Buy Nothing Day

Most people buy a lot of gifts just before Christmas. But some people think we buy too much. They have started a special day called Buy Nothing Day. They don’t want anyone to go shopping that day.

Buy Nothing Day is November 29. It’s 25 days before Christmas. It’s after Thanksgiving and often the first day of Christmas shopping. At this time, we see ads in newspapers and on TV telling us to “buy, buy, buy!”

The idea for Buy Nothing Day started in Vancouver, British Columbia. Now people all over the world celebrate Buy Nothing Day. In California, parents and children get together to read stories, sing songs, and paint pictures. The children talk about why they don’t need a lot of toys. This year, in Manchester, England, people dressed up to tell people that we buy too much.

In Albuquerque, New Mexico, high school students wanted to tell other students about Buy Nothing Day. They organized a spaghetti dinner to give people information about Buy Nothing Day. They asked restaurants in the neighborhood to donate the food. They made posters and talked to other students about it. The dinner was a big success, and many students agreed not to buy anything on November 29. The students at high school liked the idea of this new tradition. Next year, they want to have another dinner to tell more people about Buy Nothing Day!

1.Why do people all over the world celebrate Buy Nothing Day?

A. People need more time to do other things.

B. People buy too many gifts for Christmas.

C. People can hardly afford to buy a lot of gifts.

D. People waste too much time going shopping.

2. How do people celebrate Buy Nothing Day?

A. In California, parents and children get together to play games.

B. In Mexico, high school students dressed up.

C. In England, people celebrated by performing plays.

D. They bought nothing and made the others decide not to.

3.What did the students do in New Mexico for the day?

A. They talked to others about Buy Nothing Day.

B. They dressed up to tell people that we buy too much.

C. They organized a spaghetti dinner to donate the food.

D. They got together to read stories, sing songs, and paint pictures.

In the hit film The Bucket List, Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman meet in hospital in California after they have been diagnosed with cancer. Between them they cook up(虚构) a “bucket list” ------ a to-do list of all they want to do before they kick the bucket. The movie makes you wonder what would be on your bucket list. So let’s pack up some and see what it would cost to go out and have a little fun.

THE PYRAMIDS, GIZA, EGYPT

On to the pyramids, surely on anyone’s bucket list. Exotik Tours can take you there on a variety of trips, including their popular Egypt Express which includes three nights in Cairo and a three-night Nile Cruise (乘船游览). From$1,384, including four-and five-star accommodation, 12 meals and a ton of sightseeing.

www.exotiktours.com 416-646-3347

TAJ MAHAL, AGRA, INDIA

One of the world’s most fascinating images, India’s Taj Mahal makes even Nicholson and Freeman look calm. Toronto’s Goway Travel has many suggestions for India, including a three-day independent visit to Agra. Stay at the attractive Oberoi AmarVilas overlooking the Taj. Include two breakfasts,touring and airport transfer from $1,420.

www.gowaytravel.com 416-322-1034

THE GREAT WALL, CHINA

If the Great Wall of China is on your bucket list, check into Tour East Holiday’s four-day Amazing Beijing Tour for $580 per person, four-star

accommodation, sightseeing including the Forbidden City and the Great Wall,breakfasts and two lunches, transportation and guide.

www.toureastholidays.com 416-929-0888

THE HIMALAYAS, NEPAL

And on to the Himalayas. Talk about something truly majestic (壮丽的).See the top of the world on GAP Adventures’ Everest Adventure tour, a 15-dayexploration including Everest Base Camp, teahouse lodge stays, and walking through Sherpa villages. Incredibly affordable at just $665 plus local payment of $250. GAP Adventures warns that this is a physically demanding trip.

www.gapadventures.com 416-260-0999

1.The underlined phrase “kick the bucket” in Paragraph 1 means ____.

A. play a game B. pass away

C. list interesting places D. come to life

2.According to the passage, where can you enjoy a view of the whole Taj Mahal?

A. At Oberoi AmarVilas B. Near the Forbidden City

C. Through Egypt Express D. In Sherpa village.

3.If you take on the Everest Adventure tour, you should be aware that _____.

A. the sights may not be so good.

B. you may not be used to the food there

C. it is a tiring trip.

D. it is an expensive trip

根据短文内容,从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。

My mother is a diligent and kind woman. She is very busy from morning till night. As a teacher, she works hard. 1. Both my brother and I love her dearly as she loves us.

My mother has been teaching math at a middle school in my hometown. She goes to work early in the morning and does not return home until late in the afternoon. 2. She treats them with patience and teaches them well. For her excellent quality and very good teaching results, she has been elected as a model teacher several times.

3. Every day, when she comes back home from work, she sets about doing housework, sweeping the living room and bedrooms or cleaning the furniture, and putting everything in good order. She seems to be busy all the time. As she has been very busy working every day, she looks older than her age. But she looks as cheerful and happy as ever. Mother never buys expensive dresses for herself, but she often buys some inexpensive but high quality clothes for us. 4. She just eats a plain meal outside when she is too busy to cook herself. She lives a busy yet simple life, without any complaints.

Often she says to us, “work while you work, and play while you play. That is the way to be happy and gay. If you do not work, you will become lazy and be of no use to society”. What a piece of good advice this is! 5. This advice of hers will always serve as a guide to my behavior. My mother is great indeed, and I always feel proud of her.

A. She enjoys listening to classic music.

B. As a mother, she takes good care of us and gives us every comfort.

C. She loves her students and cares for them.

D. She never goes to expensive restaurants to enjoy meals.

E. My mother is hard-working and never wastes money.

F. I never forget it and always bear it in my mind.

G. Can you tell us something about your mother?

根据短文内容,从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项,选项中有两项为多余选项。

Easy Ways to Keep Your Brain Sharp

Everyone is forgetful, but as we age, we start to feel like our brains are slowing down a bit — and that can be a very annoying thing. 1. Read on for some techniques worth trying.

1. 2.

People who regularly made plans and looked forward to upcoming events had a 50 percent reduced chance of Alzheimer's disease(早老性痴呆症), according to a recent study. 3. Something as simple as setting a goal to have a weekly coffee date with a friend will do. There’s evidence that people who have a purpose in life or who are working on long or short-term goals appear to do better. In other words, keep your brain looking forward.

2. Go for a walk.

Mildly raised glucose(葡萄糖)levels can harm the area of the brain that helps you form memories and physical activity can help get blood glucose down to normal levels. In fact, exercise produces chemicals that are good for your brain. 4.

3. Learn something new.

Take a Spanish class online, join a drawing club, or learn to play cards. A study found that mental stimulation(刺激)limits the weakening effects of aging on memory and the mind. But the best thing for your brain is when you learn something new and are physically active at the same time. 5. Or go dancing with your friends.

A. Focus on the future.

B. This can be especially harmful to the aged.

C. It should be something like learning gardening.

D. So take a few minutes each day to do some reading.

E. But don’t worry if your schedule isn’t filled with life-changing events.

F. Luckily, research shows there is a lot you can do to avoid those moments.

G. In other words, when you take care of your body, you take care of your brain.

违法和不良信息举报电话:027-86699610 举报邮箱:58377363@163.com

精英家教网