The United States is a country of immigrants. It is a place where people from all over the world come to build a better life. Some immigrants bring their families. Some bring a few of their favorite things. Others come alone with nothing but determination. One thing that every immigrant brings with them is their culture.
American immigration began in 1607 with the colony (殖民地) of Jamestown. In 1620, another group of people left England to build a settlement in America. They wanted to go to a place where they could practice their religion freely. Then many more people left their homes in Europe to build a better life in America. Many also came to America from Africa. By 1770, more than two million people had moved to America. Later on, more people came to the United States than ever before.
In cities all over America, you can see different cultures that formed this country. Many things that you may think of as being “American” are actually from a foreign culture. Some of the best examples of this are the foods people eat. Pizza and spaghetti are foods that all Americans know and love. But both of them are from Italy. Baseball is an all-American sport. But the hot dogs that people eat during the game are a type of food that was brought to America by German immigrants.
Over time, pizza and hot dogs have become a part of what is considered to be American food. In the same way, different groups of people have come together to define what an American is. An American can be a person of any background. An American can be of any faith. An American can be of any skin color. They can speak English clearly. They can speak English with an accent. Each new immigrant adds something new to American culture. It will keep changing as more people come to this country.Paragraph 2 is mainly about _____.
| A．the history of American immigration |
| B．why people chose to move to America |
| C．the rapid growth of the population of America |
| D．what immigrants have brought to America |
Several foods are mentioned in the text to show _____.
| A．they have a long history in America |
| B．they are very popular with Americans |
| C．America is a country full of tasty foods |
| D．America is made up of different cultures |
The author probably agrees that American culture is _____.
| A．simple | B．strange |
| C．diverse | D．advanced |
What would be the best title for the text?
| A．Immigrants and their American dreams |
| B．America: a melting pot of cultures |
| C．America: a land of opportunity |
| D．Life in the US: culture shock |
I recently ran into a friend I hadn’t seen for a long while．Our conversation was lively and full of news from both sides．Before we parted she said，“You'll have to drop in sometime.” I immediately sensed that if I simply “dropped in’’ I would take my friend by surprise，and I would be discouraged by the image of her standing in her doorway，staring at me，and asking，“Oh，err …what brings you here?”
Whatever happened to the unannounced drop-in visit? When I was growing up in the 1960s, it seemed that people - mostly relatives, but also friends - were always popping in. My parents would put coffee on，and my mom would find something in the kitchen to serve along with it．Then the conversation would begin…The neighbor lady，a worrier，was unloading her sadness while my mom quietly listened．The Irish man next door had such an accent that I remember asking what language he spoke．My Polish relatives arrived in packs…But I never heard my parents say anything like “We weren’t expecting you’’ or “This isn’t a good time．”Drop-in visitors had a certain right of way and became No．1．
What happened to such visits? Actually I know the answer．Times have changed．Everybody gets busy with work．There is no longer a stay-at-home mom keeping a pot of hot coffee or tea ready throughout the day for a surprise guest．Exploding malls and stores are now replacing homes as a central form of entertainment．
Just the other day a former student of mine showed up．“I'm sorry for the surprise visit．”my student began．“I just wanted to see if you still lived here．I'll only stay a minute．”My response was immediate.“ No, you won’t,” I said.“Just come in, sit, have coffee, and we’ll talk.’’
I had nothing in the kitchen but we ordered pizza．And we had a lovely time．I have tried to keep the drop-in tradition alive though it takes some effort．The author thought of his friend’s invitation --- “You’ll have to drop in sometime”--- as _______.
| A．a nice way of refusal |
| B．an excuse of leaving |
| C．a kind of politeness |
| D．an expression of surprise |
The underlined phrase “ pop in” in the second paragraph means _________.
| A．make many friends |
| B．make a special date |
| C．have a good time |
| D．pay a sudden visit |
The woman from the neighborhood used to visit the author’s home to ________.
| A．seek comfort from my parents |
| B．make new friends |
| C．1isten to my parents’ story |
| D．taste nice dishes |
From the third paragraph of the passage，we can infer that __________．
| A．the author misses the lost good days |
| B．unexpected visitors are still welcome now |
| C．modern people prefer outdoor activities |
| D．there are more jobs for the housewives now |
The author writes the passage intending to __________.
| A．encourage people to be drop-in visitors |
| B．explain how to deal with unexpected visitors |
| C．share his feelings about the drop-in tradition |
| D．show the importance of making friends |
Lots of folks don't think about what they eat over the holiday season until January, when they stare sadly at the number on the scale and then hurry off to hit the gym, join Weight Watchers or pick up the latest diet book.
It doesn't have to be that way. Health experts say you can still enjoy the holidays.
"It's OK to indulge（沉溺）, but it doesn't mean you have to gain weight," said Karen Ansel, a New York-based registered dietitian and a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association (ADA). Jessica Crandall, a registered dietitian from Denver who's also an ADA spokeswoman, added that gaining weight during the holidays and then working hard to lose it again is not good for a person's body.
For starters, people interested in maintaining their weight during the holidays should keep eating on a regular schedule, the two dietitians said. Research has shown that people who skip meals -- particularly breakfast -- end up eating more throughout the day. "Try and stick to consistent meal times so you can avoid being overly hungry," Crandall said. "When you're overly hungry, you can make some bad decisions regarding what you eat. Don't starve yourself during the day waiting for that party at night -- because you'll eat too much or overeat."
Ansel suggests that you think now about the foods you really enjoy and plan to focus on those while eating less of more common fare.
Be careful, too, about alcohol intake, for a couple of reasons. Alcoholic drinks, particularly the fancy ones handed out at holiday time, tend to come loaded with calories. "It's usually what you're adding to a drink that contains the calories," Crandall said. Also, if you're drunk, you might forget to watch what you're eating. "It totally lowers your inhibitions（压抑）," Ansel said.
Other holiday eating tips, suggested by Crandall and Ansel, include:
•Eat lots of vegetables, and eat them first before moving on to the other items on your plate.
•Recognize that many holiday extras, like cheese or cranberry sauce, come loaded with calories. "If those aren't your favorite foods, don't put them on your plate," Crandall said.
•If your favorite food has a lot of calories, be sure to minimize your portion. "Two bites cure the craving," Crandall said. "After that, you're just really feeding your old habits.
•After a big holiday meal, don't sink into a chair or couch. Go for a walk outdoors or participate in some other activities that help burn off some of the calories you've just eaten.Both Karen Ansel and Jessica Crandall ________.
| A．think highly of the latest popular diet book |
| B．like going to the gym often |
| C．think trying to lose weight isn’t good for a person’s body |
| D．are registered dietitians and work for ADA |
Ansel asks people wishing to keep slim not to skip meals because _________.
| A．it will do harm to their stomachs. |
| B．being overly hungry will make them feel not well |
| C．it may make them eat more |
| D．it might let them make bad decisions on important occasion |
Why does Crandall advise people wanting to lose weight not to drink wine?
| A．Because if they’re drunk, they can watch what they eat. |
| B．Because it will make it hard for their body to burn calories. |
| C．Because wine itself contains many calories. |
| D．Because it will make them feel more stressed. |
Which of the following is the proper way to keep slim according to the passage?
| A．Eating more vegetables than rice and other food. |
| B．Eating more cheese or cranberry sauce. |
| C．Never eat food with a lot of calories. |
| D．Sitting less and walking more after meals. |
The passage mainly talks about __________.
| A．some advice on holiday eating | B．how to keep slim |
| C．the problems of fat people | D．what to do in holidays |
Jean is a bright young lady who comes from a rich and famous family. She goes to a good university and has everything that money can buy. Well, almost everything is good. But the problem is that Jean’s family are so busy that they can hardly find time to be with her. So Jean spends a lot of time on her QQ. She likes being anonymous(匿名), talking to people who do not know about her famous family and her rich life. She uses the name Linda on QQ and has made a lot of friends who she keeps in touch with quite often.
Last year Jean made a very special friend on QQ. His name was David and lived in San Francisco. David was full of stories and jokes. He and Jean had a common interest in rock music and modern dance. So it always took them hours to talk happily on QQ and sometimes they even forgot their time. Of course, they wanted to know more about each other. David sent a picture of himself: He was a tall, good looking young man with big, happy smile. As time went by, they became good friends and often sent cards and small things to each other.
When Jean’s father told her that he was going on a business trip to San Francisco, she asked him to let her go with him so that she could give David a surprise for his birthday. She would take him the latest DVD of their favorite rock singer. But when she knocked on David’s door in San Francisco, she found that her special friend was a twelve-year-old boy named Jim!Jean spends a lot of her time on QQ because she is _________.
| A．rich | B．young | C．lonely | D．talkative |
The reason why they even forgot their time is that they _________.
| A．talked in delight on QQ |
| B．hated study |
| C．fell in love with each other |
| D．had similar hobbies |
Why did Jean leave her home for San Francisco?
| A．To amaze David. |
| B．To be on a business trip. |
| C．To be invited to Jim's birthday party. |
| D．To send some gifts to Jim. |
The following states are true about Jean EXCEPT that _________ according to the passage.
| A．she is a university student |
| B．she was born in a wealthy family |
| C．she made a friend named Jim younger than her |
| D．she uses her family name on her QQ |
We could believe that Jean was _________ when seeing Jim himself instead of David at his door.
| A．delighted | B．disappointed | C．regretful | D．confused |
Short and shy, Ben Saunders was the last kid in his class picked for any sports team. "Football, tennis,cricket — anything with a round ball, I was useless." he says now with a laugh. But back then he was the object of jokes in school gym classes in England's rural Devonshire.
It was a mountain bike he received for his 15th birthday that changed him. At first the teen went biking alone in a nearby forest. Then he began to cycle along with a runner friend. Gradually, Saunders set his mind building up his body, increasing his speed, strength and endurance. At age 18, he ran his first marathon.
The following year, he met John Ridgway, who became famous in the 1960s for rowing an open boat across the Atlantic Ocean. Saunders was hired as an instructor at Ridgway's school of Adventure in Scotland, where he learned about the older man's cold-water exploits (成就). Intrigued, Saunders read all he could about Arctic explorers and North Pole expeditions, then decided that this would be his future.
Journeys to the Pole aren't the usual holidays for British country boys, and many people dismissed his dream as fantasy. "John Ridgway was one of the few who didn't say, 'You are completely crazy,'" Saunders says.
In 2001, after becoming a skilled skier, Saunders started his first long-distance expedition toward the North Pole. He suffered frostbite, had a closer encounter (遭遇) with a polar bear and pushed his body to the limit.
Saunders has since become the youngest person to ski alone to the North Pole, and he's skied more of the Arctic by himself than any other Briton. His old playmates would not believe the transformation.
This October, Saunders, 27, heads south to explore from the coast of Antarctica to the South Pole and back, an 1800-mile journey that has never been completed on skis.The turning point in Saunders'life came when ________.
| A．he started to play ball games |
| B．he got a mountain bike at age 15 |
| C．he ran his first marathon at age 18 |
| D．he started to receive Ridgway's training |
We can learn from the text that Ridgway ________.
| A．dismissed Saunders' dream as fantasy |
| B．built up his body together with Saunders |
| C．hired Saunders for his cold-water experience |
| D．won his fame for his voyage across the Atlantic |
What do we know about Saunders?
| A．He once worked at a school in Scotland. |
| B．He followed Ridgway to explore the North Pole. |
| C．He was chosen for the school sports team as a kid. |
| D．He was the first Briton to ski alone to the North Pole. |
The underlined word "Intrigued" in the third paragraph probably means ________.
| A．Excited | B．Convinced | C．Delighted | D．Fascinated |
It can be inferred that Saunders' journey to the North Pole ________.
| A．was accompanied by his old playmates |
| B．set a record in the North Pole expedition |
| C．was supported by other Arctic explorers |
| D．made him well-known in the 1960s |
A hug is a wonderful thing and it is a great gift to share with people. For some people, a hug is considered to be a great way to say “I care.” A hug communicates support, affection(喜爱), unity and belonging. A hug shows a strong feeling of sympathy. A hug brings happiness. A hug also touches the soul.
Hugs are healthy. Hugs can ease pain, reduce stress, cure depression and refresh the heart, yet they have no side effects…No wonder, it is a true miracle medicine.
A hug can say “I love you”…A hug can say “I hate to see you go”. A hug can say “ It’s good to have you back”. A hug can say “It’s great to see you’. A hug can say “I feel your pain”. A hug can also say “Let me share your burden”.
No matter whether you’re the giver or the receiver, hugs touch the inner being. From friends, to families, to loved ones, to those in need, a hug warms the heart.
A hug is truly amazing. It brings generosity(慷慨) to the giver and happiness to the receiver. It brings blessings to those who give and joy to those who receive.
Hugs are one of the reasons why God gave us arms. So, stretch out your arms to someone today. Reach out to those you love. It will warm the heart of the giver and give light to the soul of the receiver.
Reach out to your neighbor. It will show that you care. Reach out to one in need. It will show that you are responsible. Reach out to the world. It will show God that you care for his creation.What is the best title of the passage?
| A．The advantages of hugs. | B．How should we hug |
| C．The tips on giving others hugs | D．The facts of hugs |
Hugs can benefit people in the following ways EXCEPT________.
| A．improving the health | B．cheering people up |
| C．making receivers happy | D．creating great wealth |
According to the third paragraph, we can learn hugs can__________.
| A．send some messages | B．make people come back |
| C．stop people going somewhere | D．break people’s hearts |
To show you care, you should reach out to_________.
| A．those who need joy | B．your neighbor | C．those you miss | D．God |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．Sometimes hugs have side effects. |
| B．If people are sad, we'd better not hug them. |
| C．We must hug each of our neighbors every day. |
| D．People often feel joyful when they receive hugs. |