The spirit of Christmas isn’t always so cheerful. Here are four unusual and a little scary Christmas traditions from around the world.

1. Guatmala: Burning devils

In order to make houses free from bad spirits for the New Year, Guatemalans do a full house clean in December. The dirt and dust is gathered from every home and each neighborhood creates a large amount of garbage. A devil statue is built and placed on top of the dirt, and burned. The bad luck is said to burn up with the devil.

2. South Africa: Don’t eat Santa’s cookies

To keep kids from stealing on Santa’s cookies, parents tell children a story about a boy named Danny who ate all of Santa’s cookies and really angered his grandmother. She killed him and now his ghosts visits houses during Christmas time.

3. Iceland: Fear the Yule Cat

Children who don’t receive new clothes by Christmas Eve will be eaten by the Yule Cat, a large and angry cat, which is said to hide in the snow. The strange tradition comes from farmers who used the myth to encourage their workers to finish making the autumn wool before Christmas.

4. Ukraine: A spooky tree

If you find yourself in Ukraine around the holidays, you may be wondering: Is it Christmas or Halloween? Trees here are decorated with artificial(人工的) spider weds and decorative spiders. The unusual tradition comes from a story where a spider wove a web around the tree of a poor family. When morning came, the white strands(線) turned to precious metals and the family became rich. The webs today show good fortune for the next year.

1.To celebrate the New Year, what will people do in Guatemala?

A. Clean their houses.

B. Show their respects to the devil statue.

C. Buy a devil statue.

D. Move to new houses.

2.Which country has a tradition that might cause kids’ fear of eating Santa’s cookies?

A. Guatemala. B. South Africa.

C. Iceland. D. Ukraine.

3.What can we infer about Christmas in Iceland?

A. The Yule Cat usually hides in the grass before Christmas.

B. All the children will receive new clothes on Christmas.

C. New clothes are popular Christmas presents for children in Iceland.

D. The Yule Cat would eat the farmers who don’t finish their work on time.

4.Why do Ukrainians like spiders on Christmas?

A. Spiders are pretty insects.

B. Spiders are believed to bring good fortune.

C. Spiders always help poor families out of pity.

D. Webs of spiders are suitable for decoration.

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科目：高中英語 來源：山西省孝義市2017屆高三下學(xué)期考前熱身訓(xùn)練英語試卷 題型：完形填空

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There is still a lot of goodness out there in the world. We just need to take the time to __ it.

1.A. typical B. ordinary C. strange D. pleasant.

2.A. make B. explain C. accomplish D. arrange

3.A. excitedly B. surprisingly C. interestingly D. hurriedly

4.A. stayed B. looked C. walked D. parked

5.A. calls B. trips C. surveys D. contributions

6.A. cops B. doctors C. thieves D. officials

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8.A. made up B. took up C. put up D. messed up

9.A. still B. even C. quite D. only

10.A. message B. secret C. story D. process

11.A. declined B. offered C. hesitated D. approved

12.A. license B. card C. paper D. ticket

13.A. spend B. leave C. take D. get

14.A. lent B. presented C. purchased D. rented

15.A. delighted B. annoyed C. disappointed D. amused

16.A. worth B. worthy C. personal D. special

17.A. moved B. changed C. turned D. appealed

18.A. honour B. respect C. alarm D. surprise

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科目：高中英語 來源：廣西省桂林市2016-2017學(xué)年高二下學(xué)期期末質(zhì)量檢測英語試卷 題型：閱讀理解

What do you often do when you wait for a bus or a train at the station?

Tom arrived at the bus station quite early for Paris bus. The bus for Paris would not leave until five to twelve. He saw a lot of people waiting in the station. Some were standing in line, others were walking around. There was a group of schoolgirls. The teacher was trying to keep them in line. Tom looked around but there was no place for him to sit.

He walked into the station cafe. He looked up at the clock there. It was only twenty to twelve. He found a seat and sat down before a large mirror on the wall. Just then, Mike, one of Tom's workmates, came in and sat with Tom. "What time is your bus?" asked Mike. "There's plenty of time yet," answered Tom. "Well, I'll get you more tea then," said Mike.

They talked while drinking. Then Tom looked at the clock again. "Oh! It's going backward!" he cried. "A few minutes ago it was twenty to twelve and now it's half past eleven."

"You're looking at the clock in the mirror," said Mike. Tom was so sad. The next bus was not to leave for another hour. Since then Tom has never liked mirrors.

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A. It was quite early and he couldn't find a seat in the station.

B. Mike asked him to have a cup of tea together.

C. He wanted to have a drink with his workmate there.

D. He didn't like to stay with the schoolgirls.

2.What time was it in fact when Tom looked at the clock in the mirror?

A. Half past eleven. B. Twenty to twelve.

C. Half past twelve. D. Half past one.

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C. the time is right D. it's going backward

4.Which of the following is the best title of the story?

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In 1933 an unknown American called Clarence Nash went to see the film-maker Walter Disney. He had an unusual voice and he wanted to work in Disney’s cartoon film for children. When Walter Disney heard Nash’s voice, he said, “Stop! That’s our duck!”

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In the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, Donald and his friends Mickey, Goofy and Pluto made hundreds of Disney cartoons. He also made educational film about the place of the USA in the world, and safety in the home. Then in 1966 Donald Duck and his voice disappeared—there were no more new cartoons.

Clarence Nash died in February, 1985. But today’s children can still see the old cartoons on the television and hear that famous voice.

1.Who made Donald Duck cartoons?

A. Mickey Mouse.

B. Clarence Nash.

C. Walter Disney.

D. Pluto.

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A. In 1933. B. In 1934.

C. In 1966. D. In 1965.

3.Who was Clarence Nash?

A. A cartoonist.

B. A writer.

C. A film maker.

D. The man who made the voice for Donald Duck.

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A. In new cartoons.

B. At the cinema.

C. On television.

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科目：高中英語 來源：湖南省長沙市2017屆高三下學(xué)期臨考沖刺訓(xùn)練英語試卷 題型：完形填空

My family and I never talked about school as the ticket to a future. I was in the classrooms, but I wasn’t there to learn to write, read or even ______. When it was my turn to read, I wanted to ______. I was 13 years old, ______ I already hated being who I was.

I had a(n) ______ teacher, Mr. Creech, who knew I couldn’t read. In one of my first lessons the teacher said that anyone who had a reading age ______ six had to stand up. I felt so ______. But at the same time, it made me realize that I needed to change the situation. I was determined it wouldn’t ______ again. Later that day, Mr. Creech encouraged me and promised he would try his best to help me learn to read. From then on, I ______ gave up practicing reading.

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2.A. jump B. hide C. sleep D. succeed

3.A. but B. or C. therefore D. still

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5.A. above B. at the end of C. below D. at the beginning of

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10.A. buying B. making C. fetching D. sending

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16.A. author B. assistant C. teacher D. doctor

17.A. first B. last C. next D. every

18.A. company B. factory C. house D. classroom

19.A. hurt B. worried C. hit D. confused

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In spite of the fun and laughter, 13-year-old Frank Wilson wasn’t happy. It was________ that he received all the gifts that he wanted. And he also _________ the big Christmas dinner with the family members. ________, Frank wasn’t happy because this was his first Christmas without his brother, Steve, who was killed in a car accident. Frank ___________ his brother.

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4.A. praised B. admired C. respected D. missed

5.A. put on B. took out C. put aside D. took off

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8.A. reminded B. warned C. informed D. believed

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10.A. gift B. problem C. sign D. thought

11.A. frightened B. sad C. excited D. confused

12.A. pulling B. knowing C. searching D. seeing

13.A. collect B. buy C. provide D. sell

14.A. everything B. anything C. something D. nothing

15.A. offer B. show C. take D. bring

16.A. disappointed B. worried C. surprised D. interested

17.A. light B. large C. new D. full

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19.A. Because B. Though C. When D. While

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科目：高中英語 來源：山西省晉中市2016-2017學(xué)年高一下學(xué)期質(zhì)量監(jiān)測（優(yōu)生檢測）英語試卷 題型：短文填空

I had an opportunity to help out a young girl,who had been admitted1.a hospital for the2.(treat) of cancer disease.She was only a teenager and suffering from cancer in her hip.Her parents were daily wage laborers and lived in3.small village in India.They didn't have4.knowledge about this disease and they felt5.(help).When I heard about this,I visited the hospital,meeting with them and6.(talk) with the doctors for all the7.(possibility) to save the girl.The doctors said that there was a risk of death but that they8.(try) their best to save her life.

I donated some money to her parents and also arranged for9.(she) to receive a unit of blood,10.she badly needed.I hope that she will defeat the cancer and win back her life.

May god bless her,and may she live a long life and have prosperity.

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科目：高中英語 來源：江蘇省鎮(zhèn)江市2016-2017學(xué)年高一下學(xué)期期末考試英語試卷 題型：完成句子

1.Old people tend to get out of b________when they climb those stairs.

2.After b________with the shop owner fora long time,Mary picked up a few beautiful dresses.

3.In my opinion,a good lecture should be able to e________the audience's interest as well as inform them.

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5.Though the d________boy could not use his arms and legs,he was just as clever as the other children.

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7.To be good at the game,you need a reasonable level of________（智力）.

8.My parents think that________（當(dāng)代的）young people show no respect for their elders.

9.He________（吹口哨）happily when he walked along,thinking about his teacher's praise.

10.With so many students graduating from universities,there exists fierce________（競爭）in jobs hunting.

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科目：高中英語 來源：湖南省瀏陽市2016-2017學(xué)年高二下學(xué)期第一次階段性測試英語試卷 題型：書面表達(dá)

生活中沖突時有發(fā)生。假設(shè)你班同學(xué)蘇華和李江打籃球時發(fā)生爭執(zhí),導(dǎo)致關(guān)系緊張。請你結(jié)合此事,并根據(jù)以下提示,用英語寫一篇短文,向?qū)W校英文報“Happy Teens”專欄投稿。

簡要描述事情的經(jīng)過

打籃球、碰撞、爭執(zhí)，等等

分析發(fā)生沖突的原因

1.遇事不夠冷靜

2. ……

談?wù)劚苊鉀_突的做法

1. ……

2. ……

注意: 1. 對所有要點(diǎn)逐一陳述,按要求適當(dāng)發(fā)揮,不要簡單翻譯。

2. 詞數(shù)120 左右。開頭已經(jīng)寫好,不計(jì)入總詞數(shù)。

3. 作文中不得提及有關(guān)考生個人身份的任何信息,如校名、人名等。

參考詞匯：碰撞bump into；爭執(zhí)；爭吵quarrel；以自我為中心的self-centered；體貼的considerate；冷靜的calm；彼此責(zé)怪blame each other；諒解forgive；處理沖突handle conflicts；明智地wisely

Conflicts with others are common in everyday life._____________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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