The most important holiday in spring, especially for Christians（基督徒）, is Easter. This Christian holiday is not on the same date every year, but it’s always on a Sunday. It can be any Sunday between March 22 and April 25. Many people celebrate Easter by buying new clothes. Children celebrate by hunting for colored eggs that their parents have hidden around the house. People also give Easter baskets filled with candy and other goodies to one another to celebrate the day.
But the holiday is more than new clothes and good things to eat. On Easter, many people go to church to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection（复活）from the dead.
Most people color them. Some people hide them. Others just eat them. But no matter what one does with Easter eggs, they are an important Easter tradition throughout the Western world.
People from many different cultures celebrate Easter. In both America and Belgium, children look for Easter eggs hidden on lawns and in bushes. In America， children believe the eggs are hidden by the Easter bunny（复活节兔子）. But in Belgium, the hidden eggs are supposed to have fallen from church bells. In Bulgaria, red Easter eggs are lucky in churches; Bulgarian families also hit these Easter eggs together to see whose is the strongest. The winner looks forward to good fortune that year. Still dozens of other Easter traditions exist. In parts of Austria, for example, children sing from door to door and are rewarded with colorful eggs.
60. Easter comes _______.
A. on the same date every year
B. on Sunday on March 22
C. on Sunday on April 25
D. on a Sunday between March 22 and April 25
61. To celebrate Easter, people ___________.
A. go shopping, hide colored eggs and children hunt for them
B. give Easter baskets filled candy and goodies to one another
C. buy new clothes, hide colored eggs and children look for them around the house
D. both B and C
62. For Christians the more important thing to do on Easter is________.
A. buying new clothes
B. going to church to celebrate Jesus‘ resurrection
C. eating delicious food and paint color eggs
D. exchange beautiful gifts each other
63. People from different cultures have different ideas about Easter egg， _________.
A. In both American and Belgium, children hunt for Easter eggs hidden in rooms and in bushes
B. In American, children believe the eggs are hidden by the Easter bunny
C. In Belgium, the hidden eggs are thought to have fallen from doorbells
D. In America, the hidden eggs are supposed to have fallen from doorbells
My students often tell me that they don’t have “enough time” to do all their schoolwork.
My reply is often a brief “You have as much time as the president.” I usually carry on a bit about there being twenty-four hours in the day for everyone, and suggest that “not enough time” is not an acceptable explanation of not getting something done.
Once in graduate school, I tried to prove to one of my professors by saying that I was working hard. His answer to me was, “That’s irrelevant (无关的). What’s important is the quality of your work.” Since then I have had time to think carefully about the “hard worker” dodge (诀窍), and I have come to some conclusions — all relevant to the problem of how much time we have.
If you analyze the matter, you can identify two parts of the problem: There is, of course, the matter of “time”, which we can think of as fixed. Then there is the problem of “work” during that time. But, as my professor suggested, it’s not how hard one works but the quality of the product that’s important.
That led me to a new idea: the quality of the work. That concept is perhaps best explained by a sign I once saw on the wall in someone’s office: “Don’t work harder. Work smarter.” There is a lot of sense in that idea.
If you can’t get more time, and few of us can, the only solution is to improve the quality of the work. That means thinking of ways to get more out of the same time than we might otherwise get. That should lead us to an analysis of our work habits. Since “work” for students usually means “homework”, the expression “work habits” should be read as “study habits”.
Then, as a smart student, you will seek to improve those skills that you use in study, chiefly reading and writing. If you learn to read better and write better, there are big benefits that pay off in all your studies.From the passage, we know that the author is probably ______ .
| A．a poet | B．an educator | C．a novelist | D．an engineer |
We can infer from the 2nd paragraph that we students still _____ .
| A．have enough time | B．can meet the president |
| C．get everything done well | D．should accept the explanation |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The author’s students make good use of their time to do all their homework. |
| B．The author tried to tell the professor that he/she (author) had done a good job. |
| C．You can’t improve the quality of the work if you can’t get more time. |
| D．You’ll try to improve your skills in reading and writing if you’re a clever student |
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Choose from 80 unique ideas to create an extraordinary living space. The projects are practical, as well as attractive, and will improve your home and yard and can be made in a weekend. These 80 well-designed projects are presented in a clear, easy-to-follow style that addresses readers in an accessible, user-friendly tone.
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Plenty of health complaints can be handled at home. Each and every remedy will be tested by a doctor to make sure it is safe and sound.
Dozens of conditions are covered, from headaches, sunburn, bad breath, and blisters to allergies, and hiccups.You can most probably read the passage in a ___________.
| A．newspaper | B．travel guide | C．textbook | D．telephone book |
How much money could you save if you want to buy a travel book?
| A．$6.46. | B．$10. 20. | C．$13.96. | D．$19.8. |
Which of the following could help you to deal with common diseases without a doctor?
| A．Off the Beaten Path. | B．Container Gardens by Number. |
| C．1801 Home Remedies. | D．Best Weekend Projects. |
What’s the purpose of the passage?
A. To share his opinion about the books with readers.
B. To advise readers to read more in spare time.
C. To share the pleasure of reading with readers.
D To advise readers to buy their books.
There are many American expressions about insects--- like bees, for example. Bees are known as very hard workers. They appear to be busy, moving around their homes, or hives (蜂窝). So you might say you were as busy as a bee if you spent your weekend cleaning your house. In fact, you might say your house was a beehive of activity if your whole family was helping you clean. You also might say you made a beeline for something if you went there right away. When we go to see a movie, my friend always makes a beeline for the place where they sell popcorn (爆米花) .
Here is an expression about bees that is not used much any more, but we like it anyway. We think it was first used in the 1920s. If something was the best of its kind, you might say it was the bee’s knees. Now, we admit that we do not know how this expression developed. In fact, we do not even know if bees have knees!
If your friend cannot stop talking about something because she thinks it is important, you might say she has a bee in her bonnet (女帽). If someone asks you a personal question, you might say “that is none of your beeswax”. This means none of your business.
Speaking of personal questions, there is an expression when their children ask, “Where do babies come from?” Parents who discuss sex and reproduction (生殖) say this is talking about the birds and bees.
Butterflies are beautiful insects, but you would not want to have butterflies in your stomach. That means to be nervous about having to do something, like speaking in front of a crowd. You would also not want to have ants in your trousers. That is, to be unable to sit still.If you make a beeline for something, you ______ .
| A．are as busy as a bee | B．go quickly and directly towards it |
| C．always go to the same place | D．buy something at a certain place |
The underlined expression “ it is the bee’s knees” _______ .
| A．is not used at all now | B．was first used in the 1820s |
| C．reminds us that bees have knees | D．means “it is very good” |
If you ask your American friend Jack “How old is your wife?” he may say “______.”
| A．It is none of your beeswax | B．You have a bee in your bonnet |
| C．It is the bee’s knees | D．You are talking about the birds and bees |
When you have butterflies in your stomach, you ______ .
| A．are too sick to sit still | B．have ants in your trousers |
| C．are nervous about something | D．have a stomachache |
The passage mainly tells us _______.
| A．some interesting and useful insects | B．some expressions about insects |
| C．the way of learning expressions | D．some newly-invented expressions |
Our little boy came up to his mother in the kitchen one evening while she was preparing supper, and handed her a piece of paper that he had been writing on. After his mom dried her hands on her apron (围裙) , she read it, and this is what was said:
For going to the store for you $2.
For cutting the grass in the garden $3.
For cleaning up the yard this week $2.5.
For cleaning up my room this week $2.
For setting the table for meals this week $1.
For baby-sitting my kid brother while you went shopping $1.5.
For getting a good school report $5.
Total owed: $17.
His mother looked at him, who was standing there with expectation. Memories flashed through her mind. Then she picked up a pen, turned over the paper he had written on, and wrote:
For the nine months I carried you while you were growing inside me, No Charge(收费) .
For all the nights that I’ve sat up with you and taken care of you, No Charge.
For all the problems and troubles that you’ve caused through the years, there is No Charge.
When you add it all up, the cost of my love is No Charge.
For all the nights that were filled with fear and for the worries I knew were ahead, No Charge. For the toys, food, clothes, and even wiping up your nose? There is No Charge. And when you add it all up, the full cost of real love is, No Charge, Son.
Well, friends, when our son finished reading what his mother had written, there were big tears in his eyes, and he looked straight up at his mother and said, “Mom, I sure do love you..” And then he took the pen and in great letters he wrote, “ PAID IN FULL.” What might the mother be doing when the boy came into the kitchen?
| A．Getting the dishes ready. | B．Repairing the cooker. |
| C．Washing dirty dishes. | D．Laying the table for dinner. |
According to the boy’s bill, his mom owed him ______ for his helping with the house work.
| A．$7.50 | B．$10.50 | C．$12.00 | D．$17.00 |
This story tries to tell us that ________.
| A．real love is priceless | B．housework is endless |
| C．the mother is wise | D．the boy is selfish |
Most schools forbid chewing gum, but in a few years they might consider changing that rule. Why? Scientists are finding evidence that gum chewing may be good for your health. It may even help improve your test scores.
This exciting research is just beginning. And in the meantime, companies are also experimenting with adding vitamins, minerals, medicines, and other substances that could give gum the power to cure headaches and fight everything from serious diseases to bad breath.
Other researchers are finding that gum might work better than a pill to deliver medicines and other substances into the bloodstream. That’s because the lining (膜) of our cheeks can absorb certain substances more quickly than our stomachs and intestines (肠) can.
That discovery could help other researchers develop medicine-containing gums that fight colds, ease headaches, battle nervousness, and more. Scientists might even create antimicrobial (抗菌的) gums that cure bad breath.
Those projects may take years, but gum scientists have already had at least one recent success: They’ve created a gum that could help us stay awake.
Researchers have produced a gum called Stay Alert. Each stick has as much caffeine as a cup of coffee. It can take an hour for the caffeine in coffee to have its full effect, but the caffeine in Stay Alert hits in just a few minutes.
The gum is easy to transport and it’s stable in cold and hot climates. Unlike a pill, it doesn’t require water to swallow. Those qualities make it easy for soldiers to use.
For now, Stay Alert is available only to the military (军队). The manufacturer may one day offer it for sale to the public. People who work at night, such as truck drivers and medical personnel who ride in ambulances, might benefit from a product like Stay Alert. The passage mainly talks about _____.
| A．the rule of forbidding chewing gum in school |
| B．new research on chewing gum |
| C．different kinds of chewing gum |
| D．the relationship between chewing gum and medicine |
What does the underlined word “hits” in Paragraph 6 probably mean?
| A．Touches. | B．Attacks. | C．Takes effect. | D．Affects badly. |
According to the passage, Stay Alert is a gum which can help people _____.
| A．stay awake | B．fight colds |
| C．cure headaches | D．overcome nervousness |
It can be inferred from the passage that _____.
| A．stay Alert is not easy to store |
| B．stay Alert needs water to swallow |
| C．stay Alert is available to the public now |
| D．we can’t buy gums that cure bad breath now |