Getting married can be one of the happiest moments in a person’s life. Throughout the world, weddings are very important events. Let’s look at some interesting wedding customs from different countries.
For African Americans, it is tradition for the married couple to jump over a broom covered with flowers. This represents the beginning of family life. It is interesting to note that African slaves who were brought to the USA started this tradition. African American couples were not allowed to have a legal marriage, so instead they had a ceremony where the bride and groom jumped over a broom “into marriage”.
Making jokes about the bride and groom is a wedding tradition in both France and Germany. In France, this includes making loud noises with pots; in Germany, wedding guests break dishes. Weddings in Germany often last for three days. On Thursday, there is a simple ceremony at a government office noting the official marriage of the couple. Then the couple will have a dinner with family and close friends. On Friday, there is a party. This is when guests break dishes to represent the start of a new life. Then on Sunday, there is a ceremony in a church.
In Greece and Italy, people eat special kinds of sweets at the wedding. Both Greece and Italy also have their own special wedding dances, which all of the guests enjoy.
In Russia, couples tie a doll to their wedding car if they want to have a daughter, or a toy bear if they want to have a son.
In England, it is tradition for the little girls to throw flowers on the ground on the way to the wedding ceremony. The bride and groom walk on these flowers. This represents the hope that the couples will follow the path that leads to a happy life.
Topic |
·Getting married can be 1. __________ than any other moment in a person’s life. ·Interesting wedding customs differ 2. _________ country to country. |
Countries/ People |
Wedding Customs |
African Americans |
·Married couple jump over a broom covered with flowers, which 3. _________ the beginning of family life. ·In the past, African American couples were 4. __________ to get married legally. |
France and Germany |
·Make jokes about the bride and groom. ·In Germany, wedding guests get dishes 5. __________. ·A German wedding often 6. _________ three days. |
The Greek and the 7. __________ |
·Either Greece 8. _________ Italy has its own special wedding dances, which all of the guests enjoy. |
Russia |
·If couples want to have a daughter, they will have a doll 9. _________ to their wedding car. |
The English |
·The bride and groom walk on the flowers thrown by little girls. It represents the hope of 10. __________ the path leading to a happy life. |
Is this a car? Is it a smart phone? Is it a gaming machine?
Yes to all three. The Toyota Fun-Vii is a pleasure palace on wheels.
If Toyota has its way, paint jobs could become a thing of the past, because it has introduced an amazing car that can change its whole look in an instant.
The Vii in Fun-Vii, which stands for “Vehicle,Interactive, Internet” It is a small three-seater car that looks like a smart phone, so it is called a smart phone on wheels.Inside and out, most aspects of the car can interact(互相作用) with the internet and be controlled by a smart phone.The magical car allows the owners to download pictures from their phones onto the outside, so that the look of the car could be changed instantly.The color inside could also be changed to reflect the owner’s mood.Just as the company president Akio Toyoda said, "A car must appeal to our emotions.If it’s not fun, it’s not a car."
Its outside and inside are not made of solid paint but touch screens that can display pictures and videos.A network update function downloads all the latest software to make sure the car is always up-to-date, and it can provide the latest entertainment as well as information about its surroundings to the driver.As you drive around, the thoughtful car allows you to communicate with your friends in the nearby cars.It also helps you find your way from one place to another. It’s all because the car is networked with all the other cars on the road and drives itself. The smart car is a practical, family sized vehicle fuelled by hydrogen, and it is one of the futuristic concept cars under the theme of "fun to drive, again".It heralds (预示) a not-too-distant future where people, cars and society are linked. Which of the following may not be a key word for the concept car?
A.Fun. |
B.Interactive. |
C.High-speed. |
D.Smart. |
According to the text, Toyota Fun-Vii is _____.
A.a new concept car not powered by gas |
B.an amazing car without any pollution |
C.the latest software from network |
D.a gaming machine with high speed |
The owners of the Fun-Vii can reflect their mood by _____.
A.downloading images to change the outside |
B.interacting with computers while driving |
C.changing the color inside the car |
D.changing the speed of the car |
What does Paragraph 4 mainly tell us?
A.The ways of driving the Fun-vii. |
B.How can you find your way in the Fun-Vii. |
C.The unusual look of the Fun-Vii. |
D.The new functions of the Fun-Vii. |
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A unique book contains 50 easy-to-follow container designs. Each design provides a simple numbered planting plan that shows exactly how to create each display, with an instruction of the finished planter and
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Choose from 80 unique ideas to create an extraordinary living space. The projects are practical, as well as attractive, and will improve your home and yard and can be made in a weekend. These 80 well-designed
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Plenty of health complaints can be handled at home. Each and every remedy will be tested by a doctor to make sure it is safe and sound.
Dozens of conditions are covered, from headaches, sunburn, bad breath, and blisters to allergies, and hiccups. You can most probably read the passage in a _____.
A.travel guide |
B.medicine booklet |
C.textbook |
D.newspaper |
How much money could you save if you want to buy a travel book?
A.$10. 20. |
B.$6.46. |
C.$13.96. |
D.$19.80. |
Which of the following could help you to deal with common diseases without a doctor?
A.Off the Beaten Path. |
B.Container Gardens by Number. |
C.1801 Home Remedies. |
D.Best Weekend Projects. |
Feel tired lately? Has a doctor said he can’t find anything wrong with you? Perhaps he sent you to a hospital, but all the advanced equipment there shows that there is nothing wrong with you.
Then, consider this: you might be in a state of subhealth (亚健康).
Subhealth, also called the third state or gray state, is explained as a borderline state between health and disease.
According to the investigation by the National Health Organization, over 45 percent of subhealthy people are middle-aged or elderly.The percentage is even higher among people who work in management positions as well as students around exam-week.
Symptoms(征兆)include a lack of energy, depression(压抑),slow reactions, insomnia(失眠),agitation, and poor memory.Other symptoms include shortness of breath, sweating and aching in the waist and legs.
The key to preventing and recovering from subhealth, according to some medical experts, is to form good living habits, alternate work and rest, exercise regularly, and take part in open air activities.
As for meals, people are advised to eat less salt and sugar.They should also eat more fresh vegetables, fruits, fish because they are rich in nutritional elements…vitamins and trace elements …vitamins and trace elements…that are important to the body.
Nutrition(营养)experts point out that it is not good to eat too much at one meal because it may cause unhealthy changes in the digestive tract(消化系统).They also say that a balanced diet is very helpful in avoiding subhealth. According to this passage, which of the following is true?
A.When you are in a state of sub-health, you should stay at home and keep silent. |
B.When you are in a state of sub-health, you should go to see a doctor and buy some medicine. |
C.When you are in a state of sub-health, you should have yourself examined in foreign countries. |
D.When you are in a state of sub-health, you should find out the reasons and relax yourself. |
It may be easy for middle-aged people to get sub-healthy because _________.
A.they have used up their energy |
B.they have lost their living hopes |
C.they have more pressure in life and work |
D.they begin to get older |
The key to preventing you from falling into a state of sub-health is that you should ________.
A.work hard |
B.sleep more |
C.form good living habits |
D.take more medicine |
As for food, experts suggest that ________.
A.we should never eat meat |
B.we should have a variety of food |
C.we should eat less than usual |
D.we should have meals without salt and sugar |
Apple Inc co-founder and former CEO Steve Jobs,considered among the greatest American CEOs of his generation,died on Wednesday at the age of 56,after a yearlong and highly public battle with cancer.
Jobs' health had been a hot topic for years.His battle with cancer had been a deep concern to Apple fans,investors(投资人)and the company's board alike.
Jobs' death was announced by Apple in a statement late on Wednesday.The Apple.com homepage featured a blackandwhite picture of him with the words “Steve Jobs,1955—2011”.A message on the site read,“Apple has lost a creative genius,and the world has lost an amazing human being.”
“Steve's brilliance,passion and energy were the source of countless creations that enrich and improve all of our lives.The world is immeasurably better because of Steve,” Apple said in a statement announcing Jobs' passing.
The news caused an immediate outpouring of sympathy.Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates said he will miss Jobs “immensely”.
“By building one of the planet's most successful companies from his garage,he was a typical example of the spirit of American ingenuity(独创性).By making computers personal and putting the Internet in our pockets,he made the information revolution not only accessible but fun.And by turning his talents to storytelling,he has brought joy to millions of children and grownups alike,” said President Barack Obama.
Now,despite investor confidence in Cook,who has taken the place of his boss during three leaves of absence,there remain concerns about whether the company would stay creative without its founder at the helm(掌舵). What can we learn about Jobs?
A.People knew little of his disease before he died |
B.He didn't suffer much before his death. |
C.A lot of people were concerned about his health. |
D.He didn't know that he was seriously ill. |
The blackandwhite picture of Steve Jobs is featured to ______.
A.tell people the story of Steve Jobs |
B.let more people learn about Apple |
C.seek support for his battle with cancer |
D.announce that Jobs is dead |
We can learn from the text that Apple ______.
A.is busy looking for a new CEO to replace Jobs |
B.sings high praise for Jobs' contributions |
C.didn't trust Jobs any longer after he got ill |
D.helped Jobs win the public battle with cancer |
After Steve's death,______.
A.Cook will be the leader of Apple |
B.Bill Gates will take over Apple |
C.Apple won't no longer be so creative |
D.President Obama is still confident in Apple |
Where might you read the text?
A.In an English newspaper. |
B.From Apple.com homepage. |
C.In a storybook for children. |
D.In Obama's speeches. |
In the last 500 years nothing about people-not their clothes, ideas, or languages has changed as much as what they eat. Chocolate (巧克力) drink was first made from the seeds of the cacao (可可) tree by South American Indians. The Spanish introduced it to the rest of the world during the 1500s. And although it was very expensive, it quickly became popular, In London, shops where chocolate drinks were served became important places. Some still exist today. The potato is also from the New World. Around 1600, the Spanish brought it from Peru to Europe, where it soon was widely grown. Ireland became so dependent (依赖的) on it that thousands of Irish people starved (挨饿) when the crop failed during the years of 1845-1846, and thousands more were forced to go to live in America.
There are many other foods that have traveled from South America to the Old World. But some others went in the opposite direction. Brazil is now the world's largest grower of coffee, and coffee is an important crop in other South American countries. But it is native to Ethiopia. It was first made into a drink by Arabs during the 1400s. According to an Arabic story, coffee was discovered when a goat keeper named Lakdi noticed that his goats were eating red fruits on a coffee tree. He tried one and
experienced the "wide-awake (彻底清醒的)" feeling that one third of the world's population now starts the day with. According to the passage, which of the following changed more than others?
A.Clothes. |
B.Ideas. |
C.Languages. |
D.Foods. |
Chocolate drink was first invented in while coffee was first invented in _______.
A.Spain; Brazil |
B.South America; the Old World |
C.Spain; Ethiopia |
D.London; Rent |
In 1845, thousands of Irish people were forced to live in America mainly because .
A.Ireland became dependent on the potato |
B.the potato was brought to Europe from Peru |
C.they could easily get potato in America |
D.the production of potatoes reduced(减少) |
According to the passage, who first made chocolate drink from the seeds of the cacao tree?
A.People in Peru |
B.People in Brazil. |
C.South American Indians. |
D.People in Ethiopia. |
From the passage we can conclude (得出结论) that millions of people drink coffee .
A.in the morning |
B.at noon |
C.in the afternoon |
D.in the evening |