In Britain.Boxing Day is usually celebrated on December 26th, which is the following day after Christmas Day.However, strictly speaking.Boxing Day is the first weekday after Christmas.Like Christmas Day.Boxing Day sing a public holiday.This means it’s a non﹣working day in the whole of Britain.When Boxing Day falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the following Monday is the public holiday.
The exact origin（起源）of the holiday is unclear.One of the thoughts is that during the Middle Ages, when great sailing ships were setting off to discover new land, a Christmas Box was placed by a priest（神父）on each ship.Those sailors who wanted to ensure a safe return would drop money into the box.It was sealed up and kept on board until the ship came home safely.Then the box was handed over to the priest in the exchange for the saying of a Mass of thanks for the success of the sailing.The priest wouldn’t open it to share the contents with the poor until Christmas.
One more thought is about the “Alms Box” placed in every church on Christmas Day.Worshippers （做礼拜的人）put gifts for the poor into it.These boxes were always opened the day after Christmas, that is why that day became known as Boxing Day.
Today, many businesses, organizations and families try to keep the traditional spirit of Boxing Day alive by donating their time, services and money to aid Food Banks, providing gifts for the poor, or helping families in need.Besides, spending time with family and shopping are popular Boxing Day activities now.
1.If Christmas Day is on a Saturday, Boxing Day will be celebrated on________.
A.December 24th B.December 25th
C.December 26th D.December 27th
2.Sailors dropped money into the Christmas Box in order to________.
A.pray for sailing safely B.pay for the priest
C.discover new land D.save the poor
3.The following activities can show the traditional spirit of Boxing Day EXCEPT________.
A.offering gifts to the poor B.spending time with family
C.supporting families in need D.giving money to aid Food Banks
4.The purpose of the passage is________.
A.to praise the kindness of priests B.to call on people to help the poor
C.to introduce the origins of Boxing Day D.to compare Boxing Day with Christmas Day.
A city without cars would be very strange, right? But Venice is such a city.
Venice is in the northeast of Italy. It wasn't built on land, like Beijing or Shanghai, but on more than 110 islands.Seawater is everywhere around the city.
Even so, travel isn't difficult. The waterways have always been the best way to get around. There are 117 waterways and more than 400 bridges that can guide you where you want to go.People in Venice move from place to place by boat.
Water makes the city special, but it is also a big problem. Sometimes tourists will have such strange experiences. One moment they walk across the Rialto Bridge, and there’s nothing special. But when they come back to the bridge an hour later, it’s underwater and everyone is wearing rain shoes.
Once, people used too much underground water. This made the city get lower little by little. Now the city has gone down by 23 centimeters. Another problem is the rising seawater. The temperature has risen over the years. This has made the ice of the Arctic Ocean melt. Every year, high waters hit the city in autumn and winter. When a lot of water comes, more than half of the city is underwater.
Scientists are trying different ways to stop the city from getting even lower. The Italian government has asked some of Italy’s biggest companies to build the MOST project, which was planned to be build under the seawater to stop the rising water. Anyway, this project is helping solve the problem.
1.Which is the best way to travel in Venice?
A.400 bridges. B.Taxis and cars. C.The waterways. D.Boats and rain shoes.
2.What doesn’t cause Venice to get lower and lower?
A.The ice of the Arctic Ocean melt. B.Seawater is everywhere around the city.
C.People used too much underground water. D.The temperature has become higher over the years.
3.What can we infer from the last passage?
A.Venice is sure to stop getting lower. B.High waters won’t hit Venice any more.
C.Scientists can solve the problems easily D.Some possible ways help to solve the problem.
4.What’s the best title of this passage?
A.The Specials and Problems of Venice B.The History of Venice.
C.The Places of Interest of Venice D.The MOST Project of Venice.
How are you getting on with your study? Maybe you are the best in your class. In the last few exams one or two even several classmates have got higher marks than you. How do you feel? Are you jealous of them? Are you grateful to them? Please think it over after reading the following text. You will probably learn a lot.
Once a zoologist worked on antelopes (羚羊) which were living on both sides of a river in the Republic of South Africa. He discovered that the antelopes on the east side multiplied (繁殖) more quickly and ran faster than those on the west.
The zoologist was puzzled after long thought about the difference. As two groups of antelopes lived in the same environment and they fed on the same kind of grass.
One year, with the help of the Animal Protecting Society, he caught ten antelopes on each side and exchanged them. A year later, the ten antelopes sent to the west bank multiplied by fourteen while only three of the ones sent to the east remained. Where are the other seven? They had been eaten by wolves!
At last the zoologist understood why the antelopes on the east were stronger. That was because on the east side there were living a group of wolves ---their natural enemy!
Now everything is plain sailing in your life. It's your opponents (对手) that you are improving indeed, so thanks must go to your opponents. It's a true!
1.The zoologist was puzzled when he found________.
A.the antelopes on the west side multiplied more than those on the east.
B.the antelopes on the east side ran faster than those on the west.
C.the two groups of antelopes lived in the same environment.
D.the two groups of antelopes fed on the same kind of grass.
2.What does the underlined word “jealous” mean in the passage?
A.害怕的 B.生气的 C.嫉妒的 D.憎恨的
3.What is the passage mainly about?
A.Antelopes should be raised on the same side of the river. B.Antelopes should be raised with wolves.
C.We should learn from the zoologist. D.We should be grateful to our opponents.
Zhang Tao是你的新同学, 介绍一下他过去的生活。可根据内容适当增添。要求60个字以上
. . . was born. . . | Beijing, 2003 |
. . . his first school. . . | No.3 Primary School |
He was. . . | nice, good |
. . . his first teacher. . . . . . his first friend. . . | Miss Li, strict Zhang Meng, good |
. . . his favorite sport. . . | swimming |
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
判断正误：A表示正确，B表示错误
Dear Lily,
My town is very small. Only a few hundred people live here. It has a river with an old bridge across it. There is a church and a school. They are next to each other. On main street there is a hotel, a supermarket, a gas station, a bakery, a butcher’s shop and a grocery store.
We don’t have a hospital or a police station, but we have a doctor and a police officer. They live on the other side of the river.
We don’t have a movie theater, but we can rent videos in the supermarket. If we want to go to a movie theater, we have to go to the next town. It is a 30-minute bus ride away. The bus stop is outside my house. I go to the movies with my mom every Saturday.
Best wishes and please write back soon.
Yours,
Alice
1.The hotel is next to the church.
2.The town doesn’t have a movie theater or a hospital.
3.The doctor and the police officer live on the other side of the river.
4.Alice can rent videos at the movie theater.
5.If Alice wants to go to the next town, she needs to take a bus.
Some students are talking about the schools in the future.
Cathy: Students will use computers and e-textbooks. E-textbooks will be like a disk (磁盘). So students won't need to carry lots of heavy bags. They will only carry a few disks to school.
Eric: We won't need to buy new dictionaries, because the school will buy some software (软件). There will be lots of e-dictionaries in them. Those will be enough for school.
Linda: Everything will be on the computers and students will not need to study in school. We will learn on computers at home.
Tony: In the future, we will have robot teachers. They will check homework on computers.
1.________ thinks students will not go to school in the future.
A.Cathy B.Tony C.Linda D.Eric
2.Tony thinks that ________ will check homework on computers.
A.e-textbooks B.e-dictionaries C.parents D.robot teachers
3.They all think ________ will become very important for the schools in the future.
A.computers B.disks C.e-textbooks D.robots
4.Which one is NOT mentioned (提到) in the passage?
A.Students will not have PE lessons. B.Schools will use software.
C.Students will only take a few disks to school. D..Students will learn on computers at home.
5.What's the best title for this passage?
A.The Future Books B.The Schools in the Future
C.No Homework in the Future D.You Won't Go to School in the Future
