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Father’s Day Shortchanged? Humble History, Fewer Gifts With Father’s Day 2011 here, find out how the holiday started, why Dad doesn’t mind being shortchanged on gifts, and more. |
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Why Mother’s Day Horrified, Ruined Its Own Mother Born of war, Mother’s Day grew to horrify its own mother, whose fight to fix the holiday “cost her everything, financially and physically.” |
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Valentine’s Day Facts: Gifts, History, and Love Science Where did Valentine’s Day come from? What does it cost? And why do we fall for it, year after year? |
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Thanksgiving 2010 Myths and Facts Before the big dinner, debunk the myths—for starters, the first “real” Thanksgiving wasn’t until the 1800s—and get to the roots of Thanksgiving 2010. |
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4th of July Facts: 1st Fests, Number of Fireworks, More How did Founding Fathers Celebrate 4th of July? How many 4th of July fireworks explode each year? Answers and more. |
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Earth Day at 40: What Good Is It Now? After 40 years, outsourced activism is replacing traditional Earth Day activities, and green’s gone mainstream, experts say. So what’s the point? |
以下是这些报道的简要内容介绍,请配对它们的标题。
Where did this most popular day for couples come from? And how does it come into beings, year after year? Noel Lenski, professor of the University of Colorado, said the lovers’ holiday traces its roots to raucous annual Roman festivals held every year on February 15 and remained wildly popular well into the fifth century A.D.
The first Earth Day in 1970 was a raucous, radical teach-in that helped spur clean-air, clean-water, and endangered species legislation in the United States. Now, 40 years later, Earth Day is every day, as the saying goes. The thing is, it’s also everyday- environmentalism that has become a routine with greenness as much a marketing tactic as a moral pursuit.
Some 242 million turkeys were raised in the U.S. in 2010 for slaughter, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Last year’s birds were worth about U.S. $3.6 billion. Before the big dinner, debunk the myths, we need to know that the first “real” U.S. Thanksgiving wasn’t until the 1800s and get to the roots of Thanksgiving 2010.
Father’s Day traditionally takes a backseat to Mother’s Day, and, for the most part, dads are cool with that, experts say. Nevertheless, as traditional roles around the house gradually change, fathers are gaining more attention on their special day, at least as measured in the monetary value of gifts estimated to be given on June 19, 2011, when the holiday will be celebrated in dozens of countries.
Cookouts, fireworks, and, of course, a chance to wish Uncle Sam a big “happy birthday” —the day means summer in full swing across the United States and beyond. Besides the founders of the US, Fireworks, first authorized by Congress in 1777, are another legacy. More than 14,000 fireworks displays light up U.S. skies each year.
Every year, about 600 monkeys are invited to eat fruits and vegetables during an annual feast(盛宴)in Thailand.___It is said that Rama once rewarded his friend Hanuman, the Monkey King, with some land. Organizers of the annual Monkey Buffet use more than 3000kg of fruits and vegetables to prepare for the feast.
This event is held in England. Though it might sound very gentle, it is actually very dangerous.Running down a very steep hill behind a 7pound wheel of cheese can be very dangerous. In fact, the police have attempted to ban the event, but participants have refused to carry out the ban. Men and their cheese wheels cannot be separated so easily.____ Simple:the cheese is set rolling down the hill, and the racers run down the hill after the cheese. However, as the cheese can reach speeds of up to 70 miles per hour, it rarely happens that someone catches the cheese. __
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In this festival, grown men jump over newborns, with their parents' permission.___ This custom has been observed since 1620; any onlookers who seem to be in need of “cleaning” also get involved in the event.
__ This Naked (裸) Festival is held in dozens of places throughout Japan every year, usually in summer or winter. Hidden somewhere in these men is one fully naked man, and touching him is believed to bring good luck.
A.So what happens during a cheese roll? |
B.It is held in honor of Rama, the greatest of the Gods. |
C.This event is very interesting. |
D.The first to reach the bottom wins the cheese. |
E.There is a Japanese festival where participants wear little clothing.
F.Everybody takes an active part in it.
G.Wearing scary costumes, the Spanish men attempt to “clean” babies of evil (邪恶).
What is critical thinking? To a certain degree, it's a matter of logic -- of being able to spot weakness in other people's arguments and to avoid them in your own. It also includes related skills such as distinguishing fact from opinion and assessing the soundness of evidence.
In the broad sense, critical thinking is focused, organized thinking -- the ability to see clearly the relationships among ideas. __. The greatest thinkers, scientists, and inventors have often taken information that was really available and put it together differently to produce new ideas. That, too, is critical thinking.
__. As the class goes on, for example, you will probably spend a good deal of time organizing your speeches. While this may seem like a purely mechanical (机械的) exercise, it is closely connected with critical thinking. If the structure of your speech is loose and confused, chances are that your thinking is also disordered and confused. If, on the other hand, the structure is clear, there is a good chance your thinking is too. Organizing a speech is not just a matter of arranging your ideas you already have.
___.
What is true of organization is true of many aspects of public speaking. __. As you work on expressing your ideas in clear accurate language, you will improve your ability to think clearly and accurately. __
As you learn to listen critically to speeches in class, you will be better able to assess the ideas of speakers in a variety of situations.
If you take full advantage of your speech class, you will be able to develop your skills as a critical thinker in many circumstances. This is one reason public speaking has been regarded as a vital part of education since the days of ancient Greece.
A.Rather, it is an important part of shaping the ideas themselves. |
B.This may seem take a lot of time, but the rewards are well worth it. |
C.It may also help you to know that there is no such thing as a perfect speech. |
D.It has often been said that there are few new ideas in the world, only reorganized ideas. |
E . If you are wondering what this has to do with your public speaking class, the answer is quite a lot.
F. The skills you learn in your speech class can help you become a more effective thinker in a number of ways.
G. As you study the role of evidence and reasoning in speechmaking, you will see how they can be used in other forms of communication as well.
下面文章有5个段落(第1~5题)需要添加首句。请从以下选项(A、B、C、D、E和F)中选出符合各段意思的首句。选项中有一项是多余选项。
A. Enjoy life’s process, not just life’s rewards.
B. Have a self you respect.
C. Turn disappointments into strengths.
D. Become involved in something bigger.
E. Resolve all the problems without delay.
F. Commit yourself to others.
Five Secrets of Living Life to the Fullest
I believe that men and women through the ages who have led successful lives have captured these five secrets of living life to the fullest._____________This means having a deep sense of responsibility for your thoughts and actions. It means keeping your word, and being faithful to yourself, family and work. It means believing in what you do and working hard. It means setting your own internal standards, and not comparing yourself to others. It’s not a question of being better than someone else;respect and honesty demand that you be better than you thought you could be.
_____________ Believe in others, and take time to achieve their dreams. A wise man said, “If you want one year’s prosperity, grow grain. But if you want ten years’ prosperity, grow men and women.” You can build into the lives of your family, friends and colleagues by providing nutrients of gratitude and encouragement, and by investing your time and energy in their aspirations.
_____________ Individuals who live with abandon have discovered that personal trials make them more sensitive and loving, while building endurance and character. They have learned that achievements worth remembering are stained with the blood of diligence and etched (铭记) with the scars of disappointment. The pages of history are filled with the heroic stories of courageous men and women who triumphed over disabilities and adversities to demonstrate victorious spirits.
_____________ We live in a goal-oriented society that wants problems resolved now. We want three-minute oatmeal, one-hour dry cleaning, and instant success. But to live with abandon, we must live one day at a time, enjoying the little victories, realizing that life is an endless journey in self-discovery and personal fulfillment. It means taking time to hug your kids, kiss your spouse, and let the other fellow ahead of you on the freeway.
_____________ I do not believe you will live happily if you set out to live life for yourself alone. Choose a cause bigger than you are and work at it in a spirit of excellence. It will become a part of you as you see your goals through to the end. Measure success not by what you’ve done, but what you could do.
根据短文内容,从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
No matter how old you are, your mom will always remain as one of the most important people in your life. Maybe you don't know how to express your appreciation and love to her on an ordinary day. Here are several things we can do this Mother's Day to show how much we appreciate and care for our mothers.
Give her flowers. You can show your love to your mom by giving her flowers that match her personality. Or, if you do not know your mom's favorite, carnations(康乃馨) could be your best choice.
Cook for her. Mothers usually are the ones who cook for us. Your mom will absolutely love it if you surprise her by taking over the kitchen and cooking something for her. Just make sure you clean up afterwards.You can just do so describing how much your mother means to you. It can be very effective that your mom will keep them and always be reminded of how important she is to your lives as a family member.
Travel with her. Mothers work hard, so traveling can help her to relax and forget her problems. She will treasure the moment --- wherever you go, just your presence.
Take her to a spa. Massages or spas(按摩保健) are for moms of all ages, and she will enjoy breaking the boredom of staying indoors the whole day. .
Mother's Day is coming. It is a time to let Mom know she's special to you.
A.Write her a letter. |
B.Remember her wedding anniversary. |
C.A lot of us forget that the best gift to give her is ourselves. |
D.Almost every girl appreciates flowers and so does your mother. |
E. She remains the center of attention and respect for a child for a long time.
F. And this will offer your mom comfort and an increased sense of well-being.
G. However, Mother's Day is the special time when you can let her know how important she is to you.
Does this situation seem familiar to you? Your English is progressing well, the grammar is now familiar, the reading comprehension is no problem, and you are speaking quite fluently._
First of all, remember that you are not alone. Listening is probably the most difficult job for almost all learners of English as a foreign language. The most important thing is to listen as often as possible. The Internet is really a useful tool for English students. You can download The RealPlayer from RealMedia.com. The RealPlayer allows you to use the Internet like a radio station.
Once you have begun to listen on a regular basis, you might still be frustrated by limited understanding.
Here is some of the advice I give my students:
●Accept the fact that you are not going to understand everything.
●Stay relaxed when you do not understand, and try listening to the material for more times.
● Do not translate everything into your native language.
● Don’t concentrate on details before you have understood the main ideas.
● Listen to something you enjoy.
I remember the problems I had in understanding spoken German when I first went to Germany. In the beginning, when I didn’t understand a word, I insisted on translating it in my mind. This method usually resulted in confusion. Firstly, translating creates a barrier between the listener and the speaker. Secondly, most people repeat themselves constantly. By remaining calm, I noticed that even if I did not pay much attention I could usually understand what the speaker had said.
A.What should you do? |
B.Listen for the general idea of the conversation. |
C.But you can’t follow a native English speaker at all! |
D.But listening is a problem for most of the beginners! |
E. So, what you need to do is to find listening resources.
F. However, after several weeks, I got used to the new environment in Germany.
G.Then, after the first six months, I discovered two extremely important facts.