There are good Santas and there are bad Santas. The good Santas all realize one thing: In the mind of a child, Santa Claus is perfect.

That’s difficult. And so they come from around the world to attend the Charles W. Howard School in Midland, Mich. The school offers a three-day, 40-hour course for Santas hoping to be excellent. There’s a real range to what Santas earn, from big bucks for large events to no pay for charities. One thing for them all is a pure love for children.

A former Macy’s Santa named Charles Howard founded the Michigan school in 1937. “Many people will think if you have a suit and you’re a Santa,” said Tom Valent, the school’s current dean. “It’s more than that.” So with a pet reindeer, his properly named wife Holly and a workshop full of wonder.

The school teaches everything from breathing techniques for carol singing to the beard maintenance. There are lessons in child psychology, sign language and even media training for talk-show appearances and call-in shows. Santas also need to make sure they know all the names of the reindeer. What’s harder to deal with, however, is children who ask for Christmas gifts like bringing daddy home or making mommy happy again.

After spending time in the classroom, Weir went to the mall to test his training. However, at one point, his hat fell off, and he was unsure how to react. “You’re the real Santa,” Valent said. “Pick that hat up, slip it back on, keep smiling and do your job. You’ve got to stay on top of your game. Even the last one at night, when you’re tired, you’ve got to remember: This one’s forever, so do a good job.”

Notes:

charity  n. 慈善,慈善团体

reindeer  n. 驯鹿

According to the passage, good Santas should be the ones that ________.

        A. can offer the children some gifts        B. help adults look after their children

        C. have ability to make children happy     D. should be perfect in the mind of children

The underlined words “big bucks” should refer to ________.

        A. lots of money   B. many gifts    C. loves for children    D. gifts from children

The Michigan school was founded by Charles Howard with the purpose to ________.

        A. train the pet reindeer for the Santas       B. earned money from its students

        C. train perfect Santas for the world         D. show the world’s concern to the poor

According to Weir’s performance, we can conclude that ________.

        A. Weir was short of experience            B. Weir was not fit for the job as a Santa

        C. Weir did very badly in the game         D. Weir was not a good student in school


Dear Carol,
I wear braces (牙箍) and I know I look just terrible in them. Is there anything I can do to improve my appearance until they come off?
Connie N.
Philadelphia, PA
Dear Connie,
Start by thinking about how good you are going to look when your braces come off. If you are negative about your appearance, people will pick that up right away about you. In the meantime there are several things that you can do to lift your spirits:
Change your hairstyle. Be sure to get a good cut so that the shape of your hair will be flattering to your face and also good for your type of hair (fine, thick, straight, curly, etc.) Choose a hairstyle that draws attention away from your face. Hair pulled back into a pony-tail or into a ball on top or slightly off-center can be attractive and practical for this purpose.
Keep skin clean. If you choose to wear makeup(化妆品), it should look natural. Blusher(腮红) and lip gloss(润唇膏) in light tones of peach or pink are best.
Be well-groomed(打扮). Neatness really counts. People see a total look about you before they ever become aware of your braces. And first impressions are lasting ones!
68. Why did Connie write to Carol?
A. Because she really cared about her clothes.
B. Because she cared much about her appearance.
C. Because her teeth were not good.
D. Because she didn’t know how to make up.
69. Carol’s idea about one’s appearance is that ___________.
A. change your hairstyle and you will look beautiful
B. wear your make-up and you will look good
C. neatness is not important
D. if you yourself don’t think you look smart, neither will people
70. Carol tries to let Connie know that ___________.
A. the deepest impressions one leaves on others is the first ones
B. spirits are important when we talk about one’s appearance
C. there are some practical ways to draw people’s attention away from where you don’t feel good 
D. all of the above
71. The underlined word “count” means “___________” in the last paragraph.
A. say numbers in order        B. be of importance           C. not include        D. be accepted

Hee-haw! Scores of farms across the country are opening up to overnight guests. The best have all the appeal of a first-rate inn ----- plus here a moo, there a moo.
Sure, you and your kids plan to conquer the theme parks. In the meanwhile, why not make a little hay? Farm stays are fast becoming the great American alternative to the pre-packaged vacation.
LIBERTY HILL FARM
Rochester, Vt.; 802/767-3926; www.libertyhillfarm.com. Adults$75, teens $50,kids 12 and under $35, including breakfast and dinner; shared baths.
Beth and Bob Kennett run a farm straight out of a storybook. You’ll find Beth in the kitchen, rolling out dough(生面团) for a pie. Bob’s busy with other work. Guests sleep in seven sunny bedrooms right in the farmhouse and can participate in any of the farm jobs. Maybe you and your kids won’t be up at 6 a.m. to meet the milk truck, but you can help with the milking twice a day, collect eggs, and pick sweet corn and wild blackberries in season.
HULL-O FARM
Durham, N.Y.; 518/239-6950; www.hull-o.com; Adults $110, kids 10—14 $60, 5—9 $50, 2—4 $35, under 2 free, including breakfast and dinner; private baths.
It started in 1993 as a way to bring in some extra money at a time of falling milk prices. But soon after Frank and Sherry Hull opened their Catskill Mountains dairy farm to overnight visitors, they discovered they loved it. As you drive up, Sherry greets you on the porch(入口处)of the 1825 farmhouse with a cow-shaped cookie jar. Before long your kids are playing around with the cows, sheep, ducks, goats and getting ready for a hayride(乘坐装满干草的牛车出游).
MERAMEC FARM CABINS
Bourbon, Mo.; 573/732-4765; http://www.wine-mo.com Doubles with private bath $75, $10 per additional person. Trail and riding fees extra.
Climb onto the back of the Ford pickup and catch up with the herd. One gentle cow named Cricket will even let the kids sit on her back. At the barn(牲口棚), Carol will introduce you to the horses ---15 Missouri Fox Trotters --- and lead you on a trail ride over the hills and down along the spring-fed Meramec River, where everyone swims. Grab a fishing pole and head back to the river. When you have your fill of the wild, try Carol and Dave’s favorite restaurants or wineries(酿酒厂), within 20 miles of the farm.
【小题1】The underlined sentence in the first paragraph implies that ___________.

A.you can enjoy the best cuisine at the first rate restaurant
B.some farm provide country experiences as well as good accommodations
C.farm work is hard, but you can enjoy it a lot, playing with the animals
D.if you want to hear a cow’s cry, please stay on a best farm
【小题2】We can learn from the three ads that _____________.
A.Hull-O Farm was not built for overnight visitors
B.Frank and Sherry Hull run a farm out of a storybook
C.kids can sit on a gentle cow’s back on Hull-O Farm
D.you can’t milk a cow if you get up late on Liberty Hill Farm
【小题3】 The Browns have a 13-year-old son and 11-year-old daughter. If they stay on Liberty Hill Farm for one night, how much will they pay?
A.$175.B.$220.C.$235.D.$250.
【小题4】Who will be most likely interested in the webpage?
A.Kids who want to find pleasure in the theme parks.
B.People who expect to be employed on the farm.
C.Researchers who are interested in raising cows on farms.
D.Those who plan to have family vacations on working farms.

Dear Carol,

I wear braces (牙箍) and I know I look just terrible in them. Is there anything I can do to improve my appearance until they come off?

Connie N.

Philadelphia, PA

Dear Connie,

Start by thinking about how good you are going to look when your braces come off. If you are negative about your appearance, people will pick that up right away about you. In the meantime there are several things that you can do to lift your spirits:

Change your hairstyle. Be sure to get a good cut so that the shape of your hair will be flattering to your face and also good for your type of hair (fine, thick, straight, curly, etc.) Choose a hairstyle that draws attention away from your face. Hair pulled back into a pony-tail or into a ball on top or slightly off-center can be attractive and practical for this purpose.

Keep skin clean. If you choose to wear makeup(化妆品), it should look natural. Blusher(腮红) and lip gloss(润唇膏) in light tones of peach or pink are best.

Be well-groomed(打扮). Neatness really counts. People see a total look about you before they ever become aware of your braces. And first impressions are lasting ones!

68. Why did Connie write to Carol?

A. Because she really cared about her clothes.

B. Because she cared much about her appearance.

C. Because her teeth were not good.

D. Because she didn’t know how to make up.

69. Carol’s idea about one’s appearance is that ___________.

A. change your hairstyle and you will look beautiful

B. wear your make-up and you will look good

C. neatness is not important

D. if you yourself don’t think you look smart, neither will people

70. Carol tries to let Connie know that ___________.

A. the deepest impressions one leaves on others is the first ones

B. spirits are important when we talk about one’s appearance

C. there are some practical ways to draw people’s attention away from where you don’t feel good 

D. all of the above

71. The underlined word “count” means “___________” in the last paragraph.

A. say numbers in order        B. be of importance           C. not include        D. be accepted

 

Scores of farms across he country are opening up to overnight guests.The best have all the appeal of a first-rate inn(小旅馆) — plus here a moo, there a moo

Sure, you and your kids have a plan for the theme parks.In the meanwhile, why not make a little hay(干草)? Farm stays are fast becoming the great American alternative to the pre-packaged vacation.

LIBERTY HALL FARM

Rochester, Vt.; 802/767-3926; www.libertyhillfarm.com.Adults $75, teens $50, kids 12 and under $35, including breakfast and dinner; shared baths.

Beth and Bob Kennett run a farm straight out of a storybook.You’ll find Beth in the kitchen, rolling out dough(生面团) for a pie.Bob’s busy with other work.Guests sleep in seven sunny bedrooms right in the farmhouse and can participate in any of the farm jobs.Maybe you and your kids won’t be up at 6 am to meet the milk truck, but you can help with the milking twice a day, collect eggs, and pick sweet corn and wild blackberries in season.

HULL-O FARM

Durham, N.Y.; 518/239-6950; www.hull-o.com; Adults $110, kids 10-14 $60, 5-9 $50, 2-4 $35, under 2 free, including breakfast and dinner; private baths.

It started in 1993 as a way to bring in some extra money at a time of falling milk prices.But soon after Frank and Sherry Hull opened their Catskill Mountains dairy farm to overnight visitors, they discovered they loved it.As you drive up, Sherry greets you on the porch(入口处) of the 1825 farmhouse with a cow-shaped cookie jar.Before long your kids are playing around with the cows, sheep, ducks, goats and getting ready for a hayride.

MERAMEC FARM CABINS

Bourbon, Mo.; 573/732-4765; http://www.wine-mo.com Doubles with private bath $75, $10 per additional person.Trail and riding fees extra.

Climb on the back of the Ford pick up and catch up with the herd.One gentle cow named Cricket will even let the kids sit on her back.At the barn(牲口棚) Carol will introduce you to the horses — 15 Missouri Fox Trotters — and lead you on a ride over the hills and down along the spring-fed Meramec River, where everyone swims.Grab a fishing pole and head back to the river.When you have your fill of the wild, try Carol and Dave’s favorite restaurants, within 20 miles of the farm.

1.The underlined sentence in the first paragraph implies that _____.

A.you can enjoy the best cuisine at the first rate restaurant

B.some farms provide country experiences as well as good accommodations

C.farm work is hard, but you can enjoy it a lot, playing with the animals

D.if you want to hear a cow’s cry, please stay on a best farm

2.We can learn from the three ads that ____.

A.Hull-O Farm was not built for overnight visitors

B.Frank and Sherry Hull run a farm out of a storybook

C.kids can sit on a gentle cow’s back on Hull-O Farm

D.you can’t milk a cow if you get up late on Liberty Hill Farm

3.The Browns have a 13-year-old son and 11-year-old daughter.If they stay on Liberty Hill Farm for one night, how much will they pay?

A.$175.

B.$220.

C.$235.

D.$250.

4.Who will be most likely interested in the webpage?

A.Kids who want to find pleasure in the theme parks.

B.People who expect to be employed on the farm.

C.Those who plan to have family vacations on working farms.

D.Researchers who are interested in raising cows on farms.

 

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