Festivals and celebrations 1. (hold) to honour famous people and events. In China, there are many festivals, among 2. the most important one is the Spring Festival.
The Spring Festival in China is 3. (traditional) celebrated on January 1st in Lunar New Year.
4. New Year’s Eve, the whole family gather together 5. (eat) a family reunion dinner and watch TV,6. (enjoy) wonderful 7. (perform). Children love dressing 8. in fine new clothes and sometimes have lucky money in red paper. At times, people set off fireworks and they can watch dragon dances.
They also spend much time 9. (visit) their relatives and friends. When people meet, they say to each other “Happy New Year.”You can see 10. happy they are!
In the 4th century, there was a man called Saint Nicholas in Myra. He was very rich and ______ to help others. He also cared for the ______ very much. He often ______ many kinds of gifts, money and other ______ things to the houses of the poor. He did this at night ______ so that no one knew, because he wanted no ______ . He just wanted to help others. At that time, there were three poor ______ in his town. Both of their parents died. They could hardly ______ enough money to make a living. Nicholas felt sorry for them and ______ to do something to ______ them. On Christmas Eve, when everyone was ______ , Nicholas walked through the streets to the house where the three sisters lived. Quietly, he ______ onto the roof and dropped three bags of ______ into the chimney. It so happened that the three sisters had ______ their stockings before they went to bed. The stockings had been ______ by the fire to dry. When Nicholas dropped the gold, each bag fell into a stocking. The three sisters were surprised and ______ to find the three bags of gold in their stockings the next morning. Now they didn’t have to worry about their ______ as they could use the gold to get food. Soon, the story began to get around. Other ______ began to hang up stockings on Christmas Eve ______ finding bags of gold when they woke up the next morning.
Over the years, Saint Nicholas became associated (有联系的)with Christmas. The ______ of hanging stockings up by the chimney on Christmas Eve is known all over the world. And Santa Claus, famous for the red cape (斗篷)and the white beard, became the most popular guest to children on Christmas.
1.A. hated B. refused C. failed D. liked
2.A. old B. sick C. poor D. young
3.A. lent B. brought C. posted D. moved
4.A. expensive B. simple C. beautiful D. useful
5.A. slowly B. secretly C. freely D. fairly
6.A. praise B. money C. surprise D. pay
7.A. sisters B. brothers C. workers D. farmers
8.A. beg B. find C. make D. borrow
9.A. needed B. agreed C. decided D. promised
10.A. save B. help C. raise D. teach
11.A. quiet B. busy C. happy D. asleep
12.A. landed B. climbed C. jumped D. fell
13.A. gold B. food C. toys D. clothes
14.A. changed B. bought C. repaired D. washed
15.A. shown B. thrown C. hung D. stored
16.A. puzzled B. excited C. worried D. sad
17.A. meals B. study C. house D. stockings
18.A. students B. men C. women D. children
19.A. in the hope of B. in need of C. in case of D. in return for
20.A. rule B. habit C. custom D. manner
Although many Chinese students say their knowledge of English grammar is good, most would admit that their spoken English is poor. 1. However, their spoken English does not have to remain poor. I would suggest that there may be some reasons for their problems with spoken English.
First, 2. Obviously the better answer is to expand their vocabulary. However, you can speak, with a limited vocabulary if your attitude is positive. Others will follow you as long as you use the words that you know.
Second, 3.. Sometimes they make mistakes when they are speaking because they are shy and nervous. Yet students should remember that their goal should be FLUENCY NOT ACCURACY. You want to get your message across, to talk to someone in English, as quickly and as well as you can, even though sometimes you may use a wrong word or tense, but it doesn't matter because the person you are speaking to will understand you and make allowance for any mistakes he hears.
Third, 4..You have one mouth but two ears! All that hearing is necessary for you to start speaking.
Fourth, 5.. Instead of actively seeking out opportunities to improve their spoken English, they passively wait for speaking opportunities to come to them and wonder why their spoken English always remains poor. If you have this proactive outlook，then you will see English opportunities wherever you go.
A. not enough attention is paid to listening.
B. they fail to find suitable words to express themselves because of limited vocabulary.
C. most Chinese students are not active language learners.
D. They are so stupid that they cannot finish their necessary homework in time.
E. Whenever I speak to Chinese students they always say, “My spoken English is poor.”
F. it is no use crying over spilt milk.
G. they are afraid of making mistake.
In American schools there is something called Homecoming Day. Many high schools and colleges with a football team have a homecoming game. This can be the most important event of the year except graduation or commencement (毕业典礼)Day. Students plan Homecoming Day many weeks in advance.
Several days before Homecoming, students start to decorate the school. There are signs to wish luck to the team, and many other signs to welcome all the graduates. Many people still come to Homecoming twenty or thirty years after their graduation.
The members of school clubs build booths(售货棚）and sell lemonade(柠檬汽水), apples and sandwiches. Some clubs help to welcome visitors.
During the day alumni and their wives will gather at the school. They like to look for teachers that they remember. Often they see old friends and they talk together about those happy years in school.
Everyone soon comes to watch the football game. When the game is half over, the band comes onto the field and plays school songs. Another important moment is when the Homecoming Queen or King appears. All the students vote the most popular student Homecoming Queen or King. It is a great honor to be chosen.
Homecoming is a happy day, but it is not perfect unless the football team wins the game. Even if the game loses, the students still enjoy Homecoming. Some stay at the school to dance, and others go to a party. For everyone it is a day worth remembering.
1.The best title of this passage is .
A. American School B. Homecoming Game
C. Homecoming Queen or King D. Homecoming Day
2.Which of the following is NOT done on Homecoming?
A. To see old friends. B. To organize clubs.
C. To watch the football game. D. To call on teachers they remember.
3.The underlined word “alumni” refers to .
A. female former students of a school or college
B. male former students of a school or college
C. grandfathers of the students in a school or college
D. grandmothers of the students in a school or college
Captain Goodfellow
Do your children enjoy interesting stories, funny games, and exciting dances? Captain Goodfellow will be ready to teach all these things to children of all ages at the City Theatre on Saturday morning at 10:00, FREE.
Walking Tour of the Town
Forget your worries on Saturday morning. Take a beautiful walk and learn about local history. Meet at the front entrance of the City Hall at 9:30. Wear comfortable shoes!
Film at the Museum
Two European films will be shown on Saturday afternoon at the Museum Theatre. See Broken Window at 1:30. The Workers will be at 3:45. For further information, call 4987898.
International Picnic
Are you tired of eating the same food every day? Come to the Central Park on Saturday and enjoy food from all over the world. Delicious and not expensive. Noon to 5:00 pm.
Do You Want to Hear “The Zoo”
“The Zoo”，a popular rock group from Australia, will give their first US concert tomorrow night at 8 at Rose Hall, City College.
1.You can send your children to Captain Goodfellow to learn dances .
A. on Sunday afternoon B. at 9:30 every day
C. at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday D. at noon before 5:00 p.m.
2.If you are going on the Walking Tour, don’t forget .
A. your worries B. your beautiful walk
C. your learning about local history D. your comfortable shoes
3.You can see movies at .
A. the City College B. the Museum Theatre
C. the City Theatre D. the Central Park
4.You can probably eat Chinese, Italian, and Arab food .
A. at the front entrance of the City Hall B. at the ball game
C. at 8:00 p.m. D. at the Central Park on Saturday
Do you often lose things? Don’t worry. Now a new tool that can be connected to any object you might lose may be the way to solve your problem. The Tile, a small square linked up to your iphone or ipad by means of Bluetooth, lets you see how close you are to your missing item, within a 50-to-150-foot range. If the item goes out of your phone’s 150-foot range, it can still be found on other smart phones with the same app.
When you drive the app on your phone, it shows you, with green bars that increase or decrease, how close or far away you are from the Tile. You can also program it to make a sound when you get close to the Tile. And you can link up your phone with up to ten Tiles. And if your lost object—a dog, for example, or a stolen bike-go out of your own phone’s 150-foot Bluetooth range, you can set it as a “lost item”. If any of the phones with the Tile app comes within range of your lost item, a message will be sent to your phone, telling you its position. The Tile app also has the function to remember where it last saw your Tile, so that you can easily find where you left it.
Since the Tiles use Bluetooth rather than GPS, they are never out of battery or needn’t to be charged, and they work for one year before needing to be replaced. And the app works with all generations of iPhones and iPads.
For further information，please visit www. tile666.com.
1.What can the Tile app help you?
A. To use your phone more wisely B. To find your missing items
C. To save your phone’s power D. To find other phone users
2.Which, of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. The Tile needs to be charged after a year of use.
B. One smart phone can only be linked up with one Tile.
C. A missing item can’t be found if it goes out of your phone’s Bluetooth range.
D. The Tile cannot be linked up with a phone without Bluetooth.
3.What does the second paragraph mainly tell us?
A. What the Tile app is. B. The advantages of the Tile app.
C. How the Tile app works. D. Why the Tile app was created.
4.Where does the passage probably come from?
A. A health report. B. An advertisement.
C. A personal diary D. Science fiction.
