Many Christmas customs are based on the birth of Christ, such as giving presents because of the Wise Men, who brought presents to the baby Jesus（耶稣）Singing Christmas carols is based on the scene of the birth with figures of shepherds, the Wise Men and animals surrounding the baby Jesus.
The origin of Santa Claus begins in the 4th century with St. Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, an area in the present-day Turkey. By all accounts St. Nicholas was a generous man, particularly devoted to children. After his death around 340 A. D. he was buried in Myra, but in 1087 Italian sailors were believed to steal his remains and removed them to Italy, greatly increasing St. Nicholas’ popularity throughout Europe.
His kindness and reputation for generosity gave rise to claims that he could perform miracles and devotion to him increased. St. Nicholas became the patron（保护神）saint of Russia, where he was known by his red cap, flowing white beard, and bishop’s mitre. In Greece, he was the patron saint of sailors; in France, he was the patron of lawyers, and in Belgium, the patron of children and travelers. Thousands of churches across Europe were dedicated（供奉的）to him and sometime around the 12th century an official holiday was created in his honor. The Feast of St. Nicholas was celebrated on December 6 and the day was marked by gift-giving and charity.
After the Reformation, European followers of St. Nicholas declined, but the legend was kept alive in Holland where the Dutch spelling of his name Sint Nikolass was eventually transformed to Sinterklaas. Dutch children would leave their wooden shoes by the fireplace, and Sinterklaas would reward good children by placing treats in their shoes. Dutch colonists brought this tradition with them to America in the 17th century and here the English name of Santa Claus appeared.
1.Why, as is believed, is Santa Claus so popular in Europe?
A. Because of his reputation for generosity.
B. Because he died in Italy.
C. Because of the deed of the Italian sailors.
D. Because of his devotion to Italian children.
2.What was the Feast of St. Nicholas held for?
A. Celebrating Christ’s birthday.
B. Giving thanks to churches.
C. Marking a holiday.
D. Honoring St. Nicholas.
3.What does “Sinterklaas” in the last paragraph refer to?
A. European followers. B. Santa Claus.
C. Jesus. D. The Dutch.
4.Which of the following can best describe Santa Claus?
A. Generous, devoted and honored.
B. Dedicated, kind and alive.
C. Well-known, traditional and lovely.
D. Popular, famous and creative.
When my mother was alive, she used to tell me again and again about the value of just being nice. “Never underestimate（低估）the power of a smile,” she would say. I fear she would be very disappointed looking at the world today. A lot of people don’t smile and when it comes to service today, they’re just not nice. Now don’t give me wrong, not all service workers but a good many.
I was on the phone the other day with a computer help desk. First a man, then later a woman, who couldn’t have been ruder. And this to a customer, who didn’t know his way around a PC. But no matter, I could tell they thought I was a bother, The woman, in fact, seemed to be chewing gum as she unemotionally clicked off a series of commands for me to perform.
The next day I heard from a friend of mine who got a performance review without his boss once looking up at him. Not once.
You see it everywhere. Gone are the days when people cared about you. It’s a sign of the time, I suspect. But that makes me sad — for them and for us all. People who aren’t happy, who don’t smile, who don’t kid, who don’t joke or make light of even bad situations, make for an even worse situation.
And it spreads like a cancer. Someone’s rude to you, you’re rude to them and to the next fellow you meet, and on and on. Smiles are contagious（易感染的）but so annoyances. The boss who can’t be bothered with his workers. The celebrity who can’t be bothered with her annoying fans.
You know, my mom used to judge presidential candidates by how they smiled. I would say, “But mom, you don’t know if that smile is real.”
“Oh, yes I do,” she would tell me. “I can feel it.”
It’s in their eyes, she would say. And it’s in their smile. The rest just kind of falls into place.
1.Why did the writer mention his phone call?
A. To prove his mother is wrong.
B. To show many people aren’t nice.
C. To tell us he knows little about computer.
D. To share his funny experience with us.
2.What is the author’s attitude towards the boss of his friend?
A. Opposed. B. Doubtful.
C. Respectful. D. Supportive.
3.When someone is rude to you, you’re advised to ________.
A. be rude to the next person
B. be nice to the people you meet
C. become one just like him or her
D. make for a worse situation
4.What’s the best title of the passage?
A. The power of a smile
B. Don’t judge a person by his look
C. The effect of rudeness
D. Feel a person in his eyes
As temperatures go up, bison（北美野牛）get smaller. Joseph Craine, research assistant professor in the Division of Biology at Kansas State University, examined how climate change during the next 50 years will affect grazing（放牧）animals such as bison and cattle in the Great Plains.
“Bison are one of our most important conservation animals and hold a unique role in grasslands in North America,” Craine said. “In addition to their cultural and ecological significance, they’re economically important. There are about half a million bison in the world.” Craine analyzed a data set of 290,000 weights, ages and sexes collected from 22 bison herds（兽群）throughout the U. S. The organizations kept annual records of each animal in the herd and matched the data with the climates of the sites.
Based on differences in sizes of bison across herds, Craine found that during the next 50 years, future generations of bison will be smaller in size and weigh less. Climate is likely to reduce the nutritional quality of grasses, causing the animals to grow more slowly.
“We know that temperatures are going to go up,” Craine said. “We also know that warmer grasslands have grasses with less protein（蛋白质）, and we now know that warmer grasslands have smaller grazers. It all lines up to suggest that climate change will cause grasses to have less protein and cause grazers to gain less weight in the future.”
“The difference in temperature between those two states is around 20 degrees Fahrenheit, which is about three times the projected increase in temperatures over the next 75 years,” Craine said. “It is a clear indicator that long-term warming will affect bison and is something that will happen across the U.S. over the next 50-75 years.”
1.In the next fifty years, researchers Say, bison will ________.
A. become smaller and lighter
B. disappear in the Great Plains
C. play a less important part
D. adapt to different climate changes
2.The underlined word “grazers” probably refers to ________.
A. the researchers B. the grasses
C. the bison D. the protein
3.What is the main reason for the bison to become smaller?
A. The deceasing amount of grass.
B. The rising temperature.
C. The rising number of bison.
D. The loss of weight.
4.Paragraph 5 is written as an example to show ________.
A. Craine’s prediction will come true in 50 years
B. bison are smaller than in the past
C. the nature balance is being destroyed
D. bison’s size is linked with different climate
To begin your expedition of wonder, get yourself a driver’s license at your local department of motor vehicles, then rent a car and take off for New Hampshire’s Crawford Notch State Park. This beautiful park is abundant in wildlife, natural vegetation and running rivers falling from high cliffs. It is a place of spectacular mountain views, hiking trails, waterfalls and fishing locations. All you need to do is jump in your rented car or SUV and head for the sunset!
Okay, so you’ve just finished those crazy summer final exams and you’re exhausted from all of the stress. That’s okay because New Hampshire’s State Park also offers a perfect way to recover at Coney’s Flume Park where visitors can ride all the rapids in a hollowed out log, eat hotdogs and play on the amusement tides. Good times will be had no matter what your preference at Dry River Campground, which offers wood cabins, showers, electricity, flush toilets, laundry and fire rings. It’s like a home away from home, so gather your camping gear and head for the journey!
Lake Winnipesaukee
If you’re stuck on figuring out how to access your own wheels, how about finding a bus to take you to Weirs Beach? There are fall leaves tours running in the fall through the end of October. Let the captain do the driving while you enjoy the colors along the shoreline and the mountainsides.
If you can’t find some peace of mind from those nasty final exams while relaxing in your lakeside cottage, take a cruise and go fishing, go bird sightseeing, or just kick back in a rented boat and let the coo of the birds wash your troubles away.
No matter where you go in New Hampshire, you’ll meet the most friendly people you can imagine. Do dive into that rental car or SUV, take off for a vacation to New Hampshire and treat yourself to one of America’s most beautiful states. Enjoy!
1.Who is this passage mainly intended for?
A. School students. B. Bird lovers.
C. Driving learners. D. Trouble makers.
2.Where can you enjoy riding on logs?
A. At Weirs Beach. B. In your lakeside cottage.
C. At Coney’s Flume Park. D. At Dry River Campground.
3.What type of writing is this text?
A. A tour introduction. B. A travel diary.
C. An announcement. D. An official report.
假定你是李华，正在英国接受英语培训，住在一户英国人家里。今天你的房东Mrs Wilson 不在家，你准备外出，请给Mrs Wilson 写一留言条，内容包括：
1．外出购物
2．替房东还书
3．Tracy 来电话留言：1）咖啡屋（Bolton Coffee）见面取消
2）此事已告知Susan
3) 尽快回电
注意：1. 词数100左右；
2．可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Mrs. Wilson,
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
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Li Hua
短文改错(共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分)
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处错误。错误涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号(Λ)，并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线(＼)划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1．每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；只允许修改10处，多者(从第11处起)不计分。
I’ve learned that you reach Beijing last month for Chinese learning. How are you getting along your Chinese studies?
I’m pleasing to tell you that I’ll go to Beijing to take part in an English Speech Contest this summer vacation. However, I have a trouble preparing it. I don’t know how to gather useful information of your speech. And I am unfamiliar with the language style of the speech article, that is total different from the common article. Could you give me some advices on the above problems?
Looking forward to hear from you!
