Christmas may be the time of year for giving and spending time with loved ones, but not everyone feels an overwhelming sense of joy when festivities begin. Thousands of Reddit users have revealed the things they hate about Christmas.
PETER: It causes a heavy financial burden.
“Having to spend a substantial (大量的、实质的) amount of money on family members. I have to buy gifts for my grandparents, my parents, my siblings, my wife’s parents and her siblings, the dogs...and one cousin, because we do Secret Santa amongst the cousins. I love Christmas, but it costs me too much!”
MCCAIN: Exams ruin everything.
“In the UK we have our exams in January so that your Christmas holiday can be used to study. I didn’t have an enjoyable break until I finished university.”
SUSAN: Awkward family gatherings.
“Having everyone point out that I’m still single at family gatherings as if I’m unaware.”
JANET: Choosing presents.
“I don’t really want items anymore, so I don’t expect anything on Christmas, but I am expected to give gifts, but I usually just don’t know what to give.”
ELIZABATH: Shopping hell.
“I hate the way people act when shopping for Christmas. It’s almost like Black Friday every weekend at the big stores.”
JACKSON: Feeling like you have to buy presents.
“The pressure of buying gifts. Can’t we just enjoy each other’s company without comparing who bought the better stuff?”
Mr Green: Christmas jingles.
“I pretty much can’t stand most Christmas music.”
Prof Smith: It’s too commercial.
“The commercialization of it. Even as an atheist (无神论者), I think the Christ part has been taken out of it.”
Dr Martin: Putting up decorations too early.
“People put up Christmas decorations way before Christmas.”
CAROL: The office Christmas party.
“My office Christmas party. We have to pay to go and it’s so boring. Saying that you don’t want to attend is like pulling teeth.”
1.Who is possibly forced into a marriage?
A.Dr. Martin. B.JACKSON.
C.SUSAN. D.PETER.
2.What do JACKSON and JANET have in common?
A.They hate to spend much money on Christmas gifts.
B.They have to give gifts to everyone in the family.
C.They are happy to compare gifts while purchasing.
D.They are faced with the problems caused by gift giving.
3.What do we know from the passage?
A.Exams follow the Christmas holiday in Britain.
B.Christmas music makes too much noise.
C.People are clear about what Christmas gifts to buy.
D.Colleagues enjoy their office Christmas parties a lot.
高三英语阅读理解简单题
Christmas may be the time of year for giving and spending time with loved ones, but not everyone feels an overwhelming sense of joy when festivities begin. Thousands of Reddit users have revealed the things they hate about Christmas.
PETER: It causes a heavy financial burden.
“Having to spend a substantial (大量的、实质的) amount of money on family members. I have to buy gifts for my grandparents, my parents, my siblings, my wife’s parents and her siblings, the dogs...and one cousin, because we do Secret Santa amongst the cousins. I love Christmas, but it costs me too much!”
MCCAIN: Exams ruin everything.
“In the UK we have our exams in January so that your Christmas holiday can be used to study. I didn’t have an enjoyable break until I finished university.”
SUSAN: Awkward family gatherings.
“Having everyone point out that I’m still single at family gatherings as if I’m unaware.”
JANET: Choosing presents.
“I don’t really want items anymore, so I don’t expect anything on Christmas, but I am expected to give gifts, but I usually just don’t know what to give.”
ELIZABATH: Shopping hell.
“I hate the way people act when shopping for Christmas. It’s almost like Black Friday every weekend at the big stores.”
JACKSON: Feeling like you have to buy presents.
“The pressure of buying gifts. Can’t we just enjoy each other’s company without comparing who bought the better stuff?”
Mr Green: Christmas jingles.
“I pretty much can’t stand most Christmas music.”
Prof Smith: It’s too commercial.
“The commercialization of it. Even as an atheist (无神论者), I think the Christ part has been taken out of it.”
Dr Martin: Putting up decorations too early.
“People put up Christmas decorations way before Christmas.”
CAROL: The office Christmas party.
“My office Christmas party. We have to pay to go and it’s so boring. Saying that you don’t want to attend is like pulling teeth.”
1.Who is possibly forced into a marriage?
A.Dr. Martin. B.JACKSON.
C.SUSAN. D.PETER.
2.What do JACKSON and JANET have in common?
A.They hate to spend much money on Christmas gifts.
B.They have to give gifts to everyone in the family.
C.They are happy to compare gifts while purchasing.
D.They are faced with the problems caused by gift giving.
3.What do we know from the passage?
A.Exams follow the Christmas holiday in Britain.
B.Christmas music makes too much noise.
C.People are clear about what Christmas gifts to buy.
D.Colleagues enjoy their office Christmas parties a lot.
高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
Christmas is a time for eating great food, giving and receiving presents, and most importantly spending time with your family watching some classic Christmas movies.
The Grinch (2000)
This is a Christmas must-watch and one of Jim Carrey's best performances. It was also originally a nursery tale book written by Dr Seuss. It's the story of a green monster who wants to ruin Christmas but who in the end discovers the power of love and generosity. I promise it's a great film with plenty of laughs along the way.
Love Actually (2003)
While this is not a personal favourite of mine, people in the UK absolutely love this film. It has many featuring actors and actresses. It might be a little difficult to follow as there are complex plots, so I recommend watching a translated version or enabling subtitles (字幕) in your native language. However, the heart-warming elements of the film make it worth watching.
Home Alone (1990)
This amusing masterwork is one of my favourite films of all time. It tells the story of a boy, Kevin, who is left alone in his house when his large family forgets to take him on vacation with them. While the families are away, burglars try to rob the house and Kevin must protect his home by setting traps. The trips, falls and traps will have you laughing out loud as you watch a 10-year-old boy beat two grown men.
Miracle on 34th Street (1994)
You can't have Christmas in an English-speaking country without watching this movie. It's not funny like Home Alone or The Grinch, but it is incredibly touching. It's about a man who claims to be Santa, but nobody believes him except a lawyer and a little girl. The story-line may seem a little childish but you can enjoy it at any age.
1.Which film is adapted from a fairy tale?
A. The Grinch.
B. Home Alone.
C. Love Actually.
D. Miracle on 34th Street.
2.What is Home Alone mainly about?
A. An unsuccessful family vacation.
B. A boy protecting home by himself.
C. A terrible suffering to a little boy.
D. A 10-year-old boy's practical jokes.
3.Why is Miracle on 34th Street so popular?
A. Owing to its moving plots.
B. Because of its funny story.
C. Due to its childish storyline.
D. For its famous actors and actresses.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
It’s a goal for millions and millions of families every year——keep the Christmas spending within a certain amount, but can still afford the gifts that your loved ones will enjoy. Never has this concern been greater in recent years than right now. Even so, there are several things that you can do to help.
Hit the sales.
No one wants to get up at four o’clock in the morning and fight to get the best deal on Black Friday, and it’s surely very tough to pick up the courage and get out there in the cold for a good deal, but sometimes——it can be well worth. Many retailers(零售商) offer specials all through the day——and some even offer online Black Friday specials, so you may still be able to get a great deal on Black Friday.
Pay close attention to advertisements.
Once the Christmas shopping season is coming, retailers hungry for business will do just about whatever to get you in the store. Pay very close attention to weekly advertisements of sales among the major retailers and you may be lucky enough to find different prices for the same thing in different shops.
Shop online.
Some of us don’t like running from store to store in order to get the best price on the perfect gift, and some of us don’t like to go out in the cold at all——thankfully for us, we can do online shopping.
The world of online shopping lets people visit all the major retailers as well as some specialty stores that could only be found on the Internet. Customers can find exactly what they are looking for, at the best possible price without ever having to leave the house. With traditional Christmas shopping consumers are sometimes limited to what’s left in stock if they wait too long to get to a particular store.
1.The first paragraph implies that ______.
A. nowadays not many people can afford expensive gifts
B. recently many people don’t want to spend money on gifts
C. Christmas is a time to make our loved ones enjoy their gifts
D. Christmas is a time to make us feel free to buy our loved ones gifts
2.In the writer’s opinion, it is rewarding on Black Friday _____.
A. if the weather is not very cold B. if we don’t have to fight for the best deals
C. if we don’t have to get up early D. If we get what we want at a good price
3.The underlined word “specials” means_______.
A. some experts in shopping
B. certain things for especially low price
C. some kind of help for a certain customer
D. things that can only be found on Friday
4.We can have more choices _____.
A. on Black Friday B. in a particular store
C. on the Internet D. from retailers
高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
It’s a goal for millions and millions of families every year——keep the Christmas spending within a certain amount, but can still afford the gifts that your loved ones will enjoy. Never has this concern been greater in recent years than right now. Even so, there are several things that you can do to help.
Hit the sales.
No one wants to get up at four o’clock in the morning and fight to get the best deal on Black Friday, and it’s surely very tough to pick up the courage and get out there in the cold for a good deal, but sometimes——it can be well worth. Many retailers(零售商) offer specials all through the day——and some even offer online Black Friday specials, so you may still be able to get a great deal on Black Friday.
Pay close attention to advertisements.
Once the Christmas shopping season is coming, retailers hungry for business will do just about whatever to get you in the store. Pay very close attention to weekly advertisements of sales among the major retailers and you may be lucky enough to find different prices for the same thing in different shops.
Shop online.
Some of us don’t like running from store to store in order to get the best price on the perfect gift, and some of us don’t like to go out in the cold at all——thankfully for us, we can do online shopping.
The world of online shopping lets people visit all the major retailers as well as some specialty stores that could only be found on the Internet. Customers can find exactly what they are looking for, at the best possible price without ever having to leave the house. With traditional Christmas shopping consumers are sometimes limited to what’s left in stock if they wait too long to get to a particular store.
1. The first paragraph implies that ______.
A. nowadays not many people can afford expensive gifts
B. recently many people don’t want to spend money on gifts
C. Christmas is a time to make our loved ones enjoy their gifts
D. Christmas is a time to make us feel free to buy our loved ones gifts
2. In the writer’s opinion, it is rewarding on Black Friday _____.
A. if the weather is not very cold B. if we don’t have to fight for the best deals
C. if we don’t have to get up early D. If we get what we want at a good price
3.The underlined word “specials” means_______.
A. some experts in shopping B. certain things for especially low price
C. some kind of help for a certain customer D. things that can only be found on Friday
4. We can have more choices _____.
A. on Black Friday B. in a particular store
C. on the Internet D. from retailers
5.In this passage the writer means ______.
A. to tell us the best way to do shopping
B. to attract more readers to do wise shopping
C. to show us how hard it is to do Christmas shopping
D. to give us advice on how to get a good deal at Christmas time
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
It’s a goal for millions and millions of families every year——keep the Christmas spending within a certain amount, but can still afford the gifts that your loved ones will enjoy. Never has this concern been greater in recent years than right now. Even so, there are several things that you can do to help.
Hit the sales.
No one wants to get up at four o’clock in the morning and fight to get the best deal on Black Friday, and it’s surely very tough to pick up the courage and get out there in the cold for a good deal, but sometimes——it can be well worth. Many retailers(零售商) offer specials all through the day——and some even offer online Black Friday specials, so you may still be able to get a great deal on Black Friday.
Pay close attention to advertisements.
Once the Christmas shopping season is coming, retailers hungry for business will do just about whatever to get you in the store. Pay very close attention to weekly advertisements of sales among the major retailers and you may be lucky enough to find different prices for the same thing in different shops.
Shop online.
Some of us don’t like running from store to store in order to get the best price on the perfect gift, and some of us don’t like to go out in the cold at all——thankfully for us, we can do online shopping.
The world of online shopping lets people visit all the major retailers as well as some specialty stores that could only be found on the Internet. Customers can find exactly what they are looking for, at the best possible price without ever having to leave the house. With traditional Christmas shopping consumers are sometimes limited to what’s left in stock if they wait too long to get to a particular store.
1.The first paragraph implies that ______.
A. nowadays not many people can afford expensive gifts
B. recently many people don’t want to spend money on gifts
C. Christmas is a time to make our loved ones enjoy their gifts
D. Christmas is a time to make us feel free to buy our loved ones gifts
2.In the writer’s opinion, it is rewarding on Black Friday _____.
A. if the weather is not very cold B. if we don’t have to fight for the best deals
C. if we don’t have to get up early D. If we get what we want at a good price
3.The underlined word “specials” means_______.
A. some experts in shopping B. certain things for especially low price
C. some kind of help for a certain customer D. things that can only be found on Friday
4.We can have more choices _____.
A. on Black Friday B. in a particular store
C. on the Internet D. from retailers
5.In this passage the writer means ______.
A. to tell us the best way to do shopping
B. to attract more readers to do wise shopping
C. to show us how hard it is to do Christmas shopping
D. to give us advice on how to get a good deal at Christmas time
高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
Personal computers and the Internet give people new choices about how to spend their time．
Some may use this freedom to share less time with certain friends or family members, but new technology will also let them stay in closer touch with those they care more about．I know this from my personal experience．
E-mail makes it easy to work at home, where I now spend most weekends and evenings．My workinghours aren’t necessarily much shorter than they once were but I spend fewer of them at the office．This let me share more time with my young daughter than I might have if she’d been born before E-mail became such a practical tool．
The Internet also makes it easy to share thoughts with a group of friends．Say you do something fun—see a great movie perhaps—and there are four or five friends who might want to hear about it．If you call each one, you may be tired of telling the story．
With E-mail, you just write one note about your experience, at your convenience, and address it to all the friends who you think might be interested．They can read your message when they have time, and read as much as they want to．They can reply at their convenience, and you can read what they have to say at your convenience．
E-mail is also an inexpensive way to stay in close touch with people who live far away．More than a few parents use E-mail to keep in touch, even daily touch, with their children at college．
We just have to keep in mind that computers and the Internet offer another way of staying in touch．They don’t take the place of any of the old ways．
1.The purpose of this passage is to ___________．
A．explain how to use the Internet．
B．share the writer’s joy of keeping up with the latest technology．
C．tell the usefulness of the Internet．
D．introduce the basic knowledge about personal computers and the Internet．
2.The use of E-mail has made it possible for the writer to ____________．
A．spending less time working．
B．have more time to spend with his children．
C．work at home on all weekends．
D．work at a speed comfortable to him．
3.According to the writer, E-mail has no obvious advantage over the telephone because the former helps one_______________．
A．reach a group of people at one time conveniently．
B．keep his communication as personal as possible．
C．pass on much more information than the latter．
D．get in touch with his friends faster than the latter．
4.The best title for the passage is “__________________”．
A．Computer—New Technological Advances
B．Internet—New Tool to Maintain Good Friendship
C．Computer—Have Made Life Easier
D．Internet—a Convenient Tool for Communication
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Personal computers and the Internet give people new choices about how to spend their time.
Some may use this freedom to share less time with certain friends or family members, but new technology will also let them stay in closer touch with those they care most about. I know this from personal experience.
E-mail makes it easy to work at home, which is where I now spend most weekends and evenings. My working hours aren’t necessarily much shorter than they once were but I spend fewer of them at the office. This lets me share more time with my young daughter than I might have if she’d been born before electronic mail became such a practical tool.
The Internet also makes it easy to share thoughts with a group of friends. Say you do something fun or see a great movie, perhaps there are four or five friends who might want to hear about it. If you call each one, you may get tired of telling the story.
With E-mail, you just write one note about your experience at your convenience, and address it to all the friends you think might be interested. They can read your message when they have time, and read only as much as they want to. They can reply at their convenience, and you can read what they have to say at your convenience.
E-mail is also an inexpensive way to stay in close touch with people who live far away. Quite a few parents use E-mail to keep in touch, even daily touch, with their children off at college.
We just have to keep in mind that computers and the Internet offer another way of staying in touch. They don’t take the place of any of the old ways.
1.The purpose of this passage is to ________.
A. explain how to use the Internet
B. describe the writer’s joy of keeping up with the latest technology
C. tell the merits(价值) and usefulness of the Internet
D. introduce the reader to basic knowledge about personal computers and the Internet
2.The use of E-mail has made it possible for the writer to ________.
A. spend less time working
B. have more free time with his child
C. work at home on weekends
D. work at a speed comfortable to him
3.According to the writer, E-mail has an obvious advantage over the telephone because the former helps one ________.
A. reach a group of people at one time conveniently
B. keep one’s communication as personal as possible
C. pass on much more information than the later
D. get in touch with one’s friends faster than the later
4.The best title for this passage is ________.
A. Computer: New Technological Advances
B. Internet: New Tool to Maintain Good Friendship
C. Computers Have Made Life Easier
Internet: a Convenient Tool for Communication
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Christmas in the United States is traditionally a time of gift-giving and family gatherings. But small towns across the country have their own traditions.
Middleburg，a small town in the state of Virginia，is known for its horses. For more than 50 years, Middleburg has organized a yearly Christmas parade(游行). Men and women ride horses through the woods and fields．They follow hunting dogs as they search for a wild fox．But first，these hunters ride in the yearly parade, wearing their bright red hunting clothes and hats．
John Hale, a citizen of Middleburg says many city people visit his town. “We have a lot of people from an urban area that come to visit，but it involves a lot of the old traditions.” The nighttime hay ride is one such tradition．Small groups gather under the moonlight on an open wagon filled with hay. The passengers sing as farm horses pull the wagon slowly across the fields．
There are some newer traditions, too. Trey Matheu works at the nearby Salamander Resort. He says a visit to Middleburg is a chance to slow down for a day. He says Middleburg can be a calming, peaceful place without tension．
“Middleburg is an opportunity to take a step back, to take a deep breath, and understand that even though life is moving on at a very fast pace, there’s really an opportunity where you’re allowed to step off for a little bit.”
Parade organizers say more than 13,000 people attend even in below-freezing weather. But if you ask，you will hear many different reasons why people come to watch the parade：
“I come here because I’m from a small town. I like how everybody comes together.”“I live right down that street; right there. And that’s my dog.”
Middleburg looks its best at Christmastime. That may be why so many people return each year．
1.Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
A. Middleburg Christmas parade
B. A small town known for horses
C. Christmas traditions in Middleburg
D. Newer traditions at Christmastime
2.At Christmas, people in Middleburg usually ___________．
A. visit friends and families
B. feed farm horses with hay
C. hunt for dogs in the woods
D. ride in the yearly parade
3.According to Trey Matheu, why do people visit Middleburg?
A. To relax themselves．
B. To enjoy the fresh air．
C. To escape competition．
D. To challenge themselves．
4.What do we know about the small town Middleburg?
A. It makes a large profit from tourism．
B. It attracts many people each year．
C. It is a good place for family gatherings．
D. It doesn’t respect Christmas traditions．
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
The Best Parks for All
OPENING TIMES Open every day of the year except Christmas Day
Summer Time：10 a.m.—6 p.m., last admission 4:30 p.m.
Winter Time： 10 a.m.—dusk, last admission 3 p.m.
We recommend that you allow between 3 and 4 hours to fully enjoy the Park
HOWLETTS
DISABLED VISITORS Howletts is accessible to wheelchair users and every effort has been made to enable the greatest possible enjoyment for disabled guests．Wheelchairs are available for hire (please book in advance to avoid disappointment)．There are reduced admission prices for disabled visitors．Please request more detailed advice on arrival．
BY ROAD Howletts is located at Bekesboume and is signposted off the A2．three miles south of Canterbury in Kent．Free parking.
BY RAIL One and a half hours from London Victoria to Bekesboume Station, followed by a 15-minute walk．For information telephone 0845 748 4950.
BY SEA The Park is easily reached from the Channel Ports and terminals.
BY AIRCRAFT The Park is within a 30-minute drive from the terminal at Folkestone.
PORT LYMPNE
DISABLED VISITORS Port Lympne lies on hilly terrain and as a result is quite steep (陡峭的)in places．There are however, selected routes suitable for wheelchair users．A safari shuttle (旅行车) service around the park is available (free of charge to disabled visitors—subject to availability)．Please request more detailed advice on arrival．There are substantially reduced admission prices for disabled visitors.
BY ROAD Port Lympne is located at Lympne, near Hythe in Kent．Leave the M20 at Junction 11 and the Park is situated just 5 minutes away．Look for the brown tourist signs．Plenty of free parking．
BY RAIL Just over an hour from London Charing Cross or Victoria to Ashford Station The Park is then only a 30-minute bus ride away (No．10 bus)．For information telephone 0845 748 4950.
BY SEA The Park is easily reached from the Channel Ports and terminals.
BY AIRCRAFT The park is only 10 minutes’ drive from the terminal at Folkestone.
1.You can enter either of the two parks at __________.
A．9:30 a.m．in summer B．11:30 a.m．on Christmas
C．3 p.m．on Easter Day D．4:30 p．m．in winter
2.After you get off the train, it will take you 15 minutes to get to __________.
A．HOWLETPS by taxi B．HOWLETTS on foot
C．PORT LYMPNE by bike D．PORT LYMPNE by bus
3.The two parks are different in __________.
A．opening times B．convenience of traffic
C．caring for the disabled D．land forms
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Unemployment will certainly be in double-digits next year--and may remain there for some time. And for every person who __1_ as unemployed in the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ household survey, you can bet there’s another either too __2__ to look for work or working part time who’d rather have a full-time job or else taking home less pay than before. And there’s yet another person who’s more fearful that he or she will be the __3__ to lose a job.
__4__, 10 percent unemployment really means 20 percent underemployment or anxious employment, all of which translates __5__ into late payments on mortgages, credit cards, auto and student loans, and loss of health insurance. It also means sleeplessness for tens of millions of Americans, and, of course, __6__ purchases.
Unemployment of this magnitude and duration also translates into ugly __7__, because fear and anxiety are __8__ grounds for the political resentment against immigrants, blacks, the poor, government leaders, business leaders, Jews and other easy _9__. It’s already started. Next year is a mid-term election. Be prepared for worse.
So why is unemployment and underemployment so high? And why is it _10__ to remain high for some time? Because, as noted, people who are worried about their jobs or have no jobs, and who are also trying to _11__ from under a pile of debt, are not going to do a lot of shopping. And businesses that don’t have customers aren’t going to do a lot of new _12__. And foreign nations also suffering high __13__ aren’t going to buy a lot of our goods and services. And without customers, companies won’t __14__. They’ll cut payrolls instead.
This brings us to the obvious question: Who’s going to buy the stuff we make or the services we provide, and therefore bring jobs back? There’s only one __15__ left: The government.
1. A. keeps to B. sticks to C. shows up D. attaches
2. A. discouraged B. timid C. sure D. upset
3. A. first B. next C. last D. only
4. A. On the other hand B. By contrast C. As a whole D. In other words
5. A. enormously B. definitely C. exactly D. directly
6. A. fewer B. more C. better D. worse
7. A. economics B. trades C. politics D. industries
8. A. necessary B. fertile C. scarce D. heated
9. A. opponents B. targets C. victims D. potentials
10. A. due B. able C. equal D. likely
11. A. get out B. get around C. get into D. get off
12. A. programming B. planning C. investing D. advertising
13. A. signature B. unemployment C. crisis D. inefficiency
14. A. rent B. run C. sell D. hire
15. A. manufacturer B. applicant C. buyer D. employer
高三英语完型填空中等难度题查看答案及解析