Whether it's hanging the stockings or baking cookies, all of our favorite Christmas traditions have an interesting history. But no matter where or how you celebrate the holiday season, you might notice a rather unusual custom: finding oranges in your stocking on Christmas morning. As it turns out, there are several arguments as to why people began to put oranges in Christmas stockings.
According to the original story of St. Nicholas (now called Santa Claus), the saint gave three bags of gold to a poor man. The money helped the man pay for his daughters' weddings, and St. Nick has had a reputation for being generous ever since. Meanwhile, the oranges are thought to represent the gold he left the girls.
Some believe, on the other hand, that the practice began during the Great Depression. Because many families couldn't afford to buy Christmas gifts or candy, luxury (奢侈) foods, like oranges and walnuts were placed under the tree, instead.
Another explanation is that the oranges are a reminder to share what you have with others, as December is the season of giving. And finally, some think the oranges were once a "special treat" in the winter — especially for children living in the north. Therefore, there appeared oranges in the stockings.
1.What does the underlined word "reputation'' in paragraph 2 mean?
A.Great system. B.Future generation.
C.Big celebration. D.Good name.
2.Why are the oranges a reminder to share what you have with others?
A.Because December is the season of giving.
B.Because many families couldn't afford to buy Christmas gifts or candy.
C.Because the oranges are thought to represent the gold he left the girls.
D.Because the oranges were once a "special treat" in the winter.
3.How many arguments are there according to the passage?
A.2. B.3
C.4. D.5.
4.What can we learn from the passage?
A.People can only put oranges in Christmas Stockings.
B.Many families were rich during the Great Depression.
C.St. Nicholas helped the man pay for his daughters' weddings.
D.The oranges were not a ''special treat" in the winter for children living in the south.
Gattica
Samantha Wynter from Mexico finds this movie interesting because It examines the results of genetic engineering of humans in the future. It shows the struggles of Victor to succeed in a world of genetically-designed, perfect humans.
Central Station
Stella Tupinamba from Brazil reviews this excellent Brazilian film which was recently nominated (提名) for Academy awards. This movie which features the talented actress, Fernanda Montenegro is, in Stella's words, "like a prize" for Brazilians. It's a very special film. Don't miss it!
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Masako Kanki from Japan is pleased to find the movie so faithful to the book, but a little disappointed in the lack of character development. However, she finds the movie fantastic and is eagerly looking forward to viewing more movies based on Hany Potter books.
Life is Beautiful
Akiko Tanaka from Japan feels this Italian movie is a very special one. She finds the story very beautiful but very sad. She tells us the basic story of this heart-breaking movie, which shows us we should never forget what happens during wars.
1.Which film will probably win Academy awards?
A.Gattica. B.Central Station.
C.Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. D.Life is Beautiful.
2.Who is a little disappointed about the film?
A.Samantha Wynter B.Stella Tupinamba.
C.Masako Kanki. D.Akiko Tanaka.
3.From which part of a magazine is the passage most probably taken?
A.Movies. B.Music.
C.Sports. D.Technology.
假定你是李华，你的英国笔友 Jim 想了解中国建国 70 年以来生活方式的变化，请你给他回复邮件，内容包括：
1. 生活方式的变化（至少写两点变化）
2. 变化给人们带来的好处
3. 你的感受
注意：1. 词数 100 左右
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Jim,
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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：在错的词下画一横线，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。
Know you are so fond of Chinese calligraphy, I would like to send you a book about this abstract and high-level form of art in an English edition, what is easy for you to understand. The book is entitled Appreciation of Chinese Calligraphy, included a fascinating collection of masterpieces. It not only presents a variety of calligraphy styles, but also provides beautiful illustrations, expert explanations and useful comment, since one’s handwriting is often viewing as a reflection of his and her personality. I am sure you will have a good knowledge of this form of art after you reading it and more willing to give it a try.
Could you please leave me your address so that I can mail them to you soon? I hope you will like the book and find it helpfully.
用所给首字母、提示词或中文意思的适当形式填空
1.He decided to find a host family with the i______ of improving his English.
2.I’m ______(true) sorry that things had to end like this.
3.His trip to India made a strong i______ on him.
4.They can apply to everyone in the world, r_______ of where you’re from.
5.If you insist on eating so much sweet food, you’ll have to suffer the ________(后果).
6.Taking everything into c_________, this event is a great success.
7.Those who _______ hunt wild animals should be punished.(非法)
8.The ________ of players would sign the contract without hesitation. (大多数)
9.Women were only _________ into the club last year. (准许加入)
10.He offered a sincere _______ for his behavior. (道歉)
How to Solve Worry Problems
The Great Nobel Prize winner in medicine, Dr. Alexis Carrel, once said, “Businessmen who do not know how to fight worry die young.” 1. Then how can we find a quick, surefire (万全的) recipe for handling worry situations? Here are a few basic steps to deal with different kinds of worries.
Get the facts
Why is it so important to get the facts? Because unless we have the facts, we can’t possibly even attempt to solve our problems intelligently. Without the facts, we will be left in confusion. 2. Half the worry in the world is caused by people trying to make decisions before they have sufficient knowledge on which to base a decision. If a man will devote his time to securing facts in an objective way, his worries usually disappear in the light of knowledge.
3.
However, getting all the facts in the world won’t do any good until we figure out what these facts mean and interpret them. It is much easier to achieve this after writing them down. In fact, merely writing the facts on a piece of paper and stating our problem clearly goes a long way toward helping us to reach a sensible decision. Therefore, when we are worried, sit down and write down two questions – and the answers to these questions, “What am I worrying about?” and “What can I do about it?”
Arrive at a decision
Worry is killing. So we will probably save our life by sitting down and writing out all the various steps we could take and then writing down the probable consequences of each step and calmly coming to a decision. Experience has proved the enormous value of arriving at a fixed decision. 4.
Act on that decision
5. Don’t stop to reconsider. Don’t begin to hesitate and retrace (折返) our steps. Don’t lose ourselves in self-doubting which causes other doubts. Don’t look back our shoulders.
A. Analyze the facts.
B. Write down our worries.
C. This is the chief cause of worry.
D. There comes a time when we must decide.
E. Once we have made a decision, go into action.
F. And so do housewives, horse doctors and bricklayers.
G. It is the failure to reach a definite decision that drives men mad.
