He wishes the holiday season would end already. His back aches, his red suit feels like a spacesuit , his cheeks have gone tight from smiling for 12 hours —and still the kids keep coming and coming , like ants at a picnic . As Christmas becomes more commercialized (商业化) across the U. S. and Canada, so must Santas. As the holiday begins earlier each year, so must its spokesmen .
The questions from children these days are harder than ever. Now, with thousands of children expecting a father or mother serving in Iraq or Afghanistan, the questions are as heart-breaking as they are unanswerable. For example, “Can you please bring Daddy home from the war in time for Christmas morning?”
Santas also have a pretty good chance of getting sued (指控). A professional Santa Claus in Canada told a story: A Santa had a girl on his knee, and he commented, “You have nice eyes and nice hair.” The girl later said it was sexual harassment (骚扰) . When a Santa feels anxious, he often shows it in the same ways ordinary people do: The Santas were always seen to hang around at the dinner table when the show ended. Many of them just sleep in bed for several days and don’t see other children again.In the first paragraph, “spokesmen” refers to .
| A．businessmen | B．political leaders |
| C．organizers of the activities | D．Santa Clauses |
The passage implies that the job of Santa Claus is .
| A．well-paid | B．very hard | C．worth doing | D．dangerous |
According to the third paragraph, Santas may sometimes be blamed(责备) for .
| A．doing something against the law |
| B．hanging around the dinner table |
| C．being lazy and sleeping in bed for days |
| D．not playing their roles as expected |
What would be the best title for the passage ?
| A．Christmas: Not a Good Festival for Santas | B．Is Santa Claus Really Alive? |
| C．A Christmas Story | D．What Does Santa Claus Do for Children? |
A popular CCTV host’s “improper remarks” that were caught on video at a dinner party have led to an investigation into the incident and a suspension of his programs.
The video, released online on Monday, showed host Bi Fujian using vulgar words about Chairman Mao Zedong while singing in the style of Peking Opera, enraging（激怒） some netizens and causing a stir on the Internet.
CCTV said on its micro blog on Wednesday that it will investigate the incident, which it said many have found disturbing.
Bi’s programs will stop being broadcast until at least Sunday, as his comments in the video have seriously damaged the broadcaster’s image, Huaxi Metropolis Daily quoted a CCTV staff member as saying.
The CCTV employee said it is uncertain whether the programs can be broadcast again after Sunday, the report added.
Bi, 56, is popular for a hosting style that engages the audience. He has hosted the CCTV Spring Festival Gala since 2012, as well as a popular talent show involving Westerners speaking Chinese. The cancellation was the first decision after Nie Chenxi was named CCTV president on Tuesday, the report said, adding that Nie had ordered all staff members to strictly correct work styles.
A micro-blogger named Zhou Junchi said that free speech doesn’t mean it is OK to defame others, adding that Bi’s comments were not proper for a popular host. Cheng Manli, a professor specializing in communication at Peking University, echoed Zhou, saying Bi should pay more attention to his behavior and speech as a public figure.
“It does not mean we cannot share our opinions, but using ugly words and sarcasm to comment on Chinese leaders who have passed away is improper,” Cheng said.
“The actions and words of celebrities are easily broadened in today’s Internet era, which is open and can have a huge influence, so it is a must for the public figures to boost the quality of their speech and behavior. Otherwise, their images will be affected, such as the stars who were recently punished for drug use,” she said.
“Everyone should take responsibility for what he or she says in public and online. It’s better, I think, to share different ideas in a normal way,” she suggested. But she added that the party in the video seemed private, “so its release is also improper to some extent.”
The video was recorded by someone sitting on Bi’s right, but who it is and why the video was put online is unknown.According to the passage, CCTV’s response when the incident happened was ______.
| A．to change his job |
| B．to have Bi Fujian fired |
| C．to look into the matter |
| D．to make him apologize |
We can learn from the passage that _______.
| A．Bi Fujian’s program will be stopped forever |
| B．the incident happened before the new CCTV president’s arrival |
| C．the video was recorded when Bi Fujian was working in a program |
| D．Huaxi Metropolis Daily thinks the incident damages CCTV’s image |
As is mentioned in the passage, Chen Manli holds the view that________.
| A．Bi Fujian should be severely punished |
| B．a celebrity’s influence can be enlarged through the Internet |
| C．public figures should not share their opinions |
| D．it is all right to release private video of a celebrity |
The underlined word “boost” probably means “_________”.
| A．cover | B．improve |
| C．influence | D．Solve |
Immigration is the act of coming to a foreign country to live. The act of leaving one's country to settle in another is called emigration. Immigrants who flee their country because of persecution, war, or such disasters as famines or epidemics are known as refugees or displaced persons. Most people find it very hard to pull up roots in their native land and move to a strange country. But throughout history, countless millions of people have done so. The heaviest immigration worldwide took place from the early 1800's to the Great Depression, the economic hard times of the 1930's. In that period, about 60 million people moved to a new land. Most came from Europe. More than half immigrated to the United States. Other destinations included Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. Today, the availability of fast, safe, and cheap transportation helps make migration easier. Asia is replacing Europe as the major immigrant-sending area. The United States remains the chief receiving nation.
People abandon their homeland and move to another country for various reasons.
The main reason for immigration has long been economic opportunity----the desire for better land or a better job. During the 1800's, for example, the rich prairie land of the United States attracted many European farmers. Today, professional people commonly emigrate because of better opportunities elsewhere. Such emigration has sometimes been called brain drain. Many doctors and nurses and numerous engineers and scientists have moved to the United States.
Religious persecution has led many people to move to a new land for the freedom to practice their faith. Such immigrants include Jews expelled from England in the 1200's.
Wars, revolutions, and political unrest have driven innumerable people to find new homes. In the 1990's alone, millions of refugees fled from warfare in Afghanistan, Iraq, Liberia, Iran, Uganda, Southeastern Asia, and Central America.
Some immigrants were brought to a new land against their will. From the 1500's to the 1800's Europeans shipped black Africans to the Western Hemisphere as slaves. The United Kingdom transported prisoners to Australia from the late 1700s to the 1860s to relieve over crowding in British jails. Before that time, the United Kingdom sent prisoners to the American colonies.
Immigrants have made enormous contributions to the culture and economy of such nations as Australia, Canada, New Zealand the United States. But their accomplishments have been made with great difficulty. At times, the United States, like many receiving countries, has restricted immigration to maintain a more homogeneous society in which all the people share the same ethnic, geographic, and cultural background. Although some immigration laws have been relaxed, many new comers of different backgrounds still face challenges in gaining acceptance.Most Immigrants to the United States in the nineteenth century came from _______.
| A．Europe | B．Asia | C．Australia | D．South Africa |
There are altogether______ reasons of immigration listed in the passage.
| A．2 | B．3 | C．4 | D．5 |
The main reason for immigration is __________according to the passage.
| A．slavery trade | B．religious persecution |
| C．economic opportunity | D．political unrest |
In the last paragraph ,“a homogeneous society” is one in which__________.
| A．immigration laws have been relaxed. |
| B．people from different backgrounds live harmoniously together. |
| C．a brain drain occurs. |
| D．people share the same ethnic, geographic, and cultural backgrounds. |
Deaf teenagers Orlando Chavez and German Resendiz have been friends since kindergarten. Together the two boys, who go to Escondido High School in California, have had the difficult job of learning in schools where the majority of the students can speak and hear.
Orlando lost his hearing at the age of one. German was born deaf, and his parents moved from Mexico to find a school where he could learn sign language. He met Orlando on their first day of kindergarten.
“We were in a special class with about 25 other deaf kids,” German remembers. “Before then, I didn’t know I was deaf and that I was different.”
“Being young and deaf in regular classes was very hard,” signs Orlando. “The other kids didn’t understand us and we didn’t understand them. But we’ve all grown up together, and today, I’m popular because I’m deaf. Kids try hard to communicate with me.”
Some things are very difficult for the two boys.“We can’t talk on the phone, so if we need help, we can’t call an emergency service,” German signs. “And we can’t order food in a drive-thru.”
Despite their difficulties, the two boys have found work putting food in bags at a local supermarket. They got their jobs through a “workability” program, designed for teenagers from local schools with different types of learning disabilities.
German has worked in the supermarket since August, and Orlando started in November.
“The other people who work here have been very nice to us,” Orlando signs.“They even sign sometimes. At first, we were nervous, but we’ve learned a lot and we’re getting better.”
The opportunity to earn money has been exciting, both boys said. After high school, they hope to attend the National Technical Institute for the Deaf in New York.Orlando and German have been_____________.
| A．to Mexico together. |
| B．deaf since they were born. |
| C．friends since they were very young. |
| D．to different high schools. |
The word “emergency” in paragraph 5 is closest in meaning to________.
| A．food. | B．crisis. | C．alarm. | D．quick. |
Both boys are happy to__________________.
| A．have the opportunity to earn money. |
| B．work at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf. |
| C．help students with learning disabilities. |
| D．design programs for the deaf. |
Raised in a motherless home, my father was extremely tightfisted towards us children. His attitude didn’t soften as I grew into adulthood and went to college. I had to ride the bus whenever I came home. Though the bus stopped about two miles from home, Dad never met me, even in severe weather. If I grumbled, he’d say in his loudest father-voice, “That’s what your legs are for!”
The walk didn’t bother me as much as the fear of walking alone along the highway and country roads. I also felt less than valued that my father didn’t seem concerned about my safety. But that feeling was cancelled one spring evening.
It had been a particularly difficult week at college after long hours in labs. I longed for home. When the bus reached the stop, I stepped off and dragged my suitcase to begin the long journey home.
A row of hedge（树篱）edged the driveway that climbed the hill to our house. Once I had turned off the highway to start the last lap of my journey, I always had a sense of relief to see the hedge because it meant that I was almost home. On that particular evening, the hedge had just come into view when I saw something gray moving along the top of the hedge, moving toward the house. Upon closer observation, I realized it was the top of my father’s head. Then I knew, each time I’d come home, he had stood behind the hedge, watching, until he knew I had arrived safely. I swallowed hard against the tears. He did care, after all.
On later visits, that spot of gray became my watchtower. I could hardly wait until I was close enough to watch for its secret movement above the greenery. Upon reaching home, I would find my father sitting innocently in his chair. “So! My son, it’s you!” he’d say, his face lengthening into pretended surprise.
I replied, “Yes, Dad, it’s me. I’m home.” What does the underlined word “grumbled” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?
| A．Accepted happily. | B．Spoke unhappily. |
| C．Agreed willingly. | D．Explained clearly. |
What made the author feel upset was ______.
| A．the tiredness after long hours in labs. |
| B．the fear of seeing something moving. |
| C．the feeling of being less than valued. |
| D．the loneliness of riding the bus home. |
The author’s father watched behind the hedge because ______.
| A．he wanted to help his son build up courage. |
| B．he was concerned about his son’s safety. |
| C．he didn’t want to meet his son at the doorway. |
| D．he didn’t think his son was old enough to walk alone. |
Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
| A．Terrible Journey Home. | B．My College Life. |
| C．My Father’s Secret. | D．Riding Bus Alone. |
We are all called upon to make a speech at some point in life, but most of us don’t do a very good job. This article gives some suggestions on how to give an effective speech.
So, you have to give a speech—and you are terrified. You get nervous, you forget what you want to say, you stumble over words, you talk too long, and you bore your audience. Later you think, “Thank Goodness, it’s over. I’m just not good at public speaking. I hope I never have to do that again.”
Cheep up! It doesn’t have to be that bad. Here are some simple steps to take the pain out of speech making. Ask yourself the purpose of your speech. What is the occasion? Why are you speaking? Then, gather as many facts as you can on your subject. Spend plenty of your time doing your research. Then spend plenty of your time organizing your material so that your speech is clear and easy to follow. Use as many examples as possible, and use pictures, charts, and graphs if they help you make your points more clearly. Never forget your audience. Don’t talk over their heads, and don’t talk down to them. Treat your audience with respect. They will appreciate your thoughtfulness.
Just remember: Be prepared. Know your subject, your audience, and the occasion. Be brief. Say what you have to say and then stop. And be yourself. Let your personality come through so that you make person-to-person contact with your audience.
If you follow these simple steps, you will see that you don’t have to be afraid of public speaking. In fact, you may find the experience so enjoyable that you volunteer to make more speeches! You’re not convinced yet? Give it a try and see what happens.The main idea of this article is .
| A．that you can improve your speaking ability |
| B．that a poor speaker can never change |
| C．to always make a short speech |
| D．that it is hard to make a speech |
Paragraph 2 implies that .
| A．many people are afraid of giving a speech |
| B．many people are happy to give a speech |
| C．many people don’t prepare for a speech |
| D．many people talk too long |
The phrase “talk over their heads” means .
| A．speak too loudly |
| B．look at the ceiling |
| C．look down upon them |
| D．use words and ideas that are too difficult |
All of the following statements are TRUE except .
| A．few people know how to make good speeches |
| B．a lecturer does not need to organize his speech |
| C．research is important in preparing a speech |
| D．there are simple steps you can take to improve your speaking ability |
The title for this passage may be .
| A．Do Not Make a Long Speech |
| B．How to Give a Good Speech |
| C．How to prepare for a Speech |
| D．Try to Enjoy a speech |
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