【推荐1】Mexico takes the third place in the most - attended carnival celebrations behind Rio de Janerio in Brazil and New Orleans in the US. While carnival is celebrated in Mexico in all major cities, the celebration in Mazatlan is the most expected.

Every year, over 300,000 people attend the carnival celebration in Mazatlan in Mexico. It is a popular destination for carnival festivities along with other Mexico's famous port cities like Veracurz, Ensenada, and La Paz. If you're planning to visit Mexico to observe this famous celebration, it is advisable to book months before the actual date as boarding and lodging(食宿费)rise sharply during the holidays.

People from all walks of life actually participate in this yearly festive celebration. It has become a part of people's way of life both for Catholics (天主教徒)or non- Catholics. People in the US celebrating this tradition and some parts of South America throw confetti eggs(五彩蛋)to one another as part of the tradition's practice. This is believed to bring good luck to the person who' s hit by it.

Besides the above activities, masquerade (化妆)balls and rides that charge entrance fees are available. In the evening, a grand firework display awaits audience and participants.

During the last day of the celebration, South American countries such as Mexico conduct cultural awards including poetry contest and so on. The Clemencia Isaura Poetry recognizes and awards the person with the best unpublished work in Mexico.

If you are a partygoer and looking for the best event to be at... then this is the best party celebration you should participate in. South American countries are the best place to be at for this type of celebration including New Orleans in the US.

1. _______is the first place in the most - attended carnival celebrations.

A．Mexico.	B．Rio de Janerio.
C．New Orleans.	D．Sao Paulo.

2. If you plan to see the carnival celebration in Mazatlan, you'd better _______ .

A．reach there by plane.

B．bring more money with yourself.

C．book accommodations in advance.

D．visit Mexico's famous port cities.

3. In Paragraph 3, the underlined part " people from all walks of life"   means people_______.

A．walking in different ways.

B．having different interests in life.

C．coming from different parts of the city.

D．working in different occupations.

4. What happens last during the carnival celebrations?

A．Throwing confetti eggs.	B．Poetry contests.
C．Masquerade balls.	D．A grand firework display.

【推荐2】While the United States celebrates Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November every year, some Americans mark the day with sadness. The United American Indians of New England call the national holiday a National Day of Mourning. They will mark the day in Plymouth, Massachusetts, the place where some of North America's first European settlers landed. Organizers describe the event as a time to remember “the genocide (种族灭绝) of millions of native people, the theft of native lands and the attack on native culture.”

Native American groups have been holding the National Day of Mourning since 1970. But they say their message is especially urgent now. That is because the town of Plymouth is getting ready to hold a number of events marking the settlers' arrival. The original settlers, known as the pilgrims (清教徒), first landed in the Native Americans' land, which is now Massachusetts, nearly 400 years ago. As the anniversary nears, the native people whose ancestors met the pilgrims want to make sure the world hears the whole story. The Wampanoag tribe helped the European settlers survive. Its members say the settlers brought diseases, racism and oppression.

On November 28, 2019, people Taking part in the National Day of Mourning gathered on Cole's Hill. The hill overlooks Plymouth Rock, a memorial to the colonists' arrival. The area also has a large statue of the Wampanoag leader in 1620. At the gathering, Native Americans from tribes around New England beat drums, offered prayers and read speeches. Then they marched through the streets of Plymouth joined by like-minded supporters.

Organizers said that the marchers called attention to the situation of missing and murdered native women. They also noted government action on migrants from Latin America and the detention (拘留) of children.

Paula Peter is a Wampanoag writer and activist. Peters sees progress in how Americans think about their history. They are starting to look past the false Thanksgiving story about pilgrims and natives living peacefully together, she says, She adds that the work of native groups continues to honor their ancestors. They are taking their history out of the margins and moving it to the center of attention.

1. Some Americans mourn on the day of Thanksgiving in memory of ________.

A．the death of native people.	B．the damage to native lands.
C．the loss of native culture.	D．the ruin of native places.

2. Why is it urgent for the Native Americans to spread their message now?

A．It has been 50 years since the last mourning day was held.

B．Events marking the settler's arrival are going to be held.

C．The world needs to know the truth about the pilgrims.

D．Native people are suffering racism and oppression now.

3. What happened on the National Day of Mourning 2019?

A．People gathered at Plymouth Rock.	B．Natives prayed and read speeches.
C．Americans won supporters in the streets.	D．Marchers looked for missing native children.

4. Paula Peter’s attitude towards the mourning day is ________.

A．critical.

B．indifferent.

C．tolerant.

D．supportive

【推荐3】Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving Day is always celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. It is the most traditional(传统的)of American holidays. The first Thanksgiving was held in Massachusetts in 1621. After a year of hard work, the Pilgrim colonists wanted to give thanks to God for their first harvest. They invited their Indian friends to join them in a big feast. Today the holiday is still celebrated as a day for giving thanks. It is a day of family get-together and it is common to invite friends to share the meal. In some large cities, there are carnival parades (花车游行) for children. In other cities, there are important football games that are played on Thanksgiving Day.

In my family, we always go to my grandmother’s house on Thanksgiving Day. All my aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews, and nieces gather for a family homecoming. We always invite some friends to join us. Everyone is glad to see everyone else and there is a very busy talk about everything we know. The women soon disappear into the kitchen to help my grandmother prepare the dinner. The men, meanwhile, settle down to watch a football game on television or to discuss business or polities. If the weather is fine enough, some of the men go outside to play ball with the children. At about four o'clock we all sit down to dinner. My grandfather gives thanks for all that we have received from God and then he starts to cut the turkey. We always have the traditional dinner of stuffed turkey, cranberry sauce, apple cider, sweet potatoes, chestnuts, and pumpkin pie. After dinner, no one can move and we all sit around and talk, play word games, or tell jokes until it is time to go home. It is always difficult to leave because Thanksgiving Day is one of the few days of the year when all the families get together.

1. Thanksgiving Day was at first held __________.

A．to give thanks to each other for their harvest

B．for family members to get together

C．to invite one's friends to dinner

D．for people to express their thanks to God

2. Thanksgiving Day __________.

A．became traditional in America in the 16th century

B．has long been popular in the West

C．has long been a holiday for the Americans

D．is a holiday only in a few states in the United States

3. The Pilgrim colonists were __________.

A．the early people who got to America from Europe

B．the early American Indians

C．the early businessmen from other countries

D．the early businessmen who lived in the cities

4. Today, Thanksgiving Day is __________.

A．a day to pray to God for a good harvest

B．a family holiday only

C．a happy holiday for all the families and friends

D．a day to have a good rest and eat a lot

5. We can see Thanksgiving Day is a holiday to the Americans as__________to Chinese.

A．Spring Festival	B．Mid-autumn Day
C．New Year’s Day	D．National Day

【推荐1】“Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything,” the ancient Greek philosopher Plato said.

This is one of Don Spencer’s favorite mottos that he firmly believes. “We know that music brings joy and comfort, and makes us feel happy,” Spencer says, “but research has also discovered music plays a powerful role in the mental development of children. Music inspires creativity, imagination and self-expression. It also builds self-respect and is good for memory skills.”

The power of music

Much research supports both Spencer and Plato. A study by Stanford University found that musical training improves the way the brain processes the spoken word.

Research from Canada found that children aged four to six years old who had music lessons had better memories, as well as higher abilities to read and write and math levels.

Not in the curriculum (课程)

Research from Australia shows it’s not that smart kids play music, but that music makes kids smarter. It supports Spencer’s call for music to be a standard part of the school curriculum, like English and Math.

“Music is everywhere, but not at 75 percent of public schools around Australia that don’t have a devoted music teacher,” Spencer says. “It’s sad that many children don’t get formal music education, particularly when it has such an effect on a child’s development.”

Ideally, Spencer would like every child to learn an instrument. “Kids can play cheap instruments like a ukulele, recorder or harmonica,” Spencer says. “The Internet has a lot of free videos which teach you how to play instruments.”

“I can’t stress enough how important music is,” he says. “It builds relationships, unites people and, most importantly, it is fun.”

1. Why are Plato’s words mentioned at the beginning of the passage?

A．To show Spencer admires Plato.	B．To show everything is based on music.
C．To show music has great effects.	D．To show music was important in ancient times.

2. What can we learn from the research from Australia mentioned in the passage?

A．Music can make children cleverer.

B．Children aged four to six have better memories.

C．There are no good music teachers in Australia.

D．Music is a standard part of the school curriculum in most schools.

3. What can be inferred from the last but one paragraph?

A．Learning music doesn’t cost too much.	B．There is less importance in listening to music.
C．Parents should meet children’s needs in music.	D．Children can easily master an instrument.

4. What might be the best title for the passage?

A．When Music Is Taught	B．Why Music Matters to Children
C．Why We Learn Instruments	D．How Children Learn Music

【推荐2】阅读下面短文，根据所读内容在表格中的空白处填入恰当的单词。
注意：每个空格只填一个单词。
Many people believe that classical music is not relevant music is not relevant to young people today . However, this issue (问题) frequently causes heated debate.
Some people say that classical music is associated only with old people .For example, if you look at the audience at a classical concert , the majority is over the age of fifty.
Others say it is more popular than we first imagine . Many young people listen to classical music without realising .It is often used in films and advertisements. For example.a famous piece of classical music was used as the theme music for the 1990 World Cup . Not many people could have given its name , but millions enjoyed it .
Also,some people point out that young people produce new music based on classical ideas: for example, it is said that rap(说唱)music was invented by a classical musician in 1912, but it is now used by young people in pop music.
However, young people point to the fact that classical music has been outstripped(超越) by technology. To play a classical instrument, such as a violin, you need to study hard and practise for hours. Nowadays, you don't need to get aching arms from practising. A teenager can write and make music using a computer program in the comfort of their own bedroom.
A final point to in mind is that the term "classical music" is used to refer to a great variety of music, from jazz to pieces   for large orchestras(管弦乐队).This makes it even more difficult to say whether classical music is relevant to young people.
So, it may be only a minority of young people who play classical instruments , but when it comes to enjoying classical music, it depends on the piece of music. It may be more relevant to young people in the modern world than they realise!

Title	Classical Music
Introduction	The issue of whether classical music is     1    to young people causes heated debate.
Opinions		Evidence
★ Classical music is associated only with old peonl.		☆     2    of the audience at a classical concert are over fifty.
★ Many young people don’t    3     some music they listen to is classical.		☆ Classical music is often found in films and advertisements.
★ Classical ideas provide a    4     for producing new music.		☆ Young people now    5    rap in popular music.
★     6    has put classical music at a disadvantage.		☆ A young man can write and make music on a computer    7    in his bedroom.
★ “Classical music”can refer to various     8    of music.		☆ Classical music    9    from jazz to pieces for large orchestras.
Conclusion	Classical music may still be    10    by young people today.

【推荐3】Successful films and TV programs make large amounts of money, and so do the performers who appear in them. A few big shows can make a rock musician a millionaire (百万富翁) in a very short time. High art, however, has serious financial (财政的) problems. It costs more to put on an opera (歌剧)concert, or ballet (芭蕾) than the sale of tickets can bring in. Men and women interested in high art are always being asked to give money to make future performance possible. Small government subsidies (津贴) have also helped to support the arts in the last few years.

1. It is easier for ______ to make money.

A．an opera performer	B．a pianist
C．a ballet actor	D．A rock musician

2. High art has financial problems because ________.

A．no people would offer money for it

B．it is not supported by the government

C．it cost much but not many people enjoy it

D．prices of tickets for it are not high enough

3. The government has given ________ money to support _______ in the last few years.

A．a large amount of… high art	B．a small amount of… high art
C．little… all kinds of art	D．plenty of… popular art

4. From the passage we can concluded (推断) that ________.

A．high art is not enjoyed by young people

B．successful films and TV programs are called high arts

C．all people enjoy popular art instead of high art

D．most people like popular art better than high art

【推荐2】Qibao Ancient Village

Qibao, located in the center of Minhang District, Shanghai, is a village with a history of one thousand years. In the village, wine and tea are served on old-fashioned square tables together with long benches, long-mouth copper pots and flat-end chopstick used. The most famous snacks in old Shanghai are square pastry, rice wine and steamed salted pork in wine.

Entrance Ticket: 45 yuan per all-in-one ticket (preferable price of 30 yuan is available now), covering almost all tourist attractions inside the village.

Telephone: 021-21087225

Jinshan Village of Farmer Painting

Villagers skillfully make good use of folk arts such as printing and dyeing, embroidery (刺绣), wood carving. They take the various folk customs and the busy scenes of labor of villagers in the lower Changjiang valley as the theme of paintings and create farmer paintings in a simple style.

Entrance Ticket: 30 yuan/person

Telephone: 021-57355555

Merry Countryside Tour in Zhonghua Village

The village provides tourists with accommodations, tours, chess, cards, fitness and entertainment through renting out separate farmhouse and sells tourist products and agricultural by-products related to the merry countryside tour.

Entrance Ticket: Free Telephone: 021-57395433

Pudong Lingkong Agric Gardening

It is one of Shanghai countryside tour scenic spots, which features art of teapots, crop plantation and export. The Geological Science Popularization Hall stores up tens of thousands of rare stones collected all over the world.

Entrance Ticket: 50 yuan /person

Telephone: 021-33935557

1. What can you do when you are in Qibao?

A．Enter the village for free.	B．See busy scenes of labor of villagers.
C．Experience various folk customs.	D．Taste steamed salted pork in wine.

2. Where should you go if you are interested in stone collecting?

A．Jinshan Village.	B．Qibao Ancient Village.
C．Zhonghua Village.	D．Pudong Lingkong Agric Gardening.

3. What theme is shared by the four tours?

A．City developments.	B．Countryside life.
C．Traditional customs.	D．Agricultural achievements.