A birthday is a time when someone celebrates the anniversary of his/her birth. It is the expression of thanking God for your birth and still keeping alive. Birthdays
In Chinese culture, newborn babies are considered to be one year old. A Chinese child’s first birthday party takes place
More and more Western-style birthday cakes
2. 经常使用红色的场合
3. 不宜使用红色的场合
注意：（1）词数不少于100;
（2）可适当加入细节，使内容充实、行文连贯;
3 . The founder of Earth Day was Gaylord Nelson, a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin. During the late 1960s, Americans witnessed the uninvited side effects of high productivity. Factories and power plants were sending out smoke and industrial waste while Americans were using petrol for their massive(大量的) cars, making air pollution almost synonymous with the nation’s development.
What moved Senator Nelson to action was the 1969 massive oil spill in California, the largest in the United States at that time. The spill proved to be an environmental nightmare as it had a significant effect on marine life, killing about 3,500 sea birds, as well as marine animals such as dolphins, elephant seals and sea lions, fueling public anger. Inspired by the student antiwar movement at that period of time, Nelson found it an appropriate time to direct the energy of the students towards a fight for environmental protection. He decided that it was time to educate the Americans on the need to protect the environment. Thus Earth Day was born in 1970, and public environmental awareness took centre stage.
On 22nd April 1970, millions of Americans took to the street and thousands of students marched to appeal for a healthy, sustainable environment. There was now a new synergy(协同作用) among different groups which had previously been fighting their causes related to the environment. Their fight for environmental conservation became so overwhelming that affected businesses were forced to follow environmental standards if they wanted to continue their operations.
As it became more apparent that environmental issues were not just localized ones but a global concern, the year 1990 saw Earth Day reach out to many more around the world. Earth Day 1990 helped pave the way for the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, bringing together many nations for a united effort towards protecting the environment.
1. Which of the following can replace the underlined phrase “synonymous with” in paragraph 1?| A．familiar with | B．opposite to |
| C．different from | D．equal to |
| A．To support students’ antiwar movement. |
| B．To draw people’s attention to the seriousness of the oil spill. |
| C．To arouse American’s awareness of environmental conservation. |
| D．To educate Americans to protect marine life threatened by oil spill events. |
| A．Businesses would like to follow environmental standards. |
| B．Earth Day united people to fight for environmental protection. |
| C．It was the side effects of high productivity that led Nelson to take action. |
| D．The 1992 United Nations Earth Summit made Earth Day known to more countries. |
| A．how Earth Day came into being |
| B．why Earth Day was so significant |
| C．who the founder of Earth Day was |
| D．what Earth Day meant to the world |
Located to the south of the equator, below many other
5 . Festive Frenzy
There is something about Christmas rush that makes us all a little unnerved. Even the most experienced cooks can find themselves under pressure when it comes to hosting a get-together. Organization is the key to success at Christmas time, especially if you’re hosting the big day. Staying focused, choosing a menu, deciding numbers and making a list are just a few of the things that will get you across the line.
SHOPPING
When you’ve had all of your guests invited, decide on your menu. Choose one that’s not too complicated, using easy-to-find ingredients well within your budget. Remember to set the menu around the versatility (多功能性) of your kitchen and how much space you have.
PREPARATION
COOKING
On Christmas Day, sometimes cooking is easier if you delegate (分派) a few recipe items out. A baked potato can easily be made read, and travel well. Then you just have to reheat.
| A．After that, they can feel free to enjoy the feast. |
| B．A shopping list, written well in advance, is a must. |
| C．So ask family and friends to roll up their sleeves and help out. |
| D．After you’ve made your shopping list, write your preparation list. |
| E．It’s also a good idea to have a chat with an expert on drinks serving. |
| F．What you need to do then is to make full preparation before the guests are ready. |
| G．To ensure you enjoy Christmas ad not be stressed out, our foodies share their best tips. |
6 . What do you do with money? Do you spend it or save it? Do you get pocket money from your parents or do you work to earn money?
Pocket money
Most teenagers in Britain receive pocket money from their parents. They might have to do chores to get their pocket money, helping at home with tasks like cleaning, cooking, washing up, taking out the rubbish and ironing.
Different families give different amounts and the average for eight-to-fifteen-year-olds in the UK is about ￡6 (53 yuan) a week. A report found that many children save at least a quarter of their weekly pocket money and that more boys than girls save their money.
Part-time work
A part-time job is an option for teenagers who don’t have pocket money or who want to earn extra money. About 15 percent of teenagers have a job. Only children over 13 can work but there are some exceptions, for example, for actors. Popular part-time jobs for teens include babysitting, delivering newspapers, shop work and restaurant or café work.
There are strict government laws about children working. They can work a maximum of two hours a day on a school day but not during school hours. At weekends and during school holidays, they can work longer hours. As for wages, the national minimum wage for under-18s is around ￡4 per hour and it increases every year. Its minimum wage is higher if you are older.
Banks
In Britain, some children and teenagers have a bank account. There is no legal (法定的) age limit at which you can open a bank account, but a bank manager can decide whether to allow a child or young person to open an account. Parents can put pocket money directly into their child’s bank account.
So, many teenagers are getting experience of working part-time, dealing with banks and deciding whether to save or spend their money. These are all steps towards becoming a financially independent adult and earning and looking after your own money.
1. What do we know about the pocket money children in Britain receive?| A．8- to 15-year-olds get about £6 a month as their pocket money. |
| B．Many children save over 25 percent of their pocket money. |
| C．Girls prefer to save more pocket money than boys. |
| D．Pocket money can only be earned at home. |
| A．Children working part-time should be above 15 years old. |
| B．Children should work no more than two hours each day. |
| C．Children are not allowed to work during school hours. |
| D．Those under-18s can earn at least £4 per hour. |
| A．Reaching the age of 13. | B．A bank manager’s permission. |
| C．A parent’s permission. | D．Having a minimum amount of money. |
| A．Some tips for teenagers to look after their own money. |
| B．Challenges facing teenagers to manage their pocket money. |
| C．What teenagers should do to become financially independent. |
| D．How teenagers benefit from earning and dealing with their money. |
The Lantern Festival falls on the
Riddles are usually written on the lanterns. People crowd around
With a history of over 2,000 years as a traditional Chinese festival, the Lantern Festival
Chinese traditional painting dates back to the Neolithic Age about 6,000 years ago. Chinese painting, commonly
Chinese painting enjoys a time-honored history.
Deeply rooted in the
Festivals are celebrated all around the world. They have
Of all the traditional festivals, the harvest festival can
Festivals are an important part of society. They are a
10 . For many people, Christmas can be a magical day filled with delight. But for those down on their luck or disadvantaged, it can be a time of sorrow and disappointment. That's why the countries of the British Commonwealth have set aside the day after Christmas as Boxing Day, and its purpose was to bring a bit of magic to those who could use it. So what is Boxing Day all about apart from being the day after a Christmas and a time when many of us flock to the sales?
Every December 26, going at least as far back as 1833, the United Kingdom and other countries that are part of the British Commonwealth—including Australia, New Zealand, Canada and India—have observed Boxing Day as an opportunity to provide some holiday joy to those who most need it.
There are competing stories behind the name Boxing Day. One is that it refers to the giving of “Christmas boxes,” a term that originated in the 17th century to describe gifts, money and other leftovers from Christmas that would be given to their servants and employees for having worked on Christmas Day. Basically, Christmas Boxes were holiday bonuses for the working class. The other is that it refers to the “alms boxes” that would traditionally appear in churches for the purpose of collecting money which would be distributed to the poor. The name is a reference to charity donations
The day is still a national holiday in many parts of the British Commonwealth, and while some people still give back to the less fortunate on Boxing Day, it now has the same meaning with spending up big at a department store.
This year, on December 26, consider observing your own charitable Boxing Day Extend longstanding traditions of giving. To borrow from How the Grinch Stole Christmas, your heart just may grow three sizes… instead of your wallet shrinking three sizes!
1. Why do British Commonwealth countries celebrate Boxing Day?| A．To encourage crazy shopping. |
| B．To make people believe in magic. |
| C．To continue the Christmas celebration. |
| D．To holiday joy to the less fortunate. |
| A．The UK. | B．New Zealand. | C．Canada. | D．The USA. |
| A．What Boxing Day is all about. | B．How Boxing Day got its name. |
| C．When Boxing Day is celebrated. | D．Where Boxing Day is celebrated. |
| A．Getting involved in charity work. |
| B．Spending big money in department stores. |
| C．Comparing the size of people's heart and wallet. |
| D．Borrowing the book How the Grinch Stole Christmas. |
