1 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

The Chinese couplet (对联) refers to two poetic lines obeying certain rules, often written on red paper for     1     (appreciate).

As a form of Chinese literature, the couplet     2     (vary) in content and style. Some express people’s love to their motherland, some describe the beauty of nature,     3     some convey best wishes for the coming year.

Chinese couplets     4     (originate) in the Five Dynasties, and became widespread in the Ming and Qing dynasties. It was a custom for people     5     (hang) peach wood charms to drive away evil spirits during the Spring Festival. Nowadays, couplets are used     6     a similar way.

It was said that the     7     (early) couplet was written by Meng Xu, king of Houshu State and it was     8     (extreme) popular in the Northern Song Dynasty. Since the Ming Dynasty, to write couplets     9     (regard) as a mark of the cultured life of scholars.

The couplet has two equal-length lines. However,     10     number of characters in each line can be from four to seven or more. The first and the second lines have opposite tone patterns. The last character of the first line is of an oblique tone (仄声), and its opposite in the second line, of a level tone (平声).

2 . Editor’s note: An increasing number of Chinese people, especially the young, are more willing to celebrate Western festivals. Should we celebrate foreign festivals? Forum readers share their opinions. You’re welcome to add yours.

Dinah (China)

I enjoy the happy atmosphere of both Chinese and Western festivals. As long as it is meaningful for me, I will celebrate it with my boyfriend, and my parents! I like Western festivals and often celebrate them without even knowing the origins of them. Why? Because what I really appreciate is just the happy atmosphere.

SharkMinnow (Canada)

Western Festivals are more like parties or games for some Chinese. Also, spending money = good for economy. Most Chinese don’t take Western festivals as seriously as their own. It’s like a game or party in my eyes. A way to blow off steam and have fun (and spend money).

Travis (UK)

As an Englishman teaching here in China for two years, my friends have got used to and enjoy celebrating my festivals. My school also likes it as well, although this year they asked me not to scare the teachers so much on Halloween. My Chinese friends enjoy taking part in my festivals, as they also learn more about my culture, and the history that goes with it…

Leesinchina (US)

Cherish your own festivals. It would be a pity if the Chinese accepted these Western days — first, because they have absolutely nothing to do with traditional Chinese culture. Second, they are a big trick by the big stores to get more money out of you. Stick to your own festivals — they actually mean something to you — rather than following western customs for no good reason.

1. What matters most according to Dinah?

A．The atmosphere when celebrating festivals.

B．The people with whom to celebrate festivals.

C．Celebrating Chinese festivals with her family.

D．Celebrating Western festivals in a good atmosphere.

2. What’s the attitude of readers 2 and 4 towards celebrating Western festivals?

A．Optimistic.

B．Indifferent.

C．Neutral.

D．Negative.

3. In which section of a website can this text be most possibly found?

A．Entertainment.

B．Science.

C．Culture.

D．Education.

3 . Grandma is ninety this Christmas. I remember once visiting her, crying when my big sister told me “There is no Santa Claus!”, because I knew she always told the ________.

“No Santa Claus?” she snorted (哼着说). “Ridiculous! Don’t ________ it. That rumor has been going around for years. Now, put on your coat, and let’s go.”

“Go? Go where, Grandma?” I asked.

“Where” ________ to be Kerby’s General Store. As we walked in, Grandma handed me twenty dollars. “Take the money,” she said, “and buy something for someone who needs it. I’ll wait for you outdoors.”

I was only eight years old, and had never ________ for anything alone. For a few moments I just stood there, ________, wondering what to buy, and who on earth to buy it for.

Suddenly I ________ Bobbie, a kid sitting behind me in the classroom. He didn’t have a coat; he never ________ during the winter. I held the bill excitedly. I would buy Bobbie a coat. I saw a red one with a hat to it. It looked really ________. He would like that.

That ________, Grandma helped me wrap the coat in Christmas paper and write, “To Bobbie, From Santa Claus” on it. Then she drove me to Bobbie’s house. Grandma ________ down the street, and we hid in the bushes by his front walkway. Then Grandma pushed me ________. “All right, Santa Claus, get going!” she whispered.

I took a deep breath, dashed for his front door, ________ the present down, rang his doorbell and flew back. Together we waited ________ in the darkness for the front door to open. Finally it did, and there stood Bobbie.

Forty years haven’t ________ the excitement of those moments. That night, I realized those awful rumors about Santa Claus were just what Grandma said: they were ________. Santa was alive and well, and we were on his team.

1.

A．story

B．truth

C．joke

D．lie

2.

A．believe

B．ignore

C．suspect

D．admit

3.

A．seemed

B．supposed

C．proved

D．imagined

4.

A．waited

B．hunted

C．longed

D．shopped

5.

A．bored

B．depressed

C．frightened

D．puzzled

6.

A．ran into

B．occurred to

C．thought of

D．knew about

7.

A．put on

B．went out

C．tried out

D．went off

8.

A．new

B．warm

C．cheap

D．fancy

9.

A．morning

B．weekend

C．evening

D．afternoon

10.

A．parked

B．slowed

C．rode

D．walked

11.

A．suddenly

B．gently

C．anxiously

D．angrily

12.

A．positioned

B．turned

C．threw

D．took

13.

A．delightedly

B．cheerfully

C．willingly

D．breathlessly

14.

A．weakened

B．strengthened

C．reminded

D．informed

15.

A．typical

B．incredible

C．generous

D．ridiculous

6 . 假定你是李华，外教Brian要求同学们在课上推荐一款兼顾趣味与英语学习的app，请你写一篇发言稿。内容包括：
1. 介绍这款app；
2. 分享使用体验。
注意：
1. 写作词数应为80左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题纸的相应位置作答。
Hi, everyone.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

That’s all. Thanks for listening.

7 . Sumiel, a 71-year-old, was no stranger to the struggles of kidney (肾) disease. He was on the transplant list (移植名单), but no matches had yet_________ . So he continued with his treatments at a medical center 30 miles from home.

One day, he took a taxi home after his_________with the doctor. As they set out on the 40 minute_________to Sumiel’s home in Salem, he and the driver, Letts, got to_________. Sumiel mentioned that he’d enjoyed_________and helped others in his community before. But he was doing less these days because the treatments left him_________tired. Then Sumiel revealed that he was_________a kidney giver. Letts said, “I’d like to see if I could be a_________to give you a kidney.” Sumiel agreed, though he didn’t_________much of it as they kept driving.

Letts was__________to his word. He got in touch with Sumiel just a few hours later, and by the next week, Letts had__________the kidney transplant program. After a month’s long screening__________—including an interview, sharing medical records, and testing the__________were: Letts was an ideal donor, and he and Sumiel were a perfect match.

Fourteen months after they ended up in the same taxi by__________, Sumiel and Letts had their surgeries. It was a__________. They kept in touch and looked forward to the day they could reunite.

1.

A．happened

B．appeared

C．proved

D．showed

2.

A．argument

B．agreement

C．promise

D．appointment

3.

A．drive

B．walk

C．chance

D．march

4.

A．bargaining

B．complaining

C．chatting

D．reasoning

5.

A．struggling

B．volunteering

C．competing

D．wandering

6.

A．usually

B．basically

C．extremely

D．normally

7.

A．searching for

B．picking out

C．preparing for

D．getting through

8.

A．partner

B．game

C．pair

D．match

9.

A．predict

B．think

C．learn

D．work

10.

A．fair

B．strange

C．true

D．certain

11.

A．contacted

B．connected

C．abandoned

D．launched

12.

A．decision

B．operation

C．practice

D．process

13.

A．solutions

B．results

C．purposes

D．evidences

14.

A．arrangement

B．design

C．chance

D．invitation

15.

A．success

B．task

C．responsibility

D．glory

8 . An American company has developed a new technique (技术) to make bread stay fresh for 60 days.

Scientists found that a kind of mould (霉菌) caused bread to go bad. The new technique kills the mould and keeps the food for longer time. This means there will be less waste of food in the world in future.

Food waste is a big problem in most developed countries. In the US, an average (普通的) family throws away 40% of the food they buy, which adds up to $165bn every year, about 330 million tons in weight. Bread takes a larger part. In the UK, 32% of the bread they buy is thrown away as waste when they can still be eaten.

The bread usually goes mouldy (发的) in around 10 days, but the American company says the new technique will keep the bread free from mould for two months.

”We treated a piece of bread in a special machine. At 60 days it had the same amount of mould as it was first made,“ says Mr. Stull, the leader of the company.

Although there are a lot of bread makers interested in the new technique, few customers like the idea. They say they don’t think a piece of bread which lasts for 60 days tastes good.

”We’ll have to make our customers accept the idea. But it will take some time,“ says Mr. Stull.

1. What is the key point of the new technique?

A．It can prevent the world from wasting food.

B．It kills the mould and keeps bread fresh for longer time.

C．It keeps the same amount of mould.

D．It makes bread taste good.

2. How much of the bread is wasted in the UK?

A．Nearly half.

B．A quarter.

C．More than half.

D．About one-third.

3. What can we know from the passage?

A．Food waste can be reduced immediately (立刻) with the new technique.

B．We will buy bread that can last longer.

C．Few customers are sure about the technique.

D．Poor countries are in great need of food.

4. What is mainly talked about in the passage?

A．A new technique has been invented to keep bread fresh longer.

B．There is great waste of food in developed countries.

C．There is a kind of mould that causes food to go bad.

D．Customers don’t like food that lasts for two months.