When I spent Christmas away from home in Europe for the first time, I was only 14 and it was absolutely horrific. I am now married and live in the US. So there is little possibility for me to go home for Christmas. Now I am able to get through Christmas with some moments of joy:

    First, you are advised to search you area for stores that carry items from your home country or town. Buy food, candles and some other things that mean something to you.

    Hold on to the traditions from your home that you think are important even if other people think they are stupid. But keep in mind to be open for new traditions from wherever you might be, because those traditions are as important to those people around you as yours are to you. For me that includes celebrating Christmas on the 24^th.

    Call, write Christmas cards, buy gifts and mail them to loved ones, just as if you were there. If you try to pretend as if the holiday doesn’t exist, you are just going to make it worse.

    Introduce your traditions to your loved ones, especially your kids. It will only enrich their celebration of the holiday to have some unique traditions in their home. Little by little it will become their tradition and it’s fun for them to try something new.

    Find clubs, churches or organizations that are from your home country. Chances are that they will have some celebration with some of your traditions which you can join in.

    Food is one of the most important factors in any kind of tradition. Find the recipe of that cake your grandmother used and make it your tradition to bake that particular cake.

    Call up your parents and get them to send you some of your favorite childhood ornaments (裝飾品) for your tree.

    Embrace new traditions, talk to your family about which ones you want to make your own and stick with them.

    If you are far away from home, Christmas can never be the same as you experienced it before, but it is important to remember these traditions while appreciating the new ones. Keep an open mind and find a compromise between old and new traditons.

1.The author spent his 14^th Christmas ___________.

   A. unpleasantly in the US                        B. joyfully in the US

   C. unpleasantly in Europe                       D. joyfully in Europe

2.Why does the author advise people to hunt in some special stores?

   A. Because people can buy some discounted goods there.

   B. Because people can feel less homesick there.

   C. Because it’s an old Christmas tradition.

   D. Because they offer goods from the hometown of the people.

3.Which of the following statements does the author agree with?

   A. It’s great for children to have some unique traditions.

   B. People should join in all kinds of clubs to celebrate Christmas.

   C. People should give up traditions which are stupid in other people’s eyes.

   D. It is popular to celebrate Christmas on the 24^th around the world.

4.The author suggests giving a call to parents on Christmas mainly to __________.

   A. express love to them                      B. follow the tradition

   C. ask for some ornaments                        D. set an example for children

 

The U.S. government has repeatedly made it clear that it would welcome China’s entrance into the world arena as a power. However, a series of issues since the beginning of this year, particularly Washington's stance on the U.S.-South Korean joint military exercises and the South China Sea issue, have made the world think: Is the United States ready to recognize China as a power on the world stage?

       It is easier said than done for the United States to adapt itself to China's development. Lip service is far from enough to boost the development of Sino-U.S. relations. If Washington cannot find a way to recognize and accept China's peaceful rise onto the world stage, bilateral（雙邊的） ties will be like a roller coaster full of ups and downs. However, no one would like to see the negative effects rocky relations would bring to China, the United States and possibly to the world as a whole.

       U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has urged China to play a greater role in solving the world's economic, environmental and political problems. She said global issues could not be solved by the United States or China alone, but without participation of the two countries, no problems would likely be solved. Washington has realized that the United States' global interest can be maintained only through changing the way it deals with China.

       The Obama administration released positive signals in its relations with China, which have been interpreted as the United States showing its intention to change the traditional strategy of engagement and containment（遏制）. As a matter of fact, the general direction of Sino-U.S. relations provides a foundation on which the United States can base its foreign policies and is more complicated than an adjustment in real conditions. Issues such as arms sales to Taiwan, Google censorship, RMB exchange rates as well as finger-pointing about economic responsibility show Washington still seems confused and inpatient about relations with China.

       The relationship between China and the United States is the most important and complicated bilateral relationship in the world this century. The development of Sino-U.S. relations will affect world peace and stability, especially in the Asia-Pacific region. Ian Bremmer, an American political scientist specializing in U.S. foreign policy, said, "America and China will have more than ever to gain from closer political and commercial ties, and must take steps to avoid a Cold War, or worse."

       In that circumstance, the United States needs both wisdom and determination to recognize and accept China, a country that is totally different from its own, as a power on the world stage.

1.The underlined word stance in the first paragraph probably means       .

       A．information         B．opinion               C．ignorance            D．criticism

2.Why does the US have to change the way it deals with China?

       A．The US welcomes Chin’s entrance into the world arena.

       B．The US hopes that China will get more powerful.

       C．Only in this way can China meet all of its demands.

       D．Only in this way can its global interest be maintained.

3.Ian Bremmer thinks both America and China will benefit more from       .

       A．a cold war.          B．keeping patient    C．better cooperation                         D．developing economy

4.Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?

       A．Is it Clear that China has become world power?

       B．Is US ready to recognize China as world power?

       C．Is US still the most powerful country in the world?

       D．Is Sino-U.S. relationship the most important and complicated in the world.

 

 

Ⅲ 閱讀（共兩節(jié)。滿分40分）

第一節(jié) 閱讀理解（共15小題；每小題2分，滿分30分）

    閱讀下列短文，從每題所給的A、B、C和D項中，選出最佳選項，并在答題卡上將該項涂黑。

A

Do you have any idea what you would like to be and do after graduation? A lot of people don't begin thinking about career until they reach junior or senior year, which, in my opinion, is too late.

When people are trying to decide what they want to do, it helps to know something they love. Ever since I was little, I’ve always been doing someone’s hair, make-up or nails, starting with Barbie dolls and progressing to humans. Over the years my family has really inspired me to do this and now I fix friends’ and family members’ hair for weddings, dances and other big events.

I have been thinking about what I would like to do for a career since middle school. I did some research and discovered that I might really enjoy being a cosmetologist so, I went to my hair stylist and asked her lots of questions about what it takes to reach her level and what she would recommend I do. I considered her advice and then did more research.

I used Aveda’s website to get information on the Aveda Institute and what type of credits(貸款) I would need from high school to apply. I found their institute has three parts: theatrical knowledge, practical experience, and professional business-building skills. For the past few years, I have been looking at Aveda in more and more detail. This school not only offers cosmetology, but also massage therapy(療法). I grew up in Minnesota(美國北部的一個州), so I plan to apply to the institute in Minneapolis that several people have highly recommended. It helps students become “future industry leaders in hair care, skin care, makeup and total body wellness”. It is affordable and everyone there is friendly and understanding.

Having done the groundwork and thinking about what I’d like to do after high school, I know that I will definitely pursue my dream of becoming a cosmetologist.

1. After reading the text, we can infer the author is interested in ________.

   A. traveling abroad         B. service business         C. social activities  D. acting on the stage

2. Why does the author think it’s too late for people to start thinking about careers in junior or senior year?

   A. Because he/she began to think about them when very young.

   B. Because many people are too old to learn.

   C. Because a lot of people can’t grasp the opportunity.

   D. Because many people have little they love.

3. We know from the text that a cosmetologist is ________.

   A. a chemist working at college             B. a person who works in the institute

   C. a doctor in a hospital                        D. a person doing all types of body care for people

4. The author plans to apply to the institute in Minnepolis NOT because ________.

   A. the people there are good to others           B. some people advise him/her to do so

   C. the institute is free of charge                    D. the institute is helpful to his/her future

5. The author of the text may be a ________.

   A. married person                                       B. middle school student             

C. college student                                        D. a teacher in an institute

 

American parents usually think that their child should not have more pocket money than the children with whom he regularly connects, even if they are wealthier．But neither are children expected to compare with the richer if a large family, heavy responsibilities, or other conditions make it necessary to give a child less spending money than is customary （慣例的）in the neighborhood．

Whatever the pocket money is, its entire use is not controlled by the parents, because a child learns to use money correctly only through dealing with it himself．If a seven-year-old child gets a quarter as a week pocket money and is made to put it all in his piggy bank to save it up, he gets no idea what the real use for the money is．He gets the shiny coins and they soon disappear．

The idea of a bank account is too early for so small a child, although he can be made to understand and enjoy saving his coins—not all of them, only a part of what he receives—to buy something he especially wants．By the time he is eight he is old enough to take part in the opening of his own savings account, parents may take him to the bank, open a savings account for him and encourage him to put a certain quantity or any checks he receives as gifts into the bank and watch his bank savings grow as entry by entry（存入） is made．

He will be saving, earning, and spending suitable quantities all along in order to learn how to manage money and to keep him in a favorable position with his friend．The boy who can't join his fellows in a sweet shop once in a while, because he has to save every cent he gets or earns for some big unknown project his parents have chosen for him, is a sorry child．

1.Choose the best exolaration for the underlined part in the second paragraph.

    A．It is a kind of bank run by children．

    B．It is a contralre in the shape of a pig for saving coins.

    C．It is a certain place in which pigs are raise．

    D．It is a bank whose building looks like a pig

2.Which of the following statements is TRUE?

    A．Most of the rich people in America give children much pocket money．

    B．American children usually have their bank accounts until they are eight．

    C．American parents seldom care for their children's spending money．

    D．American children begin to learn how to manage money when very young．

3.Suppose an 8-year-old child receives 10 dollars as his birthday gift, he may probably ____．

    A．spend the money on the things he wants

    B．compare the gift with that of his friend

    C．have most of it saved in the bank

    D．put all the money in his piggy bank

4.Why does the writer think the boy is a sorry one if he saves every cent he gets or earns?

    A．Because he can not manage his money and is kept himself in an unfavorable position

    B．Because he can not join the fellows in a sweet shop once in a while

    C．Because he can not learn the use of money through spending it himself

D．Because he can not have any other choice but save, earn of spend money

 

The computer makes doing schoolwork easier for me than it was for my mom and dad. For example, when writing book reports and stories, I use Microsoft Word instead of a pen and paper. That way, after my teacher checks my work, I can go back and make revisions without having to rewrite the whole thing. And Microsoft Word has a spell check! I use it all the time.

For English class, we are reading The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton. As pre-reading homework, my teacher asked us to research teenage groups on the Internet. I tried Google, Encarta, and Yahoo first, and finally found an article on Time. com .

For geography homework on the United States, I used Encarta to learn about the Mississippi River. I needed to find out how deep the river is, how its widths and depths are different, what states it runs through, and what kinds of fish live in it. I used the information to show how the geography of a country influences its economy. For example, the river’s trade paths, the number of fish caught in it and the tourists it attracts directly affect Southerners’ jobs and incomes.

I never go to the library to do research. It takes too much time. Since I live in New York City and both my parents work, getting to the library isn’t always easy. For a big task or research project, I used to stay at the library to read, or sign out whatever books or magazines I needed. Now being able to find the information in my own living room makes everything a lot simpler. Online dictionaries and encyclopedias (百科全書) also save time.

Sometimes, I think the computer spoils my generation because it is so easy --- at least physically. But computers are not like television, which does the thinking for you. You still have to use your mind. I prefer using a computer, easy, fun, and fast.

1. What does the writer use when he writes book reports and stories? (no more than 3 words)

2. Why doesn’t the writer go to the library to do research? (no more than 6 words)

3. How does the writer complete a big assignment or research project at present? (no more than 10 words)

4. Why does the author prefer using a computer? (no more than 11 words)