3 . Different countries celebrate Christmas in different ways. We asked some of our friends to explain what happens in their countries. This is what they told us:

France

In France, Christmas is always called Noël. Everyone has a Christmas tree, sometimes decorated in the old way with red ribbons and real white wax candles. Fir trees in the garden are often decorated too with lights on all night.

Father Christmas is called Père Noël. The Christmas meal is an important family gathering with good meat and the best wine. Few people send Christmas cards. More people send New Year cards to wish everyone good luck and joy for the New Year. These days Christmas lunch is a starter of foie gras (a strong tasting pate made from goose liver) followed by lunch of seafood — usually including lobsters and oysters.

New Zealand

Christmas starts for us with gifts under the tree, to be opened on Christmas morning. Then it’s onto a Christmas lunch either at home or at one’s parents place. Turkey or chicken with all the trimmings (佐料) is eaten. Then comes tea time. It is a BBQ for friends and family to get together, and have a few beers or wines with the meal!

Russia

In the days of the Soviet Union, Christmas was not celebrated very much. New Year was the important time — when “Father Frost” brought presents to children. With the fall of Communism, Christmas can be openly celebrated either on December 25th; or more often on January 7th. This unusual date is because the Russian Orthodox church uses the old “Julian” calendar for religious celebration days. Special Christmas food includes cakes, pies and “meat dumplings”.

Sweden

The most important day is Christmas Eve. A special Christmas meal is eaten on Christmas Eve — ham (pork), herring fish, and brown beans — and this is the time when families give presents to each other. Many people attend a church meeting early on Christmas Day.

1. Why do people in France send New Year cards?

A．To tell their friends the New Year is coming.

B．To ask for some special presents.

C．To invite their friends to family gathering.

D．To send their friends best wishes and happiness for the New Year.

2. What do they have in common when celebrating Christmas?

A．A special meal is prepared.

B．Everyone has a Christmas tree.

C．Parents give gifts to their children.

D．People attend a church gathering.

3. Which country celebrates Christmas “twice”?

A．France.

B．New Zealand.

C．Sweden.

D．Russia.

7 . With no end in sight to the coronavirus pandemic(新冠疫情), it looks like protective face wear is here to stay.

But who says it can’t be stylish?

Throughout the pandemic, designers have been bringing out their face masks— luxury(奢华) versions include Off-White’s popular $95 Arrow logo face mask and Burberry’s vintage check cotton design, selling for £90 ($115).

And now, Louis Vuitton is taking it a step further, making a luxury face shield(护罩) that’s designed to be “both stylish and protective”, the French fashion house said.

The “eye-catching” LV Shield changes from clear to dark in sunlight, protecting wearers from the sun. It also has golden studs with Louis Vuitton’s logo and an elastic headband(松紧带). The visor(面盔) can also be worn upward as a classic cap.

The shield has not yet been priced, but as a high-end fashion brand, it may not be cheap. Other Louis Vuitton head wear, including hats and sunglasses, sell for hundreds of dollars.

The face shield will be sold online and at select Louis Vuitton stores starting on October 30th.

In April, Louis Vuitton joined the global effort to make personal protective equipment to support health care workers on the front lines of the pandemic. The company said it had repurposed several of its workshops across France to “produce hundreds of thousands of non-medical face masks” for health care workers.

The company also said it was giving away thousands of hospital clothing to six Paris hospitals in need of protective suits.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not recommend using face shields as masks, because it is not clear what level of protection they provide.

1. What is the idea of Louis Vuitton designing the luxury face shield?

A．To reduce pressure on faces.

B．To cut the cost of face masks.

C．To make the wearers feel protected and fashionable.

D．To bring out a classic face mask

2. Which of the following is true of the LV face shield according to the text?

A．It changes from dark to clear at night.

B．It has golden studs with Arrow logo.

C．It has an elastic headband.

D．The visor can be worn downward.

3. What do we know about the face shield from the passage?

A．It is attractive.	B．It’s cheap.
C．It is unfashionable.	D．It’s perfect.

4. What’s the attitude of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention towards the LV face shield?

A．Uncaring.

B．Doubtful.

C．Thankful.

D．Supportive.

9 . A national park is created for the purpose of conservation. Yellowstone National Park in the US was the first national park in the world. Here are some other national parks in the world.

Northeast Greenland National Park, Denmark

The national park is the largest one in the world. It covers an area of 927，000 km²，It is also the most northern national park in the world.

Around 5,000 to 15,000 musk oxen (麝香牛) as well as polar bears live in the park. Some of the birds also live there.

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, Australia

The park is the second largest national park in the world. It protects a large part of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef from being damaged in any way.

All commercial ships must stay on specific shipping routes that avoid the most sensitive areas of the park. The Great Barrier Reef has the world's largest number of corals and other sea life.

Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, Mozambique

This national park covers an area of 99,800 km².It joins some of the famous wildlife areas in southern Africa into a huge conservation area.

In 2006, the Giriyondo tourist access between the Limpopo and Kruger national parks was opened. There were 5,000 animals moving from Kruger to Limpopo National Park, including over 1,000 elephants.

Wood Buffalo National Park, Canada

The park was created in 1922 to protect the wood bison (森林野牛) whose population had dropped from 40 million in 1830 to less than 1.000 by 1900.

The park consists of 44,807 square kilometers of northern plains. It is also the world's only natural living place of the cranes (鹤).

1. Which of the following is the earliest national park?

A．Wood Buffalo National Park.	B．Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park.
C．Northeast Greenland National Park.	D．Yellowstone National Park.

2. What can you see in Great Barrier Reef Marine Park?

A．Some sea animals.	B．A lot of polar bears.
C．Many cranes.	D．Hundreds of elephants.

3. What do we know about Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park?

A．It has an area of 44,807 km².	B．It is home to the wood bison.
C．It lies in southern Africa.	D．It is the largest national park.