Workplaces all over the UK are preparing for Christmas and all the traditions and customs that come with it. But will this Christmas be a cause of happiness and celebration, or of disappointment and embarrassment?
At this time of year, colleges show their appreciation of each other by doing a “Secret Santa”. Secret Santa involves people who work together buying gifts for each other without saying who they are from.
Co-workers all write their names on pieces of paper, then organize a lottery in which each worker picks a colleague’s name at random. He then has to buy a present for that colleague, usually on a small budget of five or ten pounds.
Since the givers are unknown, the quality of presents can vary greatly. In an Internet survey of Secret Santa presents, the gifts that people received range from tickets to the opera to an air freshener for a car.
Another common workplace tradition is the office Christmas party, at which workmates put on their best clothes and enjoy lots of free wine.
Most parties go without a hitch, but sometimes the alcohol cause party-goers to behave in a way that they later regret.
The BBC invited people to share their most embarrassing Christmas office party stories, and received hundreds of funny ones. For example, a man split his trousers while dancing; a drunken lady spent the whole night with the edge of her dress folded into her pants, and later looked at photos that proved it at work.
But the funniest story must be that of Stuart Vanies, who got so drunk that he put his boss’s head into the toilet. Unsurprisingly, he was fired the very next day.
小題1: How many Christmas traditions are mentioned?

A．One.

B．Two.

C．Three.

D．Four.

小題2: We learn from this article that for Christmas ____________________.

A．few people buy presents for their colleagues in Britain

B．British workers write their names on the presents they give their colleagues

C．people usually give their colleagues presents of high quality

D．British workers buy their presents based on an agreed budget

小題3:The underlined phrase “without a hitch” in the sixth paragraph means _______________.

A．quite smoothly	B．without a result
C．with some difficulty	D．quite unexpectedly

小題4:The examples in the last two paragraphs are to ______________________.

A．show that most British people enjoy drinking wine

B．a(chǎn)dvise readers not to drink wine at parties

C．prove that funny things often happen at office Christmas parties

D．criticize the bad habits of the British

Searching for love is no longer just a favorite subject for songs. It has also become a huge industry. Researchers say the online dating industry in the US earned 649 million dollars in 2006. They expect this number to increase to more than 9 million dollars by 2011.
Experts say that the industry has grown because traditional social ties have weakened. Many young people leave behind a close community of friends and family to find work in bigger cities. People work longer hours, so they have less time to meet new people.
This helps explain the popularity of online dating. Some estimates say120 thousand marriages a year result from matches made on the Internet.
The dating industry has also been expanding in new ways. Many companies offer personalized services for finding the perfect mate. These companies are answering a large demand by single people. They are willing to invest their time and money to find love with carefully planned methods, instead of leaving love to chance.
AskRomeo is a company in Virginia. It provides single people with advice on how to meet a person for the first time.
Also in Virginia, the company True Life Partners provides a more costly and detailed dating service. The company hires a team of professional persons who help couples meet. But this level of service comes at a high price. Men pay thousands of dollars for the service. But women get to take part at no cost.
There are lots of other costs linked to dating. And we wonder how the economic recession(衰退) has affected dating in the US.
小題1:What can we infer from the first paragraph?

A．Songs were only written to express love in the past.

B．Many people will take part in the industry in two thousand eleven.

C．The industry will increase the interest by nine hundred million dollars.

D．Love is not only the soul of some songs but also the heart of an industry now.

小題2:According to the passage, we can know ______.

A．most of the marriages result from the Internet.

B．the dating industry is popular now

C．women won’t spend money when dating

D．single people like love at the first sight now

小題3:The author took AskRomeo and True Life Partners for examples to ______.

A．emphasize the important role of the companies

B．praise the two companies’ good work

C．show how the companies help expand the dating industry

D．show the companies are the base of the industry

小題4: What will the author talk about in the following paragraph?

A．The situation of dating now in the economic recession

B．How to deal with the economic recession

C．What the economic recession is.

D．Whether the cost of dating is decreasing now in the US.

The legal age for drinking alcohol in the Unite States is twenty-one. Underage drinking is a crime but also a common part of college social life. This week in our Foreign Student Series, we look at alcohol rules at American colleges and universities. These rules differ from school to school, but many schools have been moving to strengthen their rules.
The United States has more than 17,000,000 students in higher education. Each year, 1700 of them die from alcohol-related road crashes and other injuries. 600,000 more are injured while under the influence of alcohol. And almost 700,000 are attacked by another drunken.
One behavior that college officials are trying to prevent is too much drink. Some researchers have found that students who think binge drinking(狂飲) is normal often think extremely how much other students really drink. A person can die of alcohol poisoning. At Oklahoma University, a nineteen-year-old student died from drinking heavily at a party in 2005.
Now alcohol is banned from all sorority houses(聯(lián)誼會(huì)會(huì)館) and university housing. Student organizations can serve alcohol at events but only on Friday and Saturday nights. Other new requirements include an alcohol education program that first-year students take online.
The rules govern behavior on campus(大學(xué)校園)and off. With a first violation(違犯)，students pay seventy-five dollars and their parents are told. They must also take an alcohol education class. For a second “strike”, they have to pay one hundred fifty dollars. A third strike means that they have to be suspended school for at least one semester.
Since 2005,363 students have had a first strike. 30 have had a second strike-and only one hasn’t allowed to go to school for one semester. The president at Oklahoma tells us the aim is not just to punish but to change the behavior and culture at the university.
小題1:The first paragraph mainly tells us that            .

A．the legal age at the lowest for drinking alcohol is 21

B．many colleges consider drinking alcohol to be a crime

C．drinking alcohol is a necessary and popular campus culture

D．American colleges and universities have their own alcohol rules

小題2:Every year the number of the students who die or are injured because of alcohol in the USA adds up to about        .

A．17,000,000

B．1,301,700

C．601,700

D．1300,000

小題3:If a student has a third strike, he or she should            .

A．have to stop going to school for a time.

B．be removed to another school

C．be locked at home for a period.

D．be forced to leave school forever.

小題4:Which of the following is TRUE?

A．College students are not allowed to drink alcohol at any time.

B．If students take an alcohol program online, they can drink alcohol.

C．Students having a first strike only receive punishment of fine.

D．Students with a second strike pay twice as much as students with a first strike.

小題5:From the last paragraph we can infer that         .

A．a(chǎn)lcohol rules have no effect on college students

B．drinking alcohol remains a serious problem

C．a(chǎn)lcohol rules aim to change the behavior and culture at the university

D．the number of students drinking alcohol is dropping in one way

A typicalChinese Internet user is a young male who prefers instant messaging to e-mail, favors news, music and games sites and seldom makes online purchases（購物）．According to a study, about two-thirds of survey participants use the Internet for news — often entertainment-related — or for online games．About half download music and movies.
They also tend to prefer instant messaging to e-mail, and they are depending on the Internet more frequently than before to communicate with others who have the same professions, hobbies and political interests．Online purchases still remain unpopular in China．Three-quarters of users surveyed have never bought anything over the Internet, and only 10 percent make purchases even once a month．Among those who do buy online, most pay for entertainment while others buy phone cards, or computer hardware or software.
“Many people don’t trust the quality of goods bought online,” Guo said Wednesday．“If they buy it in a store and don’t like it, they can easily bring it back.”
The survey was done in five major cities: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu and Changsha．Results do not necessarily project countrywide because Internet use in rural areas is lower than in cities．Guo describes the typical netizenin the five cities surveyed as young, male, richer and more highly educated．Males make up two-thirds of the Internet community, and more than 80 percent of users are under 24．Among people ages 25 to 29, 60 percent to 80 percent go online.
China has more than 100 million people online, second in the world to the United States.
小題1:A typical Chinese Internet user may be the one who _________.

A．likes to send e-mails	B．likes to buy goods online
C．likes to pay for entertainment	D．likes the games sites

小題2:Online purchases still remain unpopular in China mainly because _________.

A．it is more difficult for sales returns

B．people haven’t computers

C．it is not convenient to purchase on line

D．a(chǎn)ll goods bought online are of low quality

小題3:Which of the following words fails to describe the typical netizens in the five cities?

A．well educated

B．richer

C．female

D．young

小題4:According to the text, which of the following shows the right relation between online people and their ages?

Ideal for anyone who wants a good time, the Gold Coast is packed with enough fun for everyone in Australia．It's impossible to be bored on the Gold Coast．Below are the attractions;
Dream World
This is a fun place for everyone, whether you are a family with young kids, older kids, or out with your mates．This theme park is actually a series of parks, made up of such places as preschooler heaven Wiggles World and such attractions as Big Brother for inner reality TV fans．Dream World also owns the theme park White Water World．It is possible to buy tickets from Dream World that covers several different parks．
Sea World
Get up close and personal with dolphins, sharks and polar bears．This theme park also offers the right mixture of shows, exhibits, animal fights and thrill rides such as roller coaster．This is a must-see for your Gold Coast adventure．
Warner Bros Movie World
This theme park has the best combination of fast-paced entertainment．Visitors can have fun living as though they're in the movies．Kids will see all their cartoon favourites on parade and in shows．Bigger kids and grown-ups can pretend they're on real movie sets with their favourite action heroes, and then put themselves into some serious action．
How to get there梇ou can easily travel to the Gold Coast by plane．Fly straight into Gold Coast International Airport, or to Brisbane and then catch the '"airtrain" service to the Gold Coast．All of the major airlines have daily flights, some with several per day depending on your departure city．If you want to save money, you can get there by train．
Accommodation—Want something truly unusual? Consider staying in the world's largest residential tower （塔式住宅） and enjoy beautiful views．The accommodation choices on the Gold Coast are just as varied and interesting as the activities, so whether you are a single, couple, family, friends, a large or small group, you will find options perfect for you at TakeABreak．corn．a(chǎn)n．
小題1:From the passage, we know _____．

A．visitors can go t．o the Gold Goast only by air

B．the Gold Coast is famous for its golden beach

C．it is difficult for a family to find a right place to stay

D．the theme park "Sea World" will attract animal lovers

小題2:Which is NOT included in the theme parks?

A．Children can see their favorite cartoons．

B．Visitors have opportunities to take roller coasters．

C．Some famous movie actors often act with visitors．

D．Visitors can share the joy from animals．

小題3:This passage is mainly ______．

A．to describe the theme parks in Australia

B．to draw more visitors to go to the Gold Goast

C．to tell some exciting shows, adventures, etc．

D．to introduce how to get to the Gold Coast

Students and Technology in the Classroom
I love my Blackberry—it’s my little connection to the larger world that can go anywhere with me．I also love my laptop computer，as it holds all of my writing and thoughts．Despite this love of technology, I know that there are times when I need to move away from these devices（設(shè)備） and truly communicate with others．
On occasion, I teach a course called History Matters for a group of higher education managers．My goals for the class include a full discussion of historical themes and ideas．Because I want students to thoroughly study the material and exchange their ideas with each other in the classroom, I have a rule —no laptops, iPads, phones, etc．When students were told my rule in advance of the class, some of them were not happy．
Most students assume that my reasons for this rule include unpleasant experiences in the past with students misusing technology．There’s a bit of truth to that．Some students assume that I am anti-technology．There’s no truth in that at all．I love technology and try to keep up with it so I can relate to my students．
The real reason why I ask students to leave technology at the door is that I think there are very few places in which we can have deep conversations and truly engage complex ideas．Interruptions by technology often break concentration and allow for too much dependence on outside information for ideas．I want students to dig deep within themselves for inspiration and ideas．I want them to push each other to think differently and to make connections between the course material and the class discussion．
I’ve been teaching my history class in this way for many years and the evaluations reflect student satisfaction with the environment that I create．Students realize that with deep conversation and challenge, they learn at a level that helps them keep the course material beyond the classroom．
I’m not saying that I won’t ever change my mind about technology use in my history class, but until I hear a really good reason for the change, I’m sticking to my plan．A few hours of technology-free dialogue is just too sweet to give up．
小題1:Some of the students in the history class were unhappy with______．

A．the course material	B．others’ misuse of technology
C．discussion topics	D．the author’s class regulations

小題2:The underlined word “engage” in Para．4 probably means ______．

A．explore

B．a(chǎn)ccept

C．change

D．reject

小題3:According to the author, the use of technology in the classroom may ____．

A．keep students from doing independent thinking

B．encourage students to have in-depth conversations

C．help students to better understand complex themes

D．a(chǎn)ffect students’ concentration on course evaluation

小題4:It can be inferred from the last paragraph that the author ______．

A．is quite stubborn

B．will give up teaching history

C．will change his teaching plan soon

D．values technology-free dialogues in his class

Nowadays, millions of lonely singles are now going online instead．The World Wide Web is quickly becoming the world’s most popular matchmaker（媒人）．
Singles are flocking（涌向）to the Internet mainly because their busy lifestyles leave them little time to look for a significant other．Using dating sites（約會(huì)網(wǎng)址）is quick and convenient．Many singles say the regular dating scene has just led them from one bad experience to another and are ready to try something else．Dating sites also make it easy to avoid someone you are not interested in．In the real world, however, ignoring someone you don’t like can be difficult．
Despite all the advantages, online dating also presents its own set of problems．People aren’t always those who they declare to be in their online description．Safety is another concern．You are just likely to find a criminal online as you are Mr．Or Miss Right．
Online dating experts recommend following a few safety tips:
Guard your personal information．Never give out your personal information online．This includes your last name, phone number, home address and place of work．
Watch for red flags．Do any of the people you are chatting with make disrespectful comments? Do they try to control you? Do they give false information about themselves? If so, forget them!
Meet in a safe place．When meeting someone in person, choose a public location with other people around．
Following these tips and you might be able to find the person of your dreams．
小題1:The underlined words in the second paragraph “a significant other” mean “________”．

A．a(chǎn) true friend

B．a(chǎn) matchmaker

C．a(chǎn) marriage partner

D．a(chǎn) happy family

小題2:According to the passage, many lonely singles don’t appreciate the regular dating scene because it is
_________．

A．unpopular	B．troublesome
C．convenient	D．forgettable

小題3:From this passage, we can infer that ____________．

A．there are mostly homely and unemployed people online

B．the police had better find criminals online

C．we can find love only through the dating sites

D．following safety tips ensures a safe online dating experience.

小題4:Which of the following is NOT a suitable place for meeting someone you get to know through the Internet for the first time?

A．At his / her house．	B．At the museum．
C．At McDonald’s．	D．At the bookstore．

New rules will let millions of Americans know where more of their food comes from．The law is known as COOL—Country of Origin Labeling．
American Congress first passed the law in 2002．Stores have had to label seafood by country of origin since 2005．But industry pressure delayed other requirements until last week．
Products that must now be labeled include fresh fruits and vegetables, muscle meats and some kinds of nuts．But the rules are complex, and many foods are excluded．For example, organ meats are free to be labeled．So are processed foods, including cooked or smoked food．
The United States has imported more and more food in recent years to save money and expand choices．Country-of-origin labeling has become more common lately but has still been limited in many stores．
Food safety is one reason why some shoppers pay close attention to where foods came from．For example, when a large number of people recently got sick from salmonella（沙門菌病）, officials blamed peppers from Mexico．Yet the last big food scare involved spinach （菠菜） grown in California．But labeling is also a way for people to know they are getting what they want．Some want to buy local foods or foods from a particular country．
The country-of-origin labeling law gives stores 30 days to correct any violations that are found．Stores and suppliers that are found to be deliberately violating the law could be fined 1000 dollars per violation．Federal inspectors are not to take action to enforce the law for six months to give time for an education campaign．
Some food safety activists say they are generally pleased with the law．They call it a good step that will give people more useful information．
小題1:Why has more and more food been imported to the United States in recent years?

A．Because it is economical and provides people with more choices．

B．Because the United States is short of food supply．

C．Because Americans need more and more food recently．

D．Because foreign food is of higher quality than native food．

小題2:What’s the regulation in the new rules?

A．Stores have to label food by its producing date from now on．

B．The country-of-origin labeling has to be marked on more food．

C．Stores have to label seafood by country of origin．

D．Labeling of food should include more useful information．

小題3:The new rules of the country-of-origin labeling law will come into effect ______．

A．right now	B．in a month
C．in three months	D．in half a year

小題4:Consumers are more concerned about where foods came from because ______．

A．they are curious about the country of the food origin

B．they are particular about the tastes of the food

C．they are concerned about food safety and want to get what they want

D．most of the shoppers are food safety activists themselves

At the moment when looking round the world, all kinds of dance performances are being offered. There are competitions that claim to be a World Cup or World Championship, and the young dancer or the dance teacher who wants to enter his students might be quite confused. Which is which? Which is of high standard and good quality, and which is not worth going to? First of all it has clearly got to be distinguished between the different styles of dance and the purpose of such competitions. When a person wants to learn classical ballet, he or she would never dream of going to a ballroom teacher. Such a teacher might even have been world champion in his ballroom dancing, but he would definitely not be qualified in teaching proper classical ballet.
People in Britain and the USA are taking more interest in modern dance. Dance classes of all kinds are popular; the audiences going to watch modern dance companies are also larger. And perhaps the most popular modern dance company in Britain is the Ballet Rambert.
The Ballet Rambert is Britains’ oldest established dance company which began in 1926. In the 60 s the company lacked the money to go on staging big productions. The directors wanted to encourage new talent and to keep up their high standards. A change of direction was necessary. They decided to give the ballet a ‘new look” in 1966. The aim was to provide a chance for new talent – for musicians and designers as well as dancers – and to show dance as a contemporary art form. And although some of the company’s previous fans dislike the change, new audiences came to see the productions.
The modern dance pieces and modern music found unexpected popularity. In the 21 st century the Ballet Rambert was a great success in London’s West End. The company became a focus for new, progressive talent in the art.
Then, the Ballet Ramvert started to introduce young people to modern dance by giving performances at schools, which again, was a success.
The Ballet Rambert has managed to make modern dance popular while creating original and often avant – garde (標(biāo)新立異) productions. It can claim to be the oldest dance company in Britain and at the same time one of the most modern!
小題1:If a person wants to learn classical ballet, he or she will go to         .

A．the Ballet Rambert	B．a(chǎn) ballroom teacher
C．a(chǎn) world champion	D．a(chǎn) qualified school

小題2:The underlined phrase “new talent” in Para. 3 probably means         .

A．new programs	B．new audiences
C．a(chǎn)vant – garde productions	D．skilled young dancers

小題3:From the passage we know that the Ballet Rambert          .

A．has succeeded in making modern dance popular

B．wanted to become the oldest dance company

C．was once a popular dance company

D．changed old dance into new ones

小題4:This passage is mainly about          .

A．the popularity of modern dance

B．the introduction to new modern dancers

C．the development of the Ballet Rambert

D．the high standard of dance performances

Parents, our first teachers, play a highly significant role in our lives．However, doesn't it seem that many of us come to have conflicts with them when we start high school? We're less likely to listen to them and take their suggestions—we even rebel against them．
Why? It may be the so-called "generation gap"．A generation gap appears when we begin to feel our parents
are ignoring us, don't understand us, and we feel we can no longer share our feelings with them．
The key reason is our desire for independence．In senior high school, we start to want to take responsibility for our own lives and make our own decisions．But parents resist this．They still want to control us and try to force us to do things they think we should do．Debate and discussion often come to nothing．Gradually, we talk with them less, and keep our feelings locked up inside．
Zhang Xiaoyun, 16, of Ningbo, Zhejiang, has talked less and less with her mother since she started senior high school．"She believes studies should be my priority, not my inner world," Zhang said．"Each day, she asks me the same old questions like, 'How was your last exam? or 'Have you made any progress in physics?" To Zhang, these questions are annoying and so she always tries to ignore them and answers perfunctorily．"Sometimes, when I get upset, I quarrel with her．After, she comes to apologize and comfort me．But I know, she doesn't completely understand me," Zhang said．Now, a home that was once full of laughter has fallen into gloom and silence．
The generation gap can be harmful．Because of the lack of communication, our parents no longer know what we are thinking about．There are quarrels, even over trivial things．When that happens, we may not be able to concentrate on our studies．Some of us even become afraid to go home after school— a very serious situation for the whole family．
小題1:Which of the following is not included in article?

A．The causes of generation gap．	B．The effects of generation gap．
C．One example of generation gap．	D．Ways of narrowing generation gap．

小題2:Which of the following is one reason for the generation gap according to the passage?

A．Modern society changing very fast．

B．Parents having unrealistic hopes of their children．

C．Parents and kids not understanding and respecting each other．

D．Young people liking to escape from the control of their parents．

小題3:Which of the following word has the closet meaning to the underlined word "perfunctorily"?

A．a(chǎn)ttentively	B．indifferently
C．flatteringly	D．seriously

小題4:In the view of the author,____．

A．parents should allow their children more freedom

B．parents and children should not stay together

C．the younger generation should value the older generation

D．a(chǎn)cademic records are more important than one's inner world