My family moved from Taiwan to a small town in central Georgia, where my dad got a visa for his family and a job. I had just learned English, and from what little I could gather from my classmates, Santa Claus would come down one’s chimney and put toys in one’s stocking on Christmas Eve! What a great country, I thought. After I looked up “stocking” in my Chinese-English dictionary, I knew what I had to do.

On that fateful night, after everyone went to bed, I took my longest, cleanest knee sock and attached it to a nail already on the mantel(壁爐). Obviously, the previous owners of this house were no strangers to this Santa character.

I woke up before everyone else on Christmas Day and ran to the fireplace. To make a sob story short, I was hit with the reality of an empty sock and the biggest lie ever told. I burst into tears, quickly took down the sock, and stuffed it in the back of a drawer. Santa was dead.

Every December since then, the topic of Christmas memories would unavoidably come up, and I would amuse my friends with my poor-little-me story. I had to make it as funny as possible, or else I would cry.

How could I know that Santa was just late? Nine years ago, on Christmas Eve, an older man with a white beard and a red cap knocked on my front door. He said, “I’ve been looking for you for twenty-five years.” He handed me a bulging red stocking, winked, and left. On top of the stocking was a card. It read: “For Becky—I may have missed you in the second grade, but you’ve always lived in my heart. Santa.”

Through tear-blurred eyes, I recognized the handwriting of Jill, a friend I had met just two months before. I later discovered that the older man was her father. Jill had seen the hurt little girl underneath the thirty-something woman and decided to do something about it.

So now I believe that Santa is real. I don’t mean the twinkle-eyed character of children’s mythology or the creation of American holiday marketers. Those Santas annoy and sadden me. I believe in the Santa Claus that live inside good and thoughtful people. This Santa does not return to the North Pole after a crazy delivery but lives each day purposefully, really listens to friends, and then plans deliberate acts of kindness.

1.What does the underlined part “what I had to do” in Paragraph 1 refer to?

A. Waiting for Santa Claus.

B. Putting a stocking on the mantel.

C. Asking for gifts from her parents.

D. Looking up “stocking” in the dictionary

2.It can be inferred from the passage that the author’s parents ________.

A. didn’t love their child at all

B. didn’t know the previous owners of the house

C. didn’t know much about Christmas tradition

D. didn’t have enough money to buy the author Christmas presents

3.When the author told her friends about the story, she felt ________ in her heart.

A. proud B. amusing C. hate D. regret

4.The author of the passage is probably ________.

A. a teenager B. a primary school student

C. a middle-aged woman D. a native American

練習(xí)冊系列答案
相關(guān)習(xí)題

科目:高中英語 來源:2014-2015學(xué)年重慶七校聯(lián)考高一下學(xué)期期中英語試卷(解析版) 題型:閱讀理解

I went over my grandmother’s house today and she didn’t have time for me. You see, the lady’s husband downstairs died and my Grandmother wanted to make some cookies for her. My grandmother did not analyze (分析) how the lady treated her, or if the lady needed any cookies, or even if the lady would like the cookies. She didn’t think how much the lady has done for her. She simply began baking.

My Grandmother turned 94 last week and this I believe is her secret to life. My grandmother is generous and hard-working in a way that is rare for our time. She lives by a simple belief: if someone needs your help, you help. Never mind all the analyzing and thinking whether the person deserves or appreciates the help. My grandmother doesn’t sit around thinking about who might be making use of her: she simply does what is needed.

At 94, she is busy in life. She is making a blanket for a new great grandchild, and worried that I don’t have enough kitchen towels for my home. She is bringing soup to a sick neighbor, and teaching the new wife of her cousin (who is 88) how to cook Italian food.

My grandmother had every right to give up, but she didn’t — and amazingly life did bring her good things, like a husband with twinkling blue eyes who was much ahead of his time and believed that men should do an equal amount of cooking and cleaning in the home, three beautiful children (my father and two aunts), 22 grandchildren, and five great grandchildren. My grandmother is not afraid to give someone she barely knows a bowl of soup. She never keeps herself out of the world.

1.The reason why my grandmother made cookies for the lady downstairs is that ________.

A. she thought the lady was too busy

B. she would make them as thanks to her

C. they had had an agreement before

D. she thought she should do something for the lady at the special time

2.In the writer’s opinion, ________.

A. my grandmother will get something in return

B. my grandmother has a secret way of living

C. my grandmother does everything on careful consideration

D. few people are as generous as my grandmother now

3.Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A. My grandfather does not treat women in an unfair way

B. My grandmother cares for her children even some strangers.

C. This is a family in which there are nearly 30 people now.

D. My grandmother never keeps everything for herself.

4. We may infer from the text that the writer ________.

A. thinks his grandmother is living a tired life

B. thinks his grandmother is doing what she should do

C. thinks his grandmother should not be so kind

D. is proud of his grandmother

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:2016屆河北邯鄲市高三10月月考英語試卷(解析版) 題型:閱讀理解

There are plenty of beauty schools throughout the country that can help you to start a career in cosmetology(美容業(yè)). Nowadays, young people may not be able to afford a four-year college. Students can look forward to attending a beauty school program which will only take a few months to complete and start their career right away to earn money.

There can be many benefits of going to beauty school. The expense is much less than attending a four-year university. Besides, attending beauty school is mostly a hands-on(動手的) experience which appeals to many people. Some students don’t like sitting all day listening to lectures and then having to study at night. What’s more, most beauty school programs keep up with the changing trends and fashion. So you will always be working on different hair types which can be fun and will give you a lot of experience throughout the years of your career.

If you are worried about finding a job after graduation, many beauty schools will offer assistance for immediate job placement and give you peace of mind that you will not be stranded looking for a job. Most colleges and universities are not equipped to do that because of the large number of graduates each year.

Cosmetologists will also make a good salary. The average salary will depend on your location, but you may earn a salary around $3,000 — $3,500 a month. This is not including tips which could be $600 or more a month.

Not only can young people go to cosmetology school, but people of all ages can start this career. As you can see, there are many benefits of beauty schools that can be the perfect opportunity for anyone to become a great cosmetologist.

1.How many advantages of going to beauty school are mentioned in Paragraph 2?

A. Two. B. Three. C. Four. D. Five.

2.The underlined word “stranded” in Paragraph 3 can be replaced by ______.

A. focused on B. given up

C. stuck in D. turned to

3.What can be learnt from the passage?

A. A cosmetologist gets paid at least $3,600 a month.

B. Beauty schools are not popular with young people.

C. Graduates can easily be offered jobs by universities.

D. It isn’t suitable for the old to start a career in cosmetology.

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

A. The development of cosmetology

B. How to become a cosmetologist

C. The benefits of beauty schools

D. Going to college or beauty school

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:2015-2016學(xué)年福建八縣一中高二上學(xué)期期中英語試卷(解析版) 題型:其他題

根據(jù)所學(xué)課文內(nèi)容填空。(每空0.5分,共20空,滿分10分)

1.但當(dāng)他一想到幫助那些得了霍亂的普通百姓時候,他就感到很振奮。

But he ____________ ____________ when he thought about helping ordinary people ____________ ____________ cholera.

2.值得贊揚(yáng)的是,雖然這四個國家的確在某些方面共同合作,例如在貨幣和 在國際關(guān)系上,但它們在有些制度上仍然存在著很大的區(qū)別。

__________ ___________ ____________, the four countries do work together in some areas (eg, the _____________ and international relations), but they still have very different institutions.

3.然而,當(dāng)我們到達(dá)一個看上去像一個大市場的地方時, 由于太多的氣墊車向四面八方飛奔,我看不見王平了。

However, I _________ _________ _________WangPing when we reached _________looked like a large market because of too many carriages flying by in all directions.

4.你有沒有過這種情況:別人控告你的記者,說他(她)的報(bào)道完全失實(shí)?

Have you ever had a ________ _________someone _________your journalists _______ getting the wrong end of the stick?

5.除非衣服粘貼在燒傷面上,否則都要把衣服脫掉。如果需要的話,可以使用剪刀。

Remove clothing ___________ ____________ __________ __________ unless it is stuck to the burn.

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:2016屆山西大學(xué)附屬中學(xué)高三10月月考英語試卷(解析版) 題型:短文改錯

短文改錯(共10小題;每小題1分,滿分10分)

Dear schoolmates,

In order to get high school students to attaching importance to the environment and improve our sense to protect the environment, and China Daily is planning to hold an interestingly knowledge contest. A contest starts on October 14th and end on 31st.Remember, you can take the contest in China Daily newspaper, that is very popular among high school student. The answer sheet must cut from the newspaper and sent to China Daily after the deadline.

Please pay more attention to the related information of the contest and take an active part in them on time.

Students' Union

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:2016屆河北正定中學(xué)高三上期中考試英語試卷(解析版) 題型:閱讀理解

Can eating a chocolate bar every day really prevent age-related memory loss? No. But a new research shows that large amounts of flavones, substances found in cocoa, tea and some kinds of vegetables, may improve age-related memory failure.

Dr. Scott Small is a professor of neurology (神經(jīng)病學(xué)) at Columbia University in new York City. He is the lead writer of a research paper describing the effects of cocoa flavones on brain activity. His study involved 37 volunteers aged between 50 and 69. Researchers gave them a high-level flavones drink made from cocoa beans or a low-level flavones drink. For a period of three months, some subjects got 900 milligrams of flavones a day. The others got 10 milligrams of flavones each day. Brain imaging and memory tests were given to each study subject before and after the study. Dr. Small says that the subjects who had the high-level flavones drink showed much improvement on memory tests.

The researchers warn that more work is needed to be done because this study was performed only on a small group. Dr. Joann Manson is the lead researcher of a four-year study involving 18,000 adults. This study will use flavones capsules(膠囊). The study subjects will be divided into two groups and will take two pills per day. The capsules used will all look the same. But one group's capsules will contain flavones, while the other group will take capsules made of an inactive substance, or placebo

Dr. Manson says it's not necessary for people to start eating more chocolate, because a person would have to eat a huge amount of chocolate to get the same level of flavones given to the rest subjects. He adds many manufacturers have planned to remove the flavones from their chocolate products. Similarly, Dr. Manson says a cocoa-based flavones extract(提取)may be developed in the future But he says that more studies are needed to see how much flavones is good for our health.

1.What was done to the subjects after Dr. Small’s study?

A. They were asked to take a high-level flavones drink.

B. They were given capsules containing flavones.

C. They were given brain imaging and memory tests.

D. They were asked to take two pills of flavones capsules per day.

2.What's the similarity of the two experiments?

A. Both use high-level flavones capsules.

B. The number of the subjects is the same.

C. Drinks and placebos are used in both experiments.

D. The subjects are divided into two groups in both experiments.

3.Why will Dr. Manson carry out the four-year study?

A. To prove the first experiment is wrong.

B. To carry out the experiment further.

C. To test how much flavones can improve our memory.

D. To show eating chocolate is better to improve memory.

4.What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A. It’s not necessary for us to eat chocolate.

B. The more we eat flavones, the better our health will be.

C. In the future we can get flavones without eating chocolate.

D. It’s easy for people to get the same level of flavones given to the test subjects.

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:2015-2016學(xué)年四川省高一上期中英語試卷(解析版) 題型:閱讀理解

Want to find a job? Now read the following advertisements.

FAIRMONT HOTEL

Five Waiters and Ten Waitresses

— Aged under 22

— At least high school graduate

— Good-looking; men at least 1.72 meters tall and women at least 1.65

— Those knowing foreign languages favoured

— Paid 1 600—2 200 dollars per month

One Secretary

— Aged under 30

— Female favoured

— Good at writing and skilled at computer

If interested, call 465-4768 or write to:

Mr. Jack Hundris

Room 0825, Fairmont Hotel

567 Wood Street, San Markers, 78003

Fax: 6954828

WILSON BOOKSTORE

Accountant(會計(jì))

— Aged between 25 and 40

— With an experience of at least two years

— With a degree and an accountant certificate(證書)

— Paid 3 000—4 000 dollars monthly

— With a practical knowledge of computer

Salesclerk

— Basic education of 12 years or more

— Good at computer

— Paid 1 800—2 200 dollars monthly

Tel: 447-4398

Fax: 3485269

1.If you don’t know how to use a computer, you can just apply for the position as _______.

A. a secretary B. a waiter or waitress

C. an accountant D. a salesclerk

2.If you want to try for a job in Fairmont Hotel, you _______.

A. have to be a woman and know foreign languages

B. should be a university graduate

C. have to be taller than 1.72 meters

D. should be younger than 30 years old

3.From the ads we can conclude that _______.

A. you’ll be better paid in Wilson Bookstore than in Fairmont Hotel

B. all the jobs offered require experience

C. the better education you’ve received, the more money you’ll make

D. if you want to be an accountant, you may call 465-4768

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:2014-2015學(xué)年遼寧省協(xié)作體高考三模英語試卷卷(解析版) 題型:其他題

根據(jù)短文內(nèi)容,從短文后的選項(xiàng)中選出能瑣入空臼贓的鼓縫選項(xiàng)。遺項(xiàng)中肖兩項(xiàng)為多余選項(xiàng)。

A.Moment's goal is to promote balance in your life.

B.You get excited if you receive a text message or an e-mail from a friend

C.This is leading to a sort of decision slowdown and it is creating more stress in the workplace.

D.The negative impact of “always on" culture is that your mind is never resting.

E.Physical and mental health therefore can suffer.

F.Mobile phone companies argue that mobile connectivity is beneficial.

G.You are nervous if your phone is getting low on power

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:2016屆上海寶山區(qū)吳淞中學(xué)高一上第一次月考英語試卷(解析版) 題型:單項(xiàng)填空

Tony is a quiet boy and he is accustomed ______ at meals, which is always appreciated.

A. not to talk B. to not talk

C. to not talking D. not to talking

查看答案和解析>>

同步練習(xí)冊答案