It was a few days before Christmas many years ago. It looked like it would a(n) ______ one for my family. The factory where I was working had laid off(解雇) many of us workers, so we didn’t have much ______. My wife and I had saved to buy our young children some toys, ______ an unexpected car repair had taken most of our cash. We decided that we could only ______ to get one small gift for each of our children.
We arrived at the ______, walked down the parking lot and saw people putting gifts into their ______. We searched all through the store ______ to find one thing each of our small children would like. ______, we were able to get one for each of them. We ______ the checkout (结账台), bought the toys and were ______ that we even had a few dollars ______ finning. As we walked out of the store into the winter ______, I stopped and dropped those ______ into the charity box. I didn’t have a dime (一角硬币) left but that didn’t ______. Suddenly, it felt like Christmas.
I think the ______ actress Dale Evans ______ it best when she said: “Christmas, my child, is love in ______.” It doesn’t have to be a gift of money, either. When we ______ our smile, it’s Christmas. When we give others our ______ and compassion (同情), it’s Christmas. When we do anything at any time to ______ another, it’s Christmas. May you do all you can to make it Christmas every day of the year and every day of your life here.
1.A.colorful B.poor C.early D.exciting
2.A.time B.energy C.noise D.money
3.A.but B.or C.so D.if
4.A.refuse B.remember C.afford D.hesitate
5.A.store B.station C.gym D.hospital
6.A.offices B.bedrooms C.cars D.houses
7.A.forgetting B.agreeing C.pretending D.hoping
8.A.Immediately B.Thankfully C.Sadly D.Strangely
9.A.headed for B.gave up C.turned off D.kept off
10.A.discouraged B.worried C.puzzled D.surprised
11.A.watched over B.looked over C.left over D.taken over
12.A.air B.forest C.cave D.season
13.A.gifts B.books C.dollars D.fruits
14.A.work B.bend C.stop D.matter
15.A.lucky B.wonderful C.foolish D.proud
16.A.put B.broke C.threw D.cleaned
17.A.force B.control C.action D.silence
18.A.hide B.share C.change D.support
19.A.truth B.power C.kindness D.health
20.A.choose B.hold C.enjoy D.help
If you are a fortunate college graduate who has got a job, your attention will soon turn to starting your career in a successful way by doing well in your first job. 1.
Send emails about meaningful work issues early and/or late in the day to show that you are not only present but also productive.
Plan to arrive earlier and/or stay later than your leader to prove you are ready to work hard.
Do not miss work time. If it’s absolutely necessary, work from home if possible. 2.
Introduce yourself to as many co-workers as possible. Learn about the roles they play and the work done by them.
3. If you have time, help other co-workers when they are in trouble with their projects, but only after discussing with your leader and making sure there isn’t anything else he would need you to do.
Keep in touch with all those people, like those who recommended you to your workplace. 4. And they can give you further advice if they follow along with your career development.
You’ll only have one first job, so make the most of it. 5.
A. Offer to help others out.
B. Keep in touch with your boss.
C. They’ve helped you move forward to get this job.
D. Here are some practical tips for success in your first job.
E. Ask for help when you are stuck but don’t be overly needy.
F. You can also put in extra hours to catch up when you return.
G. You will set the stage for an exciting and successful long-term career.
DO THANH, Vietnam-The last remains of the 39 Vietnamese who died while being carried illegally in a truck to England last month were sent back to their home country on Saturday. Photos by the official Vietnam News Agency showed the arrival at the Hanoi airport of 16 bodies and seven urns (骨灰盒), which had been flown from London. They were loaded into ambulances on a foggy morning for a trip to their hometowns in several provinces in northern and central Vietnam.
The bodies were found Oct 23 in the English town of Grays, east of London. Police said the victims were aged between 15 and 44. While no cause of death has been officially confirmed, the circumstances suggested asphyxiation (窒息). The 31 men and eight women are believed to have paid human traffickers (人贩子) for their entering England secretly. Several people have been arrested in the UK and Vietnam.
Shortly after noon on Saturday, the body of one victim, 19-year-old Bui Thi Nhung, arrived at Phu Tang church in the village of Do Thanh. More than 100 villagers and family members waited for the body’s arrival at a highway leading to the village. They held white flowers, standing by the side of the road as the ambulance carrying the body passed. After 15 minutes at the church, the mourners moved to Nhung’s home nearby. One of Nhung’s nieces held her portrait to lead the procession.
Nhung’s coffin was placed in the middle of the living room of the one-story house, with the family weeping by the sides. Relatives and neighbors came into the home to place incense (香). A funeral will be held for Nhung at her home on Sunday, followed by a ceremony at the church before she was buried.
An initial (最初的) group of 16 bodies were handed over to their families on Wednesday, and funerals were held the following day.
The impoverished villages the victims were born in have largely been left out of the economic development that has turned urban centers in Vietnam such as Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi into boom (繁荣) towns, sending many on a risky journey looking for a better life abroad.
1.How did the 39 Vietnamese lose their lives?
A.They died in a terrible traffic accident.
B.They lost their lives due to lack of food.
C.They were killed by the human traffickers.
D.There has been no definite answer up to now.
2.What do we know about Bui Thi Nhung?
A.Her coffin was placed in a two-storey house.
B.She is a teenager girl coming from a village.
C.Her brother held her portrait to lead the procession.
D.She will be buried without a ceremony at the church.
3.What is the possible meaning of the underlined word “impoverished” in the last paragraph?
A.Poor. B.Modern.
C.Attractive. D.Dirty.
4.Which of the following can be the best title for the news report?
A.39 Vietnamese bodies found Oct 23 in Grays
B.Vietnam receives last of 39 remains of Victims
C.39 Vietnamese are carried illegally in a truck to England
D.Several paople arrested related to 39 Vietnamese dead bodies
When a person dies, his body decays (腐烂). Skin and flesh disappear and as time goes on, only a skeleton is left. A mummy is the dead body of a person or an animal that has been preserved (保存) by wrapping cloth or other material around it.
Mummies have been found all over the world, most of them in Egypt. However, other cultures in South America and Asia also mummified their dead persons.
The oldest mummy ever found dates back to 6,000 years before Christ. The British Museum in London currently displays the oldest Egyptian mummy, dating back to 3,400 BC. The British archaeologist Howard Carter discovered the remains of Tutankhamun in 1922, probably the most famous mummy in the world.
Today scientists study mummies with special equipment and X-ray machines. They discover more about the bodies of ancient people and how they lived. They can also find clues to what they ate and what kind of disease they had.
Mummification also happens because of extreme weather. Mummies have been found in the cold regions of the world, including the Alps and the Himalaya mountains. Salt water also helps preserve bodies. Mummies have been found in deserts and in peat bogs (泥潭沼泽). The most famous natural mummy is tzi, the Iceman, found in a glacier on the Austrian-Italian border in 1991.
1.What is the main idea of Para. l?
A.The concept of a mummy. B.The value of a mummy.
C.The history of the mummy. D.The way to preserve a mummy.
2.Which of the following is true about the remains of Tutankhamun?
A.It is a natural mummy.
B.It was discovered about a century ago.
C.It dates back to 6,000 years before Christ.
D.It may be the most famous mummy in Europe.
3.What can scientists discover with special equipment and X-ray machines?
A.How ancient people ate.
B.Where ancient people lived.
C.How the skin and flesh disappeared.
D.What kind of disease ancient people had.
4.Which is the negative(否定的) factor to mummification?
A.Coldness. B.Dry heat.
C.Warm climate. D.Salt water.
Danelle Ballengee, 35, was a world-class athlete who had run in over 500 long distance competitions through deserts and mountains around the world. Up ahead, Taz disappeared, but Danelle did not worry as she climbed a rocky path to the top of a ridge (山脊) near the top, her foot hit a piece of ice. She slipped over a stone and fell over a cliff (悬崖).
She was badly injured. She could swing her toes but when she tried to stand, the pain was terrible. The lower half of her body was useless.
Danelle looked at her watch. It was noon. She guessed she was three kilometers from her truck trapped in a hidden desert in winter. Then she heard Taz. He ran down from the top to meet her. Danelle remained still, her pain became less serious and she could think her way out of this trap. She would follow Taz down the path to the valley floor and crawl back to her truck.
She rolled onto her stomach. Taz went ahead of her, then back, wondering why Danelle didn’t follow him. Bearing the pain, she focused on her task.
Five hours later, Danelle reached the valley bottom, 500 meters closer to her goal, too tired. Then she noticed an ice-covered hole. She needed water to go through. She dipped her bottle into the hole, but it came out full of soil. She used the lid to slowly pick water from the surface. It took over 50 picks to get enough. She finally stopped as it was full. Danelle reached out to her and she put her arms around Taz. She fell his warmth and held on.
As the hours went on, Danelle tried to pay no attention to the pain and cold. She stared at the night sky, talked to Taz and counted the stars with him. Pain annoyed her constantly. Throughout the night, she took sips of water, realizing that if she drank too much, she would urinate and the liquid would freeze on her legs.
1.How do you judge that Danelle was an experienced athlete?
A.She had trained for lots of times.
B.She had been a player for many years.
C.She had got through too many troubles.
D.She had taken part in hundreds of competitions.
2.What does the underlined word “task” refer to in Para. 4?
A.To reach her truck. B.To find the rocky path.
C.To arrive at the valley floor. D.To make Taz get what she wanted.
3.How did Danelle get clean water from the hole into her bottle?
A.By dipping her bowl into the hole.
B.By dipping her bottle into the hole.
C.By using the lid to pick water from the surface.
D.By using her hand to pick water from the surface.
4.What did Danelle do to fight the pain and cold?
A.She took some medicine and made a fire.
B.She counted the stars and talked with Taz.
C.She asked Taz to put warm clothes on her.
D.She drank hot water and wrapped the wound.
Best summer camps for families in the USA
Frost Valley
The Frost Valley camp in Claryuville, New Your, Which was founded in 1901, is one of the oldest camps in the United States. It covers 6,000 acres in the Catskills. It offers a week-long family camp only in August that includes all the traditional activities. For living, you can choose from tents, cabins, Forssmann Castle (a restaurant), and the Strausss Center country house.
Medomak
This is a very small camp in Washington, Maine, and it can only hold 12 families at a time. Medomak is your classic summer camp, with cabin-style accommodations (食宿) that includes a bathroom and family-style meals that will be served in the camp’s farmhouse dining room. The camp covers 250 acres and includes a lake.
Takodah
Takodah, a camp in Richmond, New Hampshire, lets you choose your pace. You can fill your day with activities like pick-up games and swimming or just be relaxed to read a book. A favorite activity is a trip to Mount Monadnock. You will also stay in a family house and eat together in the dining room.
Camp Hanes
Camp Hanes is a camp in King, North Carolina, which offers family camping on weekends. It is a little primitive (原始的), and you will have to bring your own bedding where you stay, but it does have electricity and air conditioners. You will eat family-style meals with other camping families. And of course, you can gather around the campfire as a family in the evening.
1.What do we know about Frost Valley?
A.It opens to campers all the year around.
B.It has the longest history in America.
C.It limits the number of camping families.
D.It offers campers different kinds of living places.
2.What is the most popular activity in Takodah?
A.Supplying free meals. B.Climbing Mount Monadnock.
C.Reading what you like. D.Making a fire in the evening.
3.What should you do if you want to take part in Camp Hanes?
A.Prepare a flashlight. B.Be good at swimming.
C.Bring your own bedding. D.Wear comfortable shoes.
