A holiday is any day when people lay aside their ordinary duties and cares. The word came from Old English. At first, holidays honored some holy events or persons. People in Great Britain and other countries speak of holidays as Americans speak of vacations.
Every nation has its special holidays. China observes New Year’s Day(January 1), May Day and National Day as it was on Oct.1, 1949 that the People’s Republic of China was founded as legal（法定的） holidays. The Chinese have long celebrated the Chinese lunar year. In the United States, Congress has declared several days as legal holidays such as New Year’s Day(January 1), Martin Luther King, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and so on. Some holidays celebrate special events in the development of a country, such as Greece’s Independence Day and Italy’s Liberation Day.
In the United States, banks and school usually close on a legal holiday. When such a holiday falls on Sunday, the following Monday is usually observed. Schools and organizations often observe days known as traditional holidays, although schools and business do not close then. Those holidays include Valentine’s Day and Halloween.
1. From the passage we know that China’s National Day is on ________ .| A．January 1 | B．October 1 | C．May 1 | D．June 1 |
| A．celebrates | B．spends | C．cares | D．praises. |
| A．China’s National Day. | B．Italy’s Liberation Day. |
| C．Valentine’s Day. | D．Independence Day. |
| A．Sunday | B．the following Sunday |
| C．the following Monday | D．the following Tuesday |
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【推荐1】For many people, Christmas can be a magical day filled with delight. But for those down on their luck or disadvantaged, it can be a time of sorrow and disappointment. That's why the countries of the British Commonwealth have set aside the day after Christmas as Boxing Day, and its purpose was to bring a bit of magic to those who could use it. So what is Boxing Day all about apart from being the day after a Christmas and a time when many of us flock to the sales?
Every December 26, going at least as far back as 1833, the United Kingdom and other countries that are part of the British Commonwealth—including Australia, New Zealand, Canada and India—have observed Boxing Day as an opportunity to provide some holiday joy to those who most need it.
There are competing stories behind the name Boxing Day. One is that it refers to the giving of “Christmas boxes,” a term that originated in the 17th century to describe gifts, money and other leftovers from Christmas that would be given to their servants and employees for having worked on Christmas Day. Basically, Christmas Boxes were holiday bonuses for the working class. The other is that it refers to the “alms boxes” that would traditionally appear in churches for the purpose of collecting money which would be distributed to the poor. The name is a reference to charity donations
The day is still a national holiday in many parts of the British Commonwealth, and while some people still give back to the less fortunate on Boxing Day, it now has the same meaning with spending up big at a department store.
This year, on December 26, consider observing your own charitable Boxing Day Extend longstanding traditions of giving. To borrow from How the Grinch Stole Christmas, your heart just may grow three sizes… instead of your wallet shrinking three sizes!
1. Why do British Commonwealth countries celebrate Boxing Day?| A．To encourage crazy shopping. |
| B．To make people believe in magic. |
| C．To continue the Christmas celebration. |
| D．To holiday joy to the less fortunate. |
| A．The UK. | B．New Zealand. | C．Canada. | D．The USA. |
| A．What Boxing Day is all about. | B．How Boxing Day got its name. |
| C．When Boxing Day is celebrated. | D．Where Boxing Day is celebrated. |
| A．Getting involved in charity work. |
| B．Spending big money in department stores. |
| C．Comparing the size of people's heart and wallet. |
| D．Borrowing the book How the Grinch Stole Christmas. |
This attitude toward manual (体力的) labor is now still seen in many aspects of American life. One is invited to dinner at a home that is not only comfortably but even expensively furnished and in which there is every evidence of the fact that the family has been able to afford foreign travel, expensive hobbies, and college education for the children; yet the hostess probably will cook the dinner herself, will serve it herself and will wash dishes afterward; furthermore, the dinner will not consist just of something quickly and easily mixed from contents of various cans and a cake or a pie bought at the nearby bakery. Instead, the hostess usually takes pride in careful preparation of special dishes. A professional man may talk about washing the car, digging in his flowerbeds, painting the house. His wife may even help with these things, just as he often helps her with the dishwashing. The son who is away at college may wait on table and wash dishes for his living, or during the summer he may work with a group of workers on the highway in order to pay for his education.
1. From Paragraph 1, we know that in America ________.
| A．people feel painful to mention their fathers as laborers |
| B．people tend to have a high opinion of the self-made man |
| C．people can always rise to the top through their own efforts |
| D．college professors win great respect from common workers |
| A．she can hardly afford servants |
| B．servants in America are hard to get |
| C．she takes pride in what she can do herself |
| D．it is easy to prepare a meal with canned food |
| A．wait to place the table |
| B．keep accounts for a bar |
| C．work in a furniture shop |
| D．serve customers in a restaurant |
| A．A Respectable Self-made Family. |
| B．The Development of Manual Labor. |
| C．Characteristics of American Culture. |
| D．American Attitude Toward Manual Labor. |
【推荐3】How to Celebrate Thanksgiving
Celebrated yearly on the fourth Thursday in November, the holiday of Thanksgiving was first observed (庆祝) in 1621 and continues to be an American tradition today.
(1) Make the table merry.
(2)
(3) Spend a little time thinking the meaning of Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is a chance for many families to spend time together after being apart for much of the year.
(4)
| A．Take a long nap after the meal if you’re feeling sleepy |
| B．Consider helping the less fortunate during Thanksgiving |
| C．Enjoy some traditional activities in Thanksgiving holiday |
| D．It is a good time to think the love that you have for one another |
| E．If you want to know how to celebrate Thanksgiving, just follow these steps |
| F．Here are some things you’ll have to do to prepare the food for your holiday |
| G．Arrange the table decorations the day before Thanksgiving if you have a separate dining table |
【推荐1】In a little over a decade, Manas National Park, located in the northeastern India state of Assam, has seen great growth in its. greater one-horned rhino(独角犀牛) population. Plans for bringing rhinos back to Manas National Park were developed in2005, and translocations(转移) began in 2008 with individuals moved to Manas from other protected area in Assam.
During the first translocation in 2008, two adult males were successfully moved from Assam’s Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary to Manas. Over the next four years, 16 more rhinos were translocated to Manas from Kaziranga National Park and Pobitora. The translocated rhinos were radio-collared(套上无线电颈圈) to know about their health, movement, and behavior, and obtain important data for better management and conservation rhinos in the future. Before the translocations, the park was built to provide conditions for protecting the rhinos, since their safety is always a key consideration once the rhinos are moved.
Since 2008, 20 rhinos have been translocated and all translocated females have given birth at least once since they were moved to their new homes, with 26 babies born by April 2020.
Translocation are just one part of rhino conservation. Local communities that live near or share rhino habitats play an important role in helping to keep their population safe. The local government and many people have led efforts to involve local communities in conservation. They have provided support to local community conservation organizations in and around Manas to raise awareness on the importance of conservation in their area and train youth and other community members to help protect the park. In addition, these partners have been supporting communities to develop local tourism and offering communities to develop tourism in the area, which brings in additional livelihood opportunities.
Today, there are around 3,700 greater one-horned rhinos in Asia, up from only 200 at the beginning of the 20th century. While the species continues to face threats from hunting, signs of population growth like those from Manas are certainly cause for hope.
1. Why were the rhinos radio-collared after they were translocated?| A．To collect data for their upcoming babies. |
| B．To guarantee their safety in a certain area. |
| C．To monitor their fitness and how they behaved. |
| D．To improve their well-being and help them move faster. |
| A．They worked rather well. | B．They were easily achieved. |
| C．They led to natural imbalance. | D．They were far from satisfaction. |
| A．Limited. | B．Profitable. | C．Unreasonable. | D．Surprising. |
| A．Trend | B．History | C．Ecology | D．Geography |
【推荐2】Eradajere Oleita thinks she may have a partial solution for two of our country’s continuous problems: garbage and poverty. It’s called the Chip Bag Project. The 26-year-old student and environmentalist from Detroit is asking a favor of local snack lovers: Rather than throw your empty chip bags into the trash, donate them so she can turn them into sleeping bags for the homeless.
Chip eaters drop off their empty bags from Doritos, Lay’s, and other favorites at two locations in Detroit: a print shop and a clothing store, where Oleita and her volunteer helpers collect them. After they clean the chip bags in soapy hot water, they cut them open, lay them flat, and iron them together. They use materials from old coats to line the insides. It takes about four hours to make a sleeping bag, and each takes around 150 to 300 chip bags, depending on whether they’re single-serve or family size. The result is a sleeping bag that is “not allowed water to enter, not heavy, and not difficult to carry around,” Oleita said. Since its start in 2020, the Chip Bag Project has collected more than 800, 000 chip bags and created 110 sleeping bags since last December.
Sure, it would be simpler to raise the money to buy new sleeping bags. But that’s only half the goal for Oleita — whose family moved to the United States from Nigeria a decade ago with the hope of achieving a better life－and her fellow volunteers. “We are devoted to making an impact not only socially, but environmentally,” she says.
And, of course, there’s the symbolism of saving bags that would otherwise land in the trash and using them to help the homeless. It’s a powerful reminder that environmental injustice and poverty often go hand in hand. As Oleita stated, “I think it’s time to show connections between all of these issues.”
1. What’s the aim of the Chip Bag Project?| A．To draw the snack lover’s attention to the homeless. |
| B．To change the chip bags into sleeping bags for the homeless. |
| C．To recycle the garbage to remove the poverty for the country. |
| D．To help solve the environmental pollution caused by chip bags. |
| A．Chip eaters can place the empty bags wherever they want. |
| B．Eradajere Oleita collects the empty chip bags independently. |
| C．The sleeping bags are tough but not easy to carry around. |
| D．The procedure of making a sleeping bag needs masses of chip bags. |
| A．The environmental issues should be stressed. |
| B．Poverty should be lifted out of the homeless. |
| C．The Chip Bag Project will impact the society and environment. |
| D．The Chip Bag Project will be devoted to achieving a better life. |
| A．Chip bags are always used to help the homeless. |
| B．Chip bags are only useful in addressing the environmental problems. |
| C．The issues of environment and poverty will be stressed in the future. |
| D．Environmental injustice and poverty are disconnected with each other. |
【推荐3】The practice of paying children an allowance became popular in America about 100 years ago. Nowadays, American kids on average receive about $ 800 per year in allowance. But the vast majority of American parents who pay tie it to the completion of housework. Although many parents believe that paying an allowance for completing chores (家务活) benefits their children, a range of experts expressed concern that tying allowance very closely to chores may not be ideal. In fact, the way chores work in many households worldwide points to another way.
Suniya Luthar, a psychologist, is against paying kids for chores. Luthar is not opposed to giving allowances, but she thinks it’s important to establish that chores are done not because they will lead to payment, but because they keep the household running. Luthar’s suggested approach to allowance agrees with that of writer Ron Lieber, who advises that allowances be used as a means of showing children how to save, give, and spend on things they care about.
Kids should do chores, he writes, “for the same reason adults do, because the chores need to be done, and not with the expectation of compensation.”
This argument has its critics, but considering the way chores are undertaken around the world may change people’s thinking. Professor David Lancy of Utah State University has studied how families around the world handle chores. At about 18 months of age, Lancy says, most children become eager to help their parents, and in many cultures, they begin helping with housework at that age. They begin with very simple tasks, but their responsibilities gradually increase. And they do these tasks without payment. Lancy contrasts this with what happens in America. “We deny our children’s bids to help until they are 6 or 7 years old,” Lancy says, “when many have lost the desire to help and then try to motivate them with payment. The solution to this problem is not to try to use money as a motive for doing housework, but to get children involved in housework much earlier, when they actually want to do it.”
1. What do some experts think about paying children for doing chores?| A．It may not be the best thing to do. | B．It may not help complete homework. |
| C．It may benefit children in the long term. | D．It may help children engage more in labor. |
| A．strengthen family ties | B．appreciate their help |
| C．motivate them to do more housework | D．teach them ways to manage money |
| A．They should learn to take family responsibilities |
| B．They are too young to request money for what they do. |
| C．They have a natural tendency to help around the house. |
| D．They need a little support to get involved in housework |
| A．Set a good example for children. | B．Accept children’s early bids to help. |
| C．Teach children how to do housework. | D．Reward children for doing housework. |
【推荐1】SHORTLIST OF LONDON'S BEST
If you have limited visiting time we recommend you follow this list.
1) Houses of Parliament. The guided tours of the Houses of Parliament are excellent, in any language you want, and get you to places that even normal Brits can't. However, when Parliament is sitting, they are not running, but you can still get in.
2) Hampton Court. We rate this as one of the best attractions in Europe. A whole succession of kings and queens have added to Henry VIII’s original palace. There lie a fantastic park (by Capability Brown) and gardens (including the famous maze), and Tudor kitchens and one of the last remaining Real Tennis courts. Lots of free (once you've paid the admission) guided tours, some in costume, by people who know and love the place. It's also surrounded by a series of parks and makes a great destination for a bike trip - train out (30 minutes from Waterloo), bike back (12 miles) along the river. We prefer it to the Tower of London - you'll probably want to visit both, it knocks the spots off Buckingham Palace.
3) The River. Walk along the South Bank from Tower Bridge to Lambeth. The best of London is spread out for you: The Tower of London & Tower Bridge, The Houses of Parliament, Lambeth Palace (residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury), Shakespeare's Globe theatre, Both Tate Galleries, St Paul's Cathedral, The South Bank Centre, The Temple, The London Eye, Westminster Abbey, Somerset House. (A 2 hour walk if you don't stop for long). Or you can take a boat out to Greenwich, the Thames Barrier or the Dome.
4) Westminster Abbey. Where they crown Kings. An unreasonable admission charge (should really be free or voluntary donation), but a masterpiece anyway. If you get bored of waiting in the queue, or packed down by the crowds, hurry yourself off to the City where there's more square space of historic church, and empty.
5) The Theatre. It'd be a crime to visit London and not take in a show. Londoners have been passionate about theatre for centuries. Not only is the quality high, but the price is low — one third the price of Broadway.
1. Which tour will a foreign student studying the history of British Royal Family most probably prefer？| A．the tour to Westminster Abbey | B．the tour to Tower Bridge |
| C．the tour to Somerset House | D．the tour to Hampton Court |
| A．when the Parliament is not officially in session. |
| B．when the members of Parliament are debating over a hot issue. |
| C．when the Parliament is staying idle for repairs. |
| D．when the members of Parliament are taking a break after some exercise |
| A．They enjoy the criminal drama plots. |
| B．They enjoy the inexpensive admission. |
| C．They enjoy the Classical Music and Opera. |
| D．They enjoy the scene of Shakespeare’s Globe theatre. |
A remarkable example of classical French architecture, Chambord Castle is the largest castle in the Loire Valley of France. Built in 1519 as a hunting lodge for the royal court, the building was rarely lived in. There are one hundred rooms (of 440) open-to the public and dozens of staircases, including one said to have been designed by Leonardo da Vinci. The surrounding 21-square-mile nature park entertains with hiking and-biking routes and boat rentals.
LEEDS CASTLE, KENT, UNITED KINGDOM
Situated on two islands in the middle of a lake, Leeds Castle provides a grand and romantic experience. It has served as a royal residence for most of its 900-year history. The 500-acre English castle now hosts year-round cultural events, with three restaurants, a bed-and-breakfast and a yew tree maze.
MOSZNA CASTLE, POLAND
Moszna Castle was originally designed in Baroque style in the 17th century, but the later addition of a neo-Gothic brought Hogwarts appeal to the castle, especially at night when its 99 towers and glowing windows twinkle in the outdoor reflecting pool. Nowadays, art exhibits and indoor concerts attract visitors to the 365-room castle.
BRAN CASTLE, BRASOV, ROMANIA
Bran Castle originally dates back to the year 1212 and is mistakenly believed to be the home in Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The author never visited this fortress, commonly known as Dracula’s Castle, but it still attracts literature fans to its weakly-lit hallways for night tours and an annual Halloween party.
1. What can visitors-to Chambord Castle do?| A．Hunt in the nature park. | B．Go boating with friends. |
| C．Live in any of its rooms. | D．Admire da Vinci’s paintings. |
| A．CHAMBORD CASTLE | B．LEEDS CASTLE |
| C．MOSZNA CASTLE | D．BRAN CASTLE |
| A．CHAMBORD CASTLE. | B．LEEDS CASTLE. |
| C．MOSZNA CASTLE. | D．BRAN CASTLE. |
【推荐3】School pupils in England will be grouped into “bubbles” when the new academic year starts in September, with mass activities such as assemblies discouraged under new regulations announced by Education Secretary Gavin Williamson.
School were shut down in March, 2020. Currently around 1.6 million of the country’s 9 million school-age children are back in the classroom, but the government says a proper return in September is “critical to our national recovery” and attendance will be compulsory.
Social distancing will not be applied in schools, and masks will not be worn, but instead so-called bubbles, based on avoiding contact between individual classes or year groups, will be deployed. This will mean separate start and finish times, and also different times for lunch and playtime.
Pupils will be discouraged from using public transport, which could bring many other challenges. Mobile testing units will be sent to schools which have an outbreak, and schools will have testing kits to give parents if required, but if there are two confirmed cases in 14 days, potentially the whole school could be shut down.
Geoff Barton, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, says, “It will be immediately apparent to anyone reading this guidance that it is enormously challenging to implement. The logistics of keeping apart many different ‘bubbles’ of children in a full school, including whole-year groups comprising hundreds of pupils, is incredible.”
Meanwhile, before the much-anticipated next stage of easing lockdown in England takes place this weekend, the number of COVID-19 cases has risen in 36 local authorities across England. Easing measures have already had to be delayed in the East Midlands city of Leicester, but now other spikes in infection rate are being reported all across England. The areas with the largest increases are Knowsley and Bolton, both in the North West of the country, and the London borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. In Knowsley, close to the city of Liverpool, the rate of infection rose from 6 people out of every 100,000 to 20.
1. What does Gavin’s “Students’ grouped into bubbles” refer to?| A．Setting different time for school activities. |
| B．Asking all students to wear masks at class. |
| C．Keeping social distance among all students. |
| D．Calling on students to take a bus for school. |
| A．two cases of infection are proved in 14 days. |
| B．there is a lack of testing units for pupils |
| C．the attendance of students isn’t enough |
| D．the rate of infection rises from 6 people out of every 100,000 to 20 |
| A．Tolerant | B．Doubtful. | C．Hopeful. | D．Ambiguous |
| A．England has already abolished the lockdown. |
| B．More reports are about the spread of COVID-19. |
| C．The infection of COVID-19 is increasing in England. |
| D．COVID-19 is more serious in England than other countries. |
【推荐1】My mother always told me, “You should explore your own country before stepping out into the world. ”However, it seems like a tough mission to travel all across its expansive surfaces. But luckily for me, Via Rail Canada offered youths between the ages of 18 and 25 the chance to ride the train across Canada for the month of July. The ticket was a bargain $150. My best friends Trevor, Joel and Jeremy and I immediately jumped at the opportunity and secured four tickets on the great Canadian railroad.
For a group of 20-year-olds, this was like the first flight of young birds from the nest. When we approached the train station in the morning, our 22-day adventure from Sudbury to Vancouver was to begin. Eyes baggy from lack of sleep, we jumped on board as if it was the train to Hogwarts in Harry Potter. Although the thought of three full days on those tracks covering close to 3, 000 kilometres crushed our spirits a little, what happened next caught us by surprise.
The three days on board turned into a summer camp on rails. At night, we would climb up the glass-domed train car, which gave us a scenic view of the starry night sky, untouched by the harmful light pollution. Before we knew it, the warm sun rays beating down on our faces woke us up for another day on the rails. To my surprise, a sea of golden grain fields dominated the landscape we were in the Canadian Prairies.
Another day slipped away and we set up for another night in the dome. And this time we were greeted by night sky painted by a fantastic thunderstorm. Lightning was striking at an incredible rate. The spectacular and memorable light show left everyone in the glass bubble in complete disbelief.
Arriving in the Rocky Mountains was one of the most surreal experiences of my life. Before the train adventure, if I could have skipped the travel and arrived at the destination, I would have. That is no longer true. I’ve learned that the journey can be more enjoyable than the destination.
1. What has made the author’s train adventure across Canada a reality?| A．The encouragement given by his mother. | B．The appeal of the scenic views in the country. |
| C．The discount ticket offered by Via Rail Canada. | D．His great courage to challenge a tough mission. |
| A．They were excited about the coming train journey. |
| B．They left their parents for the first time in their life. |
| C．They never thought of having a train adventure. |
| D．They were hooked by the magic story of Harry Potter. |
| A．A brain in lack of imagination. | B．The glass-domed train car. |
| C．A summer camp on the train. | D．The sightseeing bus. |
| A．Opportunities are hard to get. | B．Enjoying a journey counts a lot. |
| C．Splendid scenery attracts young people. | D．The traveling experience is not real to him. |
【推荐2】About 30 years ago, I left Cuba for the United States with my son. After getting settled finally in Brunswick, New Jersey, I enrolled(注册)my son in kindergarten. Several weeks later, my son’s teacher asked me to meet him at his office.
In the teacher’s office, an exchange of greetings was followed by his questions:“Is your son mentally retarded(弱智的)? Does he suffer from any kind of mental disability?”
Was he talking about my wonderful Scola? No, no, it can’t be. What a helpless, lonely moment! I told him that Scola was a quiet, sweet little boy, instead. I asked him why he was asking me all these questions.
My son could not follow the teacher’s directions, he told me, and thus, Scola was disrupting the class. Didn’t he know my son did not speak English yet?
He was angry:“Why hasn’t your son been taught to speak English? Don’t you speak English at home?”
No, I didn’t speak English at home, I replied. I was sure my son would learn English in a couple of months, and I didn’t want him to forget his native language. Well, wrong answer! What kind of person would not speak in English to her son at home and at all times? “Are you one of those people who come to this country to save dollars and send them back to their country, never wanting to be a part of this society?”
Needless to say, I tried to tell him I was not one of“those people”. Then he told me the meeting was over, and I left.
As I had expected, my son learned to speak English fluently before the school year was over. He went on to graduate from college and got a job, earning close to six figures. He travels widely and leads a well-adjusted, contented life. And he has benefited from being bilingual(双语的).
Speaking more than one language allows people to communicate with others;it teaches people about other cultures and other places-something very basic and obviously lacking in the“educator”I met in New Jersey.
1. The teacher asked the author to his office _______.| A．to discuss Scola’s in-class performance |
| B．to get Scola enrolled in kindergarten |
| C．to find a language partner for Scola |
| D．to work out a study plan for Scola |
| A．Breaking. | B．Following. |
| C．Attending. | D．Disturbing. |
| A．critical | B．casual |
| C．positive | D．passive |
【推荐3】My wife and I, recently driving through Arizona, stopped at a “collector’s shop” in Tucson, where many kinds of stones and minerals were on display. During the visit, we were taken into a small room where ordinary looking rocks were laid out on shelves. Had I seen them on some hillside, I would not have given them a second thought. Then the man closed the door so that the room was in total darkness and turned on an ultraviolet lamp (紫外线灯). Instantly, the rocks showed a kind of glory. Brilliant colors of an indescribable beauty were there before our eyes: certain power had been switched on, and a hidden world came to life.
As I look at my universe and walk among my fellow humans, I have the deep belief that hidden realities are all around us: there in the physical world, and there also in the human world.
I believe, then, that my chief job in life is to switch on extra power so that I can see what my naked eyes（裸眼）, or my naked mind, cannot see now. I believe that I have to do this particularly with my human fellows. My ordinary eyes tend to stop short at those envelopes we call human bodies. But we have learned that by turning on certain power we can see through to the inside of these envelopes.
We call this extra power “imagination”. At its highest, we call it “empathy”, the power to see through and to feel through to the inner life of other human beings. When we turn on this lamp of imaginative sensitivity, we make the ordinary human beings around us come excitingly alive.
When we are aware that there are glories of life still hidden from us, we walk humbly (谦逊地) before the Great Unknown. But we do more than this: we try to increase our power of seeing and feeling so that we can turn what is still unknown into what is warmly and understandably known. This, I believe, is our great human adventure.
1. Why does the writer mention their visit to the collector’s shop?| A．To share his experience. | B．To explain his point |
| C．To introduce the topic. | D．To provide evidence |
| A．He saw the very rocks on some hillside before. |
| B．Hidden realities remain in the physical world. |
| C．Ordinary minds can never reach other’s inside. |
| D．We should stay humble when we are still unknown. |
| A．we try hard to discover the hidden glories of life |
| B．our eyes stop short at ordinary human beings |
| C．we are aware of the truth of hidden realities |
| D．we walk humbly before the Great Unknown |
