In Africa, Christmas day begins with groups of carolers (欢唱颂歌的人) walking to and fro through the village, along the roadway, by the houses of the churchmen, singing the lovely carols known the world around. Often people may be awakened by a group of carolers beginning to gather at the church. They return home to make final preparation as to the clothes one must wear and also as to his offering for the Christmas service. The most important part of their Christmas service is the love offering. This is the gift in honor of Jesus. At about 8 or 9 o’clock, everyone makes their way to the celebration of the birthday of Jesus. Everyone who attends the service goes forward to lay down their gift upon the raised platform near the Communion table. Not one person will attend the service without giving a gift.
Christmas in South Africa is a summer holiday. There is no snow, but it has many flowers, many beautiful varieties of wild flowers being in their full pride.
In Ghana, most churches announce the coming of Christmas by decorating the church and homes beginning with the first week in Advent, four weeks before Christmas. This season happens to be the cocoa harvest time, so it is a time of wealth. Everyone returns home from wherever they might be, such as farms or mines.
In Africa, it is the traditional dinner of turkey, roast beef, mince pies, suckling pig, yellow rice with raisins, vegetables, and plum pudding, or crackers. In the afternoon, families go out into the country and usually there are games or bathing in the warm sunshine, and then home in the cool of the evening. Boxing Day is also a public holiday of real relaxation usually spent in the open air, which falls on December 26.The writer of this passage mainly wants to _________.
| A．persuade us to have a holiday in Africa |
| B．introduce to us when Christmas came into being |
| C．tell us how people celebrate Christmas in Africa |
| D．describe some important holidays in Africa |
The correct order of the following festivals should be ________.
| A．Christmas→ Boxing Day→ Advent |
| B．Boxing Day→ Christmas→ Advent |
| C．Christmas→ Advent→ Boxing Day |
| D．Advent→ Christmas→ Boxing Day |
If you visit South Africa on Christmas day, you’ll find ________.
| A．everyone returns home to harvest cocoa |
| B．people enjoy a traditional dinner |
| C．the church and homes are being decorated |
| D．it is snowing heavily everywhere |
In Africa, the traditional dinner for Christmas including the following EXCEPT ________.
| A．pumpkin pies | B．yellow rice |
| C．crackers | D．turkey |
Accurately forecasting the weather is a very hard thing to do. There are many parts of weather dynamics — the study of how water and air in motion cause weather patterns — to consider. Even the best forecast can be changed by a small weather disturbance halfway around the world. Today’s forecast use complex computer models, weather instruments, and detailed analyses of daily observations to predict the weather. However, it hasn’t always been that way. People, like your grandparents, use folklore and proverbs to help forecast the weather. They remembered what conditions caused changes and observed the factors associated with weather: atmospheric and cloud conditions, temperature, winds, and reactions of plants and animals. Many people believe that this way of forecasting weather is accurate more often than modem forecasting.
Grandma’s aching joints might indicate the arrival of a low-pressure system. She might also observe the geese flying lower than usual, confirming the low-pressure system. Finally, she might feel dampness on her skin, a sign of high humidity (湿度). Based on these three observations, grandma might warn that a storm is brewing.
Joints and nerves can indicate dropping air pressure, dissolved gases in the blood form bubbles under low air pressure. This causes pain in joints and nerve endings. Geese and other birds respond to changes in air pressure by adjusting how high they fly. In the fair, calm weather of a high-pressure system, the birds fly higher than in the stormy weather associated with a low-pressure system.
Nature provides other clues to changing weather. A decrease in air pressure causes deer and elk to come down from the mountains to look for shelter. Some animals feed more than usual. The higher humidity before a storm causes some insects to leave the trees and gather near the ground. Some flowers close so rain doesn’t get inside them. In winter, rhododendron plants curl up to protect themselves as the temperature drops.
Several of the sayings apply in particular areas of the world. Here are some of them.
■Early thunder, early spring.
■Rainbow in the morning gives you fair warning.
■When teeth and bones ache, expect the clouds to fill the lake.
■When high clouds and low clouds do not match together, prepare for a blow and a change in the weather.It is true that ___________.
| A．using folklore and proverbs to forecast weather is more accurate than modem forecasting |
| B．complex computer models and weather instruments can always forecast weather accurately |
| C．modern forecasting cannot always guarantee accurate weather forecasting for some reason |
| D．modem forecasting along with other observations is sure to give accurate weather forecast |
In a low-pressure system, you may notice the following EXCEPT that ___________.
| A．some birds will be seen flying near the surface of the earth |
| B．some flowers close so rain doesn’t get inside |
| C．some animals come down from mountains |
| D．some insects disappear from ground |
It is a fact that the behavior of plants and animals is _________.
| A．likely to reflect long-term weather forecasting |
| B．likely to reflect short-term weather forecasting |
| C．unlikely to reflect any kind of weather forecasting |
| D．more likely to reflect both short-term and long term weather forecasting |
What does the passage mainly tell us?
| A．People can forecast weather with no modern equipment. |
| B．How to use proverbs to forecast weather forecasting. |
| C．Hard as it is, weather forecasting has a scientific base. |
| D．The importance of weather forecasting. |
The booking notes of the play “the Age of Innocence”:
Price: $10
BOOKING
There are four easy ways to book seats for performance:
— in person
The Box Office is open Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m.--8 p.m.
— by telephone
Ring 01324976 to reserve your tickets or to pay by credit card（Visa, MasterCard and Amex accepted）.
— by post
Simply complete the booking form and return it to Global Theatre Box Office.
— on line
Complete the on-line booking form at www.satanfiedtheatre.com.
DISCOUNTS:
Saver: $2 off any seat booked any time in advance for performances from Monday to Thursday. Savers are available for children up to 16 years old, over 60s and full-time students.
Supersaver: half-price seats are available for people with disabilities and one companion. It is advisable to book in advance. There is a maximum of eight wheelchair spaces available and one wheelchair space will be held until an hour before the show.
Standby: best available seats are on sale for $6 from one hour before the performance for people eligible（suitable）for Saver and Supersaver discounts and thirty minutes before for all other customers.
Group Bookings: there is a ten per cent discount for parties of twelve or more.
School: school parties of ten or more can book $6 standby tickets in advance and will get every tenth ticket free.
PLEASE NOTE: we are unable to exchange tickets or refund money unless a performance is cancelled due to unpredicted circumstances.If you want to book a ticket, you CAN NOT _____
| A．go to the Box Office on Sundays. |
| B．ring the booking number and pay for the tickets by credit card. |
| C．use the Internet. |
| D．complete a booking form and post it to the Box Office. |
If you make a group booking for a group of 14 adults, how much should you pay?
| A．$120 | B．$126 | C．$140 | D．$150 |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．There are only 8 wheelchair spaces in the theatre. |
| B．A school party of 15 students should pay 90 for the standby tickets. |
| C．A group of 12 persons can get 10 per cent discount. |
| D．The audience can’t refund money if the performance is on show. |
What kind of tickets are the cheapest?
| A．The standby tickets for school parties of ten or more. |
| B．The standby tickets. |
| C．The tickets for Saver discount. |
| D．The tickets for group booking. |
[1] HEY boys, attention please! If you want to go to the US one day, you’d better be fully prepared, because, well, you and the boys in the US are a bit different. In my opinion, you’d better try to do the following things.
[2] Firstly, know how to knot a tie （打领带）. In the US, every boy above school age wears suits when they go to weddings （婚礼）. My friend Madison from Virginia said it shows respect to others. Do you know how to ____________? Learn how!
[3] Secondly, be a gentleman. I know in China some boys are still proud of being strong. But in the US, a good man should also be polite. Here are two examples: holding the door for people behind you and giving the seat on a bus to old people.
[4] The last is to learn something about football and baseball. Chinese boys like ping-pong, basketball and soccer, but American boys love football and baseball. They get very happy when they play and watch these sports. It’s not necessary to be a fan of football or fix （固定） your TV channel to baseball games. But in order to watch the sports with other boys, at least learning some rules would help.
[5] However, all this doesn’t mean that the American way is always the right way. We sometimes need to know the importance of another culture, but don’t feel you have to know that if it makes you uncomfortable. Have fun along the way!Who might be the audience of this speech? （within 10 words）
Please fill in the blank in Paragraph 2? （within 3 words）
Which paragraph might the following example be put in? （within 2 words）
“Men in the US like to follow the ‘ladies first’ rule.”What are the popular sports among American boys? （within 3 words）
How do you understand the last paragraph? （within 15 words）
Like many other places in the world, recently, Indiana education officials decided that the schools of the state will not be required to teach handwriting skills to students any longer. Instead, they will focus their energies on teaching students how to type. Is handwriting still an important skill? An online survey received some surprising responses.
Handwriting is not necessary. Students only need to know how to read it, and the only time that they must write something is to make a signature. Why stress them more than they need to be stressed? We already put so much pressure on them to perform on state tests. —Rita
Children don’t write letters now. They send e-mails or text messages. A lot of those old ways are going away. How many bills do you pay by writing a check anymore? —Brown
Although my son is not comfortable with writing, I bought a workbook for him to practice his handwriting. Can you imagine being an adult and not being able to sign a document? —Susan
What a shame! I guess one day it will be a lost art, because handwriting is that personal and beautiful. It has personality —Anna
The school where I worked dropped handwriting several years ago. Unless the students have computers in class, they will not be able to take notes at high speed. I have to speak very slowly and stop after a sentence or two because many students write very slowly. —Helen
The same thing happened here in Tennessee this past year. I think it’s a shame. I just received a handwritten letter from my stepmother and it meant that she spent time sitting and writing. Such a letter brought me a good feeling. —Kathy
Children should still learn writing, for the sake of having a skill that all people can communicate with. I certainly appreciate a handwritten note of thanks or news from my children and grandchildren. —RuthWhat is the passage mainly about?
| A．Some advice by Indiana education officials. |
| B．The importance of learning typing in schools. |
| C．A discussion about the importance of handwriting. |
| D．The popularity of computers in schools. |
What both Rita and Brown have in common is that they believe .
| A．It’s difficult for students to learn writing |
| B．In many cases, handwriting is useless. |
| C．Handwriting has caused many problems |
| D．Students show no interest in handwriting |
Which of the following isTRUE?
| A．It’s of no use for students to learn writing at school. |
| B．Susan values her son’s handwriting very much. |
| C．Handwriting has already become a lost art. |
| D．Kathy doesn’t like the typed letters from others. |
In Kathy’s opinion, in a way, handwriting .
| A．Could work as a feeling connection |
| B．Was her stepmother’s favorite |
| C．Was completely dropped in Tennessee |
| D．Brought much fun to her family |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．Typing had already replaced handwriting worldwide. |
| B．Susan’s son cannot write his own name by hand. |
| C．Ruth enjoys writing to her children and grandchildren. |
| D．Handwriting can make one different from others. |
It’s good to make mistakes, and here is why.
First of all, mistakes are a clear sign that you are trying new things. It’s always good to try new things because when you are trying new things you are growing. If you never try anything new, how can you improve? How can you expand? The simple answer is “You can’t.” Look around you. With very few exceptions, either everything you see in your world or every single detail of every single thing is the result of someone trying something new．
Another good thing about mistakes is this: When you are making mistakes, you are learning．Consider this: Edison failed 10,000 times before he perfected the light bulb. When asked how it felt to fail that many times, he said that he hadn’t failed 10,000 times, but rather had learned 10,000 things that didn’t work．
Finally, when you make a mistake you are much closer to success. Why? Because when all is said and done, you will have tried some numbers of things before you succeed．Every time you make a mistake you eliminate one of those things and are one step closer.But this all doesn’t mean that you should go ahead without considering the consequences（后果） of a mistake. Quite the contrary, when you try something new you have to be willing to set some reasonable limits so that in the event that it doesn’t work out the way you want it to, you will be in a position to try again．
We all have limited time and money so don’t blow them all on one approach to a problem. Realize that it probably won’t be perfect the first time and allocate （分配） these resources properly so you can learn, make corrections, and try it again．If you accept and use your mistakes in this way ,you can make great progress in your business and your career．
There is an old saying that goes, “If you’re not making mistakes, you’re not trying hard enough.”
So go ahead and make mistakes. And learn. And grow. And succeed．From the second paragraph, we can conclude that _______．
| A．mistakes are unnecessary for development |
| B．we are afraid of trying new thing |
| C．it’s common for people to make mistakes |
| D．mistakes are better than not trying |
The underlined word “eliminate” means _______．
| A．avoid | B．remove | C．accept | D．solve |
According to the article, one thing you should pay attention to about making mistakes is_____．
| A．avoiding making the same mistakes |
| B．accepting the punishment willingly |
| C．taking consequences into consideration |
| D．trying things out one by one |
What would the writer probably suggest we say to ourselves when we make a mistake?
| A．Never mind, I can always try again． |
| B．I’d better stay out of trouble． |
| C．Ok! Now I can learn something． |
| D．Look at this mess. Anyone would be upset． |
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