1 . We spoke to three students from around the world about different national holidays. There are different customs for each festival.
Tan Xiaodong, 15, Hong Kong, China
“It’ll soon be the Chinese New Year. Before it, we’ll clean the house and decorate (装饰) it for good luck. Every shop is going to close for a few days and we’ll go out a lot to celebrate on the streets. We might go and see the lion and dragon dances in the city center. I love this festival.”
Wendy, 16, Sydney, Australia
“Australia Day is on 26th January and it’s an important holiday here. We always have a Monday off, so we celebrate for three days. My parents and I go to the countryside for a picnic and friends always come over. Many people go to beach parties or street parties and there’s lots of music and dancing. What fun!”
Amy, 14, New York, the USA
“The first Thanksgiving was celebrated hundreds of years ago when Europeans who came to America thanked God for his help. It’s still a very important day for family members to be together. This year we’re going to visit my grandparents and we’ll eat a delicious meal of turkey. Thanksgiving Day is on the fourth Thursday in November every year.”
1. How many festivals are mentioned in the passage?| A．Two. | B．Three. |
| C．Four. | D．Five. |
| A．do a lot of shopping | B．eat turkey |
| C．go to beach parties | D．see lion and dragon dances |
| A．have a picnic in the countryside |
| B．go to a swimming pool |
| C．have a party at school |
| D．clean the house and dance |
| A．A country. | B．A festival. |
| C．A kind of food. | D．A kind of drink. |
| A．Amy is from Sydney, Australia |
| B．different festivals have different customs |
| C．many people go out for a picnic with friends before the Chinese New Year |
| D．Thanksgiving Day is on 26th January in the USA |
2 . I’m racing on the 1,500-metre track (跑道) with my friend, Mary. I’m tired and my throat is giving me much pain. I want to stop but a voice repeating in my head keeps me running: “No one knows what the result will be. Everything is still possible.” Today, I have to fight with myself.
Nine years ago, when I was a 6-year-old girl, my mother took me on a trip. We went to the foot of a high mountain which she told me that we would climb. I had never done this before and the thought of it made me very happy.
At the beginning, I climbed fast. But half an hour later, when I was thirsty and tired, I just stopped and sat upon the ground , completely silent. My mom came and sat next to me.
She said, “Get up and go on!”
Almost shouting, and with tears in my eyes, I replied, “No, I don’t want to do this. It’s too tiring and I am thirsty. I don’t like it. I want to go back home now.”
Patiently she explained, “Listen, my dear. If you try your best, anything is possible. If you don’t try, your dreams will never come true. However hard the task is, we must finish it. You will never know how beautiful the scenery looks unless you reach the top of the mountain.”
Hearing her words, I stopped crying and started to climb again. Finally I made it; I did reach the top of the mountain and enjoyed the glorious view.
Today I’m on the racing track. I’m going to keep running because I know its always worthwhile (值得做的) to finish.
And in the end I managed it; I got through the finish line. Although it was really difficult and I did not win, I did make it. As former Indian President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam (1931-2015) said, “Never stop fighting until you arrive at your destined (命定的) place — that is, the unique you.”
1. What event is the author taking part in?| A．Jumping. | B．Running. |
| C．Boxing. | D．Climbing. |
| A．Sweet. | B．Simple. |
| C．Beautiful. | D．Strange. |
| A．Abdul Kalam. | B．Mary. |
| C．Her teacher. | D．Her mother. |
| A．The author won the race in the end. |
| B．The author got through the finish line in the end. |
| C．The author climbed the mountain with her parents. |
| D．The author disliked the splendid view on the top of the mountain. |
| A．No pains, no gains. | B．A small act makes a difference. |
| C．Hard work is the key to success. | D．To reach our aims, never give up. |
3 . Jennifer Udler was in the middle of a 50-minute session with a patient when it started to rain. Walking and talking about anxiety and stress, she and her teenage patient got wet. But when they made it back indoors, Jennifer said, “ Hey, look at us! We’re wet, but we got through it! Now you can use that next time you have anxiety before and during an event. ” This kind of insight is key to her practice.
Jennifer, a social worker whose practice focuses on adolescents, has been a therapist （治疗师 ）for 20 years. For most of that time, she practiced in a traditional office, but she noticed how easy it was for her running partners to open up about their problems. After doing some research, in 2013, Jennifer founded Positive Strides Therapy, where she conducts sessions while walking outdoors. She conducts all of her sessions outdoors and in all kinds of weather.
“When somebody asks me if I specialize in walking therapy, I say, ‘No, that’s how I practice,’ ” Udler said. “I specialize in family systems theory. Walking in the park is just where I practice. ”
Despite the lack of formal research, Jennifer believes strongly in the benefits, saying that it can be helpful. “We’ll be talking about ‘moving forward’ as we are actually moving forward on the path, building muscle memory of how they can move forward and leave the anxiety behind. ”
And outdoor walking therapy doesn’t just benefit teens. Jennifer says the adults in her practice welcome the humanizing effect of taking therapy outdoors.
1. What lesson did Jennifer teach her teenage patient through the rain?| A．Rain and suffering are a part of life. |
| B．She is ready to help the young man. |
| C．We can beat our difficulty after all. |
| D．Rain can help us deal with our trouble. |
| A．qualification | B．foresight |
| C．awareness | D．prediction |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Confident. |
| C．Unconcerned. | D．Disappointed. |
| A．The lack of formal research about the therapy. |
| B．Building physical memory of past experience. |
| C．Treating her teen patients in a traditional office. |
| D．Conducting walk — and — talk therapy for teens. |
| A．Walking outdoors is similar to managing worries. |
| B．Moving in the rain is a bit too difficult to tolerate. |
| C．The rain can make one excited and face the trouble. |
| D．Running in the rain or storm will make one healthy. |
4 . It used to be that Christmas, with a little help from Blue Peter, was about adding the personal touch. We'd sit there for hours making cards and gifts for family and friends, knowing that the thought put into them would be properly appreciated.
Nowadays, time is against us, but there is still one easy way for you to make someone's Christmas this year — a personalised card from M＆S’ new website. To celebrate their new site, M＆S is offering Times readers two-for-one on all cards. Simply choose one of the 300 exclusive Christmas designs — starting from￡1.99, personalise it by changing the name and writing a message or uploading a photo. Then, add the receiver’s address and the card will be sent for you. Order by 2pm and it will be posted the same day.
In all, there are l,500 card designs to choose from, covering all kinds of special occasions. So if you want to get ahead of yourself for 2010, you know where to visit. You can even choose to be reminded of those important dates every year.
To claim your two-for-one on M＆S personalized cards, simply visit marksandspencer-personalised.com. Remember to enter the code ‘TIMESFRI’ on the payment page. This code is available for two days.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS: M＆S PERSONALISED CARDS
1. The product given for free must be of equal or lower value.
2. Payment of postage is required.
3. Marks＆Spencer reserves the right to take back this offer without prior notice.
1. What does the underlined part “two-for-one” in Paragraph 2 mean in the ad?| A．Two paid cards and one free card. | B．One paid card and two free cards. |
| C．Your name and a message on one card. | D．Your photo and the receiver’s on one card. |
| A．a website selling Christmas cards only | B．an agency of the newspaper Times |
| C．a company promoting the sales of cards | D．an advertising agency of card producers |
| A．enter a code on the payment page of M＆S’ website |
| B．always order it before two o'clock in the afternoon |
| C．put into the card your own date of birth and address |
| D．spend time making cards with the help of Blue Peter |
| A．they can be delivered free of charge |
| B．you can enjoy the special offer all the year round |
| C．their value may be lower than that of a free card |
| D．you can get a favor of at least ￡1. 99 |
