle it herself, unquestionably she was giving me a pair of ice skates.
I became so convinced of this that I could imagine myself upon the skates and the excitement they brought me. As the cold days of November arrived and ice began to form on the ponds, I began to try my luck on the ice. “ Get away from that ice! “ a man shouted. “ It’s not strong enough yet.”
As Christmas approached, it was with difficulty that I restrained (抑制) myself from reporting to Mrs. Long and demanding my present. On the 21st of December, icy weather froze all the ponds so that boys who already had ice skates were able to use them. My longing to possess mine became overpowering.
So the next day I could control myself no longer and presented myself at Mrs. Long’s door. “I’ve been waiting for you,” she said with a smile.
注意:
1. 所续写的短文词数应为150左右；
2. 应使用5个以上短文中标有下划线的关键词语；
3. 续写部分分为两段，每段开头语已为你写好；
4. 续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。
Paragraph 1:
She set me in a chair and handed a package to me.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:
On Christmas morning, I could not wait to open the package.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
假如你是李华，关注到这样一则报道:由于温度升高，无处觅食的北极熊入侵俄罗斯北部村庄。请你就环境恶化问题，用英语给联合国环境规划署写一封电子邮件。内容包括:
1. 表示震惊。
2. 表达担忧。
3. 呼吁采取行动。
注意:
1. 词数80左右；
2. 开头和结尾均已给出(不计入总词数)；
3. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing to you about hungry polar bears invading a northern village in Russia for food.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Best wishes for you.
Yours,
Li Hua
阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容(一个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式。请将答案填写在文后指定位置。
CPR is an effective form of first aid 1. (give) to the victim whose heart stops. Doing it can increase the chance of the victim’s 2. (survive). So knowing CPR can be a real lifesaver.
How to give CPR? There are 3. (simple) three steps. Firstly, roll the victim onto his back and do chest compression ( 按压). 4. this way, it keeps blood flowing to the brain, heart and other organs. To perform the compression, place one hand over 5. other and press firmly on the victim’s chest many times in a row, 6. (push)at least 2 inches deep on every compression. Then after compressions 7.(complete), check the air way 8. (see)whether the person is breathing. If not, perform mouth-to-mouth rescue breathing, 9.helps to move the oxygen down into the victim’s lung. And chest compression should start again right after the two breaths are given.
Learn CPR, for you never know when you might need 10.. And it feels good to know that you could help in case of emergency.
I met my art teacher Ms. J in the seventh grade and she changed me.
In her first class, she encouraged us to ____ what art meant. During discussion on facial structure and paintings, she _____ the “golden ratio (黄金比例)”, a beauty standard and explained how Davinci applied it to his works to ensure they were visually ____.
I couldn’t help but think if my ______ had been measured against the “golden ratio,” my score would have been _____
I was born with a facial disfigurement( 缺陷)and my face looked ____. After regular appointments with_____, my face was changed many times with little improvement. I _____seeing myself in the mirror.
People’s strange tones, curious expressions kept telling me that I was ____ . Worse still, my photo appeared in a magazine with big letter “Face similar to work of Picasso” right below. I felt ____
I told Ms. J about my ____ and how my face was compared to Picasso’s painting.
“Art isn’t about what you see but about what you ____.” She comforted me and told me that our ____ appearances were our signatures that we left in the world, which set us ____ and made us beautiful. And then she showed me a picture of an old man with long white hair. “You see, Davinci doesn’t look too pretty, but his works ____ beauty on us.” she added.
I was struck by her words, and I wondered ____ I had never thought this way.
“ Being compared to Picasso may seem like a shame, but it’s a(n) _____.You are unique and you are a masterpiece.”
Today, when I look ____ the mirror, I will remember the words of my teacher, “beauty is subjective” and I get to know my appearance is my ____.
It takes me years to____that beauty is more than a cold calculation.
1.A.record B.like C.explore D.ignore
2.A.invented B.introduced C.questioned D.drew
3.A.attractive B.tolerant C.boring D.acceptable
4.A.weight B.head C.height D.face
5.A.low B.common C.satisfying D.strange
6.A.normal B.frightening C.pale D.amusing
7.A.doctors B.artists C.teachers D.actors
8.A.enjoyed B.imagined C.kept D.hated
9.A.dangerous B.old C.different D.fragile
10.A.nervous B.ashamed C.puzzled D.peaceful
11.A.sufferings B.dreams C.choices D.risks
12.A.paint B.plan C.hear D.feel
13.A.pretty B.ordinary C.unique D.ugly
14.A.down B.apart C.aside D.back
15.A.loaded B.focused C.based D.impressed
16.A.how B.when C.why D.where
17.A.honor B.victory C.relief D.excuse
18.A.through B.into C.for D.after
19.A.chance B.stress C.art D.pain
20.A.forget B.complain C.observe D.realize
