1 . Holidays

Holiday News Vacancies(空位) now and in the school holidays at a country hotel in Devon. This comfortable, friendly home-from-home lies near the beautiful quiet countryside, but just a drive away from the sea. The food is simple but good. Children and pets are welcome. Reduced prices for low season.

The Snowdonia Centre The Snowdonia Centre for young mountain climbers has a mountain climbing lesson. The beginners’ costs are ￡57 for a week, including food and rooms. Equipment is included except walking shoes, which can be hired at a low cost. You must be in good health and prepared to go through a period of body exercises. This could be the beginning of a lifetime of mountain climbing adventure.

The World Sea Trip of a Lifetime Our World Sea Trip of 2008 will be unlike any holiday you have ever been on before. Instead of one hotel after another, with all its packing and unpacking, waiting and traveling, you just go to bed in one country and wake up in another. On board the ship, you will be well taken care of. Every meal will be first-class and every cabin like your home. During the trip, you can rest on deck(甲板), enjoy yourself in the games rooms and in the evening dance to our musical team and watch our wonderful play. You will visit all the places most people only dream about — from Acapulco and Hawaii to Tokoy and Hong Kong. For a few thousand pounds, all you’ve ever hoped for can be yours.

1. What can you do if you like to go on holidays with pets?

A．Choose the holiday in Devon.	B．Go to the Snowdonia Centre.
C．Join the World Sea Trip of 2008.	D．Visit Acapulco and Hawaii.

2. In what way is the Snowdonia Centre different from the other two holidays?

A．It provides chances of family gatherings.	B．It provides customers with good food.
C．It offers a sports lesson.	D．It offers comfortable rooms.

3. What is special about the World Sea Trip of 2008?

A．You can have free meals on deck every day.

B．You can sleep on a ship and tour many places.

C．You will have chances to watch and act in a play.

D．You have to do your own packing and unpacking.

6 . Valentine’s Day had arrived. My husband, Roy, planned a_________like we had never had before—he_________a table at an expensive restaurant.

After a hard day at work, I_________home and jumped into the shower. When my husband arrived, I was dressed in my finest clothes and ready to go. We were both_________. Unfortunately, the youngest daughter, Becky, wasn’t so _________ She wanted Roy to take her to buy me a_________, but time was running out.

The entire evening was _______. I couldn’t help being concerned about the_________in Becky’s eyes. I_______how the joyful Valentine’s Day glow had left her face, just__________the door closed behind us. She wanted me to know how much she__________me.

When we arrived back home, Becky was________ on the couch, holding a box in her hand tightly. When I kissed her cheek, she awoke. “I’ve got________ for you，Mom,” she said with a__________. It was a heart-shaped pillow made by my daughter, with “I Love You” on it.

I don’t know if a pillow can hold magic, __________this pillow has surely held a great deal of joy for me over the years.

1.

A．trip

B．date

C．party

D．vacation

2.

A．set

B．bought

C．reserved

D．borrowed

3.

A．left

B．moved

C．stayed

D．hurried

4.

A．excited

B．worried

C．awkward

D．surprised

5.

A．smart

B．happy

C．awkward

D．surprised

6.

A．box

B．table

C．dress

D．present

7.

A．cold

B．quite

C．beautiful

D．bittersweet

8.

A．fear

B．anger

C．disappointment

D．embarrassment

9.

A．described

B．doubted

C．remembered

D．explained

10.

A．before

B．after

C．until

D．because

11.

A．hurt

B．loved

C．hated

D．influenced

12.

A．sitting

B．kneeling

C．sleeping

D．standing

13.

A．everything

B．something

C．anything

D．nothing

14.

A．smile

B．sigh

C．nod

D．cry

15.

A．or

B．so

C．for

D．but

7 . Our wedding was about to begin. My throat was tight and my cheeks got red, but I didn't care. I was ready to marry David Sanchez. We're a “nontraditional” couple: getting married in a bookstore that supports a charity to fight HIV and homelessness.

“Kim! I could walk you down the aisle (走道) if you like！” David's father offered gently.

“I'm OK. But I appreciate that，” I said with a smile. And I was reminded, again, of my dad's absence.

My father died of cancer six weeks ago. For the last two months, we tried to make him feel comfortable and loved as he departed from this world. He always told us that he didn't like a funeral (葬礼) and insisted that our wedding go forward as planned. But how could we honor him since the wedding would be the first time the family would gather after his death and some even didn't know he was sick?

During the ceremony, my dear friend Eva delivered a reading entitled “When Things Go Missing” by Kathryn Schulz. She paused and got everyone on the same page, “When we are experiencing it, loss often feels like confusion in the usual order of things. In fact, the entire plan of the universe consists of losing, and life amounts to a reverse (逆向的) savings account in which we are eventually robbed of everything.”

I felt the energy full of the room. Everyone was listening. By choosing to accept the pain, we knew what a wedding does to join two families and mark the next chapter for a couple. Loss became a compass that kept us away from a fantasy and toward celebrating the difficult realities of life.

After rings were exchanged, fried chicken was served, our friends offered so many funny and touching toasts, and finally David sang “Married” on my father's guitar. I felt joy filling all the holes in my soul. Celebrating my father's life at our wedding made me grateful for all the time I had spent with him.

1. Why did David's father offer to walk the author down the aisle?

A．To relieve her tension.

B．To welcome her to his family.

C．To play the author's late father's role.

D．To contribute something to the charity.

2. What do we know about Kim at her wedding?

A．She got a compass as a wedding gift.

B．She enjoyed David's promise for their marriage.

C．She received more sympathy from families and friends.

D．She recalled the days spent with her father and understood life better.

3. Why did Kim feel energy full of the room?

A．Because she could keep away from the pain.

B．Because she knew everyone was listening.

C．Because she got more courage for the marriage and life.

D．Because she could read a piece of Kathryn Schulz's works.

4. What do we know about Kim and David's wedding ceremony?

A．It was held in a library.

B．It was a touching and happy one.

C．Kim and David turned it into a funeral.

D．There was no other activity except reading.

8 . 阅读下面短文，根据所给情节进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。

Pumpkin (南瓜) carving at Halloween is a family tradition. We visit a local farm every October. In the pumpkin field, I compete with my three brothers and sister to seek out the biggest pumpkin. My dad has a rule that we have to carry our pumpkins back home, and as the eldest child I have an advantage-I carried an 85-pounder back last year.

This year, it was hard to tell whether my prize or the one chosen by my 14-year-old brother, Jason, was the winner. Unfortunately we forgot to weigh them before taking out their insides, but I was determined to prove my point. All of us were hard at work at the kitchen table, with my mom filming the annual event. I’m unsure now why I thought forcing my head inside the pumpkin would settle the matter, but it seemed to make perfect sense at the time.

With the pumpkin resting on the table, hole uppermost, I bent over and pressed my head against the opening. At first I got jammed just above my eyes and then, as I went on with my task, unwilling to quit, my nose briefly prevented entry. Finally I managed to put my whole head into it, like a cork (软木塞) forced into a bottle. I was able to straighten up with the huge pumpkin resting on my shoulders.

My excitement was short-lived. The pumpkin was heavy. “I’m going to set it down, now,” I said, and with Jason helping to support its weight, I bent back over the table to give it somewhere to rest. It was only when I tried to remove my head that I realized getting out was going to be less straightforward than getting in. When I pulled hard, my nose got in the way. I got into a panic as I pressed firmly against the table and moved my head around trying to find the right angle, but it was no use. “I can’t get it out!” I shouted, my voice sounding unnaturally loud in the enclosed space.

注意：
1. 所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2. 至少使用5个短文中标有下划线的关键词语；
3. 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；
4. 续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。
Paragraph 1

It was five or six minutes though it felt much longer.

Paragraph 2

The video was posted the Monday before Halloween.

9 . When the leaves begin to change colors,it means one thing for many travelers：Fall festival season is here.If you’re interested in visiting a fall festival in America,here are some of the country’s best fall festivals for you to choose from.

Wellfleet Oysterfest

Wellileet Oysterfest is a two-day event held in Wellfleet,Mass.The meeting on Cape Cod is one that the locals look forward to all year long.Feed on oysters(牡蛎）and other seafood，while you watch the fastest oyster-eaters in the world compete in the famous Oyster Shuck-Off,a competition for taking the outer covering of oysters.The competition is taken very seriously.

Harvest on the Harbor

It takes place in Portland,Maine.The festival celebrates all that is best about Maine’s food and wine.This celebration is held every October,and includes the Maine Lobster Chef of the Year Competition and Savory Samplings at the Marketplace.The latter allows travelers to taste the best local food that Maine has to offer at Casco Bay.

Killington Hay Festival

If you’re looking for a fall festival that includes hay sculptures(干草雕塑)，take part in the yearly Killington Hay Festival.When you begin to see the giant hay sculptures,you’ll know you’ve arrived.Past sculptures have changed from a 20-foot-tall kangaroo to a family of penguins.

1. What can we learn about the meeting on Cape Cod?

A．It takes place twice a year.	B．It lasts three days in all.
C．It’s loved by the locals.	D．It’s not open to tourists.

2. Who would most probably go to Harvest on the Harbor?

A．People who want to go to a festival in November.

B．People who want to try Maine’s local food.

C．The fastest oyster-eaters worldwide,

D．The best cooks around the world.

3. What do the festivals have in common?

A．They all serve seafood.	B．They are all liked by eaters.
C．They all last for two days.	D．They all take place in fall.

10 . Halloween falls on the 31st of October every year. If you want to celebrate, you have a lot of options You can throw a party with friends and family, decorate for the season, or participate in events around your town.     1    .   

Throw a party. You can host a costume party where everyone needs to wear their costumes. Part of the fun of Halloween is dressing up. If you want, you can even have a contest where guests can compete for different titles like"Scariest Costume","Funniest Costume", and so on.     2    .If guests don’t want to wear a costume, don' t push them. It may be their religion or they simply don't want to. If you push them too hard, they may feel offended.

Bob for apples. Bobbing for apples is a classic Halloween tradition that many people love. Simply place some apples in a bucket of water and have guests try to lift them out only with their mouths.     3    

Watch scary movies. You can have a movie screening at your party. Show your favorite scary movies that are perfect for the season to get you in the Halloween spirit.

    4     There are a wide variety of treats you can provide for the event. You can provide classic candy that's often handed out to kids saying"Trick or Treat", like small candy bars.     5    

A．You can also try making your own Halloween-themed baked food.

B．Make Halloween candies.

C．This can be fun if you want a more light-hearted holiday party instead of something scary.

D．Provide Halloween treats.

E．With some preparation and planning, you and your loved ones can enjoy a fun and cheerful Halloween.

F．Remember, not everyone likes dressing up.

G．You need to make sure everyone dresses up.