1 . Andrew Jackson has been sitting pretty on the $20 bill for 87 years. Is it time to bring some new blood to the banknote?
The non-profit organization called Women on 20s is campaigning to put a woman’s face on American money. Barbara Ortiz Howard, the company’s founder, would like to see a woman on the $20 bill by 2020.That year marks the 100-year anniversary of the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which gave women the right to vote.
Howard got the idea when she realized that her daughter had no everyday reminders of famous women in history. She asked her friend Susan Ades Stone, a journalist, to join her cause. “Part of the aim is to educate as many people as possible about as many women as possible,” Ades says. “We want to see how many people we can reach.”
American money values the successes of former presidents and founding fathers. Currently, there are only two women on money: Susan B. Anthony is the face of the rare dollar coin, and Sacagawea can be seen on the gold dollar coin. There are no women on paper bills.
With help from writers and historians, Howard and Stone came up with a voting list featuring 15 important women. Ades says there is a standard for choosing candidates. They look at the women’s contributions to our world, and at what challenges they faced.
More than 72,000 people have voted so far in the poll. Ades says the competition has narrowed to a “very close race”, but won’t say who’s in the lead. After two rounds of voting, Women on 20s will send their campaign to the White House for consideration. The final decision is up to the Treasury Secretary, Jack Lew. Lew is unlikely to make a change without the president’s approval. But last year, when a little girl asked the president why there aren’t any women on US currency, he said that adding a woman is a “pretty good idea”.
1. When did American women begin to enjoy voting rights?| A．In the 1920s. | B．In the 19th century. |
| C．Fewer than 20 years ago. | D．More than 200 years ago. |
| A．Howard and Stone decided the voting list on their own |
| B．Howard’s idea has something to do with her daughter |
| C．so far no American women have appeared on coins |
| D．former presidents rule American money |
| A．Ades has announced the victor of the voting. |
| B．It’s impossible for Jack Lew to make a change. |
| C．The president will probably support such a change. |
| D．The final decision is due to be made by the president. |
| A．The future faces of money |
| B．Different faces chosen on money |
| C．Constant changes in money faces |
| D．A campaign for women’s faces on money |
2 . International Volunteer Day is a global celebration of volunteers.It takes place every year on December 5
The cultural form and explanation of a volunteer may change depending on circumstances,
3 . Tipping isn’t a big part of British culture, unlike in North America, where waiters and waitresses are paid below minimum wage. Tips are usually appreciated, but offering a tip of some services can cause confusion.
In casual restaurants, where you pay for your order at a counter but food is brought to your table, tipping is uncommon. You are welcome to leave a pound or two if you wish. In restaurants where you place your order with a waiter or a waitress and receive your food and bill at your table, it’s customary to tip around 10 percent. In some restaurants, a service charge may be added to the bill automatically, typically 10 or 12.5 percent. In this case, you don’t need to add a further tip. When you pay by credit card, the machine may ask if you want to add a tip. Check your bill to see if a service charge has already been added before paying—if so you don’t need to add a tip on the machine. You can request the service charge be removed from your bill if you are unhappy with the service. In some cases a restaurant may print “service not included” on the bill or menu. This is a request for a tip. You’re not forced to offer anything, but 10 percent would be normal in this situation. Tipping in cafes and fast food restaurant is not expected.
If you use a taxi, round the fare up to the nearest pound shown on the meter. On a journey from or to the airport in a booked minicab you might wish to trip 2 or 3 pounds if the driver helps with your bags.
Be sure to check a country’s tipping culture before you start your tip. For more information, visit TripAdvisor.com.
1. According to the text, ________ in British culture.| A．it is necessary to tip if you are served in cafes |
| B．it is confusing to tip if you receive your bill at your table |
| C．it is customary to tip if “service not included” is printed on the bill |
| D．it is compulsory to tip even if the service is unsatisfying in some restaurants |
| A．the service charge can be added on the machine |
| B．the service charge must have been included in the bill automatically |
| C．the service charge can’t be refused |
| D．the service charge needn’t be checked before you pay |
| A．58.4 pounds | B．59 pounds |
| C．61 pounds | D．64 pounds |
| A．Introduction of TripAdvisor.com | B．Occasions for Tipping |
| C．Advice on Tipping in Restaurants | D．British Ways to Tipping |
4 . The influence of America is increasing in my country. Spanish people drink Coca Cola, wear blue jeans, watch Hollywood movies, listen to American music, and eat fast food, and they do these things every day.
I think that American movies are a good way to spread American culture because people are often influenced by what they see in the movies. Most of the programs and documentaries(记录片) we watch on TV are from America, and most of the movies we go to see are made in Hollywood.
In the last few years, the government has tried to protect the Spanish movies. Now, in our cinemas, at least twenty percent of the movies which are shown must be from Spain or from other countries in Europe.
American culture is a part of Spanish life now. It’s certain that many things from America are as much a part of people’s lives as Spanish things. For example, Coca Cola is as familiar to everybody as any typical Spanish product. I’ve known about Coca Cola for my whole life.
However, it’s different with Western fast food. For example, I don’t think McDonald’s is as successful in Spain as it is in other countries. In my opinion, one of the reasons may be the lifestyle of the Spanish people, The Spanish people normally eat at home.
On the other hand, maybe McDonald’s hamburgers will eventually replace the famous Spanish tapas. It’s true that in every city in Spain you can find a McDonald’s, and it is more popular among the Spanish children than among the adults. In any case, it’s obvious that American culture is becoming more and more a part of our lives every day.
1. From the first paragraph we can know that .| A．the influence of America on Spain can be found everywhere. |
| B．most Spanish people don’t like to listen to their own music, |
| C．fast food spreads from Spain to the United States. |
| D．some Spanish actors go to America to improve their acting skills. |
| A．American novels. | B．Hollywood movies. |
| C．McDonald. | D．American music. |
| A．To protect foreign culture in Spain. |
| B．To earn more money from Spanish films. |
| C．To limit the number of foreign movie. |
| D．To unite European Communities. |
| A．The name of a drink. | B．The name of a restaurant. |
| C．A clothing brand. | D．A certain kind of food. |
As a result, British pubs are often old and well preserved. Many of them have become historic sites. The most famous example is the pub in the city of Nottingham called “The Old Trip to Jerusalem”, which dates back to the year 1189 AD and is probably the oldest pub in England.
However, British pubs are not just for kings and queens; they welcome people from all classes and parts of society. On a cold night, the pub’s landlord or landlady can always find a warm place for you by the fire. There is always honest and hearty food and plenty of drink available at an affordable price.
That’s how things used to be. Things are beginning to change. It is said that the credit crunch(信贷紧缩) is causing 39 British pubs a week to go out of business. People do not have enough spare money to spend on beer. Recently, the UK government banned smoking in all pubs, and that may also have affected the number of customers going to pubs.
This decline is happening despite the fact that in 2005 the UK government started to allow pubs to stay open after 11 pm. Previously, with 11 pm as closing time, customers would have to drink quite quickly, meaning they sometimes got more drunk than they would if allowed to drink slowly. The British habit of drinking a lot very quickly is known as “binge drinking”, and it causes long-term health problems for people and problems with violent crime for communities.
In order to save their businesses, pubs are trying to change with the market. British pubs now offer something for everyone. A lot of pubs used to be “Working Men's Clubs”, meaning that women could not usually enter. Today, however, women can freely enter 99% of pubs without experiencing any problems. Perhaps things are changing for the better after all.
1. The passage mainly tells us something about ______.
| A．the past and present of British pubs | B．the decline of British pubs |
| C．the long history of British pubs | D．the importance of British pubs |
| A．The credit crunch. | B．The present closing time. |
| C．The ban of smoking. | D．Having no spare money. |
| A．British people used to like drinking slowly |
| B．closing the pubs early will reduce social problems |
| C．binge drinking means drinking less beer |
| D．British government aims to discourage people from binge drinking |
| A．is against the admission of too many women to the pubs |
| B．holds an optimistic attitude towards the British pubs |
| C．thinks that women in the pubs will cause less social problems |
| D．thinks that British pubs should offer everything you need |
6 . Christmas in the United States is traditionally a time of gift-giving and family gatherings. But small towns across the country have their own traditions.
Middleburg, a small town in the state of Virginia, is known for its horses. For more than 50 years, Middleburg has organized a yearly Christmas parade(游行). Men and women ride horses through the woods and fields. They follow hunting dogs as they search for a wild fox. But first, these hunters ride in the yearly parade, wearing their bright red hunting clothes and hats.
John Hale, a citizen of Middleburg says many city people visit his town. “We have a lot of people from an urban area that come to visit, but it incorporates a lot of the o1d traditions.” The nighttime hay ride is one such tradition. Small groups gather under the moonlight on an open wagon filled with hay. The passengers sing as farm horses pull the wagon slowly across the fields.
There are some newer traditions, too. Trey Matheu works at the nearby Salamander Resort. He says a visit to Middleburg is a chance to slow down for a day. He says Middleburg can be a calming, peaceful place without tension.
“Middleburg is an opportunity to take a step back, to take a deep breath, and understand that even though life is moving on at a very fast pace, there’s really an opportunity where you’re allowed to step off for a little bit.”
Parade organizers say more than 13,000 people attend even in below-freezing weather. But if you ask, you will hear many different reasons why people come to watch the parade:
“I come here because I’m from a small town. I like how everybody comes together. ”“I live right down that street; right there. And that’s my dog.”
Middleburg looks its best at Christmastime. That may be why so many people return each year.
1. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?| A．Middleburg Christmas parade |
| B．A small town known for horses |
| C．Christmas traditions in Middleburg |
| D．Newer traditions at Christmastime |
| A．visit friends and families |
| B．feed farm horses with hay |
| C．hunt for dogs in the woods |
| D．ride in the yearly parade |
| A．To relax themselves. |
| B．To enjoy the fresh air. |
| C．To escape competition. |
| D．To challenge themselves. |
| A．It makes a large profit from tourism. |
| B．It attracts many people each year. |
| C．It is a good place for family gatherings. |
| D．It doesn’t respect Christmas traditions. |
This year, a very sweet old lady that I cared for，Alice, had gone through a difficult time .She got dementia and so she had been in the hospital twice .In November I was finally able to get her back to her “home”.
Alice had thought her daughter was coming to visit her on Christmas day and that they were going to have the whole family together like the old days. When she finally realized that that happy moment was not going to happen, she was very sad. Knowing that her daughter was coming after Christmas was not enough to make her feel happy, I hated the idea of her being alone on the holiday!
On Christmas Eve, I gave her a surprise by asking if she could like to go to a candlelight service at church that night.
Instead of taking her to my church, I took her to her old neighborhood church where all her friends were. We got there early and I got her a seat where her friends could see her as they came in. Then soon some of her friends came to the church and they rushed over to greet her and sit with her.
The candlelight service was beautiful and Alice got a lot of love from her old and new friends there. The truth of the story is that I am the one who got the best gift: the smile on Alice’s face.
1. The underlined word “dementia” in Paragraph 2 probably is_______.
| A．a house | B．a letter |
| C．an illness | D．a plan |
| A．In her old neighborhood church. | B．In her old house. |
| C．In the nursing home. | D．In the hospital. |
| A．The candlelight service. |
| B．Alice’s happiness. |
| C．Praise from Alice’s friends. |
| D．Thanks from Alice’s daughter. |
| A．My special job. |
| B．The dream of all old lonely lady. |
| C．A special candlelight Christmas Eve. |
| D．The true love. |
