Two Christmas traditions have come under attack in recent years from environmentalists: Christmas cards and Christmas trees.
Paper cards are seen as wasteful and, for some people, going card-free is another way of going green. They also argue that in a world of e-mail, Skype, Facebook and Twitter, people are in touch all the time anyway; they no longer need the yearly card that connects them with long lost friends. If you want to send Christmas greetings, there are free e-cards, which get the job done with no postage or wasted paper.
However, especially for people who didn’t grow up with e-mail, there is something missing from a Christmas e-mail. The first Christmas cards appeared in London in 1843 and were designed by the same man who had introduced the world’s first postage stamp three years earlier. His name was Sir Henry Cole.
They rose in popularity throughout the 20th century. Many people sent cards that were sold for charity. The most famous of these are the ones sold for UNICEF. In the UK this year, in the three weeks before Christmas, the post office expects to handle 100 million cards every day. Environmental awareness also means that nowadays many people recycle their cards; this helps raise money to plant more trees, as well as recreating more paper.
When we think of trees at Christmas, there is one that immediately springs(跃入)mind---the evergreen tree that people decorate with ornaments and place their presents under. The custom dates back almost a thousand years to Germany. Nowadays 33 to 36 million Christmas trees are produced in America and 50 to 60 million in Europe each year. Some trees are sold live with roots and soil so people can plant them later and reuse them next year.
Some people prefer artificial trees as they are reusable and much cheaper than their natural alternative. However, environmentalists point out that they are made from petroleum (石油) products and so have many pollution issues.What is the main idea of the article?
| A．To introduce the history of two typical Christmas traditions. |
| B．To explain the debate about some Christmas traditions. |
| C．To analyze how two Christmas traditions grew in popularity. |
| D．To point out the problems caused by celebrating Christmas. |
What does the underlined word “They” in the fourth paragraph probably mean?
| A．Many people | B．Christmas e-mails | C．Postage stamps | D．Christmas cards |
Some people suggest getting rid of paper cards because .
a. they cannot be recycled b. they are not environmentally friendly
c. they are mostly sold for charity d. the e-cards have many advantages over them
e. they are not as necessary as they used to be for people
| A．a, b, d | B．a, c, d | C．b, d, e | D．b, c, e |
What can we conclude from the article?
| A．The first Christmas cards were designed earlier than the world’s first stamps. |
| B．This year has seen a dramatic drop in Christmas card sales. |
| C．Environmentalists advise people to buy cards that are sold for charity. |
| D．Growing environmental awareness is encouraging people to recycle their cards. |
Which of the following statements in TRUE according to the article?
| A．There is always a wider Christmas tree market in America than in Europe. |
| B．The custom of decorating Christmas trees first appeared in Britain. |
| C．Some people prefer to buy live trees that can be reused next year. |
| D．Artificial trees are better than natural ones in all aspects. |
The 16 operations W．Mitchell received after the motorcycle accident burned more than 65％ of his body at age 46 left him unable to pick up a fork，dial a telephone or go to the bathroom without help．But Mitchell never believed he was defeated．“I am in charge of my own spaoeship,” he said．“It’s my up，my down．I could choose to see this situation as a setback or afstarting point．”
Mitchell bought himself a home in Colorado，a plane and a bar．Later he teamed upwith two friends and co-founded a wood burning stove company that grew to be the second largest private employer in his state．Six months later he was piloting the plane．Then four years after the motorcycle accident，the plane Mitchell was piloting crashed back onto the runway during takeoff, permanently paralyzing(使…瘫痪)him from the waist down．
Still determined，Mitchell worked day and night to regain as much independence as possible．He was elected Mayor of Crested Butte，Colorado, to save the town from mineral mining that would ruin its beauty and environment．
Despite his shocking looks and physical challenges, Mitchell began white water rafting(漂流)，fell in love and married, earned a master’s degree in public administration and continued flying，environmental activism and public speaking．
Mitchell’s unshakable positive mental attitude has earned him appearances on the “Today Show’’and “Good Moming America” as well as feature articles in Parade, Time, The New York Times and other publications．
Mitchell has done all these things and more afar two horrible accidents left his face beyond recognition，his hands flngerless and his legs thin：and motionless(不动)in a wheelchair．Then what can't we healthy guys achieve?What can we learn from the first paragraph?
| A．Mitchell couldn’t face the fact that he was defeated． |
| B．The operations Mitchell received made him hopeless． |
| C．Mitchell was optimistic about what happened to him． |
| D．Mitchell was in his spaceship when the accident occurred． |
What did Mirehell do after his first accident?
| A．He learned to pilot a plane． |
| B．He was employed by a company． |
| C．He began to drive a spaceship. |
| D．He made another two new friends． |
What was the result of Mitchell’s plane crash accident?
| A．His body under the waistcouldn’t move． |
| B．He was elected mayor of Crested Butte． |
| C．He became the hero of many publications． |
| D．More than half of his body was burned． |
After the two horrible accidents, Mitchell ．
| A．stopped flying，environmental protection and public speaking． |
| B．co-founded a wood burning stove company with his friends． |
| C．stopped to open mineral mining in Crested Butte． |
| D．earned a master’s degree in public administration． |
What has earned Mitchell appearances in many famous publications?
| A．His shocking looks． | B．His strong determination． |
| C．His physical challenges． | D．His outstanding speaking talent． |
Every day we are adding more and more vacation ideas，destinations，tours, and articles．As you explore our website，you will find there is an ever-growing collection of things that will help make your vacation easier and more affordable．
We change our featured destinations very frequently so be sure to keep coming back to see what new ideas we have for your family vacation．We feature a different state，park, and city destination on the front page of the website．These change frequently, so be sure to sign up for our newsletter so you can be sure to keep up with all the new information．
Another great feature we are offering is Guest Articles．These may come from a travel professional，author, parent or child about their travel ideas or offers．These informative articles are great to read and are perfect for discovering valuable tips and tricks for malting travel less stressful．Plus，in many articles you will discover some hidden gems(珍品)that you probably miss if you did not know about them．
One of the best things about our website is our ability to get you discounted Tours and Attraction Passes to the places you want to go most．This is a fantastic way to plan ahead and have your tours and passes paid for and pick them up before you leave your home．Now that is a helpful way to go．These programs can save you over 50％of what you could expect to pay when you arrive．And，we are adding new tours and programs every week．Be sure to check it out．
You can be sure we are working hard for you so that you can relax on your vacation. Let us do all the leg work for you so you can simply enjoy your family vacation!What does the writer want to do by writing this text?
| A．To give people tips on family vacations． |
| B．To offer travelers featured destinations． |
| C．To attract readers to surf a tourist website． |
| D．To introduce hidden gems for traveling． |
Why does the writer suggest surfing the website-frequemly?
| A．Because the featured destinations are changeable． |
| B．Because the front page is quite unique |
| C．Because it can attract more advertisements． |
| D．Because it helps to sell more newsletters． |
What can we learn from Guest Articles?
| A．steps to sign up for the family vacation website． |
| B．Tips on kecping up with new travel infonmation． |
| C．Tips and tricks for a comfortable trip. |
| D．Tricks for enjoying a free family vacation． |
Which isn’t the benefit that the website brings to us?
| A．We can get discounted Tours and Attraction Passes |
| B．We can get some information of new tours and programs |
| C．We can have our Passes in hand when starting off． |
| D．We can enjoy a family vacation with leg work． |
Which of the following shows the organization of the text?(P=Paragraph)
San Francisco，unofficially regarded as one of the homeless capitals of the US，counts nearly 6,500 homeless people, with 4,300 living on the street．
Among the many problems that the homeless face is little or no access to showers．San Francisco only has about 16 to 20 shower stations to accommodate them．But Doniece Sandoval has made it her task to change that．
“Homelessness is something you can’t really miss，”the 51-year-old woman said．She started Lava Mae，a sort of showers on wheels, a new project that aims to turn old city buses into shower stations for the homeless．
“One day I passed a woman in the street and she was very dirty and basically crying，and I heard her say that she would never be clean．But I was wondering what her opportunities were to actually get clean,” Sandoval said．
Sandoval was inspired to start Lava Mae. The project has already been welcomed with open arms in the city．The Transportation Agency has donated one bus for the cause and is willing to donate three more if the project succeeds．Sandoval hopes the first bus will be able to hit the road in May this year．The Public Commission has also agreed to let the buses plug into fire hydrants(消防龙头)around the city if Lava Mae pays for the water．
One of Lava Mae’s biggest supporters is Bevan Dufty, the director of Housing Opportunity, Partnerships & Engagement under the mayor of San Francisco．“For people who are unhoused，access to showers is very difficult．Shower buses are something that could potentially be deployed (部署)in response to an emergency，so it is relevant to all San Franciscans," Dufty said．“Doniece has done an incredible job as a citizen who cares about helping the poor．We are very excited to see Lava Mae become real soon．”
Each bus will have two shower stations and Sandoval expects that by 2015，they’ll be able to provide 2000 showers a week．What problem does San Francisco face according to the text?
A．The city has the most homeless people in the USA．
B．There are no shower stations for the homeless in the city．
C．It’s hard for homeless people in the city to take showers．
D．Few citizens in the city care about the homeless．What does the underlined word ''them” in Paragraph 2 refer to?
| A．City problems． | B．Shower stations． | C．Old buses． | D．The homeless． |
Which of the following best describes Doniece Sandoval?
| A．Brave and independent． | B．Caring and responsible． |
| C．Honest and determined． | D．Friendly and humorous． |
What can we learn from Dufty’s words?
| A．All San Franciscans are excited to use Lava Mae． |
| B．Emergencies in San Francisco will be prevented by Lava Mae． |
| C．Dufty thinks highly of Doniece's way of helping the poor． |
| D．The mayor of San Francisco will support Doniece financially． |
What can be a suitable title for the text?
| A．A newly invented way of shower |
| B．Showers on Wheels for the Homeless |
| C．The health problem of the homeless |
| D．Lave Mae-a new name for old city buses |
When I was fourteen, I earned money in the summer by cutting lawns (草坪), and within a few weeks I had built up a body of customers. I got to know people by the flowers they planted that I had to remember not to cut down, by the things they lost in the grass or stuck in the ground on purpose. I reached the point with most of them when I knew in advance what complaint was about to be spoken, which particular request was most important. And I learned something about the measure of my neighbors by their preferred method of payment: by the job, by the month—or not at all.
Mr. Ballou fell into the last category, and he always had a reason why. On one day, he had no change for a fifty, on another he was flat out of checks, and on another, he was simply out when I knocked on his door. Still, except for the money, he was a nice enough guy, always waving or tipping his hat when he’d seen me from a distance. I figured it was a thin retirement check, or maybe a work-related injury that kept him from doing his own yard work. Surely, I kept record of the total, but I didn’t worry about the amount too much. Grass was grass, and Mr. Ballou’s property didn’t take long to trim (修剪).
Then, one late afternoon in mid-July, the hottest time of the year, I was walking by his house and he opened the door, mentioned me to come inside. The hall was cool, shaded, and it took my eyes a minute to adjust to the dim light.
“I owe you,” Mr. Ballou, “but…”
I thought I’d save him the trouble of thinking of a new excuse. “No problem. Don’t worry about it.”
“The bank made a mistake in my account,” he continued, ignoring my words. “It will be cleared up in a day or two. But in the meantime I thought perhaps you could choose one or two volumes for a down payment (首期付款).
He gestured toward the walls and I saw that books were stacked (堆放) everywhere. It was like a library, except with no order to the arrangement.
“Take your time,” Mr. Ballou encouraged. “Read, borrow, keep. Find something you like. What do you read?”
“I don’t know.” And I didn’t. I generally read what was in front of me, what I could get from the paperback stacked at the drugstore, what I found at the library, magazines, the back of cereal boxes, comics. The idea of consciously seeking out a special title was new to me, but, I realized, not without appeal-- so I started to look through the piles of books.
“You actually read all of these?”
“This isn’t much,” Mr. Ballou said. “This is nothing, just what I’ve kept, the ones worth looking at a second time.”
“Pick for me, then.”
He raised his eyebrows, cocked his head, and regarded me as though measuring me for a suit. After a moment, he nodded, searched through a stack, and handed me a dark red hardbound (精装本) book, fairly thick.
“The Last of the Just,” I read. “By Andre Schwarz-Bart. What’s it about?”
“You tell me,” he said. “Next week.”
I started after supper, sitting outdoors on an uncomfortable kitchen chair. Within a few pages, the yard, the summer, disappeared, and I was thrown into the aching tragedy of the Holocaust, the extraordinary clash of good, represented by one decent man, and evil. Translated from French, the language was elegant, simple, impossible to resist. When the evening light finally failed I moved inside, reading all through the night.
To this day, thirty years later, I vividly remember the experience. It was my first voluntary encounter (接触、遇到) with world literature, and I was stunned (震惊) by the concentrated power a novel could contain. I lacked the vocabulary, however, to translate my feelings into words. So the next week when Mr. Ballou asked, “Well?” I only replied, “It was good.”
“Keep it, then,” he said. “Shall I suggest another?”
I nodded, and was presented with the paperback (平装本) edition of Margaret Mead’s Coming of Age in Samoa ( a very important book on the study of the social and cultural development of peoples-- anthropology (人类学)).
To make two long stories short, Mr. Ballou never paid me a cent for cutting his grass that year or the next, but for fifteen years I taught anthropology at Dartmouth College. Summer reading was not the innocent entertainment I had assumed it to be, not a light-hearted, instantly forgettable escape in a hammock (吊床) (though I have since enjoyed many of those, too). A book, if it arrives before you at the right moment, in the proper season, at an internal in the daily business of things, will change the course of all that follows.The author found the first book Mr. Ballou gave him _________.
| A．light-hearted and enjoyable |
| B．dull but well written |
| C．impossible to put down |
| D．difficult to understand |
From what he said to the author, we can infer that Mr. Ballou _________.
| A．read all books twice |
| B．did not do much reading |
| C．read more books than he kept |
| D．preferred to read hardbound books |
The following year the author _________.
| A．started studying anthropology at college |
| B．continued to cut Mr. Ballou’s lawn |
| C．spent most of his time lazing away in a hammock |
| D．had forgotten what he had read the summer before |
The author’s main point is that _________.
| A．summer jobs are really good for young people |
| B．you should insist on being paid before you do a job |
| C．a good book can change the direction of your life |
| D．a book is like a garden carried in the pocket |
The $11 billion self-help industry is built on the idea that you should turn negative thoughts like “I never do anything right” into positive ones like “I can succeed”. But was positive thinking advocate Norman Vincent Peale right? Is there power in positive thinking?
Researchers in Canada just published a study in the journal Psychological Science that says trying to get people to think more positively can actually have the opposite effect: it can simply highlight how unhappy they are.
The study's authors, Joanne Wood and John Lee of the University of Waterloo and Elaine Perunovic of the University of New Brunswick, begin by citing (引证) older research showing that when people get feedback which they believe is overly positive, they actually feel worse, not better. If you tell your friend who is slow to learn that he has the potential of an Einstein, you’re just underlining his faults. In one 1990s experiment, a team including psychologist Joel Cooper of Princeton asked participants to write essays against funding for the disabled. When the essayists were later praised for their sympathy, they felt even worse about what they had written.
In this experiment, Wood, Lee and Perunovic measured 68 students’ self-esteem (自尊). The participants were then asked to write down their thoughts and feelings for four minutes. Every 15 seconds, one group of students heard a bell. When it rang, they were supposed to tell themselves, “I am lovable.”
Those with low self-esteem didn’t feel better after the forced self-affirmation (自我肯定). In fact, their moods turned significantly darker than those of members of the control group, who weren’t urged to think of positive thoughts.
The paper provides support for newer forms of psychotherapy (心理治疗) that urge people to accept their negative thoughts and feelings rather than fight them. In the fighting, we not only often fail but can make things worse. Meditation (静思) techniques, in contrast, can teach people to put their shortcomings into a larger, more realistic viewpoint. Call it the power of negative thinking. The first paragraph is written _________.
| A．to raise an argument about positive thinking |
| B．to introduce the power of positive thinking |
| C．to encourage people to have positive thoughts |
| D．to introduce the $11 billion self-help industry |
According to the study of the Canadian researchers, _________.
| A．positive thinking is not as powerful as negative thinking |
| B．encouraging positive thinking may actually discourage people |
| C．happy people can think positively while unhappy people can’t |
| D．getting people to think positively can strengthen their confidence |
What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 3 mean?
| A．You are pointing out the mistakes he has made. |
| B．You are reminding him that he is not intelligent. |
| C．You are not taking his mistakes seriously enough. |
| D．You are showing he has great potential in spite of faults. |
We can learn from the last paragraph that _________.
| A．negative feelings must be got rid of |
| B．there’s no point in thinking positively |
| C．it doesn’t make sense to think negatively |
| D．negative thinking is not always negative |
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