Itisadreadfulthingtobepoorafor

更新 2022-09-03
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"Itis a dreadful thing to be poor a fortnight before Christmas," said Clorinda, with the mournful sigh of seventeen years.
AuntEmmy smiled. Aunt Emmy was sixty, and spent the hours she didn't spend in a bed, on a sofa or in a wheel chair; but Aunt Emmy was never heard to sigh.
"Thegifts which money can purchase are not the only ones we can give," said Aunt Emmy gently, "nor the best, either."
"Oh,I know it's nicer to give something of your own work," agreed Clorinda, "but materials for fancy work cost too. That kind of gift is just as much out of the question for me as any other."
"Thatwas not what I meant," said Aunt Emmy.
"Whatdid you mean, then?" asked Clorinda, looking puzzled.
AuntEmmy smiled.
"Supposeyou think out my meaning for yourself," she said. "That would be better than if I explained it. Besides, I don't think I could explain it. Take the beautiful line of a beautiful poem to help you in your thinking out: "The gift without the giver is bare."
"I'dput it the other way and say, "The giver without the gift is bare,'" said Clorinda, with a grimace（鬼脸）. "That is my predicament（困境） exactly. Well, I hope by next Christmas I'll not be quite bankrupt. I'm going into Mr. Callender's store down at Murraybridge in February. He has offered me the place, you know."
"Won'tyour aunt miss you terribly?" said Aunt Emmy gravely.
Clorindaflushed. There was a note in Aunt Emmy's voice that disturbed her.
"Ithink she would rather have your companionship than a part of your salary, Clorinda," said Aunt Emmy. "But of course you must decide for yourself, dear. "
"Well,I must say bye-bye and run home. " Clorindalived just across the road from Aunt Emmy in a tiny white house behind some huge willows. But Aunt Mary lived there too--the only relative Clorinda had, for Aunt Emmy wasn't really her aunt at all. Clorinda had always lived with Aunt Mary ever since she could remember.
Clorindapuzzled over Aunt Emmy's meaning for four days and part of three nights. Then all at once it came to her. Or if it wasn't Aunt Emmy's meaning it was a very good meaning in itself, and it grew clearer and expanded in meaning during the days that followed, although at first Clorinda shrank a little from some of the conclusions to which it led her.
OnChristmas Day, Clorinda went over to Aunt Emmy's. It was a faded brown Christmas after all, for the snow had not come. But Clorinda did not mind; there was such joy in her heart that she thought it the most delightful Christmas Day that ever dawned.
Sheput the queer cornery armful she carried down on the kitchen floor before she went into the sitting room. Aunt Emmy was lying on the sofa before the fire, and Clorinda sat down beside her.
"I'vecome to tell you all about it," she said.
AuntEmmy patted the hand that was in her own.
"Fromyour face, dear girl, it will be pleasant hearing and telling," she said.
Clorindanodded.
"AuntEmmy, I thought for days over your meaning ... thought until I was dizzy. And then one evening it just came to me, without any thinking at all, and I knew that I could give some gifts after all. I thought of something new every day for a week. At first I didn't think I couldgive some of them, and then I thought how selfish I was. I would have been willing to pay any amount of money for gifts if I had had it, but I wasn't willing to pay what I had. I got over that, though, Aunt Emmy. Now I'm going to tell you what I did give. "
"First,there was old Aunt Kitty. You know she was my nurse when I was a baby, and she's very fond of me. But, well, you know, Aunt Emmy, I'm ashamed to confess(承认，忏悔) it, but really I've never found Aunt Kitty very entertaining, to put it mildly. She is always glad when I go to see her, but I've never gone except when I couldn't help it. She is very deaf, and rather dull and stupid, you know. Well, I gave her a whole day. I took my knitting yesterday, and sat with her the whole time and just talked and talked. I told her all the Greenvale news and gossip and everything else I thought she'd like to hear. She was so pleased and proud; she told me when I came away that she hadn't had such a nice time for years. "
Thenthere was ... Florence. You know, Aunt Emmy, we were always intimate(亲密的) friends until last year. Then Florence once told Rose Watson something I had told her in confidence. I found it out and I was so hurt. I couldn't forgive Florence, and I told her plainly I could never be a real friend to her again. Florence felt badly, because she really did love me, and she asked me to forgive her, but it seemed as if I couldn't. Well, Aunt Emmy, that was my Christmas gift to her ... my forgiveness. I went down last night and just put my arms around her and told her that I loved her as much as ever and wanted to be real close friends again. "
"Igave Aunt Mary her gift this morning. I told her I wasn't going to Murraybridge, that I just meant to stay home with her. She was so glad--and I'm glad, too, now that I've decided so."
"Yourgifts have been real gifts, Clorinda," said Aunt Emmy. "Something of you--the best of you--went into each of them."
Clorindawent out and brought her cornery armful in.
"Ididn't forget you, Aunt Emmy," she said, as she unpinned the paper.
Therewas a rosebush--Clorinda's own pet rosebush--all snowed over with fragrant blossoms.
AuntEmmy loved flowers. She put her finger under one of the roses and kissed it.
"It'sas sweet as yourself, dear child," she said tenderly. "And it will be a joy to me all through the lonely winter days. You've found out the best meaning of Christmas giving, haven't you, dear?"
"Yes,thanks to you, Aunt Emmy," said Clorinda softly.
Clorinda felt anxious before Christmas because_____________________.

A．She had to leave Aunt Mary

B．She didn’t know what kind of Christmas gifts she should buy

C．She had not enough money to buy Christmas gifts

D．She had no time to make a proper decision

Which of the following sentences can best explain the line “The gift without the giver is bare.”？

A．A gift is valued by the mind of the giver.

B．Forgiveness is a gift for the giver and the receiver.

C．You cannot buy love or respect with expensive gifts.

D．Think twice before you give gifts to somebody

What is the gift that Clorinda gave to old Aunt Kitty?

A．Passion

B．Sympathy

C．Kindness

D．Company

What does the underlined phrase “in confidence” mean?

A．respectfully	B．confidently
C．secretly	D．willingly

Which two words can best describe Aunt Emmy?

A．cute and joyful	B．kind-hearted and emotional
C．optimistic and wise	D．gentle and timid

Which of the following is the best title?

A．A Special Christmas	B．Clorinda’s Gifts
C．Aunt Emmy	D．Clorinda’s choice

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Children are keen Internet shoppers with more than half having bought something online, research has shown.
Around 53 percent of children aged between 7 and 16 said they had bought something over the Internet, 10 percent more than in 2004, according to Halifax.
Boys were more likely to be Internet shoppers than girls, with 60 percent of boys saying they had bought items online, compared with just 46 percent of girls.
Unsurprisingly, older children were more likely to use the Internet to shop than younger ones, with nearly three quarters of 12-16-year olds shopping online, compared to just 29 percent of 7-to-11-year olds who said they had bought something.
More than half of children preferred buying things over the Internet to buying them on the high street, while 61 percent of those who had bought things online said it was easier to buy certain items over the Internet than in shops.
However, boys were more likely to always prefer buying things online, while girls were more likely to still like the actual high street shopping experience.
The most common items for young people to buy over the Internet were CDs, tapes and computer games and equipment. Some children had bought DVDs and videos, while some had bought gifts.
Children spent most money on computer games and equipment, with 13 percent saying they spent more than $20 online on these items a year, followed by 12 percent who spent more than $20 a year on mobile phones and 11 percent who spent the same amounts on clothes.
Cheryl Millington, head of savings at Halifax, said, “ We are not only seeing the emergence of a generation of young consumers, but also keen cyber-consumers. While children often lead the way in Internet use within the family home, parents have an important role to play in ensuring they stay safe while online.”
73. From the passage, which of the following is NOT correct?
A. Children are keen on internet shopping
B. Boys are more likely to buy things over the Internet than girls
C. Older children want to buy things in actual streets
D. Children like to buy some fashionable items over the Internet
74. We can infer from the last paragraph that ________
A. Cheryl Millington is against children’s online shopping
B. parents should play an active role in ensuring their children’s safety
C. Cheryl Millington holds a conservative (保守的) view about children’s online shopping
D. children will become the main composition of online shopping
75. Which of the following can best show the organization of the text?
a. the number of children’s online shopping      b. items bought over the Internet
c. money spent on online shopping             d. safety problems
A. a, b, c, d       B. a, d, c, b      C. a, c, d, b       D. d, a, c, b

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What makes a house a home?
Not size, of course. I’ve been in some of the grandest houses in America and it’s readily apparent no one lives there. Earlier this year in a mud hut in Ethiopia, where we sat on chairs next to the hostess’s bed—a home that had more warmth than any house I’ve been in since.
Now John Edwards is exploring what makes a house a home in his just-released book-- The Blueprints of Our Lives. There Edwards writes, “ This is a book about homes, the values they rest on, the dreams they are filled with, and the people they have shaped. The houses and circumstances (环境) are different, but much of what you find inside will be familiar.”
Whether you’re sitting in an airport right now, waiting to fly to your childhood home for Thanksgiving, or in your own home waiting for the relatives to arrive, you know what he’s talking about.
We’ve lived in our townhouse for 21 years--the loose windows that make noise in the wind, the fireplace so shallow it holds only one log, the kitchen window that offers a view of the world passing by. It is where friends sit on the kitchen counter drinking wine while dinner is being fixed. I lived there for only 18, but it will always be my true home. Even the lamp in the west living room window, which I could see far down the road when driving home late at night, still shines.
While all this talk about childhood memories can be warm and comforting, home is whom you’re with, not where you are. As Edwards writes, “ Home is family. Home is safety. Home is faith.”
69. What would be the best title for the text?
A. Home means everything            B. What’s inside makes us feel at home
C. Home: The Blueprints of Our Lives   D. The importance of Houses
70.   The purpose of the second paragraph is to _________.
A.    mean the author likes living in grandest houses
B. prove the author got along with the hostess
C. mean the feeling of a home isn’t related to the size
D. show the author’s different feelings about houses
71. We know that The Blueprints of Our Lives ________
A. is the description of Edwards’s houses
B. is mainly about houses
C.    helps us to understand the concept of home
D.    is written by the author of the text
72. According to the text, which of the following can make a house a home?
A. The atmosphere you feel                B. The color of the walls
C. The number of family members           D. The position of the home

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Having one of those days or weeks----when everything seems to annoy you? Even
if you do nothing about it, your bad mood will probably go away after some time. But with a little effort, you can forget it much faster---often within a day or two.
Walk it off
Exercise is the most popular bad-mood buster(破坏者). A person who is in bad mood has low energy and high tension. Taking a fast ten-minute walk, or doing some quick exercises can do wonders towards changing that bad mood.
Tune it out
Listening to your favorite music for a while can also make tension go away quickly, because music starts associations with past positive experiences we’ve had.
Give yourself a pep talk
Stop and listen to what is on your mind. Bad moods are often started by too many negative thoughts. Write them all down on paper; the pessimistic (悲观的) messages you’ve been giving yourself and then give optimistic answers. (“ I still don’t have a job” v.s “ I have two interviews next week.”)
Reduce your stress
Relaxation techniques are wonderful mood-lifters. These include deep breathing, stretching and visualizing (想象)，all of which sound complicated but aren’t. One easy way to visualize: close your eyes and picture a favorite place, such as the beach. Another simple way to against distress is to make a to-do list. One reason for being in a bad mood is feeling you have no choices. By taking control over certain areas, you realize you’re not helpless. You can make changes in your mood and life.
Avoid things that won’t improve your mood
TV may not help much: You need to increase your energy level and stimulate(刺激) your mind -----something that the TV show “Neighbors” won’t do. And before you reach for that piece of cake and coffee, think about how mood and food are linked. Sugar and caffeine(咖啡因) contribute to depressed moods. The better choice? Research shows that carbohydrates, such as potatoes and pasta, produce a calming effect in people who have a desire for them.
65. We learn from the text that it might help rid us of a bad mood________.
A. to do nothing about it                   B. to take a long walk on the beach
C. to do some exercises with light music     D. to talk it to neighbors
66. Why is it suggested that you close your eyes and picture the beach?
A. It is not complicated to do so          B. It is an area to be easily controlled
C. It helps beat a bad mood                D. It brings us a new technique
67. TV may not improve your mood because _____.
A. it sometimes shows what happens around you
B. it keeps you stay unmoved
C. it reminds you of eating and drinking
D. it produces a calming effect
68. This text most probably appears in _______
A. a book on physical exercises                B. a doctor’s handbook
C. a notice                                 D. a magazine

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Have you ever heard the story of the four-minute miles? Many years ago, people believed that it was impossible for a human being to run a mile in less than four minutes until Roger Banister proved it wrong in 1954.
What happens if you put an animal in a pond? Any animal, big or small, will swim its way through. What happens when someone, who doesn’t know how to swim, falls in deep water? They drown. If an animal who has not learnt swimming could escape by swimming, why not you? Because you believe you will drown while the animal doesn’t.
Have you ever wondered why the letters are organized in a particular order on your keyboard? You might have thought it is to increase the typing speed. Most people never questioned it. But the fact is that this system was developed to reduce the typing speed at a time when typewriter parts you jam if the operator typed too fast.
These three cases show the power of our beliefs. There is no other more powerful force in human behavior than belief. Your beliefs have the power to create and to destroy. A belief delivers command to your nervous system.
I used a snake in my workshop for children to show them how unrealistic some of their beliefs are. Students of a school in India said snakes are slippery and slimy and poisonous. After doing an exercise for changing beliefs, they took my snake and found it to be dry and clean. They also remembered that only three types of poisonous snakes exist in India.
Did this story end the way you thought? Review your beliefs now and find out which ones you need to change.
60．In the author’s opinion, if a person in deep water doesn’t know how to swim, he will drown because_________.
A．he is afraid of water               B．he believes he will drown
C．he hasn’t learnt to swim before      D．he doesn’t want to live in the world
61．The author thinks that the letters are organized in a particular order on your keyboard in order to _________.
A．save more space                  B．satisfy the operator
C．reduce one’s typing speed           D．increase one’s typing speed
62．The author’s experiment shows that________.
A．snakes are dry and clean            B．snakes can be caught easily
C．snakes are slimy and poisonous      D．snakes in India aren’t poisonous
63．According to the passage, we know that_________
A．students from India have unrealistic beliefs on how to live a better life
B．an animal who hasn’t learnt how to swim will drown if you put it in pond
C．most people don’t like the order the letters are arranged on the keyboard
D．Roger Banister was the first person who ran a mile in less than four minutes
64. The main idea of this passage should be that________.
A. beliefs are very powerful
B. beliefs make us seem stupid
C. changing your beliefs now is necessary
D. people should always believe in themselves

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第三部分阅读理解（共20小题，每小题2分，满分40分）
For many people Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. One of the reasons people love it so much is that you get presents. But like presents, Christmas needs to be unwrapped so that you can understand the true meaning behind the day.
Many Chinese believe everyone in Western countries celebrate this holiday. That is not true. Christmas is an important religious holiday for Christians. December 25 represents the birthday of Jesus Christ, who Christians believe is the son of God.
Christianity (基督教) is a very popular religion in America and Europe. However, there are many other religions, too. People who celebrate those religions don’t celebrate Christmas. But during the winter season they usually have their own important holiday. That is why when talking to a foreigner it is safer to say, “ Happy holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas” because you never know his/her religious background.
The image of a fat, happy man in red---Santa Claus---has come to represent the idea of goodness and love instead of religious part or the “Christmas spirit”. Santa Claus is based on a man named Saint Nicholas who was a 4th century Greek Christian.
Saint Nicholas bought presents for children and gave them away anonymously(匿名地). This is where the idea of gift on Christmas began. But the Santa Claus didn’t exist until the 19th century when an American named Thomas Nast drew cartoons of him. So really, Santa has nothing to do with the religious holiday.
In fact, some people who celebrate Christmas don’t really care about Santa Claus.
Christmas is a special day for Christians but the ideas of being good and loving your neighbors are not limited to Christianity. So buy a gift for your friend, tell your mother you love her and have merry Christmas. I mean ,”Happy holidays!”
56. Christians believe December 25 represents the birthday of _________.
A. Santa Claus B. God C. Jesus Christ D. Thomas Nast
57. In the passage, the author thinks __________.
A. Santa Claus was a real person in the past
B. everyone should believe in Christianity
C. all people in Western countries celebrate Christmas
D. Santa Claus has nothing to do with Christmas holiday
58. What is “the true meaning” in the first passage?
A. For many people Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year
B. The Westerners have different religious backgrounds
C. Some like to say “Merry Christmas”, and others like to say “Happy holidays”
D. Being good and loving our neighbors are the virtues of all humans
59. What is the CORRECT explanation of Santa Claus?
A. He was a Greek Christian in the 4th century
B. He was an American who was born in the 19th century
C. His image represents the “Christmas spirit”
D. He was a cartoon figure drawn by Thomas Nast

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