| Prepare (准备) breakfast Monday to Wednesday: Mrs. Smith Thursday and Friday: Mr. Smith Saturday: Sam & Bob Sunday: Linda | Help in the kitchen Mrs. Smith cooks dinners. Mr. Smith does the dishes. Sam sets the table. Bob clears the table. Linda cleans the kitchen. |
| Tidy the living room Monday, Wednesday, and Friday: Mrs. Smith and Linda The other days: Mr. Smith and the boys. ●The kids clean their rooms every Thursday and Sunday. ●The kids take out the rubbish in turn (轮流). | |
1. When does Linda prepare breakfast?
| A．On Monday. | B．On Friday. | C．On Saturday. | D．On Sunday. |
| A．He cleans the kitchen. | B．He does the dishes. |
| C．He clears the table. | D．He cooks dinners. |
| A．Once a week. | B．Three times a week. |
| C．Twice a week. | D．Three times a month. |
2 . Our old, artificial Christmas tree was in rough shape by the time we retired it. At least a decade had passed since my wife and I bought the tree, a medium-size fake tree with built-in lights, at a Target in Brooklyn and carried it on the subway to our tiny apartment. Over the years, we dragged that tree from apartment, jammed it onto a moving truck to Los Angeles and later packed the weathered box onto another moving truck, this time to Chicago and our current home. By the end, layers of duct tape (强力胶布) held the box together, the wear and tear of a decade of delivering holiday cheer.
Our little tree looked run down, but it was the only tree our family ever knew. It stands proud and glowing in the background of photos of me and my pregnant wife during our last Christmas in Brooklyn without children. Our oldest was born a month later during a January snowstorm. The tree shows up again in the next year’s photos, this time surrounded by holiday gifts for a boy about to turn 1. Then it appears in photos of our son and his 1-month-old brother, this time with California palm trees just outside the door. And in more recent photos, our tree lights up windows overlooking shining Chicago snow. This year, after much debate, we decided to retire our dear old tree, with its bent branches and the lights that had burned out years ago. Rather than feel depressed, we used the moment to launch a new family tradition: our first real Christmas tree.
So here’s a toast to all your family’s traditions—the old and the new. I hope you enjoy this issue, which we have filled with stories of seasonal joy and holiday cheer. Happy holidays!
1. Where is the author’s present home?| A．In Chicago. | B．In Brooklyn. | C．In California. | D．In Los Angeles. |
| A．His budget was tight. | B．He was attached to it. |
| C．It was in good condition. | D．It was environmentally-friendly. |
| A．An editor. | B．A salesman. | C．A delivery man. | D．A home designer. |
| A．The finest diamond must be cut. |
| B．Out with the old, in with the new. |
| C．Old friends and old wine are best. |
| D．All things in their being are good for something. |
Shoveling the snow had always been the best part about winter. Not that I thought it was fun, but my dad’s reaction to a clean driveway kept me going. He hated shoveling snow more than anything. So, I took it upon myself at eight years old to do it for him. Every time I saw snow fall from the sky, I knew the universe was ready to put me to work.
I would run and put on my jacket, snow boots to prepare myself for the work ahead. But every single time, before I went outside, I would stop by my older sister’s room to see if she wanted to help me. I knew she would say no, but I always asked anyway.
One day there was a lot of snow, and there was no way I would be able to clean it all up myself. It was getting dark, and I hated the thought of my dad having to shovel the snow after a long day of work. So I did the routine and knocked on my sister’s door. As I expected, she gave me the same old “no”. Annoyed, I asked again. Without saying anything further, she got up, pushed me out of the room and slammed (平地关上) the door in my face.
I stood there silently for a second. Then, I turned around, went out of the house, and set out in the cold to tackle the enemy that lay in my driveway. But I couldn’t calm down. I was really angry that she would leave me to battle this alone. All I wanted was some help. The more I remembered every “no” she had ever said to me, the angrier I became.
I fought tirelessly, my short arms swinging from side to side while the wind cut against my cheeks. After one long hour, I was not even halfway done. Looking at the victorious snow, I thought of Dad’s disappointment.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Feeling bitter and desperate, I couldn’t stop my tears.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________My sister and I went outside.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
