The tradition of having a pine tree as a Christmas Tree is believed to come from Germany. Since the medieval time, lighting a candle on a tree is common to welcome guests. Such practice has evolved into the Christmas celebration.
The formal Christmas Tree was introduced to England about 100 years ago when Queen Victoria married German Albert. The evidence of Victoria's love for Albert is not only expressed through inheriting the German tradition of having a Christmas Tree but also through the gold Albert Statues that Victoria had ordered to built for Albert, standing in many places in London. In America, the Christmas Tree idea was brought by German immigrants too.
The custom of sending Christmas cards was initiated in England around 1850. The first cards were decorated with elaborate designs of flowers, birds and landscapes.
As for Saint Nicholas, or Santa Claus, the story goes back to the third century.
Legend has it, Saint Nicholas dedicated all his life to helping mankind, especially children. He died on December 6, which marks the Saint Nicholas Day in many European countries and that was when gifts were given to children. Saint Nicholas bears many different names, such as Father Christmas in the UK, San Nicolas in the Netherlands, Le Pere Noel in France, and Kriss Kringle in Germany.
He also arrives on different dates to deliver presents to children in different countries, typically from chimneys. The chimney story was this: Santa flew over house tops in a sleigh, he dropped coins by accident and they landed in some stockings hanging next to the fireplace to dry. From then on, red stockings were hung by the chimney in hopes that Santa would fill them with gifts.
1.The passage is most probably taken from ______.
A. a history book B. a geography book
C. a folk story book D. a book on culture
2.Which of the following descriptions about Santa Clause is NOT right according to the passage?
A. In the UK, Santa Claus is Father Christmas.
B. Santa Claus usually delivers presents to children through chimneys.
C. Santa Claus became known to the British about 170 years ago.
D. Santa Claus was devoted to helping mankind.
3.We can infer from the passage that ______.
A. England is the birthplace of pine trees
B. Santa Claus was very popular among children
C. it was the Germans who brought the Christmas tree to the United states
D. Santa Claus is someone only existing in people’s imagination
Walking is so simple and convenient that it couldn’t possibly count as exercise, right? Wrong．Study after study shows that regular walking can help you lose weight and reduce your risk of heart disease．
The study published in Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice shows that the blood pressure of the overweight men being tested improved and the amount of body fat greatly decreased．
That’s good news, because walking has now become the most popular fitness activity in the United States．Convenient, simple, and gentle on the joints, walking is perhaps the easiest form of exercise to maintain．According to a survey, four out of five women who start a walking program continue to walk, while half of women who attempt other types of aerobic exercise(有氧运动), such as swimming, drop out during the first few months．
Here are some basics for walking exercise．
Walk at a pace that makes you breathe heavily, but still able to talk．
Your goal, first and foremost, is to walk five days a week, 30 minutes a walk．Do that, and you are getting the base-level amount of exercise that research says should maintain your health and vigor(精力)．
Walk for as long as you are comfortable the first week, even if it is just to your mailbox and back．Each following week, increase that amount by no more than 10 percent．
Start every walk with five minutes of easy-paced walking, about the same pace at which you do shopping, to get your body warmed up．Then, cool down at the end of each walk with another five minutes of easy-paced walking．This allows your heart rate to gradually speed up and slow down．
1.The survey mentioned in Paragraph 3 shows that ________．
A. 80％ of the women surveyed are walking as a means of exercise
B. 50％ of the women surveyed want to swim as a means of exercise
C. walking is more easily maintained than other types of aerobic exercise
D. the effect of walking is as good as that of other types of aerobic exercise
2.Which of the following statements is TRUE about walking for exercise?
A. Walking five days a week, 30 minutes altogether, is the goal．
B. Increase at least 10％ of the amount of each previous week．
C. Each walk should start with the pace of doing shopping．
D. Walking as much as you can in the first week is suggested．
3.What is the purpose of the easy-paced walking in every walk?
A. To help reduce your blood pressure．
B. To help reduce your risk of heart disease．
C. To help your body lose fat．
D. To help your heart rate change gradually．
4.What would be the best title for the passage?
A. How to Keep Healthy?
B. Walking for Exercise
C. Different Ways of Exercise
D. Is Walking a Type of Exercise?
We considered a list of the best American books-but we’d need a whole issue to do them justice. Here are five that help define the national character. Most from a century or so ago, they still entertain, teach, and inspire us.
Moby-Dick by Herman Melville
First published in 1851, the adventure stories of Captain Ahab and his monomaniacal(偏执的) pursuit of the white whale draw us into a universe full of fascinating characters and stories.
The Education of Henry Adams by Henry Adams
Awarded the Pulitzer Prize in autobiography(自传) in1918, descended from one of America’s most famous political dynasties, Adams provides insight into his family, including his experience as a private secretary to his father, minister to England during the American Civil war.
Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman
When Whitman published Leaves of Grass in 1855, he wanted to define the American experience-singing of the new country in a new voice, reflecting the great changes in the American literary world that had taken place during his lifetime.
Poems by Emily Dickinson
An enthusiastic poet whose works have had considerable influence on modern poetry, Dickinson’s frequent use of dashes, occasional capitalization(大写) of nouns, and unconventional metaphors(隐喻) have contributed to her reputation as one of the most inventive(创新的) poets of the 19th century American literature.
The Song of Hiawatha by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
First published in 1855, this is Longfellow’s most popular and most recognized poem, the heroic life and death of a magic American Indian, sent by the Great Spirit to guide the nations in the ways of peace.
1.Walt Whitman wrote Leaves of Grass in order to ______.
A. praise America and show the great changes in the American literary world
B. reflect the great changes in America that had taken place during his lifetime
C. give Americans encouragement in a new voice
D. show his talent and heroic life to us
2.The underlined word “considerable” probably means “______”
A. satisfying B. exciting
C. inspiring D. great
3.If you want to read a story about a magic American Indian, you can read ______.
A. Moby-Dick B. Leaves of Grass
C. Poems D. The Song of Hiawatha
4.What’ s the purpose of the wirer writing this passage?
A. To make an advertisement for a bookstore.
B. To introduce several best American books to readers.
C. To tell stories of several famous writers.
D. To talk about some knowledge about literature.
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.Who can join the Road Safety Team?
A. Students in Senior 1 and 2.
B. Students in Senior 2 and 3.
C. Students in Junior 1 and 2.
2.What can students get from Miss Mailer?
A. A book. B. A letter. C. A picture.
3.What activity is the team also organizing?
A. A short quiz.
B. A writing competition.
C. A poster design competition.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.What probably is the man?
A. A doctor.
B. A lawyer.
C. An architect.
2.How will the man get to the bus station tomorrow morning?
A. He will walk there.
B. He will go there in his car.
C. His wife will take him there.
3.When will the man take the return bus tomorrow?
A. At 6: 30 p.m.
B. At 8: 00 p.m.
C. At 9: 30 p.m.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.What does the woman say about the sports centre?
A. It was small.
B. It was noisy.
C. It was expensive.
2.Why didn’t the woman stay in the café?
A. It was not clean.
B. The service was bad.
C. She had an appointment.
3.What does the man suggest doing right now?
A. Playing tennis.
B. Going to a club.
C. Swimming in the river.
