5 Holiday Gifts
By Liz Kennedy and Janice Lieberman
Your family’s life story in print? Priceless. An appetizer（开胃品）plate that holds a wine glass？Genius. Read on to see our picks for the best holiday gifts on the Web—all available at bargain prices.
For Your Family
Share your life story with your kids and grandkids. Record your answers to 500 questions, from“What was your engagement proposal（求婚）like?” to “What is a typical family meal?” This hardcover book is a great way to store your life stories and pass them on for generations to come.
Story of a Lifetime: $70 ( 15%discount for 2 ) at www.redenvelope.com
For the Entertainer
Hold a party with ease with wooden appetizer plates that can be attached to your wine glass. No longer will you have your hands full holding a plate in one and a glass in the other. Instead, be a one-handed wonder at your next party!
Wooden Appetizer Plates: $40 ( 5%discount for 4 ) at www.homewetbar.com
For the Pet Lover
Ever wonder what your pet does when you’re out of the room? See the world through your dog’s eyes with Uncle Milton’s Pet Eye View Camera. This mini video camera clips onto your dog’s or cat’s collar to give you a glimpse into your pet’s secret life.
Eye View Camera: $60 ( 10%discount for 3) at www. babyage. com
For the Athlete
Find a new level of motivation with the Nike+iPod Sports Kit. Listen to your favorite music while Nike records how far you’ve run, how many calories you’ve burned, and your personal best times. Upload your data to the Nike website, and see the progress you’re making.
Nike+iPod Sports kit: $30 (5 %discount for 2) at www. store. nike. com
For the Nature Lover
A symbol of long life and memory, a Ginkgo Bilobatree is the perfect gift for your earth-conscious friends. The kit includes everything you need to grow a tree. After 10 to 12 years, your tree will stand about 20 feet tall.
Ginkgo Tree-to-Be with Personalized Tag: $50 (10 %discount for 3) at www. gifttree. com
1.How much would it cost to buy 3 Eye View Cameras and a Nike + IPod Sports Kit?
A. $208.50 B. $210.00 C. $192.00 D. $190.50
2.We can learn from the text that ____.
A. Liz Kennedy and Janice Lieberman are the writers of it
B. an Eye View Camera measures calories burned
C. You can give a nature-loving friend a Wooden Appetizer Plate
D. The book Story of a Lifetime helps you know more about your dog’s life
3.This text is probably a (n) ________.
A. description of new goods on the Internet
B. advertisement for certain goods on the Internet
C. report about a new store
D. introduction to popular products
The gray-haired lady can’t wait to leave the building to search for her dad. Unless watched, she will walk in the streets in an effort to find her father, who died 30 years ago.
Not all cases of Alzheimer’s disease look like this, but Alzheimer’s is a serious disease that is said to be the fourth or fifth leading cause of death for people over age 75.
It is said that about three percent of the U.S. population over age 65 have Alzheimer’s. In the early stages, people may exhibit short term memory loss. Some may experience changes in personality, easy to be angry. As the disease progresses, patients might lose the ability to move and may be unable to speak or move at all. This progressive disease generally lasts 8 to 10 years before death occurs.
While no one is certain what causes these changes in the brain's nerve fibers (神经纤维), their effect is certain. Alzheimer’s destroys not only the patients, but also spouses (配偶), friends and families.
What should you do if you notice progressive memory loss in yourself or a loved one? Have the person examined by a doctor who is a specialist in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Though many reasons other than Alzheimer’s disease may cause memory loss, its early diagnosis (诊断) and treatment may delay some of the most serious effects.
What feeling will you likely experience should a loved one suffer from Alzheimer’s disease? A person will often go through the various stages of sadness, shock, anger, and so on. If the spouse develops the disease, you may experience hurt and disappointment when he or she doesn't remember you are married.
Life for the Alzheimer’s patients and their loved ones will never be the same as the disease progresses, bringing a deep sorrow, loss and even anger towards God. No matter what feelings are present, facing them honestly will serve one better than burying them.
1.What can be inferred from the passage about the gray-haired lady?
A. She has been living with her father.
B. She was sad about the death of her father.
C. She can’t search for her father without being watched.
D. She suffers from Alzheimer’s disease.
2.When people suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, ________.
A. their families and friends will suffer from the same disease
B. their families and friends will experience mental sufferings
C. they will certainly die in 8 to 10 years
D. they will forget everybody but their spouses
3.Memory loss occurs ________.
A. from Alzheimer’s disease and nothing else
B. from sadness, shock, anger, and so on
C. for a number of reasons
D. with changes in personality
4.From the passage we know that ________.
A. early treatment may stop Alzheimer’s disease occurring
B. it is still unknown what causes the changes in the brain’s nerve fibers
C. nerve fibers in the brain will cause Alzheimer’s disease
D. when one suffers from Alzheimer’s disease, he will be buried
Whoever has made a voyage up the Hudson River must remember the Catskill Mountains. They are a branch of the great Appalachian family, and can be seen to the west rising up to a noble height and towering over the surrounding country. When the weather is fair and settled, they are clothed in blue and purple, and print their beautiful shapes on the clear evening sky, but sometimes when it is cloudless, gray steam gathers around the top of the mountains which, in the last rays of the setting sun, will shine and light up like a crown of glory(华丽的皇冠).
At the foot of these mountains, a traveler may see light smoke going up from a village.
In that village, and in one of the houses (which, to tell the exact truth, was sadly time-worn and weather-beaten), there lived many years ago, a simple, good-natured fellow by the name of Rip Van Winkle.
Rip’s great weakness was a natural dislike of all kinds of money-making labor. It could not be from lack of diligence, for he could sit all day on a wet rock and fish without saying a word, even though he was not encouraged by a single bite. He would carry a gun on his shoulder for hours, walking through woods and fields to shoot a few birds or squirrels. He would never refuse to help a neighbor, even in the roughest work. The women of the village, too, used to employ him to do such little jobs as their less helpful husbands would not do for them. In a word, Rip was ready to attend to everybody’s business but his own.
If left to himself, he would have whistled life away in perfect satisfaction; but his wife was always mad at him for his idleness(懒散). Morning, noon, and night, her tongue was endlessly going, so that he was forced to escape to the outside of the house—the only side which, in truth, belongs to a henpecked husband.
1.Which of the following best describes the Catskill Mountains?
A. They are on the west of the Hudson River.
B. They are very high and beautiful in this area.
C. They can be seen from the Appalachian family.
D. They gather beautiful clouds in blue and purple.
2.The hero of the story is probably ______.
A. hard-working and likes all kinds of work
B. idle and hates all kinds of jobs
C. simple, idle but very dutiful
D. gentle, helpful but a little idle
3.The underlined words “henpecked husband” in the last paragraph probably means a man who _______.
A. likes hunting B. is afraid of hens
C. loves his wife D. is afraid of his wife
4.What would be the best title for the text?
A. Catskill Mountains. B. A Mountain Village.
C. Rip Van Winkle. D. A Dutiful Husband.
Roger Rolls was the first black governor in the history of New York State, USA. He was born in one of New York’s notorious(臭名昭著) slums. The children born here rarely did decent work after they grew up. However, Roger Rolls was an exception, for he was not only admitted to the university, but also he became a governor. At his inaugural(就职的) press conference, a reporter asked him, “What made you become the governor?” Faced with more than 300 journalists, Rolls did not mention his struggle but only spoke of his primary school schoolmaster---Pierre Paul.
In 1961, Pierre Paul was engaged as the director and principle of Nobita Primary School. When he entered this school, he found the children here didn’t cooperate with the teachers. Pierre thought up many ways to guide them, but none was effective. Later, he found these children were very superstitious(迷信的), so when he gave lectures, he added a program of palm reading as a means of fortune-telling, with which he encouraged the students.
When Rolls Jumped from the hathpace (高台) and walked to the platform with his small hands stretched out, Pierre Paul said, “As soon as I see your slender little fingers, I know you will be the governor of New York State in future.” At that moment, Rolls was shocked because only his grandmother inspired him once, saying that he could become the governor of New York State, so he remembered that remark and believed him.
From that day on, the “New York State Governor” was like a banner that constantly inspired him to study energetically and make progress. Rolls no longer stained his clothes with mud, nor did he speak in foul (污秽的) language. He began to straighten his back when he was walking. In the next more than 40 years, he demanded himself according to the identity of a governor. At the age of 51, he finally became the governor of New York State.
Put up a banner of faith for yourself and you will have the drive to struggle and the vitality of life.
1.In terms of Roger Rolls’ success, what did he mention made him become the governor of New York State?
A. That he was born in a poor family.
B. His strong belief and his hard struggle.
C. His great achievements in his university.
D. Pierre Paul’s and his grandmother’s encouragement.
2.We know from Para. 2 that ___________.
A. Pierre Paul was expert at palm reading
B. Nobita primary School was a key school in 1961
C. Pierre Paul had a unique way of guiding his students
D. at first students in Pierre Paul’s primary school obeyed school rules well
3.What was always in Roger Rolls’ mind then?
A. New York State Governor.
B. His slender little fingers.
C. His birthplace and identity.
D. The captain of a five-ton ship.
4.Which of the following is NOT true of Rolls after he heard Paul’s remark?
A. He didn’t speak in foul language.
B. He kept his back straight while walking.
C. He studied energetically and made progress.
D. He ignored his stained clothes and only worked hard.
书面表达
假如你是李华。最近，你校英文报面向全体学生招聘英语记者。请根据以下要点提示，给校报负责人Mr. Smith 用英语写一封自荐信。
要点：1. 个人情况
2.英语能力
3. 组织沟通能力
注意：1. 词数100左右。
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
3. 开头和结尾已经写好，不计入总次数。
短文改错
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1.每处错误及其修改均限一词。
2.只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
Dear Diary,
Here I am in the middle of a city, 350 miles far away from our farmhouse. Do you want to know why we move last week? Dad lost his job, and as Mom explained, “ He was lucky to find other one.” His new job meant I had to say goodbye to my classmate , my school or just everything else I love in the world. To make matters bad, now I have to share a room with my younger sister, Maggie. Tomorrow is first day of school. I am awfully tiring, but I know I will never fall sleep.
Good night and remember, you, dear diary, is my only souvenir from my past life and my only friend.
Yours,
Rosemary
