Icelanders have a beautiful tradition of giving books to each other on Christmas Eve and then spending the night reading. This custom is so deeply rooted in the culture that it is the reason for Christmas Book Flood, when the majority of books in Iceland are sold between September and December in preparation for Christmas giving.
“Books get attention here.” Says Baldur Bjarnason, a researcher who has written about the Icelandic book industry.
The small Nordic island, with a population of only 329,000 people, is extraordinarily literary (文学的). They love to read and write. According to a BBC article, “The country has more writers, more books published and more books read, per head, than anywhere else in the world… One in 10 Icelanders will publish a book.”
It seems there is more value placed on physical, paper books than in North America, where e-books have grown in popularity. One bookstore manager said, “The book in Iceland is such an enormous gift-you give a physical book. You don’t give e-books here.” The book industry is driven by the majority of people buying several books each year, rather than the North American pattern of a few people buying lots of books.
It sounds like a wonderful tradition, perfect for a winter evening. It is something that I would love to incorporate (吸收) into my own family’s celebration of Christmas.
1.What do Icelanders do on Christmas Eve?
A. They give books to each other and read books.
B. They buy a lot of books to read.
C. They check the mailboxes and send cards to friends.
D. They get together and sing Christmas songs together.
2.How many people in Iceland can be described as writers?
A. 329,000 B. 32,900
C. 3,290 D. 3,290,000
3.What is the difference between Icelanders and North Americas on buying books?
A. People in Iceland never buy e-books.
B. People in North America never buy physical books.
C. A few people buy a large number of books in North America.
D. In Iceland, everyone buys a large number of books each year.
You may think that sailing is a difficult sport, but it is really not hard to learn it. You do not need to be strong. But you need to be quick. And you need to understand a few basic rules about the wind. First, you must ask yourself, “Where is the wind coming from? Is it coming from ahead or behind or from the side?” You must think about this all the time on the boat. The wind direction tells you what to do with the sail.
Let’s start with the wind blowing from behind. This means the wind and the boat are going in the same direction. Then you must always keep the sail outside the boat. It should be at a 90° angle (角度) the boat. Then it will catch the wind best.
If the wind is blowing from the side, it is blowing across the boat In this case, you must keep the sail half way outside the boat. It should be at a 45° angle to the boat. It needs to be out far enough to catch the wind, but it shouldn’t flap (摆动). It shouldn’t look like a flag on a flagpole. If it is flapping, it is probably out too far, and the boat will slow down.
Sailing into the wind is not possible. If you try, the sail will flap and the boat will stop. You may want to go in that direction. It is possible, but you can’t go in a straight line. You must go first in one direction and then in another. This is called tacking. When you are tacking, you must always keep the sail inside the boat.
1.What should you consider first while sailing?
A. Wave levels. B. Size of sails.
C. Sailors’ strength. D. Wind directions.
2.What does the word “It” underlined in Paragraph 4 refer to?
A. The boat. B. The wind.
C. The sail. D. The angle.
3.What do you have to do when sailing against the wind?
A. Tack the boat. B. Lower the sail.
C. Move in a straight line. D. Allow the sail to flap.
4.Where can you probably find the text?
A. In a physics textbook. B. In a tourist guidebook.
C. In a popular magazine. D. In an official report.
According to the latest survey by the Asian Development Bank, Asian parents are spending billions of dollars on private tutors (家庭教师) for their children and the practice is growing despite doubts about its effectiveness.
“Shadow education” is an expanding business not only in wealthy countries, but also in some of the region’s poorer nations as parents try to give their children the best start in life, the study saiD. Nearly nine out of 10 South Korean elementary pupils receive private tutoring, while the figure for primary school children in India’s West Bengal state stands at six out of 10.
The study estimated that the costs of private tutoring in South Korea were equivalent (相等的) to 80 percent of government spending on public education. Japan spent $ 12 billion on extra teaching in 2011, while the figure for Singapore stood at US $ 680 million in 2009.
Extra academic work aims to help slow learners and support high achievers. Many Asian parents view it as a constructive way for adolescents (青少年) to spend their spare time. However, it can also reduce the students’ time for sports and other activities important for their overall development as well as cause social tensions as richer families are able to pay for better-quality tutoring, the study said.
The study calls for a review of educational systems to make such extra teaching less attractive.
1.Why is “Shadow education” an expanding business?
A. Because parents want to spend their money.
B. Because children don’t want to go to school.
C. Because parents want their children to stay with teachers.
D. Because parents want to give their children the best start in life.
2.According to the article, what is the purpose of extra academic work?
A. To aid slow learners and support high achievers.
B. To prepare children for all kinds of academic contests.
C. To gain the most knowledge students can’t get in class.
D. To increase children’s hobbies and interests in many fields.
3.Which disadvantage of extra academic work is NOT mentioned?
A. Causing social tensions.
B. Spending more extra money.
C. Lacking the chance to communicate with others.
D. Reducing the students’ time for sports and other activities.
4.What is the text mainly about?
A. The government policy on educational systems.
B. How to provide the best education for children.
C. The importance for children’s overall development.
D. The reasons for the popularity of private tutors for children.
I wandered into the small store where I usually buy milk, when the store owner received a call from a customer. The customer and his wife had shopped there several months earlier. He noticed that his wife really liked one thing in the store, so he wanted to buy it as a surprise.
But the customer was in Tennessee, far away from the store which was in Maine. What’s more, he had been to the store several months earlier, and it was difficult to believe that the store owner would remember him, or what he was looking for.
The store owner took a few close-up photos with her camera, and e-mailed them to the customer on the computer. The customer looked at the photos, decided which one he wanted. They talked and discussed a price over the phone. She took care of the credit card transaction (交易) online, and promised the gift would be shipped out that afternoon.
The store owner was really smart. She was willing to push herself to find new ways to make the transaction actually happen. And it did work. However, it was the first time she had ever done it.
I was amazed that the store owner discovered a creative solution that could lead to a new way of doing business. I was impressed by what she did—so easily, but how difficult it is for many of us to make that leap(飞跃，跳跃). I’m not just talking about technology, but about learning how to adapt to change. Most people hate or fear change unless they get to know exactly what change needs to be made. However, we should realize that challenge and opportunity go hand in hand.
1.According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
A. The gift was sent out by train that afternoon.
B. The customer had ever been to the store before.
C. The owner often did business by using her camera.
D. The owner and the customer discussed the price on the computer.
2.The author was impressed by the store owner because .
A. she was always ready to help others
B. she told the writer how to run a store
C. she was a successful businesswoman
D. she managed to find a new way when facing change
3.What’s the correct order of the store owner’s solution?
a. taking a few close-up photos with her camera
b. taking care of the credit card transaction online
c. talking about the price of the gift with the customer
d. e-mailing the photos to the customer on the computer
A. abcd B. adcb
C. bcda D. bacd
4.Which of the following words can best describe the store owner?
A. Honest. B. Creative.
C. Confident. D. Humorous.
没有感恩就没有真正的美德( No thanksgiving would be no virtue)。如今社会上一些人缺乏感恩之心，少数人甚至在父母年老体弱时都不愿意赡养。
请结合自己的实际，谈几点父母值得你感恩的地方，以及将来你会做些什么来报答父母的养育之恩。
1.短文的开头已给出，但不计入总词数。
2.100词左右。(感恩: thanksgiving)
Not only do our parents give us life, but they also give us endless love and support, always sharing our happiness and sorrow.
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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处错误，每句中最多有两处。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l0处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
This morning my friend Mary and me went shopping. She thought it is a good chance to practice Chinese. Mary was happy to talk to the salesgirls, and so did they. She wanted to buy some chicken, so she asked for a salesgirl, “ How much is the cock?” Gentle, the salesgirl answered, “ I’m not sure whether it’s a cock or a hen.” Mary became embarrassing and realized she had made a mistake. All of us laughed include Mary. Then we went to buy some eggs. I asked Mary, “ Do you want buy hens’ sons and daughters?” Mary shouted, “ I can say eggs.” We laughed again. How an interesting shopping experience!
