They say money doesn’t grow on trees. But it certainly appears to do so on the m
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They say money doesn’t grow on trees. But it certainly appears to do so on the mysterious coin-studded(嵌满) trunks dotted around the UK’s woodland. The strange phenomenon of old trees with coins fixed firmly all over their bark has been spotted on trails from the Peak District to the Scottish Highlands. The coins are usually knocked into felled (砍伐的) tree trunks using stones by passers-by, who hope it will bring them good fortune.
These fascinating spectacles often have coins from centuries ago buried deep in their bark and warped by the passage of time. The tradition of making offerings to gods at wishing trees dates back hundreds of years, but this combination of the man-made and the natural is far more rare. It used to be believed that god’s spirits lived in trees, and they were often decorated with sweets and gifts — as is still done today at Christmas. The act is like tossing money into ponds for good luck, or the trend for couples to attach “love padlocks” to bridges and fences to symbolize lasting romance. Some pubs, such as the Punch Bowl in Askham, Cumbria, have old timbers with splits in them into which coins are forced for luck. There are seven felled tree trunks with coins pushed into them in the picturesque village of Portmeirion, in Wales.
Meurig Jones, an estate manager at the tourist destination, told the BBC, “We had no idea why it was being done when we first noticed the tree trunk was being filled with coins. I did some detective work and discovered that trees were sometimes used as ‘wishing trees’. In Britain it dates back to the 1700s — there is one tree somewhere in Scotland which apparently has an old coin stuck into it. ” He said that a sick person could press a coin into a tree and their illness would go away. If someone then takes the coin out though, it’s said they then become ill. We haven’t made it known at all, it’s just happened,” he added. “It’s quite amazing really.” In Scotland, there is also a legend about a kissing tree. If a young man could drive a nail into a tree with one blow, he earned a kiss from his sweetheart.
小题1:What was the real reason why in UK people knocked coins into the old trees?| A．It was hoped that it would bring them good future and make the trees more beautiful. | | B．Nobody knew why there was such a strange custom that it could make them lucky. | | C．It might come from the tradition of making offerings to gods hundreds of years ago. | | D．It was said that god’s spirits lived in trees and doing so could please the gods of the trees. |
小题2:The underlined part in Paragraph 2 may mean ____________.| A．this combination of the man-made and the natural is far from realistic. | | B．the mysterious phenomenon of old trees with coins is rarely seen in the world. | | C．people wanted to make the works of art with the help from the forces of nature. | | D．the appearance of trees would be nicer than their original. |
小题3:The passage mainly tells us that________.| A．some people attached “love padlocks” to bridges and fences to symbolize lasting romance | | B．a particular way in which people made good wishes is still popular in the UK | | C．visitors tossed money into ponds for good luck just as they knocked coins into the trees | | D．a long history of a strange phenomenon of old trees with coins in the UK |
小题4:Which of the following can be used as the best title for the passage? | A．Who Says Money Doesn’t Grow on Trees? | | B．Do Trees with Some Coins Become Valuable? | | C．Is It Really Amazing to Have Coins Fixed into Trees? | | D．What Is the Purpose of Knocking Coins into Trees? |
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答案
小题1:C
小题2:D
小题3:B
小题4:A |
解析
试题分析：本文主要讲述了在英国仍然存在的这种向树干上嵌入硬币的方式仍然很受欢迎，是一种向上帝表达自己的愿望的做法。
小题1:C 细节题。根据第一段最后3行The coins are usually knocked into felled (砍伐的) tree trunks using stones by passers-by, who hope it will bring them good fortune.说明人们这样做是一个传统，希望给自己带来好运。故C正确。
小题2:D 推理题。根据本句this combination of the man-made and the natural is far more rare.以及下一句, and they were often decorated with sweets and gifts — as is still done today at Christmas.说明这样做以后树的样子会更漂亮，更好看，故D正确。
小题3:B 主旨大意题。根据文章第一段可知现在英国在树上嵌入硬币装饰树木的向上帝表达愿望的方式仍然存在，故B项正确。
小题4:A 主旨大意题。根据文章1,2行They say money doesn’t grow on trees. But it certainly appears to do so on the mysterious coin-studded(嵌满) trunks dotted around the UK’s woodland.可知这种表达愿望的发生仍然存在着。故A项符合上下文。
点评：本文测试考生在阅读基础上的逻辑推理能力，要求考生根据文章所述事件的逻辑关系，对未说明的趋势或结局作出合理的推断；或根据作者所阐述的观点理论，对文章未涉及的现象、事例给以解释。考生首先要仔细阅读短文，完整了解信息，准确把握作者观点。 |
举一反三
Have you ever wondered about people’s names? Where do they come from? What do they mean?
Some people give their children names that mean good things. Clara means “bright”; Beatrice means “one who gives happiness”; Donald means “world ruler”; Leonard means “as brave as a lion”.
The earliest last names, or surnames, were taken from place names. A family with the name Brook or Brooks probably lived near brook(小溪)；Someone who was called Longstreet probably lived on a long, paved road. The Greenwood family lived in or near a leafy forest.
Other early surnames came from people’s occupations. The most common occupational name is Smith, which means a person who makes things with iron or other metals. In the past, smiths were very important workers in every town and village. Some other occupational names are: Carter — a person who owned or drove a cart; Potter —a person who made pots and pans.
The ancestors(祖先) of the Baker family probably baked bread for their neighbors in their native village. The Carpenter’s great-great-great-grandfather probably built houses and furniture.
Sometimes people were known for the color of their hair or skin, or their size, or their special abilities. When there were two men who were named John in the same village, the John with the gray hair probably became John Gray. Or the John was very tall could call himself John Tallman. John Fish was probably an excellent swimmer and John Lightfoot was probably a fast runner or a good dancer.
Some family names were made by adding something to the father’s name. English-speaking people added –s or –son. The Johnsons are descendants of John; the Roberts family’s ancestor was Robert. Irish and Scottish people added Mac or Mc or O. Perhaps all of the MacDonnells and the McDonnells and the O’Donnells are descendants of the same Donnell.
小题1:Which of the following aspects do the surnames in the passage NOT cover?| A．Places where people lived. | | B．People’s occupations. | | C．Talents that people possessed. | | D．People’s characters. |
小题2:According to the passage, the ancestors of the Potter family most probably _______.| A．owned or drove a cart | | B．made things with metals | | C．built houses and furniture | | D．made kitchen tools or contains |
小题3:Suppose an English couple whose ancestors lived near a leafy forest wanted their new-born son to become a world leader, the baby might be named _______.| A．Donald Greenwood | B．Leonard Carter | | C．George Longstreet | D．Beatrice Smith |
小题4:The underlined word “descendants” in the last paragraph means a person’s _______.| A．later sponsors | B．later generations | | C．friends and relatives | D．colleagues and partners |
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April 27 is Take Our Daughters to Work Day in Britain. Started at first in the United States and brought to Britain in 1994, Take Our Daughters to Work Day has become a special day for girls between 11 and 15. On that day thousands of girls take a day off school and go together with one of their parents to their work places. The purpose of this day is to broaden girls" horizons（视野）and raise their self-confidence.
For many years people have thought that boys can do better than girls in society. But actually, “girls can be whatever they want to be just like boys, whether it is a pilot, a nurse or a chief executive(主管).”says the chairman of the Our Sons and Daughters Charitable Trust, an organization which supported the activity of the Day. “Now the girls have a close look at what their parents are doing and this may help them to be more self-confident when they are faced with a choice of work."
Schools and many companies support the activity too. Palmers Green High School for girls in north of London, has made the day a necessary part of careers education.
Zarina Bart, 15, from Palmers Green, went with her mother Gwen to her Lawyer"s office this year"s Take Our Daughters to Work Day. "I learned how to fill in a legal aid form and I read details of a case. Then I went to see the actual trial." she said.
Zarina found it interesting to see her mother at work. “It"s really strange seeing Mum at work--running around, getting serious and telling people what to do.” She has always liked this idea of going into law and thinks it likely that she will follow in her mother’s footsteps. Having a chance to see how her mother works has given her more self-confidence.
Experts believe that girls with higher self-confidence aim higher and are more likely to be successful in life. Parents have important effect on the confidence of teenage girls. If parents believe in their daughters and show examples both at work as well as at home for them, this will give a lot of help to girls. Take Our Daughters to Work Day is surely a step in the right direction.
小题1:The writer’s purpose in writing this text is to ______.| A．tell how the special day for girls came into be. | | B．show us the girls can do as well as boys. | | C．introduce a special day for girls to us. | | D．broaden girls’ view and raise their confidence. |
小题2:According to the chairman of the Our Sons and Daughters Charitable Trust, ______.| A．girls can do as well as boys in any field. | | B．girls need more opportunities in society compared to boys. | | C．girls will follow their parents’ jobs after watching them work. | | D．girls will be more confident than boys due to the special day. |
小题3:A particular mention of Zarina’s story ______.| A．tells what a woman lawyer’s daily work is like | | B．serves as an example of how the Day works. | | C．shows a successful mother’s effect on the daughter. | | D．explains why a girl should go to see mum"s office rather than dad. |
小题4:In the text the writer especially suggests the importance of ______.| A．parents’ job. | | B．support from society. | | C．understanding of the parents. | | D．girls’ self-confidence. |
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⑴ Every language has its own special words and expressions. And a story can be told about each of them. Hot is a simple, easily understood word. So are most of the expressions made with the word hot. But not always, as we shall see.
⑵ The words hot potato, for example, give you no idea at all to the meaning of the expression, hot potato. The potato is popular and many Americans like baked potatoes. Imagine trying to carry a hot potato in your hand. It would be difficult, even painful, to do so. Some publicly argued problems are highly emotional. The problems must be treated carefully, or they will be difficult and painful if an elected official has to deal with them. One such hot potato is taxes. Calling for higher taxes can mean defeat for a politician. And yet, if taxes are not raised, some very popular government programs could be cut. And that also can make a politician very unpopular. The questions must be dealt with carefully, the same way you would handle any other hot potato.
⑶ Another expression is not so hot. If you ask someone how she feels, she may answer “not so hot”. What she means is she does not feel well. Not so hot also is a way of saying you do not really like something. You may tell a friend that the new play you saw last night is not so hot. That means ____________________________.
⑷ A hot shot is a person, often a young person, who thinks he can do anything. He is very sure he can succeed. But often he fails. The expression was born in the military forces. A hot shot was a soldier who fired without aiming carefully.
⑸ Hot is a word that is often used to talk about anger. A person who becomes angry easily is called a hothead. An angry person’s neck often becomes red. We say he is hot under the collar.
小题1:What is the text mainly about? (no more than 8 words)
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小题2:Fill in the blank in Paragraph 3 with a proper sentence. ( no more than 8 words)
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小题3:Which sentence in the text is the closest in meaning to the following one?
As you would deal with other difficult problems, you must be careful with these ones.
__________________________________________________________________________________
小题4:List three situations where “hot” expressions can be used according to the text. (no more than 30 words)
①________________________________________________________________
②________________________________________________________________
③________________________________________________________________
小题5:Translate the underlined sentence in Paragraph 2 into Chinese.
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Jungle(丛林) country is not friendly to man，but it is possible to survive there. You must have the right equipment and you must know a few important things about woodcraft(山林野外知识). Then your chances of staying alive are very good.
No one should go into the jungle without the right equipment. You need lightweight clothing, a good knife, and a compass. Fishhooks and a line，a rifle，matches in a waterproof container and a poncho(雨披) are necessary too. So is a mosquito net(蚊帐) to protect the head.
In the jungle you can get hopelessly lost within five minutes after leaving known landmark(地界碑). That is why you should always carry a compass. In open country during the day, you can tell which way to go by studying the sun. At night the stars are sure guides to direction. But in most places the jungle rooftop is so thick that it is impossible to see the sun or the stars. Again and again you must check your position by the compass.
Keep alert(警惕的). Watch the ground in front of you carefully. Stop and listen now and again. Avoid haste(匆忙), and rest often. In a place that is hot and humid(潮湿的), the person who sets a fast pace will soon become tired. A steady and even pace is wisest in the long run.
If you lose your way, don"t panic. Try to decide how long it has been since you were sure of your position. Mark the spot where you are with blazes on a tree. Put them on four sides of the tree, so that you will be able to see them from any direction. Then you can begin retracing your steps(going back exactly the way you have come), knowing that you can always find the spot from which you started. Except in an emergency, never try to travel the jungle at night.
Whenever possible, it is wise to follow streams and rivers that are going in your general direction. This may cause you many extra miles of travel. But in the end it will save time and energy. Nothing is more exhausting (extremely tiring) than hacking(cutting) a way through unbroken jungle.
Surviving in the jungle is a science. The jungle people have become perfect in this science, and you can too. Learn as much as you can about what to expect in the jungle. Make sure you have the right equipment. Then no part of the jungle will seem completely or frightening. In fact, you will be able to “live off” it for a long time.
小题1:To keep alive in the jungle, you should make it clear that the right equipment is _________.| A．more important than a knowledge of woodcraft | | B．less important than a knowledge of woodcraft | | C．just as important as a knowledge of woodcraft | | D．not as important as a knowledge of woodcraft |
小题2:If you lose your way in the jungle, which of the following can NOT be done? | A．Check your position by the compass again and again. | | B．Decide how long ago it was that you got lost. | | C．Tell which way to go by studying the sun/the stars. | | D．Mark blazes on four sides of a tree and be sure to see them from any direction. |
小题3:The author is strongly against traveling at night probably because __________.| A．one tends to move too slowly at night | | B．some animals will attack you | | C．emergencies occur most frequently at night | | D．it is more difficult to check your position |
小题4:“It is wise to follow streams and rivers”, which will ensure you to _________.| A．avoid animals’ attacks | | B．save many extra miles of travel | | C．avoid hacking a way through unbroken jungle | | D．have a rich supply of drinking water |
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There are many travel destinations across the globe. What confuses a person most is which travel destination to choose. When choosing a destination for a vacation or a trip, you need to decide what that destination has to offer to you. Meanwhile, you should also take many factors into consideration, so that the decision-making will get easy.
The amount of money you want to spend is an important factor and plays an important role in deciding a destination. For example, cities like London, New York, Vegas etc are expensive. On the other hand when you travel to Asia, the cost is generally lower and you don’t need to spend much on traveling, lodging or shopping. Therefore, it is important to estimate your budget before selecting a destination.
When you plan your vacation, another important thing to plan is the number of the days you want to spend. There are many travel destinations in the world that can be covered in a week’s time. Some destinations like Africa, or Maldives beaches can be planned in a week’s time. Some other destinations like New York, Thailand may require more than a few weeks to enjoy completely.
Vacations are also planned according to the company you have. For example, if you travel with your family, then you’ll need a place where you can enjoy with your family members. Similarly, if you are going with friends, a city full of amusement parks, museums, shopping centers will be an ideal(理想的) destination. Therefore you need to consider whom you are going with, before deciding a destination.
小题1:Who are the intended readers of the text?| A．Students majoring in tourism | B．Foreign travelers | | C．travel agencies | D．Travel planners |
小题2:Compared to a journey to Thailand, a journey to New York _______.| A．is more suitable for a group of people | B．will take you a longer time | | C．will cost you more money | D．gives you more fun |
小题3:What is the main factor to be considered mentioned in the last paragraph?| A．Services provided | B．Your partners in traveling | | C．Activities involved in traveling | D．Your budget for a travel |
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