In every country there are times to celebrate, weddings, birthdays, religious festivals. Although the U.S.A is a multi-cultural society, where different groups celebrate their own traditional   21  , Christmas is the most popular holiday in the U.S.A. Some of the   22   of Christmas time are old and others are newer.
Already in the late 18^th and the 19^th centuries, people felt sentimental (眷恋的) about Christmases of the past. The American   23  , Washington Irving, wrote in 1819 about the old-fashioned Christmas he experienced in England. He was taken in a stagecoach (驿站马车) full of happy people, food and presents, to an old house in the   24  . There, he found a crowd of happy farmers, lots of food and drinks, snow, games and ghosts.
The first Christmas card, which was printed in England, showed people eating and drinking   25  . It was sent in 1846, but Christmas cards did not become really   26   until the 1860s, when color printing became possible.
By this time, stagecoaches had   27   running, replaced by the railroad. More and more families   28   the country and were living in towns and cities, but the dream of the   29   Christmas remained. The loaded stagecoach driving along the country road through the snow still   30   on many Christmas cards today.

A Brooklyn man who was quarreling with his girlfriend yesterday threw a dog off the balcony（阳台） of her 23rd-story apartment in TriBeCa, killing it, the police said.

The man, John Jefferson, 43, of Bedford-Stuyvesant, has been charged（指控） with robbery, criminal possession of a weapon and animal cruelty, the police said. He was taken to Bellevue Hospital Center yesterday for psychiatric evaluation（精神病鉴定）, they said.

The incident began shortly before 11 a.m., the police said, when Mr. Jefferson went to visit his girlfriend, Eugenia Miller, 41, at her apartment on 80 North Moore Street. She had filed a police report on Friday accusing（控告）Mr. Jefferson of stealing from her, but yesterday she allowed him in and they began arguing, the police said.

Mr. Jefferson threatened Ms. Miller with a knife, and she called 911, the police said. When officers arrived at her door, she ran into the hallway and Mr. Jefferson stayed in the apartment, they said. Mr. Jefferson began throwing Ms. Miller’s things off the balcony, first the television, the air-conditioner and clothes, then her dog, Ribsy, the police and witnesses said.

The dog had lived in the neighborhood for more than a decade and was well liked by children. “He was like a person and he would hang out with us guys or go visit kids at the basketball court,” said neighbors.

1.The man was taken to hospital because _____.

A．he killed a pet dog

B．he was badly injured

C．his girlfriend asked to do so

D．he needed a psychiatric evaluation

2.John Jefferson was accused of the following except _____.

A．his arguing with his girlfriend

B．criminal possession of a weapon

C．animal cruelty

D．robbery

3.From the passage we know that _____.

A．the dog was badly hurt and sent to hospital

B．the dog was popular in the neighborhood

C．the dog was able to play basketball

D．the dog never went out

Mr．Glen is a millionaire．Five years ago, after returning from abroad to his motherland, he   36  up his small company．Speaking of success, Glen often tells us a story about his   37  expensive “school” fees．He always   38 a Ph．Degree, decided to return to the homeland, starting an undertaking．Before   39 , he bought a Rolex watch with the   40  made through years of work after school and the scholarships．At the airport he had to accept the routine customs check．The watch on his wrist was also demanded to be   41  down for inspection．Glen knew that carrying the specific goods out had to pay the tax．And he worried about paying   42  for his watch．So when he was checked, he told a lie that his watch was a worthless   43 ．When he was   44  of his ‘smarts’, immediately,   45  the presence of Glen, the officers hit the watch, which   46  nearly ￥100,000, into pieces at hearing Glen’s words．Glen was amazed．  47  he understood why, he was taken to the office to be   48 strictly．For many times of entry-exit   49  he knew that only those people in the “blacklist” would “enjoy” this special treatment．The officers   50  every thing carefully in the box, and warned him no matter what time of entry and exit he must accept the check and if   51  reusing and carrying fake and shoddy（伪劣）goods, he would be   52  according to law! Suddenly, his face turned red, and he had nothing in mind after boarding the plane for long.

After returning to the homeland, he often told the story to his family, and his employees, too．He said that this made a deep   53  on him, because an additional high “school” fee that he had ever paid made him realize the value of   54 , which he would   55  as the secret of his success forever.

Mr. Glen is a millionaire. Five years ago, after returning from abroad to his motherland, he 

16  his small company. Speaking of success, Glen often tells us a story about his extra expensive “school” fee. He always  17  his success to it.

At that time, Glen, who already got a Ph.D. degree,  18  to return to the homeland, starting a company. Before leaving, he bought a Rolex watch with the  19  made through years of work after school and the scholarships. At the airport he had to accept the  20  customs check. The watch on his wrist was also demanded to be taken down for  21. Glen knew that carrying the specific goods out had to pay the tax, and he worried about paying  22  for his watch. So when he was checked, he told a lie that his watch was a  23  fake（假货）. When he was  24  of his “smarts”, immediately, in the presence of Glen, the officers hit the watch,  25  cost nearly 100,000, into pieces  26  hearing Glen’s words. Glen was  27 .  Before he understood why, he was taken to the office to be examined  28 . For many times of entry-exit 29  he knew that only those people in the “blacklist” would “enjoy” this special treatment. The officers looked over everything carefully in the box, and  30  him no matter what time of entry and exit he must accept the check and if  31  reusing and carrying fake and shoddy goods, he would be  32  according to law! Suddenly, his face turned red, and he had nothing in mind after boarding the plane for long.

After returning to the homeland, he often told the story to his family, and his employees, too. He said that this made a deep  33  on him, because the additional high “school” fee that he had ever paid made him realize the value of  34 , which he would remember as the  35  of his success forever.

The telephone rang in the police station at Richmond， California， USA. “Police station？ A train for Santa FE collide(碰撞)with a(n)　31　at the McDonald Street Crossing. Please go there at once， with an ambulance too. A man is badly injured，” said a(n)　32　voice of a young woman.

“Just a minute， we’ll come　33　. Please stay there and wait，” answered the policeman.

Within a minute， a police car and an ambulance　34　. Soon they got to the　35　， but only to　36　everything was fine. No collision， no　37　man.

“What a dirty trick！” said the policeman　38　. “We must find out that mischievous(恶作剧的)　39　and. . . ”

They had not been able to say anything about a punishment　40　they heard the whistle of a train： the train was nearing them quickly. All　41　a sudden， a truck appeared. It came fast towards them， too. 　42　it was passing the crossing， it suddenly refused to move on. Right then and there， before the eyes of all the people present， the train collided with the truck heavily and struck it　43　meters away.

When Randolph Bruce， the driver was　44　out of the damaged truck， he was　45　hurt just　46　the young woman had foretold on the phone. As he was taken to the　47　in time， he was saved at last.

Later the policemen did　48　they could to find the woman who had telephoned them， but　49　.

It is　50　that a prophecy(预言)should coincide(巧合)with the fact so exactly.

31. A. ambulance　　　　B. truck　　　　C. car　　　　　D. bus

32. A. anxious         B. sweet             C. gentle            D. low

33. A. fast            B. ahead             C. soon              D. later

34. A. went by        B. set off             C. got there           D. came on

35. A. telephone       B. street             C. station             D. crossing

36. A. feel            B. find              C. have              D. tell

37. A. injured         B. trapped            C. frightened         D. killed

38. A. happily         B. excitedly          C. angrily            D. disappointedly

39. A. man           B. policeman          C. woman           D. boy

40. A. until           B. since              C. while             D. when

41. A. at             B. of                C. by                D. for

42. A. When          B. Where            C. That              D. Which

43. A. dozen          B. dozens            C. dozen of           D. dozens of

44. A. raised          B. helped            C. pushed            D. forced

45. A. slightly         B. clearly            C. hardly            D. badly

46. A. as             B. so                C. before            D. for

47. A. police station    B. market            C. hospital           D. sidewalk

48. A. that            B. which             C. however          D. whatever

49. A. delayed         B. worked           C. stopped            D. failed

50. A. surprised        B. surprising         C. satisfied           D. satisfying