1 . Many western cultures measure their days with the solar calendar. Therefore, they _______ the coming of the New Year on January 1. Cultures in Asia and the Middle East use other calendars and celebrate the New Year at other times. Events and rituals _______ from country to country. But in each place, New Year celebrations are a big _______ .

Most world cultures have been celebrating the New Year for centuries. The earliest New Year celebrations took place during spring or _______ time. With _______weather ahead, or plenty of food to eat in winter, people _______ felt like having a party! As the days became longer and as nature renewed itself, people also felt like they could have a new start. The New Year could bring better fortune, more opportunities and new challenges. Such_______ themes remain the same today.

Some cultures have _______ New Year traditions. Italians throw old things out of their windows at midnight, symbolizing the _______ of the old. Mexicans fire guns into the air to ward off ________. Danes jump off chairs exactly as the clock ________midnight, so they can “jump” into the New Year. Greek children leave their shoes by the fireplace on New Year’s Day. They hope “Santa Claus” will come and fill the shoes with ________. In Vancouver, Canada, some people celebrate the New Year by jumping into the ocean. The weather is freezing cold! As you might expect, most people come to watch the swimmers ________ swim themselves.

London hosts an annual New Year’s Day parade that ________ nearly a million spectators. The largest parade in Europe, it features bands, floats and enormous balloons. These balloons are so huge that they ________ over nearby buildings!

1.

A．observe

B．notice

C．expect

D．decide

2.

A．happen

B．develop

C．vary

D．hold

3.

A．burden

B．reunion

C．deal

D．success

4.

A．winter

B．harvest

C．labor

D．leisure

5.

A．colder

B．changeable

C．extreme

D．better

6.

A．eventually

B．naturally

C．occasionally

D．exactly

7.

A．unique

B．challenging

C．interesting

D．universal

8.

A．unusual

B．shocking

C．silly

D．typical

9.

A．coming

B．departure

C．failure

D．dying

10.

A．animals

B．misfortune

C．enemies

D．poverty

11.

A．reaches

B．rings

C．strikes

D．shows

12.

A．kisses

B．love

C．fortune

D．gifts

13.

A．as well as

B．so as to

C．other than

D．rather than

14.

A．draws

B．requires

C．amuses

D．provides

15.

A．watch

B．exceed

C．tower

D．contain

2 . The Double Seventh Festival, also known as the Qixi Festival, is a traditional Chinese festival. Here is a beautiful story _______ it.

Long，long ago, there was a young man named Niulang(Cowherd), One day, he_______a   beautiful girl- Zhinu( Weaver girl)， the Goddess s seventh daughter. She had just run away from the_______ heaven(天国) to look for fun on Earth. Zhini soon_______Niulang, and they got married without telling the Goddess. Niulang worked in the field and Zhinu wove(织布) at home. They_______a happy life and gave birth to a boy and a girl. Unluckily, the Goddess soon found out the fact and_______ Zhinii to return to heaven. After Zhini left， Niulang was _______upset. With the help of his magic cow,Niulang flew to heaven with his children to look for his wife. The Goddess discovered this and was very_______Taking out her hairpin(发簪), the Goddess created a wide river in the sky to separate(分开) the two_______. From then on, Niulang and Zhini had to live________ on the two sides of the river. However,their true love________ all the magpies(喜鹊) in the world, ________once a year tens of thousands of   magpies would fly up to heaven to make a bridge- the bridge of magpies for the couple to meet each other. At last, the Goddess allowed ________ to meet each   other on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month. That's________the Double Seventh Festival started. Today,   it is a great________for Chinese young people to express their love.

1.

A．through

B．behind

C．with

D．after

2.

A．met

B．told

C．thanked

D．missed

3.

A．boring

B．interesting

C．same

D．different

4.

A．looked forward to

B．parted with

C．turned down

D．fell in love with

5.

A．knew

B．lived

C．stayed

D．gave

6.

A．promised

B．waited

C．ordered

D．helped

7.

A．yet

B．ever

C．quite .

D．still

8.

A．angry

B．sorry

C．excited

D．satisfied

9.

A．friends

B．lovers .

C．parents

D．children

10.

A．back

B．away

C．halfway

D．apart

11.

A．surprised

B．changed

C．touched

D．protected

12.

A．so

B．but

C．though

D．because

13.

A．him

B．her

C．us

D．them

14.

A．how

B．when

C．what

D．where

15.

A．day

B．way

C．lesson

D．habit

3 . Every year, families across the US and the UK hang up little strange-shaped pickles (腌黄瓜) to decorate their Christmas trees. The practice is ______ by many English-speaking families, and is thought to be brought over from _______.

The tradition involves hiding the pickle ornament(装饰品) among the branches, and _____ the child who finds it with the chance to open gifts first. It’s also believed that person will get good   ____   for the year.

The origin of the   ______, however, is a bit confusing. In fact, it doesn’t seem to have actually   _____ in Germany at all, since most Germans don’t practice it. In 2016, a survey conducted among 2,057 Germans found that 91 percent had never even heard of it.

Another   ____   is that the tradition of   _____ a pickle didn’t actually start in Germany, but with a German immigrant in the US. The ______ goes that a German man named John Lower   _____ to the US and became ill when he was in prison during the Civil War. He ______ a guard to give him a pickle as a last meal, but he _____surviving. After being _______, he honored that pickle by starting his own ______ tradition of hiding a pickle in his Christmas tree for the kids ---- saying ______ found it would have the same good ______ he did.

Of course, that story is also _______, and could just be a tale coming out nowhere to explain the pickles later on. According to Wide Open Country, the whole pickle game was most ______ a marketing trick to sell German glass ornaments to Americans.

It was said to be ______ by F.W. Woolworth when the store began importing the ornaments in 1880. Each one would come with a card telling the story of the tradition.

Whether the tradition is real or manufactured, pickle ornaments have become ______ everywhere.

1.

A．interrupted

B．mentioned

C．favored

D．suspected

2.

A．Germany

B．America

C．England

D．Australia

3.

A．pleasing

B．winning

C．rewarding

D．encouraging

4.

A．fame

B．luck

C．fate

D．life

5.

A．congratulation

B．expectation

C．situation

D．tradition

6.

A．originated

B．concluded

C．borrowed

D．dated

7.

A．custom

B．routine

C．performance

D．story

8.

A．decorating

B．hanging

C．manufacturing

D．purchasing

9.

A．program

B．inspiration

C．legend

D．intention

10.

A．fled

B．slipped

C．escaped

D．immigrated

11.

A．persuaded

B．advised

C．commanded

D．urged

12.

A．gave up

B．ended up

C．set up

D．showed up

13.

A．removed

B．rejected

C．regained

D．released

14.

A．country

B．family

C．hometown

D．community

15.

A．whatever

B．whichever

C．whoever

D．whomever

16.

A．fortune

B．possibility

C．experience

D．destiny

17.

A．disappeared

B．disapproved

C．unexpected

D．unconfirmed

18.

A．appropriately

B．approximately

C．likely

D．exactly

19.

A．created

B．imagined

C．instructed

D．directed

20.

A．particular

B．popular

C．familiar

D．regular

4 . Every year,the Olympic Training Centre has one extra special day just for girls and women.This day celebrates the fact that__________can join in any particular sport they desire,just as__________as men.

In the old__________,women were told that certain sports were for men _________,and that women were forbidden to the__________.Well,eventually the women of this world decided to strike back,telling__________else that they weren’t going to put up_________this form of nonsense(冒失行为) any longer.___________was then that women and men were declared equal ________to any sports game,regardless of(不管)_________.

Tomorrow,this special day will be__________by all Olympic Centres by offering a free tour as well as planned activities for all the_________from the neighbouring schools.Since the Olympic Training Centre,here in San Diego,is just a few__________from where our school is located,we_________an invitation to this event as well.How wonderful,__________,and incredible! I simply can’t wait!

Our scheduled ________were volleyball,archery（射箭）,and track（赛跑）.This means that we were to play a game__________two of volleyball with the US Volleyball Team champions,and _________arrows（箭） with the Official Archery Team of the United States! We even got to_________the track with US champs as well.All the instructors were_________themselves,and all are on a championship team,representing America.

1.

A．men

B．women

C．young children

D．old people

2.

A．easily

B．busily

C．quickly

D．early

3.

A．days

B．weeks

C．months

D．years

4.

A．enough

B．just

C．ever

D．only

5.

A．training

B．practice

C．drills

D．games

6.

A．no one

B．anyone

C．everyone

D．someone

7.

A．along

B．with

C．about

D．without

8.

A．It

B．This

C．That

D．What

9.

A．pay

B．rights

C．salary

D．jobs

10.

A．age

B．sex

C．height

D．weight

11.

A．congratulated

B．separated

C．celebrated

D．divided

12.

A．students

B．teachers

C．boys

D．girls

13.

A．kilometres

B．centimetres

C．millimetres

D．metres

14.

A．sent

B．posted

C．received

D．wrote

15.

A．moving

B．exciting

C．surprising

D．pleasing

16.

A．activities

B．films

C．plays

D．concerts

17.

A．while

B．and

C．but

D．or

18.

A．make

B．find

C．throw

D．shoot

19.

A．run

B．swim

C．jump

D．cross

20.

A．riders

B．runners

C．divers

D．athletes

5 . 阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题纸上将该选项标号涂黑。

I was a single parent of four small children, working at a low-paid job. But I didn’t want my children to know we were poor, so when Christmas was drawing near, I decided to give them some money to buy some_______.

They planned weeks ahead of time, asking_______what they wanted for Christmas. Luckily, I had saved＄120 for_______to share by all five of us. The big_______arrived. I gave each kid a twenty-dollar bill and_______them to look for gifts of about four dollars each. Then everyone scattered (散开). We had two hours to shop, then we would_______back at the “Santa’s Workshop”.

Driving home, everyone was in high Christmas spirits,_______my younger daughter, Ginger, who was unusually_______. She had only one small, flat bag with a few candies, fifty-cent candies! I was so angry, but I didn^’t say anything_______we got home. I called her into my bedroom and closed the door,________to be angry again. This is what she told me.

“I was looking________thinking of what to buy, and I________to read the little cards on the ‘Giving Trees’. One was for a little girl, four years old, and all she________for Christmas was a doll (玩具娃娃). So I took the card off the tree and________the doll for her. We have so much and she doesn^’t have anything.”

I never felt so________as I did that day.

1.

A．gifts

B．flowers

C．candies

D．books

2.

A．the other

B．each other

C．one by one

D．every other one

3.

A．toys

B．clothes

C．presents

D．bills

4.

A．day

B．chance

C．cheque

D．tree

5.

A．forced

B．reminded

C．invited

D．begged

6.

A．draw

B．stay

C．move

D．meet

7.

A．including

B．besides

C．except

D．regarding

8.

A．quiet

B．excited

C．happy

D．ashamed

9.

A．since

B．after

C．while

D．until

10.

A．waiting

B．ready

C．hoping

D．afraid

11.

A．out

B．over

C．forward

D．around

12.

A．forgot

B．stopped

C．failed

D．hated

13.

A．wanted

B．did

C．got

D．played

14.

A．made

B．searched

C．bought

D．fetched

15.

A．angry

B．rich

C．patient

D．bitter

6 .        The cultures of the East and the West really distinguish from each other a lot. This is because the culture systems are two separate systems __1__.
       The origin of the eastern cultures is mainly from two countries: China and India. Both of the two cultures are gestated (孕育) by _2__. In China, the mother river is the Yellow River __3_ the Indian one is the Hindu River. These two cultures were _4___ for several thousand years and formed their own styles. Then in the Tang Dynasty of China, the Chinese culture _5___ went overseas to Japan, _6___ into the Japanese society and _7__ the Japanese culture nowadays. Though a bit different from the Chinese one, it __8__ to the same system.
       When the two mother rivers gave birth to the eastern culture, another famous culture was __9__ on the Mesopotamian Plain (美索不达米亚平原) — the Mesopotamian Civilization. This civilization later on developed into the cultures of the Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. And these two are well­-known as the __10__ of the European culture. _11___ the Chinese culture, the European one also __12__ waters. When the colonists of England __13__ in America, their culture went with them over the Atlantic Ocean. So the American culture doesn’t __14_ from the European one a lot.
       At the same time, the __15__ of the language systems adds to the cultural differences. In the East, most languages belong to the pictographic (象形文字的) languages while the Western languages are __16__ based on the Latin system, for example, the one I’m using to write this paper.
       Other factors like human race difference _17___ as well. However, _18__ the far distance and the steep areas between the East and West, the two cultures seldom _19__ until recent centuries.__20__ they grew up totally in their own ways with almost no interference (干扰) from the other.1.

A．above all

B．on the whole

C．in all

D．in no case

2.

A．mountains

B．plains

C．lakes

D．rivers

3.

A．or

B．for

C．while

D．when

4.

A．developed

B．improved

C．created

D．protected

5.

A．suddenly

B．quietly

C．gradually

D．naturally

6.

A．mixed

B．changed

C．decided

D．forced

7.

A．expanded

B．interrupted

C．influenced

D．shaped

8.

A．comes

B．belongs

C．amounts

D．adds

9.

A．brought up

B．carried out

C．given out

D．picked up

10.

A．result

B．sign

C．base

D．content

11.

A．Via

B．Except

C．With

D．Like

12.

A．affected

B．spread

C．crossed

D．formed

13.

A．joined up

B．went up

C．broke down

D．settled down

14.

A．come

B．suffer

C．result

D．differ

15.

A．difference

B．development

C．appearance

D．feature

16.

A．properly

B．part

C．simply

D．mostly

17.

A．last

B．count

C．reduce

D．change

18.

A．in terms of

B．due to

C．as to

D．in case of

19.

A．transform

B．display

C．communicate

D．distinguish

20.

A．Furthermore

B．Meanwhile

C．Therefore

D．However

7 .        In every country there are times to celebrate, weddings, birthdays, religious festivals. Although the U.S.A is a multi-cultural society, where different groups celebrate their own traditional______, Christmas is the most popular holiday in the U.S.A. Some of the______of Christmas time are old and others are newer.
        Already in the late 18^thand the 19^thcenturies, people felt sentimental (眷恋的) about Christmases of the past. The American______, Washington Irving, wrote in 1819 about the old-fashioned Christmas he experienced in England. He was taken in a stagecoach (驿站马车) full of happy people, food and presents, to an old house in the______. There, he found a crowd of happy farmers, lots of food and drinks, snow, games and ghosts.
       The first Christmas card, which was printed in England, showed people eating and drinking______. It was sent in 1846, but Christmas cards did not become really______until the 1860s, when color printing became possible.
       By this time, stagecoaches had______running, replaced by the railroad. More and more families______the country and were living in towns and cities, but the dream of the______Christmas remained. The loaded stagecoach driving along the country road through the snow still______on many Christmas cards today.1.

A．festivals

B．weddings

C．parties

D．birthdays

2.

A．foods

B．traditions

C．cards

D．decorations

3.

A．writer

B．singer

C．designer

D．farmer

4.

A．city

B．country

C．town

D．hill

5.

A．dangerously

B．happily

C．equally

D．generously

6.

A．usual

B．famous

C．popular

D．regular

7.

A．started

B．kept

C．stopped

D．continued

8.

A．left

B．preferred

C．admired

D．reached

9.

A．amazing

B．new

C．merry

D．old-fashioned

10.

A．turns

B．appears

C．puts

D．gets

8 . 完形填空（共20小题）

Most people who work in London get a break of about an hour for lunch._______they mostly live too far from home to go back there_______lunch, they have to_______other arrangements for their midday meal.

Many large companies have a canteen (自助食堂) for their employees. In_______canteens the food served is simple but_______, and there is some_______of choice. But the number of dishes_______ usually small. The employees themselves fetch their dishes_______a counter at which they are_______. There they can find a tray on__________ to carry their knives, forks, spoons, plates, cups, saucers,________, of course, their food. A meal in a canteen is inexpensive and may________of soup, fish and chips or meat and two vegetables,________fruit or pudding of some   ____________ as dessert. Some companies that do not run a canteen________their staff with luncheon-vouchers (午餐券), which many restaurants will accept in________of money.

As there are so many people________work in London, there are numerous cafes and restaurants in every area that is not purely residential. A meal________cost anything from a modest sum to quite a few pounds,________on the restaurant and the food chosen.________, one can generally get a meal, or at least a snack, in a pub. In recent years there has also been a big increase in the number of ‘take-away’ food shops of all kinds.

1.

A．Unless

B．As

C．If

D．Although

2.

A．for

B．at

C．of

D．in

3.

A．take

B．bring

C．make

D．use

4.

A．such

B．few

C．so

D．little

5.

A．full

B．limited

C．extra

D．enough

6.

A．exchange

B．variety

C．change

D．difference

7.

A．are

B．is

C．being

D．be

8.

A．to

B．with

C．at

D．from

9.

A．sold

B．served

C．made

D．kept

10.

A．which

B．it

C．except

D．instead

11.

A．or

B．but

C．and

D．except

12.

A．consist

B．compose

C．compare

D．insist

13.

A．along

B．with

C．about

D．at

14.

A．sort

B．pattern

C．category

D．content

15.

A．prepare

B．repair

C．afford

D．provide

16.

A．space

B．case

C．face

D．place

17.

A．at

B．above

C．over

D．by

18.

A．must

B．may

C．should

D．could

19.

A．taking

B．turning

C．depending

D．bringing

20.

A．Bees

B．However

C．Never

D．More