A small ,white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree and it has been there for the past ten years or so.
It all began because my husband Justin hated Christmas—oh, not the true meaning of Christmas.Overspending was one thing, but compared to the difficult experience of choosing gifts—running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and a pair of gloves for Grandma…,spending money is nothing. I felt too tired to think of any special gifts.
Knowing Justin felt the same way, I decided one year not to buy the usual shirts, sweaters, ties and so on. I reached for something special just for Justin. The inspiration came in an unusual way.
Our son Kevin, who was 12 that year, was wrestling （摔跤）at the junior level at the school he attended; and shortly before Christmas, there was a match against a team sponsored (赞助) by an inner-city church.These youngsters, dressed in such worn-out shoes that shoe strings seemed to be the only thing holding them together, while our boys were in their blue and gold uniforms and new wrestling shoes.
As the match began, I was shocked to see that the other team were wrestling without wearing helmets (头盔) to protect their ears. Well, our boys ended up defeating them. We took every weight class.
Justin, seated beside me, shook his head sadly, “I wish just one of them could have won,” he said. “They have a lot potential (潜力) , but losing like this could take the heart out of them.” Justin loved kids—all kids, and he knew them, having coached little league football and baseball. That’s when the idea for his present came. That afternoon, I went to a local sporting goods store and bought different kinds of wrestling helmets and shoes. I sent them to inner-city church without leaving my name.
On Christmas Eve, I placed the envelope on the tree, the note inside telling Justin what I had done and that was his gift from me. His smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year and since then the envelope has become the highlight of our Christmas. Justin hated Christmas because _____.
| A．he didn’t enjoy receiving gifts |
| B．he had a hard time choosing gifts |
| C．he spent too much money buying gifts |
| D．he disliked putting gifts under the Christmas tree |
We know from the passage that the team sponsored by inner-city church_____.
| A．were well dressed |
| B．paid no attention to safety |
| C．feared Kevin’s team |
| D．couldn’t afford a helmet |
How did Justin feel about the team’s failure ?
| A．Upset | B．Angry | C．Hopeless | D．Shameful |
Why did the writer send gifts to the inner-city church without leaving her name ?
| A．To avoid being thanked |
| B．To play a joke on Justin |
| C．To give Justin a surprise |
| D．To protect her private information |
Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
| A．The Church Gift | B．A Special Note | C．The White Envelope | D．A Christmas Card |
The rules above are made for ______ .
| A．students | B．workers |
| C．patients | D．presidents |
According to the rules, the residents（住宿者）can ______ .
| A．make tea and cook meals |
| B．play loud music at 11 p.m. |
| C．watch TV in their free time |
| D．hang clothes out of the window |
How soon can you be fluent in your chosen language?
| A．In a week | B．In a month |
| C．In a year | D．In two months |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the advertisement?
| A．Parla is a method of learning languages. |
| B．You will get CDs and books from the training center. |
| C．Any trail must be paid. |
| D．100 thousand people have learned another language with“ Parla” |
Some etiquette（礼仪）in modern life
Do you often use a mobile phone? Do you take the subway to school every day? These items make our modern life easier. But do you know how we should behave properly while using them? The following suggestions might be helpful.
For mobile phone users
◆Keep your voice down when you make a phone call in public. Shouting on the phone may make others feel uncomfortable. And you’d better not use it during an appointment（约会）.
◆Stop sending messages or playing games with your mobile phone at a dinner or a party. It’s a good time to communicate with your family and friends.
◆Don’t make or answer a call while driving. It is not only very dangerous for both you and your passengers but also against the law.
For subway passengers
◆You are supposed to wait in line while buying tickets and getting on the subway.
◆You’re not allowed to eat, drink or smoke on the subway train. The smell and noise may trouble others. It’s our duty to keep the train clean and tidy. Besides, smoking is bad for health.
◆You can’t take pets on the train. As we all know, animals may spread diseases and get the train dirty. Which items are proper when using your mobile phone?
| A．We can send messages or play games at a dinner or a party. |
| B．We can’t make or answer a call while driving. |
| C．We can use it during an appointment. |
| D．We can make a phone call loudly in public. |
The underlined phrase “spread diseases " means ________ in Chinese.
| A．咬人 | B．生病 |
| C．传播疾病 | D．随地小便 |
任务型阅读（本大题共5小题，每小题1分，共5分）
Some people believe that your nationality can influence your personality. This is why you might hear someone saying “She is a typical(典型的) Australian” or “He is so French”. It seems that people from a certain country share certain similar characteristics.
French
French people are often seen as romantic and outgoing people with a great love for life, food and wine. They are good at singing and dancing.
Chinese
Chinese are friendly people who are hard-working. They are polite because they are careful about “saving face” when dealing with other people.
Australians
Australians are merry people who spend a lot of time outdoors. They enjoy a shower life. They laugh a lot but sometimes people think they are loud and rude.
Germans
Germans are often described as being serious and careful. They are hard workers and pay a lot of attention to details. However, sometimes people say Germans have no sense of humour.
All these national types can be true for some people, but very wrong for others. For example, you might meet a German who is a confident singer with a great sense of humour, or an Australian who is shy and quiet!
| Personalities and Nationalities |
||
| Opinion |
People from a certain country share certain similar characteristics. |
|
| Examples |
French |
Romantic and outing. Love life, food and wine. Good singers and___ |
| Chinese |
Friendly, hard-working and polite. Afraid of “__ |
|
| Australians |
Like to stay __ Laugh a lot. Merry, sometimes loud and rude. |
|
| Germans |
Pay attention to details. Serious and careful, not ___ |
|
| Conclusion |
Nationalities may _ |
Jodie’s Daddy is a Garbageman(垃圾清理工)
Mr Swales wanted to find out what his students’ parents did. He had just called Jodie when some girls burst out laughing. Shirley shouted, “Jodie’s Daddy is a Garbageman!”
Everybody in the class laughed out loud, except Jodie. She felt her face turn red.
“Silence!” Mr Swales said, “Being a garbagemen is a difficult and useful job. We should all be grateful to Jodie’s father.”
Jodie’s father came to walk her home from school as usual, but she didn’t run up to him the way she always did. When they got back home, Jodie went to her room and cried for a long time.
Her father came into her room, “What happened, Jodie? Why are you so sad?”
Jodie told her father what had happened and looked at him. He didn’t seem angry or hurt. “Well,” he said, “they are right. Being a garbageman is a dirty job. Tomorrow’s Saturday. Come to work with me, Jodie.”
The place really smell too good. Jodie wrinkled her nose. “Don’t worry, kid. In five minute you won’t smell a thing.” said her father.
Everybody there was working hard, and they seemed to have a good time. Jodie’s father handed her a pair of gloves and told her to get the little plastic bags and throw them into the truck.
It was fun, but also hard work. Jodie’s arms soom got tired. At last, no more garbage was left and Jodie felt very happy.
“Garbage is disgusting, but when we clear it away, everything’s nice and clean. You can make yourself happy only by making other happy. That’s why I like being a garbageman so much.”
Jodie give her dirty, smeely garbageman daddy a big kiss(吻). She said, “When I grow up, I will be a garbagegirl!”
Now whenever someone asks Jodie what her daddy does, she says, “He’s a garbageman! Everybody makes garbage, but my daddy takes it away!” What happened in My Swale’s class?
| A．He wanted to show what job was the most useful. |
| B．He asked an improper question. |
| C．Jodie gave an honest answer. |
| D．Jodie was laughed at. |
Why did Jodie’s father take her to his workplace?
| A．To make Jodie calm down |
| B．To prove how dirty his job was. |
| C．To help Jodie learn about his job. |
| D．To keep Jodie away from her classmates. |
Jodie gave her father a big kiss mainly because ______.
| A．he was kind | B．he was unselfish |
| C．he was cheerful | D．he as hardworking |
How does Jodie feel about her father now?
| A．Sad | B．Curious |
| C．Proud | D．Guilty |
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