One of the traditions which is now a necessary part of Christmas is that of Father Christmas, or Santa Claus. According to the modern legend, he is a magical figure who visits all the children of the world during the night before Christmas Day, leaving presents which they find the next morning. He flies through the night sky in a sledge pulled by reindeer, and enters houses by climbing down chimneys. This strange legend is based on the life of a man called Nicholas, but in fact we know very little about him. Historians think he was a Christian bishop(主教) in Turkey in about 285－350 A. D. One of the stories about him is that he helped three poor girls. No one would marry them because they were so poor. To provide them with money for their weddings, Nicholas secretly dropped some gold coins down the chimney of their house. After Nicholas died, he was made a saint(圣人) by the church. (The name Santa Claus thus comes from St Nicholas.) His feast day was celebrated in December, and parents started giving their children secret presents from St Nicholas. Over the years, this custom became part of our Christmas traditions.
Recently, a psychologist has claimed that Father Christmas is “the perfect fantasy” for children. According to Professor Anthony Clare, children love the character of Father Christmas because he is like an ideal father: he loves children and gives them presents, but he never criticizes them, is never angry, and children do not even need to thank him for the presents. Other writers, however, point out that Father Christmas can be a frightening character to some children. Jane Bidder says that some children are terrified of this fat, bearded old man. It can certainly confuse many children. As parents, we warn our children to be careful of strangers and never to let them into the house, and yet we tell children that a strange man will come into their bedroom at night! Some children can become very worried about this idea and fear that he is a kind of burglar.
Most children, however, understand from their parents and from the media that Father Christmas is basically a benign character, and look forward to his annual visit with joy and excitement.
46. The main point of the first paragraph is that ________.
A. Father Christmas is an important part of Christmas
B. the tradition of Father Christmas is a modern idea
C. Father Christmas is a magical figure who can fly
D. the legends about Father Christmas are not true
47. The writer mentions details such as Father Christmas’s sledge, the reindeer and the way he climbs down chimneys because he/she ____________.
A. wants to make it clear that these things are impossible
B. is describing the history of St Nicholas
C. wants everyone to believe that Father Christmas is real
D. is explaining the modern legend of Father Christmas
48. Why does the writer mention the story about St Nicholas helping three poor girls?
A. It shows us that historians know very little about him.
B. This story explains why parents give secret presents to children.
C. It supports the writer’s main point that Father Christmas is based on an untrue story.
D. This story explains why we celebrate Christmas in December.
49. In the last paragraph, the word “benign”means _________.
A. religious B. friendly
C. frightening D. unreal
50. The best title for this passage would be __________.
A. Is Father Christmas Dangerous? B. The True History of St Nicholas
C. The Legend of Santa Claus D. The Traditions of Christmas
第二部分 阅读（共两节，满分80分）
第一节：阅读理解（共35小题；每小题2分，满分70分）
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从21~55各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C、D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
It has long been known the ancient Egyptian rulers, or pharaohs, were buried with great ceremony and lavish treasures that were to be used in the other world.
Unfortunately, until 1922 no remains of any of the pharaohs or their treasures had ever been found. In that year, however, an archaeologist named Howard Carter and his sponsor, Lord Carnavon, were at last successful. They found the tomb of King Tutankhamen, who was buried 3,200 years ago. King Tut’s tomb was the first fully preserved burial site to be uncovered in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings. The two men found the tomb to contain wonderful treasures. Gold figures and magnificent furniture decorated with gold were found in the myriad of secret rooms and tunnels within the pyramid.
The only disappointment for Howard Carter came when he found that King Tut’s body was nothing but dust. Apparently a mistake had been made when the king’s remains were mummified (使成木乃伊). Carter did, however, find 143 pieces of jewelry within the mummy case, mostly made of gold and precious stones.
Actually, despite all the publicity about the remarkable finds in his tomb, Tutankhamen’s reign (统治时期) as pharaoh was short and relatively uneventful. He died when he was just 18 years old.
There is an interesting story that goes along with King Tut’s tomb. According to legend, a powerful curse was placed in it. This curse was to descend on anyone uncovering Tutankhamen’s burial place. Not very long after the discovery, Lord Carnavon, along with several of the workmen, died suddenly.
1．The subject of this passage is .
A．the Valley of the Kings B．the discovery of King Tut’s tomb
C．King Tut’s accomplishments D．Howard Carter, archaeologist
2．Which statement is true according to this article?
A．Not until King Tut’s tomb was found did people realize that Egyptian pharaohs
were buried with great ceremony and lavish treasures.
B．The first grand burial site of the ancient Egyptian rulers was built 3,200 years ago.
C．Historically, Tutankhamen’s reign was not very much important.
D．The writer feels it a pity that Lord Carnavon and several of the workmen died
because of the curse.
3．It seems clear that King Tut .
A．was a great military leader B．thought a great deal of himself
C．was afraid of dying D．was killed by his enemies
4．If you have a myriad of something, you have .
A．many B．some C．few D．several
5．Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
A．King Tut’s Tomb B．The Egyptian Tombs and Treasures
C．King Tut’s body D．The First Pharaoh’s Treasures
完形填空（2） 阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从11~20各题所给的A、B、C和D项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卷上将该项涂黑。
So you have been called for an interview — well done! Your effort has 11 . You will feel better at the interview if you show an understanding of the 12 of the organization.
Carelessness could 13 you the job. Arrive at least 15 minutes before time. This will give you a chance to look around, read the notice board and get the 14 of the place. Lateness at interviews creates a bad impression. The first impression the interviewer gets 15 you is formed as you walk through the door, so take a couple of deep breaths.
Don’t take a seat until asked. Make eye contact when you are 16 and again if you shake hands and during questioning. Eye contact opens up the communication channel.
Be ready for the question “Is there anything you want to ask?” Before the interview you should get ready for two or three such questions. Look on these not just as a 17 to get information but as a means to 18 your prospects in the employer’s estimation. Asking can show 19 and avoid asking about holidays, pension and so on. It looks as if you are tired even before you begin.
And if you fail, look upon the interview as a (an) 20 in itself.
11．A．paid off B．paid back C．come out D．come true
|
12．A．nature B．character C．business D．structure
13．A．give B．leave C．cost D．take
14．A．feel B．sense C．feeling D．impression
15．A．on B．from C．with D．of
16．A．asked B．questioned C．greeted D．permitted
17．A．right B．channel C．chance D．path
18．A．make B．increase C．help D．improve
19．A．knowledge B．ability C．information D．thoughts
20．A．lesson B．feeling C．experience D．suffering
第三部分读写任务(共l小题，满分25分)
阅读下面的短文，然后按照要求写一篇150词左右的英语短文。
Years ago it was very difficult to travel from one place to another. The journeys were often long, tiring and dangerous. Today the picture has changed. Science has improved transportation and communication facilities a great deal. Traveling has become safer, more enjoyable and above all, more economical.
Traveling — whether within one’s country or abroad — brings many invaluable benefits. People travel for pleasure, business or for education and knowledge. In the world of yesterday most people were only able to read about strange and fascinating places across the mountains and seas. Later, with the coming of the cinema and television, man’s curiosity about faraway places with strange sounding names was further stirred up. Today man’s curiosity can be satisfied in luxurious comfort. There are first-class ships and airplanes to take him where his dreams lie.
We travel to increase our knowledge of the world in which we live. Knowledge obtained from books alone is not enough. New knowledge of different land and peoples enriches our mind and soul. Books generally do not give us a very true picture of lands beyond our shores. Some of them are even misleading.
[写作内容]
1. 以约30个词概括短文的要点；
2. 然后以约120个词就“交通的发展给我们带来什么”这个主题发表你的看法，并包括以下要点： 1) 简述从古到今交通方式的变化； 2) 现代交通给我们带来的好处， 如快捷性、舒适性、经济性及帮助我们扩大视野等；
3) 现代交通给我们带来的一些负面影响； 4) 你如何评价现代交通？
[写作要求]
1.可以使用实例或其它论述方法支持你的论点，也可以参照阅读材料的内容，但不得直接引用原文中的句子；2. 标题自定；3. 答案请写在答题卷的相应位置上。
[评分标准] 概括准确，语言规范，内容合适，篇章连贯。
What Does Modern Transportation Bring Us?
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A small dog should be belly-up after eating a handful M＆M’s, at least according to conventional wisdom. But watching “Moose”, a friend’s five-pound Chihuahua, race around a living room after his sweet snack makes one wonder: Is chocolate truly poisonous to dogs?
Dogs and humans have similar tastes. But unlike humans, our companions experience dangerous effects from eating chocolate — it can poison them and in some cases is fatal. Chocolate’s danger to dogs depends on its quality.
Chocolate is processed from the bitter seeds of the cocoa tree, which contain a family of compounds known as methylxanthines（一种衍生物）. This class of substances includes caffeine and the related chemical theobromine(可可碱). Chocolate contains a significant amount of theobromine and smaller amounts of caffeine. These chemicals can cause a dog’s heart to race up to twice its normal rate, and some dogs may run around as if “they drank a gallon of espresso,” according to Hackett.
Dogs are capable of handling some chocolate, but it depends on the animal’s weight and the type of chocolate it eats. Unsweetened baking chocolate contains more than six times as much theobromine as milk chocolate, although amounts vary between cocoa beans as well as different brands of chocolate. Less than four ounces of milk chocolate is potentially fatal for Moose and other small dogs.
Around every confection-centered holiday — Valentine’s Day, Easter and Christmas — at least three or four dogs are hospitalized overnight in the animal medical center at Colorado State. But in 16 years, Hackett has seen just one dog die from chocolate poisoning, and he suspects it may have had an underlying disease that made it more exposed to chocolate’s heart-racing effect.
1. The underlined expression “belly-up” probably means______.
A. dead B. poisonous C. running around D. having a headache
2. All of the following are true EXCEPT______.
A. chocolate’s danger to dogs depends on its quantity and quality
B. people buy lots of chocolate around Valentine’s Day
C. an ounce of unsweetened baking chocolate is safe for Moose
D. there must be some theobromine or caffeine in espresso
3. What can we learn about Hackett?
A. He is an animal doctor. B. He is a pet shop owner.
C. He is the owner of Moose D. He is a doctor in a small hospital.
4. It can be inferred from the passage that Hackett believes that__________.
A. chocolate is truly deadly to dogs
B. it’s OK to give chocolate to a big dog
C. pets are usually ignored around confection-centered holidays
D. a healthy dog probably could survive a chocolate poisoning
5. The passage is mainly about__________.
A. the poisoning of Moose
B. the compounds of different chocolates
C. a handful M＆M’s chocolate is poisonous
D. the relation between methylxanthines and chocolate poisoning
More than four out of five people admit to telling little white lies at least once a day and the preferred way of “being economical with the truth” is to use technology such as cell phones, texts and e-mails, a survey last Thursday said.
The research by UK pollsters 72 Point found that “techno-treachery(高科技说谎)” was wide-spread with nearly 75 percent of people saying gadgets made it easier to fib(撒小谎).
Just over half of respondents(被调查者) said using gadgets made them feel less guilty when telling a lie than doing it face to face.
The workplace was a favorite location for fibbing with 67 percent of the 1,487 respondents admitting they had lied at work.
The top lie was pretending to be ill (43 percent) followed by saying work had been completed when it hadn’t (23 percent). Worryingly for bosses 18 percent said they lied to hide a big mistake.
But, employers were not the only ones on the receiving end of dishonest statements. Just over 40 percent of the respondents said they had lied to their families or partners.
Key topics to lie about were: buying new clothes or the cost of them (37 percent), how good someone looked in something (35 percent), how much they had eaten (35 percent) and drunk (31 percent) and how much they weighed (32 percent).
1. The underlined phrase “being economical with the truth” probably means ________.
A. telling lies B. making apologies C. feeling guilty D.admitting mistakes
2. It can be inferred from the passage that ___________.
A. employers sometimes lie to their employees, too
B. 75% of people have ever lied to someone
C. without gadgets, people may feel more pressure when telling white lies
D. more people lie to their family than to their bosses
3. Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to the passage?
A. Cell phones make people more likely to lie.
B. Some people might lie to their bosses when they are not doing their work well.
C. 40% of employers admit that they have lied to their families or partners.
D. Nearly 1,500 people were questioned in the survey.
4. According to the passage, in which of the following situations are you most likely to lie?
A. You are going to spend the night at your friend’s, which your parents won’t allow.
B. Your friend is wearing a new dress and asks you how you find it.
C. You are a little too fat, and you’re trying to tell your friend how heavy you are.
D. You want to ask your boss for a sick leave, although you are not ill.
5. The main idea of the passage is that __________.
A. people are getting more likely to lie
B. gadgets are seen as the best way to tell white lies
C. most people tell white lies at the workplace
D. 18% of people lie to their bosses
