Two Christmas traditions have come under attack in recent years from environmentalists: Christmas cards and Christmas trees.
Paper cards are seen as wasteful and, for some people, going card-free is another way of going green. They also argue that in a world of e-mail, Skype, Facebook and Twitter, people are in touch all the time anyway; they no longer need the yearly card that connects them with long lost friends. If you want to send Christmas greetings, there are free e-cards, which get the job done with no postage or wasted paper.
However, especially for people who didn’t grow up with e-mail, there is something missing from a Christmas e-mail. The first Christmas cards appeared in London in 1843 and were designed by the same man who had introduced the world’s first postage stamp three years earlier. His name was Sir Henry Cole.
They rose in popularity throughout the 20th century. Many people sent cards that were sold for charity. The most famous of these are the ones sold for UNICEF. In the UK this year, in the three weeks before Christmas, the post office expects to handle 100 million cards every day. Environmental awareness also means that nowadays many people recycle their cards; this helps raise money to plant more trees, as well as recreating more paper.
When we think of trees at Christmas, there is one that immediately springs(躍入)mind---the evergreen tree that people decorate with ornaments and place their presents under. The custom dates back almost a thousand years to Germany. Nowadays 33 to 36 million Christmas trees are produced in America and 50 to 60 million in Europe each year. Some trees are sold live with roots and soil so people can plant them later and reuse them next year.
Some people prefer artificial trees as they are reusable and much cheaper than their natural alternative. However, environmentalists point out that they are made from petroleum (石油) products and so have many pollution issues.
1.What is the main idea of the article?
A．To introduce the history of two typical Christmas traditions.
B．To explain the debate about some Christmas traditions.
C．To analyze how two Christmas traditions grew in popularity.
D．To point out the problems caused by celebrating Christmas.
2.What does the underlined word “They” in the fourth paragraph probably mean?
A．Many people B．Christmas e-mails C．Postage stamps D．Christmas cards
3.Some people suggest getting rid of paper cards because .
a. they cannot be recycled b. they are not environmentally friendly
c. they are mostly sold for charity d. the e-cards have many advantages over them
e. they are not as necessary as they used to be for people
A．a, b, d B．a, c, d C．b, d, e D．b, c, e
4.What can we conclude from the article?
A．The first Christmas cards were designed earlier than the world’s first stamps.
B．This year has seen a dramatic drop in Christmas card sales.
C．Environmentalists advise people to buy cards that are sold for charity.
D．Growing environmental awareness is encouraging people to recycle their cards.
5.Which of the following statements in TRUE according to the article?
A．There is always a wider Christmas tree market in America than in Europe.
B．The custom of decorating Christmas trees first appeared in Britain.
C．Some people prefer to buy live trees that can be reused next year.
D．Artificial trees are better than natural ones in all aspects.
1.B
2.D
3.C
4.D
5.C
【解析】
試題分析:本文是一篇說明文，說明了圣誕節習俗：圣誕卡片和圣誕樹，對其進行討論，圣誕卡片浪費紙，圣誕樹是由石油做成的，有很多的污染
1.推理題，由本文的主要意思“辯論圣誕節習俗，有圣誕卡片、圣誕樹等”，可以推出答案，故選B。
2.推理題，由第四段第一行Many people sent cards that were sold for charity.可以推出答案，所以選D。
3.細節題，由第二段第一行Paper cards are seen as wasteful第三行they no longer need the yearly card that connects them with long lost friends.和最后一句which get the job done with no postage or wasted paper可以知道答案，所以選C
4.細節題，由倒數第三段倒數第三行Environmental awareness also means that nowadays many people recycle their cards可以知道答案，所以選D
5.細節題，由最后一段第一句Some people prefer artificial trees as they are reusable and much cheaper than their natural alternative.可以知道答案，所以選C
考點：本篇是一篇說明文
點評：本文說明了辯論圣誕節習俗，有圣誕卡片、圣誕樹等。做細節題的關鍵是找出原文的根據，認真核查題支和原文的異同，常犯錯誤有：絕對化語言，范圍擴大或縮小，以偏概全，張冠李戴等。推斷題測試考生在閱讀基礎上的邏輯推理能力，要求考生根據文章所述事件的邏輯關系，對未說明的趨勢或結局作出合理的推斷；或根據作者所闡述的觀點理論，對文章未涉及的現象、事例給以解釋�？忌紫纫屑氶喿x短文，完整了解信息，準確把握作者觀點。
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英才計劃同步課時高效訓練系列答案科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
Thousands of years ago, birthdays were considered special days. On birthdays, the bad spirits were able to harm you and change your life. It was believed that the only way to solve the problem was to have your friends and family around you, so that good wishes and presents would keep the bad spirits away. Also, noisemakers were thought to be used at parties as a way of scaring away the evil spirits.
The custom of lighting candles was created by people believing that the gods lived in the sky. By lighting candles and torches, they were sending a signal or prayer to the gods, so they could be answered. Blowing out the candles and making a wish were thought to be another way of sending a signal or a message.
This is how the way we celebrate our birthdays came about. But different cultures celebrate in different ways.
The birthday story in the Bible（圣經） that we know best is about the birth of the Christ in Bethlehem（地名：伯利恒）. For nearly 2000 years since that day, the Christian world has been honoring this birth. The day many Englishmen celebrate is, of course, Christmas. There are other references to birthday parties. King Pharaoh celebrated his birthday by making a feast for his court followers. That was over 4000 years ago. The story of King Herod tells that on his birthday he made a supper for his lords, high captains and other special friends in Galilee (地名：加利利).
According to the passage, good wishes and presents given by one’s friends and family on his birthday can _____________________.
A. cheer him up B. prove that he’s a popular person
C. bring him a big fortune D. push bad spirits away
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A. The custom of lighting candles originated with the gods.
B. The gods celebrate their birthdays by lighting candles.
C. People send messages to the gods by lighting or blowing out the candles.
D. The gods will help people realize their dreams on their birthdays.
The two ancient kings’ ways of celebrating their birthdays show__________________.
A. how great the two kings were
B. how different cultures celebrate in different ways
C. the two kings’ excellent cooking skills
D. that their court followers were awarded the special honors
The passage is mainly about __________________.
A. the functions of the noises made on birthdays.
B. how to scare away the bad spirits on birthdays
C. the origin of a famous day Christmas
D. how birthdays came about
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科目：高中英語 來源：2010年普通高等學校招生全國統一考試廣東卷英語模擬試題（1） 題型：閱讀理解
C
There is a place where Christmas lives all year long. It is called Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland in Frankenmuth, Michigan. The family-owned business calls itself the world’s largest Christmas store. The late Wally Bronner started the business in 1945.
Wayne Bronner, Wally’s son, is president and CEO of what is now a multi-million dollar corporation. He learned the business from an early age. Some of his best memories are traveling to other countries with his father to find new products for the store.
Bronner’s sells more than fifty thousand holiday products from seventy nations. Half of the products cost less than ten dollars. Wayne Bronner says demand for small objects to hang on Christmas trees has expanded over the years. People spend more time, effort and money into decorating their homes with these ornaments(裝飾品), lights and religious scenes. Bronner’s is famous for its nativity scenes which show the birth of Jesus Christ.
Michigan has the nation’s highest unemployment rate. Bronner’s has been affected by the financial crisis, too. But not in reduced sales.
Wayne Bronner said, “Even though people are spending less, we’re having more people visit here. And as a result we’ve actually had a sales increase.” Bronner’s success is also linked to community co-operation and investment. Frankenmuth is a town of five thousand people in eastern Michigan’s farm country. The town was settled by Bavarian Germans in the 1800s. It has kept its traditions alive in buildings and restaurants.
Bavarian cultural themes and Bronner’s huge store bring three million visitors a year. The town is the most popular place for tourists in the state. Bronner’s business is aimed at a single day of the year. But that is not too different from other businesses.
“About half of our business is done in the last quarter of the year, in the last three months. And actually when you compare that with most retailers(零售商), that follows the same pattern.” Wayne Bronner says the family’s long-term planning and willingness to reinvest profits has grown the company into what it is today. Still, it does not hurt to build a business on a holiday which is celebrated worldwide. Currently, about only two percent of sales are overseas. But Wayne Bronner sees room for growth, especially through the Internet.
51. Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland is probably ______.
A. a private business B. a state-run business
C. the world’s largest store D. a nationalized corporation
52. Bronner’s mainly sells ______.
A. festival ornaments made by themselves
B. holiday products imported from foreign countries
C. festival ornaments during the summer and winter holidays
D. holiday products to tourists from foreign countries
53. We can learn from the passage that ________.
A. most of Bronner’s products are expensive
B. people are spending less money on small objects
C. Frankenmuth is a modern town popular with tourists
D. Wally Bronner, founder of Bronner’s, has passed away
54. In what way has the financial crisis affected Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland?
A. Many of its staff have lost their jobs.
B. Only two percent of sales are overseas.
C. The corporation has had an increased sale.
D. People are spending less in Bronner’s.
55. Bronner’s success lies in the following EXCEPT ________.
A. aiming its business at a single day of the year
B. community co-operation and investment
C. the family’s long-term planning
D. the willingness to reinvest profits
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科目：高中英語 來源：2011屆山東省寧陽一中高三上學期期中考試英語卷 題型：閱讀理解
Doris Lessing was born in 1919 in Persia, moving as a child with her family to southern Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, where she stayed in school only to the age of 14.
A year after moving to London, she published her first novel in 1950. The Grass is Singing examines unbridgeable racial conflict in colonial Africa through the eyes of a white farmer's wife and her black servant.
Her literary breakthrough came in 1962 with publication of The Golden Notebook, seen by many, though not necessarily Lessing, as a pioneering work of modern feminism（女權運動）. A disjointed study of the mind of the main character, Anna Wulf, the novel explores her thoughts about Africa, politics, relationships with men and sex, and Jungian analysis and dream interpretation.
Lessing's themes changed to psychology in her works from the 1960s, and by the 1970s she was interested in the Islamic mystic tradition of Sufism（蘇菲教派）. Her turn toward science fiction with the Canopus series in the early 1980s was not warmly received by traditional critics, but she has continued to be popular with new readers and numerous literary awards, including the David Cohen British Literary Prize and the Companion of Honour from the Royal Society of Literature, both in 2001.
Following the announcement, the Horace Engdahl told VOA why he was personally so pleased with Lessing's selection.
“She is one of the truly great writers -- of novels, short stories, fiction and non-fiction,” Engdahl said. “She is one of the few writers who have had the courage to uphold the principle of equality between the male and female experience, and she has given the impulse to numbers of other women writers. And she is really the mother of a school that is one of the most important in our contemporary literature.”
At 87, Doris Lessing is the oldest Nobel Literature winner since the first prizes were awarded in 1901.
【小題1】 What would be the best title of the passage?
| A．Doris Lessing’s Great Writings. |
| B．Doris Lessing’s Concern about Africa. |
| C．A Great Writer of Novel and a Pioneer of Modern Feminism. |
| D．A Nobel Prize Winner for Literature. |
| A．there are only two characters in The Grass is Singing |
| B．The Golden Notebook is regarded as Lessing’s masterpiece by herself |
| C．life in Africa in her early age lays solid foundation for her writing |
| D．Doris Lessing is strongly against traditional culture in Africa |
| A．Lessing began to believe in Christ in the 1970s |
| B．Lessing’s science fiction won readers |
| C．Lessing had won two literary medals for her writings |
| D．Lessing changed her themes to meet the needs of traditional critics |
| A．pressure | B．inspiration | C．energy | D．desire |
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科目：高中英語 來源：2014屆四川省高二上學期期中考試英語試卷（解析版） 題型：閱讀理解
The Carnival of Brazil is an annual festival held 46 days before Easter, especially famous for the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro. Carnival celebrations are believed to have roots in the festival of Saturnalia, which, adapted to Christianity, became a farewell to bad things in a season of religious discipline to regret and prepare for Christ’s death and coming back to life.
Modern Brazilian Carnival dates back to Rio de Janeiro in 1641. It originally copied the European form of the festival, later taking in elements of Native American and African cultures.
In the late 19th century, the strings (弦樂器) were introduced in Rio de Janeiro. These were pageant (游行) groups that paraded through city avenues performing on instruments and dancing. Today they are known as blocks, consisting of a group of people who dress in costumes or special T-shirts with themes or logos. Blocks are generally connected with particular neighborhoods; they include both a music group and a lot of revelers.
Block parades have become an expressive feature of Rio’s Carnival. Today, they number more than 100 and the groups increase each year. Blocks can be formed by small or large groups of revelers with a clear title. Before the show, they gather in a square, then parade in sections of the city, often near the beach.
Carnival time in Rio is very interesting, but is also the most expensive time to visit Rio. Hotel rooms and other lodgings (住宿) can be up to four times more expensive than the regular rates. There are big crowds at some locations and life is far from ordinary in many parts of town.
1.What can we infer from the first paragraph?
A. The Carnival of Brazil is often held after Easter.
B. The Carnival of Brazil comes from Easter and Saturnalia.
C. The Carnival of Brazil is a festival to regret and begin a new life.
D. The Carnival of Brazil is mainly to celebrate the birth of Christ.
2.How long is the history of the people’s celebrating modern Brazilian Carnival?
A. About 100 years. B. Less than two centuries.
C. About 370 years. D. Over five centuries.
3.Which of the following statements is TRUE about the blocks in Rio de Janeiro?
A. They are always wearing costumes or special T-shirts with themes or logos.
B. They always parade through countryside villages singing and dancing.
C. There are no more than 50 blocks today.
D. They don’t parade before the show.
4.What is the passage mainly about?
A. The famous carnivals in the world.
B. How the carnival was introduced in Brazil.
C. The carnival in Rio de Janeiro.
D. The happy life of the people in Rio de Janeiro.
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科目：高中英語 來源：2013屆度安徽省兩地三校高一第一學期期末英語卷 題型：閱讀理解
Thousands of years ago, birthdays were considered special days. On birthdays, the bad spirits were able to harm you and change your life. It was believed that the only way to solve the problem was to have your friends and family around you, so that good wishes and presents would keep the bad spirits away. Also, noisemakers were thought to be used at parties as a way of scaring away the evil spirits.
The custom of lighting candles was created by people believing that the gods lived in the sky. By lighting candles and torches, they were sending a signal or prayer to the gods, so they could be answered. Blowing out the candles and making a wish were thought to be another way of sending a signal or a message.
This is how the way we celebrate our birthdays came about. But different cultures celebrate in different ways.
The birthday story in the Bible（圣經） that we know best is about the birth of the Christ in Bethlehem（地名：伯利恒）. For nearly 2000 years since that day, the Christian world has been honoring this birth. The day many Englishmen celebrate is, of course, Christmas. There are other references to birthday parties. King Pharaoh celebrated his birthday by making a feast for his court followers. That was over 4000 years ago. The story of King Herod tells that on his birthday he made a supper for his lords, high captains and other special friends in Galilee (地名：加利利).
1. According to the passage, good wishes and presents given by one’s friends and family on his birthday can _____________________.
A. cheer him up B. prove that he’s a popular person
C. bring him a big fortune D. push bad spirits away
2. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A. The custom of lighting candles originated with the gods.
B. The gods celebrate their birthdays by lighting candles.
C. People send messages to the gods by lighting or blowing out the candles.
D. The gods will help people realize their dreams on their birthdays.
3. The two ancient kings’ ways of celebrating their birthdays show__________________.
A. how great the two kings were
B. how different cultures celebrate in different ways
C. the two kings’ excellent cooking skills
D. that their court followers were awarded the special honors
4. The passage is mainly about __________________.
A. the functions of the noises made on birthdays.
B. how to scare away the bad spirits on birthdays
C. the origin of a famous day Christmas
D. how birthdays came about
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