Different countries and cultures celebrate New Year in different ways. Many countries still follow the lunar calendar, meaning that their new year often starts in late January or in February. New Year celebrations for some countries (like China, Vietnam and Korea) last not one day, but up to two weeks!
In the U.S., many people attend New Year parties. They drink champagne, dance, and cheer at the stroke of midnight. Fireworks, which in olden times scared away evil spirits, are very popular throughout the U. S. . U.S. residents often make one or more New Year’s resolutions, such as promising to quit smoking, lose weight, stop drinking. Most of these resolutions last little longer than a month.
In the southern U.S. , many people eat black-eyed peas for good luck in the new year. In Mexico and Venezuela, many people wear red or yellow underwear for good luck. In Brazil, residents wear red white clothes for good luck, and in China, they wear red clothes and give children red envelops with money in them. In Iran, people wear brand new clothes on the first day of the new year.
In Scotland, homeowners open the front door at midnight to let in the new year, and open the back door to let out the old year. In Switzerland, people kiss each other three times at midnight. In Spain, people eat 12 grapes-----one per chime----as the clock chimes midnight. In Japan, they ring a bell 108 times to get rid of the108 bad desires that people have. In Korea, they ring a bell 33 times in honor of 33 ancient soldiers. How do Americans celebrate their New Year?
| A．They kiss each three times at the stroke after midnight. |
| B．They use fireworks to scare away evil spirits. |
| C．Men and women make New Year’s plants together. |
| D．Many people attend New Year parties. |
The underlined word “resolutions” in Paragraph 2 probably means________.
| A．beliefs | B．solutions |
| C．principles | D．promises |
In which countries is red regarded as a lucky color?
| A．Mexico and Brazil. | B．Mexico and China. |
| C．Venezuela and Brazil. | D．China and Iran. |
The best title for the passage would be “__________”.
| A．Different customs around the world |
| B．New activities in America and Europe |
| C．New Year celebrations around the world |
| D．Different countries have different customs |
Most children now chat daily either online or through their mobile phones. They are connecting to a huge number of other children all over the world. Some are shy “in real life” but are confident to communicate with others online; others find support from people of their own age on relationship issues, or problems at home.
Sometimes the online world, just like the real world, can introduce problems, such as bullying or arguments. Going online is great fun, but there are also a few people who use the Internet for offensive(冒犯性的)or illegal aims. Children must be made aware（意识到的） of both the good things and the dangers.
To keep children safe your management must cover the family computer. Just as you decide which TV programs are suitable, you need to do the same for the websites and chat rooms your children visit. Remind your children that online friends are still strangers. Reminding them of the risks will keep them alert(警惕).
Computer studies are part of schoolwork now, so it’s likely that your children may know more than you do. We get left behind when it comes to the latest gadgets（小玩意）and the interactive areas of websites, like chat rooms and message boards, which are especially strange. The language of chat is strange to many parents, too. Chatters love to use abbreviations(缩写)such as: atb-all the best, bbfn-bye bye for now, cul8er-see you later, gr8-great, Idk-I don’t know, imbl-it must be love, kit-keep in touch, paw-parents are watching, lol-laugh out loud, xlnt-excellent!
It seems like another language, and it is!The passage is meant for .
| A．children | B．parents | C．teachers | D．net bar owners |
Which of the following will the author probably agree with?
| A．The Internet is no good for children. |
| B．The chat language is strange to adults. |
| C．Children shouldn’t chat so much online. |
| D．The Internet is a good place for children. |
In order to keep children safe online, you’d better .
| A．choose suitable websites and chat rooms for them |
| B．teach them to use correct net words |
| C．surf the Internet together with them |
| D．forbid them to use the Internet |
If you stand beside him when your son is chatting about something secret online, he may use .
| A．bbfn | B．lol | C．paw | D．cul8er |
Here’s an unusual story: a diamond ring was recently found in an egg. The magician（魔术师）, Liu Qian, discovered it, in front of an audience of millions at CCTV’s Spring Festival Gala. Liu’s magic tricks have made the centuries old art of magic fashionable once again, and made him the hottest magician in China.
As a seasoned young magician from Taiwan, Liu is popular worldwide for his magic shows. Countries he has performed in include the United States, Japan, South Korea and the UK.
Witnessing something impossible happen right before your eyes is the root of people’s love for magic.
Liu is known for his interaction(互动) with his audiences. He has a unique understanding of showmanship (演出技巧).
“It is actually thinking, rather than one’s manipulation(操作)skills, that is more important to achieving a successful magic show. We think carefully about how to design the shows creatively, to make them appear more intriguing(吸引人的),”Liu said.
Liu Qian’s success dates back to his childhood. Born in 1976 in Taiwan, he found himself attracted to a magic toy in a shop when he was seven years old. At the age of 12, he won Taiwan’s Youth Magic Contest, which was judged by the great American magician, David Copperfield.
Yet, Liu never planned on becoming a professional magician. He studied Japanese literature at university and only hoped to be an amateur（业余的） magician in his spare time. However, his failure to find a decent(体面的)job after graduation pushed him towards magic as a career.
To refine（升华） his performing skills, he has performed on streets, roads and fields, for pedestrians(路人), policemen and farmers.
“Street shows are the biggest challenge for us magicians. We have to deal with unexpected situations and tough crowds,” Liu said. Why do people love to watch magic?
| A．Because Liu Qian is known for his interaction with his audiences. |
| B．Because people love watching magicians make the impossible happen. |
| C．Because people want to know the secret of the magic. |
| D．Because people are curious about everything. |
Which word in the following is close to the underlined word “seasoned”?
| A．Handsome. | B．Growing. | C．Fruitful. | D．Experienced. |
What is the key reason that Liu Qian decided to make magic his career?
| A．He was good at magic when he was young. |
| B．He had won Taiwan’s Youth Magic Contest. |
| C．He couldn’t find a decent job after graduation. |
| D．He became an amateur magician in his spare time. |
The passage is mainly about .
| A．why Liu Qian plays magic well |
| B．what magic tricks are |
| C．why people love magic |
| D．how Liu Qian became China’s hottest magician |
When you want to go shopping, decide how much money you can spend on new clothes, Think about the kind of clothes you really need. Then look for those clothes you really need. Then look for those clothes on sale.
There are labels(标签) inside all new clothes. The labels tell you how to take care of your clothes. The label for a shirt may tell you to wash it in warm water. A sweater label may tell you to wash in cold water. The label on a coat may say “dry clean only”, for washing may ruin this coat. If you do as the directions(说明)on the label, you can keep your clothes looking their best for a long time.
Many clothes today must be dry cleaned. Dry cleaning is expensive. When buying new clothes, check to see if they will need to be dry cleaned. You will save money if you buy clothes that can be washed.
You can save money if you buy clothes that are well-made. Well-made clothes last longer. They look good even after they have been washed many times. Clothes that cost more money are not necessarily better made. They do not always fit better. Sometimes less expensive clothes look and fit better than more expensive clothes.If you want to save money, you had better buy clothes that .
| A．don’t fit you | B．don’t last long |
| C．need to be dry cleaned | D．can be washed |
The labels inside the clothes tell you .
| A．how to keep the clothes looking their best |
| B．how to save money |
| C．whether the clothes fit you or not |
| D．where to get the clothes dry cleaned |
We learn from the passage that cheaper clothes .
| A．are always worse made |
| B．must be dry cleaned |
| C．can not be washed |
| D．can sometimes fit you better |
The best title for the passage should be .
| A．Buy Less Expensive Clothes |
| B．Taking Enough Money When Shopping |
| C．Being a Clever Clothes Shopper |
| D．Choosing the Labels inside New Clothes |
Art exhibition: The 16th Asian International Art exhibition from Dec.18, 2005 to Jan.10, 2006 at the Guangdong Museum of Art.
The exhibition will highlight(突显) over 300 works from Japan, Korea, China Mainland, China Hong Kong, China Macau, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippine, Indonesia and Australlia.
RMB 70, 90, 100
Booking Tel: 88677766
Concert: Christmas Concert performed by German organist(风琴手) Thorsten Macder and the Guangzhou Symphony（交响乐） Orchestra（管弦乐队）, conducted by Yu Feng.
RMB 80, 120, 180, 230
8pm on Dec 23
Symphony performing Hall. Guangdong Xinghai Concert Hall.
Booking Tel: 87352222
Thailand cuisine(烹饪艺术) festival: In the Greenery Café at Garden Hotel from Dec.20, 2005 to Feb 20,2006.
Booking Tel: 87675443
Performance: At Sun Yatsen Memorial Hall; 8pm on December 6,7,9
RMB 100, 160, 200, 260
Tel: 89785656The group of the advertisements are mainly about in Guangzhou Morning Post.
| A．sports | B．business trade | C．city life | D．city guide |
If you want to go to the concert with your two friends, you will at least carry yuan with you.
| A．240 | B．160 | C．80 | D．190 |
The countries in the 16th Asian International Art Exhibition are all in Asia except .
| A．Korea | B．China Macau | C．Indonesia | D．Australia |
If you want to enjoy yourself on December 7, you will probably dial the telephone number .
| A．89785656 | B．87675443 | C．87352222 | D．88677766 |
Prince Charles yesterday promised to reduce the royal impact on the environment through sweeping changes to his personal lifestyle and official schedule. The prince will replace carbon-heavy private jets and helicopters with scheduled flights and train services.
The move came as Prince Charles urged business leaders to publish the environmental pact(条款、协议) of their activities.
He said, “Few accountants and business decision-makers ask, ‘How much of our critical natural resource is left? How many miles of polar ice cap has our business helped melt this year? By how many inches have we raised sea levels? How many species have we put at risk? How many homes will be flooded, how many people will die of thirst or starvation because of our activities? ’ These are not comfortable questions, but, by God, they need to be asked.”
He added, “At the moment these costs do not appear in anyone’s books… Yet they are real, they are incurred now and in a relatively short time, the damage being caused may be beyond remedy.” He said the world was “running up the biggest global credit card debt in history, but with little or no thought for how the bill will ever be paid”.
Flanked by the prime minister and business and community leaders at St James’ Palace, the prince said his new “accounting for sustainability” project would give consumers the power to choose products that caused less damage to the planet.
Duchy Originals, the prince’s food company, is taking steps to work out how much carbon dioxide and other green-house gas are emitted in growing, processing and distributing its products. The changes to the prince’s travel arrangements announced yesterday are part of a wider review of the carbon footprint associated with activities at all three of his residences. Clarence House in London, Highgrove and Birkhall on the Balmorals estate, as well as the activities of his 21 personal and 105 full-time staff. Measures include a review of electricity use, commuter and other staff travel and are intended to identify further reductions in carbon dioxide emissions. The review will report in June , when Clarence House will announce annual targets to reduce carbon emission.How does Prince Charles feel about business leaders in terms of environmental protection?
| A．Dissatisfied. | B．Disappointed. |
| C．Doubtful. | D．Impatient. |
In response to Prince Charles’ calls, Duchy Originals will ______.
| A．make as much green food as possible |
| B．cut down its cost |
| C．figure out its greenhouse gas emission |
| D．continue its greenhouse gas emission |
The underlined phrase in paragraph 4 probably refers to ______.
| A．the great amount of waste produced by industry |
| B．the high cost of industry in their producing process |
| C．the great amount of debts of the royal family |
| D．the great damage caused to the environment |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Prince Charles promised Greener Royal Lifestyle |
| B．Better Late than Never |
| C．Prince Charles and His Concern for Environment |
| D．The Royal Family Has a Role to Play in Environment Protection |
粤公网安备 44130202000953号