The spirit of Christmas isn’t always so cheerful. Here are four unusual and a little scary Christmas traditions from around the world.
1. Guatmala: Burning devils
In order to make houses free from bad spirits for the New Year, Guatemalans do a full house clean in December. The dirt and dust is gathered from every home and each neighborhood creates a large amount of garbage. A devil statue is built and placed on top of the dirt, and burned. The bad luck is said to burn up with the devil.
2. South Africa: Don’t eat Santa’s cookies
To keep kids from stealing on Santa’s cookies, parents tell children a story about a boy named Danny who ate all of Santa’s cookies and really angered his grandmother. She killed him and now his ghosts visits houses during Christmas time.
3. Iceland: Fear the Yule Cat
Children who don’t receive new clothes by Christmas Eve will be eaten by the Yule Cat, a large and angry cat, which is said to hide in the snow. The strange tradition comes from farmers who used the myth to encourage their workers to finish making the autumn wool before Christmas.
4. Ukraine: A spooky tree
If you find yourself in Ukraine around the holidays, you may be wondering: Is it Christmas or Halloween? Trees here are decorated with artificial(人工的) spider weds and decorative spiders. The unusual tradition comes from a story where a spider wove a web around the tree of a poor family. When morning came, the white strands(线) turned to precious metals and the family became rich. The webs today show good fortune for the next year.
1.To celebrate the New Year, what will people do in Guatemala?
A. Clean their houses.
B. Show their respects to the devil statue.
C. Buy a devil statue.
D. Move to new houses.
2.Which country has a tradition that might cause kids’ fear of eating Santa’s cookies?
A. Guatemala. B. South Africa.
C. Iceland. D. Ukraine.
3.What can we infer about Christmas in Iceland?
A. The Yule Cat usually hides in the grass before Christmas.
B. All the children will receive new clothes on Christmas.
C. New clothes are popular Christmas presents for children in Iceland.
D. The Yule Cat would eat the farmers who don’t finish their work on time.
4.Why do Ukrainians like spiders on Christmas?
A. Spiders are pretty insects.
B. Spiders are believed to bring good fortune.
C. Spiders always help poor families out of pity.
D. Webs of spiders are suitable for decoration.
假如你是李华，你对太空旅行感兴趣；经常到图书馆阅读资料，但得不到父母理解，于是你给英国朋友Stephen发电子邮件进行交流并请求帮助。要点如下：
1.你的观点。（至少写2点）
2.父母的意见。
要求：1.词数100词左右，开头和结尾已给出的内容不计入总词数
2.内容要包括上述要点，可适当增加细节。
3.文中不得出现真实的地名、校名和人名。
Dear Stephen,
I am writing to tell you about my problem with my parents. I don’t know how to deal with it and would like your help.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
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____________________________________________________________________________________________
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What shall I do? Can you offer me some suggestion? I am looking forward to your early reply.
Yours,
Li Hua
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：在错的词下面划一横线，并在该词下面写出改正后的词。
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。
Last Sunday morning, when I was having a walk in the park near my home, I came across a crew make a new film with one of my favourite actor. I didn’t have my camera with me at that time, but I rushed back home to get. Unfortunately, by the time I got back, they have finished the scene and the actor couldn’t be seen everywhere. I was really disappointing and about to leave when he walked out a building. He was right there in the front of me! I couldn’t believe my lucknot only did I had my photo taken with him, but he signed his name on my shirt!
1.2.3.4.5.
6.7.8.9.10.
Do you like travelling? Staying healthy while1.（travel） can help to ensure your trip is a happy and enjoyable one．If you are travelling abroad, here are the2.(tip) you need to make your trip much3.（easy）.
Make sure you have got signed passport and visas. Also, before you go, fill in the emergency4. (inform) page of your passport! Make two copies of your passport identification age. This will help a lot if your passport 5.（steal）. Leave one copy at home with friends or relatives. Carry the other with you in a separate place from your passport．Read the Public Announcements or Travel Warnings for the countries you plan to visit. Get yourself familiar with local laws and customs of the countries to6.you are travelling. Leave a copy of your itinerary（旅行日程） with family or friends at home so that you can be contacted in case7.an emergency. Do not accept packages from strangers．Do not carry too much money or unnecessary credit cards.8.we make enough preparations, we will9.(certain) succeed．Have10.good time!
1.The youngsters gradually ________(获得) confidence in their abilities.
2.The little girl didn’t have the _________(力量，体力)to walk.
3.My mother helped me set up a bank _________(账户).
4.It _______(使迷惑)scientists how these animals can survive in such conditions.
5.Please put tools which you use a lot __________(在…之内)easy reach.
6.In that African country, the ________(斗争) for freedom was long and hard.
7.Though he was a little boy, John___________(表现，举止)himself very well.
8.Work hard, and you will __________(克服) this problem.
9.If you’re late for a job interview, you’re not __________(可能的) to get the job.
10.The price has been _________(减少)from $20 to $18.
In spite of the fun and laughter, 13-year-old Frank Wilson wasn’t happy. It was________ that he received all the gifts that he wanted. And he also _________ the big Christmas dinner with the family members. ________, Frank wasn’t happy because this was his first Christmas without his brother, Steve, who was killed in a car accident. Frank ___________ his brother.
Frank said good-bye to his family members and said that he was leaving a little earlier to see a friend, and from there he could walk home. Since it was cold outside, Frank ________ his new jacket. It was his favorite gift. He placed the other gifts on his new sleigh（雪橇）. Then Frank _________.
As Frank went down the street toward home, through one front window, he saw a room with old _________ hanging over an empty fireplace. A woman was seated nearby, crying. The stockings ________ him of the way he and his brother always ________ theirs side by side. The next morning, they would find gifts.
Then Frank had a _______. He knocked at the door. “Yes?” the________ voice of the woman. “May I come in?” asked Frank. “You are very welcome,” she said, ________ his sleigh full of gifts and thinking he wanted to ______ gifts. “But I have no food or gifts for you. I have ________ for my own children.” “That’s why I am here,” Frank said. “Please________ whatever gifts you would like for your children from the sleigh.” “Why? God bless you!” the_____woman answered. She took some candies, a toy plane and a doll. Finally, the stockings were ________. “Thank you so much!” the woman said. “You are welcome,” Frank said and left.
Frank’s _________was full of happiness. Then he gave his jacket to a poor boy. At last, he gave away all his gifts._____Frank was worried how he could _________to his parents that he had given his gifts away, he was very happy.
1.A. true B. normal C. hopeful D. surprising
2.A. prepared B. made C. enjoyed D. appreciate
3.A. Instead B. However C. Therefore D. Otherwise
4.A. praised B. admired C. respected D. missed
5.A. put on B. took out C. put aside D. took off
6.A. ran B. left C. returned D. disappeared
7.A. furniture B. clothes C. stocking D. window
8.A. reminded B. warned C. informed D. believed
9.A. lay B. hung C. shared D. dragged
10.A. gift B. problem C. sign D. thought
11.A. frightened B. sad C. excited D. confused
12.A. pulling B. knowing C. searching D. seeing
13.A. collect B. buy C. provide D. sell
14.A. everything B. anything C. something D. nothing
15.A. offer B. show C. take D. bring
16.A. disappointed B. worried C. surprised D. interested
17.A. light B. large C. new D. full
18.A. body B. head C. heart D. brain
19.A. Because B. Though C. When D. While
20.A. explain B. speak C. declare D. admit
