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Ah, Thanksgiving--- truly my favorite holiday. A day off with family and friends and football and an exorbitant amount of food .It doesn’t get much more American than that. Let's look at some interesting Thanksgiving traditions to shed light on this delicious American tradition.
How it started
The story: In the early 1620s, as the first English settlers ( called Pilgrims) arrived in America searching for a life free of religious persecution , they experienced very difficult harvests- as the climate was quite different from that of England. They eventually established (temporarily) good relations with the local Native Americans, called the Wampanoag tribe. The Wampanoag leader Squanto, along with his tribe of friendly Native Americans, helped the English settlers learn how to farm and fish in the harsh and rocky climate of Massachusetts. In 1621, they celebrated the Harvest Festival together. And the Thanksgiving tradition was born! It became an official American holiday under Abraham Lincoln amidst the turmoil of the American Civil War in 1863.
What it means now
Now, after the American colonists destroyed native cultures and sequestered them onto reservations, the current American Thanksgiving has hardly anything to do with a celebration of cordial relations between peoples. Today, we try to forget America's guilty past and celebrate our family, friends, and good health on this day. Americans celebrate Thanksgiving much like Chinese people do the Spring Festival - with family members pouring in from all directions to get reunion and break bread. We play football, watch football, and eat a hell of a lot of turkey.
American Turkey
Founding Father Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national bird of America. In a letter to his daughter, he wrote that the turkey, in comparison to the eagle, was " a far more respectable bird" and a true native of America .
Additionally, he thought that bald eagles had a " bad moral character".
Presidential Pardon
The American president pardons one turkey every year. Every year since I947, the National Turkey Federation presents one live turkey to the President, and in 1987, President Ronald Reagan jokingly pardoned the live turkey. This became an official tradition in 1989. Pardoned turkeys are sent off to live the rest of their short lives. Lucky turkeys!
Black Friday
This is the most despicable of Thanksgiving traditions. A caveat(提醒)---many Americans don't take part in this activity of burning money. The Friday after Thanksgiving is called " Black Friday" , and all across America, people go out to their local stores to buy discounted everything, in packages of 36. Every year, a few people die from trampling as the doors to the store open. Thankfully, with the rise of e-commerce sites such as Amazon, people are moving more to online shopping to take advantage of Black Friday deals.
Which of the following is the most extremely unpleasant tradition of Thanksgiving?
| A．American Turkey |
| B．Black Friday |
| C．Presidential Pardon |
| D．Thanksgiving decoration |
Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national bird of America because____.
| A．turkey was much larger in comparison to the bald eagle |
| B．his daughter liked turkey more than the bald eagle |
| C．bald eagles were true natives of America |
| D．he thought highly of the bird |
The original meaning of Thanksgiving was____
| A．to celebrate the friendly relations between the first English settlers and the local Native Americans |
| B．to praise the local Wampanoag tribe for their useful instructions |
| C．to encourage the new settlers to learn how to farm and fish in the new world |
| D．to apologize to the local Native Americans for the wrongs that the first English settlers had done |
What's the author's purpose of writing this passage?
| A．To warn people of the bad influence of Thanksgiving. |
| B．To make people aware of the potential danger of Black Friday. |
| C．To introduce some interesting Thanksgiving traditions to people. |
| D．To remind people not to forget the true meaning of Thanksgiving. |
EACH of us fails from time to time. If we are wise, we accept these failures as a necessary part of the learning process. But all too often we convey to our children either by words or by actions that failure is something to be ashamed of, that nothing but top performance meets our approval.
Donnie was my youngest third-grader. His fear of failure kept him from classroom games that other children played excitedly. He seldom answered questions – he might be wrong. He seldom finished his work because he repeatedly checked with me to be sure he hadn’t made a mistake.
I tried my best to build his self-confidence. But nothing changed until midterm, when Mary Anne, a student teacher, was assigned to our classroom. She was young and pretty, and she loved children. My pupils, Donnie included, adored her. But even enthusiastic, loving Mary was baffled by this little boy who feared he might make a mistake.
Then one morning we were working math problems. Donnie had copied the problems with painstaking neatness and filled in answers for the first row. Pleased with his progress, I left the children with Mary. But when I returned, Donnie was in tears. He’d missed the third problem.
Mary looked at me in despair. Suddenly her face brightened. From the desk we shared, she got a canister (小筒) filled with pencils.
“Look, Donnie,” she said, “I’ve got something to show you.” She removed the pencils and placed them on his desk. “See these pencils, Donnie?” she continued. “They belong to Mrs. Lindstrom and me. See how the erasers are worn? That’s because we make mistakes too. Lots of them. But we erase the mistakes and try again. That’s what you must learn to do, too.”
She kissed him and continued: “I’ll leave one of these pencils on your desk so you’ll remember that everybody makes mistakes, even teachers.” Donnie looked up with love in his eyes and just a glimmer (少许) of a smile.
The pencil became Donnie’s prized possession. That, together with Mary Anne’s frequent encouragement and praise for even Donnie’s small successes, gradually persuaded him that it’s all right to make mistakes – as long as you erase them and try again. The word “baffled” in Paragraph 3 most probably means __________.
| A．eased | B．confused | C．defeated | D．impressed |
Which of the following words best describe Mary Anne as she is shown in the article?
| A．Patient and inspiring. | B．Creative and modest. |
| C．Determined and strict. | D．Considerate and proud. |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the article?
| A．Each of us should try our best to be a perfectionist. |
| B．Donnie rarely finished his work because he seldom answered questions and thus had difficulties. |
| C．The story was written mainly to sing high praise for Mary Anne. |
| D．The author seems to believe that failure is an opportunity to learn and make progress. |
DEAR Daughter,
We have not seen you for a while now, so I thought we might check in. Did you fall off the edge of the Earth? Your mother worries, you know, and I am just curious. Well, I am more than curious. I feel abandoned.
Apparently you’ve dumped us for your career. I can understand that, because you’ve always had a wonderful work ethic (道德).
Look, obviously your long absence has confused us. As we go about our daily routines, your mother and I are distracted – both by your absence and our pride in your career. The other day, I entered my work password into the microwave, then stood there cursing it for not working. And I was so off my game (状态差) that I actually used that cholesterol-free mayo (不含胆固醇的蛋黄酱) your mother insisted on buying in an effort to drive me from the house.
Listen, a lot has happened since you’ve been away. Abraham Lincoln was shot. We had two more children – a princess, now 23; a boy, now 12.
Yesterday I bought a very clean 2001 Camaro car from an older woman. Your mother is not happy about this. She says it is the kind of muscle car driven by ex-convicts (有犯罪前科的人) when they examine your house at 2 am.
In response, I tell her it was the car of my dreams (when I was 18). So that’s where your long absence has left us. Your long absence is not so bad, though we miss your roaring laughter ... the way your cheeks flush (晕红) when you eat Thai food. How you always march too hard into the house, like a Scotsman stepping on snakes.
Each evening, your mother now waits by the window the way she did when you used to step off the bus in first grade, your hair full of rubber bands.
Bet that drove you crazy even then, her running out on the porch (门廊) like you’d just returned from a month-long journey to the moon.
Look, parents are not easy people.
But should the urge ever hit you, feel free to stop by some time. Our house is your house. Our hearts are yours too.
And your mother is still waiting by the window.
Love, DadThe author entered his work password into the microwave because __________.
| A．all kinds of passwords made him confused |
| B．he was thinking too much about his work |
| C．he was affected by his daughter’s long absence |
| D．he was getting old and he had forgotten how to use the microwave |
The author describes his and his wife’s current situation by __________.
| A．comparing the past and present |
| B．talking about history and his dream |
| C．listing changes they have made to their routines |
| D．detailing strange things they have started doing |
With the last six paragraphs, the author is trying to __________.
| A．describe what kind of person his daughter is |
| B．show how much he and his wife care about their daughter |
| C．show how annoyed his daughter must feel about her mother |
| D．remind his daughter of the problems they had |
From the article, we can conclude that the author is __________.
| A．humorous | B．inspiring | C．serious | D．patient |
A good way to practice your writing and be recognized by professionals and scholars is to enter writing contests. There are a variety of different writing contests open to teens who enjoy writing essays, fictional stories, poems and other written pieces.
Creative communication Essay Contest
The Creative Communication Essay Contest is sponsored by Creative Communication, an organization which promotes and encourages creative writing in students. The contest is open to students in grades four to 12. To enter, submit an original , non-fiction essay of 100 to 300 words on a topic of your choice. The contest is held three times a year with a fall deadline in October, a spring deadline in February and a summer deadline in July. Winners are chosen each time, one in each of the three divisions—grades 4-6, 7-9 and 10-12.
American Library of Student Poetry Contest
The American Library of Student Poetry Contest is open to students in grades three to 12. To enter, submit an original poem of 20 lines or less. Poems are judged on originality, creativity and artistic quality, and submissions are accepted throughout the year, with the winners being announced in September. First-,second- and third-place winners are chosen within each of the four grade categories, grades 3-5,6-7, 8-9, 10-12.
YCteen Essay Contest
The YCteen Essay Contest is hosted by YCteen, a life style magazine for teens. The contest is open to American teens , ages 14to19, and is held twice a year with the first deadline being in October and the second in December. To enter, submit an original, non-fiction essay of about 800 words answering a given essay question. Past questions have focused on issues such as climate change and activism. All winning entries will be published on the YCteen website and in the print version of the magazine.
Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards is an art and creative writing contest hosted and sponsored by a group of more than 100 literary art organizations across the United States. The contest is open to teens in grades seven to 12 going to school in the United States and American schools abroad . Pieces can be submitted to any of 28 available categories, including humor, poetry, critical essays, journalism and more. Submissions are accepted starting in September, and the deadline ranges from December to January depending on your region.(地区)In what way is the American Library of Student Poetry Contest different from the other writing contests?
| A．Poems must be submitted in September. |
| B．It is for students from different grades. |
| C．There is no deadline for submissions. |
| D．Winners are chosen within each grade category. |
The YCteen Essay Contest accepts essay______.
| A．on a specific topic |
| B．with past questions |
| C．from a lifestyle magazine |
| D．on a topic of your choice |
The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards is open to ______.
| A．American students in all grades |
| B．foreign students in the United States |
| C．American schools at home and abroad |
| D．students in the literary art organizations |
The main purpose of the passage is to ______.
| A．tell teens how to enter writing contests |
| B．show the benefits of writing contests |
| C．offer tips on how to win writing contests |
| D．introduce writing contests for teens |
The Washington post – NASA’s newest space habitat looks sort of like a kids’ moon bonce, a big, bright, inflatable globe that could be lots of fun to play in. Soon astronauts on the International Space Station could get the chance to try . The expandable habitat made by Bigelow Aerospace recently passed NASA’s strict certification requirements and is scheduled to be flown to the station in September.
Called the BEAM ( Bigelow Expandable Activity Module), the habitat would be attached to the space station, where it would stay for two years. While there, it would be tested to see how it handles the rigors of space – the radiation, the station’s movement and even how it stands up to the debris (碎片) flying around in orbit.
The private Las Vegas company, founded by millionaire real estate mogul(地产大亨) Robert Bigelow, won a $17.8 million contract from NASA to provide the module to the space station.
“Today is the first step, but it’s a big step,” said Bigelow’s George Zamka. Replace the space station or make it larger. It also hopes to build the habitats on the moon. Its B330 module would be even bigger, with 330 cubic meters of internal (内部的 ) space. The modules could be connected. Creating research facilities, the company says, or even space hotels.
In an interview ,NASA’s William Gerstenmaier, said he was eager to see how the module performs , and said he was especially pleased “ to see how the private sector can step up and help us meet our requirements.” The module will be flown to the space station by SpaceX, the first commercial company to resupply the space station.What would be the best title for this passage?
| A．NASA’s space habitats flown to the station. |
| B．NASA’s space habitat it the station. |
| C．NASA’s new expandable space habitat. |
| D．NASA’s newest inflatable globe. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．NASA’s newest space habitat is a kids’ moon bounce. |
| B．Astronauts of Bigelow Aerospace could get the chance to try the space habitat. |
| C．NASA was founded by Robert Bigelow. |
| D．The B330 module to be built on the moon would be with an inside space of 330 cubic meters. |
The underlined word “rigors” in Paragraph 2 refers to “_________”.
| A．difficulties | B．environments |
| C．movements | D．changes |
The passage is most probably taken from ________.
| A．a newspaper | B．a booklet |
| C．a magazine | D．a science fiction |
Throughout the world, clothing has many uses. It is used to provide protection from cold. It is also worn to prevent others from seeing specific parts of one’s body. However, the parts of the body that must be covered vary widely throughout the world. Some clothing is worn to provide supernatural protection.
People in all cultures use clothing and other forms of bodily decoration to communicate status, intentions and other messages. In North America, we dress differently for business and various leisure activities. North American women usually are much more knowledgeable of little difference in messages communicated by clothes than men. At times, this leads to silly mistakes of understanding of female intentions on the part of men. Of course, clothing styles also are intended to communicate messages to members of the same gender.
Long before we are near enough to talk to someone, their appearance tells their gender, age, economic class, and often even intentions. We begin to recognize the important cultural clues at an early age. The vocabulary of dress that we learn includes not only items of clothing but also hairstyles, jewelry, and other body decoration. In most cultures, however, the same style of dress communicates different messages depending on the age, gender, and physical appearance of the individual wearing it.
Putting on certain types of clothing can change your behavior and the behavior of others towards you. This can be the case with a doctor’s white lab coat, or an army uniform. Most uniforms are clearly symbolic so that they can rapidly and unmistakably communicate status. For instance, the strange hairstyle and clothing of the English “punks” are essential aspects of their uniforms.Which of the following is the best title for this passage?
| A．Clothing and Culture. |
| B．Ways of Sending Message. |
| C．Communication through Clothing |
| D．Clothing and Social Behavior |
What is the purpose of some people wearing lucky shirts to take an exam?
| A．To hide their fear for the exam. |
| B．To provide protection against bad weather. |
| C．To make them more comfortable. |
| D．To call for supernatural help. |
According to the passage, what can change others’ behavior towards you?
| A．Age. | B．Dress. | C．Status. | D．Gender. |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．Clothing plays an important role in social activities. |
| B．Words of dress are unable to communicate different messages. |
| C．Dress is better than language in communicating messages. |
| D．Messages communicated by clothes are the same in different cultures. |