While people in Western countries are busy 1.(prepare) Christmas gifts for their loved ones,Chinese people are looking forward to the Spring Festival,China’s most important annual event.What is children’s expected part of the Spring Festival?Chances are that they are longing 2.(receive) red envelopes which contain money.The red color of the envelopes symbolizes wishes for good luck.And the money in them is a symbol of wishing good fortune on children.
One popular story of 3. the red envelopes came from is about a monster 4..(call) Sui appearing on Chinese New Year’s Eve.A sleeping child who was touched by it would develop a fever5.. then become a fool.But a couple prayed so 6..(sincere) that a god sent eight guards disguised as coins to protect their child.From then on,people placed eight coins on a red string and 7.. (hide) them under children’s pillows.
As the Chinese character for “year” has the same 8.. (pronounce) as the monster’s name,people called the coins “ya sui qian”,meaning “9. (luck) money against the evil spirit”.10.. time passing,paper notes replaced the coins and the red envelope replaced the thread.
Grandma is ninety this Christmas.I remember once visiting her,crying when my big sister told me“There is no Santa Claus!”,because I knew she always told the ____.
“No Santa Claus?” she snorted(哼着说).“Ridiculous! Don’t ____ it.That rumor has been going around for years.Now,put on your coat,and let’s go.”
“Go?Go where,Grandma?” I asked.
“Where” ____ to be Kerby’s General Store.As we walked in,Grandma ____ me twenty dollars.“Take the money,” she said,“and buy something for someone who needs it.I’ll wait for you outdoors.”
I was only eight years old,and had never shopped for anything ____.For a few moments I just stood there,____,wondering what to buy,and ____ on earth to buy it for.
I thought of everybody I knew:my family,friends,classmates...Suddenly I thought of Bobbie,a kid sitting behind me in the classroom.He didn’t have a ____; he never went out during the winter.I held the bill ____.I would buy Bobbie a coat.I saw a red one with a hat to it.It looked really ____.He would like that.
That ____,Grandma helped me wrap the coat in Christmas paper and write,“To Bobbie,From ____”on it.Then she drove me to Bobbie’s house.Grandma ____ down the street,and we hid in the bushes by his front walk.Then Grandma pushed me gently.“All right,Santa Claus,get going!” she ____.
I took a deep breath,____ for his front door,threw the ____ down,rang his doorbell and flew back.Together we waited ____ in the darkness for the front door to open.Finally it did,and there stood Bobbie.
Forty years haven’t ____ the thrill of those moments.That night,I realized those awful ____ about Santa Claus were just what Grandma said:they were ____.Santa was alive and well,and we were on his team.
1.A. story B. truth C. joke D. lie
2.A. believe B. ignore C. suspect D. admit
3.A. seemed B. supposed C. proved D. imagined
4.A. borrowed B. delivered C. threw D. handed
5.A. alone B. lonely C. special D. expensive
6.A. bored B. depressed C. frightened D. confused
7.A. when B. how C. who D. what
8.A. money B. coat C. friend D. hat
9.A. excitedly B. nervously C. anxiously D. thoughtfully
10.A. new B. warm C. cheap D. beautiful
11.A. morning B. weekend C. evening D. afternoon
12.A. Grandma B. classmates C. friends D. Santa Claus
13.A. parked B. slowed C. rode D. walked
14.A. shouted B. whispered C. complained D. ordered
15.A. searched B. dashed C. waited D. started
16.A. paper B. bill C. present D. bush
17.A. delightedly B. cheerfully C. willingly D. breathlessly
18.A. weakened B. strengthened C. reminded D. informed
19.A. secrets B. discussions C. rumors D. sayings
20.A. unusual B. incredible C. strange D. ridiculous
Choosing the right college for you is not so easy.You should have a general idea of what you want and don't want.The idea can guide you to find what fits your needs best.1.
Think about what major you want to study in college.If you know that,just look at colleges that have your major. 2.So think carefully about your major and interests before choosing one.
Where the college is located matters.Anyone who tells you the location isn't important is lying.3.If you look forward to working in the publishing industry,New York may be your best bet.If your parents want you to stay close to home,please don't consider anywhere that requires a plane ticket to get to.
Think about how much you can afford.Are your parents,paying for your education? If so,how much are they willing to spend?Do you have to contribute anything? Financial aid and scholarship exist,but don't count on anything. 4.These are all things to consider before you fall in love with a college.
Make sure you're going to spend time with the right people.The cool thing about college is that each different one attracts different kinds of people.For the first thing in your life,you get to choose where you get to spend your time and who you get to spend it with.5.Make sure that the people you're with for four years are your kind of people.
A.College is about learning what you love.
B.You'd better choose a major that is popular.
C.Go to the college with some people you like.
D.Are you willing to go into major debt over a school?
E.Remember,above all,it's the people that make the place.
F.If you don't like cold weather,stay away from northern schools.
G.These guidelines will help figure out what college you want to go to.
The Man Booker Prize for Fiction is awarded for a novel written by a writer from the Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland and it aims to represent the very best in contemporary fiction. The prize was originally called the Booker-McConnell Prize, which was the name of the company that sponsored it, though it was better-known as simply the ‘Booker Prize’. In 2002, the Man Group became the sponsor and they chose the new name, keeping ‘Booker’.
Publishers can submit books for consideration for the prize, but the judges can also ask for books to be submitted that they think should be included. Firstly, the Advisory Committee gives advice if there have been any changes to the rules for the prize and selects the people who will judge the books. The judging panel changes every year and usually a person is only a judge once.
Great efforts are made to ensure that the judging panel is balanced in terms of gender(性别) and professions within the industry, so that a writer, a critic, an editor and an academic are chosen along with a well-known person from wider society. However, when the panel of judges has been decided, they are left to make their own decisions. Meanwhile, the prize sponsor has no further right to take part in any more.
The Man Booker judges include critics, writers and academics to maintain the consistent quality of the prize and its influence is such that the winner will almost certainly see the sales increase considerably, in addition to the￡50,000 that comes with the prize.
1.Who can submit books to the prize?
A. Judges. B. Writers.
C. Readers. D. Sponsors.
2.Why is the prize named the Man Booker Prize?
A. Because the prize is given to writers from the Commonwealth.
B. Because the prize was known as simply the ‘Booker Prize’.
C. Because the prize is sponsored by the Man Group and they kept the name.
D. Because the prize is aimed to award the very best contemporary fiction.
3.Which task can be done by the Advisory Committee?
A. Changing the rules for the prize on their own.
B. Selecting the judging committee.
C. Making decisions on who is the winner.
D. Submitting books for consideration for the prize.
4.The consistent quality of the prizes is guaranteed by ________.
A. the prize money
B. the gender of the judges
C. the make-up of the panel of judges
D. the increase in sales of the winner
Years ago,my wife and I volunteered at a homeless shelter in downtown Los Angeles,US,preparing meals for thousands of people.I got to talk with one of the guys in line,Albert.He said he liked my socks.“Want to see mine?”he asked,lifting his leg.He was barefoot.He said he had been meaning to buy a pair but he hadn’t got around to it.I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach.
The next day,after work,I stopped at Ross and filled up a cart with socks.I stuffed my trunk with them.That next morning,I set my alarm for 5 a.m.and drove over to Santa Monica’s Palisades Park,which is a common destination for homeless people.
I took one of the bags from my trunk.It was still darkout.I headed for a group of three men,standing around a tree,probably using it as a windbreaker.Two were asleep under heavy blankets,and the third was digging through his collection.As I walked toward him,he watched me,perhaps questioning my motives.“I thought you guys might need some fresh new socks,”I said,handing him a pair.He looked confused at first but took them and said,“Thank you.”I gave him two more pairs for his friends.
I moved on.An hour later,I had given out all the socks.Most people were sleeping,and I felt like Santa.I knew that when they woke up they would find a very meaningful present.
That was nine years ago.Every week I’ll hand out as many socks as I can.If I’m on vacation or on a business trip for more than a week,I bring a bag of socks with me and hand them out to the homeless on the streets in other states and countries.
It’s extremely satisfying to operate “under the radar” to help make some people’s lives a little bit easier.Part of me hopes to see Albert out there one of these days,but even if I don’t,I like to think one of the pairs will find him.
1.What caused the author to hand out socks to the homeless?
A. Albert’s desire to get free socks.
B. The approach of Christmas Day.
C. His hard work at a homeless shelter.
D. The conversation between him and Albert.
2.Which is true about the author according to the passage?
A. He believed it felt good to help the homeless.
B. He went to Ross to buy a pair of socks for Albert.
C. He handed out socks to the homeless as Christmas gifts.
D. He was often questioned about why he was giving out socks.
3.What could be the best title for the passage?
A. Santa Claus brings Christmas gifts
B. Kindness is rewarded with kindness
C. Every sock helps make somebody’s day
D. Socks are passed on from hand to hand
Many young people these days adore the advertised magazine body and become too focused on attaining this image instead of worrying more about what lasts and even grows over time. But could you imagine being considered beautiful for years, and suddenly being ugly after moving to another continent? It is a sad reality that people don’t realize how vacillating the idea of beauty can be from one country to another.
Think of the most typical American girl you know. Is she blonde haired with white skin and light eyes, and does she love shopping or sports? Now place this girl in the heart of Africa, a place where beauty is placed on what you can control. The Maasai tribe in Kenya focuses on how clean people are, and how stylish their piercings (穿孔) are. This tribe’s culture is to be a brave fighter, so they will cut their skin with patterns in it to show that they are strong. If you don’t look fierce, you are not beautiful.
Other countries like North Korea and South Korea have their own unique views on beauty. In an interview, a woman who has lived in both North and South Korea claims that beauty in North Korea is based more on your ability to be a good woman and wife. She says that women in North Korea are less concerned about fashion and beauty in the physical sense. She says they did have a time when big eyes were a big deal and everyone wanted to get double eyelid surgery. This is something extreme and could perhaps be influenced by Western culture. And the idea of getting surgery done to look more attractive is crazy.
1.What does the underlined word “vacillating” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?
A. Inconsistent. B. Reasonable. C. Unusual. D. Similar.
2.The Maasai tribe in Kenya is mentioned to show that in their eyes _______.
A. getting dirty is stylish
B. looking fierce is beautiful
C. strong people cut their skin
D. American girls love shopping
3.According to the woman interviewed, women in North Korea now_______.
A. care a lot about their appearance
B. put the beauty of eyes in the first place
C. pay great attention to their ability
D. are crazy about double eyelid surgery
4.What does the text mainly tell us?
A. Inner beauty is of great importance.
B. Ideas of beauty vary among culture groups.
C. Different ways are needed to admire true beauty.
D. Fashion magazines easily influence young people.
