There are some Christmas traditions between the United Kingdom and the United States.
Letters to Santa Claus
In the United States, kids usually write letters to Santa and put them in the mailbox. However, in England we throw them directly into the fire. We don't plan to make kids cry because burning the letters can send them to the North Pole where Santa can read your Christmas wishes in the smoke. It may seem strange but it does save on postage.
Hanging stocking
Traditionally, American kids hang stockings around the fireplace for Santa to fill with presents. But in the UK. we hang stockings around the bed; being surrounded by presents is a fantastic way to wake up on Christmas morning.
Christmas pudding
Americans prefer to have pumpkin and pecan pies for the Christmas dessert; while we British are fond of Christmas pudding. which is a cake flavored with dried fruits and spices.
Dealing with Christmas tree
We British chose to take down the Christmas trees and the decorations within 12 days of Christmas, because we hold the belief that keeping then beyond that time can bring bad luck. This is probably a tradition that Americans should consider adopting. I have seen people keep their old, brown, dry and withered Christmas trees until almost July 4.
1.How do the British people deal with "Letters to Father Christmas"?
A.Emailing them to Santa. B.Hiding them in the mailbox.
C.Putting them in the stockings. D.Throwing them straight into the fire.
2.Why do the British take down the Christmas tree as early as possible?
A.To stop it from drying B.To expect good luck.
C.To save money. D.To reuse it for the next year.
3.What do Christmas traditions between Britain and America have in common?
A.Writing letters to Santa. B.Making pumpkin pudding.
C.Hanging stockings around the bed. D.Keeping Christmas trees for months.
假定你是李华, 你的澳大利亚好友Jack对中国传统戏剧（Chinese traditional opera）很感兴趣, 请你写一封邮件给他, 邀请他参加你们学校刚成立的戏剧社团, 内容包括：
1.写邮件的目的；
2.戏剧社团活动的时间和地点；
3.戏剧社团定期开展的活动。
注意：1.词数100左右；
2.可以适当增加细节, 以使行文连贯；
3.开头和结尾已给出, 不计人总词数。
Dear Jack,
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours sincerely,
Li Hua
Most of us remember our teachers. One or two might slip the_______, but even the most unimportant ones have some_______on us. Then there are those who remain guides for life. For me there was Dr Wylie—his unusual ways threw new_______on maths. And my English teacher, Dr Parry, _______my science and maths-focused brain to the joys of literature. I didn’t realize it at the time, but those two_______shaped my future.
As a journalist I_______ major events, but I cared only shallowly. Now as a teacher, I communicate with just a group of teenagers, but I care_______:those struggling to make friends, those_______in with the wrong crowd or those doing brilliantly. I have made them_______poems by heart and we are going to be listening to classical music.________, I am trying to build up their cultural capital, to broaden their eyes and to________ them to worlds beyond their own.
I’ve found that most people don’t think of teaching as being quite as________as writing for newspapers. Tell people you are a journalist, and at least some will________it interesting. _______ you tell someone you are a teacher, you can see memories of their school days _______ back, and fear flash in their eyes. So teaching isn’t for the faint-hearted(胆怯的). It can be ________work—but is there anything worthwhile in life that isn’t? Some classes can be _______ at times. But don’t believe how terrible and self-centred teenagers are. They are ________and full of potential. It is my job—and my________pleasure—to help them achieve it and to give them the solid________that will let them blossom.
1.A.memory B.ear C.hand D.ability
2.A.expectation B.expression C.influence D.reaction
3.A.light B.doubt C.question D.blame
4.A.sent B.opened C.asked D.helped
5.A.students B.colleagues C.workers D.teachers
6.A.lived with B.dealt with C.fought with D.came with
7.A.typically B.interestingly C.deeply D.powerfully
8.A.taking B.giving C.filling D.falling
9.A.learn B.lose C.break D.organize
10.A.In sight B.In short C.In cash D.In order
11.A.introduce B.apply C.contribute D.settle .
12.A.permanent B.well-paid C.attractive D.shocking
13.A.keep B.prove C.want D.consider
14.A.If B.Unless C.Because D.Where
15.A.bring B.step C.flood D.look .
16.A.easy B.amusing C.comfortable D.tough
17.A.friendly B.common C.challenging D.natural
18.A.unwise B.amazing C.foolish D.careless
19.A.slight B.possible C.quick D.absolute
20.A.service B.roots C.mottoes D.roles
Our world is more connected than ever before thanks to technology.1.. Indeed, it is becoming increasingly important that we all learn how to deal with this painful feeling.
You should be determined to actively end your loneliness. We often end up passively waiting for someone else to make us feel less lonely. You may feel that your loneliness indicates that nobody is willing to connect with you. And there is nothing you can do about it. But that is far from the truth.2..
You should find reasons why you are lonely. We all feel lonely for different reasons. Some of us have no one else to interact(互动) with on a consistent basis and that's why we feel lonely. You may feel that the people in your life don't share your thoughts and ideas.3., you need to identify it. And you know exactly how to handle your loneliness.
4.. People who are lonely tend to fall into destructive mental habits. They try to avoid the pain of not being understood and being disconnected by not giving people any chance to understand and connect with them.That's not what you should choose to do. Instead, you should share your thoughts and feelings with others and do so openly and fearlessly.
You should find people who share your interests. 5., everybody is interested in something.And just as there are many interests, there are many people who share those interests. Find what interests you and connect with others on that basis.
A.Whatever the reason is
B.Whether it's coin collecting or video games
C.If you have no reason to share your interests
D.You should be true to yourself or actively end loneliness
E.You should be open about your thoughts, ideas and desires
F.Ending loneliness is something that you can and should do actively
G.However, more and more of us find ourselves having to stand loneliness
It seems we're always being told to get more sleep. Studies suggest spending less time on sleep can lead to obesity(肥胖) and even cancer. You might even find yourself with a head full of false memories. But rarely does science explore the dark side of sleeping too much. That's because few of us in today's busy world have the luck of exploring that option.
In an August 2018 study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, researchers researched the sleep patterns of those“fortunate”few and found they may not be so lucky after all. In fact, they found people who get more than eight hours of sleep have greater health risk compared to those who sleep together less than seven hours. What's more, sleep-aholics-those who manage to get 10 hours a night-stand a 30 percent higher chance of dying compared to the seven-hour crowd.
The wide-ranging global study involved(涉及) more than three million people who self-reported on their sleep habits and came to an eye-opening conclusion: If you tend to sleep a lot, you may want to buy an alarm clock. As with all things in life, sleep is best taken in moderation（适度）.
You may be thinking: What if I only sleep in on Saturday and Sunday, am I still at risk? The answer is yes, according to a 2019 study published in Current Biology. Researchers discovered that even if a person sleeps more than seven hours on the weekends but still sleeps less than that on weeknights, they are at risk of gaining weight and developing sensitivity to insulin, which controls the level of sugar in blood.
For the study, 36 participants were divided into three groups that each had a different sleep schedule: nine hours every night, five hours every night, and five hours from Monday to Friday and sleeping much on weekends. People who get too much sleep tend to feel tired and lack energy. Also, both sleep-deprived（睡眠不足的) groups consume more food and gain weight.
1.Why is the harmful effect of sleeping too much seldom studied?
A.Few people have time to sleep too much. B.Lack of sleep causes much more harm.
C.It turns out to be a healthy sleep pattern. D.People's health has nothing to do with it.
2.What does the underlined words "those 'fortunate' few" in paragraph 2 refer to?
A.Those leading a relaxing life. B.Those getting too much sleep.
C.Those with less time to sleep. D.Those with no sleep problems.
3.What can be learned from the 2019 study?
A.Sleeping much is particularly beneficial to hungry people.
B.Many people sleep more on weekends than on weekdays.
C.An alarm clock of high quality is important for good sleep.
D.People who sleep much only on weekends also have health risk.
4.What is the main idea of the text?
A.It is necessary to save enough time for sleep.
B.Too much sleep can result in gaining weight.
C.Sleeping too much does harm to people's health.
D.People can avoid sleeping much by eating healthily.
Russia’s Soyuz spacecraft, which has been transporting all astronauts to and from the International Space Station（ISS）since 2011, typically carries a crew of three. However, the MS-14 capsule launched（发射）from a Russian spaceport in southern Kazakhstan on August 22, 2019, had just one passenger—a human-like robot named Skybot F-850.
The robot is the latest version of Russia’s FEDOR robots, which were initially designed to help with search and rescue efforts. Skybot is good at many human skills, including driving a car, having short conversations, and even telling jokes. But since it lacks some special sills, the spacecraft to the ISS was piloted from the ground by scientists from Russia’s space Agency. Roscosmos.
The six-foot-tall, 350-pound robot had another important task while on board. Without risking the lives of human astronauts, it helped Roscosmos researchers test the safety and flight experience of the new Soyuz-2.1, a carrier rocket, which carried the spacecraft into orbit. The feedback（反馈）will be important in determining if the rocket is safe to transport future human crews to space.
Though the launch into orbit went smoothly, Skybot’s arrival at the ISS was delayed by three days, from August 24 to August 27. The delay didn’t seem to bother the robot, which announced its arrival, “Sorry about the delay. Met with traffic. Ready to work now.”
Skybot’s two-week task is largely a test to measure its ability to work effectively in microgravity, and includes simple tasks like using tools. If all goes well, Russia hopes to send more advanced versions of the FEDOR robots to help astronauts with special tasks.
Earlier this year, the US space agency launched two little robots called Astrobees to help astronauts with daily chores, like finding lost pieces of equipment. Meanwhile, the European Space Agency’s social AI-powered CIMON spent a year assisting astronauts, before returning to Earth on August 27, 2019.
1.What is Skybot F-850 unable to do？
A.Drive a vehicle like humans. B.Conduct short conversations.
C.Say something funny to people. D.Pilot the spacecraft to the ISS.
2.How long did it take Skybot F-850 to fly to the ISS？
A.Two days. B.Three days.
C.Five days. D.Fourteen days.
3.We infer from the text that Skybot .
A.is bound to take the place of human crews
B.isn’t the first robot to help at the space station
C.worked with two other robots to assist astronauts
D.was launched to measure its security and flexibility
4.Where is the text most likely from？
A.A science experiment. B.A news report.
C.A technology guidebook. D.A research paper.
