Thanksgiving Day is a public vacation. It is a day off for the general population in the US, and schools and most businesses are closed。
What Do People Do
Thanksgiving Day is traditionally a day for families and friends to get together for a special meal.The meal often includes a turkey, stuffing, potatoes, cranberry sauce, gravy, pumpkin pie and vegetables. Thanksgiving Day is a time for many people to give thanks for what they have.
Thanksgiving Day parades are held in some cities and towns on or around Thanksgiving Day. Some parades or festivities also mark the opening of the Christmas shopping season. Some people have a four-day weekend so it is a popular time for trips and to visit family and friends.
Public Life
Most government offices, businesses, schools and other organizations are closed on Thanksgiving Day. Many offices and businesses allow staff to have a four-day weekend so these offices and businesses are also closed on the Friday after Thanksgiving Day. Public transit systems do not usually operate on their regular timetables.
Thanksgiving Day is one of the busiest periods for travel in the US. This can causecongestionand overcrowding. Seasonal parades and busy football games can cause disruption to local traffic
1. What do people usually do on Thanksgiving Day?| A．All people will have a four-day weekend. |
| B．People usually get together with their family without travelling. |
| C．People in government officials still work on this day. |
| D．People usually go out to parade on this day. |
| A．Air pollution. | B．Environment damage. |
| C．Too much traffic and too many people. | D．Destruction to the road. |
| A．Students usually go to school to celebrate. |
| B．Buses usually serve on the regular timetable. |
| C．You'd better not go shopping because shops are all closed. |
| D．You and your family can get together for a special meal. |
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【推荐1】People in the United States honour their parents with two special days：Mother’s Day, on the second Sunday in May, and Father’s Day, on the third Sunday in June. These days are set aside to show love and respect for parents. They raise their children and educate them to be responsible citizens. They give love and care to their children. These two days offer an opportunity to think about the changing roles of mothers and fathers. More mothers now work outside the home. More fathers must help with childcare.
These two special days are celebrated in many different ways. On Mother’s Day people wear carnations (康乃馨). A red one symbolizes (象征) a living mother. A white one shows that the mother is dead. Many people attend religious services to honour their parents. It is also a day when people whose parents are dead visit the cemetery(公墓). On these days families get together at home, as well as in restaurants. They often have outdoor barbecues(烤肉) for Father’s Day. These are days of fun and good feelings and memories.
Another tradition is to give cards and gifts. Children make them in school. Many people make their own presents. These are valued more than the ones bought in stores. It is not the value of the gift that is important, but it is “the thought that counts”. Greeting card stores, florists(花匠), candy makers, bakeries, telephone companies, and other stores do a lot of business during these holidays.
1. Which is NOT a reason for children to show love and respect for their parents?| A．Their parents bring them up. |
| B．Their parents give love and care to them. |
| C．Their parents educate them to be good persons. |
| D．Their parents passed away before they grew up. |
| A．Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are both in May. |
| B．Fewer women worked outside the home in the past. |
| C．Not all the children respect their parents. |
| D．Fathers are not as important as mothers at home. |
| A．people usually have family parties |
| B．everyone goes to visit the cemetery |
| C．children always go to their parents’ home |
| D．handmade cards are the most valuable gifts |
【推荐2】Do you love seeing beautiful lanterns outside? The best time to do this is during the Lantern Festival, which falls on the 15th day of the first lunar (阴历) month. This year it is on Feb22, marking the end of Spring Festival celebrations.
Lanterns are a big part of the festival. One story says that the bright lanterns show respect for gods. Another says that people light lanterns to celebrate the declining (消退的) darkness of winter.
Watching lanterns is a great event. You see lanterns in any sizes and shapes you can imagine, from animals to plants and flowers. To make this activity more fun, people paste (粘贴) riddles (谜语) on the lanterns. “Ten plus ten, still is ten, ten minus ten, again is ten.” Guess what? It is a pair of gloves.
In some places, people like releasing sky lanterns, which are called Kongming lanterns. A sky lantern is a small hot air balloon made of paper, with an opening at the bottom, where there is a small fire source. When the bright lights fly high in the sky, people bless family members and make wishes. Releasing river lights is also a way to bless for each other. Usually, the lights are in the shape of a lotus (荷花).
In old times, the Lantern Festival was also romantic. At that time, young girls were not allowed to go out very often except during certain festivals. Therefore, looking at lanterns gave young people a chance to meet each other. A line from Xin Qiji, a poet during the Song Dynasty, shows this: “Anxiously, I searched for her in thousands, hundreds of ways. Suddenly I turned, and there she was in the declining light.”
1. When do people celebrate the Lantern Festival?| A．On the 22nd day of the first lunar month. |
| B．On the 15th day of the first solar month. |
| C．On the 22nd day of February every year. |
| D．On the 15th day of the first lunar month. |
| A．People paste riddles to show off their knowledge. |
| B．Young girls were not allowed to go out on the day. |
| C．People light lanterns to drive animals away. |
| D．People make wishes when releasing lights. |
| A．Sad. | B．Scared. | C．Romantic. | D．Anxious. |
| A．The Origin of the Lantern Festival |
| B．River Lights on the Lantern Festival |
| C．Celebrations of the Lantern Festival |
| D．A day to Guess Lantern Riddles |
【推荐3】Here are four traditional festivals in Spain.
Saint John’s Eve
Saint John’s Eve is a midsummer celebration being celebrated at the eve of the Feast Day of Saint John the Baptist. According to a legend, Saint John was born six months before Jesus, so the day of Saint John the Baptist was set to be celebrated six months before Christmas. Nowadays, for most people Saint John’s Eve just marks the start of summer.
Festival of Saint Fermin
The festival is held annually in Pamplona, Spain, beginning at noon on July 6 and ending at midnight on July 14, honoring the city’s first bishop and patron saint, Saint Fermin. The festival involves traditions such as running, bullfighting and fireworks.
Fallas in Valencia
This festival involves statues that have been constructed all year round being placed all around Valencia. That is not all. All of the statues at the end of the festival are just burned right in front of everyone’s eyes. It is an annual celebration held in March. During the week of Fallas you will hear a lot of fire crackers exploding and beautiful ladies and girls called falleras being dressed in traditional Spanish dresses.
La Tomatina in Bunol
Have you ever wanted to throw something at someone’s face? Well, La Tomatina festival will let you take out all your frustrations! This crazy tradition started more than 70 years ago and is celebrated every last Wednesday of August in Bunol. In this festival 20,000 people throw tomatoes at each other. For what? You might ask. Just for fun!
1. Why do most people celebrate Saint John’s Eve now?| A．To memorize Jesus. | B．To spread a legend. | C．To mark a season’s start. | D．To honor ancient Romans. |
| A．About five days. | B．Nearly nine days. | C．Fourteen days. | D．Two months. |
| A．Saint John’s Eve. | B．Festival of Saint Fermin. | C．Fallas in Valencia. | D．La Tomatina in Bunol. |
【推荐1】In Africa, Christmas Day begins with groups of carolers (欢唱颂歌的人) walking to and from through the village, along the roadway, by the houses of the missionaries (传教士), singing the lovely carols known to the world around. Often people may be awakened by a group of carolers beginning to gather at the house of worship (敬神活动). They return home to make final preparations as to the clothes one must wear and also as to their offering for the Christmas service.
The most important part of their Christmas worship service is the love offering. This is the gift in honor of Jesus. At about 8 or 9 o'clock everyone goes to the celebration of the birthday of Jesus. Everyone who attends the service goes forward to lay down their gift upon the raised platform near the Communion table. No one will attend the service without giving a gift.
Christmas in South Africa is a summer holiday. There is no snow, but it has many flowers, many beautiful varieties of wild flowers being in their full pride.
In Ghana, most churches show the coming of Christmas by decorating the church and homes beginning with the first week in Advent, four weeks before Christmas. This season happens to be the time of cocoa harvest, so it is a time of wealth. Everyone returns home from wherever they might be such as farms or mines.
In Africa, it is the traditional dinner of turkey, roast beef, mince pies, or suckling pig, yellow rice with raisins, vegetables, and plum pudding, crackers. In the afternoon, families go out into the country and usually there are games or bathing in the warm sunshine, and then home in the cool of the evening. Boxing Day is also a proclaimed (正式宣布的) public holiday usually spent in the open air. It falls on December 26 and is a day of real relaxation.
1. The purpose of this text is to ______.| A．persuade us to have a holiday in Africa |
| B．describe some important holidays in Africa |
| C．tell us how people celebrate Christmas in Africa |
| D．introduce to us when Christmas came into being |
| A．the church and homes are being decorated | B．there are flowers all over the country |
| C．everyone returns home to harvest cocoa | D．it is snowing heavily everywhere |
| A．One must sing a carol on the platform. | B．One must appear in fantastic clothes. |
| C．Food is shared among carolers. | D．Everyone carries a gift to the scene. |
【推荐2】Everyone knows about New Year’s Eve and Independence Day. But did you know that there are enough holidays to fill every day of the year? Here are just a few we found interesting.
World Hello Day
To celebrate this day, say hello to at least ten different people. World Hello Day began in the autumn of 1973, shortly after the end of a war in the Middle East. Brian and Michael McCormack of Omaha, Nebraska, wondered what they could do to encourage world peace. They felt the best way was by getting people to talk with one another.
The McCormacks sent letters to the leaders of every country in the world about the first World Hello Day. They wrote the letters in as many different languages as they could. Officials wrote back from sixteen countries and encouraged Brian and Michael to make World Hello Day a yearly event. The holiday has been held on the third Sunday of November every year since. The McCormacks have received letters from many famous people congratulating them for their efforts.
International Day of the Seal (海豹)
March 22 is the official International Day of the Seal. But the National Zoological Park in Washington, D.C., and many other zoos and research centers around the world celebrate this holiday on the third weekend of March. The holiday was created to tell people about the dangers seals face from pollution and fishing nets.
At the National Zoological Park, you can find out how seals live and ways to help protect their habitats (栖息地).
Do it! Day
Are you a procrastinator? Here’s a day to finish all those things you’ve been meaning to do. Do It! Day is celebrated on the first Wednesday in September. “The whole idea is to feel good about getting things done,” says the founder of Do It! Day, Ethel Cook. She came up with the idea as part of her work helping businesses get organized. Cook hopes everyone will turn their Do Its into Did Its.
1. World Hello Day was set to .| A．create peace worldwide |
| B．stop the war in the Middle East |
| C．encourage foreign language learning |
| D．spread knowledge about different countries |
| A．By reporting it on TV. |
| B．By meeting famous people. |
| C．By publishing it in the newspapers. |
| D．By writing letters to world leaders. |
| A．On March 22. |
| B．On the third weekend of March. |
| C．On the third Sunday of November. |
| D．On the first Wednesday in September. |
| A．cleans up things quickly | B．puts off things until later |
| C．always comes up with good ideas | D．feels good about getting things done |
【推荐3】Food Festivals Around the World
Stilton Cheese Rolling
May Day is a traditional day for celebrations, but the 2,000 English villagers of Stilton must be the only people in the world who include cheese rolling in their annual plans. Teams of four, dressed in a variety of strange and funny clothes, roll a complete cheese along a 50-metre course. On the way, they must not kick or throw their cheese, or go into their competitors’ lane. Competition is fierce and the chief prize is a complete Stilton cheese weighing about four kilos (disappointingly, but understandably the cheeses used in the race are wooden ones). All the competitors are served with beer or port wine, the traditional accompaniment for Stilton cheese.
Fiery Foods Festival — The Hottest Festival on Earth
Every year more than 10, 000 people head for the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico. They come from as far away as Australia, the Caribbean and China, but they all share a common addiction-food that is not just spicy, but hot enough to make your mouth burn, your head spin and your eyes water. Their destination is the Fiery Food and BBQ Festival which is held over a period of three days every March. You might like to try a chocolate-covered habanero pepper — officially the hottest pepper in the world—or any one of the thousands of products that are on show. But one thing’s for sure—if you don’t like the feeling of a burning tongue, this festival isn’t for you!
La Tomatina — The World’s Biggest Food Fight
On the last Wednesday of every August, the Spanish town of Bunol hosts La Tomatina-the world’s largest food fight. A week-long celebration leads up to an exciting tomato battle as the highlight of the week’s events. The early morning sees the arrival of large trucks with tomatoes — official fight-starters get things going by casting tomatoes at the crowd.
The battle lasts little more than half an hour, in which time around 50, 000 kilograms of tomatoes have been thrown at anyone or anything that moves, runs, or fights back. Then everyone heads down to the river to make friends again — and for a much-needed wash!
1. In the Stilton cheese rolling competition, competitors on each team must ________.| A．kick or throw their cheese | B．wear various formal clothes |
| C．roll a wooden cheese in their own lane | D．use a real cheese weighing about four kilos |
| A．In China. | B．In New Mexico. | C．In the Caribbean. | D．In Australia. |
| A．An exciting tomato battle takes place at the beginning of La Tomatina. |
| B．More than 10,000 Chinese take part in the Fiery Food and BBQ Festival. |
| C．The chief prize for the Stilton cheese rolling competition is beer or port wine. |
| D．Thousands of spicy foods are on show in the Fiery Food and BBQ Festival. |
【推荐1】Sometimes when we eat, what we’re hungry for isn’t food — it’s the taste of memory. Studies show that foods we think of as comfort foods don’t contain any magical properties. What might be comforting is the feeling of proximity (亲近) to other people associated with the foods.
Thoughts about comfort foods are often linked to calories, warmth or a sense of well-being, but what we don’t think about is that they also provide something social to us. People like comfort foods because of their ability to make them feel that they belong.
When Marcel Proust, author of Remembrance of Things Past, bit into a cake at his aunt’s house, he was overwhelmed by a feeling of nostalgia. Where had this “all-powerful joy ” come from? He sensed that it was connected to the taste of tea and cake, but it “ went far beyond” those flavors, he wrote. In Proust’s case, the taste he experienced took him back to childhood experiences with a beloved aunt, to whom he formed a strong bond.
Comfort foods are often thought of as being rich in calories or full of sugar. Nevertheless, other studies have also shown that the line between comfort and food isn’t as clear as “ junk food = happiness. ” Eating so-called junk food does activate the brain’s reward system, but that high is short-lived. It’s not the deep reward of real comfort. On the other hand, if you feel bad, you might as well have a salad, as long as there is something in the food to bring back pleasant memories and create a sense of belonging. Taste and smell, Proust wrote, “ stay fresh a long time. ”
1. How do comfort foods function?| A．They inspire a sense of belonging. | B．They are linked to all-powerful joy. |
| C．They provide the calories one needs. | D．They set off the brain’s reward system. |
| A．To express love for a special cake. | B．To share a good childhood memory. |
| C．To. show the nature of comfort foods. | D．To prove a popular belief about foods. |
| A．The less clear line between comfort and food. |
| B．The connection between junk food and happiness. |
| C．The difference between comfort foods and junk food. |
| D．The relationship between comfort foods and reward system. |
| A．A science report. | B．An advertisement. |
| C．A cooking guide. | D．A health magazine. |
【推荐2】Iceland is a northern European country with amazing natural beauty and oceans around. There are a number of volcanoes (火山). It has a short summer which lasts from June to August. The long winter starts from September and ends next May.
Summer in Iceland is a golden season for tourists. Every year, people from all over the world come here to see the beautiful sights and enjoy the exciting whale-seeing.
In winter, when people in Iceland finish their daily work, they will have different special activities to spend the long dark night. Skating, riding snow motorbikes and having parties can really make an exciting night. After all the fun, a hot bath must be the first choice to relax. There are also story-telling activities for children, which can teach them to be strong and kind. The most popular stories are about Christmas in Iceland.
Because of a long cold winter, Iceland has a short growing season. The food problem was always a headache for Iceland in the past. It had to buy most of its food from other countries, Later, when farmers learned to use lights and underground heat to grow crops (庄稼) all year round in the greenhouse, things changed a lot.
Living in such a nice environment, most people in Iceland live a happy life. According to a survey about happiness made each year in Europe, Iceland is always among the top 3.
1. What does the underlined word “It” refer to (指代) in Paragraph 1?| A．The ocean. | B．Natural beauty. | C．Iceland. | D．The volcano. |
| A．What is the first choice to relax after the fun. |
| B．How people in Iceland finish their daily work. |
| C．What stories are the most popular in Iceland. |
| D．How people in Iceland spend the long dark night. |
| A．Because there are oceans around. |
| B．Because there is a long hot summer. |
| C．Because there is a long cold winter. |
| D．Because there are a number of volcanoes. |
| A．Iceland, a Poor Country |
| B．Food Problems in Iceland |
| C．Colorful Activities in Iceland |
| D．Iceland, an Amazing Country |
Generally speaking, there are a great number of
Speed—This is the biggest advantage to mention. Boot time has been reported to be up to nine times shorter than that with Windows 7.
New passwords—Instead of typing your passwords, Windows 8 will let you use gestures on your favorite photos to enter your password. This is not only practical but also extremely cool!
Windows 8 experience—Apart from computers, Windows 8 will be used on all devices, including smart phones, tablet PC’s and so on. Also, owing to the fact that it has been specifically designed with touch screen users in mind, Windows 8, besides using keyboard and mouse, will offer a whole new user experience.
However, there are still some disadvantages.
The first one that has to be mentioned is that there is no Start Menu from Windows. Yes, there is no Start button in the lower left corner, and this might be a real puzzle of many Windows users. Also, many users have had a problem to get used to the new interface（界面）introduced by Windows 8. The biggest problem that is worth noticing is that Windows 8 was originally designed for touch screen users, and this may have a bad effect on desktop users who have gotten used to doing everything with the help of their keyboard and mouse.
1. What does “plus sides” in Paragraph 2 probably refer to?
| A．Math symbols. | B．New rules. |
| C．Strengths. | D．Messages. |
| A．high speed | B．complex passwords |
| C．unique experience | D．new interface |
| A．no longer requires a password |
| B．can be used on more than computers |
| C．will be popular with desktop users |
| D．was upgraded from windows 95 |
| A．Start Menu is hidden in the lower left corner |
| B．they don’t get accustomed to the new interface |
| C．keyboard and mouse can’t be used any longer |
| D．they have to use fingerprints instead of button |
【推荐1】Dogs love to get out and stretch their legs, which not only helps to keep them in shape, but enables them to keep the extra pounds off. Pet hiking has been popular recently, getting dogs off the sidewalk.
Three years ago, Denver resident Brittany Redding was stressed out, working 60 hours a week while studying in graduate school full-time. The only thing that helped was taking her four dogs hiking. “That’s when it hit me that I should do that as a job.” she says. After graduating in June 2016, she founded Take a Hike. Her company, like a number of others around the country, takes dogs to explore beyond the neighborhood.
Before taking on the tracks, Brittany meets with each dog and his or her owner to get a sense of the pet’s character. Then she schedules a meet-and-greet with other dogs that will join the hike to be sure to match their personalities. Each hiking is about two hours long and includes transportation to and from the track for around $70 per outing. “Hiking allows dogs lo meet new friends and explore new tracks, smells, and wildlife,” she explains.
Michael Mizenko thinks sending his pet, Ajax, on weekly hikes with Take a Hike has made Ajax a happier dog. Over the past two years, hiking has taught Ajax how to stay off pavement, be more social and remain calm in the car. “It has made him a flexible easygoing guy.” Michael says.
1. Why has pet hiking been popular in these days?| A．Dogs strongly desire their owners to go hiking. |
| B．Animal health specialists recommend people to do it. |
| C．It is beneficial for pets’ shape and health. |
| D．The owner’s house is not big enough for dogs. |
| A．Why Brittany founded Take a Hike. |
| B．How hard the study life of Brittany was. |
| C．Take a Hike is very popular in the neighborhood. |
| D．Dog hiking has brought great enjoyment to Brittany. |
| A．The distance of the track. |
| B．The character of each dog. |
| C．The environment of the track. |
| D．The emotions of both dogs and their owners. |
| A．Every day. | B．Once a week. |
| C．Twice a week. | D．Every other week. |
【推荐2】In 2005, Winston Duncan was traveling with his mother in Southern Africa when he saw an old lady and young boy walking down a road together. He thought of his own grandmother and wondered how he could help the old lady and others in Africa who have to walk a long way.
Duncan, who lived in Washington State was 10 at the time, and his solution was to give them bikes. With his mom, he started Wheels to Africa, an organization that for the past 14 years has taken bicycles donated from residents of the. Washington area and shipped them across the world to people in need.
Most of the 8000 bikes they have collected have gone to countries in Africa, helping cut down hours of walking for students and other postmen. But last week, Duncan, travelled with a handful of volunteers and 400 bikes to a destination much closer to his home yet still in need: Puerto Rico. More than a year after it was destroyed by Hurricane Maria, the island suffers from transportation problems.
"It was a little chaotic (混乱的) — as soon as they got their bikes, they were just having fun riding around the parking lot," said Austin Higgins, a New Jersey resident who recently joined Wheels to Africa as its photographer and videographer. "Some people who received bicycles were almost speechless, and some of them cried, because it was something they had requested for Christmas from Santa Claus," he said.
The donated bikes included some high-end racing models, which went to teenagers interested in pursuing serious cycling.
Duncan recently graduated from Bard College and is in Arlington working at a political consulting firm. He now encourages kids in the Washington area to get involved with the organization, and some have joined him on trips to Africa and on this trip to Puerto Rico.
"I wanted to try to get people to think about giving back,” he said.
1. Why did Winston Duncan start Wheels to Africa?| A．He hoped to make his grandmother feel happy. |
| B．He was fond of collecting different types of bikes. |
| C．He wanted to help the poor people to live better. |
| D．He was greatly supported by his mother to do so. |
| A．It has been managed for fourteen years. |
| B．It has delivered about 400 bikes to Africa. |
| C．It has many young kids as its members now. |
| D．It collects bicycles from all the areas in the U. S. |
| A．The delivery usually meets with some trouble. |
| B．The people who got bikes were excited and grateful. |
| C．It was very difficult for Duncan to collect enough bikes. |
| D．People in Africa required him to dress up as Santa Claus. |
| A．Wheels to Africa. | B．Trip to Puerto Rico. |
| C．Duncan, a Generous Person. | D．Hurricane in Puerto Rico. |
【推荐3】It’s the 3rd Annual Family Fun Fair!
• Games • Crafts (工艺品) • Apple pie contest
• Food • Face painting • Door prizes (门票对号奖)
... and more!
What: A chance to celebrate spring, support our community (社区), and have fun!
When: Saturday, February 8th from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., rain or shine!
Where: The big field next to Hopedale Elementary School
For more information: Contact Peter Halm at 555-0191
Don’t miss the 3rd annual Family Fun Fair!
This fair promises to be even better than last year’s fair — no kidding!
Last year the game booths (摊位) were a big hit. (Who could forget Principal Snyder winning a toy dog that was so big it took four students to carry it to her truck?) This year we have two new game booths. So get ready to take part in the games.
Visit our craft tables. They will be better than ever! You can buy items such as clothing, backpacks, and gift baskets.
Children aged 5 and under can have their faces painted for FREE by Mr. Garcia’s third-grade art class.
No fair would be complete without food. We will be selling hot dogs, ice cream, roasted nuts, and cotton candy at our booths. For those of you who love to bake, why not enter our new apple pie contest? Just bring your pie to the pie table on the morning of the fair. At 1 p.m., our judges, Coach Carter and math teacher, Mrs. Adams, will choose a winner.
Won’t you please support our school by coming to the fair? Tickets are only $2 each. Door prizes will be given. You could win sports equipment, a new camera, or dinner for four at Merino’s Restaurant!
This will be the best fair ever. Don’t miss it!
1. What do we know about the 3rd Annual Family Fun Fair?
| A．It is organized by Mr. Garcia. |
| B．It will be held even if it rains. |
| C．It is only open to children aged 5. |
| D．It will be held inside an elementary school. |
| A．requires the competitors to bring pies they bake |
| B．includes a dinner for four at Merino’s Restaurant |
| C．sells the pies the competitors make in the contest |
| D．teaches the competitors how to bake apple pies |
| A．can enjoy food for free | B．must be good at baking |
| C．will have their face painted | D．should spend $2 on the ticket |
