1 . I did return to college. But the pressure of a full-time job and college classes was hard to bear.
One Friday afternoon, a co-worker asked about my weekend plans. I tried to avoid these conversations because I had no money and schoolwork was demanding. To prevent any further conversation, I said, “Oh, I am taking a mini vacation, just a little weekend holiday.” There was surprise but no further conversation.
“What a cheat I am,” I thought. “And they will want details on Monday. It will just stress me more when they all find out that I lied.”
On the long drive home from work, I made a plan. I could pretend I was on vacation and never go anywhere. At home, I pulled down all the shades, checked my messages and shut off the phone. Then I jumped in the shower and put on sweats. With some snacks in my easy reach, I took out three books that I had been anxious to read for the past months. “Well, I am on vacation. This can be my imaginary holiday. I will check in with the world on Monday morning,” I said to myself. Then I cracked open the first book. By Sunday evening, I was well into the third book.
When the alarm went off on Monday morning, I dressed, had breakfast and went to work. I was busy when several co-workers came by. “Wow,” they said, “you must have had a great vacation. You look so rested.” It wasn’t until then that I realized I wasn't stressed anymore.
“Maybe,” I told them, “it was just an imaginary holiday.” They laughed and went off to their desks.
I did graduate from college eventually and got a job with some paid vacation. But I still take imaginary holidays where I turn off the phone and electronics, tell everyone that I will be “away” and spend a weekend reading.
I have decided that imaginary holidays are one way I can take care of myself. Perhaps that was part of my college education.
1. How did the author feel when talking about weekend plans?| A．Grateful. | B．Surprised. | C．Excited. | D．Embarrassed. |
| A．She went on a mini vacation. | B．She buried herself in reading. |
| C．She checked in with the world. | D．She took a virtual trip overseas. |
| A．Tired. | B．Refreshed. | C．Stressed. | D．Imaginative. |
| A．An imaginary holiday | B．My college education |
| C．An embarrassing experience | D．The importance of vacation |
1. What are the speakers mainly talking about?
| A．Buying a present. | B．Attending a concert. | C．Planning a birthday party. |
| A．See a movie. | B．Read a novel. | C．Meet up with Jane. |
| A．In June. | B．In January. | C．In July. |
Annie was
要点提示：
1.贴春联，放鞭炮，迎新年；
2.合家团圆，吃年饭，共同守岁；
3.着新衣，互拜年，逛庙会；
4.结论(感受)。
6 . 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
The annual Water Splashing Festival of the Dai ethnic minority falls during the New Year period of the Dai Calendar. It is the most important festival
The festival lasts for three days . The first two days'
An outdoor market is set up
The third day, the climax of the festival, is reserved for water splashing. On that day, the Dai put on their
8 . The tradition of birthday parties started a long time ago. People thought that there was a special danger from evil spirits, so friends and family came together to bring good thoughts and wishes and even presents.
In many English-speaking countries, a twenty-first birthday cake often has a key on top.
In the past in parts of Europe, men who reached the age of thirty and were still single, had to clean the stairs of the City Hall. This way every girl could see that the man didn't have a girlfriend.
After the age of thirty, many people prefer to forget their birthdays rather than celebrate them...children often bring Mum（or Dad）breakfast in bed.
| A．Birthday traditions are around the world. |
| B．At one time, only kings had birthday parties. |
| C．Or the cake itself is sometimes in the shape of a key. |
| D．It's traditional to give flowers and enjoy a special meal. |
| E．Family members put many sweets on the birthday cake. |
| F．They could also see how good he was at cleaning the house! |
| G．Others are more specific to certain ages and certain countries. |
1. Who is Thomson?
| A．A cook. | B．The man's cousin. | C．Linda's husband. |
| A．40. | B．50. | C．60. |
| A．She won't be invited to the party. |
| B．She doesn't eat chicken. |
| C．She is a good cook. |
10 . In 1947 a group of famous people from the art world headed by an Austrian conductor decided to hold an international festival of music, dance and theatre in Edinburgh. The idea was to reunite Europe after the Second World War.
It quickly attracted famous names such as Alec Guinness, Richard Burton, Dame Margot Fonteyn and Marlene Dietrich as well as the big symphony orchestras(交响乐团). It became a fixed event every August and now attracts 400,000 people yearly.
At the same time, the “Fringe” appeared as a challenge to the official festival. Eight uninvited theatre groups turned up in 1947, in the belief that everyone should have the right to perform, and they did so in a public house no longer used for years.
Soon, groups of students firstly from Edinburgh University, and later from the universities of Oxford, Cambridge, Durham and Birmingham were making the journey to the Scottish capital each summer to perform theatre by little-known playwrights(剧作家) in small church halls to the people of Edinburgh.
Today the “Fringe”, once less recognized, has far outgrown the festival with around 1,500 performances of theatre, music and dance on every one of the 21 days it lasts. And yet as early as 1959, with only 19 theatre groups performing, some said it was getting too big.
A paid administrator was first employed only in 1971, and today there are eight administrators working all year round and the number rises to 150 during August itself. In 2004 there were 200 places housing(给……提供场地) 1,695 shows by over 600 different groups from 50 different countries. More than 1.25 million tickets were sold.
1. What was the purpose of Edinburgh Festival in the beginning?| A．To bring Europe together again. |
| B．To honor heroes of World WarⅡ. |
| C．To introduce young theatre groups. |
| D．To attract great artists from Europe. |
| A．They owned a public house there. |
| B．They came to take up a challenge. |
| C．They thought they were also famous. |
| D．They wanted to take part in the festival. |
| A．Popular writers. |
| B．University students. |
| C．Artists from around the world. |
| D．Performers of music and dance. |
| A．has become a non-official event |
| B．has gone beyond an art festival |
| C．gives shows all year round |
| D．keeps growing rapidly |
