"It is a dreadful thing to be poor a fortnight before Christmas," said Clorinda, with the mournful sigh of seventeen years.
Aunt Emmy smiled. Aunt Emmy was sixty, and spent the hours she didn't spend in a bed, on a sofa or in a wheel chair; but Aunt Emmy was never heard to sigh.
"The gifts which money can purchase are not the only ones we can give," said Aunt Emmy gently, "nor the best, either."
"Oh, I know it's nicer to give something of your own work," agreed Clorinda, "but materials for fancy work cost too. That kind of gift is just as much out of the question for me as any other."
"That was not what I meant," said Aunt Emmy.
"What did you mean, then?" asked Clorinda, looking puzzled.
Aunt Emmy smiled.
"Suppose you think out my meaning for yourself," she said. "That would be better than if I explained it. Besides, I don't think I could explain it. Take the beautiful line of a beautiful poem to help you in your thinking out: 'The gift without the giver is bare.'"
"I'd put it the other way and say, 'The giver without the gift is bare,'" said Clorinda, with a grimace. "That is my predicament exactly. Well, I hope by next Christmas I'll not be quite bankrupt. I'm going into Mr. Callender's store down at Murraybridge in February. He has offered me the place, you know."
"Won't your aunt miss you terribly?" said Aunt Emmy gravely.
Clorinda flushed. There was a note in Aunt Emmy's voice that disturbed her.
"I think she would rather have your companionship than a part of your salary, Clorinda," said Aunt Emmy. "But of course you must decide for yourself, dear. " ““
"Well, I must say bye-bye and run home. " Clorinda lived just across the road from Aunt Emmy in a tiny white house behind some huge willows. But Aunt Mary lived there too--the only relative Clorinda had, for Aunt Emmy wasn't really her aunt at all. Clorinda had always lived with Aunt Mary ever since she could remember.
Clorinda puzzled over Aunt Emmy's meaning for four days and part of three nights. Then all at once it came to her. Or if it wasn't Aunt Emmy's meaning it was a very good meaning in itself, and it grew clearer and expanded in meaning during the days that followed, although at first Clorinda shrank a little from some of the conclusions to which it led her."
On Christmas Day, Clorinda went over to Aunt Emmy's. It was a faded brown Christmas after all, for the snow had not come. But Clorinda did not mind; there was such joy in her heart that she thought it the most delightful Christmas Day that ever dawned.
She put the queer cornery armful she carried down on the kitchen floor before she went into the sitting room. Aunt Emmy was lying on the sofa before the fire, and Clorinda sat down beside her.
"I've come to tell you all about it," she said.
Aunt Emmy patted the hand that was in her own.
"From your face, dear girl, it will be pleasant hearing and telling," she said.
Clorinda nodded.
"Aunt Emmy, I thought for days over your meaning ... thought until I was dizzy. And then one evening it just came to me, without any thinking at all, and I knew that I could give some gifts after all. I thought of something new every day for a week. At first I didn't think I could give some of them, and then I thought how selfish I was. I would have been willing to pay any amount of money for gifts if I had had it, but I wasn't willing to pay what I had. I got over that, though, Aunt Emmy. Now I'm going to tell you what I did give.
"First, there was old Aunt Kitty. You know she was my nurse when I was a baby, and she's very fond of me. But, well, you know, Aunt Emmy, I'm ashamed to confess it, but really I've never found Aunt Kitty very entertaining, to put it mildly. She is always glad when I go to see her, but I've never gone except when I couldn't help it. She is very deaf, and rather dull and stupid, you know. Well, I gave her a whole day. I took my knitting yesterday, and sat with her the whole time and just talked and talked. I told her all the Greenvale news and gossip and everything else I thought she'd like to hear. She was so pleased and proud; she told me when I came away that she hadn't had such a nice time for years. "
"Then there was ... Florence. You know, Aunt Emmy, we were always intimate friends until last year. Then Florence once told Rose Watson something I had told her in confidence. I found it out and I was so hurt. I couldn't forgive Florence, and I told her plainly I could never be a real friend to her again. Florence felt badly, because she really did love me, and she asked me to forgive her, but it seemed as if I couldn't. Well, Aunt Emmy, that was my Christmas gift to her ... my forgiveness. I went down last night and just put my arms around her and told her that I loved her as much as ever and wanted to be real close friends again.
"I gave Aunt Mary her gift this morning. I told her I wasn't going to Murraybridge, that I just meant to stay home with her. She was so glad--and I'm glad, too, now that I've decided so."
"Your gifts have been real gifts, Clorinda," said Aunt Emmy. "Something of you--the best of you--went into each of them."
Clorinda went out and brought her cornery armful in.
"I didn't forget you, Aunt Emmy," she said, as she unpinned the paper.
There was a rosebush--Clorinda's own pet rosebush--all snowed over with fragrant blossoms.
Aunt Emmy loved flowers. She put her finger under one of the roses and kissed it.
"It's as sweet as yourself, dear child," she said tenderly. "And it will be a joy to me all through the lonely winter days. You've found out the best meaning of Christmas giving, haven't you, dear?"
"Yes, thanks to you, Aunt Emmy," said Clorinda softly. Clorinda felt anxious before Christmas because_____________________.
| A．She had to leave Aunt Mary |
| B．She didn’t know what kind of Christmas gifts she should buy |
| C．She had not enough money to buy Christmas gifts |
| D．She had no time to make a proper decision |
Which of the following sentences can best explain the line “The gift without the giver is bare.”？
| A．A gift is valued by the mind of the giver. |
| B．Forgiveness is a gift for the giver and the receiver. |
| C．You cannot buy love or respect with expensive gifts. |
| D．Think twice before you give gifts to somebody |
What is the gift that Clorinda gave to old Aunt Kitty?
| A．Passion | B．Sympathy |
| C．Kindness | D．Company |
What does the underlined phrase “in confidence” mean?
| A．respectfully | B．confidently |
| C．secretly | D．willingly |
Which two words can best describe Aunt Emmy?
| A．cute and joyful | B．kind-hearted and emotional |
| C．optimistic and wise | D．gentle and timid |
Which of the following is the best title?
A. A Special Christmas B. Clorinda’s Gifts
C. Aunt Emmy C. Clorinda’s choice
A
Two workers was rescued 188 hours after they trapped in a coal mine collapse(倒塌)in the south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region The two were among 18 miners trapped after the mine, collapsed midday on July 2 because of days of heavy rain.
A total of 71 miners were working underground when the accident occurred on July 2---49 managed to escape. Rescuers have got eight bodies so far.
Ye Fangyong, commander of the rescue headquarters, said that the place where the survi- vors were found was at 320 meters underground. It was filled with mud after the collapse, but there was still room for fresh air. He said three more miners trapped at a work platform390 meters underground may survive because the place also have some space for fresh air.
Rescuers had believed that four other miners would be found with the rescued two, but the chances of the remaining 12 being found alive are not good due to the conditions in the mine.
However, the rescuers have not given up. They are using scientific measures such as a water-proof radar device(裟置)to help find the exact locations of trapped workers. Moreover, rescuers have been offered 2 million yuan for each miner they pull out alive.
The two survivors have been identified a) 41-year-old Liu Jiagan and 35-year-old Qin Hongdang. They are in safe condition.
Before they were rushed to Heshan People's Hospital for treatment, they told rescuers in weak voices that they survived under the mine by drinking spring water that seeped(渗漏) through the top of the shaft(矿井).The local mine coal accident was probably reported on.
| A．July8 | B．Julylo | C．July2 | D．July3 |
What caused the coal mine break down?
| A．Workers abnormal xvc}rking |
| B．Typhoonn. |
| C．Days of heavy rajp |
| D．Shock of the ca:thquake |
According to the passage,th. e rrmPrs could be alive unaerground if .
| A．there is some space for fresh air |
| B．they are equippeci with water-proof raciar device |
| C．they drink enough water |
| D．there is enough food |
Which of the following is TRUE accoraing to the passage?
| A．Scientific measures are used to help rescue the trapped workers. |
| B．Each miners being pulled out alive will be offered 2 miliion yuan. |
| C．Officials offered to give the continuing rescuers higher rank |
| D．Water-proof radar- will be puf down to give light. |
E
People talk about energy everywhere．Green energy, for example．Then, energy independence．It has a nice ring to it．Doesn' t it? If you think so, you' re not alone, because energy independence has been the dream of American president for decades, and never more so than in the past few years, when the most recent oil price shock has been partly responsible for kicking off the great recession（经济衰退）．
"Energy independence" and its rhetorical （修辞的） companion "energy security" are, however, unreliable concepts that are rarely thought through．What is it that we want independence from, exactly?
Most people would probably say that they want to be independent from imported oil．But there are reasons that we buy all that oil from elsewhere．
The first reason is that we need it to keep our economy running．Yes, there is a trickle （ 涓涓细流） ）of biofuel （ 生物燃料 ）available, and more may become available, but most biofuels cause economic waste and environmental destruction．
Second, Americans have basically decided that they don't really want to produce all their own oil．They value the environmental quality they preserve over their oil imports from abroad．Vast areas of the United States are off-limits to oil exploration and production in the name of environmental protection．To what extent are Americans really willing to tolerate the environmental influence of domestic（国内的） energy production in order to cut back imports?
Third, there are benefits to trade．It allows for eoonomic efficiency, and when we buy things from places that have lower production costs t1i;m we do, we benefit．And although you don't read about this much, the United States is also a large exporter of oil products, selling about 2 million barrels of petroleum products per day to about 90 countries．
There is no question that the United States imports a great deal of energy and, in fact, relies on that steady flow to keep its economy stable．When that flow is interrupted, we feel the pain in short supplies and higher prices．At the same time, we get massive economic benefits when we buy the most affordable energy on the world market and when we engage in energy trade around the world．What does the author say about energy independence for America?
| A．It sounds very attractive． |
| B．It ensures national security． |
| C．It will bring oil prices down． |
| D．It will protect the environment． |
Why does America rely heavily on oil imports?
| A．It wants to expand its storage of raw oil． |
| B．Its own oil reserves are quickly running out． |
| C．Its own oil production falls short of demand． |
| D．It wants to keep its own environment untouched． |
What does the author say about oil trade?
| A．It improves economic efficiency． |
| B．It makes for economic recession． |
| C．It brings benefit only to the sellers． |
| D．It saves the cost of oil exploration． |
What is the author' s purpose in writing the passage?
| A．To explain the increase of international oil trade． |
| B．To raise Americans' awareness of the energy crisis． |
| C．To argue for America' s dependence on oil imports． |
| D．To stress the importance of energy protection． |
D
Whenever people think of charity, the first word that jumps into their mind may be money donated to the needy．However, Wugging, or web-use giving, describes the act of giving to charity at no cost to the user．By using Everyclick．com, which is being added to a number of university computers across the UK, students can raise money every time they search, but it won 4 cost them a penny．
Research shows that students are extremely enthusiastic about supporting charity —88% of full time students have used the Internet to give to charity．This figure is high considering this age group is often the least likely to have their own income．19% of 22 to 24 year olds have short-term debts of more than & 5,000．With rising personal debt levels in this age group, due to university tuition fees or personal loans and a lack of long-term savings, traditional methods of donating to charity are often not appealing or possible．
Beth Truman, a 21-year-old recent university graduate, has used Everyclick．com to donate to her chosen charity, the RSPCA, for two years and has seen the "Wugging" grow in popularity with students．"When you're at university you become more socially aware, but it's sometimes hard to give to others when you have little money yourself," says Beth．"Wugging is great for people in this age group as it allows them to use the technology on a daily basis to give to charity, without costing them a single penny．"
Wugging is perfect for people who want to be more socially aware and supportive but don' t feel they have the means to do so．Students using the web can raise money for causes they care about without costing them anything in terms of time or money, and charities get a valuable source of funding．
Everyclick．com works like any other search engine, allowing users to search for information, news and images but users can decide which of the UK's 170,000 charities they would like to support through their clicks．Everyclick．com then makes monthly payments to every registered charity．Launched in June 2005, Everyclick．com is now the eighth largest search engine and one of the busiest charity websites in the UK．According to the passage, "Wugging" is actually____．
| A．a charity－related action |
| B．a website |
| C．a school organization |
| D．a student movement |
In the case of charity, Everyclick．com____．
| A．receives much money from students |
| B．frees students of the financial worries |
| C．offers valuable information to students |
| D．praises students for their money-raising |
From the passage, we can conclude that____．
| A．most full time students do charity on the Internet every day |
| B．Everyclick．com is the busiest charity website in the UK |
| C．Everyclick．com helps students pay for further education |
| D．"Wugging" is a win-win idea for both students and charities |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．"Wugging", a popular term on the Internet |
| B．Students collect money for charity by " Wugging" |
| C．More British charities benefit from the Internet |
| D．Charity enjoys increasing popularity with the British |
C
People laugh and people cry．But it is thought that emotions such as anger, or joy, typically make Americans feel uncomfortable and embarrassed．The shedder of tears （落泪者） is likely to apologize, even when a great tragedy was the cause．The observer of tears is likely to do everything possible to put an end to the emotional tears．But judging from recent studies of crying behavior, both those responses to tears are often inappropriate and may even be counterproductive （适得其反）．
Humans are the only animals clearly known to shed emotional tears．Since evolution has given rise to few purposeless physiological responses, it is logical to assume that crying has one or more functions that increase survival．
Although some observers have suggested that crying is a way to ask for assistance form others （as a crying baby might from its mother）, the shedding of tears is hardly necessary to get help．Vo-cal （出声的） cries would have been quite enough, more likely than tears to gain attention．So, it appears that there must be something special about tears themselves．
Indeed, the new studies suggest that emotional tears may play a direct role in easing stress． University of Minnesota researchers who are studying the chemical composition of tears have recently separated two important chemicals from emotional tears．Both chemicals are found only in tears that are shed in response to emotion．Tears shed because of exposure to cut onion would contain no such substance．
Other researchers are looking into the usefulness of tears as a means of diagnosing human ills and monitoring drugs．At Tulane University's Teat Analysis Laboratory Dr．Peter Kastl and his colleagues report that they can use tears to detect drug abuse, to study the causes of "dry eye" syndrome （综合症）and the effects of eye surgery, and perhaps even to measure exposure to environmental pollutants．What does the phrase "both those responses" in Paragraph 1 refer to ?
| A．Crying out of sorrow and shedding tears for happiness． |
| B．The embarrassment and unpleasant feelings of the observers． |
| C．Linking illness with crying and finding the chemical composition of tears． |
| D．The tear shedder' s apology and the observer' s effort to stop the crying． |
It is known from the first paragraph that____．
| A．shedding tears gives unpleasant feelings to Americans |
| B．crying may often result in tragedy |
| C．crying usually wins sympathy from other people |
| D．one who sheds tears in public will be blamed |
What does the author say about crying?
| A．It is a pointless physiological response to the environment． |
| B．It must have a role to play in man' s survival． |
| C．It is meant to get attention and assistance． |
| D．It usually produces the desired effect． |
From the passage we can infer that____．
| A．it is unnatural for people to shed tears |
| B．we can reduce our stress by shedding tears |
| C．shedders of tears can' t get help by crying loudly |
| D．unlike animals, humans can shed tears for survival |
B
My old digital camera broke down, so I wanted to buy a new one．Being the cautious type, I fancied a reliable brand．So I went on the Net, spent 15 minutes reading product reviews on good websites, wrote down the names of three top recommendations and headed for my nearest big friendly camera store．There in the cupboard was one of the cameras on my list．And it was on special offer．Oh joy．I pointed at it and asked an assistant, "Can I have one of those? " He looked perturbed（ 不安）．"Do you want to try it first? "he said．It didn' t quite sound like a question．"Do I need to?" I replied, "There's nothing wrong with it．" This made him look a bit offended and I started to feel bad．"No, no．But you should try it," he said encouragingly, "Compare it with the others．
I looked across at the others: shelves of similar cameras placed along the wall, offering a wide range of slightly different prices and discounts, with each company selling a range of models based around the same basic box．With so many models to choose from, it seemed that I would have to spend hours weighing X against Y, always trying to take Z and possibly H into account at the same time．But when I had finished, I would still have only the same two certainties that I had entered the store with: first, soon after I carried my new camera out of the shop, it would be worth half what I paid for it; and second, my wonderful camera would very quickly be replaced by a new model．
But something in the human soul whispers that you can beat these traps by making the right choice, the clever choice, the wise choice．In the end, I agreed to try the model I had chosen．The assistant seemed a sincere man．So I let him take out my chosen camera from the cupboard, show how it took excellent pictures of my fellow shoppers．．．and when he started to introduce the special features, I interrupted to ask whether I needed to buy a carry-case and a memory card as well．Why do we think that new options still offer us anything new? Perhaps it is because they offer an opportunity to avoid facing the fact that our real choices in this culture are far more limited than we would like to imagine．The shop assistant insisted that the writer should ____．
| A．trust him and stop asking questions |
| B．try the camera to see if there was anything wrong with it |
| C．get more information about different companies |
| D．compare the camera he had chosen with the others |
What does the writer mean by "it would be worth half what I paid for it"（ Paragraph 2）?
| A．He should get a 50% discount． |
| B．The price of the camera would soon fall． |
| C．The quality of the camera was not good． |
| D．The price of the camera was unreasonably high． |
The writer decided to try the model he had chosen because he ____．
| A．knew very little about it |
| B．wanted to make sure the one he chose would be the best |
| C．didn' t trust the shop assistant |
| D．had a special interest in taking pictures of his fellow shoppers |
It can be inferred from the passage that in the writer's opinion, __．
| A．we waste too much money on cameras |
| B．cameras have become an important part of our daily life |
| C．we don' t actually need so many choices when buying a product |
| D．famous companies care more about profit than quality |