四级模拟试卷2

炎黄学院《综合英语》单元测试卷(二)1系别年级学制班级姓名学号----------------------------装--------------------------订----------------------线-----------------------------得分统计表：题号一二三四五六七八九十总分得分PartOne.Writing.(30minutes)Forthispart,youareallowed30minutestowriteashortessayentitledOnCollegeStudents’CareerPlanning.Youshouldwriteatleast120wordsfollowingtheoutlinegivenbelow.1.近年来，各地高校日益重视大学生职业生涯规划教育2.分析这种现象产生的原因3.大学生应该如何规划好自己的职业生涯PartTwo.ReadingComprehension.(SkimmingandScanning)(15minutes)FiveQuestionsontheOriginsofChristmasThetraditionsweassociatewithChristmashaveevolvedoverthecenturies.Hereareanswerstofivequestionsaboutthesetraditions,fromthedatewechoosetocelebratetotheoriginofSanta.1.WhydowecelebrateonDecember25th?ThebiblemakesnomentionofJesusbeingbornonDecember25thand,asmorethanonehistorianhaspointedout,whywouldshepherdsbetendingtotheirflockinthemiddleofwinter?Sowhyisthatthedaywecelebrate?Well,eitherChristianholidaysmiraculouslyfallonthesamedaysaspaganonesortheChristianshavebeencraftyinconvertingpaganpopulationstoreligionbyplacingimportantChristianholidaysonthesamedaysaspaganones.AndpeoplehadbeencelebratingonDecember25th(andthesurroundingweeks)forcenturiesbythetimeJesusshowedup.TheWinterSolstice,fallingonoraroundDecember21st,wasandiscelebratedaroundtheworldasthebeginningoftheendofwinter.Itistheshortestdayandlongestnightanditspassingsignifiesthatspringisontheway.InScandinaviancountries,theycelebratedthesolsticewithaholidaycalledYulelastfromthe21stuntilJanuaryandburnedaYulelogthewholetime.InRome,Saturnalia—acelebrationofSaturn,theGodofagriculture—lastedtheentireendoftheyearandwasmarkedbymassintoxication.Inthemiddleofthis,theRomanscelebratedthebirthofanotherGod,Mithra(achildGod),whoseholidaycelebratedthechildrenofRome.WhentheChristianitybecametheofficialreligionofRome,therewasnoChristmas.Itwasnotuntilthe4thcenturythatPopeJuliusIdeclaredthebirthofJesustobeaholidayandpickedDecember25thasthecelebrationday.Bythemiddleages,mostpeoplecelebratedtheholidayweknowasChristmas.2.HowdidAmericanscometolovetheholiday?TheAmericanChristmasis,likemostAmericanholidays,amishmashofOldWorldcustomsmixedwithAmericaninventions.WhileChristmaswascelebratedinAmericafromthetimeoftheJamestownsettlement,ourmodernideaoftheholidaydidn’ttakerootuntilthe19thcentury.ThehistorychannelcreditsWashingtonIrvingwithgettingtheballrolling.In1819hepublishedTheSketchbookofGeoffreyCrayon,gent.,anaccountofaChristmascelebrationinwhicharichfamilyinvitespoorfolkintotheirhousetocelebratetheholiday.TheproblemwasthatmanyoftheactivitiesdescribedinIrving’swork,suchascrowningaLordofMisrule,wereentirelyfictional.Nonetheless,IrvingbegantosteerChristmascelebrationsawayfromdrunkendebaucheryandtowardswholesome,charitablefun.Throughouttherestofthe19thcentury,ChristmasgainedpopularityandAmericansadoptedoldcustomsorinventednewones,suchasChristmastrees,greetingcards,givinggiftsandeatingawholeroastedpig.3.WhopopularizedChristmastrees?Sincetimeimmortal,humanshavebeenfascinatedwiththecolorgreenandplantsthatstaygreenthroughwinter.Manyancientsocieties—fromRomanstoVikings—woulddecoratedtheirhomesandtempleswithevergreensinthewinterasasymbolofthereturninggrowingseason.ButtheChristmastreedidn’tgetgoinguntilsomeintrepidGermandraggedhomeanddecoratedatreeinthe16thcentury.LegendhasitthatMartinLutherhimselfaddedlightedcandlestohisfamily’stree,startingthetrend(andleadingtocountlessfiresthroughtheyears).InAmerica,theChristmastreedidn’tcatchonuntil1846whentheBritishroyals,QueenVictoriaandtheGermanPrinceAlbert,wereshownwithaChristmastreeinanewspaper.FashionablepeopleinAmericamimickedtheRoyalsandthetreethingspreadoutsideofGermanenclaves(被围领土)inAmerica,Ornaments,courtesyofGermany,andelectriclights,courtesyofThomasEdison’sassistants,wereaddedovertheyearsandwehaven’tchangedmuchsince.4.What’sdealwithSantaClaus?Thejolly,red-suitedmanwhosneaksintoyourhomeeveryyeartoleaveyougiftshasn’talwaysbeensojolly.TherealSaintNickwasaTurkishmonkwholivedinthe3rdcentury.Accordingtolegend,hewasarichmanthankstoaninheritancefromhisparents,buthegaveitallawayintheformofgiftstothelessfortunate.HeeventuallybecamethemostpopularsaintinEuropeand,throughhisalterego,SantaClaus,remainssotothisday.ButhowdidalongdeadTurkishmonkbecameabig,fat,reindeer-ridingpoledweller?TheDutchgottheballrollingbycelebratingthesaint—calledSinterKlaas—inNewYorkinthelate-18thcentury.Ouroldfriend,WashingtonIrving,includedthelegendofSaintNickinhisseminalHistoryofNewYorkaswell,butattheturnofthe18thcentury,SaintNickwasstillaratherobscurefigureinAmerica.OnDecember23,1823,though,amannamedClementClarkeMoorepublishedapoemhehadwrittenforhisdaughterscalled“AnAccountofaVisitfromSt.Nicholas,”betterknownnowas“T’wasthenightbeforeChristmas.”NobodyknowshowmuchofthepoemMooreinvented,butwedoknowthatitwasthesparkthateventuallylittheSantafire.ManyofthethingsweassociatedwithSanta—asleigh,reindeer,ChristmasEvevisits—camefromMoore’spoem.From1863to1886,ThomasNast’sillustrationsofSantaClausappearedinHarper’sweekly—includingascenewithSantagivinggiftstoUnionsoldiers.Notmuchhaschangedsincethesecondhalf炎黄学院《综