In Britain, it’s bottoms up from the week before Christmas till the last firework explodes in the sky announcing the new year. The last Friday before Christmas, popularly known as ‘Mad Friday’, is one of the busiest periods for the country’s pubs and clubs.
But it’s not just the bars that get busy. Ambulances and A&E departments around Britain get packed out too. Head injuries, cuts, falls…it’s easy to end up hurting yourself or others when self-control disappear and your head is spinning due to alcoho1 revelers have been warned by the health authorities about the dangers of deadly drinking but drinking crazily seems to be part of the festivities for some.
The charity Alcohol Concern is running a campaign of restriction by encouraging people to have a dry January.
Jackie Ballard, the charity’s Chief Executive, believes the campaign has been successful in recent years. She says, “More than two-thirds of people even six months later are drinking at reduced levels having had a month off drink. But also a study has shown the impact it has on people’s health reducing their blood pressure and blood sugar levels.”
The study by the University of Sussex followed up nearly 900 participants in Alcohol Concern’s Dry January campaign and found out that 72％of them had kept harmful drinking sessions down and 4％were still not drinking.
Moderation (适度) seems to be the key to everything. The official recommendation for women is not to regularly drink more than 2 to 3 units of alcohol a day. The limit for men is 3 to 4 units of alcohol — no more than a pint of 5.2％ABV lager, beer or cider.
1.The last Friday before Christmas is called ‘Mad Friday’ because _____.
A. people stay up too late
B. people go out and drink a lot
C. firework explodes in the sky
D. people go shopping madly
2.What is the second paragraph mainly about?
A. The atmosphere of the bars.
B. The effect of drinking too much.
C. The customs of the festivities.
D. The importance of the health authorities.
3.The result of dry January campaign is that _____.
A. many people stop drinking
B. people drink more than before
C. people’s blood pressure increases
D. people can improve their health
4.What is the official suggestion of drinking alcohol?
A. Women shouldn’t drink any alcohol.
B. People should stay away from alcohol.
C. Moderate alcohol drinking can be accepted.
D. Men may drink 3 to 4 units of alcohol at least.
Warley Woods Community (社区) Trust
Welcome to our third newsletter of the year!
Our main activity for March is our Walk for the Woods fundraising events on Saturday, 17th March, starting any time between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. We will be walking the distance between Warley Woods and Tipperary. It is indeed a long way — 80 miles. The more people that you can get sponsor you, the more money we can raise to help look after our beautiful woodland. More information is available at our website.
The Sunday volunteers planted two beeches and an oak last week. This was thanks to the money from the Big Tree Plant and to Lisa and Gordon Whitiker, whose friends gave money for the big trees instead of for their wedding presents. Thanks to everyone who took part.
There were 15 volunteers at the Oral History Training Day which was led very ably by Julia Letts. The group will be meeting again and will start to interview the local people who have offered to tell their stories. We are happy to hear from others who would like to be interviewed about their memories of the Woods for the project. If you or anyone you know is interested, please call Viv Cole at the office. This project is financed by Heritage Lottery Fund.
There was a huge response to the Forest Schools activities held at half term. These will be held again during the Easter holidays on the following dates: 4th April from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for over 8s. On 12th April form 10 a.m. to 12 noon, there will be a Teddy Bears’ Picnic for the under 8s. All these must be booked in advance.
Finally, don’t forget the Easter Egg Roll on Bank Holiday, 9th April, staring at 11 a.m. Bring your own hard-boiled and decorated egg to roll down the hill in the woods. The first past the finishing line will win a large chocolate egg! This year, due to popular demand, there will also be an Adults’ Easter Egg Roll following the children’s competition.
We look forward to seeing you all soon, at one of our many events.
1.Which of the following will be on 9th April?
A. Walk for the Woods
B. Teddy Bears’ Picnic
C. The Easter Egg Roll
D. The Oral History Training Day
2.Heritage Lottery Fund provides money to ______.
A. help look after the wood land
B. collect stories about the community
C. hold activities for the Forest Schools
D. organize the Easter holiday competition
3.The passage is written to ______.
A. inform people of the coming events
B. encourage people to work as volunteers
C. tell people about some famous organization
D. invite people to take part in the competition
A Special Appointment
Years ago I moved to Woodland Hills to take a job in a small hospital’s emergency department. No one wanted to work on Christmas Eve, so the shift (轮班) went to me. I kissed my family goodbye and went off to spend the night in the hospital. It was a thankless job.
At 9 pm, the ambulance brought in a man in his 60s who was having a heart attack. His face was pale, and he was frightened. The whole night I did my best to save his life. Before I left in the morning to spend Christmas with my family, I stopped by to see how he was doing. It was still tough, but he had survived the night and was sleeping.
The following year I got Christmas Eve duty again. At 9 pm sharp, the ward clerk told me there was a couple who wanted to speak with me. When I approached them, the man introduced himself as Mr. Lee and said, “You probably don’t remember me, but last Christmas Eve you saved my life. Thank you for the year you gave me.” He and his wife hugged me, handed me a small gift, and left.
The following year a new doctor had joined the group, but I wanted to see if Mr. and Mrs. Lee would return. This time, I volunteered for the shift. I kept an eye on the door. Once again, at exactly 9 pm, the Lees appeared, carrying a warmly wrapped bundle. It was their new grandchild. Mr. Lee, his family and I spent 13 Christmas Eves together. In the later years the staff all knew about the story and would work to give me time with him in the break room, where we spent a half-hour each Christmas Eve.
The last year I saw him, he brought me a gift. I carefully opened the package and found a crystal (水晶) bell inside. It was engraved (镌刻) with a single word: Friendship. Now, my family, friends and I ring that bell every Christmas Eve at exactly 9 pm and offer our best wishes to the man who we won’t forget.
1.Working on Christmas Eve was considered “a thankless job” because ______.
A. most patients were seriously ill
B. patients refused to express thanks
C. doctors had nothing to do on that day
D. doctors couldn’t get praise for the hard job
2.When the author left the hospital the next morning, Mr. Lee ______.
A. was still in a state of danger
B. was really angry with her
C. got ready to leave the hospital
D. recovered from his heart attack
3.According to the passage, the author formed a habit of ______.
A. celebrating Christmas Eve with her family
B. giving Christmas gifts to the hospital staff
C. spending Christmas Eve with Mr. Lee in hospital
D. ringing the bell for patients in the emergency department
4.Why does the author ring the bell on Christmas Eve?
A. To honor her working experience.
B. To tell kids the traditional custom.
C. To remember an old friend of hers.
D. To show the beginning of the holiday.
书面表达
假定你是高三学生李夏， 最近你听说你市英语俱乐部即将开张， 且将有2名在本市工作的外交参加。请你用英语给俱乐部负责人写一封信，了解一下该俱乐部的相关信息， 以便加入。要点如下：
1. 介绍自己学习英语的情况；
2. 咨询相关事宜（如入会条件、会费以及活动等）；
3. 表达自己想加入的愿望。
注意：
1. 词数100左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3. 结语已为你写好。
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。作文中共有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：在缺词处加一个漏子符号（∧）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仅限一词；
2.只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
Facebook managed to put its vast treasure trove(宝藏) of user data to good use before Friday’s tragic terror attacks in Paris. The social network customized its safety check feature let users know whether their friends and loved ones in Paris are safe.
Users in the area are being alerted(通知) by Facebook’s mobile apps, asked them whether they are safe, and offering to check on any of their friends. The app has also been sending out alerts to anyone who has friends in Paris, and Facebook’s website lets anyone check on the status and whereabouts(去向) of their friends as well as.
Most people have seen Facebook’s safety check for the first time today, and the company actually lanched it in respond to the Nepal earthquake earlier this year. At the time, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote: “When disasters happen, people need to know their loved ones are safe. It’s moments like this when being able to connect really matters.”
Facebook wasn’t the only tech company to direct reach out to its users in Paris after the terror attacks. AirBnB（空中食宿） sent its customers in Paris a email advising them staying in place and follow the directions from local authorities, and Uber（优步） used its app to advise users “not to move if absolutely necessary.”
阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。
At least 132 people were killed and 352 wounded in the 1. (dead) attacks, according to AFP. Out of the 352 2. (injure), 99 3. (say) to be in precarious condition.
Paris city hall official said gunmen systematically slaughtered nearly 100 people 4. (attend) a rock concert 5. the Bataclan music hall. Anti-terrorist commandos eventually launched an assault on the building, killed the gunmen and rescued dozens of shocked 6. (survive).
Some 40 7. people were killed in up to five other 8. (attack) in the Paris region, the city hall official said, including an apparent double suicide bombing outside the national stadium 9. Hollande and the German Foreign Minister were watching a friendly soccer international.
Paris Public Prosecutor Francois Molins said the overall death toll 10. (be) at least 127. Five assailants had been "neutralised".
