How do you celebrate New Year’s Day? If I had to take a guess, you probably celebrate New Year’s Day surrounded by family and friends, enjoying drinks of your choice (probably wine and champagne) and watching the ball drop. If you’re particularly lucky, perhaps you share a kiss with that special someone when the clock hits 00:00am. Have you ever imagined how New Year’s Day would look in another country? Listed below are five of the top ten “Unique New Year Traditions from Around the World.”
1. Breaking Dishes on Neighbor’s Door——Denmark
A strange and weird Danish New Year tradition, depending on how you look at it, is throwing dishes at neighbor’s door. Strangely, this makes them happy instead of annoying them. The family with the tallest tower of broken plates, glasses, cups and other crockery is considered to be the luckiest person because it symbolizes their large amount of loyal friends.
2. Talking to Spirits——Mexico
Talking to spirits is a part of Mexican belief. Mexicans strongly believe that they can communicate with the souls of their dead loved ones. New Year’s Eve is considered the best time to communicate with dead spirits to convey a message or ask for guidance. And this is not done at home on an individual basis but is a legal Mexican practice. Taos Inn, in New Mexico for example, offers 15 minutes session of spiritualism and meditation(默念) for $15. Not a bad price for some helpful guidance!
3. Wearing Polka Dots ——Philippines
Imagine streets full of people wearing polka dots and dining room tables full of round shaped food and fruits on one single day of the year. This all actually happens in the Philippines on New Year’s Eve every year. Philippines believe that this will bring them prosperity by associating the round dots to coins and wealth.
4. Burning Scarecrow(稻草人) Dummy——Ecuador
Ecuador has a unique custom of crafting scarecrows and then burning them at midnight. They adorn them and fill the scarecrows with newspapers and pieces of wood. As midnight approaches, everyone gathers outside their home and each family burns their own scarecrow. The tradition says that this destroys all the bad things that took place in the past 12 months. The scarecrow also scares away bad luck, which in turn, fills their new year with luck and happiness.
5. Mistletoe(槲寄生) Leaves Are Placed Under Pillow to Find Husband——Ireland
The single women of Ireland wait desperately for New Year’s Eve because it is the night that can bring them the love of their lives. They place mistletoe leaves under their pillow hoping to catch their future husband. It is also believed in the Irish culture that this act will help them get rid of bad luck.
The world is a large and very different place. Yes, people of all nations may celebrate New Year’s much differently around the world, with different traditions, but there are a lot of general themes to be seen. We all want to start a new, fresh year with renewed enthusiasm and hope no matter what happened during the past year. We all want to be happier, find love, renew friendships increase our wealth and also hope for a little extra luck in the coming New Year.When New Year’s Day is coming, people always celebrate it in many ways EXCEPT __________.
| A．sharing the time with their lovers |
| B．getting together with their families |
| C．enjoying drinks with their friends |
| D．setting the ball drop |
What can you learn when you are paying a visiting to Mexico during New Year’s Day?
| A．You’d better talk to your ancestors just at home secretly, or you’ll break the law. |
| B．It’s New Year’s Day that Mexicans consider the best time to talk to spirits. |
| C．It’s commonly believed that the dead have spirits and souls living around. |
| D．You can ask for help free when you want to talk to the dead |
The single women of Ireland always ________ hoping to catch their future husband on New Year’s Eve.
| A．wear polka dots |
| B．burn scarecrow dummy |
| C．break dishes on neighbor’s door |
| D．place mistletoe leaves under their pillow |
第三部分阅读理解(共15小题；每小题2分，满分40分)
第一节{共15小题；每小题2分．满分30分)
阅读下面短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出可以填人空白处的最佳
项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Benjamin Banneker was a
farmer，inventor，astronomer writer and antislavery supporter．He created the first American—built striking clock．
That fall，as usual，Benjamin rode to the nearby town for supplies．He couldn’t wait to get to the end of the road and buy the things his mother wanted．Then he could have a good talk with the folks in town．The truth was，as much as Benjamin loved his mother and father and three sisters，what he really enjoyed was talking about books or math problems or what was happening in other parts of the colonies(殖民地)．
It was about l0 o’clock by the sun when Benjamin arrived at a store．He ordered a bo
lt(一卷)of white cloth for his mother and looked around for someone to taik to．Benjamin’s heart jumped like a rabbit when he saw a friend holding a gold watch．Benjamin had always wanted to figure out how clocks and watches worked．The friend saw Benjamin and let him sit down for a good talk．
Late that afternoon，Benjamin rode home，slowly．He didn’t want to harm the watch that his friend had let him borrow．That nigh after supper，Benjamin carefully laid the watch on the table and pulled the candle closer．“This is a watch，”he said．“A man in fown lent it to me，and now I’m going to take it apart and draw the pieces．Then 1’11 put it back together again．Benjamin held his breath and gently took the back off the watch．
Every evening for a week，Benjamin sat at the table with the watch．He copied eaeh tiny
wheel and pin．When the week was up，he put the pieces back togelher and returned the watch to its owner．Then Benjamin got a good night’s sleep．
The next day when the farm work was done，Benjamin went into the woods to 1ook for just the right pieces of wood．Not too old，not too dry，not too green，not too soft．
Fo
r two years，Benjamin farmed all day and worked on his wood pieces at night．In1753，two years after he had borrowed the watch，Benjamin put all the pieces together．Benjamin had made his own clock．
1．The most likely reason the author wrote the passage was to__________．
A．show the influence Benjamin Banneker’s family had on him
B．present reasons for Benjamin Banneker’s fascination with clocks
C．explain Benjamin Banneker’s reason for becoming an inventor
D．give an example of Benjamin Banneker’s strong will and intelligence
2.Benjamin especially looked forward to going to the store to __________.
A．avoid work on the farm B．purchase white cloth
C．meet interesring people D．show his new clock to others
3．Why did Benjamin most likely hold his breath when he took the back off the watch?
A．He feared his friend might want to get the watch back．
B．He was very nervous about taking apart a precious object.
C．He wanted to time how long it would take to finish the job．
D．He was afraid that broken watch parts would fly into his face．
When it comes to friends, I desire those who will share my happiness, who possess wings of their own and who will fly with me. I seek friends whose qualities illuminate（照亮）me and train me up for love. It is for these people that I reserve the glowing hours, too good not to share.
When I was in the eighth grade, I had a friend. We were shy and “too serious” about our studies when it was becoming fashionable with our classmates to learn acceptable social behaviors. We said little at school, but she would come to my house and we would sit down with pencils and paper, and one of us would say, “Let’s start with a train whistle today.” We would sit quietly together and write separate poems or stories that grew out of a train whistle. Then we would read them aloud. At the end of that school year, we, too, were changing into social creatures and the stories and poems stopped.
When I lived for a time in London, I had a friend, He was in despair and I was in despair. But our friendship was based on the idea in each of us that we would be sorry later if we did not explore this great city because we had felt bad at the time. We met every Sunday for five weeks and found many excellent things. We walked until our despairs disappeared and then we parted. We gave London to each other.
For almost four years I have had remarkable friend whose imagination illuminates mine. We write long letters in which we often discover our strangest selves. Each of us appears, sometimes in a funny way, in the other’s dreams. She and I agree that, at certain times, we seem to be parts of the same mind. In my most interesting moments, I often think: “Yes, I must tell….”We have never met.
It is such comforting companions I wish to keep. One bright hour with their kind is worth more to me than the lifetime services of a psychologist（心理学家），who will only fill up the healing（愈合的）silence necessary to those darkest moments in which I would rather be my own best friend.
1. In the eighth grade, what the author did before developing proper social behavior was to ______.
A. become serious about her study
B. go to her friend’s house regularly
C. learn from her classmates at school
D. share poems and stories with her friend
2. In Paragraph 3, “We gave London to each other” probably means ______.
A. our exploration of London was a memorable gift to both of us
B. we were unwilling to tear ourselves away from London
C. our unpleasant feeling about London disappeared
D. we parted with each other in London
3. According to Paragraph 4, the author and her friend _______.
A. call each other regularly
B. have similar personalities
C. enjoy writing to each other
D. dream of meeting each other
4. What is the best title for the passage?
A. Unforgettable Experiences
B. Remarkable Imagination
C. Lifelong Friendship
D. Noble Companions
It is often necessary to release a fish, that is, set it free after catching, because it is too small, or you just don’t want to take it home to eat. In some cases, releasing fish is a good measure that will help keep fish variety and build their population size. The Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF) encourages fishermen who practice catch-and-release fishing to use a few simple skills when doing so. The advice provided below will help make sure that the fish you release will survive to bite again another day.
—When catching a fish, play it quickly and keep the fish in the water as much as possible.
Don’t use a net in landing the fish and release it quickly to prevent it from dying.
—Hold the fish gently. Do not put your fingers in its eyes. Don’t wipe the scales (鱼鳞) off the fish because it might cause it to develop a disease and reduce its chance of survival.
—Remove your hook (鱼钩) quickly. If the hook is too deep or hooked in the stomach, cut the line and leave the hook in. The hook left inside will cause no serious problem to the fish.
—Take good care of the fish by moving it gently in water. Release the fish when it begins to struggle and is able to swim.
—Do not hold fish in a bucket or some other containers and later decide to release it. If you are going to release a fish, do so right away.
With a little care and by following the suggestions given above, you can give the released fish a better chance of survival.
1. People sometimes set a fish free after catching it because they _________.
A. don’t want it to die B. hope it will grow quickly
C. don’t want to have it as food D. want to practice their fishing skills
2. Which of the following will probably make a fish ill?
A. Taking the hook off it. B. Removing its scales.
C. Touching its eyes D. Holding it in your hand.
3. A proper way to release a fish is to _________.
A. move it in water till it can swim
B. take the hook out of its stomach
C. keep it in a bucket for some time
D. let it struggle a little in your hand
4. What is the purpose of the test?
A. To show how to enjoy fishing.
B. To persuade people to fish less often.
C. To encourage people to set fish free.
D. To give advice on how to release fish.
Domestic (驯养的) horses now pull ploughs, race in the Kentucky Derby, and carry police. But early horses weren’t tame (驯服的) enough to perform these kinds of tasks. Scientists think the first interactions humans had with horses were far different from those today.
Thousands of years ago, people killed the wild horses that lived around them for food. Over time, people began to catch the animals and raise them. This was the first step in domestication.
As people began to tame and ride horses, they chose to keep those animals that had more desirable characteristics. For example, people may have chosen to keep horses that had a gentle personality so they could be ridden more easily. People who used horses to pull heavy loads would have chosen to keep stronger animals. Characteristics like strength are partly controlled by the animals’ genes. So as the domesticated horses reproduced, they passed the characteristics on to their young. Each new generation of houses would show more of these chosen characteristics.
Modern day horse breeds come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. This variety didn’t exist in the horse population before domestication. The Shetland horse is one of the smallest breeds—typically reaching only one meter tall. With short, strong legs, the animals were bred to pull coal out of mine shafts (矿井) with low ceilings. Huge horses like the Clydesdale came on the scene around 1700. People bred these heavy, tall horses to pull large vehicles used for carrying heavy loads.
The domestication of horses has had great effects on societies. For example, horse were important tools in the advancement of modern agriculture. Using them to pull ploughs and carry heavy loads allowed people to farm more efficiently. Before they were able to ride horses, humans had to cross land on foot. Riding horses allowed people to travel far greater distance in much less time. That encouraged populations living in different areas to interact with one another. The new from of rapid transportation helped cultures spread around the world.
1. Before domestication horses were ______.
A. caught for sports
B. hunted for food
C. made to pull ploughs
D. used to carry people
2. The author uses the Shetland horse as an example to show ______.
A. it is smaller than the Clydesdale horse
B. horse used to have gentle personalities
C. some horses have better shaped than others
D. horses were of less variety before domestication
3. Horses contributed to the spread of culture by ______.
A. carrying heavy loads
B. changing farming methods
C. serving as a means of transport
D. advancing agriculture in different areas
4. The passage is mainly about _______.
A. why humans domesticated horses
B. how humans and horses needed each other
C. why horses came in different shapes and sizes
D. how human societies and horses influenced each other
“Humans should not try to avoid stress any more than they would shun food, love or exercise.” said Dr. Hans Selye, the first physician to document the effects of stress on the body. While here’s no question that continuous stress is harmful, several studies suggest that challenging situations in which you’re able to rise to the occasion can be good for you.
In a 2001 study of 158 hospital nurses, those who faced considerable work demands but coped with（设法处理） the challenge were more likely to say they were in good health than those who felt they couldn’t get the job done.
Stress that you can manage may also boost immune(免疫的) function. In a study at the Academic Center for Dentistry in Amsterdam, researchers put volunteers through two stressful experiences. In the first, a timed task that required memorizing a list followed by a short test, subjects believed they had control over the outcome. In the second, they weren’t in control: They had to sit through a gory(血淋淋的) video on surgical procedures. Those who did go on the memory test had an increase in levels of immunoglobulin A, an antibody that's the body’s first line of defense against germs. The video-watchers experienced a downturn in the antibody.
Stress prompts the body to produce certain stress hormones（荷尔蒙）. In short bursts these hormones have a positive effect, including improved memory function. “They can help nerve cells handle information and put it into storage,” says Dr. Bruce McEwen of Rockefeller University in New York. But in the long run these hormones can have a harmful effect on the body and brain.
“Sustained stress is not good for you,” says Richard Morimoto, a researcher at Northwestern University in Illinois studying the effects of stress on longevity(长寿), “It’s the occasional burst of stress or brief exposure to stress that could be protective.”
1. The passage is mainly about ________.
A. the benefits of manageable stress
B. how to avoid stressful situations
C. how to cope with stress effectively
D. the effects of stress hormones on memory
2. The underlined word “shun” (Line 1, Para.1) most probably means________.
A. cut down on
B. stay away from
C. run out of
D. put up with
3. We can conclude from the study of the 158 nurses in 2001 that ________.
A. people under stress tend to have a poor memory
B. people who can’t get their job done experience more stress
C. doing challenging work may be good for one’s health
D. stress will weaken the body’s defense against germs
4. Dr. Bruce McEwen of Rockefeller University believes that ________.
A. a person’s memory is determined by the level of hormones in his body
B. stress hormones have lasting positive effects on the brain
C. short bursts of stress hormones enhance memory function
D. a person’s memory improves with continued experience of stress
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