河北省衡水二中2010年新高一暑假作业及答案（英语）(51)

圣诞节的许多风俗都来源于《圣经》中的传说。根据耶稣诞生在夜里这种说法，圣诞节的庆祝活动从12月24日夜间开始，午夜时分达到高潮，这一夜就被称为圣诞夜。美国人通常通宵达旦地举行庆祝或。他们有的聚在酒馆、舞厅、俱乐部中尽情欢乐；有的全家共进丰盛的晚餐，然后围坐在壁炉旁享受天伦之乐；还有那些虔诚的信徒们则在灯火通明的教堂里，参加纪念耶稣诞生的午夜礼拜。

圣诞夜里最有趣的活动要数"报佳音"，象征天使在伯利恒郊外向牧羊人报告基督降生的喜讯。深夜来临，教堂里的唱诗班挨家挨户地来到教徒家门前齐声唱起圣诞颂歌。于是这家人便走出来加入合唱。唱罢，主人把大家邀入屋中，以茶点招待。说笑一番后，唱诗班再到别人家去唱，主人一家也往往随同前去，"报佳音"的队伍愈来愈大，他们一家家地唱，欢乐的气氛有增无减，常常持续到天明。

Christmas Day

　　Christmas is an important festival in Britain and many other parts of the world. Read the passage below very quickly and find out " Who is Father Christmas?"

　　On Christmas Eve-the night before Christmas Day-children all over Britain put a stocking at the end of their beds before they go to sleep. Their parents usually tell them that Father Christmas will come during the night.

　　Father Christmas is very kind-hearted. He lands on top of each house and climbs down the chimney into the fireplace. He fills each of the stockings with Christmas presents.

　　Of course, Father Christmas isn't real. In Jim and Kate's house, "Father Christmas" is really Mr. Green. Mr. Green doesn't climb down the chimney. He waits until the children are asleep. Then he quietly goes into their bedrooms, and fills their stocking with small presents. When they were very young, Mr. Green sometimes dressed up in a red coat. But he doesn't do that now. The children are no longer young, and they know who "Father Christmas" really is. But they still put their stockings at the end of their beds.

　　Mr. and Mrs Green have stockings, too. They put small presents in each other's stockings " You're never too old to enjoy a Christmas stocking," they say. So they still have them.

　　Christmas Day always begins before breakfast. The children wake up very early, and can't wait to open the presents in their stockings. Then they wake up their parents, calling: "Merry Christmas!" They help their parents to open their stockings, too.

　　What does Christmas mean? Christmas Day is the birthday of Jesus Christ. When Christ was born nearly two thousand years ago, many people, rich and poor, gave him presents. So today, people still do the same thing to each other. Of course, everyone likes presents. But Mr. Green says: "It is better to give than to receive."

Passage One

　　Long long ago, there was an old merchant who had three sons. "To which one shall I leave my fortune?" he wondered. "It must be to the cleverest son. But which one is the cleverest?"

　　He called his three sons to him. "Here is some money," he told them, "You must each take one coin to buy something that will fill this room. Anyone who can do this shall have my fortune."

　　"It is a big room," said the eldest son.

　　"One coin will not buy very much," said the second son.

　　But the youngest son said nothing. He stood and thought, and then he smiled, "Come, brothers," he said, "let us go to the market."

　　The eldest son bought straw with his coin. But one coin bought only a bit of straw. Even when he had spread it as much as he could, the straw covered only a corner of the room.

　　The second son bought sand with his coin. But one coin bought only a bit of sand. Even when he had spread it as much as he could, the sand covered only half of the floor.

　　"What did you buy?" the eldest son angrily asked the youngest son. "You don't have any straw."

　　"Yes, what did you buy?" the second son asked angrily. "You don't have any sand."

　　"I bought this," said the youngest son.

　　"A candle!" cried his brothers. "What good is a candle?"

　　"Watch", said the youngest son.

　　He lit the candle, and all at once the room was filled from wall to wall, from ceiling to floor. It was filled with light!

　　"Although you are the youngest, you are indeed the cleverest of my sons," the old merchant said.

　　And that is how, the old merchant left his fortune to his youngest son, the one who could fill a room with light

1. Who would get father's fortune?

A. The oldest son B. The richest son C. The cleverest son D. The silliest son

2. The merchant left his fortune to the son .

　A. who would fill the room by using something which is worthy of one coin

　B. who would take care of him when he became old

　C. who wanted to get his fortune

　D. who got married first

3. How do you think of the youngest son?

　A. He is very clever. B. He is very lazy. C. He is very mean. D. He is very diligent.

4. The youngest son used ____ to fill the room.

A. straw B. candle C. sand D. water

　Passage Two