Workplaces all over the UK are preparing for Christmas and all the traditions and customs that come with it. But will this Christmas be a cause of happiness and celebration, or of disappointment and embarrassment?

At this time of year, colleges show their appreciation of each other by doing a “Secret Santa”. Secret Santa involves people who work together buying gifts for each other without saying who they are from.

Co-workers all write their names on pieces of paper, then organize a lottery in which each worker picks a colleague’s name at random. He then has to buy a present for that colleague, usually on a small budget of five or ten pounds.

Since the givers are unknown, the quality of presents can vary greatly. In an Internet survey of Secret Santa presents, the gifts that people received range from tickets to the opera to an air freshener for a car.

Another common workplace tradition is the office Christmas party, at which workmates put on their best clothes and enjoy lots of free wine.

Most parties go without a hitch, but sometimes the alcohol cause party-goers to behave in a way that they later regret.

The BBC invited people to share their most embarrassing Christmas office party stories, and received hundreds of funny ones. For example, a man split his trousers while dancing; a drunken lady spent the whole night with the edge of her dress folded into her pants, and later looked at photos that proved it at work.

But the funniest story must be that of Stuart Vanies, who got so drunk that he put his boss’s head into the toilet. Unsurprisingly, he was fired the very next day.

1. How many Christmas traditions are mentioned?

2. We learn from this article that for Christmas ____________________.

3.The underlined phrase “without a hitch” in the sixth paragraph means _______________.

4.The examples in the last two paragraphs are to ______________________.

Workplaces all over the UK are preparing for Christmas and all the traditions and customs that come with it. But will this Christmas be a cause of happiness and celebration, or of disappointment and embarrassment?
At this time of year, colleges show their appreciation of each other by doing a “Secret Santa”. Secret Santa involves people who work together buying gifts for each other without saying who they are from.
Co-workers all write their names on pieces of paper, then organize a lottery in which each worker picks a colleague’s name at random. He then has to buy a present for that colleague, usually on a small budget of five or ten pounds.
Since the givers are unknown, the quality of presents can vary greatly. In an Internet survey of Secret Santa presents, the gifts that people received range from tickets to the opera to an air freshener for a car.
Another common workplace tradition is the office Christmas party, at which workmates put on their best clothes and enjoy lots of free wine.
Most parties go without a hitch, but sometimes the alcohol cause party-goers to behave in a way that they later regret.
The BBC invited people to share their most embarrassing Christmas office party stories, and received hundreds of funny ones. For example, a man split his trousers while dancing; a drunken lady spent the whole night with the edge of her dress folded into her pants, and later looked at photos that proved it at work.
But the funniest story must be that of Stuart Vanies, who got so drunk that he put his boss’s head into the toilet. Unsurprisingly, he was fired the very next day.
【小题1】 How many Christmas traditions are mentioned?

A “Green” Christmas spirit is upon us this year and it seems like everyone is wondering which kind of Christmas tree serves eco-friendly the best this year.

One of the concepts that I have seen this year is whether to purchase a real Christmas tree or an artificial tree. Which one is more “Green”? People are leaning in the wrong direction when they assume that the artificial Christmas tree poses less of a threat to the Earth.

The truth of the matter is, if you have to have a tree this year(because the greenest option is no tree) the real tree is far more eco-friendly than the fake one. Why? Most of the artificial trees are made of PVC. Beyond the fact that the creation of PVC emits nasty gases into the atmosphere, this plastic is definitely not recyclable, which means that you should throw away artificial trees and bury them in land-and that is something that eco-conscious people want to steer away from.

If you want to take your sustainable Christmas tree, find a local organic Christmas tree farm. They don’t use the harmful pesticides and chemicals. You will want to start thinking and planning ahead in order to locate the best place to purchase your “Green” Christmas tree. Don’t forget to figure out what you will do with your tree after the holiday is over as well.

Here are some Earth-friendly ways to dispose of your real tree this year:

1)If you purchased the tree at an organic tree farm and you are sure that it wasn’t treated with harmful chemicals, think about dumping it into s small lake or pond. It can offer a wonderful new play land for fish.

2)Most cities gather trees on a certain day after Christmas. Be sure to call your local township and ask them if and when they do this prior to the holidays.

3)You could replant it, however you will need to make sure that you choose the right tree and have enough roots to make this option work.

Planning ahead is the key to hosting a Green Christmas this year. Map out where you will purchase your tree and where and how you will dispose of it prior to Christmas in order to achieve the most sustainable plans. You don’t have to go treeless to enjoy a Green Holiday Season…just make sure that you look into all of your options and choose the most sustainable option that is available in your area. Happy Holidays!

Workplaces all over the UK are preparing for Christmas and all the traditions and customs that come with it. But will this Christmas be a cause of happiness and celebration, or of disappointment and embarrassment?
At this time of year, colleges show their appreciation of each other by doing a “Secret Santa”. Secret Santa involves people who work together buying gifts for each other without saying who they are from.
Co-workers all write their names on pieces of paper, then organize a lottery in which each worker picks a colleague’s name at random. He then has to buy a present for that colleague, usually on a small budget of five or ten pounds.
Since the givers are unknown, the quality of presents can vary greatly. In an Internet survey of Secret Santa presents, the gifts that people received range from tickets to the opera to an air freshener for a car.
Another common workplace tradition is the office Christmas party, at which workmates put on their best clothes and enjoy lots of free wine.
Most parties go without a hitch, but sometimes the alcohol cause party-goers to behave in a way that they later regret.
The BBC invited people to share their most embarrassing Christmas office party stories, and received hundreds of funny ones. For example, a man split his trousers while dancing; a drunken lady spent the whole night with the edge of her dress folded into her pants, and later looked at photos that proved it at work.
But the funniest story must be that of Stuart Vanies, who got so drunk that he put his boss’s head into the toilet. Unsurprisingly, he was fired the very next day.

1. 1.

   How many Christmas traditions are mentioned?

   1. A.
      One.
   2. B.
      Two.
   3. C.
      Three.
   4. D.
      Four.
2. 2.

   We learn from this article that for Christmas ____________________.

   1. A.
      few people buy presents for their colleagues in Britain
   2. B.
      British workers write their names on the presents they give their colleagues
   3. C.
      people usually give their colleagues presents of high quality
   4. D.
      British workers buy their presents based on an agreed budget
3. 3.

   The underlined phrase “without a hitch” in the sixth paragraph means _______________.

   1. A.
      quite smoothly
   2. B.
      without a result
   3. C.
      with some difficulty
   4. D.
      quite unexpectedly
4. 4.

   The examples in the last two paragraphs are to ______________________.

   1. A.
      show that most British people enjoy drinking wine
   2. B.
      advise readers not to drink wine at parties
   3. C.
      prove that funny things often happen at office Christmas parties
   4. D.
      criticize the bad habits of the British