Chinese New Year for Kids

Chinese New Year for Kids is a full color paperback book with beautiful Chinese illustrations (插圖). This is a hands-on workbook for parents and teachers, written for children from ages 3 to 12 years old, for use in the classroom or at home. Music, physical movement, art, and food all add to the atmosphere of taking an imaginary trip to China during the Chinese New Year.

The Polar Express

One couldn't select a more delightful and exciting premise (前提) for a children's book than the tale of a young boy lying awake on Christmas Eve only to have Santa Claus sweep by and take him on a trip with other children to the North Pole. And one couldn’t ask for a more talented artist and writer to tell the story than Chris Van Allsburg.

The Secret of Saying Thanks

Perhaps you’d like to know a secret, one of the happiest ones of all. You'll discover it all on your own, maybe when you least expect. If you’ve not yet discovered the secret of saying thanks, it’s waiting for you. The secret can be found in the sunrise that offers promises for the day ahead, or in the gentle shade of a tree sheltering you from the hot rays of the sun.

The Runaway Pumpkin

When Buck, Billy and their little sister Lily spy the biggest pumpkin they've ever seen, they can't resist (抵制). Buck and Billy try to roll the pumpkin down the hill to show everyone, but it’s too big! Before they know it, it’s rolling out of control down the hillside. It knocks over Grandpa Baxter and makes him think of pumpkin soup. And when Poppa Baxter finally stops, all he can think of is pumpkin bread.

1.We can infer from the passage that Chinese New Year for Kids ________.

A. helps readers to learn about Chinese culture

B. is helpful for foreigners to travel to China.

C. is very popular with readers all over the world

D. introduces a lot of outdoor activities.

2. If you buy a copy of The Runaway Pumpkin on Amazon. com, you can save ________.

A. 30% B. 40% C. 60% D. 70%

3. The author wrote the passage mainly to ________.

A. offer us some advice on shopping

B. tell us some interesting stories

C. compare some books’ information

D. introduce some children’s books

Larry Ritsema was out for an early morning jog around his neighborhood one day. On a quiet street, he began to feel weak. Suddenly, everything went black. Larry fell to the ground.

Less than a minute later, Tom Alguire passed by on his bicycle. He caught sight of a man lying on the roadside, so he jumped off his bike and ran over. He recognized Larry immediately, because he had been Larry’s doctor for nearly 20 years.

Dr. Tom felt for a pulse (脈搏) at first. Finding none, he began to give Larry first aid. It wouldn’t restart Larry’s heart, but it would keep the blood flowing until someone else arrived. Tom could only hope someone would come by soon, at around six o’clock in the morning on a holiday weekend. Tom couldn’t stop pressing Larry’s chest to run for help — Larry’s brain cells would die without the blood. And Tom didn’t have a cell phone with him.

Soon, a car did drive by. But the driver ignored Tom’s appeal for help. What was he going to do? Tom was very worried. Finally, another car came down the road, driven by Michael Saliot, a U.S. Coast Guard Officer. Michael wasn’t one to pass up a chance to help a person in need. He quickly dialed 911.

Doctors then found that Larry had suffered a heart attack and there were severe blockages in two of Larry’s major arteries (動脈). Only the timely arrival of Dr. Tom saved his life.

How did Dr. Tom happen to be bicycling that morning, down that quiet street? It turned out that as Tom rode, his bike chain fell off. He spent about eight minutes fitting it back; otherwise, he would have seen nothing of Larry’s problem.

1.Doctor Tom gave Larry first aid in order to _____.

A. wake up Larry

B. keep Larry’s blood flowing

C. restart Larry’s pulse

D. stop Larry from bleeding

2.Why didn’t Tom call 911 for help?

A. He couldn’t stop pressing Larry’s chest.

B. He didn’t take a cell phone with him.

C. He was so nervous that he forgot to do it.

D. He was waiting for someone else for help.

3.Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?

A. Larry Ritsema went to work early by bike that morning.

B. Tom Alguire saw Larry when Larry fell to the ground.

C. Michael Saliot was a man always ready to help others.

D. Tom fitted his bike chain back after Larry was sent to hospital.

4.According to the last paragraph, which of the following words can be used to describe Larry in his incident?

A. Surprising B. Tragic C. Smart D. Lucky

Loneliness is like a disease, and what's worse, it's contagious．It can spread from one person to another, according to the recent research that stresses the power of one person's emotions to affect even people he doesn’t know．

The new analysis, involving 4,793 people who were interviewed every two years between 2005 and 2015, showed that a friend of a lonely person was 52％ more likely to develop feelings of loneliness by the time of the next interview．A friend of that person was 25％ more likely, and a friend of a friend of a friend was 15％ more likely．

“Loneliness is not just the property of an individual．It can be transmitted across people—even people you don't have direct contact with,” said John T．Cacioppo, a psychologist of the University of Chicago who led the study published in the December issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology．

Loneliness has been linked to medical problems, including depression, sleep problems and generally poorer physical health．Identifying some of the causes could help reduce the emotion and improve health, experts said．

Although the study did not examine how loneliness spreads, Cacioppo said another research has provided clues．“Let's say for whatever reason you get lonely．You then interact with other people in a more negative fashion．That puts them in a negative mood and makes them more likely to interact with other people in a negative fashion and they minimize their social ties and become lonely,” Cacioppo said．

According to Cacioppo, loneliness spread more easily among women than men, perhaps because women were more likely to express emotions．

Lonely people become less and less trusting others．This makes it more and more difficult for them to make friends－and more likely that society will reject them．Therefore, it is important to recognize and deal with loneliness．Cacioppo emphasizes people who have been pushed to the edges of society should receive help to repair their social networks．

1. It can be concluded from the first paragraph that ______.

A. Loneliness is actually a kind of disease．

B. More and more people are suffering from loneliness.

C. Loneliness spreads in social networks．

D. Emotions are only transmitted between friends.

2.According to Cacioppo, lonely people________．

A. will probably be deserted by society

B. are more likely to trust others

C. are less likely to be rejected by friends

D. rely heavily on others

3.The word “minimize” in Paragraph 5 is closest in meaning to “________”.

A. increase B. keep

C. create D. reduce

4.Which should lonely people do to get rid of loneliness?

A. Refuse the help given by others.

B. Admit and try to solve it.

C. Interact with others more negatively.

D. Express emotions more often.

In 1996, John Tierney suggested in the New York Times Magazine article that “recycling is garbage.” He wrote, “The money spent on recycling programs should have been spent on real social and environmental problems. Recycling programs not only increase energy use and pollution, but also cost more money than the disposal (處理) of plain old garbage. Recycling may be the most wasteful activity in modern America.”

Environmental groups were quick to express their disagreement. They wrote reports on how recycling programs in cities can reduce pollution and cost less than regular garbage pickup and disposal. Michael Shapiro, an official of the US Environmental Protection Agency(EPA), said that “recycling can be good value for money, although there’s still room for improvements.”

But in 2002, New York City, a pioneer of recycling, found that its recycling program was losing money, so it stopped glass and plastic recycling. Other major cities watched closely to see how New York was dealing with its remaining program (the city never stopped paper recycling). But then it closed its last landfill (垃圾填埋地), and private companies out of New York raised prices due to the increased workload of carrying away and disposing New York’s garbage. As a result, glass and plastic recycling became profitable for the city again, and New York brought the program back. According to Cecil Adams of The Chicago Reader, the lessons learned by New York are relevant everywhere. He believes that, if managed correctly, recycling programs should cost cities less than garbage disposal.

Even though the benefits of recycling over disposal are many, keep in mind that it better serves the environment to “reduce and reuse” before recycling is even considered as a choice.

1.Why did John Tierney think “recycling is garbage”?

A. Because he considered recycling a wasteful activity.

B. Because he didn’t think recycling was a new idea.

C. Because he found few people would like to recycle.

D. Because he didn’t like the environmental groups.

2.Which argument was put forward by the environmental groups?

A. Recycling technologies are mature.

B. Recycling programs save money.

C. Recycling programs cause pollution.

D. Recycling technologies are valueless.

3.Why did other cities watch closely to see how New York was doing?

A. Because New York was doing extremely well.

B. Because they didn’t want to have a recycling program

C. Because they felt worried about the waste of money.

D. Because New York was running a new recycling program.

4.Which of the following would the author most probably recommend?

A. Always bring your own shopping bag when you go shopping.

B. Always put your shopping bag into the dustbin after use.

C. Never go shopping where shopping bags are offered for free.

D. Never use a shopping bag which is not recycled.

根據短文內容，從短文后的選項中選出能填入空白處的最佳選項，選項中兩項為多余選項。

Holiday gift buying can feel a little empty, when all of those endless lists, long lines at the shopping center and dollars spent lead to a 5-minute excitement of flying wrapping paper. 1. The following tips can help make gift giving more meaningful for both the giver and the receiver.

1. Know the person

The most important thing in the exchanging of gifts is that it shows that you really know the person well, and you really care about him. 2.

2. Donate in their name

3. Research suggests that happier people give more to others, and that giving more makes people happier. Moreover, charity-related happiness is highest when people give in a way that promotes social connection. So, try giving to the less fortunate in someone's name this holiday season.

3. Give handmade goods or hand-me-downs

4. A study suggests that people feel that homemade items show more love, and love is what they want to express to the gift receiver.

Family heirlooms(傳家寶) may be another good gift option. A 2009 study found that when families hand down even a very depersonalized thing — money — to the generations, the symbolic value of the cash is greater than the numerical value alone.

4. Provide chances for participation

If there's a golden rule of gifts, though, it's this: 5. People who receive experiential gifts, such as concert tickets or a zoo membership, feel more connected to the gift giver than people who received material gifts.

A. Give experiences rather than objects.

B. But it doesn't have to be that way.

C. Giving gifts to friends or to charity is linked to happiness.

D. That is always beyond their expectation.

E. That means catering to another’s pleasure.

F. Start listing every person you plan to give a holiday gift to.

G. The new and store-bought is not always best.

完形填空

閱讀下面短文，從短文后各題所給的四個選項（A、B、C、D）中，選出可以填入空白處的最佳選項，并在答題卡上將該項涂黑。

My father sold everything we owned, took all the money and disappeared from our lives. My mother suddenly found herself _________ to care for five boys. I worried about the situation, but my mother stayed _________ , and assured us that she would keep us together as a _________ and safe from harm. Although small in size, she could _________ heavy horse-drawn plows（犁）. Besides, she _________ found time to help us with homework.

As Christmas approached, my mother didn’t seem to smile as much. I _________ She had no money to buy us presents. Considering myself practically grown, I hid my _________ .

One day, my mother took a saw(鋸) into the forest and _________ with some tree branches. She left them in the barn(畜棚) and didn’t tell her _________ children what they were for. She worked on her project _________ I was in school, but I looked _________ into the barn when I had a chance. Several days later, I still couldn’t _________ her purpose. When later I saw she used nail and paint, I _________ that she must be making presents.

By Christmas week, my mother was her _________ happy self again. Her project was apparently _________ , and she obviously kept it secret because I’d looked everywhere without _________ .

On Christmas Eve, I lay awake for a long time, _________ Christmas morning.

The next morning, my mother handed out the handmade presents happily in front of her delighted kids. Many difficult years would follow that particular Christmas, but I never again doubted my mother’s _________to care for us. We were never hungry, and she make sure we got a(n) _________ in school. She taught us to have faith in our own abilities. That faith _________ me still.

1.A. alone B. hopeful C. responsible D. unable

2.A. active B. positive C. depressed D. devoted

3.A. team B. promise C. secret D. family

4.A. maintain B. handle C. repair D. take

5.A. just B. yet C. ever D. even

6.A. witnessed B. complained C. remembered D. realized

7.A. puzzlement B. excitement C. disappointment D. embarrassment

8.A. returned B. departed C. injured D. escaped

9.A. naughty B. lovely C. curious D. nervous

10.A. while B. after C. before D. because

11.A. casually B. secretly C. occasionally D. anxiously

12.A. pick out B. bring out C. figure out D. point out

13.A. swore B. concluded C. suggested D. admitted

14.A. normal B. regular C. typical D. unique

15.A. creative B. challengeable C. complete D. awkward

16.A. difficulty B. success C. delay D. hesitation

17.A. supposing B. avoiding C. scheduling D. expecting

18.A. determination B. decision C. belief D. ability

19.A. education B. welcome C. recognition D. praise

20.A. comforts B. supports C. guarantees D. surprises

I was never very neat, while my roommate Mary was extremely organized. Each of her 1.____（object）had its place, but mine always hid somewhere. She even labeled (貼標簽）everything. I always looked for everything. She would push my dirty clothing over and I would lay my books on her tidy desk. We both got tired of each other. Finally, a war broke out one evening. Mary warned me against 2.___(put) my shoes under her bed. Suddenly, I saw my shoes flying at me. I jumped to my feet and started yelling. She yelled back louder.

The room was filled 3.___ anger. We could not have stayed together for 4.___ single minute but for a phone call. Mary answered 5.___. From her end of the conversation，I could tell right away her grandma was seriously ill. When she hung up, she quickly crawled (爬)under her covers, sobbing. 6.___(obvious), that was something she should not go through alone.

I realized that I should do something7.___(show) my concern. Slowly, I collected the pencils, took back the books, made my bed, cleaned the socks and swept the floor, even on her side. I got so into my work that I even didn’t notice Mary was watching .She8.___(reach) out her hands to grasp mine. I looked up into 9._（she）eyes. She smiled at me, “Thanks.”

Mary and I stayed roommates for the rest of the year. We didn’t always agree, 10.___ we learned the key to living together：giving in, cleaning up and holding on.

短文改錯

Hi Eva,

Sorry that I haven’t been in the touch for a while. But I catch cold last week, and I’ve been in bed for four day. I’m feeling better today. Lucky my classes won’t start till next week.

I have good news. I’m going to a conference in you town in May, from 16th to 20th. Could you recommend a hotel where is in the centre of the town? It needs to be somewhere not too expensive because the tight budget. I’ll have a freely half-day for sightseeing. Do you think you can showed me around?

Looking forward to hear from you soon.

Chris

書面表達

人們完成工作的方式通常由兩種：獨立完成和合作完成。兩種方式各有特點。請你以“Working Individually or Working in a team”為題，按照以下要點寫一篇英語短文：

1. 獨立完成： 自行安排，自己解決問題。

2. 合作完成： 一起討論，相互學習。

3. 我喜歡的方式和理由。

注意：詞數100-120，文章的題目和開頭已給出（不計詞數）。

Working Individually or Working in a team

There are basically two ways to get work done.______________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

閱讀下列短文，從每題所給的四個選項（A、B、C和D)中，選出最佳選項。

A

1.You can send your children to Captain Goodfellow to learn dances ________________.

A. on Sunday afternoon B. at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday

C. at 9:30 every day D. at noon before 5:00 p.m.

2.You can see movies at ________________.

A. the Museum Theatre B. the City College

C. the City Theatre D. the Central Park

3.You can probably eat Chinese, Italian, and Arab food ________________.

A. at the front entrance of the City Hall

B. at the ball game

C. at 8:00 p.m.

D. at the Central Park on Saturday