The Christmas Eve meal is very important in most European countries. While other Christian families around the world celebrate this great meal with different kinds of meat, it is a tradition for Italians to eat seven different kinds of fish. Such a meal is called the “Feast of the Seven Fishes”. It’s also considered traditional that there may be nine, eleven, or even thirteen fishes for the meal. This kind of celebration is held to remember the birth of the baby Jesus.
The Feast of the Seven Fishes was held just by southern Italians as a custom at first, but today Italians all over the world hold it. Although the Feast of the Seven Fishes has been regarded as an Italian custom, no one definitely knows the meaning of it. There are lots of explanations for it. Some people believe that seven fishes are served because it took God seven days to create the world. Other explanations mention the Seven Hills of Rome.
For the Feast of the Seven Fishes, it’s not certain that which kinds of fish should be served. At the Feast of the Seven Fishes, the meal usually begins with antipasto (开胃食物) and ends with delicious desserts.
The Feast of the Seven Fishes has been a tradition since ancient times, and it will continue or even change as life changes. However, for Italians all over the world, the cultural meaning of the tradition is more important than anything else.
【小题1】 Italian families celebrate the Christmas Eve meal with different kinds of ______.
| A．meat | B．fish | C．desserts | D．antipasto |
| A．In Northern Italy. | B．In Rome. |
| C．In Southern Italy. | D．In England. |
| A．the day when God created the world |
| B．the Seven Hills of Rome |
| C．seven Christmas Eve meals |
| D．the birth of the baby Jesus |
| A．快速地 | B．确切地 | C．温柔地 | D．逐渐地 |
| A．It began from ancient times. |
| B．The number of the fish for it has already changed now. |
| C．There are clear requirements for the kinds of fish for it. |
| D．To Italians, the cultural meaning of it is more important than anything else. |
【小题1】B
【小题2】C
【小题3】D
【小题4】B
【小题5】C
解析试题解析:本文大意：圣诞前夕大餐对于多数欧洲国家来说非常重要。而世界上其他的基督教家庭以不同的肉来庆祝，吃七种鱼对于意大利人来说是一种传统，最初只是由意大利南方人做为一种风俗，但现在世界各地的意大利人都举行。吃七种鱼有多种说法，吃哪种鱼也不确定。自从古代七鱼宴就已经成为一种传统了。对于意大利人来说，传统的文化内涵比其它任何事都更重要。
【小题1】细节理解题。根据it is a tradition for Italians to eat seven different kinds of fish.对于意大利人来说吃七种不同种类的鱼是一个传统，可知答案选B
【小题2】细节理解题。根据The Feast of the Seven Fishes was held just by southern Italians as a custom at first,七鱼盛宴最初只是做为由意大利南方人举行，可知答案选C
【小题3】细节理解题。根据This kind of celebration is held to remember the birth of the baby Jesus. 举行这种庆典是为了纪念婴儿耶稣的诞生，可知答案选D
【小题4】细节理解题。根据There are lots of explanations for it.对之有许多解释，可知答案选B
【小题5】细节理解题。根据For the Feast of the Seven Fishes, it’s not certain that which kinds of fish should be served.对于七鱼盛宴来说，应该提供哪种鱼并不确定，可知答案选C
考点：文化类短文阅读。
科目：初中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
If the rose can be said to be a special flower, then the apple can be said to be a special fruit. It is very important in American culture. American stories speak of Johnny Appleseed, who went throughout America collecting apple seeds and planting apple trees. He had a great love for nature and went through fields and farms adding richness and beauty to the country.
One of the first sayings taught to school children is, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” This short saying encourages children to eat fresh fruit to keep healthy. If someone always says good words to a person, people will call him an “apple polisher”. This, however, is not a good name. If someone is very dear to us, we say that he or she is the “apple of our eye”.
Most people believe that the fruit which Eve gave to Adam was an apple, even though the Bible(圣经) never says so. The apple, therefore, is a deep part of the language and stories of America.
An apple is also delicious. Apples can be cooked in many ways, used as a dessert, and made into sweet juice.
In many parts of the country during the harvest season, a popular activity is to go into an apple garden to pick apples. Washington, D. C. and New York are both famous for their apples.
Finally, when it’s time to take a vacation to American cities, one can always visit New York, which is “the biggest apple” of all the American cities.
【小题1】What does the underlined phrase “apple polisher” mean?
| A．Something for cutting apples. |
| B．A person who likes to please others. |
| C．A person who is dealing with fruits. |
| D．A machine for cleaning apples quickly. |
| A．cooking | B．medicine |
| C．shopping | D．health |
| A．Apples are medicine. |
| B．Apples are the most important food. |
| C．New York is famous for its big apples. |
| D．The Bible says Adam was given an apple. |
| A．stories about the apple |
| B．apples in American culture |
| C．some famous sayings of the apple |
| D．big cities that is famous for apples |
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科目：初中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Naturally, American schoolchildren love holidays. And they get a lot of them each year.
Besides having national holidays such as Thanksgiving and Presidents’ Day off from school, students get longer breaks in the spring and during the summer holidays .In fact, kids in US only go to school for about 180 days a year .To students, holidays are perfect .However, parents think there are advantages and disadvantages.
On the one hand, school holidays allow families to spend time together. Many American parents take time off from work during June ,July or August to travel with their children on vacation either in US or a foreign country. On the other hand, schoolchildren get much more time off school than parents get vacation time. This means that parents with young children may have to pay more in babysitting or daycare costs. As well, the long summer holidays mean that students sometimes get bored .
Besides going on trips with their parents, American students enjoy taking part in different kinds of activities during the holidays. For example, some kids enjoy summer camps and outdoor adventure(冒险) holidays. Such trips are great for adventurous students. They also have a lot to offer students who aren’t usually interested in traditional PE activities. You can do courses in survival(生存) skills, for example. Students learn how to make a camp in the forest, which wild food they can eat and how to find their way back to the center.
Students who are not excited about summer camps and outdoor adventure may take part in courses in computer game design, filmmaking and photography during the holidays. Finally, the traditional school trip to foreign countries is always popular. Students can practice their foreign language skills and experience everyday life in a different culture.
【小题1】How long are kids in the US at school every year?
| A．About 180 days . | B．About 280 days . |
| C．About 200 days . | D．About 300 days . |
| A．Some kids. | B．Different traditional PE activities |
| C．Parents | D．Summer camps and outdoor adventure. |
| A．Both parents and students think school holidays are perfect. |
| B．Parents can take care of their young children during all the holidays. |
| C．Students enjoy taking part in different kinds of activities during holidays. |
| D．Students don’t like to have school trips to foreign countries during holidays. |
| A．School Trips in the US. | B．School Holidays in the US. |
| C．School activities in the US. | D．Outdoor Adventure in the US |
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科目：初中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
In Britain, the first day of the month of May is known as May Day. May day marks the end of the harsh(严酷的) winter months, welcomes the beginning of Summer, and optimistically looks forward to the bright and productive months. 
For their ancestors, largely in rural areas, it was a major annual festival and was celebrated(庆祝) through out the country, especially on the first day of May with music, dancing and games.
How was May Day Celebrated in the past?
May Day began early in the morning. People went out before sunrise in order to gather flowers and plants to make their houses and villages beautiful in the belief that the vegetation spirits(神灵) would bring good luck.
A traditional May Day dance is Maypole Dancing，On May Day, people used to cut down young trees and stick them in the ground in the village to mark the arrival of summer.People danced around the tree poles in celebration of the end of winter and the start of the fine weather that would allow planting to begin. Maypoles are still a part of some
village life and on May Day the villagers dance around it.
May Day celebrations have their origins(起源) in the Roman festival of Flora, goddess(女神) of fruit and flowers, which marked the beginning of summer. So the highlight of the day was the crowning(为…加冕) of the May Queen(女皇), the human replica (模型) of Flora. By tradition she took no part in the games or dancing, but sat like a queen in a flower-decked chair to watch her 'subjects'.
Ever since 1978, for the convenience of the general public, many May Day activities have now been moved to the new May Day holiday on the first Monday of the month. This Monday is a bank holiday, a day off school and work. There are more intereting celebrations on this day.
【小题1】In the old days, most people in Britain made their living by .
A. fishing B. farming C. working in factories
【小题2】People in Britain celebrate May Day is to express their
A. pleasure and hope B. thanks and harvest C. freedom and new life
【小题3】Britain’s May Day holiday is on in 2010.
A. May 1st B. May 3rd C. May 5th
【小题4】What is not mentioned in this passage?
A. Special food. B. Special custom. C. Special activity.
【小题5】Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. Only children can take part in the Maypole Dancing.
B. The queen of the UK came to watch her “subjects”.
C. Children needn’t go to school on May Day holiday now.
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科目：初中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Hearing live music is one of the most pleasurable experiences available to human being. The music sounds great, it feels great, and you get to watch the players as they play it. No matter what kind of music you love, try listening to it live.
This guide focuses on classic music, a tradition that originated before recordings, radio, and the Internet, back when all music was live music. In those days live human beings performed for other live human beings, with everybody together in the same room. When heard in this way, classic music can have a special excitement. Hearing classic music in a concert can leave you feeling refreshed and energized. It can be fun. It can be romantic. It can be spiritual.
Classical music concerts can seem like snobby（高傲的）affairs full of foreign terms and unusual behavior. It can be hard to understand what’s going on . It can be hard to know how to act. But don’t worry. Concerts are no stranger than any other amusement, and the rules of behavior are much simpler and easier to understand than the stock market, football, or system software programs.
If you haven’t been to a live concert before, or if you’ve been confused by concerts, this guide will explain, so you can relax and enjoy the music.
【小题1】From Paragraph 1, we can see that the writer encourages us _______.
| A．towatchthemusicianstomakemusic |
| B．toexperiencethespiritofclassicalmusic |
| C．toattendliveconcertsandenjoylivemusic |
| D．togetpleasurefromdifferentkindsofmusic |
| A．listened | B．started | C．performed | D．disappeared |
| A．isfullofforeignterms |
| B．istoodifficulttounderstand |
| C．isstrangerthanotheramusements |
| D．isexcitingtobothplayersandlisteners |
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科目：初中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
阅读短文，根据其内容回答问题。
The British are known for their sense of humour. However, it is often difficult for foreigners to understand their jokes. The main point to remember is that the British often use understatement.
Understatement means saying less than you think or feel. For example, if someone gets very wet in a shower of rain, he might say, ‘It’s a little damp (潮湿的) outside.’ Or, if someone is very impolite and shouts at another person, someone else might say, ‘She isn’t exactly friendly.’ Understatement is often used in unpleasant situation or to make another person look silly. Understatement plays an important part in British humour.
Another key to understanding British humour is that the British like to make fun of themselves as well as others. They often laugh about the silly and unpleasant things that happen to our everyday life when someone accidently falls over in the street. They also like to make jokes about people from different classes of society. They like to make jokes about their accents, the way they dress and the way they behave. What’s more, the British love to watch comedies (喜剧) about people who do not know how to behave in society. The comedies series Mr Bean is a good example of this kind of humor.
Mr Bean is the character created by British actor Rowan Atkinson in 1990. Mr Bean doesn’t talk often, and instead he uses his body movement and facial expressions to make people laugh. Perhaps what makes Mr Bean so funny is that he does things that adults in the real world cannot do. Mr Bean is popular in many countries round the world because you do not have to speak English to understand the humour. Because of this, many people have become familiar with the British sense of humour.
【小题1】Is it difficult for foreigners to understand British jokes?
【小题2】What does ‘understatement’ mean?
【小题3】What do the British love to watch comedies about?
【小题4】How does Mr Bean make people laugh?
【小题5】What are the key points for people to understand British humour?
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科目：初中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Many people say that they are working too many hours. They don’t have enough time to relax or to stay with their family.
Work hours are different from one country to another. In France, people spend about 1,646 hours a year at work. In Japan, however, people work about 2,159 hours a year. That means a Japanese worker works 513 more hours a year than a French worker.
Why do people work so many hours? Some people work extra hours because they want to make more money. However, many companies don’t pay overtime. Their workers don’t get more pay for more work. Some people think it’s their duty to work more hours. Some are afraid of losing their jobs if they don’t work more hours.
Many people say that their vacations are too short. In France, people get five weeks of paid vacation a year. In Germany, they get four to six weeks, and in the United States, two weeks. One study shows fewer than half of workers used all their vacation days. In Great Britain, there is a saying, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” If that is true, there must be a lot of dull people in the world.
【小题1】A Japanese worker works __________ more hours a year than a French one.
| A．513 | B．1,646 | C．2,159 | D．3,805 |
| A．税费 | B．加班费 | C．学费 | D．冷饮费 |
| A．France | B．Germany | C．the United States | D．Great Britain |
| A．No companies offer vacations to their workers. |
| B．Many people say they have enough time to relax. |
| C．Not all companies pay their workers for more work. |
| D．More than half of workers use all their vacation days. |
| A．Many workers have to work long hours. |
| B．Many people have vacations long enough. |
| C．Work hours are the same around the world. |
| D．There are a lot of dull people in the world |
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科目：初中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
The Spring Festival is celebrated not only in China but also in other parts of the world. The traditional holiday is the most important to Chinese both at home and abroad.
| United Kingdom Celebrations for the Spring Festival in the UK started in 1980, with the first evening party held in 2002. Every new year, people get together and have a lot of activities. They sing songs, dance to music, share photos with friends or enjoy films in a cinema. |
| United States The Spring Festival has become a key time for Chinese living or working in the US. They join in a large evening party to welcome the traditional new year. It is a good chance for people to build a circle of friends and feel that they are not alone because they share the same culture and values. |
| Australia The Chinese new year will be welcomed with three weeks of celebrations across Australia. Many people come to Sydney’s Chinatown or Little Bourke in Melbourne. They enjoy fireworks, lion dances, dragon boat and many other traditional activities. The celebrations are also a bridge towards better understanding between Chinese and non-Chinese. |
| Singapore The family dinner on new year’s eve is an important tradition for Chinese whether they were born in Singapore or moved there from China. They place traditional food on a table as an act of remembering their past. Then the whole family enjoy their dinner together. They usually hold it at home because having it in a restaurant takes away the meaning of the tradition. |
| A．1890 | B．1980 | C．2000 | D．2002 |
| A．say hello to the traditional new year |
| B．refuse a good chance |
| C．tell others they are alone |
| D．share different cultures |
| A．fireworks | B．lion dances |
| C．trick or treat | D．dragon boat races |
| A．they want to keep Chinese tradition |
| B．the restaurant is far away |
| C．they moved there from other places |
| D．they were born in Singapore |
| A．all parts of the world celebrate the Spring Festival |
| B．the Chinese new year is celebrated only in China |
| C．celebrations for the Spring Festival are just held in four foreign countries |
| D．Chinese across the world have a strong feeling towards the Spring Festival |
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科目：初中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Driving a car at a high speed along a highway seems to be fun. You only need to follow the bright traffic signs beside the highway and it will take you where you wish to go.
But to a London taxi driver, driving is not an easy job. A taxi driver needs to have not only good driving skills but also a good knowledge of the city of London, from the loneliest street to the most popular restaurant around. He has to be at the service of all kinds of passengers at all times.
A London taxi driver said the following about his job.
During the night it is usual for him to stop two or three times for some food. He said," I never drink when I am driving, or I would lose my license."
He normally goes home between two and three o'clock in the morning. There are times he has to stay longer and try to make more runs. He said, “That's the worst thing about working for yourself. If you don't make money, no one is gong to give it to you."
London taxi drivers not only "take" but also "give". Every summer hundreds of poor children from London go for a day at the sea-by taxi. Their rides are paid by the taxi drivers. At the sea, they are met by the mayor(市长),and a lunch party is also held for the taxi drivers and the children. After a happy day's running around the beaches and visiting the market there, the children go home again by taxi, free of charge of course.
【小题1】London taxi drivers try to make more runs sometimes mainly because_______.
| A．they make a living by driving |
| B．they like to work for themselves better |
| C．they want to help more passengers |
| D．they always working deep into the night |
| A．They give poor children a lunch party at the sea each summer. |
| B．They give poor children the chance to meet the mayor. |
| C．They pay for some poor children's rides for a day's tour each summer. |
| D．They play with some poor children at the sea for a day each summer. |
| A．Brave and cheerful | B．Rich an generous |
| C．Modest and easy-going | D．Hard-working and kind. |
| A．an advertisement of a taxi company |
| B．an online travel guide |
| C．a website about the taxi drivers in London |
| D．a report about living conditions in London |
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