Almost all cultures celebrate the end of one year and the beginning of another in some way. Different cultures celebrate the beginning of a new year in different ways, and at different times on the calendar.
In Western countries, people usually celebrate New Year at midnight on December 31st-January 1st. People may go to parties, sometimes dressed in formal（正式的）clothes, and the may drink champagne（香槟）at midnight. During the first minutes of the new year, people cheer and wish each other happiness for the year ahead. But some cultures prefer to celebrate the new year by waking up early to watch the sun rise. They welcome the new wear with the first light of the sunrise.
Many cultures also do special things to get rid of（摆脱）bad luck at the beginning of a new year. For example, in Ecuador, families make a big doll from old clothes. The doll is filled with old newspapers and firecrackers. At midnight, these dolls are burned to show the bad things from the past year are gone and the new year can start afresh（重新）. Other common traditions to keep away bad luck in a new year include throwing things into rivers or the ocean, or saying special things on the first day of the new year.
Other New Year traditions are followed to bring good luck in the new year. One widespread Spanish tradition for good luck is to eat grapes on New Year’s Day. The more grapes a person eats, the more good luck the person will have in the tear. In France, people eat pancakes for good luck at New Year. In the United States, some people eat black-eyed peas for good luck-but to get good luck for a whole year you have to eat 365 of them!
1.The reading is mainly about_____.
A. the meaning of “Happy New Year!”
B. several different New Year traditions
C. what to eat on New Year’s Day
D. why people dress up nicely on New Year’s Day
2.It’s clear that_____.
A. some cultures celebrate New Year in the morning
B. the Western people celebrate New Year only on New Year’s Day
C. people in Ecuador go to parties on December 31st-January 1st
D. no cultures do special things to celebrate New Year
3.In some cultures, people throw things into rivers or oceans to_____.
A. bring good luck B. keep away bad luck
C. forget everything D. plan for the next year
4.To have a happy new year,_____.
A. friends talk to each other in special ways
B. families make big dolls filled with old clothes
C. some people get up early to watch the sunrise
D. Europeans eat 365 grapes on New Year’s Day
5.When eating black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day, people think_____.
A. one pea brings one day of luck
B. black-eyed peas are the best medicine
C. the peas are too black and taste bad
D. the peas are helpful to count numbers
阅读理解 阅读下列内容，根据短文内容选择最佳答案。
Thomas Edison lit up the world with his invention of the electric light. Without him, the world might still be in the dark. However, the electric light was not his only invention. He also invented the motion picture camera and 1200 other things. About every two weeks he created something new.
Thomas Edison was born in 1847. He attended school for only three months. His mother taught him at home, but Thomas was mostly self-educated. He started experimenting at a young age.
When he was 12 years old, he got his first job. He became a newsboy on a train. He did experiments on the train in his spare time. Unluckily, his first work experience did not end well. Theyfiredhim when he accidentally set fire to the floor of the train. Then Edison worked for five years as a telegraph operator, but he continued to spend much of his time in experimenting his first patent(专利权) in 1868 for a vote recorder run by electricity.
Thomas Edison was totally deaf in one ear and hard of hearing in the other, but he thought of his deafness as a blessing in many ways. It kept conversations short, so that he could have more time for work. He always worked 16 out of every 24 hours. Sometimes his wife had to remind him to sleep and eat.
Thomas Edison died at the age of 84. He left a great many inventions that greatly improved the quality of life all over the world.
1.How often did Edison make a new invention?
A. About every fourteen days B. About every seven days
C. About once a week D. About twice a week
2.The underlined word “fired” in the passage means “__________”
A. Gave somebody a job B. Set fire to somebody
C. Let somebody down D. Forced somebody to leave his job
3.Edison considered his deafness as______.
A. something bad B. a gift from god
C. a kind of ability D. a disadvantage
4.Which of the following sentence is NOT true according to the passage
A. Edison had only 8 hours rest each day after his deafness ?
B. Edison got his education mostly by self-teaching
C. Edison had his first job in 1869
D. Edison’s inventions greatly improved the quality of people’s life
5.What does the passage mainly talk about?
A. The function of the electric light
B. Edison and his experiments
C. The importance of inventions
D. The whole life of Edison.
The Great Wall of China is ______ to people all over the world . It ______“The Ten-Thousand-Li Great Wall” in Chinese . Do you know the famous Chinese saying “He who does not reach the Great Wall is not a_______ man ”?The great Wall is_________ Wall in the world . It is more than 6,000 kilometres long and between four and five metres ________ . In most places it is wide enough for five horses or ten man ______side by side along the top. It was very difficult to build such a great wall ______ our modern machines . All the work had to be done by hand. Many people ______to work on the wall far away from their homes. Thousands of men ______and were buried(埋葬) under the wall. The Great Wall was made not only _____ stone and earth, but also from the flesh and blood(血肉)of millions of men..
1.A. helpful B. famous C. kind D. known
2.A. calls B. called C. is called D. calling
3.A. good B. important C. true D. clever
4.A. long B. high C. the longest D. the highest
5.A. long B. wide C. high D. deep
6.A. walk B. walking C. walked D. to walk
7.A. with B. without C. by D. in
8.A. is made B. was made C. are made D. were made
9.A. die B. died C. dead D. were dead
10.A. by B. in C. of D. from
I’ve just run one thousand meters and beaten everyone
----- ______
A. Enjoy yourself B. Good luck
C. Have a nice trip D. Well done
The government of Chongqing is building ________ cheap and good houses for the people.
A. thousand B. thousands C. thousand of D. thousands of
---I think reading is important for us every day. Do you agree me?
---Yes, you are right.
A. on B. with C. to D. of
