1 . Most people buy a lot of gifts just before Christmas. But some people think we buy too much. They have started a special day called Buy Nothing Day.
Buy Nothing Day is November 29. It’s 25 days before Christmas. It’s after Thanksgiving and often the first day of Christmas shopping.
The idea for Buy Nothing Day started in Vancouver, British Columbia.
In Albuquerque, New Mexico, high school students, wanted to tell other students about Buy Nothing Day. They organized a spaghetti dinner to give people information about Buy Nothing Day.
| A．They asked restaurants in the neighborhood to donate the food. |
| B．At this time, we see ads in newspapers and, on TV telling us to “buy, buy, buy!” |
| C．Buy Nothing Day has successfully persuaded people not to buy anything. |
| D．Many people think highly of the idea of Buy Nothing Day. |
| E．They don’t want anyone to go shopping on that day. |
| F．Now people all over the world celebrate Buy Nothing Day. |
| G．The dinner was a big success, and many students a- greed not to buy anything on November. |
2 . You’ve no doubt heard people say how much they “need” a holiday, when what they really mean is that they want one. Certainly, people working under pressure feel a very strong desire to escape from work and become less tight during holidays, and experience a changed environment.
However, work for many people today is office work and mental, rather than physical tasks. These people may seek much more energy-taking activities while on holiday, rather than simply lying on a beach.
Once people become used to going on holiday, taking holidays becomes a habit. For many people the holiday is one of the last things to be given up, and indeed many workers have chosen to spend some of their last pay when being on holiday. It may give them a “lift” in facing some difficulties in life.
Most of us also enjoy showing off the lovely tans --- dark skins we get from a holiday. So many tourists are now able to afford holidays in the sun that tans have become quite common; although we join a tan together with health, it has been fully shown that too much sunshine will result in high danger of skin problems, as well as drying out one’s skin and leading to more lines on your face later in life.
1. According to the passage above, more and more people choose to have holidays because they __________.| A．love working outdoors all the time |
| B．want to get away from work |
| C．love enjoying the beauties of nature |
| D．become rich and want a better life |
| A．lie on the beach and enjoy sunshine |
| B．spend more than they can afford |
| C．think about their work on the beach |
| D．choose to do more physical exercise |
| A．cheer someone up |
| B．help someone find a job |
| C．be the last thing not to be given up |
| D．bring good luck to someone |
| A．the importance of getting sunshine |
| B．the bad effect of being on holiday |
| C．the result of getting sun tanned |
| D．the healthy look of being tanned |
| Fun Day To celebrate the Year of the snake Organised by Lam Tin Youth Centre and Kwun Tong High School Date: 2 February 2013 Time: 10 am—5 pm Place: Kwun Tong Playground Fee: $20 (buy three get one free) Programmes: drama, lion dance, magic show and ballet performance Highlights: 1) enter the lucky draw to win a digital camera 2) learn to make festival food Join us on the Fun Day! All are welcome! Free Soft Drinks Note: ● Tickets are available at the General Office of Lam Tin Youth Center ● For those who would like to be a volunteer, please contact Miss Olivia Wong one week before the activity. |
1. What you have just read is a ________.
| A．note | B．poster | C．schedule | D．report |
| A．A big event to welcome a Chinese new year. |
| B．A social gathering to raise money for wildlife. |
| C．A party for close friends to meet and have fun. |
| D．A meeting of Kwun Tong High School students. |
| A．$20. | B．$40. | C．$80. | D．$60. |
| A．Tickets are sold in Kwun Tong High School. |
| B．Free digital cameras are provided for everybody. |
| C．It’s unnecessary to take soft drinks with you. |
| D．Festival food will be served without extra charge. |
4 . The custom of celebrating from the end of January until mid-February has long been popular in Quebec City, Canada. The first large Winter Carnival here, in the world’s snow capital, took place in 1894. Faced with winter’s hardships, the city’s population made this popular tradition into a winter celebration that warmed the hearts of all people.
Interrupted by two wars and then the economic crisis of 1929, the Carnival was held from time to time until the second half of the century. In 1954, a group of business people re-started the festivities. That year, Bonhomme was born and was elected the event’s representative.
The next year the first official Quebec Winter Carnival took place. The Carnival snowballed into a big event and was important for tourism and economic activity in the city.
From one winter to the next, the Carnival enriched its activity program. We have since added even more popular activities, such as winter sports, snow sculptures, and activities based on the traditional Quebec lifestyle, such as dogsled races. The Quebec Winter Carnival is the largest winter carnival in the world today, and is third on the list of Top Carnivals after the famous carnivals in Rio and New Orleans.
1960
The people living along Rue Sainte-Therese created many snow or ice sculptures, and this location became known as Carnival Street.
1964
The name of Bonhomme Carnival and his image became registered trademarks.
1970
A new tradition was born: closing the event with a firework display.
1975
A new activity, called The Break, was created, on Friday from noon till midnight. Many employers gave their employees time off so they could go dancing at the Quebec City Convention Centre. The event continued to be held until 1986, sometimes late into the night.
1977
Until 1991, the Carnival offered a children’s sculpture competition.
1987
The snow bath became part of the program.
1999
Because of the importance of volunteers, the human resources department was created to improve organization.
1. The Quebec Winter Carnival .| A．is held from mid-February to the end of March |
| B．is an encouragement for the local people in winter |
| C．is the second largest carnival in the winter |
| D．has as many activities as when it was first held |
| A．1894 | B．1895 | C．1954 | D．1955 |
①The snow bath ② The Break ③ A children’s sculpture competition ④A firework display at the end of the event
| A．①② | B．①① | C．②④ | D．①④ |
| A．History of the Quebec Winter Carnival. |
| B．Welcome to the Quebec Winter Carnival. |
| C．Activities during the Quebec Winter Carnival. |
| D．Importance of the Quebec Winter Carnival. |
5 . Every American family has its own traditions on Thanksgiving Day, and mine is no different. Once the national holiday arrives, my mom rises early to make the meal. She puts a turkey in the oven, chops carrots and bakes pies. I’m sorry to say that the men in the family – my dad, my younger brother and myself – rarely pitch in to help. Our job is to wash the mountain of dirty dishes after the meal is over.
Around 2 pm every Thanksgiving Day, family members seat themselves around the kitchen table. Plates of turkey, vegetables, salad, rolls and pies cover it. At this point, we can hardly keep ourselves from drooling (流口水) all over our fancy clothes, but it’s not yet time to eat.
First, we must bow our heads, close our eyes and say a prayer of thanks aloud to God for giving us everything we have. Under normal circumstances, I would have no problem making a list of things I am thankful for. I grew up in a loving family. My parents, who aren’t wealthy, took out loans to help me pay for university.
But, the funny thing is, every time I sit down for Thanksgiving dinner and try to say a prayer of thanks, my mind usually goes blank. I think it has something to do with my growling (咕咕叫) stomach and all of that food sitting right there under my nose.
Eventually, though, we all finish our short prayers and dig in. To be sure, the day includes other highlights – visiting with family and watching football. But usually around 6 pm we are all ourselves stuffed like turkeys and thankful to have a nice warm bed to sleep in.
1. The purpose of the text is to ________.| A．tell what the family do for Thanksgiving Day | B．tell how the family spends Thanksgiving Day |
| C．introduce foods served on Thanksgiving Day | D．introduce the American Thanksgiving Day |
| A．watching a movie | B．making visits |
| C．having a big meal | D．watching football |
| A．He is too thankful to say a word. | B．His mind is on the food before him. |
| C．He feels too excited to speak. | D．He is shy to speak in public. |
| A．chat with others | B．make a hole |
| C．mix things up | D．start eating |
| A．On Thanksgiving Day, men do nothing but eat. |
| B．The author is a middle school student. |
| C．The author’s family is not rich, but it’s a loving one. |
| D．Thanksgiving Day falls on Thursday of December. |
6 . People in the United States honor their parents with two special days: Mother's Day, on the second Sunday in May, and Father's Day, on the third Sunday in June. These days are set aside to show love and respect for parents. They raise their children and educate them to be responsible citizens. They give love and care. These two days offer a chance to think about the changing roles of mothers and fathers. More mothers now work outside the home. More fathers must help with child-care.
These two special days are celebrated in many different ways. On Mother's Day people wear carnations. A red one stands for a living mother. A white one shows that the mother is dead. Many people attend religious services to honor parents. It is also a day when people whose parents are dead visit their graves. On these days, families get together at home and in restaurants. They often have outdoor BBQs for Father’s Day. These are days of fun and good feelings and memories.
Another tradition is to give cards and gifts. Children make them in school. Many people make their own presents. These are valued more than the ones bought in stores. It is not the value of the gift that is important, but it is ''the thought that counts''. Greeting card stores, florists, candy makers, bakeries, telephones companies and other stores do a lot of business during these holidays.
1. Which is NOT a reason for children to show love and respect for parents?| A．Parents bring up children. |
| B．Parents give love and care to children. |
| C．Parents pass away before children grow up. |
| D．Parents educate children to be good persons. |
| A．Mother's Day and Father's Day are both in May. |
| B．Not all the children respect their parents. |
| C．Fewer women worked outside the home in the past. |
| D．Fathers are not as important as mothers at home. |
| A．It only has two kinds of color. |
| B．It is a special kind of clothes people wear on Mother's Day or Father's Day. |
| C．People can wear carnations only on the second Sunday in June. |
| D．It's a kind of flower showing love and best wishes. |
| A．They sell flowers. |
| B．They made bread. |
| C．They offer enough room for having family parties. |
| D．They sell special clothes for Mother's Day and Father's Day. |
