It’s just a small, white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no address. It has peeked through the branches of our tree for the past 10 years.
It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas. He didn’t hate the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it; overspending, running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and powder for Grandma…
Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to bypass the usual shirts, sweaters, ties and so forth. I reached for something special for Mike. The inspiration came in an unusual way.
Our son Kevin, at 12 that year, was wrestling at the junior level at the school he attended and before Christmas, there was a non-league match against a team sponsored by an inner-city church, mostly black.
As the match began, I was alarmed to see that the other team was wrestling without headgear to protect a wrestler’s ears. They obviously could not afford.
Mike shook his head sadly, “I wish just one of them could have won,” he said. “They have a lot of potential, but losing like this could take the heart right out of them.”
Mike loved kids—all kids—and he knew them, having coached little league football, baseball and lacrosse. That’s when the idea for his present came.
That afternoon, I went to a local sporting goods store and bought an assortment of wrestling headgear and shoes and sent them anonymously to the inner-city church.
On Christmas Eve, I placed the envelope on the tree, the note inside telling Mike what I had done and that this was his gift from me. His smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year. For each Christmas, I followed the tradition.
The envelope became the highlight of our Christmas. It was always the last thing opened on Christmas morning and our children, ignoring their new toys, would stand with wide-eyed anticipation as their dad lifted the envelope from the tree to reveal its contents.
The tradition has grown and someday will expand even further with our grandchildren standing around the tree with wide-eyed anticipation watching as their fathers take down the envelope. Mike’s spirit, like the Christmas spirit, will always be with us. Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
| A．Precious Present | B．Christmas Gift |
| C．The Small White Envelope | D．The Good Old Tradition |
Why did Mike hate Christmas according to the passage?
| A．He didn’t like the true meaning of Christmas |
| B．He didn’t like people spending too much money on presents |
| C．He hated buying presents for Uncle Harry and Grandma |
| D．He didn’t want to receive gifts like shirts, sweaters or ties. |
Which is the closest meaning to the underlined phrase “take the heart right out of them”?
| A．make them excited |
| B．make them inspired |
| C．make them lose confidence |
| D．make them kill themselves |
Why was his smile the brightest thing about Christmas that year? ( paragraph 9)
| A．He received some sporting goods |
| B．He found a potential wrestling team |
| C．His son won the wrestling match |
| D．His wife sent presents to those poor kids |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．The tradition of sending presents will pass from generation to generation. |
| B．The children were eager to get their new toys ignoring the envelope. |
| C．With the presents, the poor kids will surely win the match one day. |
| D．Mike’s spirit, like the Christmas spirit, will always be with us. |
Step into Wonderland and follow any of the many tracks around Kinabalu Park. Even though it is the most explored and studied place in Borneo, new discoveries of rare plants are frequently being made here.
So take a map and set off on your own or follow Park Naturalists as they take you on guided path walks and point out the various wonders. There are also visual shows advertising rare plants and animals here. If you are a first time visitor, sign up for these shows and you’ll be excited when you find yourself identifying the same plants and animals on your walks or during your climb up Mt. Kinabalu.
Mt. Kinabalu Botanical Garden is one of the biggest attractions at the Park Started in 1981. This 5-acre Garden is an excellent collection of different kinds of plant—life on the mountain, as plants from all over the Park has been replanted here. There are hotels, inns and chalets at Kinabalu Park to suit one’s budget. For more information, click www.sabahtourism.com.
| TLMETABLE GUIDEUNE |
|
| PLACE / INTEREST |
TIME (HRS) |
| 1 KINABALU PARK HQ： . Botanical Garden . Guided Walk . Slide Show |
9:00 — 15:00 11:00 14:00 (and 19:30 on weekends) |
| 2. PORING . Butterfly Farm . Tropical Garden . Night Walk |
9:00 — 16:00 13:30 By Prior (提前）Arrangement Only |
| 3. MESILAU Guided Nature Walk . Monday to Friday . Saturday and Sunday |
9:30, 11:00, 14:00 7:30, 10:30, 14:00 |
| 4. KUNDASANG WAR MEMORIAL . Daily (Monday to Sunday) . Memorial Services and Special Programmes |
10:00-17:00 By Prior Arrangement |
| Note： Adult: $ 20. Kid under twelve: 50% off Family including two adults and a kid under twelve: $40. |
It can be learnt that _______.
| A．Mt Kinabalu is a more explored and studied area than Borneo |
| B．there’re still some unknown rare plants in Kinabalu Park |
| C．Mt Kinabalu Botanical Garden attracts visitors due to its long history |
| D．visitors should follow the Park Naturalists so as not to get lost |
The underlined word “chalets” (in Paragraph 3) most probably refers to “_______”.
| A．plants | B．garages | C．cottages | D．tracks |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Botanical Garden and Butterfly Farm open at the same time. |
| B．Guided Nature Walk is a favorite of first time visitors. |
| C．Slide Show is unavailable unless it is arranged in advance. |
| D．Visitors can have access to Night Walk anytime they wish. |
If a couple visit the Park with their son aged 19, how much will they pay?
| A．$30. | B．$40. | C．$50. | D．$60. |
F. Scott Fitzgerald, born on September 24, 1896, an American novelist, was once a student of St. Paul Academy, the Newman School and attended Princeton University for a short while. In 1917 he joined the army and was posted in Alabama, where he met his future wife Zelda Sayre. Then he had to make some money to impress her.
His life with her was full of great happiness, as he wrote in his diary: “My own happiness in the past often approached such joy that I could share it even with the person dearest to me but had to walk it away in quiet streets and take down parts of it in my diary.”
This side of paradise, his first novel, was published in 1920. Encouraged by its success, Fitzgerald began to devote more time to his writing. Then he continued with the novel the Beautiful and Damned (1922), a collection of short stories Thales of the Jazz Age (1922), and a play The Vegetable (1923). But his greatest success was The Great Gatsby, published in 1925, which quickly brought him praise from the literary world. Yet it failed to give him the needed financial security. Then, in 1926, he published another collection of short stories All the Sad Young Men.
However, Fitzgerald’s problems with his wife Zelda affected his writing. During the 1920s he tried to reorder his life, but failed. By 1930, his wife had her first breakdown and went to a Swiss clinic. During this period he completed novels Tender Is the Night in 1934 and The love of the last Tycoon in 1940. While his wife was in hospital in the United States, he got totally addicted to alcohol. Sheila Graham, his dear friend, helped him fight his alcoholism.How many novels written by Fitzgerald are mentioned in the passage?
| A．5 | B．6 | C．7 | D．8 |
Which of the following is the correct order to describe Fitzgerald’s life according to the passage?
a. He became addicted to drinking.
b. He studied at St. Paul Academy.
c. He published his first novel This Side of Paradise.
d. The Great Gatsby won high praise.
e. He failed to reorder his life.
f. He joined the army and met Zelda.
| A．f-c-e-a-b-d | B．b-e-a-f-c-d | C．f-d-e-c-b-a | D．b-f-c-d-e-a |
We can infer from the passage that Fitzgerald .
| A．had made some money when he met Zelda in Alabama. |
| B．was well educated and well off before he served in the army |
| C．would have completed more works if his wife hadn’t broken down |
| D．helped his friend get rid of drinking while his wife was in hospital |
The passage is probably followed by a concluding paragraph about _______.
| A．Zelda’s personal life |
| B．Zelda’s illness and treatment |
| C．Fitzgerald’s friendship with Graham |
| D．Fitzgerald’s contributions to the literary world |
Opening week specials at Munchies Food Hall
At the corner of Green and Brown Streets in the city
Monday, 7th of January until Sunday, 13th of January 2008
Feast until you’re full! Come down to Munchies this week to enjoy the special dishes on offer at all of our food outlets．Order from the following:
●Succulent chicken rice ●Spicy salty beef
●Delicious noodle dishes ●Plump pork chops
●Seafood specialties ●Crunchy vegetables
●Sweet tropical fruit
Halal food is available at the stall Malay Food Heaven.
Win Prizes and Gifts!
Spend $20.00 or more and win instant prizes from our lucky draw box．
Collect a free party balloon and whistle for each young diner．
Enjoy a free meal if you are the first customer of the day at any of our stalls．
Win a holiday to Western Australia．A free raffle ticket is given to everyone here．Just fill in your information and place your entry in the box provided．
Winner to be announced in The Straits Times on the 15th of January．
Between 7:00 pm and 8:00 pm each evening until the 10th of January, your favorite Channel 3 television actors and singers will entertain you:
●May Lee ●Jackie Chen
●Kim Yap ●Kamal
Autograph sessions will follow each performance! And who will be our extra special mystery star? Come down on Saturday at noon to find out．Munchies Food Hall does NOT sell ____．
| A．lamb(羔羊) | B．beef | C．pork | D．chicken |
The prices at Munchies are．
| A．lower than usual | B．bargain prices for the opening |
| C．lower for two people | D．lower if you spend $21.00 |
Everyone who eats at Munchies will receive a．
| A．free raffle ticket | B．lucky draw coupon |
| C．free meal | D．balloon and whistle |
I will find out who has won the trip to Western Australia when I _ _．
| A．watch Channel 3 television |
| B．come down to Munchies at noon |
| C．read The Straits Times on the 15th of January |
| D．attend the lucky draw at Munchies Food Hall |
Swimming is one of those activities that can be learned early in life. Little children can learn to swim as soon as they walk. In fact, you need the same skills in walking as in swimming. However, I believe that five is the best age to learn. By five or six, a child knows fear of water, a very important thing to know. It's wise to be afraid to recognize true danger. Young ones understand that the water can sometimes be very dangerous.
To really benefit from swimming, every swimmer should learn as soon as possible, these four basic strokes; butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and crawl. I feel that one of these-the breaststroke-is different from the others, since some young swimmers use this stroke naturally, without any training.
In swimming there are certain rules every swimmer should follow:
1. Never swim alone! No matter how good you are in the water, don't risk drowning(溺死) by swimming alone. If you swim by yourself, with no life guards or friends with you, you may get into trouble.
2. Don’t go beyond your abilities. Most swimmers know enough not to swim too far from the bank or the beach. Showing off by doing dangerous tricks is not good.
Swim safely and you will continue to swim and alive.
3. Don’t smoke. Swimming depends on a healthy body; good lungs are part of it.
4. Work at any activity that builds muscles. Little children can learn to swim as soon as _____.
| A．they can talk | B．they start walking |
| C．they have no fear of the water | D．they are five or six years old |
The author believes that swimming beyond your abilities is_____.
| A．good | B．sensible | C．dangerous | D．smart |
According to the passage, you should not swim alone because_____.
| A．the water is too cold |
| B．your parents would not be happy |
| C．something in the water might attack |
| D．you might drown |
Americans with small families own a small car or a large one. If both parents are working, they usually have two cars. When the family is large, one of the cars is sold and they will buy a van(住房汽车)
A small car can hold(容纳)four persons and a large car can hold six persons but it is very crowded(拥挤). A van hold seven persons easily, so a family three children could ask their grandparents to go on a holiday travel. They could all travel together.
Mr.Hagen and his wife had a third child last year. This made them sell a second car and bus a van. Their children sixth and seventh seat are used to put other things, for a family of five must carry many suitcases(衣箱)when they travel. When they arrive at their grandparents' home, the suitcases are brought into the two seats can then carry the grandparents.
Americans call vans motor homes. A motor home is always used for holidays. When a family is traveling to the mountains or to the seaside, they can live in their motor home for a few days or to the seaside, they can live in their motor home for a few days or weeks. All the members of a big family can enjoy a happier life when they are traveling together. That is why motor homes have become very popular. In America there are many parks for motor homes. From the passage, a van is also called ____________.
| A．a motor car | B．a motor home | C．a motorbike | D．a big truck |
Before Mr. Hagen and his wife bought a van, they__________.
| A．sold their old house |
| B．moved to their grandparents' house |
| C．built a new place for a van |
| D．sold their second car |
Americans usually use motor homes____________.
| A．to travel with all the family members of holiday |
| B．to do some shopping with all the family members |
| C．to visit their grandparents at weekends |
| D．to drive their children to school every day |
Motor homes have become popular because___________.
| A．they can take people to another city when people are free |
| B．they can let families have a happier life when they go out for their holidays |
| C．some people think motor homes are cheap |
| D．big families can put more things in motor homes |