It’s the Year of the Rat!
Millions of people crowded onto trains and buses across China on Wednesday. They were hurrying home to be with their families for the country’s most important holiday, the Lunar New Year, or the Spring Festival. Thursday marked the end of the Year of the Pig, and the beginning of the Year of the Rat. But for a while, it looked as if severe winter weather in some regions of China would put a deep freeze on the celebrations. Due to dangerous conditions, airlines, railways and highways across the country were forced to shut down for the past few weeks. Many travelers were worried that they would not make it home for the holidays. Luckily, the crisis started winding down just in time for some roads and railways to reopen on Lunar New Year’s Eve.
More than one billion people worldwide celebrate the Lunar New Year. In China, people from Beijing to Guangzhou enjoy a holiday. Businesses and government offices are closed. Many people go to temples to pray for good fortune for the future. The Lunar New Year is celebrated at the second new moon after the winter solstice（冬至）.
On Lunar New Year’s Eve, the Chinese celebrate with fireworks, family gatherings, and festivals. One of t
he most popular ways to celebrate the holiday is with the lion dance. The lion is considered a holy animal. During celebrations, dancers dressed as lions（or holding up elaborate paper lions in the air）perform to bring good luck to the people they visit at their homes or businesses. People often wear red, which symbolizes fire. Legend has it that fire can drive away bad luck. The 15-day New Year season is celebrated with firecrackers, dragon dances and visits to friends and families. The celebrations end with the Lantern Festival, when brightly colored lamps are hung in parks around China.
49. When the Spring Festival comes, trains and buses are usually crowed because________.
A. millions of people hurried to go abroad for travelling
B. millions of people are hurrying home to get together with their folks
C. at this time the transportation cost is at the lowest point
D. million of people hurried to send firecrackers to their home
50. Why were many travellers worried whether they would go home for the Year of the Rat?
A. Because a deep freeze hit some regions of China.
B. Because many transportation companies have a holiday
C. Because some roads and railways won’t reopen in a long time.
D. Because businesses and government offices are closed.
51. Where do people usually go to beg for their good luck?
A. Government offices B. Business offices
C. Temples D. Beijing
52. In order to bring good luck to the people they visit, dancers dress themselves________.
A. as lions to have a dance B. as tigers to have a dance
C. as rats to have a dance D. as cats to have a dance
There are many kinds of sales. For example, a “back-to-school sale” is held near the beginning of the school year. Parents like the lower prices of the clothes and school supplies for their children.
A “midnight madness” event starts very late at night. An “early bird special” sale starts very early in the morning. This kind of sale is popular the day after Thanksgiving in November.
A favorite sale among many people is the “buy one, get one free” sale. You buy one thing and get a second one without cost. When people see the word “free” in an advertisement they know they are getting a good deal. As a matter of fact, it is not the case.
Another kind of sale is a “going out of business” sale. This is when a storeowner tries to sell all the goods in the store before closing the business permanently(永久地).
Let us say the store sells floor coverings. The owner lowers the prices and puts up a sign that says: “Going out of business sale. All items MUST be sold by tomorrow.”
People who buy the floor coverings think they are getting a special deal because everything must be sold in a short period of time. Then, days later they see the store did not close permanently. And they see the same sign that claims the store is going out of business. Some business owners really do not end the business. They just want to earn more money.
People also hold their own sales. They hold garage sales and yard sales outside their home. They sell things they no longer want. Groups such as religious centers or schools hold bake sales. They sell cakes, cookies and other baked goods to raise money.
In America, you can always find a good sale, no matter the day or time of year. There is the Independence Day sale, Veteran’s Day sale, clearance sale, sidewalk sale, red tag sale, white sale, blue light special, liquidation sale, half-off sale, warehouse sale, tent sale ...What does the passage mainly deal with?
| A．How to save money in shopping. |
| B．Different kinds of sales. |
| C．Shoppers’ ways to earn money. |
| D．Reasons for the popularity of sales. |
What do we call the sale if it starts before the sun rises?
| A．A “back-to-school sale”. |
| B．A “midnight madness” event. |
| C．An “early bird special” sale. |
| D．A “buy one, get one free” sale. |
Why do parents like a “back-to-school sale”?
| A．Because it has a variety of school supplies. |
| B．Because it is held at the beginning of the school year. |
| C．Because it provides plenty school uniforms. |
| D．Because they can save money. |
What’s the purpose of some owners who do “going out of business” sale repeatedly?
| A．They want to close the business permanently. |
| B．They want to give special offers to customers. |
| C．They want to sell all their goods in a short period of time. |
| D．They want to cheat the customers into buying their goods. |
Teen Climbing Camp 2014
This 5-day climbing camp is suitable for teenagers between the ages of 13 and 18 who have an interest in rock climbing. The climbing days are designed for beginners and those who have some basic experience in a gym or outdoors. Participants will find themselves challenged physically and mentally.
Rock Dimensions camps are designed to be a positive and memorable experience by providing healthy communication between participants, individual goal setting, and challenges that lead to personal growth.
Dates
Monday, June 29-Friday, July 3
Monday, July 27-Friday, July 31
Locations
Climbing Tower at Footsloggers
Linville Gorge and Table Rock area
Local climbing areas near Boone
Responsibilities
Participants will meet Rock Dimensions guides at our location each morning and at the end of each day. Rock Dimensions will provide all climbing items, including a safety rope, a helmet and climbing shoes for each participant. Participants are responsible for bringing their own lunch, water, small backpack, appropriate clothing, and personal items like sun cream, etc.
Pre-camp planning
Participants will receive the following information in their registration(注册) packet Medical Form, Responsibility Agreement, Clothing/Equipment List, and Directions.
Cost
$575/person for the 5-day camp
$325/person for the first 3 days
Anyone interested in participating in just the last two days of the camp should call to discuss cing and necessary skills/experience.According to the text, Rock Dimensions camps will _______.
| A．probably impress participants deeply |
| B．provide a few competitions |
| C．help the participants set their life goals |
| D．check the records of personal growth |
What of the following do participants need to bring with them?
| A．A safety rope. | B．A helmet. |
| C．Climbing shoes. | D．Appropriate clothing. |
If Paul wants to participate in the climbing camp from July 27 to July 29 and his brother from July 27 to July 31, it will cost them _______.
| A．575 dollars | B．650 dollars |
| C．900 dollars | D．1,150 dollars |
What can we infer from the text?
| A．Some experience is required of the participants. |
| B．It’ll be hard for teens to experience the climbing. |
| C．Parents are required to stay with their children. |
| D．Guides will talk about the prices |
Every day we are adding more and more vacation ideas, destinations, tours, and articles. As you explore our website，you will find there is an ever-growing collection of things that will help make your vacation easier and more affordable．
We change our featured destinations very frequently so be sure to keep coming back to see what new ideas we have for your family vacation．We feature a different state，park, and city destination on the front page of the website．These change frequently, so be sure to sign up for our newsletter so you can be sure to keep up with all the new information．
Another great feature we are offering is Guest Articles．These may come from a travel professional，author, parent or child about their travel ideas or offers．These informative articles are great to read and are perfect for discovering valuable tips and tricks for the travel less stressful．Plus，in many articles you will discover some hidden gems(珍品)that you probably miss if you did not know about them．
One of the best things about our website is our ability to get you discounted Tours and Attraction Passes to the places you want to go most．This is a fantastic way to plan ahead and have your tours and passes paid for and pick them up before you leave your home．Now that is a helpful way to go．These programs can save you over 50％of what you could expect to pay when you arrive．And，we are adding new tours and programs every week．Be sure to check it out．
You can be sure we are working hard for you so that you can relax on your vacation. Let us do all the leg work for you so you can simply enjoy your family vacation!Which of the following shows the organization of the text?(P=Paragraph)
What does the writer want to do by writing this text?
| A．To give people tips on family vacations． |
| B．To offer travelers featured destinations． |
| C．To attract readers to surf a tourist website． |
| D．To introduce hidden gems for traveling． |
What can we learn from Guest Articles?
| A．steps to sign up for the family vacation website． |
| B．Tips on keeping up with new travel information． |
| C．Tips and tricks for a comfortable trip. |
| D．Tricks for enjoying a free family vacation |
Which isn’t the benefit that the website brings to us?
| A．We can get discounted Tours and Attraction Passes |
| B．We can get some information of new tours and programs |
| C．We can have our Passes in hand when starting off． |
| D．We can enjoy a family vacation with leg work． |
A man, who sometimes takes my bus, is in rags. His life seems different from that of the others. He looks exhausted and carries nothing. He appears along a downtown street, seemingly out of nowhere. We sometimes want to know where he sleeps at night.
A few weeks ago he boarded the bus. A few stops later, a young woman boarded. She swiped (刷) her bus-card, only to find the machine would not accept it. The driver told her to pay the $2.25 fare. “I just bought this card,” she said. “I paid the money...”
The driver said she could take the card back to the sales office and explain the problem. In the meantime she would have to pay the fare for that day. The woman became confused and distressed. The rest of us just watched, wondering how the problem would be solved. Suddenly the man rose from his seat, dropped a few coins into the fare box.
“You’re lucky,” the bus driver said quietly. “He paid for you.” Silence fell over the bus. The rest of us had watched the woman’s discomfort, but he felt it. We lawyers, journalists and business people headed downtown to help fix the world. He fixed her world.
I haven’t seen him since that day. Some people believe angels occasionally drop down and move among us. All I know is that I have a new respect for the simple act of kindness. It speeds us along on our way.According to the first paragraph, the author _______.
| A．thinks highly of the man |
| B．considers the man strange |
| C．knows the man very well |
| D．often gives the man some help |
What does the underlined word “distressed” probably mean?
| A．exited | B．generous |
| C．bored | D．anxious |
What did the writer learn from the man?
| A．to show concern for other people. |
| B．to lead a happy life like the man. |
| C．to share what he has with us. |
| D．to believe that people are born kind. |
A strong imagination does children a lot of good. The following are 5 benefits of encouraging children’s imagination.As children play different roles, they explore relationships between family members, friends and co-workers and learn more about them. For example, playing a doctor, they imagine how doctors care for their patients; playing house, they learn more about how parents feel about their children.
Build self-confidence. Young children have very little control over their lives. Imagining oneself as a builder of tall buildings or a superhero defending the planet is giving power to a child.
Help intellectual（智力的）growth. Children who can see a king’s castle in a mound（堆）of sand are learning to think in an abstract（抽象的）way. This skill is important in school.
Kids who play with their friends do a lot of talking. This helps increase their vocabulary, improve sentence structure and communication skills.
Work out fears. When children role-play about the big, bad monster under the bed, they gain a sense of control over him and he doesn’t seem so big or so bad.
| A．Develop social skills. |
| B．Practice language skills. |
| C．Be willing to share. |
| D．It helps them develop confidence in their abilities. |
E. Imagination can help children help each other.
F. Using the imagination is the beginning of abstract thought.
G. Playing roles can help children work out their fears and worries.