2019年福建专升本英语预测试卷 (二)（1）

2019年成人高考专升本英语预测试卷 (二)

第 Ⅰ 卷 ( 选择题，共 125 分)

Ⅰ. Phonetics (5 points)

Directions: In each of the following groups of words, there are four underlined letter combinations

marked A, B, C and D. Compare the underlined parts and identify the one that is different from the

others in pronunciation. Mark your answer by blackening the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet.

1. A. popular B. large C. remarkable D. dark

2. A. society B. precious C. decision D. medicine

3. A. exist B. explain C. examine D. example

4. A. climb B. comb C. doubt D. double

5. A. chemistry B. chimney C. charge D. choose

Ⅱ. Vocabulary and Structure (15 points)

Directions: There are 15 incomplete sentences in this section. For each sentence there are four

choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose one answer that best completes the sentence and blacken the

corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet.

6. I suggest that she ______ another day.

A. will come B. comes C. came D. should come

7. He doesn‘t seem at all sorry for ______ he has done.

A. that B. what C. which D. how

8. I was very tired. Otherwise, I ______ to the theatre with you.

A. had gone B. would go C. went D. would have gone

9. ______ gathering and storing information, the computer can also solve complicated problems.

A. Not only B. Except C. Unless D. Besides

10. They showed me the spot ______ the accident took place.

A. there B. that C. where D. which

11. ______to wait for hours, she brought along a book to read.

A. Expected B. To expect C. Expects D. Expecting

12. Let‘s ______ the problem for the time being: we can return to it later.

A. settle B. stop C. interrupt D. leave

13. He finds it difficult to ______ himself to the climate.

A. apply B. account C. avail D. accustom

14. When she heard the bad news, she ______ completely.

A. broke away B. broke down C. broke out D. broke through

15. John‘s score on the test is the highest in class; he ______ last night.

A. must have studied B. had studied C. must study D. studied

16. ______ to the speaker for five minutes, he got up and left.

A. Listened B. To listen C. Listening D. Having listened

17. He was very busy yesterday; otherwise he ______ to the meeting.

A. had come B. would come C. could come D. would have come

18. In no circumstances ______ a lie.

A. you should tell B. shouldn‘t you tell C. you shouldn‘t tell D. should you tell

19. He was very upset by the ______ of his English examination.

A. effect B. loss C. result D. final

20. The clock ______ and we realized it was two o‘clock.

A. hit B. struck C. rang D. sounded

Ⅲ. Cloze (30 points)

Directions: For each blank in the following passage, there are four choices given below and

marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that is most suitable and mark your answer by blankening

the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet.

Games can be both fun and difficult. Scrabble is a game I like best but is not an easy one. 21

are going to play scrabble tonight. Henry cannot 22 all the rules, so I will 23 them. Do you want to

learn? Listen carefully, and we#39;ll play 24 .

25 player takes seven letters. Your letter might be A, S, T, E, B, P and L. You can spell many

words with these letters. You can spell TABLE with five of them, and you can spell MAP, SAT,

LET, BAT, and others with 26 of them. But you cannot use names of persons, countries, or cities.

You have to be careful : some letters are worth more points 27 others. For example, A, E, L,

S and T have one point each. B and P have three points each. 28 points can be different for words

with the same number of letters. SAT will give you 29 three points, and BAT will give you five.

TABLE will give you 30 points: three for B and four for the other four letters. Use TABLE, you

will get 31 points, and you might win the game.

At the end of the game the players 32 their points. The one 33 the most point wins. 34 , you

might have one hundred forty points. That is a good 35. But I might have one hundred sixty points,

and Henry might have one hundred seventy points. Then Henry wins.

21. A. Tom, I and Henry B. Henry, Tom and I

C. I, Henry and Tom D. Henry, I and Tom

22. A. know B. study C. keep D. remember

23. A. explain B. help C. teach D. play

24. A. faster B. sooner C. later D. after

25. A. Either B. Each C. A D. One

26. A. three B. four C. five D. two

27. A. for B. of C. than D. in

28. A. A number B. The number of C. A lot of D. Plenty of

29. A. more than B. only C. less than D. fewer than

30. A. five B. eight C. six D. seven

31. A. much B. less C. more D. some

32. A. add to B. add up to C. add D. add up

33. A. with B. has C. gets D. gives

34. A. However B. For example C. After all D. such as

35. A. idea B. points C. score D. way

Ⅳ. Reading Comprehension (60 points)

Directions: There are five reading passages in this part. Each passage is followed by four

questions. For each question there are four suggested answers marked A, B, C and D. Choose one

best answer and blacken the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet.

Passage One

The Leaning Tower of Pisa has defied (违背) the laws of gravity for seven and a half centuries.

Every year, on June 19th, a professor from the University of Pisa climbs to the bell tower and

measures the increase in the slant with special instruments. And every year the professor makes

the same report: the tower has leaned a fraction of an inch more. Last summer, the 125 foot-high

tower was leaning an incredible 15 feet out of line. Scientists say that unless a way is found to stop

the tilt, the tower will collapse in less than 80 years.

The tower is leaning because the soft subsoil of Pisa will not support it. Its foundation is

sinking into the soil at an angle, causing the tower to lean. Since a tremor could shake the

foundation loose, the ringing of the tower‘s bells was forbidden in 1959. Trucks are not allowed to

pass in the neighborhood of the tower for this same reason.

36. The statement which best expresses the main idea of this passage is that ______.

A. the Leaning Tower of Pisa is in increasing danger of collapsing

B. every year a professor measures the increase in the tower‘s slant

C. the tower is leaning because the subsoil of Pisa will not support it

D. there is only one way to save the Leaning Tower of Pisa

37. It can be inferred from the passage that last summer the tower was found tilted further by

______.

A. 15 feet B. more than one inch

C. a fraction of an inch D. several inches

38. The tower tilts more and more because ______.

A. the ringing of the bells causes a tremor

B. there are passing trucks nearby

C. it is built on soft soil

D. its foundation has been shaken loose

39. Why is the tower described as defying the laws of gravity?

A. It had resisted shaking tremors for hundreds of years.

B. It was built on soft ground.

C. It leans a fraction of an inch more every year.

D. Scientists think that it should have collapsed long ago.

Passage Two

Dr. Hausman is a hair detective (侦探). Once a mountain lion killed a thirteen-year-old boy. The

town offered a reward of thousand dollars for anyone who would kill the lion.

One day an excited hunter came to the town to say that he had killed the mountain lion. As

proof that he had killed the right animal, he showed a ball of human hair. He said he had taken the

hair from the stomach of the mountain lion.

However, another hunter soon showed up to claim (要求得到) the reward. He too had a ball

of human hair that he said he had taken from the dead lion#39;s stomach. The town did not know

which man to pay. Maybe neither one had killed the right mountain lion. To settle the argument,

they decided to turn the whole thing over to Dr. Hausman.

Dr. Hausman studied the hair and reported that the second hunter should be paid. The hair in

the stomach of the mountain lion he had killed matched the hair of the boy. The whole town was

relieved to know for sure that the killer had been found.

There are other kinds of detectives who do not wear a uniform but who, like Hausman, solve

endless mysteries every year. There is, for example, the dust detective. Tiny bits of dust stick to

your clothes, your fingernails, your hair, or your shoes. They catch in your nose and in your ears.

They tell where you have been and what you have done lately. The dust detective often helps

catch a criminal (罪犯) by proving that he has been on the scene (现场) of the crime.

Then there is the wood detective. By studying a piece of wood he can tell what kind of tree

the piece of wood came from. He can tell where it was grown, and how old it is. He can even tell

you what the weather was like at a certain place the year Columbus landed in America. The

growth rings on a tree tell him.

40. Dr. Hausman decided that the second hunter had killed the mountain lion because

______.

A. the second hunter was an honest man

B. the second hunter showed a ball of human hair

C. the second hunter said that he had taken a ball of hair from the stomach of the mountain lion

D. the hair in the stomach of the mountain lion and the hair of the boy were exactly alike

41. According to the selection, by studying a piece of wood, a wood detective can tell you

______.

A. what the weather was like the year Columbus landed in America

B. what the weather was like last year in the mountain

C. what the weather was like last month in your hometown

D. what kind of tree the piece of wood came from

42. Endless mysteries are solved every year by ______.

A. detectives who like Hausman

B. detectives like Hausman

C. other kinds of detectives who like Hausmen

D. detectives Dr. Hausman likes

43. What does the word “they“ (para.5, line 4) mean?

A. Your clothes. B. Your finger-nail. C. Tiny bits of dust. D. Your shoes.

Passage Three

The winter holiday season is the most happy time of the year. Students from elementary school

through college have about two weeks#39; vacation, beginning shortly before Christmas and ending

soon after New Year#39;s Day. Many families go away for the holidays, but those who stay home

have fun, too. There are many parties to celebrate the birth of Christ and the arrival of the new

year.

Christianity (基督教) is based on the teachings and life of Jesus Christ. Jesus was born in

Bethlehem in ancient Judea. No one knows exactly when Jesus was born. The year 1 A.D. is

supposed to be the year of his birth, but historians now know that he was actually born several

years before that time. No one knows the exact date of his birth either, but Christians have

celebrated it on December 25 since the fourth century.

The spirit of Christmas arrives about a month before the holiday itself. Late in November,

street lights and store windows are decorated with Christmas colors of red and green.

Stores depend on Christmas shoppers for about one-fourth of their yearly sales. Smart

shoppers buy their gifts far in advance, before the Christmas rush. Christmas is expensive. To earn

extra money for gifts, in December many Americans get part-time jobs.

The most beautiful and meaningful parts of the holiday occur at home and in church. Many

families go to church on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning. After that, they gather around the

tree and open their gifts. Then they sit down to enjoy a Christmas dinner --turkey (火鸡) or ham,

sweet potatoes, and vegetables.

44. According to some historians, Jesus ______.

A. was sent by the God to earth to save the human race

B. was born on December 25

C. was born several years before the year 1 A.D.

D. was born in the year 1 A.D.

45. It can be inferred from the selection that most people ______ on December 25.

A. go shopping B. visit friends C. do cleaning D. stay at home

46. According to the writer, to celebrate Christmas, people spend a lot of money and time on

______.

A. preparing for the Christmas dinner

B. going to church

C. writing letters and sending Christmas

D. buying gifts for family members, relatives or friends

47. We can conclude from the selection that ______ like Christmas best.

A. government officials B. teachers C. storekeepers D. secretaries

Passage Four

Although we do not know the exact origin of the earliest Olympic games, we do know that the

ancient Greeks had a festival in which athletes (运动员) competed in sports. On the opening day

of the festival, perhaps 30,000 visitors crowded the streets. There were no sports on this day and

the athletes took a sacred oath (神圣的誓言). They promised to play fair in the sports, a promise

that is part of the oath Olympic athletes take today.

On the second morning of the festival, young athletes ran out onto the field. The first event

will be a foot race 607 feet in length. In the evening, after the sports, the visitors to Olympia

would enjoy food, songs and speeches. They also did some business. At Olympia, keen minds (学

者) from all over Greece exchanged ideas. Philosophers argued before the public. Poets recited

their poems.

This celebration was held every four years and was open to all men and boys who spoke

Greek as their native language. The competition itself consisted of a single race and it was over in

one day.

The Olympic games came into being in 776 BC (before the Christ) and were most popular

around the fifth century BC. At that time, the winner of a game received neither gold nor silver but

a simple crown of olive leaves (橄榄叶) -- the highest honor a Greek could win. His family and

his city were prouder of his victory than of winning a war. His name and achievement were carved

on stone.

The first of the modern Olympics took place in the same country as the original festivals: two

hundred eighty-five athletes from thirteen countries competed in Athens in 1890. Today over ten

thousand athletes from over one hundred seventy countries and regions compete --- every four

years in a different city of the world.

48. According to the selection, on the first day of the ancient Olympic Games the athletes

took an oath ______.

A. which is somewhat similar to the oath Olympic athletes take today

B. which is entirely different from the oath the Olympic athletes take now

C. which was an oath they never kept

D. which was an oath they always broke

49. It can be inferred from the selection that Olympia was ______.

A. in Spain

B. in Italy

C. in Rome

D. the place where the ancient Olympic games first took place

50. When the winner of the ancient Olympic games received a simple crown of olive leaves,

______.

A. he didn#39;t fell very pleased

B. he would rather be given gold or silver

C. he felt greatly honored

D. he would rather receive money

51. The first modern Olympic games took place ______.

A. in Olympia B. in Greece C. in Spain D. in Italy

Passage Five

A certain hunter had found a piece of forest where there were plenty of animals to hunt. The only

trouble was that the place was very difficult to get to.

He returned from his first visit to the place in late autumn, and could not get back until the

snow melted in the following spring. Then he went to the pilot of a small plane, who earned his

living by carrying hunters over parts of the country where there were no roads and no railways. He

asked the pilot to take him back to the piece of forest.

The pilot did not know the place, so the hunter showed it to him on the map. “But there is

nowhere to land there,“ said the pilot. “I have flown over that we can#39;t land anywhere between this

river and these mountains.“

“I thought you were a wonderful pilot,“ said the hunter, “some of my friends said you could

land a plane on a postage stamp.“

“That#39;s right,“ answered the pilot. “I can land a plane where nobody else can. But I tell you

there is nowhere to land in the place you are talking about.“

“And what if I tell you that another pilot did land me there last spring?“ said the hunter.

“Is that true?“ asked the pilot.

“Yes, it is. I swear (发誓) it.“

Well, this pilot could not let himself beaten by another, so he agreed to take the hunter.

When they reached the place, the hunter pointed out a small spot without trees in the middle

of the forest, with a steep rise (陡坡) at one end. The pilot thought there was not enough room to

land there, but the hunter said that the other pilot had done so the year before, so down went the

plane. When it came to the rise, it turned right over (翻转) onto its back. As the hunter climbed

out, he smiled happily and said, “Yes, that is exactly how the other pilot managed it last time.“

52. The hunter in the story went to the forest ______.

A. once B. twice

C. many times D. none of the above

53. In the story the hunter asked a pilot to take him to the piece of forest. This pilot was

______.

A. the same pilot who had taken him to the place once

B. a different pilot who had never been to that part of the country

C. a pilot who had been to the place many times

D. a pilot who had never heard of such a place

54. It was difficult for the pilot to land the plane because ______.

A. the place for landing was as big as a room

B. the place for landing was as small as a postage stamp

C. there wasn#39;t any place to land

D. there was a room near the landing place

55. “When it came to the rise, it turned right over onto its back.“ What do the words “its

back“ refer to?

A. the back of the rise B. the pilot#39;s back

C. the back of the plane D. the back of the small spot

Ⅴ. Daily Conversation(15 points)

Directions: Pick out appropriate expressions from the eight choices below and complete the

following dialogue by blackening the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet.

A. Anything wrong with you?

B. That#39;s splendid !

C. you have to work, not to go watching football.

D. You look very excited.

E. I can quite believe it.

F. I say, couldn#39;t we all go and see it and shout for Jan#39;s team?

G. you must pay much attention to listening and speaking.

H. Don#39;t mention it.

(Fred = A ; Mr. Smith = B ; Bob = C)

A: Oh, Mr. Smith, are you very busy?

B: Well, I was just going to give Bob a private lesson, but what#39;s the matter? 56 __________

A: I must tell you my news. Jan has been chosen to play football for London against Oxford

University.

B: 57__________ He must be very pleased about it, isn#39;t he?

A: Yes, he is, although he doesn#39;t say much. The match is at three o#39;clock next Thurs- day.

C: 58__________ .

B : We mustn#39;t give no attention to our work, Bob. If you want to learn English, 59

__________.

C : But sir, you needn#39;t sit in a classroom to learn English. Why, ! went to see a football

match last Saturday and I learned a lot of words I had never heard in this classroom.

B: 60 __________.2019年成人高考专升本英语预测试卷 (二)

第 Ⅰ 卷 ( 选择题，共 125 分)

Ⅰ. Phonetics (5 points)

Directions: In each of the following groups of words, there are four underlined letter combinations

marked A, B, C and D. Compare the underlined parts and identify the one that is different from the

others in pronunciation. Mark your answer by blackening the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet.

1. A. popular B. large C. remarkable D. dark

2. A. society B. precious C. decision D. medicine

3. A. exist B. explain C. examine D. example

4. A. climb B. comb C. doubt D. double

5. A. chemistry B. chimney C. charge D. choose

Ⅱ. Vocabulary and Structure (15 points)

Directions: There are 15 incomplete sentences in this section. For each sentence there are four

choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose one answer that best completes the sentence and blacken the

corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet.

6. I suggest that she ______ another day.

A. will come B. comes C. came D. should come

7. He doesn‘t seem at all sorry for ______ he has done.

A. that B. what C. which D. how

8. I was very tired. Otherwise, I ______ to the theatre with you.

A. had gone B. would go C. went D. would have gone

9. ______ gathering and storing information, the computer can also solve complicated problems.

A. Not only B. Except C. Unless D. Besides

10. They showed me the spot ______ the accident took place.

A. there B. that C. where D. which

11. ______to wait for hours, she brought along a book to read.

A. Expected B. To expect C. Expects D. Expecting

12. Let‘s ______ the problem for the time being: we can return to it later.

A. settle B. stop C. interrupt D. leave

13. He finds it difficult to ______ himself to the climate.

A. apply B. account C. avail D. accustom

14. When she heard the bad news, she ______ completely.

A. broke away B. broke down C. broke out D. broke through

15. John‘s score on the test is the highest in class; he ______ last night.

A. must have studied B. had studied C. must study D. studied

16. ______ to the speaker for five minutes, he got up and left.

A. Listened B. To listen C. Listening D. Having listened

17. He was very busy yesterday; otherwise he ______ to the meeting.

A. had come B. would come C. could come D. would have come

18. In no circumstances ______ a lie.

A. you should tell B. shouldn‘t you tell C. you shouldn‘t tell D. should you tell

19. He was very upset by the ______ of his English examination.

A. effect B. loss C. result D. final

20. The clock ______ and we realized it was two o‘clock.

A. hit B. struck C. rang D. sounded

Ⅲ. Cloze (30 points)

Directions: For each blank in the following passage, there are four choices given below and

marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that is most suitable and mark your answer by blankening

the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet.

Games can be both fun and difficult. Scrabble is a game I like best but is not an easy one. 21

are going to play scrabble tonight. Henry cannot 22 all the rules, so I will 23 them. Do you want to

learn? Listen carefully, and we#39;ll play 24 .

25 player takes seven letters. Your letter might be A, S, T, E, B, P and L. You can spell many

words with these letters. You can spell TABLE with five of them, and you can spell MAP, SAT,

LET, BAT, and others with 26 of them. But you cannot use names of persons, countries, or cities.

You have to be careful : some letters are worth more points 27 others. For example, A, E, L,

S and T have one point each. B and P have three points each. 28 points can be different for words

with the same number of letters. SAT will give you 29 three points, and BAT will give you five.

TABLE will give you 30 points: three for B and four for the other four letters. Use TABLE, you

will get 31 points, and you might win the game.

At the end of the game the players 32 their points. The one 33 the most point wins. 34 , you

might have one hundred forty points. That is a good 35. But I might have one hundred sixty points,

and Henry might have one hundred seventy points. Then Henry wins.

21. A. Tom, I and Henry B. Henry, Tom and I

C. I, Henry and Tom D. Henry, I and Tom

22. A. know B. study C. keep D. remember

23. A. explain B. help C. teach D. play

24. A. faster B. sooner C. later D. after

25. A. Either B. Each C. A D. One

26. A. three B. four C. five D. two

27. A. for B. of C. than D. in

28. A. A number B. The number of C. A lot of D. Plenty of

29. A. more than B. only C. less than D. fewer than

30. A. five B. eight C. six D. seven

31. A. much B. less C. more D. some

32. A. add to B. add up to C. add D. add up

33. A. with B. has C. gets D. gives

34. A. However B. For example C. After all D. such as

35. A. idea B. points C. score D. way

Ⅳ. Reading Comprehension (60 points)

Directions: There are five reading passages in this part. Each passage is followed by four

questions. For each question there are four suggested answers marked A, B, C and D. Choose one

best answer and blacken the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet.

Passage One

The Leaning Tower of Pisa has defied (违背) the laws of gravity for seven and a half centuries.

Every year, on June 19th, a professor from the University of Pisa climbs to the bell tower and

measures the increase in the slant with special instruments. And every year the professor makes

the same report: the tower has leaned a fraction of an inch more. Last summer, the 125 foot-high

tower was leaning an incredible 15 feet out of line. Scientists say that unless a way is found to stop

the tilt, the tower will collapse in less than 80 years.

The tower is leaning because the soft subsoil of Pisa will not support it. Its foundation is

sinking into the soil at an angle, causing the tower to lean. Since a tremor could shake the

foundation loose, the ringing of the tower‘s bells was forbidden in 1959. Trucks are not allowed to

pass in the neighborhood of the tower for this same reason.

36. The statement which best expresses the main idea of this passage is that ______.

A. the Leaning Tower of Pisa is in increasing danger of collapsing

B. every year a professor measures the increase in the tower‘s slant

C. the tower is leaning because the subsoil of Pisa will not support it

D. there is only one way to save the Leaning Tower of Pisa

37. It can be inferred from the passage that last summer the tower was found tilted further by

______.

A. 15 feet B. more than one inch

C. a fraction of an inch D. several inches

38. The tower tilts more and more because ______.

A. the ringing of the bells causes a tremor

B. there are passing trucks nearby

C. it is built on soft soil

D. its foundation has been shaken loose

39. Why is the tower described as defying the laws of gravity?

A. It had resisted shaking tremors for hundreds of years.

B. It was built on soft ground.

C. It leans a fraction of an inch more every year.

D. Scientists think that it should have collapsed long ago.

Passage Two

Dr. Hausman is a hair detective (侦探). Once a mountain lion killed a thirteen-year-old boy. The

town offered a reward of thousand dollars for anyone who would kill the lion.

One day an excited hunter came to the town to say that he had killed the mountain lion. As

proof that he had killed the right animal, he showed a ball of human hair. He said he had taken the

hair from the stomach of the mountain lion.

However, another hunter soon showed up to claim (要求得到) the reward. He too had a ball

of human hair that he said he had taken from the dead lion#39;s stomach. The town did not know

which man to pay. Maybe neither one had killed the right mountain lion. To settle the argument,

they decided to turn the whole thing over to Dr. Hausman.

Dr. Hausman studied the hair and reported that the second hunter should be paid. The hair in

the stomach of the mountain lion he had killed matched the hair of the boy. The whole town was

relieved to know for sure that the killer had been found.

There are other kinds of detectives who do not wear a uniform but who, like Hausman, solve

endless mysteries every year. There is, for example, the dust detective. Tiny bits of dust stick to

your clothes, your fingernails, your hair, or your shoes. They catch in your nose and in your ears.

They tell where you have been and what you have done lately. The dust detective often helps

catch a criminal (罪犯) by proving that he has been on the scene (现场) of the crime.

Then there is the wood detective. By studying a piece of wood he can tell what kind of tree

the piece of wood came from. He can tell where it was grown, and how old it is. He can even tell

you what the weather was like at a certain place the year Columbus landed in America. The

growth rings on a tree tell him.

40. Dr. Hausman decided that the second hunter had killed the mountain lion because

______.

A. the second hunter was an honest man

B. the second hunter showed a ball of human hair

C. the second hunter said that he had taken a ball of hair from the stomach of the mountain lion

D. the hair in the stomach of the mountain lion and the hair of the boy were exactly alike

41. According to the selection, by studying a piece of wood, a wood detective can tell you

______.

A. what the weather was like the year Columbus landed in America

B. what the weather was like last year in the mountain

C. what the weather was like last month in your hometown

D. what kind of tree the piece of wood came from

42. Endless mysteries are solved every year by ______.

A. detectives who like Hausman

B. detectives like Hausman

C. other kinds of detectives who like Hausmen

D. detectives Dr. Hausman likes

43. What does the word “they“ (para.5, line 4) mean?

A. Your clothes. B. Your finger-nail. C. Tiny bits of dust. D. Your shoes.

Passage Three

The winter holiday season is the most happy time of the year. Students from elementary school

through college have about two weeks#39; vacation, beginning shortly before Christmas and ending

soon after New Year#39;s Day. Many families go away for the holidays, but those who stay home

have fun, too. There are many parties to celebrate the birth of Christ and the arrival of the new

year.

Christianity (基督教) is based on the teachings and life of Jesus Christ. Jesus was born in

Bethlehem in ancient Judea. No one knows exactly when Jesus was born. The year 1 A.D. is

supposed to be the year of his birth, but historians now know that he was actually born several

years before that time. No one knows the exact date of his birth either, but Christians have

celebrated it on December 25 since the fourth century.

The spirit of Christmas arrives about a month before the holiday itself. Late in November,

street lights and store windows are decorated with Christmas colors of red and green.

Stores depend on Christmas shoppers for about one-fourth of their yearly sales. Smart

shoppers buy their gifts far in advance, before the Christmas rush. Christmas is expensive. To earn

extra money for gifts, in December many Americans get part-time jobs.

The most beautiful and meaningful parts of the holiday occur at home and in church. Many

families go to church on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning. After that, they gather around the