When we see other people being given presents，we tend to want one ourselves．Birthdays allow people in most cultures a chance to receive gifts on their own special day once a year．At Christmas，on the other hand，some people who are not given presents may feel left out．It is a tricky issue for religious minorities in most Christian countries．
The Netherlands （Holland） provides an interesting example of how people can respond to others' luck．In a weekly lottery，about a third of the Dutch population waits for the one in 430，000 draw of a winning postcode．All ticket owners in the lucky area get a cash payment of about ￡ 10，000 （＄13，000）and one of them receives a car as well．It is like a local Christmas：everyone in the postcode knows that some neighbors have won．A recent study found that the neighbors of winners are more likely to buy a new car within the next six months and might decorate the outside of their house，even though they did not buy a ticket．
Few children get Christmas presents which are worth ￡10，000 in value．Nevertheless，for a kid，Christmas is equal in value to a Wall Street trader's bonus．The competitive attitude can be almost as strong and obvious．American Jews are a case in point．The festival of lights，Hanukkah，is a relatively minor Jewish holiday，celebrated not long before Christmas．It is sometimes called "Jewish Christmas"，and the holiday season in families with a mixed religious background has been named "Chrismukkah"．Ran Abramitzky，Liran Einav and Oren Righi of Stanford University studied the behavior of Jewish parents in America and found that families with children under 18 celebrate Hanukkah more seriously．The fewer Jews there are in a given county，the more they spend on holiday related products．
Austrians and Germans with a Turkish background are another example．There is no Muslim holiday close to Christmas．The competitive pressure has instead led some to behave like atheists （people who believe God doesn't exist）：they simply celebrate Christmas without its religious meaning．According to EthnOpinion，a Viennabased marketresearch institute，almost one in seven Austrians with a Turkish background observes the holiday． "The overall approach is very practical，" says a GermanTurkish author and psychologist，Deniz Baspinar． "Even the Christmas tree in Turkish homes is no longer the ironic statement it once was．"
（1）It can be inferred from the passage thatAA．
A．there are a total of 430，000 postcodes in Holland
B．the Dutch postcode lottery is held every other week
C．about 12 of the Dutch buy postcode lottery tickets
D．the biggest lottery winner gets a car instead of cash
（2）The author takes the Dutch postcode lottery as an example toAA．
A．illustrate what competitive pressure is
B．appeal to readers to join postcode lottery
C．show the right way to respond to others' luck
D．tell readers every day in Holland is Christmas
（3）What can we know about American Jews？BB
A．They call Christmas Hanukkah．
B．They celebrate the festival of lights．
C．They have mixed religious backgrounds．
D．They spend little on products on holidays．
（4）How does the author develop the passage？AA
A．By giving examples．
B．By quoting wise words．
C．By making comparisons．
D．By making assumptions．
1
2
【考點】日常生活．
【答案】A；A；B；A
【解答】
【點評】
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發布：2024/11/27 8:0:1組卷：1引用：1難度：0.4
相似題
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1．All routes to STEM （science，technology，engineering and mathematics） degrees run through calculus （微積分） classes.Each year，thousands of college students take introductory calculus.But only a small number ultimately complete a STEM degree，and research about why students abandon such degrees suggests that traditional calculus courses are one of the reasons.With scientific understanding and innovation increasingly central to solving 21st-century problems，this loss of talent is something society can ill afford.
Math departments alone are unlikely to solve this dilemma.Several of the promising calculus reforms were spearheaded by professors outside of math departments.STEM faculty are prioritizing cooperation across disciplines to transform math classes to cultivate a diverse generation of STEM researchers and professionals.
This is not uncharted territory.In 2013，life sciences faculty at the University of California，Los Angeles，developed a two-course sequence that covers classic calculus topics，but also emphasizes their application in a biological context.Creating this course，Mathematics for Life Scientists，wasn't easy.The life sciences faculty involved，none of whom had a joint appointment with the math department，said they turned to designing the course themselves after math faculty rejected their request for cooperation.
In Ohio，Wright State University's Engineering departments also revised math offerings.Rather than changing the content of the calculus course，they focused on preparing students for calculus by emphasizing "engineering motivation for math." The approach enhanced opportunities for students with weaker math backgrounds to succeed in engineering and doubled the average graduation rate of engineering students without reducing the average grade of graduates.Math learning is fundamental to all STEM fields，but the opposite also appears to be true.
（1）What problem is mentioned in paragraph 1？
A．Increasing STEM dropout rate.
B．The reform of calculus courses.
C．Shrinking admission to STEM majors.
D．The shaken belief in the role of calculus.
（2）What does "spearheaded" in paragraph 2 probably mean？
A．challenged
B．evaluated
C．cancelled
D．initiated
（3）What do we know about the calculus course reform according to the text？
A．STEM departments made calculus content easier to improve students' grades.
B．Math departments sought cooperation with STEM counterparts to urge reforms.
C．Placing calculus learning in specific STEM contexts is a workable approach.
D．Removing calculus is the key to increasing graduation rate of STEM students.
（4）What does "the opposite" in the last paragraph refer to？
A．The STEM fields may be the foundation of other science subjects.
B．The STEM fields may be central to making math learning effective.
C．Math learning may set barrier for science study in the STEM fields.
D．Math learning may make way for science study in the STEM fields.發布：2025/1/1 17:30:2組卷：26引用：3難度：0.5 -
2．I once thought that outer beauty is the only factor to become a great person.When I was young，I read many kinds of books，most of which described characters who are handsome or beautiful.So I think that being beautiful is the only way to become a success.
As I grew up，the story of my best friend made me realize that outer beauty was not so important to make a person successful.She is so beautiful a girl that every classmate liked to chat with her，but she was very arrogant（傲慢）.In her opinion，she could get all she wanted because of her beauty，but all of her friends left her one by one!Only then did she come to know the importance of the beauty in a person's heart，which changed her attitude and she made friends again.
Turning on TV，we can see many advertisements，most of which seem to give us a feeling that，physical attractiveness is the most important thing. There seems to be a boom in plastic surgery.It is surprising that more and more people，especially girls and women，try it like the first man-made beauty in China，Hao Lulu.It is a common sense that attractive people can easily find work.Most good-looking guys，usually get higher scores in the job interviews.But what is real beauty？I want to say that is inner beauty because those who have beauty in their soul are really beautiful persons.
As is known，the beauty judged with eyes is temporary，so we should concentrate on inner beauty.And if we make the efforts to make our minds beautiful，we'll live a happier life.
（1）Why did the author want to have a good appearance when she was young？
A．Because she wanted to follow the example of her friend.
B．Because she wanted to be one of the characters in the book.
C．Because she wanted to get higher scores in the job interviews.
D．Because the successful characters in the books she read were attractive.
（2）Why did the writer refer to her friend's story？
A．To show how beautiful her friend was.
B．To show how important outer beauty is.
C．To show the importance of inner beauty.
D．To show how terrible to be a beautiful girl.
（3）What does the underlined sentence in the third paragraph mean？
A．Surgery is becoming more and more popular.
B．More and more people pay attention to outer beauty.
C．More people can afford the price of doing plastic surgery.
D．The living standard has been improved over the past years.
（4）Which of the following covers the passage best？
A．Inner beauty is the real beauty.
B．How do attractive persons become successful？
C．The key factor to find a good job is being attractive.
D．Plastic surgery is the best way to make a person more beautiful.
（5）What do we know from the passage？
A．If you are too beautiful，all your friends will leave you out of envy.
B．If you have a good appearance，you must get higher scores in the job interviews.
C．Without the TV advertisements，there wouldn't have been a boom in plastic surgery.
D．Those who have good appearances should also develop the beauty in their hearts.發布：2025/1/1 18:0:1組卷：12引用：2難度：0.6 -
3．Dear Laura，
I just heard you tell an old story of gift giving and unselfish love in your program．You doubted that such unselfish love would happen in today's world．Well，I'm here to give you （1）．
I wanted to do something very （2）for my fifteen - year - old son，who has always been the perfect child．He （3）all summer to earn enough money to buy a used motorcycle．Then，he spent hours and hours on it （4）it looked almost new．I was so （5）of him that I bought him the shiniest helmet and a riding outfit．
I could （6）wait for him to open up his gift．In fact，I barely slept the night before．Upon awakening．I went to the kitchen to （7）the coffee，tea，and morning goodies．In the living room was a beautiful keyboard with a （8）： "To my wonderful mother，all my love，your son．"
I was so （9）．It had been a long - standing joke in our family that I wanted a piano so that I could （10）lessons． "L earn to play the piano，and I'll get you one" was my husband's （11）．
I stood there shocked，crying a river，asking myself how my son could （12）this expensive gift．
Of course，the （13）awoke，and my son was thrilled（激動的）with my reaction．Many kisses were （14），and I immediately wanted him to （15）my gift．
As he saw the helmet and outfit，the look on his face was not （16）what I was expecting．Then I （17）that he had sold the motorcycle to get me the keyboard．
Of course I was the proudest mother （18）on that day，and my feet never hit the ground for a month．
So I wanted you to know，that kind of love still （19）and lives even in the ever-changing world of me，me，me!
I thought you'd love to （20）this story．
keyboard
Yours，
Hilary
P．S．The next day，my husband and I bought him a new "used" already shiny motorcycle．（1） A．support B．advice C．hope D．courage （2） A．polite B．similar C．special D．private （3） A．played B．studied C．traveled D．worked （4） A．after B．before C．until D．unless （5） A．sure B．fond C．proud D．confident （6） A．perhaps B．really C．almost D．hardly （7） A．cook B．start C．set D．serve （8） A．note B．notice C．word D．sign （9） A．disturbed B．confused C．inspired D．astonished （10） A．give B．take C．draw D．teach （11） A．reason B．request C．comment D．response （12） A．present B．afford C．find D．order （13） A．neighbor B．building C．house D．home （14） A．exchanged B．experienced C．expected D．exhibited （15） A．tear B．open C．check D．receive （16） A．purely B．exactly C．obviously D．basically （17） A．realized B．remembered C．imagined D．supposed （18） A．only B．still C．ever D．even （19） A．works B．exists C．matters D．counts （20） A．send B．publish C．write D．share 發布：2025/1/30 8:0:1組卷：6引用：1難度：0.2