Offering a gift can be a mutual pleasure; some might say it should be a pleasure for giver and recipient. A problem with a modern commercial Christmas, however, is that buying gifts can become a chore. Often it is a stress ridden chore in the dying days before Christmas Day, as everything gets left to the last minute. Why not make this next Christmas a time to make the choosing of individual gifts a pleasure for yourself, and for the recipient? Often in the last minute haste to buy gifts in time for Christmas Day, people become detached from not only the purpose, but the person to whom they are giving. Bought hastily in a crowded stress filled store, scarcely a thought may pass for the individual on the receiving end, however close they may be to you. Most of the year, if not all, can be filled with work, commuting, rushing here and there, stress, and self focus. How about time and attention for those who really matter in your life, whether spouse, offspring, other relatives, friends or colleagues? The choosing of a gift, and presentation of it, can be a silent way of giving each of them special attention, and then culminating with their pleasure at the receipt of the gift. Behind every good present there is a person who worked hard to make the best choice. The secret to buying the perfect gift is to think about the message you want to send out, when the receiver opens it. If you think about his or her hobbies, to his or her vacation plans etc., it means you have really studied that person and you bought the present precisely for them, for that occasion; in this case, Christmas. Friendship and caring are themselves a gift, so you can see that if you put some real selfless effort into choosing gifts, the value of the gift is magnified. That is something which will shine through the wrapping paper, and in the moment of giving the pleasure that you feel in making the gesture will radiate in the warmth of your expression. The choosing and the giving of a gift are inseparable.
单选题 What makes buying gifts for Christmas become a chore?
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】解析:首段末句中的dying days和last minute都表明是时间上的因素使圣诞节的购物变成苦差事,因此本题应选B。
单选题 When buying gifts in the last minute, people tend to be concerned about______.
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】解析:第2段第2句中的detached from...表明在最后一刻才急匆匆地赶去买礼物时,人们不考虑礼物的目的,不考虑送礼的对象,当然也就不会考虑礼物是否合适,也就是说,人们只是为了买礼物而买礼物,只想给每个人送礼,由此可见,本题应选C。
单选题 A perfect gift differs from other gifts in their______.
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】解析:第4段第2句中的message一词表明完美礼物注重的是礼物表达的信息,即其含义,因此本题应选B。
单选题 The "gesture"(Line 3, Para. 5)most probably refers to______.
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】解析:本题解题的关键在于理解末段第2句中的第2个分句。在这个分句中,the pleasure是主语,willradiate…是谓语,pleasure后that引出的是修饰pleasure的定语从句,这样就不难看出gesture是指该分句开头的giving,由此可见,本题应选A。
单选题 In this passage, the author is most likely to point out______.
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】解析:本文在首段首句、第2段首句、第3段末句,以及末段第2句不断强调“赠送礼物时对赠送者和接受者而言都是一种快乐”这个主题,由此可见,本题应选D。