In Britain, Australia, Canada and a few other English-speaking countries, people don't stop celebrating when Christmas Day is over. They also celebrate the following day, known as Boxing Day. It is a popular day for giving additional（另外的）gifts. It has been celebrated for so long, but nobody exactly knows how it started.
Some people believe Boxing Day began in the Middle Ages. In those days: in some special places there were special collection boxes where people threw money for the poor.
The day after Christmas the boxes were opened and the money was counted. Then the money went to helping the poor in the area.
Others believe Boxing Day started about 300 years ago when some rich people had Christmas feasts (盛宴). They offered lots of food to their guests. Because many servants (仆人）were needed to make and serve the food, they could not celebrate Christmas with their families. To thank them, the rich people would put food into boxes for their servants to take home.
Now Boxing Day has become a public holiday in some countries. Some people spend the day boxing up old or unwanted things and donating（捐赠）them to the poor. Many people are active in helping service organizations(组织)like the Red Cross.
No matter how Boxing Day got its start, it's a wonderful time to donate things or give small gifts to people. By doing so, you cam make someone's holiday much happier.
1. From the first paragraph we know that Boxing Day ___________.| A．has a long history | B．is before Christmas Day |
| C．is celebrated in only three countries | D．is the day for buying gifts |
| A．unwanted things | B．food | C．old things | D．money |
| A．They took the food home. | B．They had Christmas feasts. |
| C．They made and served the food. | D．They celebrated with their families |
| A．to thank the rid people | B．to make the guests happy |
| C．to give people help or small gifts | D．to remember the old days |
| A．Christmas Day | B．Boxing Day | C．The Red Cross | D．The Middle Ages |
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【推荐1】Many people do not like to stay at home on holidays. They want to go out to see something different or do something exciting. So people from the country go to the city and people from the city go to the country for holidays. During the holidays, trains, buses and planes are all very busy. It is very hard to buy train tickets or air tickets. Many people take cars or buses for traveling.
Last May Day my family went to the country by car for our holiday. There was too much traffic on the road, so we had to move very slowly. It took us about an hour to get out of the town. After some time, we came to a farm. It was clean and beautiful. The animals were very cute, we thought it was a nice place for a picnic, so we stopped and took the food, fruit and drinks out of the car. We sat down under a big green tree and began to eat. Suddenly a strong wind blew and soon it started to rain. We had to run back to our car and had our picnic in the car. Then we drove back home. What a bad trip it was!
1. Many people don't like to stay at home on holidays because .| A．they have much money | B．the weather is pretty cool |
| C．they want to see something new | D．they want to see different people |
| A．a beach park | B．the country | C．the city | D．a town |
| A．interesting | B．relaxing | C．awful | D．exciting |
| A．there are only few tickets | B．many people want to go by train or plane |
| C．it's cheap to take a train or plane | D．it's fun to take a train or plane |
| A．A sudden rain. | B．A sudden snow. |
| C．A crazy cow. | D．A strong man. |
【推荐2】The dragon is a great animal in Chinese culture.
Old people believed that after Longtaitou, there would be more rain. And rain is very important to farming.
People have many ways to celebrate the festival.
根据材料内容，从下面五个选项中选出能填入文中空缺处的最佳选项，使文章意思通顺、内容完整。
| A．So Longtaitou was the start of spring and farming. |
| B．The most popular one is to have a haircut. |
| C．It brings the wind and rain. |
| D．People also hold activities like dragon dancing on the day. |
| E．Among Chinese people’s festival traditions, there is always a place for food. |
【推荐3】Hello! My name is Dick. Do you know International Day of Families(国际家庭日)? It’ s on May(五月) 15 and it’s a day for all the families. In my family, I have my parents and my sister. They love me very much. So I want to cook a big dinner for them on May 15.
I know my father likes chicken and hamburgers, so I make(做) a very nice chicken hamburger for him. My mother likes vegetables. She thinks they are good for her. So I make rice and vegetables for her. My sister, Julie, is a cute girl, but she is a little fat(肥胖). So I make apple juice for her. I also want to say “I love you!” to all of them.
What about you? Tell your parents how much you love them on May 15. Have a family picnic or cook a big dinner for them. I’m sure they will be very happy.
1. International Day of Families is a day for ________.| A．kids | B．parents | C．families | D．sisters |
| A．Apple juice. | B．Rice and vegetables. | C．Chicken and hamburgers. | D．Milk and eggs. |
| A．Vegetables. | B．Fish and rice. |
| C．Apple juice. | D．Chicken and hamburgers. |
| A．They look nice. | B．They are green. |
| C．They are good for her. | D．She can cook them well. |
| A．show love to our family | B．help parents to cook |
| C．have dinner with parents | D．buy something for the family |
【推荐1】A new app, Face Mapping, was invented by scientists at Oxford University. It can check our facial expressions to judge our moods and then suggest the perfect food to cheer us up, or to make us get rid of anxiety. Face Mapping scans the face for signs of emotions. And it can often pick up feelings which are hidden in a person’s heart that he may not notice.
“Face Mapping can provide a more correct and objective (客观的) conclusion of a person’s mood or feeling than he himself can feel,” said Prof. Spence. More and more evidence (证据) shows our moods have an important effect on our smell and taste—it can stop us from receiving the right signals (信号) of smell and taste. However, food can also influence our moods. People often stop eating when they are unhappy because food simply does not taste as good as it tastes when people are happy. So, it’s very interesting to do some research.
It can test anger, disgust (厌恶), fear, surprise, sadness and joy and make menu suggestions according to what it finds. That is a really important discovery. For example, an angry face suggests that a person is stressed and he needs food that can bring happiness to him, such as dark chocolate and nuts. Instead, people who are excited may benefit (得益于) from food which makes their blood sugar normal, such as grain and beans.
“Face Mapping is at the top of science and technology. And in the future, it is likely to become more popular,” Prof. Spence added.
1. How does Face Mapping cheer us up?| A．By checking our faces. | B．By chatting with us. |
| C．By advising us what to eat. | D．By offering us wonderful games. |
| A．We can avoid anxiety with the new app. |
| B．The new app can pick up our moods more quickly. |
| C．The new app can help us experience all the feelings. |
| D．The food seems to be more delicious when we’re happy. |
| A．When we lose our valuable things. | B．When we have too much work to do. |
| C．When we listen to soft music. | D．When we pass an important exam. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Positive. | C．Surprised. | D．Disappointed. |
| A．How does Face Mapping Affect Us | B．How was Face Mapping Developed |
| C．Ways to Use Face Mapping | D．Different Views on Face Mapping |
Communication is a problem for parents and children of all ages. If it’s hard for you to communicate with your parents, don’t worry about it. Here are some advice for you to bridge the generation gap (代沟).
Don’t argue (争辩) with your parents. Don’t get to your parents when you are angry. Your parents probably won’t consider your ideas if you are shouting at them. And you can’t express yourself well if you are angry. Go someplace to cool off. Make sure you understand why you are unhappy. Then think about what you want to say to your parents. If you don’t think you can speak to them at the moment, try writing a letter.
Try to reach a compromise (和解). Perhaps you and your parents disagree on something. You can keep your disagreement and try your best to accept each other. Of course, your parents might refuse to compromise on something. In these situations, it is especially important to show love and respect to them. Showing respect will keep your relationship strong.
Talk about your values. The values of your parents are probably different from those of your own. Tell your parents what you care about, and why. Understanding your values might help them see your purposes in life.
A good relationship with your parents can make you a better and happier person. It is worth having a try!
1. Your parents probably won’t consider your ideas if you _______.
| A．don’t get to them often |
| B．write a letter to them |
| C．don’t speak to them politely |
| D．express yourself well |
| A．have a talk with them often |
| B．keep away from them |
| C．agree with them all the time |
| D．know about their values |
| A．parents and children should not have a generation gap |
| B．parents should show love and respect to their children |
| C．there are some good ways to bridge the generation gap |
| D．there are so many serious problems in families today |
【推荐3】Summer in Japan can be difficult. Temperatures often go above 30℃, and it’s also very wet. Of course, many buildings have air conditioners, but people do need to go outside sometimes. So how do Japanese people stay cool?
While some use traditional fans, these days it’s common to see people carrying small handheld electric fans to keep themselves cool. One company has already made work jackets with electric fans inside to keep the wearer cool.
And now another Japanese company has created an air conditioner that you can just wear around your waist. The “WearCool”, which was created by the company Gloture, is a belt that uses five small fans to blow cool air up the front and back of your body at up to 5 meters a second. The inside of the belt is also made of a material that takes in heat, so it’s comfortable to wear. The belt can be changed for different waist sizes too. And while Gloture’s pictures show models wearing the belt like a fashion accessory (配饰), you can actually wear it under your clothes.
WearCool comes with a powerful battery that lets it be used without stopping for less than 17 hours, the company says. And you can change both the speed and the direction of the air f low by using an app which can be used in English or Japanese. WearCool is now available from Gloture’s online store and costs around $230. But will it become as popular as those handheld electric fans?
So, don’t be afraid of the summer, we have many ways to keep cool! Just smile to the hot weather!
1. How many ways to keep cool are mentioned in Paragraph 2?| A．Two. | B．Three. | C．Four. | D．Five. |
| A．It’s already on sale now. |
| B．It can be only worn under the clothes |
| C．It looks like a jacket with electric fans inside. |
| D．It can be used without stopping for over 17 hours. |
| A．Disappointed. | B．Worried. | C．Uncertain. | D．Confident. |
| A．The Ways of Staying Cool | B．Different Air Conditioners in Japan |
| C．The Fashion Accessory for Models | D．An Air Conditioner that Looks like a Belt |
Keep It Down! You have to notice the volume of your music. You should not play your music so loud that everyone around you can hear it. Some people might even get angry. Usually, when you play the music loud on an MP3 player, other people can't hear the words of the song. They just hear a loud sound. No one wants to listen to this. Very loud music can also be bad for your ears, so even if you are alone when listening to your MP3 player, you shouldn’t have it turned up too high.
Take Them off! You need to know when to turn your MP3 player off and put it away. Libraries and schools don't allow MP3 players. There are other places, like museums, that don’t have rules, but it would be rude to have your MP3 player on. Why would you listen to music at a play, a movie or a sporting event? You would miss what is going on and others would wonder why you even came.
Take One Out! Once in a while it's OK just to take out one earphone and not the other. Imagine you are listening on your MP3 player when someone asks you the way. It would not be rude to take out one earphone, tell him the way, and put back the earphone and continue listening. You can also do this when you order food at a fast-food restaurant or when you answer the telephone and it's not for you.
It’s Your Choice! There are times when you need to decide what is best. For example, some people can listen to music on their MP3 players when reading books, while others think it is disturbing. In cases like this, you need to do what seems right for you.
1. No one wants to listen to_________ from others’ MP3 player.
| A．a loud sound | B．sad stories |
| C．a long movie | D．the words of a song |
| A．is not enjoyable | B．makes us tired |
| C．is bad for MP3 players | D．hurts our ears |
| A．the teacher won’t allow it | B．the actors will get angry |
| C．others won’t hear the play well | D．we will miss part of the play |
| A．show others the way | B．talk to friends on the phone |
| C．watch a sporting event | D．have dinner with our parents |
| A．schools | B．libraries | C．restaurants | D．museums |
Many students have kept practising English hand-writing for nearly three years. Now a lot of students’ English hand-writings are getting better and better. That makes our teachers feel happy. Is your English hand-writing beautiful? If not, here are four steps that really work!
◆Use paper that has lines
When you write English words or sentences, you can use paper with lines. That will make your handwriting straight. Those lines on the paper can help you to write words in the right size. Be sure to fill the lined space completely. And make sure those capital letters(大写字母) are written properly.
◆Slow down
If your writing is hard to read, try slowing down a little. For some kids, going slower makes the handwriting clear. If you write too fast, it’s hard for you to stop where you should, and even worse, you may make more mistakes.
◆ Hold your pen right
When you hold your pen the correct way, writing is much easier. Some kids press(按，压) down really hard when they write. That makes the handwriting not nice. Try to relax yourself and don’t hold the pen so hard. Let your writing appear nice and clean. If you do so, people will guess you are a student with a good habit.
◆Draw more pictures
Drawing can improve your handwriting. You need to use the skills to control your pencil better when you are drawing pictures. Even though you have no chance to draw at school, you can practice by yourself at home.
Handwriting is very important. The English saying says “The style(字体) is the man.” Imagine you are a world-famous movie star or a well-known sports player, what do you do when your fans run up to you? Give them your autographs (亲笔签名), of course!
1. Not all the students’ English hand-writings are getting better and better.2. If you want to make English hand-writing beautiful, you’d better use paper with lines.
3. The more slowly you write, the more mistakes you will make.
4. Holding your pen too hard while writing can make your handwriting nice and clean.
5. The English saying means handwriting can determine (测定) a man and his personality.
school's talent contest, Barrett had her hair cut off in front of around 300 students. The hair would be used to make wigs (假发) for children with cancer. She has raised several thousand pounds and the money will help people with breast cancer (癌症)．
Barrett got the idea when she visited her friend's mom with cancer. “All of her hair had fallen out, and it really made me want to do something,” Barrett said.
When she found out that the charity Little Princess Trust could make wigs for children with cancer, she decided to donate her own hair, even though she loved it.
“I saw how sad it was for my friend's mom to lose her hair. So if my hair can go to help a young child with cancer then it's worth it,” she said.
Cath Stanton, a teacher, felt proud of the girl. “She's always been very well groomed (打扮的), so for her to cut all her hair off really moves us,” she said. “She has done a moving job.” Many students were moved by her courage and donated money.
1. How old is Rachel Barrett?
| A．12. | B．13. |
| C．14. | D．15. |
| A．Because she liked short hair very much. |
| B．Because her school didn't ask her to have long hair. |
| C．Because she wanted to help some children with cancer. |
| D．Because she wanted to take part in a talent contest. |
| A．After she visited her friend's mom with cancer. |
| B．When she visited her teacher. |
| C．After she saw a child without hair. |
| D．When she knew her hair was worth much money. |
| A．Barrett was proud of what she did. |
| B．People would use the hair to make wigs for children with cancer. |
| C．Little Princess Trust was the name of a middle school. |
| D．Cath Stanton was a teacher from Britain. |
| A．honest | B．kind |
| C．poor | D．hard-working |
【推荐1】Do you know the whales in the sea? There are many relatives（亲属）in the whale family and they always live together with whales.
Few people know dolphins（海豚）are part of the whale family. Dolphins are not fish. They are mammals (哺乳动物）. They breathe air, and they have babies and feed them with milk. Dolphins are famous for their wonderful shows. They can jump high out of the water and show turns in the air. These jumps give the dolphins time to breathe.
Porpoises（鼠海豚)are also in the whale family and are quite like dolphins. But they are different in the size and shape of the mouth. The dolphin's mouth is long and thin, but the porpoise's is short and thick. Dolphins are also more talkative than porpoises. Dolphins make sounds to talk with each other under water. But porpoises do not do this. Both of them are smart and friendly to humans.
Not all the members of the whale family are friendly. Big whales are much easier to be angry than smaller dolphins or porpoises. An angry whale can be dangerous. Perhaps this helped to create the story of Moby Dick that sank（使下沉） a ship and made all the people on it die in the sea.
1. Which of the following is NOT true according to paragraph 2?| A．Most people think dolphins have nothing to do with the whale family. |
| B．Dolphins feed their babies with milk. |
| C．When dolphins jump high out of the water, they can breathe air. |
| D．Dolphins can't show for us. |
| A．has the same mouth as the dolphin's |
| B．is friendly to humans |
| C．is much bigger than the dolphin |
| D．has a longer nose than the dolphin |
| A．Dolphins and porpoises have great differences in their habits. |
| B．Whale families often like swimming and living in groups. |
| C．Porpoises make sounds to communicate with one another under water. |
| D．Dolphins jump high out of the water to have fun. |
| A．a ship | B．a dolphin | C．a porpoise | D．a whale |
| A．Whales' birth place. | B．Whales' eating habits. |
| C．Members of the whale family. | D．Differences between dolphins and porpoises. |
There are many kinds of change, and many different things than cause change. People need to realize the changes, to learn to see them, and to learn what causes change.
Human beings must solve many problems so that they can continue to live successfully. War is one of these problems. Disease and natural disaster are problems. Having enough food and energy for the growing number of people in the world is a problem. Most problems can be solved, but some are impossible to solve. The way in which people solve problems affects how long and how well they can live.
As people solve their problems, they change things, and changes often cause new problems for people and for other living things on the earth. Sometimes the new problems seem even worse than the old ones. Human beings will probably never stop having problems to solve. Can you use your imagination to describe a world that has no problems at all ?
1. The reason why everything is changing is that______.
| A．people want them to be changing |
| B．there’re many different things that cause them to change |
| C．the living things are changing |
| D．the world is too small |
| A．there will be more and more new problems if they don’t solve the old ones. |
| B．the problems are difficult to solve |
| C．they have to go on living |
| D．there are so many things that are changing |
| A．because old problems aren’t solved. | B．because people don’t solve them |
| C．because some people are foolish | D．when people are solving old ones |
| A．Disaster and war are two of the problems people have to solve. |
| B．People need to solve all the problems at the same time. |
| C．The way people solve problems has much to do with their life. |
| D．People can’t solve all the problem at one time. |
| A．灾难 | B．资源 | C．条件 | D．环境 |
【推荐3】Many people like doing unusual things, and some of them have appeared in the record books. Here are a few examples.
 | Saimir Strati from Albania built the largest picture ever made from toothpicks. More amazingly, a very beautiful horse is in it！The artist used 1.5 million toothpicks and it took him about a month to complete it. |
 | Can you imagine how tall a motorbike is? Well, here's one! Gregory Dunham（the USA）has built the world's biggest motorbike. It is 2.4 meters tall, about 4 meters long and weighs about 1 ton. Has Gregory ever ridden it? Of course, he has, and he says it's great fun! |
 | People of Hamburg, Germany, set a new record. They have made the longest model train in the world. It is 110 meters long. How long would a real train of this size be? Leave it to your imagination. |
 | Ashrita Furman has appeared in The Guinness Book of World Records 203 times. Furman once ran a mile in about 13 minutes while he was doing the hula hoop（呼拉圈）. But he isn't satisfied. Furman's life is all about breaking records. |
根据短文内容，选择最佳答案。
1. A ____________ is in the largest picture made from toothpicks.
| A．book | B．horse | C．train | D．hula hoop |
| A．Albania | B．England | C．the USA | D．Germany |
| A．1.5 meters | B．2.4 meters | C．4 meters | D．110 meters |
| A．Gregory Dunham | B．Ashrita Furman | C．some Germans | D．Saimir Strati |
| A．Saimir Strati built the largest toothpick picture |
| B．Gregory Dunham made the best hula hoop |
| C．some Germans made the longest real train |
| D．Ashrita Furman's life is all about running |
