In 1970, my five brothers, my sister and I lived in the housing projects of Toronto with our parents. My father was a factory worker, and my mother stayed at home. Each year my father would dress up as Santa Claus and go through the streets of the projects sharing joy and candies with the children there. He loved it as much as they did!
But around the Christmas in 1970, my father was out of his job and money was tight. In fact, there was no money for Christmas and my parents weren’t sure what they’d provide for us.
That Christmas Eve, however, as usual, my father left the house dressed as Santa Claus. He knew that even though our Christmas would be hard, he could not disappoint the other kids in the neighborhood.
As my father left the house and went down the walkway, Santa Claus was walking up, with a great sack full of gifts for us! He said nothing, only smiled a sweet smile at my father, and wished him a Merry Christmas. The happy man handed Dad the sack and walked away down the block.
We never knew who the man was and who showed us great kindness on a snowy Christmas night. We do know, however, that without him we would have had nothing under the tree. His kindness gave my parents hope and showed us in a very real way the true meaning of Christmas.
Our family has never forgotten this kind stranger. Each year we tell the story of the mysterious Santa Claus and try to repay his gifts by giving gifts to others in need.The author’s father ________.
| A．was once the richest man in his hometown |
| B．was working in a government office |
| C．had to support a family of 9 people |
| D．looked like Santa Claus most |
What happened in 1970?
| A．The author’s father was out of work. |
| B．The author’s mother lost her job. |
| C．They had a little money left for Christmas. |
| D．They had the worst Christmas in their lives. |
The author’s family knew ________.
| A．who the mysterious Santa Claus was |
| B．why the mysterious Santa Claus helped them |
| C．how they could repay the mysterious Santa Claus |
| D．they could find the mysterious Santa Claus one day |
It can be inferred（推断）that ________.
| A．the mysterious Santa Claus was one of their relatives |
| B．the mysterious Santa Claus was a rich man in the area |
| C．the sack from the mysterious Santa Claus was very expensive |
| D．the author’s family were all thankful to the mysterious Santa Claus |
Even if you’re not an astronomy fan, chances are that you can easily recognize certain constellations (星座) and stars such as the Big Dipper (北斗七星) and the North Star.
The North Star is the brightest star in the constellation known as the Little Dipper. It is so-called because of the special position. If you were to stay up all night looking at the stars, you’d slowly see them move around a point in the sky known as the North Celestial Pole.
You would notice, however, that one star remains still. This is the North Star, so named for its location almost directly in line with the North Celestial Pole.
Due to its position in the sky, at one time sailors used the North Star as a navigational tool. By measuring the angle between the northern horizon and the North Star, a navigator could accurately determine the ship’s latitude.
But latitude, or the imaginary lines stretching across the globe parallel to the equator, was not enough to plot a ship’s location. Knowing latitude only allowed navigators to locate themselves on a particular latitude line at a particular distance from the equator. It was only with the invention of a way to accurately measure longitude that precise navigation became possible.
Although the North Star is no longer used by navigators, it remains a heavenly symbol of human curiosity and exploration.Which of the following statements about the North Star is TRUE?
| A．The North Star is the brightest star in the night sky. |
| B．The North Star, together with some other stars, make up the Little Dipper. |
| C．The North Star moves along the same course with other stars. |
| D．The North Star is exactly located in line with the North Celestial Pole. |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．The North Star could help navigators set a straight course of their ship in the past. |
| B．Real lines that are parallel to the equator are called “latitude”. |
| C．Either latitude or longitude could make precise navigation possible. |
| D．Now the North Star is no longer a navigational tool used by sailors. |
Which is probably the best title of the passage?
| A．What is a navigational tool? |
| B．What can be called the earliest GPS? |
| C．What makes the North Star so special? |
| D．What is the symbol of human exploration? |
Thousands of students, from all around the world, have helped their international careers by taking EIS English studies at South Thames College London – STCL.
You too can take our first-class EIS courses to learn, and live English in London @ STCL.
1. Our experience
We have provided English for International Students EIS courses to people from around the world for 40 years.
More than 1,000 students take our EIS courses each year, often after a recommendation from a friend or relative.
Our teachers have worked in many countries; their experience will help you to develop international English communication skills.
2. A world in one college
The College has students from more than 100 countries.
When you study English with us, you will have the opportunity to meet not only UK students, but also people from all over the world.
3. ________
The College’s main purpose is to provide education and training for our local community.
We have more than 20,000 students, on a range of academic, technical and vocational courses in addition to English language courses.
All students can also use the facilities available at the college—library services, free Internet access, sports & more.
You can join a range of leisure and social activities.
4. Assured quality
STCL is a member of English UK, the national association of accredited (授权的) English language centers.
Our EIS courses meet the quality standards of Accreditation UK and are accredited by the British Council.
5. Our range of courses
We have a wide range of courses designed to meet the needs of global citizens in an international environment.
Our courses prepare you both for life in London – perhaps as a student – and for your future career, anywhere in the world.
We help you improve your English so you can communicate more effectively – for study, work or socializing…
Intensive courses meet UK immigration regulations for students.
For information about out intensive English courses, click here.What is the purpose of the passage?
| A．To attract students from all over the world. |
| B．To make South Thames College London known. |
| C．To stress the importance of EIS courses. |
| D．To help find a suitable training course. |
Which can be the best heading of Part 3?
| A．Our recreation resources |
| B．Free services in STCL |
| C．More than an English school |
| D．Carefully designed activities |
From the passage we learn that _____.
| A．the College’s history goes back over a century |
| B．the teachers here come from all over the world |
| C．the students can’t have access to library services |
| D．the courses are useful for one’s future career |
This passage is most likely to be found _____.
| A．in a school report | B．on the Internet |
| C．in a textbook | D．in the newspaper |
Celebrity TV presenter Ju Ping has been a host on China Central Television for 30 years, but her recent experience hosting a charity event was one of the most special moments in her career.
On April 2, World Autism (自闭症) Day, Ju partnered with Xia Junqi, a 17-year-old autistic teenager, to host a charity gala at the Beijing National Aquatics Center, otherwise known as the Water Cube.
The event was organized by One Foundation, which aims to increase public awareness of autistic people and their needs.
Autism is a neural disorder that can impair sufferers’ communication skills and social interactions. Sufferers have restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior. It affects about 1.6 million people in China, with medical studies suggesting autism may affect one in every 166 children.
Autism has no cure. For many years it went largely undiagnosed in China but early intervention (干预，治疗) and continuous education may help to teach the autistic self-help skills and lessen their problematic behavior.
The gala(晚会) featured autistic children singing, dancing and performing, and was greeted with enthusiastic applause from the audience.
Cai Chunzhu, a celebrity playwright, recalled feeling heartbroken when his son was diagnosed with autism at the age of 2. He says his family struggled to accept the reality but finally made peace with the diagnoses in the past four years. He says the boy lives in his own world and is trained in an intervention facility. Sun Zhongkai, executive director of the Beijing Stars and Rain Institute for Autism, one of the earliest intervention facilities for autistic children in China, shared with audience his deep sorrow for parents who often broke down with desperation when he told them there was no cure for their autistic children.
Over the years, Chinese society has become more supportive of autistic people and their families, but there are still challenges in terms of getting autistic people employed and looking after them when their parents pass away.
Actor Zhou Xun also called on society to show greater understanding and support toward autistic children and their families.
The underlined word “impair” in Paragraph 4 most probably mean?
| A．cause | B．improve | C．increase | D．damage |
Which of the following statements about Autism is FALSE?
| A．It is a kind of illness that cannot be cured. |
| B．Nothing can be done about it. |
| C．People in China were not well aware of it in the past. |
| D．A lot of children suffer from it in China. |
What can we know from Paragraph 7?
| A．It is quite difficult for parents to accept that their children have autism. |
| B．Training in an intervention facility can stop children with autism living in their own world. |
| C．There is only one intervention facility for autistic children in China. |
| D．Doctors often break down when they tell parents their children have autism. |
Where does this text probably come from?
| A．A TV interview. | B．A medicine magazine. |
| C．A newspaper. | D．A book review. |
阅读理解。
Two days ago I was woken up at 1 am. My roommate stood at the door (she was returning from a club) along with a huge middle-aged man with long hair. “Please let him in,” she told me, “He has been locked out of his apartment.” She had seen him, cold and shivering (it had snowed the previous night) and immediately asked him to sleep at our place. He was a law student in his fifties who had been doing his homework at the Laundromat (自助洗衣店) when he found he had left his keys in his house.
I have never had a strange man sleep in my house before. My roommate and I are both less than 5 feet and we have been asked not to speak to strangers since we were kids. Not to mention that we’re in a new city that we have lived in for less than a month. He accepted our kindness with hesitation and as soon as dawn broke he left.
The next day he came to our house, saying he owed us big time for not being frozen out in the cold. He left us a beautiful card saying—“Thank you so much. Your actions are so sincere.”
Later he cooked us a wonderful simple “thank you” dinner over which he told us about his life (a coach, a guide, a law student). He told us how he was completely touched by our concern for a total stranger. I learnt a lot that evening. As he talked about how once he brought a homeless man in to eat Christmas dinner with his family, I was deeply touched.
My roommate taught me a huge lesson: Let go of your fear; always leave the door of compassion (同情) open and you can never go wrong. From the first paragraph we can infer that _______.
| A．the writer came back from a club earlier |
| B．the writer’s roommate was kind-hearted |
| C．the writer’s roommate often came back late |
| D．the man wanted to find a job at the Laundromat |
When the writer knew the man would stay in their house for the night, at first _______.
| A．she felt nervous | B．she was angry |
| C．she felt excited | D．she was disappointed |
The next day the man went back to the writer’s house to ______.
| A．tell them he was OK | B．give them nice cards |
| C．show his thanks to them | D．show he was really lucky |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．The writer’s roommate worked in a club. |
| B．The man had helped others before. |
| C．The man was a complete failure in his life. |
| D．The two women have lived in this city since they were young. |
Winter Travel Adventures
“Let it snow, let it snow!” You have found your home for all adventures, icy, snowy and white! Discover breathtaking sights while cross-country skiing and snow mobiling, or uncover new lands for skiing, and find the hottest spots to snowboard. Informative links below will get you on your way to a winter wonderland journey.
Seniors Head South for Winter
A feature article on the annual（一年一次的）migration of Winter Texans and Snow Birds heading to warmer places for the winter. Resources for Texas, Florida, Southern U.S and international destinations are included.
Skiing and Snowboarding adventures
You either love it or hate it, strapping（用带子系）a pair of boards to your feet and thrusting yourself down a snow-covered mountain at a speed of 60 miles per hour. If downhill running is your adventure game, connect with the best resources for adventures, vacations, ski trips and destinations.
Cross-country Skiing Adventures
All ages can find pleasure and exercise on a good pair of cross-country skis. Discover the winter back-country on your next adventure. Connect with adventure opportunities, outfitters, equipment sources, destinations and more.
Snowmobile Adventures
Take to the snow-covered backcountry and discover white adventures where only snowmobiles can take you. You can find information from a resource center about adventure tours, group tours, clubs, equipment, destinations, best trails and more.
Snowshoe Adventures
Foot power proves to be the ultimate （首要）dependable transportation, and that applies to winter trekking (艰苦跋涉)through the backcountry. A good pair of snowshoes can get you to places when nothing else can.The purpose of this text is to _______.
| A．introduce some of the famous scenic spots |
| B．introduce the hottest spots to snowboard |
| C．provide readers with several choices of traveling. |
| D．provide information of different travel agencies |
The underlined words “hottest spots” (in paragraph 1) mean _______.
| A．places with the highest temperature |
| B．the most popular places for travelers. |
| C．places with hot springs |
| D．the most popular winter games |
If you wish to spend your winter abroad, which group would you join?
| A．Seniors Head South For Winter |
| B．Snowmobile Adventures |
| C．Skiing and Snowboarding Adventures |
| D．Cross-Country Skiing Adventures |
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