Every year, we celebrate many special days─Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and New Year’s Day. In some countries, there is a special day for playing tricks on others. In North America and parts of Europe, this day is known as April Fool’s Day, and is celebrated on April 1.
Many people believe that the French started April Fool’s Day. Centuries ago, New Year’s Day in Europe was April 1. In 1582, the calendar changed and King Charles IX of France moved it to January 1.
Some people did not like this, and chose to keep April 1 as New Year’s Day. Many called these people ‘April fools’ and played jokes and tricks on them. Over time, April 1 became a day to have fun in France. It then spread to England and Scotland, and later, to North America.
On April Fool’s Day, jokes are common. In the United States, for example, a person may move a friend’s clock ahead one hour, or change the sugar and salt. In Scotland, April Fool’s Day lasts for two days. The second day is called ‘Taily Day’─for one’s ‘tail’. On this day, people might secretly put a sign saying ‘kick me’ on a person’s back or behind. Other countries have their own ‘Fool’s Day’. In Spain and Mexico, people play tricks on each other on December 28. In India, it happens on March 31.
In many countries around the world, April 1 is a day of fun. Jokes bring about a lot of laughter, and many shouts of ‘April Fool’!
It is said that people first celebrated ‘Fool’s Day’ in .
A．the United States B．France C．Scotland D．Spain
A．April 1 B．April 2 C．December 28 D．March 31
A．kick your friends in the behind B．move a friend’s clock ahead one hour C．play jokes and tricks on your friends D．take a holiday from work for two days
A．England. B．India. C．Mexico. D．Japan.
A．盛行 B．流传 C．接受 D．发展
I am waiting for the bus when I meet the old woman. “You look . Come and sit here,” she says. “ are you going?”
“I don’t know. I just want to catch a and see what it will be like at the end.”
“I’m afraid you’ll see there. Why don’t you enjoy the beautiful sights (风景)on the way? ”
“How can I do that when my heart(心) is ?” I asks sadly. My best friend left（离开）me.
The woman seems to （似乎）understand my feeling. “Don’t cry, little girl. I had the same experience(经历) as you before . Thirty-five ago, my husband left our three children and me. I was very sad. I wanted to kill （杀死）myself and the children, so I took to the sea. ，they seemed to know what would happen, so they loudly. Their cry suddenly woke me up (叫醒) . How could I my hope to live for one of life’s problems? After that, I worked hard to__ ___the children. Now they all live and one of them has his own family. ”
Then the woman gives me a , “We should never wait for the door to before us. We should find the key to the or try to find another way .”
The bus comes and I get on it with a smile.
A．tired B．good C．happy D．well
A．What B．How C．Where D．When
A．train B．bus C．boat D．plane
A．nothing B．everything C．something D．anything
A．smiling B．breaking C．singing D．dancing
A．days B．weeks C．months D．years
A．her B．them C．him D．it
A．So B．Or C．And D．However
A．laughed B．talked C．spoke D．cried
A．make B．stop C．let D．take
A．care B．look after C．play with D．look for
A．happily B．sadly C．badly D．happy
A．cry B．shout C．hit D．smile
A．open B．close C．lock D．mend
A．classroom B．office C．door D．shop
Mr Guppy was a very large man. Life was not easy for him. He could not find clothes big enough. His were too large for most shoes. In buses, trains and planes, he could not stand up straight. The roofs were too . In fact, wherever he went and whatever he did, Mr Guppy had because of his size.
These problems were so bad that Mr Guppy at home most of time. Life was easier at home.Then one day, a friend said, “You spend too much time at home. You go out more. There’s a good movie at the theatre.”
“I can’t sit in any seat there,” Mr Guppy said. “I’m big.”
“That is no problem,” his friend said. “I’ll buy you two tickets. You can them at the theatre when you get there.”
The friend sent money to the theatre for two tickets. When the day came, Mr Guppy his best clothes and went to the theatre.
“You have two tickets for me,” he said to the in the ticket office. “My name is Guppy.”
“Oh, yes, Mr. Guppy,” the woman said. “Here you are. Seats G4 and P12. I’m sorry, you and your friend can’t sit together too many people have come to see the film this evening.”
Poor Mr Guppy! He smiled sadly, walked out of the theatre and went home.
A．hands B．feet C．ears D．eyes
A．low B．high C．large D．small
A．experience B．problems C．relations D．practice
A．left B．kept C．stayed D．lived
A．must B．would C．should D．need
A．few B．little C．some D．too
A．buy B．sell C．give D．get
A．picked up B．asked for C．put on D．saved up
A．woman B．man C．girl D．boy
A．until B．because C．before D．whether
Henry was a boy of nine. He was born in a family. His father was often ill and couldn’t go to work. Only his mother worked in a factory. She worked hard and hoped to give her four children and husband food and clothes. But she failed. Her family was sometimes hungry. Of course, she couldn’t send Henry to school. She was it but she didn’t know what to do. The boy was very clever and taught himself to read，write and at home in the evening. And in the daytime he was polishing（擦）shoes in the street, so he could make some for his family.
One afternoon the boy saw a young man’s shoes were , so he said to him, “ Let me polish your shoes.”
“No, thank you,” the young man said and walked away.
“You may pay me only one dollar, sir,” the boy shouted him. But the young man said no again. Then the boy thought for a while and told him that he would polish his shoes for nothing. The young man to this, and soon one of his shoes was shining brightly. The man showed shoe to the boy, but the boy said no to polish it if he wasn’t paid two dollars for his work. .The young man refused（拒绝）to anything on it and went away.
But his shoes were so different that he had to stop. He turned back and gave the boy two dollars. In a very short time the shoe was as bright as the other one.
A．happy B．lucky C．rich D．poor
A．much B．little C．enough D．many
A．afraid of B．sorry for C．useful to D．friendly to
A．play B．swim C．count D．sleep
A．books B．clothes C．shoes D．money
A．dirty B．clean C．old D．new
A．under B．above C．in front of D．behind
A．liked B．agreed C．worried D．surprised
A．other B．others C．the other D．the others
A．spend B．cost C．pay D．take
Everyone needs friends. We all like to feel close to someone. It is nice to have a friend to , laugh, and to do things with. Certainly, we need to be alone. We don’t always want people around. But we will feel if we never have friends.
No two people are just the same. Friends sometimes don’t get on well with each other(相处融洽). It doesn’t mean that they no longer each other. Most of the time they will become friends again.
Sometimes when friends away, we will feel very sad. We miss them very much, but we can them and write to them. And we can make friends. It is to find out how much we like new people when we get to know them.
There is more good news for people who have friends. They live than people who don’t. Why? It could be that they are happier. Being happy helps you stay healthy. Or it could be just knowing that someone cares about you. If so, you will take better care yourself.
A．speak B．talk C．tell D． say
A．sometimes B．never C．often D．always
A．happy B．pleased C．excited D．lonely
A．know B．hate C．like D．think
A．move B．take C．walk D．put
A．ask B．call C．tell D．help
A．tall B．short C．new D．old
A．surprising B．unhappy C．excited D．bored
A．more B．less C．shorter D．longer
A．for B．of C．in D．after
A few years ago, I worked a 12-hour night shift(夜班) and got home from work.
I was on my way back home and was very tired. I at a restaurant to have breakfast. Right after I placed my order, I saw a man come in. He was carrying a small backpack and looked like he had seen better times. He reached in his pocket and pulled out some . He asked the waitress if 38 cents was to buy a cup of coffee. She looked at his backpack and said, “ . Have a seat.” (Coffee was 50 cents a cup at the time.) It really touched me how she had tried to protect his pride and how he hadn’t asked for any charity.
Shortly before my came, I asked the waitress to come over. I said, “You know, I am not feeling well. I don’t think I am going to be able to eat my breakfast. Do you think there is here who might eat it?” She first asked if I was OK and then she . She said, “I think so. Are you sure?” I told her that I was sure.
She then walked over to the gentleman and told him that I had ordered food and it was too to stop the order but I didn’t feel like eating. Would he be so kind as to take it they wouldn’t have to throw it away? I had walked to the cash register(收银台) and was paying for the meal. At the cash register, I asked if they had gift cards. They did. I bought one $25.00 and asked them to give it to the gentleman after I left.
A．looked B．stood C．waited D．stopped
A．notes B．tickets C．change D．paper
A．enough B．short C．good D．able
A．Not really B．Never mind C．With pleasure D．Of course
A．menu B．food C．coffee D．bill
A．anyone B．everyone C．someone D．no one
A．accepted B．refused C．understood D．left
A．early B．late C．slow D．quick
A．because B．if C．so that D．unless
A．at B．for C．with D．by