Every holiday season, a woman hands out hundreds of stuffed animals(毛绒玩具). They’re not for kids, but for old people who are in need of some Christmas cheer.

It is 2022 now, and Patricia Gallagher started this Christmas tradition(传统) 13 years ago. Her children left home and she often felt lonely. She just got this idea in her head to call two old people’s homes and ask if she could come and read Twas the Night Before Christmas. She brought some of her kids’ stuffed animals there, so the old people had something to hold while she read. But when she went to take them back to go to the next old people’s home, nobody wanted to give up their stuffed animal. On that day, Patricia saw the power of a simple Christmas gift.

“It was just a lot of old people sitting in wheelchairs(轮椅) just kind of waiting and waiting for what in the old people’s home,” she said. “And all of a sudden, the whole room became alive with people smiling happily and holding Christmas gifts. They really didn’t want to give them back because they thought we had given them a gift.”

To continue her tradition, Patricia put an ad(广告) on Craigslist asking for used stuffed animals. In her first two years of collecting, she collected more than 11,000 stuffed animals. She said some schools will hold stuffed animal collections on her behalf. She gives all of the stuffed animals to old people.

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1.When did the Christmas tradition start?

A In 2009.

B In 2010.

C In 2011.

D In 2012.

解析：选A。A数字计算题。根据第二段第一句的“It is 2022 now, and Patricia Gallagher started this Christmas tradition 13 years ago.”可知，这个传统是从(2022-13=)2009年开始的。故选A。

2.Patricia Gallagher wanted to _________ in the two old people’s homes.

A put an ad

B wait for someone

C call two old people

D read a book to people

解析：选D。D细节理解题。根据第二段第三句“She just got this idea in her head to call two old people’s homes and ask if she could come and read Twas the Night Before Christmas.”可知，她打电话给两个养老院，问是否她可以去那里为老人读《圣诞前夜》，即她想为老人读故事。故选D。

3.What does the underlined word “them” refer to?

A Wheelchairs.

B Stuffed animals.

C The old people’s homes.

D Old people.

解析：选B。B词意指代题。根据划线部分前面的“And all of a sudden, the whole room became alive with people smiling happily and holding Christmas gifts.”以及前面的故事可知，帕特里夏将毛绒玩具带去养老院，老人们都以为这是送给他们的礼物，因此他们不想把它们(毛绒玩具)还回去。故选B。

4.How did some school support(支持) Patricia?

A By putting an ad on Craigslist.

B By buying stuffed animals for her.

C By holding stuffed animal collections.

D By building a library in the old people’s home.

解析：选C。C细节理解题。根据倒数第二句的“She said some schools will hold stuffed animal collections on her behalf.”可知，一些当地学校以她的名义举办毛绒玩具募捐。故选C。

5.Where can we read the passage?

A In a stamp.

B In a notebook.

C In a newspaper.

D In a cookbook.

解析：选C。C推理判断题。本文主要讲了一女子每年圣诞节都给老年人分发毛绒玩具的故事，我们可以在报纸读到。故选C。