A Simple Christmas Card

Abbie, shy and quiet, started tenth grade in a new school. It never occurred to her that she would be   1  . But soon she found herself dreaming of her old   2  . It had been small and friendly. This new school was much too  3 and unfriendly. Her new friend Tammy took advantage of her   4   by cheating her. She used her to do homework by pretending to need help, but left Abbie out of the fun she had.

Her parents were worried about her.   5  they were divorced(离婚), they thought she needed a friend badly.

Things   6  over the summer. Abbie often cried herself to sleep, believing that no one would ever love her enough to be her   7  . Abbie was thinking of   8  her life.

She started the eleventh grade and joined a Youth Group, hoping to make friends. People there seemed to   9  her, but on the inside they wished she’d stay out of their group. This only   10  Abbie closer to edge.

By Christmastime Abbie was so   11  that she was taking sleeping pills to help her sleep. On Christmas Eve, she   12  that she would jump off the local bridge. As she left her warm house, she decided to   13  her parents a note in the mailbox. When she pulled down the door to the mailbox, she saw a letter to her. She tore it open. A(n)   14  dropped out.

Dear Abbie,

I want to   15  for not talking with you sooner, but my parents are in the middle of a divorce, so I didn’t have a chance to talk with anyone. I was hoping you could help me with the   16  I have with divorced kids. I think we could become friends. See you at Youth Group on Sunday!

Merry Christmas!

Sincerely yours,

Wesley Hill

She   17  at the card for a while, reading it over and over again. “Become friends,” she smiled, realizing that someone   18 about her and wanted plain, quiet Abbie Knight as a friend. She felt so   19 .

She rushed back to her house and   20  Wesley.

1．A．angry                    B．stupid                  C．lonely                  D．nervous

2．A．class                     B．classroom            C．teachers              D．moments

3．A．dull                       B．cold                    C．strange                D．noisy

4．A．honesty                 B．kindness              C．knowledge           D．patience

5．A．Although               B．Since                  C．Before                 D．Unless

6．A．settled                   B．remained             C．worsened            D．developed

7．A．friend                   B．classmate            C．sister                  D．partner

8．A．living                    B．ending                 C．continuing           D．saving

9．A．recognize              B．believe                 C．excuse                D．welcome

10．A．sent                    B．pulled                  C．pushed                D．helped

11．A．weak                   B．tired                    C．upset                  D．noisy

12．A．decided               B．supposed             C．considered           D．hoped

13．A．mail                    B．send                    C．leave                   D．make

14．A．note                    B．card                    C．letter                   D．invitation

15．A．argue                  B．write                   C．call                     D．apologize

16．A．challenges           B．problems             C．suggestions         D．experiences

17．A．laughed               B．glanced               C．shouted               D．stared

18．A．worried               B．thought               C．talked                  D．cared

19．A．surprised             B．curious                C．special                D．confused

20．A．met             B．invited           C．visited            D．called

As a nation we are becoming more aware of the food we and our children are eating.The recent campaign to improve school dinners by celebrity(名人) chef Jamie Oliver has helped raise awareness of our fast food lifestyles.While we may be trying to eat more healthily，it seems we still have some bad habits.

?Healthy eaters or just trendy?

Are there certain things that you do and don’t eat and why？With so many food programmes and books telling you what you should and shouldn’t eat to be healthy，it’s hard to make choices.

Some people are vegetarians for moral reasons，some don’t like the taste of meat and there are one or two people who do it because it’s trendy.Likewise，it can be trendy to follow the latest celebrity’s diet because it’s what the famous are doing.

?Eating out

People are eating out more often now，not just on special occasions as in the past.The choice of restaurants has also diversified.Italian，Chinese and Indian restaurants have been around for years but have now been joined by Mongolian，Japanese，Mexican and so on.Bars and pubs are still popular for food and often promote English cuisine made with local produce.

“We enjoy eating out a couple of times every month whether with friends or just as a couple.We like trying new things so we go to different restaurants.” said Craig,25，County Durham.

?Eating on the go

From chocolate bars to sandwiches more people are eating on the go—on the street，in cars or on buses and trains.While our parents and grandparents may frown at this behaviour，considering it to be bad manners，people eat on the go because they are rushing from one place to another.And in the home the number of people sitting down at a dining table for their evening meal is on the decrease as meal times become more informal.

“If I’m running late for work I don’t think twice about eating toast in the car or on the bus but I know my mum wouldn’t approve，” said Stacey,24.

1.What can we infer from the text?

A．Our parents think highly of the eating habits mentioned in the text.

B．We should get rid of the bad habits and try to be healthier.

C．Japanese restaurants have been around for years.

D．It’s good for people to eat out more frequently.

2.People find it difficult to decide what to eat to keep healthy because ________.

A．different programmes and books have different ideas about healthy eating

B．there are many celebrities having different diet styles

C．what the famous are doing is different from ours

D．they have some bad eating habits

3.The underlined word “diversified” in Paragraph 4 probably means “________”．

A．made a great change

B．made a big difference

C．had a rapid increase

D．had a wide variety

4.Craig often goes to different restaurants because ________.

A．he likes trying new things

B．he follows the latest celebrity diet

C．he enjoys the meal with his friends

D．he has more special occasions to celebrate

Jack London had endured more hardships by the age of twenty-one than most people experience in a lifetime. His struggles developed in him sympathy for the working class and a lasting dislike of hard work and provided inspiration for his career as a writer.
London grew up in San Francisco in extreme poverty. At an early age, he left school and supported himself through a succession of un skilled jobs ----working as a paper boy, in bowling alleys, on ice wagons, and in canneries（罐头食品厂） and mills. Despite working long hours at these jobs, London was able to read constantly, borrowing travel and adventure books from the library.
The books London read inspired him to travel, and his job experiences led him to become active in fighting for the fights of workers. He sailed to Japan on a journey aiming at catching seals and joined a cross-country protest march with a group of unemployed workers. After being arrested for vagrancy near Buffalo, New York, London decided to educate himself and reshape his life. He quickly completed high school and entered the University of California.
After only one term, however, the appeal of fortune and adventure proved uncontrollable. London gave up his studies and traveled to the Alaskan Yukon in 1897 in search of gold. Jack London was among the first of these miners. He may have searched for more than gold, however. London once commented, “ True, the new region was mostly poor; but its several hundred thousand square miles of coldness at least gave breathing space to those who else would have choked at home.” Although he was unsuccessful as a miner, London’s experiences in Alaska taught him about the human desire for wealth and power and about humankind’s inability to control the forces of nature. While in Alaska, London also absorbed memories and stories that would make him known one hundred years later.
Once back in California, London became determined to earn a living as a writer. He rented a typewriter and worked up to fifteen hours a day, spinning his Alaskan adventures into short stories and novels.
According to legend, London’s piles of rejection slips from publishers grew to five feet in height!
Even so, London preserved. In 1903, he earned national fame when he published the popular novel The Call of the Wild. He soon became the highest paid and most industrious writer in the country. During his career, he produced more than fifty books and earned more than a million dollars. Several of his novels, including The Call of the Wild(1903),the Sea-Wolf(1904),the White Fang(1906),have become American classics. In fact, he was a creative writer whose fiction explored several regions and their cultures: the Yukon, California, Hawaii, and the Solomon Islands. He experimented with many literary forms, from traditional love stories and dystopias（反面乌托邦小说）to science fantasy. His noted journalism included war communication, boxing stories, and the life of Molokai lepers（麻风病患者）. He was among the most influential figures of his day, who understood how to create a public persona and use the media to market his self-created image of poor-boy-turned-success. London's great passion was agriculture, and he was well on the way of creating a new model for spreading through his Beauty Ranch when he died of kidney disease at age 40. He left over fifty books of novels, stories, journalism, and essays, many of which have been translated and continue to be read around the world. His best works describe a person’s struggle for survival against the powerful forces of nature. “To Build a Fire”, for example, tells the story of a man’s fight to survive the harsh cold of the Alaskan winter.
【小题1】_________made Jack London reconsider his life in the future.

Mu Yumin had no idea that when he stopped by the computer club as a freshman looking for something fun, it would decide his career four years later．The 22 -year -old biology major at Huazhong  University of Science and Technology found a job as an IT technician in Shanghai．" My experience in the club gave me another 'diploma' ,"  said Mu．" More importantly, I found something I am good at and can make a living from．"

Now campuses(校园) around the country have started recruiting（吸收某人为新成员） fresh faces for all kinds of clubs．Upperclassmen and experts suggest a hobby-based choice of clubs, which might have a lasting impact（影响）on one' s life and career Zhang Ling did not get many chances to write stories as an environmental protection major at Jiangxi University of Science and Technology．But this changed when she joined the university broadcast station．Her daily interviews with students and teachers expanded her horizon．Now she is determined to become a journalist on environmental issues with her degree in environmental protection．"Journalism changed my life track," said the 22 –year-old girl．"I only wanted to be a science teacher in a local senior high school．But now I am applying for a graduate school in journalism."

Lan Yujie, professor at Anhui University of Technology, regards Mu and Zhang as good examples of choosing "what I like" instead of " what is practical" in finding jobs and seeking further study． "Some freshmen don't know what to choose," said Lan．"Just following a hobby and doing something you like can easily give you the experience that makes you happy and special．"

Lan further says that joining clubs should not necessarily have a purpose,  As part of campus life, a club experience will impact one's life and career m one way or another．"The point of clubs is to have as many diverse（多样的）experiences as possible so that students can explore more of their life," said Lan．

1.Why did Mu Yumin join the computer club?

A．To get another diplomA.             B．To change his major．

C．To find a good joB.                   D．To have a good time．

2.Which of the followings is true about Zhang Ling?

A.She didn't intend to be a journalist．

B.She changed her major to journalism．

C.She now works as a science teacher

D.She's graduated from the university．

3.According to the text, joining the campus club has many advantages EXCEPT          .

A．helping you know what you really like

B．making you plan your career better

C.helping you to make more friends

D.obtaining more life experiences

4.What can we learn from Lan Yujie's words in the last paragraph?

A．Club experiences will affect students' life and career

B.Students should be practical in finding jobs

C．Joining clubs should have a clear goal．

D．Students will have a colorful campus life by joining clubs．

5.What is the main idea of the text?

A．How to change your major．

B．Joining a campus club for a diploma．

C.How to find a job after graduation

D．Joining a club to explore more of your life．

　 Tiffany, a 16-year-old girl, was very, shy. Last September, her best friend, Sophie, moved abroad with her family because she had to continue her studies in America. She even said she would not come back for at least a few years. Tiffany became 　 33　 and helpless. "I was really sad the moment I heard the bad news and I didn't know what to do," Tiffany recalled (回忆). "I 　 34　 myself in my room for a whole week. It was then that my aunt took me to a sports 　 35　 one Saturday and I saw' so many young people playing various sports there. I signed up for a beginners' course in volleyball and since then I have been playing this sport. Now I　 36　 it twice a week there. It is wonderful playing sports in this club and I have made lots of 37　 as well. What's more, I feel I am much healthier than before."

　 The most basic aim of playing sports is that you can improve your health even if you are not very good at sports.　 38　 , you can get to know a circle of people at your age while playing sports. Tiffany used to be a very quiet girl. Since she joined the sports club, she has opened up herself and now she has become very 　 39　 and enjoys meeting and talking with others.

　 For most people, that is one of the attractions of joining a sports club. You can get to know other young people who have similar 　 40　　 . You don't have to sit down and talk to strangers.

You go in for sports and it is easier to 　 41　 your partners on the same team. Now Tiffany is quite 　 42　 her friends and she has also gained more confidence.

　　 Try to do regular sports. The mind needs exercise as well as the body.

33. A. angry　　　　 B. lonely　　　　　　 C. tired　　　　　　　 　　 D. surprised

34. A. shut　　　　 B. hurt　 .　　　　 　C. enjoyed　　　　　 　 D.helped

35. A. club 　　　　　 B. ground　　　　　　 C. class　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. meeting

36. A. watch　　　　 　 B. practise　　　　　 C. discuss　　　　　　 D. make

37. A. trouble　　　 B. mistakes　　　　　 C. money　　　　　　 　　 D. friends

38. A. So far　　　　 B. In addition　　 　 C. Once again　　　　 　　　 D. After all

39. A. active　　　　 B. strong　　　　　　 C. lucky　　　　　　 　　 D. independent

40. A.ideas　　　　　　　　　 B. interests　　　　　 　　　 C. situations　　　　　 　　 D. grades

41. A. understand　　　　 B.help　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. support　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. greet

42. A. kind to　 　　　　 B. different from　　 C. popular with　　　 　 D. disappointed in