An evergreen tree is a Christmas tradition in many American homes. The tree is usually a pine or fir（冷杉） dressed with lights and other colorful decorations.

Families might buy a cut tree or go to a tree farm and cut one down themselves. Some people bring a live tree in a pot into their home for the holidays and then put it back outdoors. Some people rent a Christmas tree. Companies might bring the same live tree to the same family year after year. Or the tree might get planted in a park or someplace else where it could help the environment.

There are some trees that can be reused year after year because they are made of plastic or metal. Or, instead of a tree, some people have a small, sweet-smelling rosemary（迷迭香） plant, cut to look like a little Christmas tree.

Another popular evergreen this time of year is the mistletoe（槲寄生） plant. It has small white berries and leaves that feel like leather. The traditional Christmas mistletoe is native to Europe. Ancient Druids believed mistletoe had magical powers. Mistletoe is a parasitic（寄生的） plant. It connects itself to a tree and steals nutrients and water.

And the poinsettia（一品红）is also one of the plants that many people connect with Christmas. Poinsettias __________   Mexico. They can be white or pink, but most are bright red. They are named after the first American ambassador to Mexico. Joel Poinsett liked them enough to send some back to the United States. Babies or pets that chew on poinsettias might get sick. But experts say the plant is not as poisonous as some people think.

1.What is the main idea of the text? (no more than 8 words)

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2.Please list at least three kinds of color that Christmas trees may have? (no more than 4 words)

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3.Fill in the blank in Paragraph 5 with proper words. (no more than 4 words)

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4.What can be used as Christmas trees according to the passage?(no more than 10 words)

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5.What does the word “it” (Line 2, Paragraph 2) probably refer to? (no more than 3 words)

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       Could you imagine your parents choosing your husband or wife for you? And can you imagine not setting eyes on him or her until your wedding day? This situation is common in India, the Middle East and many parts of Africa．Marriage customs around the world often differ from our own．We don’t realize that people in other places often get married in very different ways and with different motives．

       In many countries, marriage is a practical matter．A marriage provides a safe and stable home for the husband and wife．It also joins two families, which benefits the couple’s parents and makes them happy．Marriage also brings children, making sure the couple will be taken care of in old age．Because a marriage is important for the whole family, some cultures don’t let young people choose whom to marry．

       Just as there are many different reasons for marriage, there are also many different wedding rituals．Every culture has its own ways of bringing good luck to the happy couple．In a typical Western wedding, the bride seeks good luck by wearing “something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue”．Something old represents the past．Something new represents success in the future．Something borrowed reminds the bride she can get help from her friends and family．And something blue reminds her to be true to her husband．

       In Poland, one wedding tradition is not only lucky, but also very practical．The wedding guests pin money to the bride’s dress while she is dancing．The money is meant to bring luck and to help the young couple build their new life．In Bermuda, the young couple plants a tree in the yard of their new home．Once they move in, they take good care of the tree and make it grow．The planting of the tree is a good metaphor（比喻） for marriage．A truly good marriage is something that grows with care．

1.Which of the following statements does NOT support the idea that marriage is a practical matter?

       A．The couple may have a safe home through their marriage．

       B．The parents had better help their children choose whom to marry．

       C．A marriage benefits the couple’s parents and makes them happy．

       D．A marriage brings children who will take care of the couple when they are old．

2.The underlined word “rituals” （Para．3） means 　　　．

       A．forms　   B．customs   C．traditions　      D．ceremonies

3.Although cultures differ in different countries, one thing in common when a young couple gets married is that 　　　．

       A．people wish them to take care of each other

       B．people wish them to get practical benefits from the marriage

       C．people wish them to have good luck in their new life

       D．people wish them to make money at the wedding ceremony

4.Which of the following statements best summarizes（总结） the subject of this passage?

       A．People across the world get married in different ways and for different reasons．

       B．Every culture has its own ways of bringing good luck to the young couple．

       C．A truly good marriage is something that grows with care．

       D．In many countries, marriage is a practical matter．

 

Trees should only be pruned (修剪) when there is a good and clear reason for doing so and , the number of such reasons is small. Pruning involves the cutting away of overgrown and unwanted branches, and the inexperienced gardener can be encouraged by the thought that more damage results from doing it unnecessarily than from leaving the tree to grow in its own way.

First, pruning may be done to make sure that trees have desired shape or size. The object may be to get a tree of the right height, and at the same time to help the growth of small side branches, which will thicken its appearance or give it a special shape. Secondly, pruning may be done to make the tree healthier. You may cut out diseased or dead wood, or branches that are rubbing against each other and thus cause wounds. The health of a tree may be encouraged by removing branches that are blocking up the center and so preventing the free movement of air.

One result of pruning is that an open wound is left on the tree and this provides an easy entry for disease , but it is a wound that will heal (愈合). Often there is a race between the healing and the disease as to whether the tree will live or die, so that there is a period when the tree is at risk. It should be the aim of every gardener to reduce that risk of death as far as possible. It is important to make the area, which has been pruned, smooth and clean, for healing will be slowed down by roughness. You should allow the cut surface to dry for a few hours and then paint it with one of the materials available from garden shops produced especially for this purpose. Pruning is usually done in winter , for then you can see the shape of the tree clearly without interference (妨碍) from the leaves and also it is very unlikely that the cuts you make will bleed. If this does happen, it is, of course, impossible to paint them properly .

1.．Why should pruning be done?

A．To make the tree grow taller.        B．To improve the shape of the tree.

C．to get rid of the small ranches .    D．To make the small branches thicker.

2.．Trees become unhealthy if the gardener__________.

A. giving a tree a special shape and a definite height

B. removing small side branches and making a tree look less thick

C. allowing too many branches to grow in the middle

D. having a tree surrounded by many other trees

3.．Why is a special material painted on the tree?

A．To help a wound to dry.      B．to cover a rough surface.

C．To make a wound smooth.      D．To prevent disease entering a wound.

4.．A good gardener prunes a tree _________ .

A．several times throughout the year    B．as quickly as possible

C．occasionally when necessary          D．regularly every winter

5.．What was the author’s purpose when writing this passage?

A．To discuss different methods of pruning.

 B．To introduce some common knowledge of pruning.

C．To explain how trees develop disease.  

 D．To give practical instruction for pruning a tree. 

 

 

E

Trees should only be pruned (修剪) when there is a good and clear reason for doing so and , he number of such reasons is small . Pruning involves the cutting away of overgrown and unwanted branches , and the inexperienced gardener can be encouraged by the thought that more damage results from doing it unnecessarily than from leaving the tree to grow in its own way .

First , pruning may be done to make sure that trees have  desired shape or size . The object may be to get a tree of the right height , and at the same time to help the growth of small side branches , which will thicken its appearance or give it a special shape . Secondly , pruning may be done to make the tree healthier . You may cut out diseased or dead wood , or branches that are rubbing against each other and thus cause wounds . The health of a tree may be encouraged by removing branches that are blocking up the center and so preventing the free movement of air .

One result of pruning is that an open wound is left on the tree and this provides an easy entry for disease , but it is a wound that will heal (愈合) . Often there is a race between the healing and the disease as to whether the tree will live or die , so that there is a period when the tree is at risk . It should be the aim of every gardener to reduce that risk of death as far as possible . It is important to make the area , which has been pruned , smooth and clan , for healing will be slowed down by roughness . You should allow the cut surface to dry for a few hours and then paint it with one of the materials available from garden shops produced especially for this purpose . Pruning is usually done in winter , for then you can see the shape of the tree clearly without interference (妨碍) from the leaves and also it is very unlikely that the cuts you make will bleed . If this does happen , it is , of course , impossible to paint them properly .

71．Why should running be done ?

A．To make the tree grow taller .               B．To improve the shape of the tree .

C．to get rid of the small ranches .             D．To make the small branches thicker .

72．Trees become unhealthy if the gardener         .

A．To help a wound to dry .                     

B．To cover a rough surface .

C．damages some of the small side branches

D．Allows too many branches to grow in the middle

73．Why is a special material painted on the tree ?

A．To help a wound to dry .                      B．to cover a rough surface .

C．To make a wound smooth .                   D．To prevent disease entering a wound .

74．A good gardener prunes a tree         .

A．several times throughout the year         B．as quickly as possible

C．occasionally when necessary                 D．regularly every winter

75．What was the author’s purpose when writing this passage ?

A．To discuss different methods of pruning .

B．To introduce some common knowledge of pruning .

C．To explain how trees develop disease .

D．To give practical instruction for pruning a tree .

 

Trees should only be pruned (修剪) when there is a good and clear reason for doing so and , the number of such reasons is small. Pruning involves the cutting away of overgrown and unwanted branches, and the inexperienced gardener can be encouraged by the thought that more damage results from doing it unnecessarily than from leaving the tree to grow in its own way.
First, pruning may be done to make sure that trees have desired shape or size. The object may be to get a tree of the right height, and at the same time to help the growth of small side branches, which will thicken its appearance or give it a special shape. Secondly, pruning may be done to make the tree healthier. You may cut out diseased or dead wood, or branches that are rubbing against each other and thus cause wounds. The health of a tree may be encouraged by removing branches that are blocking up the center and so preventing the free movement of air.
One result of pruning is that an open wound is left on the tree and this provides an easy entry for disease , but it is a wound that will heal (愈合). Often there is a race between the healing and the disease as to whether the tree will live or die, so that there is a period when the tree is at risk. It should be the aim of every gardener to reduce that risk of death as far as possible. It is important to make the area, which has been pruned, smooth and clean, for healing will be slowed down by roughness. You should allow the cut surface to dry for a few hours and then paint it with one of the materials available from garden shops produced especially for this purpose. Pruning is usually done in winter , for then you can see the shape of the tree clearly without interference (妨碍) from the leaves and also it is very unlikely that the cuts you make will bleed. If this does happen, it is, of course, impossible to paint them properly .
【小题1】．Why should pruning be done?

A．To make the tree grow taller.	B．To improve the shape of the tree.
C．to get rid of the small ranches .	D．To make the small branches thicker.

【小题2】．Trees become unhealthy if the gardener__________.

A．giving a tree a special shape and a definite height

B．removing small side branches and making a tree look less thick

C．allowing too many branches to grow in the middle

D．having a tree surrounded by many other trees

【小题3】．Why is a special material painted on the tree?

A．To help a wound to dry.	B．to cover a rough surface.
C．To make a wound smooth.	D．To prevent disease entering a wound.

【小题4】．A good gardener prunes a tree _________ .

A．several times throughout the year	B．as quickly as possible
C．occasionally when necessary	D．regularly every winter

【小题5】．What was the author’s purpose when writing this passage?

A．To discuss different methods of pruning.

B．To introduce some common knowledge of pruning.

C．To explain how trees develop disease.

D．To give practical instruction for pruning a tree.