“Itis a dreadful thing to be poor a fortnight before Christmas,” said Clorinda, with the mournful sigh of seventeen years.
AuntEmmy 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.
“Thegifts 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.”
“Thatwas not what I meant,” said Aunt Emmy.
“Whatdid you mean, then?” asked Clorinda, looking puzzled.
AuntEmmy smiled.
“Supposeyou think out my meaning for yourself,” she said. “That would be better than if I explained it. Besides, I don’t think Icouldexplain it. Take the beautiful line of a beautiful poem to help you in your thinking out: ‘The gift without the giver is bare’.”
“I’dput it the other way and say, ‘The giver without the gift is bare’,” said Clorinda. “That is my predicament(窘境) 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’tyour aunt miss you terribly?” said Aunt Emmy gravely. “Ithink 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.” Clorindalived 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.
Clorindapuzzled over Aunt Emmy’s meaning for days. Then all at once it came to her. OnChristmas Day, Clorinda went over to Aunt Emmy’s. Aunt Emmy was lying on the sofa before the fire, and Clorinda sat down beside her.
“I’vecome to tell you all about it,” she said. “AuntEmmy, I thought for days over your meaning ... And then one evening it just came to me. At first I didn’t think Icouldgive 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. 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. She was so pleased and proud; she told me when I came away that she hadn’t had such a nice time for years. ”
“Thenthere 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.”
“Igave 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.”
“Yourgifts have been real gifts, Clorinda,” said Aunt Emmy. “Something of you--the best of you--went into each of them.”
“Ididn’t forget you, Aunt Emmy,” she said, as she unpinned the paper.
Therewas a rosebush. AuntEmmy loved flowers. She put her finger under one of the roses and kissed it.
“It’sas 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 reserved |
Which of the following is the best title?
| A．A Special Christmas | B．Clorinda’s Gifts |
| C．Aunt Emmy | D．Clorinda’s Choice |
British potato farmers were taking to the streets to call for the expression "couch potato" to be taken away from the dictionary on the grounds that it harms the vegetable's image.
The British Potato Council wants the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) to replace the expression with the term "couch slouch", with protests planned outside parliament in London and the offices of Oxford University Press. Kathryn Race, head of marketing at the Council, which represents some 4,000 growers and processors, said the group had complained in writing to the OED but had yet to receive a response.
"We are trying to get rid of the image that potatoes are bad to you," she said Monday.
"The potato has had its knocks in the past. Of course it is not the Oxford English Dictionary's fault but we want to use another term than couch potato because potatoes are naturally healthy."
The OED says "couch potato" originated as American slang, meaning "a person who spends leisure time passively or idly sitting around, especially watching television or video tapes."
John Simpson, chief editor of the Oxford English Dictionary, said the dictionary first included the term “couch potato” in 1993 and said "dictionaries just reflect the words that society uses."
Simpson said words were never taken out of the full-length dictionary, which includes some 650,000 words contained in 20 volumes. But little-used words can be removed from the smaller dictionaries to make way for newer ones.
“If society stops using words, then they are taken out of the smaller dictionaries”, he added. “The first known recorded use of the expression ‘couch potato’ was in a 1979 Log Angeles Times article,” Simpson said.
Nigel Evans, a member of parliament for the Ribble Valley in Lancashire, has made a motion in support of the campaign, highlighting the nutritional value of the British potato.
1．British potato farmers were taking to the streets _____.
A．to advertise their production
B．to call for a higher price for t heir potatoes
C．to remove the expression “couch potato” from the dictionary
D．to let people know how important the potato is in people’s lives
2．The farmers think that_________.
A．potatoes have had a bad imagine
B．potatoes are good for people by nature
C．potatoes sometimes do harm to people
D．it's the dictionary's fault to use the expression "couch potato"
3．John Simpson thinks that _________.
A．the expression can be taken out of every kind of dictionary
B．dictionaries do not necessarily reflect the words the society uses
C．little used words can remain in the smaller dictionaries
D．it is impossible to take the word out of the dictionary
4．What is wrong with the expression "couch potato"?
A．It is connected with unfavorable meaning．
B．Potato should be used in the expression．
C．It is borrowed from American English．
D．It refers to a kind of person．
Positive thinkers admit when they feel frustrated（受挫折的） or depressed, they don't ignore it．But they don't blame themselves either．Instead, they try to understand the negative thoughts and feelings and counter（反击） them with more positive ones．
So how do you stay positive, maintain motivated and sustain(保持) healthy behaviors? Here are some tips:
Look for a good role model．There is always someone who seems to be doing just what you want to be doing．Maybe they've scheduled exercise into their workday and switched from coffee to green tea．Learn from a successful friend, family member or colleague．Ask them how they keep healthy and follow in their footsteps．
Try some positive self-talk and avoid negative-talk．Take a minute to give yourself an ego boost．Repeat some motivational words out loud to yourself．Negative talk such as "I can't do it," "I'm fat," is dangerous for your well-being and healthy goals．Try to avoid the negative self-talk before it harms you．Remind yourself that you deserve happiness and can make positive changes．
Get support．Tell your friends and family about your healthy habits．It helps to have an encouraging network．
Reward yourself．Treat yourself to something for your healthy efforts．Take a nice bath, get a massage, and enjoy a new DVD or CD．
Have a plan．Making a plan to exercise or eat healthy lunches with a friend can mean the difference of sticking with your goals or falling off track．If you've planned for an activity, you'll likely stick with it．You may even find that writing down your goals and steps to achieve them can help you stay on track．Take it day by day or week by week．The process of writing down your personal action plan is a good way to keep you honest and watch your progress or failures．
1．By writing the text the author intends to _______．
A．offer some advice on how to stay positive
B．persuade readers to learn from a role model
C．provide some solutions to personal problems
D．inform readers of some tips on physical health
2．What does the phrase “to give yourself an ego boost” in Paragraph 4 mean?
A．to get lost in deep thought． B．to think about the hardships．
C．to check what mistake you made． D．to make you feel better about yourself．
3．Which of the following would the author Not agree to?
A．Saying some positive words to yourself helps you to feel good．
B．By staying with your companion you can avoid the negative-talk．
C．A successful friend, relative or colleague can be your role model．
D．Creating a helpful network is a good way to keep you motivated．
4．To make sure that you always stay on track, what should you do?
A．Eat out with your best friends． B．Relax yourself after a hard day．
C．Write down what you want to achieve D．Modify your plans as often as you can．
第三部分阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
In 1988 , Mary Andersen was at the Miami airport checking in for a flight to Norway to be with her husband when she was told she wouldn't be able to check her luggage without paying a $ 100 surcharge （超载）．
Mary had no money as her new husband had left for Norway and she had no one else to call．
"I was completely desperate and tried to think which of my things I could manage without．" says Mary．
As tears ran down her face, a voice behind her said, "That's okay, I'll pay for her．"
Rather surprised, Mary turned around to see a tall man whom she had never seen before．He had a gentle and kind voice mat was firm and decisive．
Although this happened twenty years ago, Mary still remembers the authority that radiated （发出）from the man, Mary was pleased to bring her luggage to Norway and told the stranger she would give his money back．The man wrote his name and address on a piece of paper he gave to Mary．She thanked him repeatedly When she finally walked off towards the boarding gate, he waved goodbye to her．
That man turned out to be Barack Obama．
Mary paid the money back to Obama the day she joined her husband．At that time he had just finished his job as a poorly paid community worker in Chicago, and had started his law studies at Harvard University.
In the spring of 2006 Mary’s parents heard Obama was considering a run for president. They wrote a letter saying that they would support him. At the same time, they thanked Obama for helping their daughter 18 years earlier.
And Obama replied, “ I want to thank you for the lovely things you wrote about me and for reminding me of what happened at Miami airport. I’m happy I could help her then, and I’m delighted to hear that your daughter is happy in Norway. Please send her my best wishes. Sincerely, Barack Obama, United States Senator.”
1．Why did Mary feel completely desperate?
A．She had missed the only flight to Norway．
B．Her new husband abandoned her suddenly．
C．She didn't have the money to buy a ticket．
D．She had no money to pay for the surcharge．
2．How did Mary feel when someone offered to help her"?
A ．Amazed． B．Puzzled． C．Delighted． D．Annoyed．
3．Mary asked the stranger to leave his name and address____,
A．in order to contact him later B．so that she could repay him
C．because impressed her deeply D．because she fell in love with him
4．What’s the passage mainly about?
A．A letter from Barack Obama．
B．Mary's parents support Obama．
C．Obama helped a stranger about 20 years ago．
D．Mary was lucky to get help at the airport．
Have you ever seen people dance? Some dances are fast and others are slow. People’s feet always move when they dance. They keep on moving until the music stops.
People have enjoyed dancing for a very long time. This story is of a different kind of dance. It is a dance without people or music. Yet this dance is one of the oldest in the world. It is the dance of bees.
If you have ever watched bees, you know that they are very clever. They also work hard looking for food and bringing it back to their home.
The home of the bees is called a bee hive. Here hundreds even thousand of bees live. They work day and night building small walls. There they make their honey. This is the same honey that we eat.
Where does the honey come from? Bees live on food from flowers. Have you seen bees flying around a flower garden? When a bee rests on a flower, it tries to go to the centre of it. There it takes in as much food as its body can hold. Then it flies to take the food back to the hive.
At the hive, bees change flower food into honey. Then they fly away for more food.
How do the bees know where to find the best food in the sweetest flowers? One bee acts as a guide. When it discovers good flowers, it flies back to the hive and tells the others. It does this by dancing for them.
The bee dances on one side. This tells the other bees which way to go to find the flowers. But that is not all. The bee dances for some time. And the length of its dance tells the other bees how far they must fly to reach the flowers.
When the bees see the dance, they know where the flowers are. They fly away and return with more food for the hive.
Sometimes we hear the music of the bees as they fly around. But few people have ever seen them dance. Yet without that dance we might never have sweet honey to eat.
1. The writer believes that_________.
A. people dance better than bees
B. people learned dance from bees
C. bees dance more often than people
D. bees don’t like music
2. From this passage we know that the dance of bees means_______.
A. They are good at dancing
B. they want to show their beauty
C. they communicate with each other
D. they have nothing to do
3. Which of the following is true?
A. People get honey from flowers directly.
B. People draw honey from bees’ bodies.
C. People produce honey in a secret place.
D. People get honey from bees indirectly.
4. What character do bees have?
A. dance-loving B. hard-working C. music-loving D. active
Most Americans enjoy moving from place to place. For example, they often drive their cars 120 to 160 kilometers away just to have dinner with a friend or even fly to Europe just for watching a football match. In some states only one person in five lives in a place for more than five years. One may be born in one city, and go to school in another. He may finish his middle school in two or three cities, and then attend a college far across the country. When he has entered business, he may possibly move from job to job. Moving from one job to another, which is called “job-hopping”, is a very common practice in the United States. Job-hopping is good to workers, because every change of a job gives them a chance to move up to a higher position and to get better pay. And job-hopping also gives bosses the chance to get new ideas and skills that different people bring to their companies and factories.
1. According to this passage, Americans often travel_______.
A. in order to have dinner with their friends
B. in order to watch football matches
C. to enjoy themselves
D. in order to find a new job
2. In some places in America, ________ for more than five years.
A. most people stay in one place
B. about 20% of the people live in one place
C. the owners of houses stay in one place
D. the owners of five house stay in one place
3. In the USA, job-hopping_______.
A. has become the custom (习惯)
B. has helped young people to attend to college
C. has helped students to enter business
D. has helped worker in traveling
4. The writer thinks________.
A. job-hopping does good either to workers or to the bosses
B. job-hopping does good neither to the workers nor to the bosses
C. little of the job-hopping
D. highly of the job-hopping