1 . 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 can make someone’s holiday much happier.
根据短文内容, 选择最佳答案。
1. From the first paragraph we know that Boxing Day _________.
| A．has a long history | B．is before Christmas Day | C．is the day for buying gifts |
| A．unwanted things | B．food | C．money |
| A．They took the food home. | B．They had Christmas feasts. | C．They made and served the food. |
| A．to thank the rich people | B．to make the guests happy | C．to give people help or small gifts |
| A．Christmas Day | B．Boxing Day | C．The Middle Ages |
2 . Now many young people are traveling around the world on their own, not because they have no one to travel with, but because they prefer to go alone.
Kristina Wegscheider from California first traveled alone when she was at college. She believes that it is something everyone should do at least once in their life. "It opens up your mind to new things." Wegscheider has visited 46 countries.
In foreign countries, with no one to help you read a map, look after you if you get ill, or lend you money if your wallet is stolen, it is challenging. This is what makes young people travel alone. It is seen as character building and a chance to prove（证明）that they can make it on their own.
Chris Rihardson decided to leave his sales job in Australia to go traveling last year. He set up a website, "The Aussie Nomad", to record the people he met, the places he visited, and the things he did. He said he wished he had traveled alone earlier. "Everything is up to you and it forces you to grow as a person", said the 30-year-old man.
Richardson describes traveling alone like "a shot in the arm". "It makes you a more confident person that is ready to deal with anything. I walk around with my head up because I know deep down inside that nothing is impossible if you try." he said.
1. Which of the following will Kristina Wegscheider agree with?| A．Traveling alone is a necessary experience for everyone. |
| B．It is more meaningful to travel to foreign countries. |
| C．It is comfortable to travel around without a friend. |
| D．Traveling abroad helps people to find new things. |
| A．you have to cook things on your own |
| B．it is hard for you to prove yourself to others |
| C．you can only depend on yourself whatever happens |
| D．it will finally build your character |
| A．show his photos | B．ask others to join the journey |
| C．prove that he can do everything | D．keep a record of his trips |
| A．He started traveling alone at an early age. |
| B．He was once shot in the arm. |
| C．He used to work as a salesman. |
| D．He is humorous and brave. |
| A．Travel Abroad | B．Travel Alone |
| C．Travel Light | D．Travel Far and Wide |
3 . Anne and Joseph are talking about an interesting question. Why do some people change their names? There can be many reasons. Hanna changed her name to Anne because she thought it would be easier for people to remember. On the other hand, Joseph is thinking about changing his name to an unusual name because he wants to be different.
People have a lot of reasons for changing their names. Film stars, singers, sportsmen and some other famous people often change their names because they want names that are not ordinary(普通的), or that have special sound. They chose the "new name" for themselves instead of the name their parents gave them when they were born.
Some people have another reason for changing their names. They have moved to a new country and want to use a name that is usual there. For example, Li Kaiming changed his name to Ken Lee when he moved to the United States. He uses the name Ken at his job and at school. But with his family and Chinese friends, he uses Li Kaiming. For some people, using different names makes life easier in their new country.
In many countries, a woman changes her family name(姓)to her husband's after she gets married(结婚).But today, many women are keeping their own family names and not using their husbands'. Sometimes, women use their own names in some situations(情况)and their husband's in other situations. And some use both their own names and their husbands'.
1. Hanna changes her name to Anne because "Anne" is ________ for people to remember.| A．louder | B．easier | C．prettier | D．harder |
| A．have special sound | B．be ordinary | C．have no meaning(含意) | D．be unknown |
| A．stays with his family | B．is at his job | C．is among Chinese friends | D．comes back to China |
| A．Family Names. | B．Women's Names. | C．Changing Names. | D．Special Names. |
| A．Some women don't change their own family names after they get married today. |
| B．Some women use their husbands' family names after they get married. |
| C．Some women don't have family names after they get married. |
| D．Some women use both their own names and their husbands'. |
4 . My favorite book is A Friend Like Henry. It’s about how a family dog helps a boy deal with his autism (自闭症).When I felt sad, my best friend gave me the book. It cheered me up. LiMei
Reading in the holiday is a fantastic thing. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea is my favorite book. It’s about a captain’s travel under the sea. The story is very interesting and the pictures are fantastic. This book can make you relaxed. Tony
I like reading the Four Great Classical Novels of China although I’m a foreigner from Sydney, I can’t wait to tell the story Romance of the Three Kingdoms. It taught me a lot about the three kingdoms (王国) of Wei, Shu and Wu. If you are interested in history, don’t miss it. Peter
In my opinion, The Little Prince is the best one. In this book, a young prince (王子) falls to Earth from a small planet (行星) and experiences a lot. It is not just a fiction story (科幻故事), but tells us about the correct values (价值观). Mary
1. When Li Mei felt ________, her friend gave her the book A Friend Like Henry.| A．happy | B．sad | C．bored | D．excited |
| A．Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea | B．Romance of the Three Kingdoms |
| C．The Little Prince | D．A Friend Like Henry |
| A．traveling | B．art | C．science | D．history |
| A．it has colorful pictures | B．it can deal with her autism |
| C．it tells about the correct values | D．it is a fiction story |
| A．My Best Friend | B．My Favorite Book | C．My Favorite Movie | D．My Best Gift |
5 . Long time ago, there were two talented boys, John and Joe. They showed great talents from an early age, and they did better than others around.
They grew up but they chose different ways. John used all of his talents to find a good job. He took part in many activities and visited the most important people and places. Everyone thought that he would be the most important person in the world.
But Joe was different. He always took a heavy responsibility（责任）. He was always busy looking for ways to help others.
One day, bad things happened and they met many problems. John didn't know what to do. But Joe always tried his best to solve all kinds of problems. He thought of some good ways and didn’t let the bad things affect（影响）the people in his town. From then on, he was more famous than John.
John then knew that our best talents were not only for ourselves. He learned from Joe that we should always help other people.
1. What did John use his talents to do?| A．To make others happy. | B．To find many problems. |
C．To find a good job.  | D．To help others. |
| A．解决 | B．增加 | C．遇到 | D．逃避 |
| A．Because he always helped others. | B．Because he visited many places. |
| C．Because he took part in activities. | D．Because he had a good job. |
| A．Kind. | B．Successful. | C．Serious. | D．Responsible. |
| A．Two talented Girls. |
| B．What we should do with Our Talents. |
| C．The Most Important People in the world. |
| D．How to Help others. |
6 . There is no quick and easy way to learn English. But there is a simple and good way. Speak English as much as you can. Speak only English with your teacher and your classmates. Speak English while you are either in class or after class. Listen to English as much as you can in class. Listen to your classmates when they speak English out of class. Listen to the radio and watch some English programs on TV.
Speak, listen and read English as much as you can. Don’t just read the textbooks that you use in class. Go to the library or to a bookshop and read easier English books.
Speak, listen, read and write English as much as you can. Buy a small notebook and write on it every day. Write about the things that you do during the day. Write about what you learned in class.
These things are not hard, but they are the work you should do. If you do them, with the help of your teacher, you’ll learn English well.
根据短文内容，判断下列句子正误。正确的用A表示，不正确的用B表示。
1. There is not a quick and easy way to learn English.
2. We must speak, listen, read and write English as much as we can.
3. Speak English neither in class nor after class.
4. The best title is “How to learn English”.
Nowadays, phone calls and messages help us get in touch with others. It means that we seldom write letters now. But a TV show, Letters Alive (《见字如面》), is bringing back this old habit.
Letters Alive invites famous actors and actresses, but there are no funny jokes or competitions. It’s just one person walking up to a microphone (麦克风) and reading a letter. The letters were written by people from different times in history. For example, in one period, they read a letter written by famous writer Xiao Hong to her younger brother in 1941. The letter shows that Xiao Hong missed her brother so much and had great hopes for his future.
“Every letter opens another world for us,” according to Guan Zhengwen, the director of the TV show. “We can also touch the heart of the writers’.” Since its first period on Dec. 5, Letters Alive has been widely praised. Many audiences said that it had provided a kind of fresh air to today’s TV shows.
Besides Letters Alive, some other cultural TV shows have also been well received by Chinese audiences. Chinese Poetry Conference (《中华诗词大会》) is a traditional Chinese poetry competition. And Readers invites people to read poems and articles they like or wrote. It shows that cultural values and true feelings are becoming our interest.
1. Letter Alive, a TV show invites famous people to ________.| A．tell audiences jokes | B．read and share letters |
| C．walk up to a microphone to sing | D．take part in different competition |
| A．Xiao Hong missed her brother but had no hopes for his future. |
| B．Letters Alive is not popular enough to audiences. |
| C．The heart of the writers’ can be touched by reading letters. |
| D．Chinese Poetry Conference invites people to read poems. |
| A．Phones Have Taken the Place of Letters | B．Interview Our Cultural TV Show |
| C．Letters Make Us Communicate | D．Cultural TV Shows Are Becoming Popular |
8 . When you are feeling unhappy or forget how great you are, these six ways can help make you feel good about yourself.
• Look in the mirror and say to yourself, “I am a special person and there is no one in the world like me. I can do anything,” It may not sound so good, but it really works.
• Do something nice for someone. Helping others always makes you feel good.
• Smile! Be friendly to people you meet. Look for the good things in your friends and family.
• Learn something new! Have you always wanted to design your own room or learn how to swim? Go for it! New challenges (挑战) are fun and give you a sense of accomplishment when you have finished!
• Start to write a story. Turn off the TV and let your imagination(想象) fly! Write down your thought, dreams or anything you want! It can help to express (表达) your feelings.
• Stay with your family. We all need our family time. Talk with your mom or dad or maybe even your cousin.
1. The passage may be from ________.| A．a science book | B．a magazine | C．a story book | D．school rules |
| A．be special | B．be sure | C．feel tired | D．feel nice |
| A．成就感 | B．忧伤感 | C．挫折感 | D．信任感 |
| A．You should always look for the good things of others. |
| B．Stay alone at home as much as possible. |
| C．Learn something new and go for it! |
| D．Keep a diary to express your feelings. |
| A．Do Your Best to Make Friends. |
| B．It’s Never Too Late to Learn. |
| C．Six Ways to Feel Good about Yourself. |
| D．Always Smile to Your Life. |
9 . On July 1, Shanghai introduced a new garbage sorting policy(垃圾分类政策). Now let's learn the garbage sorting and recycling in other countries.
Germany: There are big machines in supermarkets. You can put bottles in the machines and get money back. You can get one or two yuan per bottle. People like this because they can get money and protect the environment at the same time.
Japan: A trash truck comes to people's doors to pick up their garbage. It plays music when it's coming. There are eight or more kinds of garbage. If you sort any of them wrong, you will get a notice on your door.
Indonesia: People can take buses for free if they give plastic bottles to bus stations. An hour-long bus ride costs(花费) three large bottles, five small bottles or 10 plastic cups. But the bottles must be clean.
1. In which country, you can get money back if you put bottles in the machines?| A．China. | B．Japan. | C．Germany. | D．Indonesia. |
| A．Some money. | B．Plastic bottles. | C．A notice. | D．Music. |
| A．空闲的 | B．免费的 | C．有趣的 | D．昂贵的 |
| A．A New Garbage Sorting Policy in China. | B．How to Sort Garbage? |
| C．Garbage Sorting and Recycling around the World. | D．The Importance of Garbage Sorting. |
| A．In a newspaper. | B．In a story book. | C．In a geography magazine. | D．In a history book. |
10 . Grandma's eightieth birthday was near and I wondered what to give her. She had moved into a nursing home and didn't have room for extra things. She insisted that she didn't need any gift.
Finally, I came up with an idea. In her birthday card, I sent her a gift certificate(礼券)for "A letter a week for the next year!" It was a big promise. I've never been much of a letter writer, but now I was living far from home, and should be able to find plenty of news. Growing up just a mile from my grandparents, we'd always been close. I knew that she'd love to hear what was going on in my life.
The letter gift certificate was a big hit. She got fifty-two letters that first year. All showed her that I was thinking of her regularly. As her next birthday rolled around, she asked for another letter gift certificate. In fact, for nine and a half years I wrote about the cold Michigan winters. Then I wrote about my pregnancy(怀孕). During the kids' preschool years, I shared every funny thing they did and said, and as they grew they started adding "picture letters" to the envelope. Once I flew home to visit Grandma and found that all the staff in the nursing home knew the details of my life, as they often read letters to her.
My last letter arrived the day after her death. I never missed a letter and I felt I had given her the best gift I could. What I hadn't counted on was how her gift would come full circle to me.
Months later, while going through her things, my dad found a box full of letters from me. Those letters are a journal of my life, filled with moment and pictures I had completely forgotten. But Grandma saved those memories for me in my letters.
Life really does fly by. Loved ones come and go. But sometimes our gifts to others come back to us in unexpected ways. This is one of those times.
1. The author sent Grandma a gift certificate because ________.| A．she had no other gift to give her grandma | B．she knew that her grandma would like it |
| C．she didn't have enough money to buy a gift | D．she wanted Grandma to choose her favorite gift herself |
| A．a big surprise | B．a satisfying letter | C．a bright future | D．a big success |
| A．was afraid to write letters when she was a kid | B．could always hear from Grandma |
| C．might live in Michigan after getting married | D．felt very regretful after Grandma passed away |
| A．Grandma died when she was about ninety years old. |
| B．The author was brought up by Grandma so they were very close. |
| C．Later the kids wrote the letters to Grandma instead of the author. |
| D．The author's dad sent Grandma a box to keep the letters. |
| A．Common Gift in Life | B．A Gift Certificate | C．The Saved Memories | D．My Grandma and I |
