When I was ten, my sisters and I were amazed at our neighbor’s Christmas tree. We returned home from their house and decided that we must have one of our own. In our house we never had enough money for a Christmas tree.
In fact, we insisted so much that my father had no choice but to agree. “Yes!” he finally said.“This year we will have a Christmas tree.” Our mouths dropped open at the thought of having our own tree. Then Dad said,“I’ll do it myself.”
We followed him around the house as he gathered up the materials he would need, We all sat close to him, carefully watching everything he did. He passed the thread around the first nail on the corner of a box, then back down to the second nail on the box, and up again to the nail, until right there before our eyes a green Christmas tree began to take shape. He carefully did the same with all of the 50 nails in the box and when he had finished, he said,“Now you can decorate it.”
I don’t remember where the decorations came from, but they were red and small and to us they just looked so beautiful and perfect for our tree. When we finished decorating it, we proudly invited all our friends over to see our Christmas tree. We were so happy, not only because it looked so pretty, but because my father had made it himself. It truly was the most beautiful Christmas tree we had ever seen.
Years later, things got better and Dad was able to buy a proper Christmas tree which we would happily decorate. However, my sisters and I will never forget the night when we got our first Christmas tree.
【小题1】What do we know about the writer?

完形填空（本题有15小题，每小题1分，共15分）

阅读下面短文，掌握大意，然后从每题所给的 A、B、C、D 四个选项中选出最佳选项。

“I can’t  believe what I’m hearing!” I thought to myself. Jeff was the last candidate* for president of Student Union. I really thought I should be chosen.

Later that day, I happened to pass Jeff in the dining room. I offered     1   a polite “Congratulations” and walked to my usual table. To my   2   , Jeff came to me and put his plate beside mine.

“I’m, er – I’m just wondering if you would consider coming to work on my team,” he said nervously. “You are really   3   and you would be a great partner.”

“I don't think so,” I replied, feeling unsure.

“Well,   4   you change your mind, you can tell me tomorrow.” he said before moving to another table.

All that night, I thought about the    5   from Jeff. Maybe being a part of the election* process would give me a chance to make important changes at our school. I decided to    6       Jeff.

    7   of all, I began to create a catchy*advertisement. Within a few days, we     8  a poster with Jeff’s pictures showing him in a number of activities. No one could walk through any hallway     9    passing Jeff’s smiling face.

My next step was to    10 what new activities students would like to have at our school. Many of them wanted a chess club and a volleyball team.

With the information I had collected, Jeff met with the headmaster. The headmaster agreed to add    11  we want to our school program.

With my help, Jeff and our ideas were well received at school.

An eighth grader said, “    12   will be exciting to have Jeff as president.”

    13   these words made my heart filled with pride. I had wanted to become president of Student Union to make a difference. Now I achieved that. Jeff became the most popular candidate and I was a large part of his     14   . The fact that it has made a    15   in other people’s lives is the real prize. What a great feeling!

1.                A．us             B．him            C．her D．them

2.                A．surprise        B．luck            C．fun  D．love

3.                A．tired           B．happy          C．smart D．busy

4.                A．if             B．because        C．after D．while

5.                A．message        B．present         C．dream    D．offer

6.                A．refuse         B．leave           C．agree    D．join

7.                A．First           B．Second         C．Third D．Last

8.                A．sent           B．invented        C．designed  D．bought

9.                A．for            B．from           C．with D．without

10.               A．take out        B．give out        C．work out  D．find out

11.               A．everywhere     B．somewhere     C．everything     D．nothing

12.               A．This           B．It             C．He   D．We

13.               A．Hearing        B．Seeing         C．Thinking   D．Hoping

14.               A．exercise        B．class           C．family D．success

15.               A．friend          B．difference      C．mistake   D．living

　　The Chinese New Year is now known as the Spring Festival because it starts from the beginning of spring. Though there are some sayings about its origin（起源）, all agree that the word Nian, which in modem Chinese means“year”, was originally the name of a beast（野兽）that started to eat people the night before the beginning of a new year.

　　One story goes that the beast Nian had a very big mouth that would eat a great many people at one time. People were very afraid. One day, an old man came to their help and said he would stop all this. To Nian he said,“I hear that you are very strong, but can you eat up all the beasts on earth instead of people who are too weak to be your enemy（敌人）? ”“Yes,”Nian agreed with him and went to kill many of the beasts on earth. People were very happy because those beasts also did bad things to people and killed their farm animals from time to time.

　　After that, the old man, who was a god（神）, rode on the beast Nian and left. Nian was gone, and other beasts also went into forests; people began to enjoy their happy life. Before the old man left, he had told people to put up red paper-cuts on their windows and doors at each year's end to drive Nian away, because red is the colour the beast felt most afraid of.

　　From then on, every year at the beginning of spring, people“Guo Nian”. The word“Guo Nian”means“Go through the Nian safely”. Putting up red paper-cuts to drive Nian away and making dumplings for a better new year are still an every-year doing by the Chinese people. However（但是）, people today have long forgotten why they are doing all this, they just feel that the colour and the food make the New Year very enjoyable.

A．By putting red paper-cuts on windows.

B．By eating up beasts.

C．By talking to him.

D．By riding on him.

A．Because Nian liked the colour red.

B．Because the colour red could kill Nian.

C．Because the old man liked the colour red.

D．Because Nian was afraid of the colour red.

A．The Origin of the Chinese New Year

B．The Old Man and the Beast Nian

C．How to Go through the Nian Safely

D．What Nian Was Like

A．Nian can eat up all the beasts on earth at one time.

B．Nian is a tall beast that likes to eat farm animals.

C．Nian is afraid of paper-cuts.

D．Nian doesn't like to use his own mind.

Jack went to a barber’s shop and ___16___, but when he came out, he was not happy ___17___ the result. When his friend Bob saw him, he ___18___ and said, “What happened to your hair, Jack?”

Jack said, “I tried a new barber’s shop today, because I wasn’t quite ___19___ my old one, but this one seems even ___20___.”

Bob agreed. “Yes, I think you are right, Jack. Now I’ll tell you ___21___ when you go into a barber’s shop next time. Look at the barber’s hair, ___22___ whose hair looks worst, and then go straight to him.”

“Why shall I go to him?” Jack asked, “But that ___23___ be foolish?”

“Oh, no, it wouldn’t.” said Bob. “Who cut that man’s hair? Just think it over. He couldn’t cut it himself, could he? ___24___ of the barbers cut it. So you know he ___25___ be the worst barber.”

16. A. had cut his hair B. had his hair cut C. has cut his hair D. has his hair cut

17. A. to B. in C. about D. with

18. A. cried B. laughed C. smiled D. sneered

19. A. pleased for B. satisfied with C. agree with D. sure of

20. A. bad B. badly C. the worst D. worse

21. A. how to do B. how to do them C. what to do D. what to do them

22. A. find out B. put out C. look for D. decide on

23. A. could B. should C. would D. had

24. A. Another B. The other C. Other D. Others

25. A. must B. can C. mustn’t D. can’t