For many in the UK, if the New Year means anything, it means starting with a clean beginning and turning over a new leaf. And to do this, many of us make New Year's resolutions—a list of ways that we intend to improve ourselves in the year ahead. We reflect on our past transgressions and decide not to do them again. Stopping smoking is ever popular, as is a vow to take up more exercise or spend more time with family. But where does the idea of a New Year's resolution come from?
The answer might lie 4,000 years ago in ancient Babylonia (巴比伦王国), according to History.com. The Babylonians are believed to be the first to hold recorded celebrations for the New Year. The 12-day-long celebration, allowed them not only to reaffirm (重申) their loyalty to the king, but also to promise to the gods to pay their debts and return borrowed objects. For their good behavior, they believed the gods would cast favor upon them for the year to come.
The Romans too had similar traditions. New Year's Day was a time when senators would swear they had maintained the laws and city leaders and soldiers would take an oath (宣誓) of loyalty to the emperor. Incidentally, the month of January, is named after the Roman god Janus. He is the god of beginnings, transitions and time, among other things and is described as having two faces—one looking to the past and the other facing forward to the future.
The Romans may be long gone, but their legacy lives on. Come the turn of the year and we look at self-improvement, review our past mistakes, confess our wrongdoings and try to sharpen up in general. Ultimately, much like the Babylonians and Romans, we seek to reaffirm the best parts of ourselves, while leaving the worthless behind.
Whether you're looking at a quick behavioral change, or huge personality improving, you're taking part in an old tradition. I wish you all the best sticking to your resolutions. Happy New Year!
1.The underlined word ''transgressions'' in the first paragraph means '' ''.
A.childhood B.wrongdoings
C.careers D.achievements
2.What did the Babylonians do during the 12-day-long celebration?
A.They strengthened their loyalty to the king again.
B.They borrowed objects from gods.
C.They took up more exercise.
D.They kept the laws and stayed with families.
3.What physical feature does the Roman god Janus have?
A.Janus is the god of beginnings. B.Janus is the god of transitions and time.
C.Janus has two faces. D.Janus looks to the past.
4.The main idea of the passage is .
A.the way to celebrate New Year B.the origin of the New Year's resolution
C.the old story of Romans D.the approach to changing people's behavior
From my hotel room window, I see an oversized billboard with his face on it: Jason, the Great Magician.
I absent-mindedly turn the pages of the phone book and come across a city map. Sipping my iced latté, I run my fingers along the streets from the hotel to the opera hall. Not more than a half-hour walk.
I glance at the clock. The show starts in one hour. Plenty of time! I gulp the last three sips of my latté and hop in the shower. Soon I’m on my way to the show, carrying a fancy black handbag and a genuine smile.
The billboard looks even more impressive from outside. The Great Jason's eyes seem to be glancing through me. I shiver and walk faster. I feel like a child about to open her birthday presents.
The hall is dark when I come in; the show is about to begin. I make my way backstage just as the great magician puts on his top hat.
''Daddy, I'm so glad to see you, '' I say in a half-whisper. ''I'm in town for the writer’s workshop, but I just couldn't miss your show. '' I give him a quick hug and go back into the seating area, leaving him with a startled smile. I settle down in the darkness, and the curtains open.
Magically, that show remains the Great Jason's best performance to this day.
1.The underlined sentence indicates the writer is .
A.embarrassed and hesitant B.brave and determined
C.nervous and excited D.surprised and frightened
2.Why was the writer in town?
A.To go to the workshop. B.To visit the magician.
C.To enjoy the performance. D.To help people in need.
3.Who is Jason?
A.The person the writer will work with. B.The father of the writer.
C.The greatest performer ever. D.The unknown magician.
Phuket, Thailand
With its dry season stretching from November to April, there are few more reliable destinations for a sunny escape than Phuket in winter. Thailand's biggest island is a holiday icon, starting as a backpacker get-away and now a mainstream favorite. Besides blue water, fine beaches, palm trees and massage, the sunsets from Phromthep Cape at the southern tip are marvelous.
Sicily, Italy
Winter in Sicily means fewer crowds, bright blue skies, and almond trees in full bloom. It also means you'll have the island's stunning Baroque towns and extraordinary archeological (考古学的) sites all to yourself and that you'll be able to ski on Mount Etna, indulge in delicious cuisine, and enjoy beautiful Taormina at its most relaxed.
Xishuangbanna, China
Xishuangbanna in Yunnan province is one of the most-visited spots in China. As the country's only tropical rainforest nature reserve, it has surprising biological diversity. The climate is humid and warm here, and the temperature gap between the coldest month and the hottest month is only 10 degrees Celsius, which makes it one of the ideal places to enjoy pleasant temperatures during the cold months.
Quy Nho'n, Vietnam
Sitting between the busy coastal cities of Nha Trang and Hoi An, Quy Nho'n is a relatively unknown, quiet beach town. The intense resort development seen in the country's more popular seaside locations has yet to reach this region, making for a perfect place for a relaxed getaway. Besides fresh seafood, there lies a pretty cove beach around a dozen kilometers south of Quy Nho'n, where there is a collection of fine hotels popular with independent travelers.
Alaska, the United States
Alaska has a natural landscape that seems at times untouched by humanity. Anchorage, the state's largest city, has the typical Iditarod Dog Race, which alone is worth a trip to see. Head over to the city of Fairbanks, to witness the amazing spectacle of Northern Lights and to take a dogsled tour. Don't forget to explore the incredible Mendenhall Ice Caves, located near the capital of Alaska, Juneau.
1.If you are interested in ancient places, you can go to .
A.Phuket B.Sicily
C.Xishuangbanna D.Quy Nho'n
2.At Alaska, people can enjoy .
A.blue water and fine beaches B.pleasant temperatures
C.Northern Lights D.delicious cuisine
3.We can learn from the passage that .
A.there are a good many people in Sicily in winter
B.Xishuangbanna is the most-visited spot in China
C.Phuket is the biggest island in Vietnam
D.Quy Nho'n hasn't highly developed
4.In which section of a website can you find the passage?
A.Travelling. B.Finance.
C.Sports. D.Transportation.
假定你是李华，请给你的英国笔友David写封信，介绍你校上周为庆祝建国70周年举行的长跑活动情况，要点如下：
1. 活动时间、地点；
2. 参加人员；
3. 活动感受。
注意：1. 词数100左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3. 文中不能出现与本人相关的具体信息；
4. 开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
参考词汇：
建国70周年 the 70th anniversary of the foundation of the People’s Republic of China
Dear David,
How is everything with you?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Best wishes!
Yours,
Li Hua
根据汉语提示和英文首字母完成下列单词拼写，使句意完整正确。
1.When the team came in, everyone rose and c_______（欢呼）.
2.Present at the conference are many t_______（顶级的）scientists.
3.It was beautiful beyond any p________（能力）of language to express.
4.My father likes to r________（放松）with music when he gets home from work.
5.The m________（标志）of a civilized society is that it looks after its weakest members.
阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
When it comes to Anhui province, the first thing that 1.(come) to mind might be the Yellow Mountain. In fact, this mountainous province is 2. birthplace of Anhui cuisine（徽菜）, also called Hui cuisine. It is 3. (know) for its special tastes and cooking methods.
To Chinese people, food is like medicine. Hui cuisine is not an exception to this belief. 4. (achieve) this, local people use herbs（药草）, whether wild 5. grown by people, and add them to their dishes, 6. (make) them healthy and delicious.
Anhui people value celebrations very much. These celebrations require different dishes, 7. have greatly encouraged the 8. (develop) of Hui cuisine. It is said that Huizhou traders liked to show their respect to their business 9. (partner) or friends with a big table of Hui dishes. So wherever they went, they 10. (build) Hui cuisine restaurants.
