New Year and Its Celebrations（新年习俗）?
January 1,the beginning of a New Year.?
As far back in history as we can tell ,people have celebrated（庆祝）the start of a New Year .The people of ancient Egypt began their New Year in summer .That is when the Nile River flooded its banks bringing water and fertility（肥沃）to the land .The people of ancient Babylon（巴比伦）and Persia（波斯）began their New Year on March 21,the first day of spring .And some native American Indians（美洲土著印第安人）began their New Year when the nuts of the oak（橡木）tree became ripe .That was usually in late summer.?
Now almost everyone celebrates New Year's Day on January 1,the day as before people observed the New Year's holiday in many different ways .The ancient Babylonains celebrated it by forcing their king to give up his crown（王冠） and royal（皇家） clothing. They made him get down on his knees and admit all the mistakes he had made during the past year. This idea of admitting wrongs and finishing the business of the old year is found in many societies at new year.?
So is the idea of making resolutions（决定）.The resolution is a promise to change your ways ,to stop smoking ,for example ,or to get more physical exercise.?
Noise making is another ancient custom at the New Year .The noise is considered necessary to chase away（赶走） the evil（邪恶） spirits of the old year .People around the world do different things to make a lot of noise .They may hit sticks together ,beat on drums（鼓）,blow horns（号）,or explode fire-works（烟火）.?
Americans celebrate the New Year in many ways .Most do not have to go to work or school .So they visit family and friends ,attend church services ,share a holiday meal ,or watch New Year's parades（游行） on television. Most years university teams play in special holiday games .For those who have been busy at work or school ,new year may be a day of rest .They spend the time thinking about and preparing for the demands of the New Year.?
1.Which of the following statements is right??
A.The people of ancient Egypt began their New Year in spring.?
B.The people of ancient Babylon began their New Year on March 21,the first day of spring.?
C.Some native American Indians began their New Year in early summer.?
D.The people of ancient Persia began their New Year in late summer.?
2.Why do people make a lot of noise on the New Year according to the passage??
A.The noise is considered necessary to frighten the evil spirits of the old year.
B.The noise is considered necessary to show people's excitement.?
C.The noise is considered a symbol of admitting all the mistakes one did in the past year.?
D.People have no other better ways to show their happiness.?
3.Americans celebrate the New Year by doing things as follows except ________.
A.resting at home?
B.visiting family and friends?
C.attending church services?
D.having sports and games?

阅读理解

　　Over thirty thousand years ago people from northern Asia (亚洲北部) went to America. Today, we call these people Indians (印第安人).

　　The Indians went to America because the weather began to change. Northern Asia became very cold. Everything froze. They had to move or die. How did the first Indians go to America? They walked!

　　Later Columbus found the New World in 1492. At first, only a few Europeans followed (跟随). They traveled to America in boats. For the next three hundred years, about 500,000 people went there. Then the number grew very quickly. From 1815 to 1915, over thirty-two million Europeans left their countries and went to the United States. The biggest groups were from Germany and Italy (意大利), These Europeans spoke many different languages. Most of them took almost no money. They went to America so that they could find a better life.

(1)________ went to America first.

[　　]

A．People from northern Asia

B．People from Europe

C．People from Germany

D．Columbus

(2)Why did the Indians go to America? Because ________.

[　　]

A．northern Asia became very hot

B．northern Asia became very hot

C．they were interested in America

D．they liked traveling

(3)The New World was ________.

[　　]

(4)The first Europeans went to America ________.

[　　]

(5)These Europeans ________.

A．didn't speak the same language

B．spoke English only

C．spoke German only

D．spoke both English and German

阅读理解

　　Over thirty thousand years ago people from northern Asia (亚洲北部) went to America. Today, we call these people Indians (印第安人).

　　The Indians went to America because the weather began to change. Northern Asia became very cold. Everything froze. They had to move or die. How did the first Indians go to America? They walked!

　　Later Columbus found the New World in 1492. At first, only a few Europeans followed (跟随). They traveled to America in boats. For the next three hundred years, about 500,000 people went there. Then the number grew very quickly. From 1815 to 1915, over thirty-two million Europeans left their countries and went to the United States. The biggest groups were from Germany and Italy (意大利), These Europeans spoke many different languages. Most of them took almost no money. They went to America so that they could find a better life.

(1)________ went to America first.

[　　]

A．People from northern Asia

B．People from Europe

C．People from Germany

D．Columbus

(2)Why did the Indians go to America? Because ________.

[　　]

A．northern Asia became very hot

B．northern Asia became very hot

C．they were interested in America

D．they liked traveling

(3)The New World was ________.

[　　]

(4)The first Europeans went to America ________.

[　　]

(5)These Europeans ________.

A．didn't speak the same language

B．spoke English only

C．spoke German only

D．spoke both English and German

All her life,my mother wanted busy children.It was very important that her house should remain at all times clean and tidy.
You could turn your back for a moment in my mother’s house,leave a half-written letter on the dining room table,a magazine open on the chair,and turn around to find that my mother had “put it back where it belonged,”as she explained.
My wife,one of her first visits to my mother’s house,placed a packet of biscuits on an end table and went to the kitchen to fetch a drink.When she returned,she found the packet had been removed.Confused(疑惑的),she set down her drink and went back to the kitchen for more biscuits,only to return to find that her drink had disappeared.Up to then she had guessed that everyone in my family held onto their drinks,so as not to make water rings on the end tables.Now she knows better.
These disappearances had a confusing effect on our family.We were all inclined to(有……的倾向) forgetfulness,and it was common for one of us,upon returning from the bathroom,to find that every sign of his work in progress had disappeared suddenly.“Do you remember what I was doing?”was a question frequently asked,but rarely answered.
Now my sister has developed a second-hand love of clean windows,and my brother does the cleaning in his house,perhaps to avoid having to be the one to lift his feet.I try not to think about it too much,but I have at this later time started to dust the furniture once a week.
We have all become busy persons.
【小题1】Which of the following is TRUE about my mother?