It s just a small, white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree．It has been there for the past 10 years or so．It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas—the commercial aspects of Christmas-overspending．Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to avoid the usual presents．The idea came in an unusual way．
Our son Kevin, who was 12 that year, was wrestling at the junior level at the school he attended; and shortly before Christmas, there was a match against a team sponsored by a church．These youngsters, dressed in ragged clothes, presenting a sharp contrast to our boys in their beautiful dresses and shoes．As the match began, I was alarmed to see that the other team was wrestling without headgear, a kind of light helmet designed to protect a wrestler's ears．It was a luxury that the poor team obviously could not afford．Well, we ended up defeating them．Mike, seated beside me, shook his head sadly, "I wish just one of them could have won," he said．"They have a lot of potential, but losing like this could take the heart right out of them．" That's when the idea for his present came．That afternoon, I went to a local sporting goods store and bought wrestling headgear and shoes for the youngsters and sent them anonymously （匿名地） to the church．On Christmas Eve? I placed the envelope on the tree, the note inside telling Mike what I had done and that this was his gift from me．His smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year and in the following years．
For each Christmas, I followed the tradition．The envelope became the highlight of our Christmas．It was always the last thing opened on Christmas morning and our children, ignoring their new toys, would stand with wide-eyed expectation as their dad lifted the envelope from the tree to show its contents．As the children grew, they joined．
May we all remember the reason for Christmas, and the true Christmas spirit this year and always．God bless梡ass this along to your friends and loved ones．
The author avoids usual Christmas presents because her husband _____．
A．likes cheap Christmas presents
B．likes expensive Christmas presents
C．dislikes spending much on large Christmas presents
D．dislikes spending much on unmeaningful Christmas gifts
The underlined word "luxury" in Paragraph 2 means "_____"．
A．something of poor quality B．something abundant
C．something strange D．something expensive
From the passage we can infer that in character the husband is _____．
A．modest and mature B．kind and practical
C．strong-willed and vain D．optimistic and outgoing
What is the most exciting thing for the family at Christmas?
A．Preparing gifts． B．Exchanging gifts．
C．Opening the envelope． D．Writing Christmas cards．
科目：高中英語 來源：2015屆江蘇漣水中學高一第三次模塊檢測英語卷（解析版） 題型：單項填空
Take your time — it’s just_____ short distance from here to_____ restaurant.
A．不填；the B．a; the C．the; a D．不填；a
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科目：高中英語 來源：2015屆四川省高一4月月考英語試卷（解析版） 題型：閱讀理解
There is no better way to enjoy Scottish traditions than going fishing and tasting a little bit of whisky(威士忌)at a quiet place like the Inverlochy Castle. When Queen Victoria visited the castle in 1873, she wrote in her diary, “I never saw a lovelier spot ,” And she didn’t even go fishing.
Scotland is not easily defined. In certain moments, this quiet land of lakes and grasses and mountains changes before your very eyes. When evening gently sweeps the hillside into orange light, the rivers, teeming with fish, can turn into streams of gold . As you settle down with just a fishing pole and a basket on the bank of River Orchy, near the Inverlochy Castle , any frustration(煩惱) will float away as gently as the circling water. It’s just you and purple, pink, white flowers, seeking a perfect harmony. If you are a new comer to fishing, learning the basics from a fishing guide may leave you with a lifetime’s fun. For many, fishing is more than a sport; it is an art.
Scotland offers interesting place where you can rest after a long day’s fishing. Set against a wild mountain and hidden behind woodland, the beautiful Inverlochy Castle Hotel below the Nevis is a perfect place to see the beauty of Scotland’s mountains. Ben Nevis is the highest of all British mountains, and reaching its 1343-metre top is a challenge. But it’s not just what goes up matters; what comes down is unique. More than 900 metres high, on the mountain’s north face, lies an all-important source of pure water. Its name comes from the Gaelic language “usquebaugh” or “water of life”; and it is the single most important ingredient(原料) in Scotland’s best known drink: whisky.
1.The story of Queen Victoria is to show that _____.
A．the queen is rich in tour experience
B．the Castle is a good place to go in Scotland
C．tasting whisky is better than going fishing
D．1873 is a special year for the queen
2.How is Paragraph 2 mainly developed?
A．By giving descriptions.
B．By following time order.
C．By analyzing causes.
D．By making comparisons.
3.What is Ben Nevis special for?
A．The Inverlochy Castle Hotel .
B．The beauty of its surroundings.
C．The water from the mountain.
D．The challenge up to its top.
4.What is the main purpose of the passage?
A．To introduce Scottish traditions to tourists.
B．To show the attractions of Scotland to readers.
C．To explore geographical characteristics of Scotland.
D．To describe the pleasures of life in Scotland.
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科目：高中英語 來源：2011-2012學年黑龍江省哈爾濱市高三第四次模擬考試英語試卷（解析版） 題型：單項填空
I can’t say which sofa looks better. It’s just a (an) _____ of personal preference.
|
A．affair |
B．problem |
C．matter |
D．variety |
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科目：高中英語 來源：2011-2012學年山東省菏澤市高三第三次模擬考試英語試卷（解析版） 題型：閱讀理解
The Friday after the American holiday of Thanksgiving is called Black Friday. It’s said that it’s the day that store ledgers(分類賬)move into the black and companies become profitable. On that day, retailers slash(砍) prices to get consumers to buy. It is also a time when many Americans start their Christmas shopping. VOA’s Elizabeth Lee tells us how the economy may affect consumers on that bargain day.
This day should be a shopper’s dream. “It’s just the deals, the sales and everything you can get for a lesser price,” said Sandy Thomas, a shopper. But it’s a nightmare for others. “I think it’s crazy. I’ve done all of my shopping throughout the week so I don’t have to go out on Friday,” she said. It’s called Black Friday, the start of the traditional Christmas shopping season in the United States. Every year it’s the day after the Thanksgiving holiday. Stores open before sunrise and there are deep discounts everywhere you look.
Last year a crowd of bargain-hunters killed a Wal-mart worker in a New York suburb. This year, many stores are increasing security while they slash prices. “This is a huge time for the retail stores,” said Fred Joutz from George Washington University. “This is when they begin making their profits for the year.”
Economics professor Fred Joutz says how Americans spend the weekend after Thanksgiving is a good indication of how consumers feel about the future.
With the unemployment rate above 10 percent, Joutz says Americans are saving more and spending less. Some retailers are attracting consumers by opening on Thanksgiving Day, when shops are traditionally closed. Other stores open their doors anywhere from midnight to four in the morning.
And shoppers will be lining up in front of the doors in order to be one of the first ones to walk through and get a big discount. Electronics like flat screen TVs are usually the first items to go. Sandy Thomas says it’s an annual family tradition and well worth it. “I just save maybe half of what I would have spent on a regular, you know, shopping trip,” she said.
Economists say U.S. consumers will spend money this Black Friday, but they will spend it more carefully.
1.By saying “This day should be a shopper’s dream”, the writer means ________ .
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A．shoppers have longed for this day for a long time |
|
B．the shops will be very crowded on that day |
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C．the shops will keep open until the daybreak of next day |
|
D．shoppers can buy many items at low prices on that day |
2.Why are many stores increasing security according to the passage?
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A．Because there are too many people saving more and spending less. |
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B．Because it’s a time when they begin making their profits for the year. |
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C．Because last year a crowd of bargain-hunters caused an accident. |
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D．Because many stores open their doors from midnight to four a.m. |
3.From the passage we know that_________.
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A．Christmas shopping is traditional time and this year it is no exception. |
|
B．Electronics like flat screen TVs are usually least discounted. |
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C．The economy only affects consumers on that bargain day. |
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D．Thanksgiving is a good indication of how consumers feel about the future. |
4.We can find this passage in_________.
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A．a science fiction |
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B．a travel brochure |
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C．an economic research report |
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D．a book on psychology |
5.Why American people call it a black day?
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A．Because they organize activities in honor of some great person. |
|
B．Because there are too many people going out shopping for Christmas. |
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C．Too many people are celebrating Thanks giving. |
|
D．The sky is black that day. |
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科目：高中英語 來源：2013屆遼寧省東北育才學校高二上學期期中考試英語題 題型：閱讀理解
We've all heard the old saying，“Sticks and stones can break my bones，but words can never hurt me.” Don't you believe it？Words are powerful，and they can hurt—a lot. In fact，if you're not careful，you can even hurt yourself，by using the wrong word in your writing.
Recently a friend sent me a copy of an e-mail she received from the customer service department of her credit card company，after she contacted them with a question about her account. She was happy with their positive response. But as I read the e-mail，one line jumped out at me：“In lieu of good customer service...”
Did they really mean they were offering her a few extra reward points instead of good customer service？I doubt it. More likely，what the customer service department meant to say was，“Because good customer service is important to us...” followed by the details of what they were doing to make sure she remained a happy customer.
So why didn't the writer say that？I can only guess that perhaps the writer liked the phrase “in lieu of”，thought it sounded more interesting than saying “because”，and so used it—without bothering to check the true meaning.
Have you ever done that？Try to impress others with a big word，only to find out you've used the word incorrectly？It's just the opposite effect，isn't it？You may impress people all right，but it's not the impression you were going for.
When you write，remember to choose your words carefully. People may still disagree with what you say，but they won't be able to dismiss you because you made careless mistakes in how you said it.
1.What's the writer's purpose in giving the saying?
A．To amuse the reader. B．To persuade the reader.
C．To support a conclusion. D．To lead to the topic.
2.What does the phrase “in lieu of” most probably mean?
A．Because of B．In honour of C．Instead of D．In favour of
3.According to the writer，the customer service department ______.
A．didn't prefer to use familiar words to attract customers
B．didn't express what they really meant
C．didn't need to offer their customers extra reward points
D．succeeded in impressing their customers
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