Thanksgiving Day is a very special day for people in the United States. In that country they celebrate Thanksgiving Day on the fourth Thursday in November. Canadians also celebrate Thanksgiving Day, but they do it on the second Monday of October. In Britain, where the festival is called “ Harvest Festival”, people celebrate earlier in the year, in September.
A harvest is the fruit you take from the trees and the crops you take from the ground. In North America, Europe, and England, harvest time for most fruit and crops is in the special day of the year. They thank God for the good things that have happened during the year and for the good harvest they have had. People usually take small boxes of fruit, flowers, and vegetables to their churches to show their thanks.
The first thanksgiving service in North America took place on 4 December 1610 when 38 English people arrived in America to make their home in the new country. They held this service not to thank God for the harvest, but to thank God for their safe journey. The next year, many more English people arrived. They had a bad winter, but fortunately the harvest was good. They decided to celebrate with a big meal. They shot and killed small animals to eat and cooked everything outside on large fires. About 90 Indians also came to the meal. Everyone ate at tables outside their houses and played games together. The festival lasted three days.
A Thanksgiving Day celebration was held every year for a long time, but not always on the same day of the year. Then, in 1789, President George Washington named 26 November as the Day of Thanksgiving. Almost a hundred years later, President Abraham Lincoln changed the date, and said that the last Thursday in November should be Thanksgiving Day.
Nowadays, North Americans around the world get together with their families on this day to eat good food and have a happy time.
39. The story is about ____.
A. festivals B. an American festival
C. English people in America D. giving thanks for everything
40. The last Thursday in November in November is ____.
A. a festival in every country in the world
B. Thanksgiving Day in the United States
C. the day farmers pick fruit from the trees
D. the day the first English People came to America
41. On thanksgiving Day people ____.
A. plant their crops. B. celebrate a safe journey
C. thank God for a good harvest
D. harvest their fruit and crops.
42. At the first thanksgiving service in North America, the people ____.
A. shot a lot of small animals
B. thanked God for a safe journey
C. thanked God for a good harvest
D. had a big dinner outside their houses.
| LET YOUR LOVE FOR ANIMALS LIVE ON As someone who loves animals, you care about what will happen to them in the fut ure. CSIA has been treating sick and injured animals since 1938. It's hard to im agine what would happen to the hundreds of thousands of pets who need us every y ear if we no longer existed. But in fact, we simply could not continue if it wasn't for a very special kind of gift people like you leave to us in their wills (遗嘱). Can we depend on your kindness too? If you haven't already done so, please consider including a gift to CSIA in you will. For free information on how to go about it, please call our helpline on 0800 8421950.Your love for animals can live on with a gift in your will to CSIA. CSIA for pets in need of vets (兽医) |
1.This advertisement is trying to persuade people to _______.
A. buy a gift for a pet B. give money for animal care
C. work for an animal hospital D. treat sick and injured animals
2.The advertisement is mainly aimed at _______.
A. vets B. zoo keepers C. old pet lovers D. animal hospital assistants
3.What is CSIA most likely to be?
A.A pet shop. B. An animal hospital.
C. A club for pet lovers. D. A training center for vets.
Many cities around the world today are heavily polluted.Careless methods of production and lack of consumer demand for environment(环境)friendly products have contributed to the pollution problem. One result is that millions of tons of glass,paper,plastic,and metal containers are produced,and these are difficult to get rid of.
However,today,more and more consumers are choosing“green”，and demanding that the products they buy should be safe for the environment.Before they buy a product,they ask questions like these:“Will this shampoo damage the environment?”“Can this metal container be reused or can it only be used once?”
A recent study showed that two out of five adults now consider the environmental safety of a product before they buy it.This means that companies must now change the way they make and sell their products to make sure that they are“green”,that is,friendly to the environment.
Only a few years ago,it was impossible to find green products in supermarkets,but now there are hundreds.Some supermarket products carry labels (标签) to show that the product is green.Some companies have made the manufacturing (生产) of clean and safe products their main selling point and emphasize_________it in their advertising.
The concern for a safer and cleaner environment is making companies rethink how they do business.No longer will the public accept the old attitude of “Buy it,use it,throw it away, and forget it.”The public pressure is on,and gradually business is cleaning up its act.
1.It becomes clear from the text that the driving force (动力) behind green products is_________.
A.public caring for the environment
B.companies' desire for bigger sales
C.new ways of doing business
D.rapid growth of supermarkets
2.What would be the best title for the text?
A.Business and People
B.Business Goes Green
C.Shopping Habits Are Changing
D.Supermarkets and Green Products
3.The underlined word“it”in the fourth paragraph refers to_________.
A.a selling point
B.the company name
C.a great demand for health foods
D.the manufacturing of green products
Answer the following questions by using the four job advertisements A—D from a newspaper.(You may read the questions first.)
| A Restaurant Supervisor Waiting Staff Telephonist The ideal candidates must have relevant experiences gained in a high quality hotel.Please call Personnel on 071 722 7722, or send your CV to:Regents Park Hilton,Lodge Road,London NW87 JT London REGENTS PARK Hilton |
B USE YOUR LANGUAGE AND EARN ￡450—￡1200 P.W. We are one of the largest business publishers in Europe and have limited positions for intelligent young people in our London advertisement sales office.Enquiries from German,Spanish and Eastern European speakers especially welcome. Phone on 071 753 4300 |
 CBABY SITTER WANTED For a 9 month old. Artistic/Prof household Notting Hill,3 days per week. Some hours flexibility required. Knowledge German/French advantage not essential 071 221 7375 |
 D Planet Hollywood London Join the Stars!Food Servers The biggest and busiest restaurant in London is seeking additional stars for its team of dedicated professionals.If you have experience in high volume restaurants and are looking for a challenge,then come on down for an audition. Interview day is on Friday 6th,May from 12 noon to 7 pm Planet Hollywood is located at 13 Coventry Street,London,Wl |
1.How many advertisements are for waiters?
A.One. B.Two. C.Three. D.Four.
2.According to advertisement B,we can learn that_________.
A.only German,Spanish and Eastern European speakers are needed
B.the job offers ￡450—￡1200 per month
C.the job is open to people of all ages
D.you may call to get more information about the job
3.In advertisement C,the baby sitter should_________.
A.have 9 months'working experience B.speak German or French
C.accept flexible working hours D.come form an artistic household
In July 19阅读理解upiter,the largest planet in our solar system,was struck by 21 pieces of a comet (彗星).When the fragments (碎片) landed in the southern part of the giant planet,the explosions were watched by scientists here on earth.But what if our own planet was hit by a comet?
The year is 2094.It has been announced that a comet is heading towards the Earth.Most of it will miss our planet,but two fragments will probably hit the southern part of the Earth.The news has caused panic.
On 17July,a fragment four kilometers wide enters the Earth's atmosphere with a huge explosion.About half of the fragment is destroyed.But the major part survives and hits the South Atlantic at 200 times the speed of sound.The sea boils and an enormous wave is created and spreads.The wall of water rushes towards southern Africa at 800 kilometres an hour.Cities on the African coast are totally destroyed and millions of people are drowned.The wave moves into the Indian Ocean and heads towards Asia.
Millions of people are already dead in the southern part of the Earth,but the north won't escape for long.Tons of broken pieces are thrown into the atmosphere by the explosions.As the sun is hidden by clouds of dust,temperatures around the world fall to almost zero.Crops are ruined.Wars break out as countries fight for food.A year later civilization has collapsed.No more than 10 million people have survived.
Could it really happen?In fact, it has already happened more than once in the history of the Earth.The dinosaurs (恐龙) were on the Earth for over 160 million years.Then 65 million years ago they suddenly disappeared.Many scientists believe
that the Earth was hit by a space fragment.The dinosaurs couldn't survive in the cold climate that followed and they became extinct.Will we meet the same end?
1.Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to the author's description of the disaster in 2094?
A.The whole world becomes extremely cold.
B.All the coastal cities in Africa are destroyed.
C.The whole mankind becomes extinct.
D.The visit of the comet results in wars.
2.Why does the author mention dinosaurs at the end of the passage?
A.Because they could only live in the warm climate.
B.Because they once dominated the earth.
C.Because their extinction indicates future disasters.
D.Because dinosaurs and humans never live in the same age.
3.In writing the passage,the author intends to _______.
A.give an accurate description of the possible disaster in the future
B.prove that humans will sooner or later be destroyed
C.tell the historical development of the Earth
D.warn of a possible disaster in the future
4.It can be concluded that the passage is most probably part of a(n)________.
A.horror storyB.news reportC.research paperD.article of popular science
Many people imagine that Cover up means you don't _________get a tan. Nothing to show for your holiday. What a shame!
Not so. With Cover up, you can get brown if you want to. The point of Cover up is to protect your skin from the damaging rays of the sun—the ones which, according to the doctors, make your skin look older.
That's what Solex Cover up is all about—protection for your skin. It has a Sun Protection Factor of 8, which makes it suitable for anyone.
Find out how it works for you by referring to the Solex Sun Table. On sale wherever Solex is.
With SolexCover up, you can tan as slowly as you like. As gently as you like. And with much less chance of peeling(脱皮).
Your tan will look better. Your skin will stay young longer.
Solex Cover up
Gentle tan…Full protection
1. The phrase “get a tan” in the first paragraph means “_________”.
A. keep away from the sun on your holiday
B. become darker because of sunshine
C. look younger after your holiday
D. show you have been in the sun
2.Solex Cover up can be used to _________.
A. protect your skin from sunburn
B. cover yourself up on a windy beach
C. help you get a tan quickly
D. help your skin peel gently
3.What is the main purpose of the text?
A. To advise people on how to protect their skin.
B. To warn people of the danger of sun rays.
C. To help sell Solex Cover up.
D. To show how to get a tan.