Almost all cultures celebrate the end of one year and the beginning of another in some way. Different cultures celebrate the beginning of a new year in different ways, and at different times on the calendar.
In Western countries, people usually celebrate New Year at midnight on January 1st. People may go to parties, dress in formal clothes -- like tuxedos (小礼服) and evening gowns, and drink champagne at midnight. During the first minutes of the New Year, people cheer and wish each other happiness for the year ahead. But some cultures prefer to celebrate the New Year by waking up early to watch the sun rise. They welcome the New Year with the first light of the sunrise.
It is also a common Western custom to make a New Year’s promise, called a resolution. New Year’s resolutions usually include promises to try something new or change a bad habit in the new year.
Many cultures also do special things to get rid of bad luck at the beginning of a new year. For example, in Ecuador, families make a big doll from old clothes. The doll is filled with old newspapers and firecrackers. At midnight, these dolls are burned to show the bad things from the past year are gone and the new year can start afresh (again). Other common traditions to keep away bad luck in a new year include throwing things into rivers or the ocean, or saying special things on the first day of the new year.
Other New Year traditions are followed to bring good luck is to eat grapes on New Year’s Day. The more grapes a person eats, the more good luck the person will have in the year. In France, people eat pancakes for good luck at New Year. In the United States, some people eat black-eyed peas (豇豆) for good luck -- but to get good luck for a whole year you have to eat 365 of them!
1.Which culture celebrates New Year in the morning?
A．The United States. B．Spain.
C．France. D．The passage doesn’t say.
2.What is a resolution?
A．Something you burn. B．Something you eat.
C．Something you say. D．Something you wear.
3.What is the topic of the fourth paragraph?
A．Bringing good luck. B．Keeping away bad luck.
C．Planning for the next year. D．Remembering the past.
4.Which is probably true about eating black-eyed peas on New Year?
A．Black-eyed peas taste bad.
B．One pea brings one day of luck.
C．The peas are very difficult to cook.
D．It is bad luck to eat a lot of black-eyed peas.
I have a friend named Monty Roberts who owns a horse ranch in San Ysidro. He has let me use his house to put on fund-raising events to raise money for youth at risk programs．
The last time I was there he introduced me by saying, "I want to tell you why I let Jack use my house.” It all goes back to a story about a young man who was the son of a horse trainer who would go from stable to stable, race track to race track, farm to farm and ranch to ranch, training horses. As a result, the boy's high school career was continually interrupted. When he was a senior, he was asked to write a paper about what he wanted to be and do when he grew up.”
That night he wrote a seven-page paper describing his goal of someday owning a horse ranch．He wrote about his dream in great detail and he even drew a diagram of a 200-acre ranch, showing the location of all the buildings, the stables and the track. Then he drew a detailed floor plan for a 4,000-square-foot house that would sit on a 200-acre dream ranch．”
He put a great deal of his heart into the project and the next day he handed it in to his teacher. Two days later he received his paper back. On the front page was a large red F with a note that read, "See me after class.”
1.Why can the writer use Roberts's house to raise money for youth at risk programs?
A. Because they are good friends.
B .Because Monty Roberts has a poor childhood.
C. Because Monty Roberts like to help youth．
D. Because the youth has the same dream as Montv Roberts.
2.What do you think of Monty Koberts' goal of a horse ranch at that time?
A. dream B. romantic C. real D. false
3.What would happen after the teacher gave a note "See me after class.”?
A. Monty Roberts got very angry at this.
B. The teacher would criticize him.
C. The teacher wanted to tell him that his dream would come true．
D. The teacher would encourage him.
完形填空：（30分）
One morning all the employees reached the office as usual. And on the wall they saw a big 36 on which it was written：Yesterday, the person who has been 37 your growth in this company passed 38 . We invite you to join the funeral prepared in the 39 .
In the beginning，they all got 40 for the death of one of their colleagues. 41 after a while they started getting 42 to know who was the man that limited the growth of his colleagues and the company itself.
The 43 in the gym was such that security agents(保安)were 44 to control the crowd within the room. The more people reached the coffin, the more the excitement 45 up. Everyone whispered to each other:“ 46 on earth is this guy?”
One by one the excited employees got closer to the coffin, and when they 47 inside it, they 48 became speechless. They stood nearby the coffin, shocked and in 49 , as if someone had 50 the deepest part of their soul.
There was a 51 inside the coffin；everyone who looked inside it could see himself, There was also a sign next to the mirror that 52 : there is only one person who is 53 to set limits to your growth：IT IS 54 !!!!!! Your life doesn’t change when everyone around you changes. Your life changes when YOU change，when you go beyond your limiting beliefs inside. Don’t be afraid of 55 ；build yourself and your reality. It’s the way you face life itself that makes the difference!
1. A. card B. post C. sign D. 1etter
2.A. encouraging B. helping C. building D. limiting
3.A. on B. by C. away D. down
4.A. office B. gym C. way D. meeting room
5.A. sad B. excited C. afraid D. calm
6.A. And B. But C. Or D. So
7.A. ready B. pleased C. curious D. serious
8.A. surprise B. anger C. excitement D. sadness
9.A. admitted B. forced C. forbidden D. ordered
10.A. heated B. woke C. turned D. kept
11.A. Where B. What C. How D. Who
12.A. walked B. looked C. got D. turned
13.A. suddenly B. gradually C. merely D. extremely
14.A. sorrow B. order C. silence D. person
15.A. stolen B. touched C. attacked D. seen
16.A. 1etter B. book C. mirror D. appeared
17.A. wrote B. read C. showed D. reflected
18.A. sure B. eager C. afraid D. able
19.A. YOU B. ME C. HE D. ITSELF
20.A. punishment B. praises C. changes D. blame
Is there _____ in today’s paper?
A. important something B. important anything
C. something important D. anything important
How long did it them to go there by bus?
A. pay B. take C. spend D. keep
As a result of heavy snow，the highway has been closed up until further_______.
A. news B. knowledge C. notice D. message
