A holiday is any day when people lay aside their ordinary duties and cares. The word came from Old English. At first, holidays honored some holy events or persons. People in Great Britain and other countries speak of holidays as Americans speak of vacations.
Every nation has its special holidays. China observes New Year’s Day (January 1), May Day and National Day as legal holidays , as it was on Oct.1,1949 that the People’s Republic of China was founded. The Chinese have long celebrated the Chinese lunar year. In the United States, congress has declared several days as legal holidays such as New Year’s Day (January 1), Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday, Washington’s birthday, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day and so on. Some holidays celebrated special events in the development of a country, such as Greece’s Independence Day, Italy’s Liberation Day and India’s Independence Day.
In the United States, banks and schools usually close on a legal holiday. When such a holiday falls on Sunday, the following Monday is usually observed. Schools and organizations often observe days known as traditional holidays, although schools and business do not close then. Those holidays include Valentine’s Day and Halloween.
1.In the sentence “China observes New Year’s Day (January 1)’’, observe means ______
A. praises B. celebrates
C. spends D. cares
2.Which of the following holidays has nothing to do with a country’s development?
A. China’s National Day B. Independence Day
C. Italy’s liberation Day D. Valentine’s Day
3.If a legal holiday falls on Sunday in the USA, people usually celebrate on ______.
A. Sunday B. the following
C. the following Tuesday D. the following Monday.
4.From the passage we can infer that _______
A. Chinese will no longer observe the Spring Festival
B. Chinese and Americans share at least one holiday
C. students don’t have to go to school on any holiday
D. Americans can easily draw money from banks on legal days.
I grew up in a house where the TV was seldom turned on and with one wall in my bedroom entirely lined with bookshelves, most of my childhood was spent on books I could get hold of. In fact, I grew up thinking of reading as natural as breathing and books unbelievably powerful in shaping perspectives (观点) by creating worlds we could step into, take part. in. and live in.
With this unshakable belief, I, at fourteen, decided to become a writer. Here too, reading became useful. Every writer starts off knowing that he has something to say, but being unable to find the right ways to say it. He has to find his own voice by reading widely and discovering which parts of the writers he agrees or disagrees with, or agrees with so strongly that it reshapes his own world. He cannot write without loving to read, because only through reading other people's writing can one discover what works, what doesn't and, in the end, together with lots of practice, what voice he has.
Now I am in college, and have come to realize how important it is to read fiction (文学作品)．As a law student, my reading is in fact limited to subject matter-the volume (量) of what I have to read for classes every week means there is little time to read anything else. Such reading made it all the clearer to me that I live in a very small part in this great place called life. Reading fiction reminds me that there is life beyond my own. It allows me to travel across the high seas and along the Silk Road, all from the comfort of my own armchair, to experience, though secondhand, exciting experiences that I wouldn't necessarily be able to have in my lifetime.
1.What can be inferred about the author as a child?
A. He never watched TV. B. He read what he had to.
C. He found reading unbelievable. D. He considered reading part of his life.
2.The underlined word "voice" in the second paragraph most probably means "_______".
A. an idea B. a sound quality
C. a way of writing D. a world to write about
3.What effect does reading have on the author?
A. It helps him to realize his dream.
B. It opens up a wider world for him.
C. It makes his college life more interesting.
D. It increases his interest in worldwide travel.
4.. Which of the following can be the best title of this text?
A. What do I read? B. How do I read?
C. Why do I read? D. When do I read?
Most people know that Marie Curie was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize, and the first person to win it twice. However, few people know that she was also the mother of a Nobel Prize winner.
Born in September, 1897, Irene Curie was the first of the Curies’ two daughters. Along with nine other children whose parents were also famous scholars, Irene studied in their own school, and her mother was one of the teachers. She finished her high school education at the College of Sévigné in Paris.
Irene entered the University of Paris in 1914 to prepare for a degree in mathematics and physics. When World War I began, Irene went to help her mother, who was using X-ray facilities（设备） to help save the lives of wounded soldiers. Irene continued the work by developing X-ray facilities in military hospitals in France and Belgrum. Her services were recognised in the form of a Military’s Medal by the French government.
In 1918, Irene became her mother’s assistant at the Curie Institute. In December 1924, Frederic Joliot joined the Institute, and Irene taught him the techniques required for his work. They soon fell in love and were married in 1926. Their daughter Helene was born in 1927 and their son Pierre five years later.
Like her mother, Irene combined family and career. Like her mother, Irene was awarded a Nobel Prize, along with her husband, in 1935. Unfortunately, also like her mother, she developed leukemia because of her work with radioactivity（辐射能）. Irene Joliot-Curie died from leukemia on March 17, 1956.
1.Why was Irene Curie awarded a Military Medal?
A. Because she received a degree in mathematics.
B. Because she contributed to saving the wounded.
C. Because she won the Nobel Prize with Frederic.
D. Because she worked as a helper to her mother.
2.Where did Irene Curie meet her husband Frederio joliot?
A. At the Curie Institute. B. At the Cniversity of Paris.
C. At a military hospital. D. At the College of Sevigne.
3.When was the second child of Irene Curie and Frederic Joliot born?
A. In 1897. B. In 1927.
C. In 1932 D. In 1926.
4.In which of the following aspects was Irene Cuire different from her mother?
A. Irene worked with radioactivity. B. Irene combined family and career.
C. Irene won the Nobel Prize once D. Irene died from leukemia.
Tht Healthy Habits Survey（调查）shows that only about one third of American seniors have correct habits. Here are some findings and expert advice.
1.How many times did you brush your teeth yesterday?
·Finding：A full 33% of seniors brush their teeth only once a day.
·Step：Remove the 300 types of bacteria in your mouth each morning with a battery-operated toothbrush. Brush gently for 2 minutes, at least twice a day.
2.How many times did you wash your hands or bathe yesterday?
·Finding：Seniors, on average, bathe fewer than 3 days a week. And nearly 30%wash their hands only 4 times a day-half of the number doctors recommend.
·Step：We touch our faces around 3,000 times a day-often inviting germs（病菌）to enter our mouth, nose, and eyes.Use toilet paper to avoid touching the door handle. And, most important, wash your hands often with hot running water and soap for 20 seconds.
3. How often do you think about fighting germs?
·Finding：Seniors are not fighting germs as well as they should.
·Step：Be aware of germs. Do you know it is not your toilet but your kitchen sponge（海绵）that can carry more germs than anything else? To kill these germs, keep your sponge in the microwave for 10 seconds.
1.What is found out American seniors?
A. Most of then have good habits.
B. Nearly 30%of then bathe three days a week .
C. All of then are fighting germs better than expected .
D. About one third of them brush their teeth only once a day
2.Doctors suggest that people should wash their hands_________ .
A. twice a day B. three times a day
C. eight times a day D. four times a day
3.The text probably comes from ________.
A. a guide book B. a popular magazine
C. a book review D. an official document
English weekly 向高一学生征文，主题是：“三年后的我”，请根据下列要点和你的畅想写一篇80字左右的征文，你的作文应含有：
1．学校，学习生活
2．业余生活
3．未来职业畅想
可适当添加情节以使行文完整
书写要求：字迹干净，全面整洁，给人以美感。
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
English Around the World
There are more than 3,000 languages 1.（speak）in the world. Of all these languages, English is the most 2.(wide) used. Recent 3.(survey) show that more than 500 million people speak English as their mother tongue.
From its roots in England, the language was spread around the world 4.English traders and English governments in new lands. One of these new lands 5.(become) the United States of America. The population of the United States is 309 million, 6.(make) it the country with the 7.(large) number of native English speakers.
About 300 million people speak English as their second language. There are even more people, like some in Europe as well as in China and Japan, 8. study English as a foreign language.
English has become the base language for international business, for the world’s airlines and even for the Internet. Whatever language people speak, they need 9.(know) some English if they work in these fields. 10. is clear that the English language is becoming more important.
