In countries around the world, food has been used to celebrate at our holidays,

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In countries around the world, food has been used to celebrate at our holidays, our rituals and our family gatherings. The food eaten at holiday time has made the deepest impact on our culture and memories. Different holidays bring different types of food. Much of the food we eat during the holidays comes from old traditions handed down for hundreds of years.
New Year"s Eve always brings parties and get-togethers, but where you live in the world may determine what food graces your table. In the southern US, partiers eat black eyed peas, which are thought to bring good luck and prosperity(繁荣). The Japanese also eat food for good luck on New Year"s, but their choice is red snapper, the color red being considered good luck in Japan. The Jewish celebrate New Year by eating apples dipped in honey and in Madrid, Spain the last minutes of the New Year are counted down with the popping of grapes into the mouth. A pet is a cake prepared by the Greek with a coin baked into it. The person who gets the slice of cake with the coin in it should have good luck in the upcoming year.
In the United States, a typical Christmas feast can contain a variety of foods ranging from turkey to chicken, from ham to goose, but other countries celebrate this holiday differently. Perhaps these choices have been taken from the traditions of our heritage(遗产). In Denmark, a traditional Christmas meal is roast goose, Greece, leg of lamb. Traditionally, Italians keep their Christmas Eve meal meatless. The traditional Christmas dinner in New Zealand is a picnic eaten on the beach.
Though holidays around the world are celebrated in different ways, it is food, feast and family that bring us together.
小题1:According to the passage, in different holidays people usually ______.

A．have different kinds of food to eat

B．recall the interesting life when they were young

C．have a wide variety of parties.

D．get together to play games.

小题2:All the following can bring people good luck except_____.

A．a cake with a coin

B．red snapper

C．black eyed peas

D．apples dipped in honey.

小题3:We can know from the third paragraph that ______.

A．roast goose is American’s favorite food during Christmas

B．people in Denmark and Greece share the same food during Christmas

C．Italians don’t have meat during Christmas

D．people in New Zealand like playing games on the beach

小题4:Which of the following can be the main idea of the passage?

A．Holiday foods vary from culture to culture.

B．Different countries have different cultures.

C．People have a good appetite during holiday.

D．Different foods are served during Christmas.

答案

小题1:A
小题2:D
小题3:C
小题4:A

解析

试题分析：在本文中作者介绍了世界各地不同的节日饮食习俗，列举了一些国家在不同节日所吃的食物。比如在新年团聚的时候，美国南部聚会的人们吃的是一种黑眼豆，以象征着来年的好运和繁荣，而日本人则选择吃红鲷鱼来代表好运。
小题1:A细节理解题。根据文章第一段Different holidays bring different types of food.可知在不同的节日人们吃不同的食物，A选项正确。
小题2:D细节理解题。从文章第二段The Jewish celebrate New Year by eating apples dipped in honey and in Madrid可知蘸蜂蜜的苹果是用来庆祝新年的，而不是标志着好运的食物，故答案选D。
小题3:C细节理解题。根据本段中Traditionally, Italians keep their Christmas Eve meal meatless可以判断C选项正确。
小题4:A主旨大意题。文章首段提到在不同的节日各地的人们都会用不同的食物来庆祝，然后在下文列举了不同国家的节日饮食风俗，所以文章的中心是不同国家不同的节日饮食习俗，答案选A。

举一反三

“I pity the empress. Poor empress.” “Do you think Zhen Huan really loves the emperor?” From campuses to offices, from shopping malls to the streets, talk about Legend of Zhen Huan is everywhere.
Unlike other long TV series, Legend of Zhen Huan, the 76-episode Qing dynasty drama series, has kept attracting new audiences along the way. It has enjoyed widespread popularity on the Chinese mainland over the past months.
The story is seemingly the same as those dramas which look into the lives of women in the imperial palace. It focuses on plots and intrigues(阴谋) within the Inner Palace during Emperor Yongzheng’s reign.
The heroine, Zhen Huan, initially a kind and innocent young lady, enters the emperor’s harem(后宫) of concubines. Discovering that the palace is a cruel and harsh place, Zhen learns how to survive on her own.
　 However, Legend of Zhen Huan seems to arouse more discussion than any drama series. Why? Some experts say it’s because it’s a well-made series from inside out.
Niu Hanting, deputy editor-in-chief of Art Panorama magazine, told Xinhua News Agency that the sets, props and costumes are carefully chosen. And the screenplay and dialogue are well-written. “The series takes care of every detail a good period drama should have,” Niu said. “From that aspect, it’s no coincidence that Zhen Huan could be big.” More importantly, Niu added, the TV series strikes a chord among audiences in different ways. “For example, as a woman, Zhen is hurt by the man she once loved. And as a newcomer to the palace, she finds herself caught in the fierce infighting and she has to survive,” Niu said, “Everyone may find themselves in Zhen’s position at a certain point.”
Then it’s not hard to understand why the story of Zhen Huan is even seen as a survival guide for newcomers in the workplace. Its director, Zheng Xiaolong, once admitted that in terms of society today, the “promotion” of Zhen Huan reflects a person’s career path in some way. “Whether the principles can be applied in today’s society, or not, I want to make the story as real as possible,” Zheng told Sina.com. “There are many fairytale-like series that make audiences ignore or avoid reality, and the complexity of humanity.” “But Legend of Zhen Huan, is a series that makes you think.”
小题1:What’s the main idea of the first paragraph?

A．People have pity on the empress.

B．Zhen Huan really loves the emperor.

C．Legend of Zhen Huan is very popular.

D．Legend of Zhen Huan is shown everywhere.

小题2: What does the underlined word “it” in paragraph 3 most probably refer to?

A．The imperial palace.

B．The life of women.

C．Emperor Yongzheng’s reign.

D．The story of Zhen Huan.

小题3:When Legend of Zhen Huan finds the palace is a cruel one, she ______.

A．learns to survive on her own

B．asks others for advice

C．feels down and disappointed

D．becomes an innocent young lady

小题4:We can learn from Niu Hanting that she ______.

A．thinks Zhen has had effects on newcomers

B．makes little of Legend of Zhen Huan

C．speaks highly of Legend of Zhen Huan

D．wants newcomer to follow Zhen’s example

小题5: This text is most probably taken from a(n) _________.

A．textbook	B．newspaper
C．advertisement	D．story book

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In times of economic crisis, Americans turn to their families for support. If the Great Depression is any guide, we may see a drop in our skyhigh divorce rate. But this won’t necessarily represent an increase in happy marriages. In the long run, the Depression weakened American families, and the current crisis will probably do the same.
　　We tend to think of the Depression as a time when families pulled together to survive huge job losses. By 1932, when nearly one-quarter of the workforce was unemployed, the divorce rate had declined by around 25% from 1929. But this doesn’t mean people were suddenly happier with their marriages. Rather, with incomes decreasing and insecure jobs, unhappy couples often couldn’t afford to divorce. They feared neither spouse could manage alone.
　　Today, given the job losses of the past year, fewer unhappy couples will risk starting separate households. Furthermore, the housing market meltdown will make it more difficult for them to finance their separations by selling their homes.
　　After financial disasters family members also tend to do whatever they can to help each other and their communities. A 1940 book “The Unemployed Man and His Family”, described a family in which the husband initially reacted to losing his job “with tireless search for work.” He was always active, looking for odd jobs to do.
　　The problem is that such an impulse is hard to sustain. Across the country, many similar families were unable to maintain the initial boost in morale(士气). For some, the hardships of life without steady work eventually overwhelmed their attempts to keep their families together. The divorce rate rose again during the rest of the decade as the recovery took hold.
　　Millions of American families may now be in the initial stage of their responses to the current crisis, working together and supporting one another through the early months of unemployment.
　　Today’s economic crisis could well generate a similar number of couples whose relationships have been irreparably(无法弥补地)ruined. So it’s only when the economy is healthy again that we’ll begin to see just how many broken families have been created.
小题1:In the initial stage, the current economic crisis is likely to __________.

A．tear many troubled families apart

B．bring about a drop in the divorce rate

C．contribute to enduring family ties

D．cause a lot of conflicts in the family

小题2:In the Great Depression many unhappy couples chose to stick together because_______.

A．starting a new family would be hard

B．they expected things would turn better

C．they wanted to better protect their kids

D．living separately would be too costly

小题3:In addition to job losses. What stands in the way of unhappy couples getting a divorce?

A．Mounting family debts

B．A sense of insecurity

C．Falling housing prices

D．Difficulty in getting a loan

小题4:What will the current economic crisis eventually do to some married couples?

A．It will irreparably damage their relationship

B．It will undermine their mutual understanding

C．It will help strengthen their emotional bonds

D．It will force them to pull their efforts together

小题5:What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．The economic recovery will see a higher divorce rate

B．Few couples can stand the test of economic hardships

C．A stable family is the best protection against poverty.

D．Money is the foundation of many a happy marriage

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Who are these people rushing by you in the street? More than 215 million people now call America “home’’, but most of them can trace their families back to other parts of the world. If you look at the names on shop windows, you will see that Americans come from many different lands. The idea that these people, who once were strangers to the United States, have lost the customs and cultures of their original countries and have become “American’’is really not true. In fact, what exists in America is more often a kind of “side-by-side”, living in which groups of people from other countries often have kept many of their customs and habits. They join the general American society only in certain areas of their lives—such as in schools, business, and sports-but they keep many of their own native customs and manners socially and at home. This living “side-by-side” has both advantages and disadvantages. Sometimes it may cause disagreements to develop between groups whose ways of life are very different from one another. However, there are also great advantages that come from the variety of cultures brought by settlers from other lands. There is great freedom of choice among ideas and dress, food, and social customs in America. Everyone can find some part of his or her familiar world in the United States, in Churches, music, food, national groups, or newspapers.
小题1:More than 215 million people call America “home” because .

A．they buy their houses there	B．they settle there now
C．they get married there	D．they were born there

小题2:“Side-by-side” living style means .

A．making friends with native people

B．the groups of people who live nearby

C．keeping their own customs while sharing American ones in certain areas

D．that they get closer to American society

小题3:According to the passage, people in the USA .

A．share American customs and culture

B．1ive in a kind of “side-by-side"" society

C．keep their own customs and habits firmly

D．make no choice to accept American customs

小题4:Which of the following statements is true?

A．They always stick to their own customs and habits.

B．“Side—by—side’’living style is not suitable.

C．They face the society they are not familiar with.

D．The advantages coming from the variety of cultures make life in America colorful.

小题5:Which title of the following can best take the place of “Different Cultures in America”?

A．Advantages and Disadvantages.

B．Different Customs and Habits.

C．Home for the People

D．“Side—by—side”Living Style in America.

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If you live in America in the 21^st century you"ll probably have to listen to a lot of people tell you how busy they are. It"s become the default response when you ask anyone how they are doing: “Busy!” “Crazy busy!”. It is, pretty obviously, a boast disguised as a complaint. And the common response is a kind of congratulation:“ That"s a good problem to have, ”or“ Better than the opposite.”
Notice it isn"t generally people pulling back-to-back shifts in the ICU or commuting by bus to three minimum-wage jobs who tell you how busy they are. What those people are is not busy but tired. Exhausted! Dead on their feet. It"s almost always people whose busyness is purely self-imposed work and obligations they"ve taken on voluntarily, classes and activities they"ve “encouraged” their kids to participate in. They"re busy because of their own ambition or drive or anxiety, because they"re addicted to busyness and dread that they might have to face in its absence.
Almost everyone I know is busy. They feel anxious and guilty when they aren"t either working or doing something to promote their work. It"s something they have chosen. Busyness serves as a kind of existential reassurance(令人安心的保证），a measure against emptiness, obviously your life cannot possibly be silly or tiny or meaningless if you are so busy, completely booked, in demand every hour of the day.
Idleness is not just a vacation. It is as necessary to the brain as vitamin D is to the body, and deprived of it we suffer a mental affliction as ugly as rickets. The space and quiet that idleness provides is a necessary condition for standing back from life and seeing it whole, for making unexpected connections and waiting for the wild summer lightning strikes of inspiration.” Idle dreaming is often the essence of what we do”, wrote Thomas Pynchon. Archimedes" “Eureka” in the bath, Newton"s apple :history is full of stories of inspirations that come in idle moments.
小题1:When many Americans say “Crazy busy”, they mean______.

A．they are really tired of their present situation

B．they are really proud of their present life

C．they are complaining about their current work

D．their life are full of all kinds of problems

小题2:The writer mentions Archimedes"“Eureka” and Newton"s apple to show that________.

A．history is full of interesting stories

B．Archimedes and Newton were very busy, so they made great discoveries

C．people may get inspiration when they are idle

D．inspirations come from hard work

小题3:The word “its” in the second paragraph refers to_________________.
ambition B. anxiety C. busyness D. dread
小题4:From the article, we can infer that ___________________.

A．generally people pulling back-to-back shifts in the ICU tell you they are busy

B．“Dead on their feet” means “being tired out”

C．all the kids are self-imposed due to the drive and motivation

D．The author seems to agree that idleness is better than busyness

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“How to Train Your Dragon” by British author Cressida Cowell is one of the best pieces of children’s literature. A child can make a whole alternative universe with a vivid imagination and Toothless, the hero’s hunting dragon, thus turning a rainy day into an adventure of a lifetime. However, if you have never read the book but instead choose to see the film version, you might think you were seeing a new-age war movie meant for adults rather than children.
Let’s look at “Where the Wild Things Are” for further discussion. The story centers around a lonely eight-year-old boy named Max, who sails away to an island. Creatures living there declare Max their king.
What an amazing piece of children’s literature! A treasure for every child’s library. Yet, children were crying in the movie theatre. Owls were falling from the sky, chicken’s arms were being torn off, and a child was running around a dark abandoned world fighting evil as the only human. It was almost as if Hollywood could not imagine children enjoying a movie for its basic literature content. Hollywood might be right. But more and more its audiences are complaining that there is an increased amount of violence in children’s stories today than in the past.
While there appears to be a trend in our society to make more violence more accessible to younger children, books and literature are generally an exception. I truly believe that children’s literature has become more vivid, and more colorful. This is a great treasure for the children, and is certainly not violent. What has changed the children’s stories of today is not the writers, but the film industry. In some way, children’s literature is just being strangely twisted. I wonder how much influence the author have over this.
小题1:The Text is mainly about ________.

A．two good books for children

B．how a book is adapted into a film

C．whether children should go to movies

D．whether children’s literature is getting more violent

小题2:It can be inferred that the film “Where the Wild Things Are” is _______.

A．moving

B．frightening

C．interesting

D．amazing

小题3:According to the text, the author thinks that ________.

A．the film industry’s treatment of children’s literature is wrong

B．writers should provide more colorful works for children

C．there is an increase in violence in children’s literature

D．children should read books rather than see films.

小题4:How does the text mainly develop?

A．By inferring.	B．By giving explanations.
C．By providing examples.	D．By making comparisons.

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