Thanksgiving Day is a special holiday in the United States and Canada.Families and friends gather to eat and give thanks for their blessing.
Thanksgiving Day is really a harvest festival.This is why it is celebrated in late fall,after the crops are in. But one of the first thanksgivings in America had nothing to do with a good harvest.On December 4,1619,the Pilgrims from England landed near what is now Charles City,Virginia.They knelt down and thanked God for their safe journey across the Atlantic.
The first New England Thanksgiving did celebrate a rich harvest.The Pilgrims landed at what is now Plymouth,Massachusetts,in 1620.They had a difficult time and the first winter was cruel.Many of the Pilgrims died. But the next year,they had a good harvest.So Governor Bradford declared a threeday feast (盛宴).The Pilgrims invited Indian friends to join them for their special feast. Everyone brought food.
In time,other colonies (殖民地) began to celebrate a day of thanksgiving. But it took years before there was a national Thanksgiving Day. During the Civil War,Sarah Josepha Hale persuaded Abraham Lincoln to do something about it. He proclaimed (宣布) the last Thursday of November 1863 as a day of thanksgiving. Today, Americans celebrate this happy harvest festival on the fourth Thursday in November.Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving Day in much the same way as their American neighbours.But the Canadian Thanksgiving Day falls on the second Monday in October.Thanksgiving Day is celebrated .
A.in spring | B.in summer |
C.in autumn | D.in winter |
The first to celebrate thanksgiving were .
A.some people from England |
B.the American Indians |
C.Sarah Josepha Hale |
D.Governor Bradford |
We can infer from the passage that New England must be .
A.in the U.S.A.
B.in Great Britain
C.in Canada
D.on some island off the AtlanticWhich of the following is NOT true?
A.Thanksgiving Day used to be a holiday to celebrate a good harvest. |
B.Abraham Lincoln was not the first to decide on thanksgiving celebrations. |
C.Thanksgiving Day is celebrated to express the American and Indian people’s thanks to God. |
D.There’s little difference between the American way and the Canadian way to celebrate Thanksgiving Day. |
The passage mainly tells us .
A.how Thanksgiving Day is celebrated in the U.S.A.
B.how Thanksgiving Day came into being and the different ways it is celebrated
C.that Thanksgiving Day is in fact a harvest holiday
D.how the way to celebrate Thanksgiving Day changed with the time and places
There’s always a lot to do to get the kids ready to go back to school, let alone trying to get them excited about the idea. To help your kids get ready, save a few dollars in the process and have some fun with them in the dying days of summer, try a few of these fun filled activities.
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UP-CYCLING
Every student needs school supplies. But a lot of what they need is already littering around your house. If you don’t have reusable school supplies at home, you might have the materials to make them.
Try up-cycling with your kids and change old or useless products into new ones.
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
●Sew blue jeans into pencil cases.
●Turn shoeboxes into arts storage boxes.
●Use an old belt as a books belt.
●Wrap book covers in old posters.
Up-cycling is a great way to develop artistic talent and creative thinking in your children.
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PLAN TO PACK AHEAD
Most teachers and schools reward green behavior among students. To help your kids stay green, be sure to have these items on hand so you can pack them litter-less lunches.
Here’s what you need:
●Reusable lunch containers.
●A firm lunchbox and thermos(水瓶).
●Reusable napkins(餐巾).
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MAP IT OUT
Across the country, kids are thinking about how they’ll get to school. Do I walk? Do I bike? Either way, avoid driving them if at all possible.
Kids need to stay active and want to connect with other local kids on the way to school. Help your children map out their route or get them involved with a local walking school bus. A walking school bus is groups of children walking to school with one or more adults.
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We hope these activities will help you and your kids get ready for the new school year, and that you’ll have some fun in the process. Last but not least, some activities may require encouragements … may we suggest some organic chocolate ice cream.What do the suggested activities have in common?
A.Having fun and saving green. |
B.Saving money and obeying school rules. |
C.Offering food and training skills. |
D.Bringing teachers together and saving money. |
The activities of UP-CYCLING bring benefits of ___________.
a. making old products into creative school supplies
b. making friends with local kids on the way to school
c. bringing fun of cooperation between parents and kids
d. packing litter-less lunches to school
e. developing kids’ artistic talent and creative thinking
A.a, c, d | B.b, c, d |
C.b, d, e | D.a, c, e |
Which of the following is TRUE about the MAP IT OUT activity?
A.Parents are forbidden to be involved in the activity. |
B.Children can learn to read a map and take a correct school bus. |
C.Parents are expected to drive their kids to school if possible. |
D.Children walk to school together accompanied by one or more adults. |
The passage is most probably intended for ___________.
A.teachers | B.parents |
C.children | D.headmasters |
The Great Gatsby is a 1925 novel written by American author F. Scott Fitzgerald that follows a cast of characters living in the fictional town of West Egg on Long Island in the summer of 1922.
Nick Carraway rents a small house in West Egg on Long Island, next door to the expensive house of Jay Gatsby, a mysterious millionaire who often holds extravagant(奢侈的)parties. Nick’s cousin, Daisy, and her husband, Tom, a college classmate of Nick’s, live in East Egg across the bay.
Nick later learns that Gatsby knew and fell in love with Daisy in 1917 and is still deeply in love with her. He spends many nights staring at her house across the bay from his house, hoping to recover their lost relationship one day. Gatsby’s extravagant lifestyle and wild parties are an attempt to impress Daisy in the hope that she will one day appear again at Gatsby’s doorstep. With the help of Nick, Gatsby and Daisy get in touch again. But after a short time, Tom forces the group to drive into New York City, saying that he and Daisy have a history that Gatsby could never understand. In addition, he announces that Gatsby is a criminal whose fortune comes from illegal activities. Daisy realizes that her allegiance(忠心)is to Tom, and Tom sends her back to East Egg with Gatsby, attempting to prove that Gatsby cannot hurt him.
When Nick and Tom drive home, they discover that Gatsby’s car has struck and killed Myrtle. Nick later learns from Gatsby that Daisy, not Gatsby himself, was driving the car at the time of the accident but Gatsby intends to take the blame anyway. Myrtle’s husband, George, arrives at Gatsby’s house and fatally(致命地)shoots both Gatsby and then himself.
Nick stages a small funeral for Gatsby with few coming to mourn the passing of his romantic dream. After that, Nick moves back to the Midwest, disillusioned(幻灭)with the Eastern lifestyle.
At first glance, the novel appears to be a simple love story, but further examination shows Fitzgerald’s masterful observation of American society during the 1920s and the corruption(堕落)of the American dream.Gatsby often holds extravagant parties in order to ____________.
A.show off his wealth |
B.enjoy life with his neighbors |
C.attract Daisy’s attention |
D.memorize his love with Daisy |
The friend circle of Gatsby before and after his death tells ____________.
A.how powerful George is |
B.what an honest cousin Nick is |
C.what people care most in a world of money |
D.how ugly the couple of George and Myrtle are |
What do we know about Gatsby from the passage?
A.He loves Daisy so deeply that he chooses to sacrifice for her. |
B.He falls in love with Daisy when she attends his wild parties. |
C.He is a criminal who attempts to hurt Tom from time to time. |
D.He is a mysterious millionaire who likes to stare at others’ houses. |
The last paragraph of the passage is to show ____________.
A.the influence of The Great Gatsby on later novels |
B.the wonderful writing skills of F. Scott Fitzgerald |
C.the outstanding and unique theme of The Great Gatsby |
D.the status of The Great Gatsby in American literature |
When tea was first brought to England between 1652 and 1654, it was so expensive that only the rich could buy it. It was said that an old couple had some sent to them as a great treat. But they did not know how it ought to be used. Eventually they boiled the leaves, put some of them on a piece of bacon for dinner, ate the leaves, and threw the tea soup away. However, tea quickly proved popular enough to replace ale(麦芽酒)as the national drink of England after King Charles II and his Portuguese wife began to follow this foreign tea tradition.
Before the introduction of tea into Britain, the English had two main meals — breakfast and dinner. Breakfast was ale, bread and beef. Dinner was a long, massive meal at the end of the day. It was no wonder that Anna, the Duchess of Bedford (1788 — 1861) experienced a “sinking feeling” in the late afternoon. So she invited friends to join her for an additional afternoon meal at five o’clock in her castle. The menu centered around small cakes, bread and butter sandwiches, and, of course, tea. This summer practice proved so popular that the Duchess continued it when she returned to London, sending cards to her friends asking them to join her for “tea and a walking the fields”.
The practice of inviting friends to come for tea in the afternoon was quickly picked up by other social hostesses. A common pattern of service soon came into practice. The first pot of tea was made in the kitchen and carried to the lady of the house who waited with her invited guests, surrounded by fine porcelain(瓷器)from China. The first pot was warmed by the hostess from a second pot (usually silver) that was kept heated over a small flame. Food and tea was then passed among the guests, the main purpose of the visiting being conversation.The story of the old couple in Paragraph 1 is to show ____________.
A.how impolite the old couple were |
B.how English people cooked tea |
C.how difficult it was to introduce tea to England |
D.how little English people knew about tea in those days |
The underlined phrase “sinking feeling” in Paragraph 2 refers to a feeling of ____________.
A.hunger | B.loneliness |
C.thirst | D.anger |
According to the passage, the key factors of a typical afternoon tea include ____________.
a. cakes and bread
b. a massive meal
c. tea d. ale
e. fine porcelain
f. silver tea pot
g. a small flame
A.a, b, c, d, f | B.a, c, e, f, g |
C.a, b, e, f, g | D.a, c, d, e, g |
We can know from the passage that afternoon tea ____________.
A.leads to the wide planting and large production of tea in England |
B.helps bring King Charles II and his wife together in their childhood |
C.is not only an additional afternoon meal but helps bring people together |
D.contributes to the increasingly high price of tea and porcelain in England |
The stories we share with one another are important. They show wisdom and provide inspiration. They are important to our development. But sometimes people choose not to tell.
Consider the negative effects of not sharing a story in the news: People are wondering if public health officials are holding back too much information about the recent outbreak of Ebola.
There is a danger in holding back stories that ought to be told. Bobette Buster said it like this, “The fact is, history has shown us that stories not told can become like a dangerous genie (妖怪) left in a bottle. When they are finally uncorked, their power to destroy is set free.”
There are a number of reasons why we hide parts of our story: they often show our weaknesses or expose our disadvantages; they require courage and strength to share; and of course, there are some stories that should be kept secret—especially those that embarrass someone else.
Most of us have two selves: the one we display on the outside and the one we actually are on the inside. And the better we get at hiding the stories that show our true selves, the more damage we may be causing to ourselves and to others.
Honesty and openness is important: It proves we are trustworthy. It displays we are human. We are not perfect or better. It highlights the importance of hard work and personal development. Hard work may not allow us to overcome our disadvantages completely. But with hard work, we do not have to be restricted to our mistakes.
Does this mean we admit every weakness, every disadvantage, and every secret regret to everybody we meet? No, of course not. There is a time and a place and a certain level of relationship necessary for some stories to be told in an appropriate manner.What’s the function of the example in Paragraph 2?
A.It reflects that people are concerning about the spread of Ebola. |
B.It shows the bad effect caused by sharing a story. |
C.It proves not sharing a story can cause trouble. |
D.It concludes that one should share a story at a proper time. |
One of the reasons why people are unwilling to share experiences is that _______.
A.story-sharing highlights the importance of hard work |
B.people are used to exposing their weaknesses |
C.people sometimes have no courage to share their stories |
D.some stories make themselves feel uneasy |
Which is close in meaning to the underlined word “uncorked” in Paragraph 3?
A.freed | B.broken |
C.unfolded | D.untouched |
The writer aims to convince us to _______.
A.be open to people close to you by sharing some secrets |
B.share stories appropriately for the good of others and ourselves |
C.remove the dangers that can be caused by untold stories |
D.realize the importance of being honest when making friends |
The National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC has thousands of objects on display, including the 1903 Wright Flyer, Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis, the Apollo 11 Command Module Columbia, and a lunar rock you can touch. In addition to our exhibition galleries, you may want to visit the Albert Einstein Planetarium, Lockheed Martin IMAX Theater, and the Public Observatory on the east end. There are many things to do at the Museum in DC. We offer daily tours and educational activities for both children and adults. We also have scheduled lectures and events throughout the year.
Hours & Admission: Open every day except December 25. Admission is free.
Regular Hours: 10: 00 am to 5: 30 pm
Extended Hours: 10: 00 am to 7: 30 pm
December 26—30, 2014.
March 30—April 20, 2015.
Fridays and Saturdays, April 24—May 16, 2015.
May 17—September 7, 2015.
VISITING TIPS:
Limit the Number of Bags: All visitors are screened through metal detectors upon entry. The fewer items you bring inside the Museum, the faster your entry. Before you visit, please review the list of prohibited items, which include pocket knives and tripods (三脚架). Visitors carrying prohibited items will not be allowed inside the Museum, so please leave them at home or in your car.
No Food and Drink: Only bottled water is permitted in the Museum. You may only consume food and other drinks in the Food Court, not in the Museum. Groups who bring food are encouraged to picnic on the National Mall.
Please Take Photos: You are welcome to take photos for personal use. However, tripods and monopods (单脚架) are not permitted without approval.
First Aid: The Museum has a First Aid office and a nurse on duty. Please contact the nearest security officer or the Welcome Center for assistance.
Visit the Welcome Center:
At our Welcome Center in the South Lobby, staff and volunteers can answer any questions you have during your visit.
Open 10: 00 am to 5: 30 pm
Phone: 202-633-2214
E-mail: NASM-VisitorServices@ si. eduAccording to the passage, the National Air and Space Museum is a museum _______.
A.where only adults can take part in some educational activities |
B.everyone can pay a visit to without buying tickets |
C.where one can touch anything he likes |
D.everyone can visit without time limits all the year round |
If the Greens plan to visit the Museum at 6: 00 pm, it is accessible on _______.
A.December 24, 2014 (Wednesday) |
B.March 1, 2015 (Sunday) |
C.July 6, 2015 (Monday) |
D.September 15, 2015 (Tuesday) |
A visitor to the museum can _______.
A.eat and drink in the Museum or in the Food Court |
B.take photos with tripods for personal use |
C.bring fewer bags to go through metal detectors |
D.get some medical treatment if he suddenly falls ill |
The purpose of this passage is to _______.
A.make an advertisement for the museum |
B.attract people to explore the universe |
C.encourage adults to bring their children there |
D.show what is on display in the museum |