It is December thirty-first,2004,the time when the old year dies and the New Year is born.
Many Americans have parties at home and invite all their friends .Many of these events are noisy。People shout and sing. They often blow on small noisemakers when the New Year arrives at midnight. They kiss their husband or wife or the person they are with. They dance to music. Other Americans spend a quiet evening at home .They drink Champagne at midnight to welcome the New Year.
Some people drink too much alcohol at New Year’s Eve celebrations .This can lead to tragic results if a person drinks too much and then drives a car. The National Safety Council says hundreds of people die in road accidents during the holiday.
In recent years ,the danger of accidents has resulted in a new tradition called the “designated driver” One person among a group of friends drinks little or no alcohol during New Year’s Eve celebrations. Then this designated driver can safely drive the other people home. Many American cities also offer free taxi service on New Year’s Eve to take people home safely.
Other Americans observe the coming of the New Year at events without alcohol .More than 220 American cities hold these First Night celebrations. Artists in Boston Massachusetts started the tradition of First Night celebrations. In 1976.They wanted to observe the coming of a New Year. But they did not want to hold noisy drinking parties. So they organized, music, art and other events to observe the holiday.
How Americans Observe New Year’s Day
| Ways to celebrate |
Celebrations with alcohol |
Celebrations without alcohol |
| At home |
At theatres or |
|
| Activities |
Drinking parties with |
Attending music |
| Making very |
||
| Kissing each other |
||
| Dancing to music |
||
| Main problems |
Many deaths on the road |
None |
| Ways |
Making arrangements for some people not |
None |
第三节：语法填空（共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分）
阅读下面短文, 按照句子结构的语法性和上下文连贯的要求，在空格处填入一个适当的词或使用括号中词语的正确形式填空, 并将答案填写在答题纸标号为56-65的相应位置上。
You have the ability to decide if you are happy or not. Happiness is a 56 (choose).
You can’t depend on someone else to make you happy. That is a lesson I learned early 
in my marriage. 57 (realize) that I couldn’t rely on my husband as my source of happiness, I learned that you have to choose to be happy.
You can choose your emotions. True happiness comes from within； 58 can’t be forced by outside forces. It is the same way you choose to smile. You choose it because that’s 59 you want to experience in your life.
You want to buy a new pair of shoes so you choose a pair 60 you like and feel good. You wouldn’t buy a pair of shoes you don’t like or that don’t fit well，right?
Choosing to be happy after you realize your anger has shown up (or even choosing to be calm)can be 61 (benefit) . We choose our feelings; no one can do that for us. If we let others get to influence 62 emotions，we are giving them power over us. When others cause us anger or pain，we 63 (give)them our power.
We need to keep our feelings in check and not react automatically to what is thrown at us. We need to think our actions out instead of just reacting to what someone says or does.
Remember that we can always choose happiness. At first it will be difficult to just switch your thoughts and feelings 64 anger，self-doubt，or fear to joy and happiness. But it is only a thought away. Don’t be lost in what happens to you 65 (necessary) but realize what is causing you to feel that way. Realize that thoughts，feelings and emotions can change. Then move on and choose to be happy.
第二节语法填空（共10小题；每小题1.5分，满分15分）
阅读下面短文，按照句子结构的语法性和上下文连贯的要求，在空格处填入一个适当的词或使用括号中词语的正确形式填空，并将答案填写在答题卡标号为31-40的相应位置上。
Like most people, I was brought up to look upon life __31__a process of getting. It was not until in my late thirties that I made this important discovery: giving-away makes life so much more exciting. This is how I experimented with giving-away. If __32__ idea for improving the window display of a neighborhood store flashes to me, I step in and make the suggestion to the storekeeper. One discovery I made about giving-away is __33__ it is almost impossible to give away anything in this world without getting something back, though the return often comes in an __34__(expect) form. One Sunday morning the local post office delivered an important special delivery letter to my home, though it __35__(address) to me at my office. I wrote the postmaster a note of __36__(appreciate). More than a year later I needed a post-office box for a new business I was starting. I was told at the window that there were no boxes __37__ (leave), and that my name would have to go on a long waiting list. As I was about to leave, the postmaster appeared in the doorway. He had overheard (无意中听到) our conversation. “Wasn’t __38__ you that wrote us that letter a year ago about delivering a special delivery to your home?” I said yes. “Well, you certainly are going to have a box in this post office if we have to make one for you. You don’t know what a letter like that means to __39__. We usually get nothing __40_ complaints.
第二节语法填空（共10小题；每小题1.5分，满分15分）
阅读下面短文，按照句子结构的语法性和上下文连贯的要求，在空格处填入一个适当的词或使用括号中词语的正确形式填空，并将答案填写在答题卡标号为31 ~ 40的相应位置上。
How should one invest (投资) a sum of money in these days of inflation (通货膨胀)? 31 (leave) in a bank it’ll hardly keep its value, however high the interest rate. Only a brave man, 32 a very rich one, dares to buy and sell on the Stock(股票) Market. Today it seems that one of the best ways 33 (protect) your savings and even increase your wealth is to buy beautiful objects 34 the past. Here I am going to offer some advice on collecting antique clocks, 35 I personally consider are among the most interesting of antiques.
I sometimes wonder 36 a being from another planet report back about our way of life. “The planet Earth 37 (rule) by a mysterious creature that sits or stands in a room and makes a strange ticking sound. It has a face 38 twelve black marks and two hands. Men can do nothing without its permission, and it 39 (fast) its young around people’s wrists so that everywhere men go 40 are still under control. This creature is the real master of Earth and men are its slaves.”
第二节 语法填空(共10小题；每小题1. 5分，满分15分)
阅读下面短文，按照句子结构的语法性和上下文连贯的要求，在空格处填入一个适当的词或使用括号中词语的正确形式填空，并将答案填写在答卷标号为3l-40的相应位置上。
A man, now old, went overseas 40 years ago. On his 31 ( depart ), the girl he loved gave him as a souvenir a heart-shaped knot made of knitting wool. He 32 ( hang ) it on his belt ever since.
Several years later he got married and had children. As time went by his sweetheart’s __33___ ( look ) became dimmer and dimmer like a landscape picture 34 ( fade ) away gradually, and his homeland only appeared in his dreams. In the evening of his life he often looked at the knot and sighed.
One day his grandson caught sight of the knot and insisted on getting hold of it as a toy. The boy fondled ( 抚弄 ) and tried to unfold it. At last he did 35 trick and got it loose and open.
When i t 36 ( spread ) out it resumed ( 重获 ) its form as a long thread, a very simple wool thread. 37 by the skillful hands of a beloved girl could the thread be knitted into such a complicated knot. Devoted love made so many simple things complex in the world.
Thus the old man was awoken to get a truth. Most of the grievances ( 抱怨 ), bitterness and hatred in life actually result from very small matters. 38 one is mindful of them, they become mental knots. But if one sees 39 the knot, it remains a simple thread or line, no matter 40 shape it assumes.
第二节 语法填空(共10小题；每小题1．5分，满分15分)
阅读下面短文，按照句子结构的语法性和上下文连贯的要求，在空格处填人一个适当的词或使用括号中词语的正确形式填空，并将答案填写在答题卡标号为3l-40的相应位置上。
One day a rich man took his son on a trip to the country. He wanted to show his son how the poor lived so he could be thankful 31 his wealth.
They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of 32 would be considered a poor family.
On their return the father asked his son 33 (explain) what he had learnt. The boy, who had remained silent and deep in thought on the journey home, 34 (reply) in a way that shocked his father.
The boy said he wanted to become a farmer. He envied the farmers who had the beautiful night stars to give them light 35 his family had only expensive lanterns. His wish to have a farm 36 he could go swimming in an endless river instead of the garden pool in their home. Finally he asked his father, "What makes us safer, large walls around our house 37 friends that will protect us?"
The boy finished by saying, " 38 the trip I thought we were rich but today I learnt who is 39 (true) rich. "With this the boy got up and walked away, leaving his father sitting on their comfortable sofa, totally 40 (speech).
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