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Most cultures have a festival of light. Each culture celebrates this festival in a different way. There is one thing that is the same, however, and this is the wish for peace and happiness in the world.
The Jewish Festival of Light is called Hanukkah. Hanukkah usually takes place in December. The story of why Hanukkah is celebrated is very old. It is told that a very long time ago, Jewish people called the Macabees were at war with a country called Syria. On the day that the Macabees won the war, they cleaned up their holy place, which is called a temple, because the Syrian people had been living there. They wanted to light their holy lamps to say thank you for the end of the war, but found only a very small amount of oil left over to do that. The Macabees lit the lamps anyway, thinking that they would soon go out. The lamps kept burning for eight days! The Jewish people celebrate Hanukkah every year by lighting a candlestick that has eight candleholders. Every night a new candle is lit so that on the eighth night, all eight candles stand together. Presents are given at this time and money is given to the poor.
Lanterns are another form of light. In China, lanterns are famous works of art. The Lantern Festival goes back more than 2,000 years to the Qin Dynasty. It takes place on the 15th day of the Chinese New Year, bringing the New Year season to a close. During the festival, parks become a sea of lanterns. Sometimes streets are blocked off and lanterns are put down on each side to make a hallway of lanterns. People also hang lanterns in their gardens, outside their houses or on boats. The lanterns are made in many shapes, sizes and colours. They are usually made from silk, paper and plastic. Some are even made from ice. It is believed that these lanterns will guide visitors and the spirits of ancestors to the celebrations. The Lantern Festival is a time for families, young and old to spend together. Every New Year the wish is the same—peace and happiness to all.
1.What’s the same with the festivals of light in different cultures? (不超过11个单词)
2.Why do the Jewish light a new candle every night during the festival? (不超过12个单词)
3.What festival brings an end to the new year season? (不超过5个单词)
4.What is the purpose of this article? (不超过8个单词)
Do you think alien beings exist somewhere in the universe? It seems like Mars, our closest neighbor, has inspired the most science fiction as the place where aliens are most likely to come from. Recent Mars probes (探测) have shown us that there is no life on that planet—at least not now. But that does not mean that life does not exist elsewhere—after all, the universe is really big. A lot of scientific research is going on in the search for “extraterrestrial life”.
Think about it—why should the seven billion people on this little planet be the only living beings in the universe? It would, in fact, seem logical that this is not the case. So scientific research in this matter is based around the idea of finding other planets that have environments that can support life —environments similar to the Earth. The search is on for the evidence of the existence, or earlier existence of life: from very wise beings to simple organisms (有机物).
So far, there have been a number of theories as to which planetary bodies may have an atmosphere that can support such life and therefore deserve closer attention. As for places within our own Milky Way Galaxy, it has been assumed over the decades that Mars and Venus, as well as some of the moons of Jupiter and Saturn, may have been hosts for life. Now, as technologies have improved and we can obtain measurements of the composition of the atmosphere on extra-solar planets, the chances of finding “alien” life forms are increasing.
There has been a theory that some of the planets in the habitable zone of the red dwarf star Gliese 581 may be able to support life. In 2007, scientists discovered exoplanet Gliese 581c—and felt that its atmosphere was most suitable for supporting life. But further research revealed that it would not. Now, attention has been turned to Gliese 581d, at the outer edge of the star’s habitable zone. The main standards for deciding whether a planetary body can be life-supporting are atmospheric conditions which allow the existence of water. Gliese 581 is about 20. 4 light years away from the Earth, so even if life does exist there, the distance would mean that communication would be unlikely.
Having said this—who says alien life forms (if they exist) need water?
1.What does the underlined part in Paragraph 1 mean?
A.Life existing outside of the Earth.
B.The evidence of the existence of life.
C.Other faraway planets in the universe.
D.Creatures known from science fictions.
2.What makes it possible for people to find “alien beings”?
A.Modern scientific theories. B.Atmospheric conditions.
C.Environments similar to the Earth. D.Advanced technologies.
3.From the passage, we know that _________.
A.the atmosphere of Gliese 581c was most suitable for life
B.it is not certain whether alien life forms need water or not
C.the 7 billion people on the Earth are the only beings in the universe
D.the distance of 20. 4 light years makes it impossible to find life on Gliese 581d
4.Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
A.Do Aliens Exist? B.Is Mars Suitable for Life?
C.Are Alien Life Forms Various? D.Can We Communicate with Aliens?
Dear Sir,
I am writing in reply to your article about homelessness in Ledchester as it raises questions about whether or how we should give money to charity.
There are now so many chances to give to charity in the UK these days that it can be difficult to know what is best to do. As your article said, if you go shopping in Ledchester city centre, there will be many chances to give money to charity, or to homeless people who look poor, tired and cold, but the solution is not as easy as you seem to think. Can I be sure that the person won’t spend the money on alcohol(酒) or drugs? You seem to have forgotten the research which showed that 9 out of 10 people begging on the street spend the money they are given on alcohol and drugs. Also, can I be sure that the person isn’t one of those “professional beggars” who simply pretend to be homeless and poor?
I think a more effective way to give money is to buy things in one of the many charity shops in Ledchester such as the Oxfam shop. This isn’t really charity as you are buying something, but you know the money is going to a good cause.
In recent years, as we all know, there have been a lot of big events organized to raise money for charity. Many will remember “Live Aid”. Lots of famous bands got together to hold a concert and make a record with all the money going to Ethiopia because of the food shortages there. The BBC also has a “Children in Need” day every year. In one sense you could say that these events are very successful as they raise a lot of money. However, I don’t believe that these events solve the real problems. In my view, these events just allow people to feel good about themselves for a day and then forget about charity and problems in the developing world for the rest of the year. My wife and I decided to support a child. We give a certain amount of money every month and this goes to pay for the education of a girl in Ethiopia. I would encourage your readers to support a child too. We don’t know if it is the best way to help, but at least it is something.
Yours faithfully,
Tom Blinson
1.From Paragraph 2, we know that __________.
A.big charity events can solve many problems
B.there are so many homeless people in the UK
C.beggars are pretending to be homeless and poor
D.money given to beggars may not be spent wisely
2.According to the writer, which can be a good choice to help?
A.To help organize charity events. B.To buy things in a charity shop.
C.To give money to homeless people. D.To cover the full cost of a poor kid.
3.According to the passage, what’s the writer’s attitude to money-raising charity events?
A.Positive. B.Objective.
C.Unconcerned. D.Negative.
4.The author wrote the letter mainly to _________.
A.present facts B.give advice
C.explain an idea D.offer encouragement
Rave-on!
How about learning new skills on the guitar, drums and keyboard by video? Follow the touch-screen instructions to find lessons on each instrument, or search for a song to practice playing along to. Try our Professional Selection, with video clips of band members who will explain the techniques that make their recordings so individual.
Show-in-a-day!
Be a star singer or dancer for the day in a one-time-only special performance! Experts in international music and dance styles will train you, and costumes provided for the performance help create a really special, individual show. Get your friends and family to come and see you perform, as no videoing or photography is allowed.
ArchivedImages
Want to find out about a new band, or just want more information about an old favourite? Visit our collection to find out facts and figures, or see the actual possessions of famous bands and musicians you are interested in. You can actually get to touch things worn on stage at major rock and pop events, and there are plenty of other concert souvenirs.
Rhythm-studio
Get your body moving in the studio and learn to move to rhythms and sounds from the past to now, including Soul and Disco. Learn your steps from our professional onscreen dance instructor, then watch your performance and become the star in your own video recording which you can take away!
1.James likes collecting information about his favourite bands, which will he choose?
A.Rave-on! B.Show-in-a-day!
C.ArchivedImages. D.Rhythm-studio.
2.In what way is Rhythm-studio different from Show-in-a-day?
A.Rhythm-studio offers free gifts from musicians.
B.Rhythm-studio has experts to teach face to face.
C.Rhythm-studio allows people to bring videos home.
D.Rhythm-studio gets family members to enjoy the shows.
3.Where can you most probably read the above information?
A.In a newspaper. B.In a report.
C.In a science magazine. D.In a travel brochure.
Preschool girl lifts old man’s spirits
When Tara Wood brought her daughter to a grocery store to buy the four-year-old some birthday cupcakes, she had no idea that would be a life-changing _______.
As Tara pushed her daughter Norah around the store last month, she _______ an old man who was by himself. The old man looked cold, until Norah shouted to him, “Hi! It’s my birthday today!” The man stopped and his demeanor (举止、态度) changed from distant and serious to warm and _______. “How old are you today?” the man asked. After some time talking together, Norah asked her mom to take a _______ of her with her new friend “Mr. Dan”, Dan Peterson, 82 and then went their separate ways. That could have been the _______ of the story. But it was actually the beginning of a(n) _______ relationship.
Tara _______ the picture of her daughter and Mr. Dan on Facebook. Someone who _______ him reached out to her with Mr. Dan’s contact information. It turned out that Mr. Dan’s wife died in March and he had been _______ from depression and anxiety ever since. The person on Facebook told Tara that it was the first time they had seen Mr. Dan ________ since the death of his wife. Knowing that, Tara contacted Mr. Dan, and ever since Norah and the 82-year-old have developed a ________ unlike any other. “She has shown me a depth of love, a depth that I didn’t know existed,” Mr. Dan told the reporter.
Mr. Dan told Tara that before meeting Norah, he hadn’t had one night of uninterrupted ________ Anxiety kept him up at all hours and ________ him restless. After meeting Norah, he said he now sleeps soundly. For Mr. Dan’s 82nd birthday on October 20, the mother and the daughter brought balloons and presents—and, of course, cupcakes. Mr. Dan will also spend a day around Thanksgiving with Norah and her family. “If you don’t take the time to ________ people, you will never know how you can ________ impact a life,” Tara Wood said.
1.A.question B.idea C.experience D.promise
2.A.passed B.stopped C.welcomed D.shocked
3.A.calm B.unpleasant C.rude D.friendly
4.A.look B.picture C.seat D.message
5.A.end B.clue C.scene D.truth
6.A.poor B.special C.ordinary D.strange
7.A.took B.drew C.sold D.posted
8.A.followed B.confused C.recognized D.cured
9.A.escaping B.benefiting C.suffering D.learning
10.A.talk B.smile C.walk D.eat
11.A.plan B.skill C.knowledge D.friendship
12.A.sleep B.chat C.meal D.view
13.A.found B.made C.watched D.regarded
14.A.notice B.award C.rescue D.attract
15.A.legally B.suitably C.responsibly D.positively
疫情期间，开展线上教学，青少年由于看电脑，用手机时间过长，眼睛近视问题越来越严重，成为学校、家长和社会关注的热点问题。请你就此问题，并结合自身情况，就如何改善青少年近视问题给出合理建议，以“How to Protect Our Eyes ”为题写一篇作文。
Nowadays more and more students are becoming short-sighted,
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