For many, Labor Day weekend signals the end of summer and an opportunity to host a socially-distanced barbecue (an outdoor meal). But this national holiday—celebrated every year in the United States and Canada on the first Monday in September—has revolutionary (革命性的) origins.
By the late 19th century, the Industrial Revolution had made working life miserable for people around the world. In many places, workers toiled for at least 12 hours a day six days a week in mines, factories, railroads, and mills. This holiday actually originated in the US on May 1, 1866, in what came to be known as the Haymarket Riot, workers flooded Chicago streets to demand an eight-hour workday.
It would take another conflict in the American Midwest to make Labor Day a national holiday. On May 11, 1894, workers at the Pullman Palace Car Company, a railroad car manufacturer near Chicago, went on strike to protest their low wages and 16-hour workdays. In August 1893, James Kyle introduced federal legislation (立法) to make Labor Day a public holiday, but for ten months the legislation was put on hold. To quiet the strikers and their supporters, the Senate quickly passed the bill on June 22. The bill passed the House four days later and President Grover Cleveland signed it into law on June 28, 1894.
The holiday is more information May Day labor celebrations. Many observers relax at home or head to outdoor recreational activities, such as boating, barbecues, and camping. It may also be marked with fireworks shows and other events. Labor Day has also become associated with retail sales, as many shop owners try to take advantage of the customers’ day off. It is one of the largest sales events of the year. meaning retail employees actually have to work more on this day. Parades are the most common model of celebration, which often feature processions of labor groups.
1. What do we know about the workers in the late 19th century?| A．They were paid well. | B．They had long workdays. |
| C．They often had a barbecue. | D．Their contributions were recognized. |
| A．Put off. | B．Introduced. | C．Got through. | D．Protected. |
| A．On May 1, 1886. | B．On August 22, 1893. | C．On May 11, 1894. | D．On June 28, 1894. |
| A．The origins of Labor Day. | B．The labor groups achievements. |
| C．The ways to celebrate Labor Day. | D．The official activities on Labor Day. |
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【推荐1】Earth Day was founded in 1970 as a day of education about environmental issues, and Earth Day 2020 occurs on Wednesday, April 22—the holiday’s 50th anniversary. The holiday is now a global celebration that’s sometimes extended into Earth Week, a full seven days of events focused on green living.
By the early 1960s, Americans were becoming aware of the effects of pollution on the environment. Rachael Carson’s 1962 bestseller Silent Spring pointed out the dangerous effects of pesticides(杀虫剂) on the American countryside. Later in the decade, a 1969 fire on Cleveland’s Cuyahoga River shed light on the problem of chemical waste disposal. Until that time, protecting the planet’s natural resources was not part of the national political plan. Only a small portion of the American population was familiar with environmental issues—let alone practiced-recycling.
Elected to the U.S. Senate in 1962, Senator(参议员) Gaylord Nelson was determined to convince the federal government that the planet was at risk. In the fall of 1969, Nelson, considered one of the leaders of the modern environmental movement, announced the Earth Day concept at a conference in Seattle and invited the entire nation to get involved. He later recalled: “The response was electric. Telegrams, letters and telephone inquiries poured in from all across the country. The American people finally had an opportunity to express their concern about what was happening to the land, rivers, lakes and air.”
The first Earth Day was effective at raising awareness about environmental issues and changing public attitudes. According to the Environmental Protection Agency(EPA), “Public opinions polls(投票) indicate that in May 1971, 25 percent of the U.S. public declared protecting the environment to be an important goal, a 2,500 percent increase over 1969.”
Earth Day kicked off the “environmental decade with a bang,” as Senator Nelson later put it. During the 1970s, a number of important environmental laws were passed, among them the Clean Air Act, the Water Quality Improvement Act and the Endangered Species Act, etc. Another key development was the establishment of the EPA in December 1970, which was tasked with protecting human health and safeguarding the natural environment—air, water and land.
1. What do we learn about the circumstances in America before Earth Day was founded?| A．The overuse of pesticides had little impact on the American countryside. |
| B．The fire on Cuyahoga River was caused by improper chemical waste disposal. |
| C．The government highly valued protecting the natural resources on this planet. |
| D．Only a few Americans were familiar with environmental issues and practiced-recycling. |
| A．Nelson convinced the federal government that the planet was at risk. |
| B．Nelson organized the modern environmental movement all by himself. |
| C．The Earth Day successfully aroused the public’s interest in environmental issues. |
| D．The electric power supply had been cut off due to numerous telephone inquiries poured in. |
| A．collect public opinions. | B．kick off the environmental decade. |
| C．change public attitudes. | D．protect human beings and nature. |
| A．Earth Day celebrations have grown and spread around the globe. |
| B．EPA protect human health and our natural environment. |
| C．The environmental laws come into effect. |
| D．Senator Nelson’s remarkable achievements. |
【推荐2】Austin City Limits (ACL) Music Festival is a music event that is held every year. It takes place at Zilker Park in Austin, Texas, and is hosted over two weekends in late September and early October, each lasting three days. It is an event that has grown in popularity since it began and now has as many as 450,000 people taking part in it.
The festival was founded in 2002 and is produced by C3 Presents, which is an Austin-based company. At first, it was inspired by a weekly music series broadcast, filmed live by KLRU, the local Austin television station, which is also called Austin City Limits. The first event was only two days long and 67 bands performed on five stages and the audience was around 25,000.
By 2003, around 100 bands were taking part in ACL Music Festival and in 2004, the event grew to over eight stages and extended (延续) to three days. The top attendance at the event was 75,000 people. The festival even won the Pollstar’s Festival of the Year Award in 2005. That year became known as the “Dust Bowl” year as the festival crowd kicked up so much dust that it was difficult for festival goers to breathe. The organizers settled this problem by using watering devices on the site.
With the exception of heavy rain in 2009, the festival continued over the next few years without any major dramas. In 2013, the organizers decided to extend the event over two weekends. Another important fact about that year was that the event was canceled on the third day of the second weekend due to heavy rain causing floods. Besides, the festival was called off due to the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020.
In recent years, there have been many excellent actors performing at the festival. Other than that, there are many other attractions at ACL Music Festival. These include Austin Eats and ACL Art Market. Furthermore, there is an ACL Cares section at the festival that allows festival goers to give something back to the community.
1. Where did the organizers get inspiration of ACL Music Festival?| A．From a stage play. | B．From a TV program. |
| C．From a wonderful film. | D．From a performance by 67 bands. |
| A．It became a three-day event. |
| B．It was canceled for the bad performance. |
| C．It was ruined by the dust blown by the wind. |
| D．It met some trouble brought by the festival crowd. |
| A．Its time was extended. | B．Its organizer was replaced. |
| C．Its drama style was changed. | D．Its performance form was fixed. |
| A．The Creation of ACL Music Festival | B．The Attractions at ACL Music Festival |
| C．The Influence of ACL Music Festival | D．The Development of ACL Music Festival |
【推荐3】These summer festivals in New Orleans are few of the hottest happenings the City has to offer for holiday seekers.
Oyster Festival
There’s an old saying that it’s only safe to eat oysters in months ending in ‘R’, which was good advice in the age before refrigeration became a fashion. And that’s exactly why originally the New Orleans Oyster Festival was held in June, to break up the myth as locals never bothered to preserve the creatures with their habit of directly eating the seafood, fresh from the sea. Today, featuring oysters harvested from the Gulf of Mexico, Oyster Fest is a celebration of the world’s favorite food. If you’ve ever wanted to enjoy the legendary oysters at Drago’s where the recipe originated or take a bite out of an oyster the size of a hamburger. Oyster Fest is for you.
When to Co: June 3-4
Essence Festival
New Orleans holds a special place in African-American life and history so it should be no surprise the city hosts a festival celebrating African-American music and culture in the United States. With free admission, Essence Festival, organized by the African-American women’s magazine of the same name, is a combination of tour days of dynamic speeches and a showcase of African-American artists.
When to Co: June 29-July 2
Cajun-Zydeco Festival
Southern Louisiana is home to a variety of rich, unique cultures, and on a weekend in June in New Orleans, one of them— Cajun— is on lull display. The heart of Cajun country is in south-central Louisiana, a strong showcase of Cajun culture, for which the Cajun-Zydeco Festival emerged. On the particular weekend, you get ready to chew down on traditional food like Cajun gumbo at eateries, buy Cajun crafts, and purchase a Cajun T-shirt.
When to Co: June 24-25
Running of the Bulls
Due to its history, the Spanish influence still shows itself in New Orleans. The architectural style of the French Quarter is actually from Spain, and New Orleans’s annual Running of the Bulls is, in part, a nod to the city’s Spanish heritage. Unlike the Spanish festival in Pamplona, the “bulls” in the Fest are not actual bulls but the women of the Big Roller derby team. However they do chase down white-and=red-clothed festival-goers, if infuriated. Therefore behave yourself or be prepared to run tor life.
When to Co: JuIy7-9
1. Why was New Orleans Oyster Festival held in June in the first place?| A．Because refrigerator could be used to store oysters. |
| B．Because it was not easy for oysters to go bad in summer. |
| C．Because oysters could be cooked in various ways to extend storage period. |
| D．Because New Orleans oysters were usually seized raw. |
| A．exhibited | B．color-blinded |
| C．angered | D．cheated |
| A．Oyster Festival nowadays is designed for people seeking the history of oyster harvest. |
| B．Essence Festival celebrates the freedom of African-American women. |
| C．Cajun-Zydeco Festival is mainly celebrated through dining and shopping. |
| D．New Orleans has been stripped of Spanish influence. |
| A．Vacation Guide. | B．Genuine Recipe. |
| C．Architecture Vision. | D．Music Billboard. |
【推荐1】A volunteer team in South Africa is rescuing pangolins from illegal trade as the animals face growing threats of extinction.
Pangolins, or scaly ant-eaters as they are otherwise known, are unique species found in Asia and Africa. They are covered in hard scales (鳞甲). When they feel threatened they roll up into a tight ball with only their scales exposed.
Pangolins are little studied and little understood species. However, they are poached and illegally traded in Asia and Africa. Their meat is considered a delicacy in many Asian countries and the scales are used in expensive clothing and handbags. But much of the illegal trade in pangolins involves their scales, which are thought to fight illnesses. High demand for their scales has resulted in poaching and illegal trade despite the fact that the species is protected.
The African Pangolin Working Group in Johannesburg is a volunteer team of veterinarians (兽医) and wildlife experts. They take care of their wounds, feed them and bring them back to health. Nicci Wright heads the group.
“When we receive those pangolins they are all very weak, whether they have been with the poachers for a few days or up to two weeks,” Wright said “They have got wounds and injuries, and it is very pitiful and very difficult to emotionally deal with that kind of suffering and abuse.”
The group is not just treating pangolins. They also help police to identify and catch poachers and traders, often in undercover operations. They also work on anti-trafficking measures. The latest program is to train dogs to sniff out pangolins being hidden and transported.
It is reported that 97 tons of pangolin scales were seized from smugglers who tried to take them out of Africa last year. This amounts to about 150,000 poached animals. However, it’s only about 20 percent of the total number, because the rest escaped with the poachers. “If this trend continues, there is a very likely extinction event for all species of the pangolin,” Wright noted.
1. Why are pangolins considered unique mammals?| A．Their meat makes delicious food. |
| B．They have scales to protect themselves. |
| C．They are in danger of dying out. |
| D．They are little understood species. |
| A．Food shortages in Africa. |
| B．Health benefits of their meat. |
| C．Medicinal value of their scales. |
| D．The demand of fashion industry. |
| A．Catching the poachers and illegal traders. |
| B．Training dogs to find the hidden pangolins. |
| C．Reporting any illegal trade or poaching. |
| D．Treating and tending the rescued pangolins. |
| A．Pangolins’ suffering and abuse. | B．Extinction of all pangolin species. |
| C．A decline in pangolin populations. | D．The research on pangolin’s behavior. |
【推荐2】One of Britain’s most outstanding scientists says the growth in use of electronic tablets and smartphones is causing people to spend at least one hour less outdoors each day, so that they need to take regular vitamin D supplements (补充) to make up for the lack of sunlight they receive naturally.
Speaking at the Hay Literary Festival in Wales, geneticist Steve Jones said he himself was a follower to the cause and urged others to follow. “I never thought I would be a person who would take vitamin supplements, I always thought it was absolute nonsense. But now I take vitamin D every day. Today, because I knew the sun wasn’t going to shine, I took an extra one,” he said.
Exposure to UV light from the sun is the major source of vitamin D. However, people are spending less and less time outdoors in many areas. The problem is particularly serious in Scotland. “The Scots are the palest people in the world…for their entire body systems are crying out for vitamin D,” he said, adding that life expectancy in Scotland is two years shorter than in England or Wales. Multiple sclerosis (多发性硬化症), a medical condition which is often seen in northern Europe, is also higher in Scotland than in England.
Vitamin D helps with the absorption of Ca, which helps keep bones strong, and he said the fact that rickets, a bone disease, was making a comeback in Britain after nearly 50 years was another sign of how changing behavior patterns were bringing physical harm.
Jones admitted that concerns over the damaging effects on skin of long-time exposure to the sun were reasonable, but said sunlight was healthy and necessary for the human body, and could help in lowering blood pressure. “If you lie on the beach for an hour, you will drop your blood pressure by about 10 points, because it relaxes your blood vessels (血管). So, get out in the sun while we still can.” He said.
1. How are people affected by the rise of technology according to the passage?| A．They are more sensitive to sunlight. | B．They take more medicines. |
| C．They get less vitamin D than before. | D．They become addicted to electronic games. |
| A．Skeptical. | B．Cautious. | C．Worried. | D．Supportive. |
| A．Because they are in great need of sunlight. |
| B．Because they don’t’ have sunlight at all. |
| C．Because their blood pressure is very low. |
| D．Because they are easy to suffer multiple sclerosis. |
| A．Get out and gain more Vitamin D | B．Head for the beach and enjoy sunshine |
| C．Keep away from tablets and phones | D．Say no to vitamin D supplements |
【推荐3】Many people think that you need to travel great distances and go on expensive trips to create beautiful photos. If you consider macro photography, which is capturing (捕捉) tiny details, an entirely new world may open for you right in your own backyard. This is what I decided to do to challenge myself recently! I chose a relatively small area in my neighborhood to revisit over a couple of days, but the only rules I gave myself were not to photograph anything above the knees.
Using a 50 mm macro lens (微距镜头) on a traditional DSLR camera, I walked around looking for different opportunities. I also often use two extension (伸缩) tubes, which help me get ever closer to my subject matter and increase the magnification (放大率). In the evening light, the high contrast helps you see small things like jumping grasshoppers or other insects flying around, but during the day it can be more challenging. To find good subject matter, I like to crawl (爬) around and look at the world from a lizard or snake’s point of view. It adds significantly more drama, improves the image. It also has the power to transform a beautiful subject into a beautiful piece of art.
I really also pay attention to the background elements, not just the subject matter, especially with wildflowers. How in focus the background is, or how out of focus it is, can change an image. I like to shoot with a fully blurred (模糊的) background, called bokeh, though sometimes increasing depth of field and not having total blurriness can be beneficial to the composition, too.
You also don’t need a special camera set up to do this. Using a smartphone, you can easily use tools like portrait mode, to help blur the background. Some apps also allow for a greater level of control with depth of field and close-up photography. It’s less about the camera you use, and more all about how you use it!
1. What makes a splendid composition?| A．Taking an expensive trip. | B．Capturing the details of life. |
| C．Shooting anything above the knees. | D．Looking at a beautiful subject. |
| A．A traditional DSLR camera. | B．The ways of macro shooting. |
| C．Shooting down at subjects. | D．Insects flying around. |
| A．background | B．portrait | C．bokeh | D．camera |
| A．My Neighborhood | B．The Backyard |
| C．Crouching down Yourself | D．Macro Photography |
