Most people buy a lot of gifts just before Christmas. But some people think we b
题型：不详难度：来源：
Most people buy a lot of gifts just before Christmas. But some people think we buy too much. They have started a special day called Buy Nothing Day. They don’t want anyone to go shopping on that day.
Buy Nothing Day is November 29. It’s 25 days before Christmas. It’s after Thanksgiving Day and often the first day of Christmas shopping. At this time, we see ads in Newspapers and on TV telling us to “buy, buy, buy!”
The idea for Buy Nothing Day started in Vancouver, British Columbia. Now people all over the world celebrate Buy Nothing Day. In California, parents and children get together to read stories, sing songs, and paint pictures. The children talk about why they don’t need a lot of toys. This year, in Manchester, England, people dressed up in costumes(统一服装) to tell people that we buy too much.
In Albuquerque, New Mexico, high school students wanted to tell other students about Buy Nothing Day. They organized a spaghetti dinner to give people information about Buy Nothing Day. They asked restaurants in the neighborhood to donate（捐赠） the food. They made posters and talked to other students about it. The dinner was a big success, and many students agreed not to buy anything on November 29. The students at high schools liked the idea of this new tradition. Next year, they want to have another dinner to tell more people about Buy Nothing Day!
小题1:Which of the following is NOT the day for people to celebrate Buy Nothing Day?| A．November 29. | B．25 days before Christmas. | | C．After Thanksgiving. | D．The first day after Christmas. |
小题2:People usually buy many gifts_______.| A．before Thanksgiving | B．on Christmas | | C．before Christmas | D．anytime |
小题3:How do people celebrate Buy Nothing Day?| A．In California, parents and children get together to play games. | | B．In England, people celebrate by performing plays. | | C．In Mexico, high school students dress up. | | D．They buy nothing and persuade others not to buy things. |
小题4:What did the students do in New Mexico for the day?| A．They donated the food of their own. | | B．They talked to others about it. | | C．They made some slogans（标语口号） for it. | | D．They organized a luxurious（奢华的） dinner. |
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答案
小题1:D
小题2:C
小题3:D
小题4:B |
解析
试题分析：本文讲述了Buy Nothing Day的由来和发展过程，以及在这一天人们的庆祝方式等具体细节。
小题1:D 细节题。根据第二段Buy Nothing Day is November 29. It’s 25 days before Christmas. It’s after Thanksgiving Day and often the first day of Christmas shopping.说明ABC3项都符合要求，D项错误。
小题2:C 细节题。根据第1段1,2行Most people buy a lot of gifts just before Christmas. But some people think we buy too much.说明人们认为在圣诞节的时候我们买了太多的东西。故C正确。
小题3:D 推理题。根据第3段Now people all over the world celebrate Buy Nothing Day. In California, parents and children get together to read stories, sing songs, and paint pictures. The children talk about why they don’t need a lot of toys. This year, in Manchester, England, people dressed up in costumes(统一服装) to tell people that we buy too much.说明世界各地的人们都在这一天举行各种活动，说服别人不要多买东西，故D正确。
小题4:B 细节题。根据最后一段第3行They made posters and talked to other students about it. 说明墨西哥的学生在这一天与别人进行交谈，说服别人不要买东西。故B项正确。
点评：本文讲述了Buy Nothing Day的由来和发展过程，以及在这一天人们的庆祝方式等具体细节。要求考生有一定的跨文化意识，以直接事实题的考查为主，在解答这类问题时要求学生抓住题干文字信息，采用针对性方法进行阅读，因为这类题的答案在文章中可以直接找到。 |
举一反三
Community theatre is a theatre that is run by a local district with the efforts of volunteers. They offer many different kinds of productions, such as musical theatre, dance theatre and children’s theatre. Usually, performers are amateurs who receive no pay, but at other times professionals get involved, and they are paid. Community theatres of today are a little different from the old “little theatres”, as most simply run by colleges and their theatre Community theatres are a great way to get involved with local actors. Now, most theatres that put on shows that will entertain or benefit the community.
In the 1880s, “little theatre’’ was started in Europe so that poor people could see theatrical productions without having to travel far or pay a lot. In 1910, this idea traveled to the United States. In the early years, community theatres were even funded by the government, but when shows became too political, government funding was stopped.
Community theatres of today are a little different from the old “little theatres”, as mist simply want to infuse(注入)little culture into the lives of the local citizens. In many cases, these theatres are run by colleges and their theatre departments. These productions are often free of charge, or charge very little money to pay for costumes and other incidental expenses. Many also encourage the participation of children and other young people to let them develop theatrical skills, as well as to keep them busy so that they do not do choose to get into trouble. Additionally, for those who desire strongly to become professional actors and to one day get a chance to act in a national theatre production, it is an exciting place to learn and develop theatrical skills.
小题1:Why was “little theatre” started in Europe?| A．To put on shows for children. | | B．To collect money for poor people. | | C．To entertain poor people. | | D．To get people interested in theatrical productions. |
小题2:From the passage we know that community theatres can _____.| A．help young people ,make more money | | B．prevent young people getting into trouble | | C．help young people enter the colleges | | D．encourage young people to become more responsible |
小题3:Which of the following is TRUE about community theatre?| A．It is usually funded by the government. | | B．It is intended to train professional actors. | | C．It benefits the community in many ways. | | D．It is quite different from the old “little theatres”. |
小题4:We can infer from the last paragraph that _____.| A．some professional actors may come from the community theatres | | B．community theatres only charge for incidental expenses | | C．community theatres have lost their attraction today | | D．people can live by acting in the community theatres |
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When Steve Maxwell graduated from college, he had an engineering degree and a high tech job — but he couldn’t balance his checkbook. “I took one finance class in college but dropped it to go on a ski trip,” says the 45-year-old father of three, who lives in Windsor, Colorado. “I actually had to go to my bank and ask them to teach me how to read my statement.”
One of the biggest obstacles to making money is not understanding it: Thousands of us avoid investing because we just don’t get it. But to make money, you must be financially literate. “It bothered me that I didn’t understand this stuff,” says Steve, “so I read books and magazines about money management and investing, and I asked every financial whiz (能手) I knew to explain things to me.”
He and his wife started applying the lessons: They made a point to live below their means. They never bought on impulse, always negotiated better deals (on their cars，cable bills, furniture) and stayed in their home long after they went for an expensive vacation. They also put 20 percent of their annual salary into investments.
Within ten years, they were millionaires, and people were coming to Steve for advice. “Someone would say, ‘I need to refinance my house — what should I do? ‘A lot of times, I wouldn’t know the answer, but I’d go to find it and learn something in the process,” he says.
In 2003, Steve quit his job to become part owner of a company that holds personal finance seminars for employees of corporations like Wal Mart. He also started going to real estate investment seminars, and it’s paid off: He now owns $ 30 million worth of investment properties, including apartment complexes, a shopping mall and a quarry.
“I was an engineer who never thought this life was possible, but all it truly takes is a little self education,” says Steve. “You can do anything once you understand the basics.”
小题1:The underlined part “live below their means” (in Paragraph 3) probably means “______”.| A．take effective measures | B．live a miserable life | | C．spend more money than they had | D．spend less money than they had |
小题2:Since Steve Maxwell became a millionaire, he ______.| A．has been unwilling to help others | | B．hasn’t stopped learning from practice | | C．has been willing to follow others’ advice | | D．has stopped to invest in houses |
小题3:What would be the best title for the passage?| A．A self made engineer | | B．How to balance your checkbook | | C．Don’t avoid investing | | D．Educate yourself to become a millionaire |
小题4:It can be inferred from the passage that ______.| A．self education is very important to one’s life | | B．everyone should learn how to invest in their life | | C．Steve Maxwell was quite interested in finance classes in college | | D．Steve became rich because he saved every penny he had earned |
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One important variable affecting communication across cultures is destiny (命运) and personal responsibility. This refers to the degree to which we feel ourselves the masters of our lives, contrary to the degree to which we see ourselves as subject to things outside our control. Another way to look at this is to ask how much we see ourselves able to change and act, to choose the course of our lives and relationships. Some have drawn a parallel between the personal responsibility in North American settings and the view itself. The North American view is vast, with large spaces of unpopulated land. The frontier attitude of “King” of the wilderness, and the expansiveness of the land reaching huge distances, may relate to generally high levels of confidence in the ability to shape and choose our destinies.
In this expansive land, many children grow up with a heroic sense of life, where ideas are big, and hope springs forever. When they experience temporary failures, they are encouraged to redouble their efforts, to “Try, try again.” Action, efficiency, and achievement are valued and expected. Free will is respected in laws and enforced by courts.
Now consider places in the world with much smaller land, whose history reflects wars and tough struggles: Northern Ireland, Mexico, Israel, Palestine. In these places, destiny’s role is more important in human life. In Mexico, there is a history of hard life, fighting over land, and loss of homes. Mexicans are more likely to see struggles as part of their life and unavoidable. Their passive attitude is expressed in their way of responding to failure or an accident by saying “ni modo” (“no way” or “tough lick”), meaning that the failure was destined.
This variable is important to understanding cultural conflicts. If someone believing in free will crosses paths with someone more passive, miscommunication is likely. The first person may expect action and responsibility. Failing to see it, he may conclude that the second is lazy, not cooperative, or dishonest. The second person will expect respect for the natural order of things. Failing to see it, he may conclude that the first is forcible, rude, or big headed in his ideas of what can be accomplished or changed.
小题1:The author thinks that one’s character is partly determined by ________.| A．physical senses | B．general attitude | | C．financial background | D．geographic characteristics |
小题2:According to the passage, Mexicans would think that Americans are ________.| A．impractical | B．dishonest | C．ambitious | D．hesitant |
小题3:The underlined word “subject” in Paragraph 1 probably means ________.| A．a topic of a discussion | B．a branch of knowledge | | C．a person being experimented on | D．a person under the power of others |
小题4:The author would probably agree that ________.| A．vast land may lead to a more controllable desire | | B．heroic sense of life roots deeply in a small country | | C．living in limited space contributes to an accepting attitude | | D．fighting over land helps people gain high levels of confidence |
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Some novels simply entertain and others contain a powerful message in the story line and characters. In his first novel, A Wind In Montana, Mitch Davies tells a story about young adults and how they accept responsibility for their lives.
A Wind In Montana is a marvelous tale of two teenagers, Rory Coleman and Victoria Beach, high school students at the same school, who struggle to make the right decision for themselves. As each of them nears adulthood, they become more concerned with the future and setting goals that will bring them happiness and fulfillment.
Without any advice from his parents, Rory chooses to pursue a profession in chemistry, applies for a chemistry scholarship, and determines to do everything he can to achieve it. Along the path, Rory finds that even though he has a plan, there are obstacles that could prevent him from realizing his goals. Victoria’s struggles are different from Rory’s. Although her father has decided that she should become a professional musician, Victoria has other plans for her life. Together, Rory and Victoria attempt to follow their dreams, despite the obstacles in their paths. A Wind In Montana contains a lesson for all teens about to enter adulthood － that disappointment and setbacks (挫折) are going to occur no matter how determined they are and that they need to develop skills along the way that will help them deal with them effectively.
There are so many major decisions facing teens today －social, parents, other influencing adults and school work － and there’s no guarantee that their plans will succeed, even if they make the so-called “right” decisions. A Wind In Montana explores how two teenagers struggle with their own unique decisions and how the choices they make affect their lives.
Mitch Davies’ book stands out among today’s teen books that deal with imaginary situations. A Wind In Montana is a real story about real people facing real-life situations. It’s entertaining and also helps readers think about their own lives and offers various ways to handle situations that may arise.
小题1:According to the passage, both Rory and Victoria _____.| A．have a strong sense of self | B．work hard at their courses | | C．go against their parents | D．get along well with others |
小题2:The third paragraph is mainly about _____.| A．the value of A Wind In Montana | | B．Mitch Davies’ achievements | | C．Mitch Davies’ writing style | | D．the content of A Wind In Montana |
小题3:Unlike other teen books, A Wind In Montana ______.| A．involves some imaginary situations | | B．is based on real-life experiences | | C．focuses on responsibilities teens should take | | D．discusses the future of young adults |
小题4:What’s the purpose of the passage?| A．To speak highly of an author. | B．To report a piece of news. | | C．To review a book | D．To collect materials for a book. |
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Mo Yan"s Nobel Prize in Literature soon aroused public curiosity of the 57-year-old Chinese writer: Why was it he that was favored by the Swedish Academy? Chinese media seemed to be 36 as some journalists were reported to be on their way overnight to Gaomi City, Shandong, Mo"s 37 where he stayed with his family.
Born in 1955 into a rural family, Mo 38 out of school and became a farmer when he was a(n) 39. He joined the military and devoted himself to 40 after Chinese literary circles started rethinking deeply the Cultural Revolution.
Mo"s novel "Big Breasts & Wide Hips" tells a story of a mother who struggled and suffered 41 and tangled (缠结的) fates with Chinese people in the 20th century. His more recent work "Frog" more directly 42 China"s one-child family policy, which helped 43 the country"s population explosion 44 brought tragedies to farmers in the past 60 years.
"I think the reason why I could win the 45 is that my works present lives with unique Chinese 46 , and they also tell stories from a viewpoint of 47 human beings, which goes beyond differences of nations and races," Mo said to Chinese journalists. Mo also said many 48 arts originated from his hometown, such as clay sculpture, paper cuts, traditional new-year paintings, have 49 and influenced his novels.
Mo"s prize may give powerful encouragement to the country"s writers as the more 50 of Chinese lives their works are, the more possible they 51 as a world literature.
As the world"s fast-developing country with a long history, China will 52 meet conflicts with western civilizations.__53_, the country faces internally a wide gap between the rich and the poor, 54 environment pollution and an aging population. Paying more attention to such 55 , Chinese writers may create more works that record the nation"s journey to rejuvenation(复兴).With more Chinese writers like Mo, the world could learn a more real China. Perhaps, this is another reason for the Swedish Academy"s choice. (words:338)
| 小题1: | | A．astonished | B．ashamed | C．embarrassed | D．disappointed |
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| 小题2: | | A．business | B．birthplace | C．bookstore | D．workplace |
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| 小题3: | | A．escaped | B．ran | C．dropped | D．moved |
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| 小题4: | | A．adult | B．citizen | C．parent | D．teenager |
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| 小题5: | | A．training | B．writing | C．farming | D．speaking |
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| 小题6: | | A．hardship | B．unemployment | C．disease | D．accident |
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| 小题7: | | A．adapted | B．supported | C．criticized | D．praised |
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| 小题8: | | A．destroy | B．cause | C．increase | D．control |
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| 小题10: | | A．prize | B．game | C．respect | D．profit |
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| 小题11: | | A．customs | B．institutions | C．characteristics | D．feelings |
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| 小题12: | | A．particular | B．usual | C．strange | D．common |
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| 小题13: | | A．advanced | B．elegant | C．folk | D．royal |
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| 小题14: | | A．inspired | B．interrupted | C．prevented | D．processed |
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| 小题15: | | A．imaginative | B．reflective | C．appreciative | D．productive |
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| 小题16: | | A．admire | B．arise | C．fail | D．lack |
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| 小题17: | | A．uncertainly | B．unbearably | C．unavoidably | D．unacceptably |
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| 小题18: | | A．Otherwise | B．Therefore | C．However | D．Meanwhile |
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| 小题19: | | A．worsening | B．softening | C．deepening | D．widening |
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| 小题20: | | A．suggestions | B．plans | C．arguments | D．problems |
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