Question

People give gifts in almost all countries. Gifts mark festivals and other important events. Some gifts are expensive, or they may take months to create. Others are of less ______, such as birthday cards.

Gift-giving is often a process of exchange.______ you receive a birthday gift from someone, that person usually expects a birthday gift from you ____ . In some cultures, there are certain rules about gift exchange. In Pakistan, for example, there is a tradition called “taking giving”. It _____ this way: You give the newly-married couple a gift, and they “repay” you with a gift of higher value. Then you give the couple  ____  gift. This one should be worth the difference between the first two gifts. The gift exchange continues, _____ the same way.

In many ancient cultures, people made offerings to their leaders to show their loyalty (忠诚). The Nubians in ancient Egypt are a good  ____ . They brought gold to the Egyptian kings. Traditions like these ____  today in some parts of the world. In parts of Africa, for example, farmers may give gifts to the local leaders to ____  them for protection.

Today presidents ____  bring gifts when they visit a foreign leader. Leaders bring gifts to make relationships between ____  stronger, not to emphasize (强调) the power of the gift receiver.

Gifts can ____  send special messages. For example, gifts can tell people that we are thinking of them and that we want them to feel ____ . Sometimes a gift makes us remember the giver. The gift keeps the ____ of a special person and a special relationship alive.

There is no doubt about the good side of gift-giving. That is why some people don’t _____ the idea that modern gift-giving is very wasteful. It is clear that there is an emotional benefit to people who exchange gifts. That is surely enough of a reason for the tradition to continue.

1.A. power    B. help    C. fun    D. value

2.A. Since    B. Before    C. If    D. Although

3.A. at once    B. by turns    C. in return    D. on purpose

4.A. works    B. writes    C. agrees    D. ends

5.A. no    B. another    C. every    D. any

6.A. planning    B. providing    C. following    D. welcoming

7.A. group    B. people    C. warning    D. example

8.A. continue    B. change    C. start    D. improve

9.A. use    B. praise    C. thank    D. please

10.A. sometimes    B. usually    C. seldom    D. never

11.A. countries    B. cities    C. villages    D. families

12.A. just    B. never    C. also    D. later

13.A. lucky    B. special    C. safe    D. strong

14.A. wealth    B. happiness    C. memory    D. growth

15.A. turn down    B. give up    C. think over    D. agree with

Answer

1.D

2.C

3.C

4.A

5.B

6.C

7.D

8.A

9.C

10.B

11.A

12.C

13.B

14.C

15.D

【解析】本文介绍了给礼物的传统，以及礼物表达的含义。

1.D

考查名词及语境的理解。A. power 力量； B. help 帮助； C. fun 乐趣； D. value价值；句意：其他一些礼物是不贵的，例如生日卡片。根据前文的Some gifts are expensive, or they may take months to create.和such as birthday cards. 可知有些礼物是昂贵的，但是有些像生日卡片这样的礼物是不贵的，故选D。

2.C

考查连词及语境的理解。A. Since 自从； B. Before 在……之前； C. If 如果；D. Although尽管；句意：如果你从某人那里收到了一个生日礼物，那个人经常期望从你这里获得一个生日礼物作为回报。此处表示条件，故用连词if，故选C。

3.C

考查介词短语及语境的理解。A. at once 马上； B. by turns 轮流； C. in return 作为回报； D. on purpose故意地；句意：如果你从某人那里收到了一个生日礼物，那个人经常期望从你这里获得一个生日礼物作为回报。根据前文的Gift-giving is often a process of exchange.可知给礼物是一个交换的过程，因此此处表示别人给你礼物，你再给对方礼物，这是作为一种回报，故选C。

4.A

考查动词及语境的理解。A. works 运作；B. writes 写；C. agrees 同意； D. ends结束；句意：这经常是这样运作的。根据后文的You give the newly-married couple a gift, and they “repay” you with a gift of higher value.可知此处介绍了还礼的运作过程，故选A。

5.B

考查代词和形容词及语境的理解。A. no 没有； B. another 另一个； C. every 每一个的； D. any任何一个；句意：然后你给那对夫妇另一个礼物。根据后文的This one should be worth the difference between the first two gifts.可知此处表示除了我给那对夫妇的礼物，以及他们给我的回礼是不同的另一个礼物，故选B。

6.C

考查动词及语境的理解。A. planning 计划； B. providing提供； C. following 跟随； D. welcoming欢迎。句意：这种礼物的交换继续按照同样的方式进行着。根据前文的In Pakistan, for example, there is a tradition called “taking giving”可知此处表示按着传统的方式，遵循一样的方式进行下去，故选C。

7.D

考查名词及语境的理解。A. group 组，团体； B. people 人们；C. warning 警告； D. example例子；句意：古埃及的努比利亚人是一个很好的例子。根据前文的In many ancient cultures, people made offerings to their leaders to show their loyalty (忠诚).可知此处古埃及的努比利亚人是许多古代给礼物中的一个例子，故选D。

8.A

考查动词及语境的理解。A. continue 继续； B. change 改变； C. start 开始；D. improve提高；句意：在世界一些地区，像这些传统仍继续着。根据前文的They brought gold to the Egyptian kings.和后文的for example, farmers may give gifts to the local leaders to ___9___ them for protection.可知古代努比利亚人把黄金给埃及国王，今天农民给当地领导人礼物，因此人们给领导人礼物的传统继续着。故选A。

9.C

考查动词及语境的理解。A. use 使用；B. praise表扬；C. thank 感谢；D. please使高兴；句意：例如，在非洲一些地方，农民可能会把礼物给当地的领导人，是为了感谢他们的保护。thank sb for sth“因为某事而感谢某人”，故选C。

10.B

考查副词及语境的理解。A. sometimes 有时； B. usually经常； C. seldom 很少； D. never从不；句意：今天当总统访问一个外国领导人时，他们经常带礼物。根据后文的Leaders bring gifts to make relationships between ___11___ stronger,可知表示他们经常会带礼物，故选B。

11.A

考查名词及语境的理解。A. countries 国家； B. cities城市； C. villages 村庄；D. families家庭；句意：领导人带礼物是为了使国家之间的关系更牢固，不是为了强调礼物接受者的权力。根据Today presidents ___10___ bring gifts when they visit a foreign leader.可知此处表示总统给外国领导人的礼物，这是这个国家的领导人给另一个国家领导人礼物，应是表示国家之间的关系，故选A。

12.C

考查副词及语境的理解。A. just 仅仅； B. never从不； C. also 也；D. later以后；句意：礼物也传递特殊的信息。此处与前文的礼物所表示的含义相并列，故表示礼物的传递的又一种信息，故用副词also。故选C。

13.B

考查形容词及语境的理解。A. lucky 幸运的； B. special特殊的； C. safe安全的； D. strong强壮的；句意：例如，礼物能告诉人们我们正在想他们，我们想让他们感到特殊。根据后文的The gift keeps the ___14___ of a special person and a special relationship alive.可知我们给他们礼物，这会让他们感到我们对他们是不同的，是特殊的，故选B。

14.C

考查名词及语境的理解。A. wealth 财富； B. happiness 幸福； C. memory 记忆；D. growth生长；句意：礼物让对一个特殊的人的记忆和一种特殊的关系一直存在。根据前文的gifts can tell people that we are thinking of them可知礼物会告诉人们我们正在想他们，因此保留着对他们的记忆，故选C。

15.D

考查动词短语及语境的理解。A. turn down 拒绝； B. give up 放弃； C. think over 仔细考虑； D. agree with同意；句意：那就是为什么有些人不同意现代的给礼物是非常浪费的。根据前文的There is no doubt about the good side of gift-giving.可知认为给礼物是好的，不同意给礼物是浪费的，故选D。