It had been a hard year for my family. Whenever my mom looked over at the tree and presents, she would sigh（嘆氣）and warn us, “There won’t be as much for Christmas this year. Try not to be______ .” Christmas had been a time for my parents to spoil（寵愛(ài)）us. I had heard the phrase “giving is better than receiving”, but getting presents was the whole point!

On Christmas morning, we ______waited in the hallway until Dad told us everything was ready. We rushed into the living room and had to wait and ______ while other family members opened their presents, but as the time passed we lost our self-control.

“Here’s another one for you,” said Mom as she handed me a bag. I looked at it, confused. Having spent so much time examining the presents before Christmas, I______ this one. It was for my mom!

It was a blow dryer. While this may seem only a simple gift, to me it was so much more. But, in my world, where receiving was more important than giving, my mom’s act of selflessness was difficult to_______. I thought in disbelief about how much my mom must love me to do that.

I have always remembered that Christmas with love. As an adult with children, I can now see my mom was finding an even greater_______in her Christmas because giving truly is better than receiving. To me, my mom’s simple act meant the world.

【1】A.changedB.openedC.filledD.checked

【2】A.childB.presentC.treeD.word

【3】A.disappointedB.excitedC.worriedD.satisfied

【4】A.carefullyB.hopelesslyC.eagerlyD.nervously

【5】A.complainB.argueC.watchD.choose

【6】A.receivedB.recognizedC.refusedD.expected

【7】A.understandB.predictC.proveD.express

【8】A.challengeB.roleC.pleasureD.influence

— Oh, yes. I bought it from a store online.

A.where did you buyB.where you bought

C.where will you buyD.where you will buy

A.playB.will playC.were playingD.are playing

某英文網(wǎng)站正在開(kāi)展以“文學(xué)與我”為主題的征文活動(dòng)。假如你是李華，請(qǐng)用英語(yǔ)寫(xiě)一篇短文投稿，談?wù)勀銓?duì)文學(xué)的理解，你讀過(guò)什么文學(xué)作品，以及文學(xué)對(duì)你人生的影響。

提示詞語(yǔ)：literature, build, character

提示問(wèn)題：

● What do you think of literature?

● What literature work have you read?

● How does literature affect you?

I like literature very much.________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

提示詞語(yǔ)：vocabulary, grammar

提示問(wèn)題：

● What problem did you have?

● What learning tips do you know?

● How is your English learning now?

Dear Peter,

I'm glad to receive your email.________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yours,

Li Hua

Listening Actively

Focus on the speaker's words and not what you'll say next. When listening to a family member, pay attention to what's being said. When talking to someone, pay attention to the speaker and his thoughts, you can think of how you will reply later.

Make sure the speaker has finished talking before you talk. Instead of starting your reply at once, a couple of seconds of silence is not a bad thing.

Communicating Effectively (有效的)

Retell what has been said. Try to briefly conclude what you have heard when the speaker finishes. It will really show you're listening and allow you and your family to communicate better.

Reflect (思考，回顧) on what's been said. After talking, reflect briefly on the subject. Try to work out not just what's being said, but also why it is important.

Accept you don't always have to solve someone's problems.

Avoiding Negative Habits

Do not cut in on others. Interrupting (打斷) can break effective conversation. Do not start talking until the other person has finished.

Stop from offering advice. Unless you are asked, do not offer advice. Offering advice can make it seem like you're not really listening but to hear what you want.

Do not change the subject early. Never change the subject before the speaker has got their words out, even if a subject makes you bored.

Avoid hurrying the speaker. Never say words like, "Can you get to the point?" This will make it seem like you're not interested in the conversation.

【1】What is communication important for?

_______________________

【2】When should you pay attention to the speaker and his thoughts?

_______________________

【3】How can you communicate effectively?

_______________________

【4】Why can't you cut in on others?

_______________________

【5】Who should you avoid hurrying?

_______________________

My journey began with attending TESOL certification(認(rèn)證) course in my home state of Florida last February. After 3 weekends of study and another 40 hours’ study online, I received my TESOL certificate(證書(shū)).

I was asked to contact Philip,who is Program Director of the Teach in Thailand. After discussing with Philip,I chose my school and after many months of excitement,I finally flew to Thailand in early April and I couldn’t wait to explore the country!

After a few weeks of travel alone,I met up with Philip and the other new teachers in my program in Bangkok. It was great to meet other people who were on the same journey as me,see some cool sights and walk in Thailand’s cities! After that, I attended the weeklong seminar(研討會(huì)). At the end of the seminar, I was transported to my school—Anuban Buriram Primary School.

I truly love my job—I teach Grades 5 and 6 and I have the cleverest and most active kids in the world. It’s a truly fantastic thing that you can see the difference you make in someone else’s life, right in front of you!

Buriram is a small city with green rice fields. People here are more friendly than anyone I’ve ever met—I’ve never been anywhere where a smile is so easily received,where everyone you pass is so friendly to say “Hello” and “Good morning”. I’ve been taken out to countless dinners,and been lent a guitar,a camera,and I am given Thai treats and the most delicious fresh fruits many times a week. I only hope to repay(回報(bào)) them in the future.

【1】To teach English in a foreign country, one has to .

A.graduate from universityB.receive a certificate of TESOL

C.be trained in a summer courseD.take a course online

【2】What did the writer do right away after arriving in Thailand?

A.He travelled around Thailand by himself.B.He had a discussion with Philip.

C.He attended a seminar in Bangkok.D.He met with other volunteers.

【3】In the last paragraph the writer is trying to show ________.

A.that Buriram is small but very beautiful

B.that the Thai treats are fresh and delicious

C.how generous and friendly the Thai people are

D.that he wants to repay the people who helped him

【4】The writer wrote this passage in order to________.

A.give some advice to future volunteers

B.encourage more people to travel in Thailand

C.show the readers how to become a volunteer

D.tell us his voluntary experience in Thailand

Star Ratings: Lemon Tree Hotel, sincerely looks forward to your arrival!

【1】You can't ________ when staying in Lemon Tree Hotel.

A.raise petsB.go swimmingC.have mealsD.drink coffee

【2】If Mr. Brown and his 8-year-old son have a meal in the hotel, they should pay ________.

A. 30B. 45C. 60D. 75

【3】Which of the following is true?

A.No free Wi-Fi in the hotel.B.You can check out at 12 o'clock.

C.Smoking is not allowed in the hotel.D.You can enjoy dinner at 18:00.

Alexandra Nechita was born in Romania in 1985 and _______ to California when she was still a baby. As a little child, she loved coloring in her coloring books. Her parents _______ she could spend more time playing with other children, so they took away her coloring books. Alexandra began drawing her own pictures and coloring them in.

By the time Alexandra was seven years old, she had begun painting with oil paints. When Alexandra took a local art class, her teacher was amazed (驚奇的) at the young artist's _______ style of painting. Alexandra's work was similar in some ways to the paintings by famous artists like Picasso. These artists did not use a realistic (現(xiàn)實(shí)主義的) style of painting. They allowed their imaginations to play an important _______ in their work. The interesting thing was that little Alexandra had never seen the work of these artists. People called her "Little Picasso". This was a great honor (榮譽(yù)), but Alexandra's style of painting was all her own.

Alexandra's first public show was held at a Los Angeles public library when she was only eight years old. People were amazed at how young Alexandra was, but _______they loved her imaginative artwork. It didn't take long for Alexandra and her work to become famous. She appeared on television programs and in newspapers and magazines all over the world. The sale of a single piece can earn the young artist thousands of dollars. But that is not why Alexandra _______artwork. She just cannot imagine doing anything else that would bring her such joy and satisfaction.

Today, Alexandra is a full-time artist. She also works to help support the arts in schools. Alexandra is a strong believer in the power of art as a _______of communication and a bridge to build peace throughout the world.

【1】A.matterB.troubleC.exerciseD.question

【2】A.walkedB.ranC.movedD.returned

【3】A.hopedB.askedC.refusedD.wondered

【4】A.ancientB.strangeC.unusualD.difficult

【5】A.jobB.partC.ideaD.business

【6】A.finallyB.totallyC.naturallyD.mostly

【7】A.createsB.inventsC.producesD.imagines

【8】A.workB.toolC.ruleD.skill

A.checksB.checkedC.is checkingD.was checking