The 18-year-old Hope from Arlington, Virginia has a lot of reasons to be happy. Her high school graduation is just days away. She goes to Guatemala in the summer to work there with her church. Then, in the fall, she will head to Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania.
But that is not why she is smiling right now. Tonight, in a beautiful long dress, with her hair perfectly curled, she is excited to be going to prom. A prom is a formal dance for high school students that’s usually at the end of the year.
Prom was born in the United States more than 100 years ago and has spread to other parts of the world. In America, it has become an industry similar to the wedding business. A study done by the American financial company, Visa, found that, on average, an American family spends more than 900 dollars on prom.
Much of it is spent on what the young adults wear to the formal dance. Gowns (礼服) often cost hundreds of dollars. And then there are costs linked to hair and makeup, flowers for prom dates, dinner and transportation.
It adds up. But some students find ways to make the event less expensive. “I borrowed my dress,” says Maggie Kinnett. Like Hope, Maggie is a senior at Yorktown High School in Arlington. She got her makeup done without cost by a professional who is a family friend.
Hope also cuts costs. She bought her dress online for far less than she would have paid in the stores. She also did her own hair. Besides, many girls choose to get ready for the prom with friends. They might get their hair done at a beauty shop together. They might hire a professional make-up artist for a few hours to share the costs.
Probably the least costly thing about prom is the ticket to the dance. Yorktown held its event at a hotel in Arlington. The tickets were $ 45.
1. What makes Hope cheerful at present?| A．The coming college life. |
| B．The ball of high school graduation. |
| C．Her attractive dress and curled hair. |
| D．Her coming high school graduation. |
| A．To save money. |
| B．To get the best effect. |
| C．To win a prize in the ball. |
| D．To compete with other students. |
| A．She shared the cost of makeup with others. |
| B．She rented her dress online. |
| C．She did her hair by herself. |
| D．She got the ticket for free. |
| A．Renting gowns online for prom has become a trend. |
| B．Prom has become a heavy burden for most families. |
| C．The author is against prom due to the high cost. |
| D．Prom has grown as a rising economy as wedding business. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】How to Choose the Best Mother’s Day Gift
Let’s face it, shopping for that perfect gift on Mother’s Day can be very painful.
Remember all the little things.
Mother’s Day is a very special day.
Think about the good old days.
Give her a surprise.
It’s always fun to surprise our mothers and to see the joy on their faces.
Send her a handmade gift.
| A．Making gifts are always better than buying gifts. |
| B．Sometimes a hug and a kiss can be the best gift of all. |
| C．Giving a gift that brings back memories can go a long way. |
| D．Colorful fresh-cut flowers are universally loved and will brighten her day. |
| E．Holding a surprise party for your mom can really make her feel appreciated. |
| F．Nowadays, many people don’t know what to buy for mothers on this special day. |
| G．But that doesn’t mean you should burn a hole in your pocket to buy the most wanted gift. |
【推荐2】No matter where you go around the globe, everybody loves to celebrate. And when it comes to celebration, festivals offer something for everyone.
Mardi Gras （New Orleans, Louisiana）
Also known as Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras in New Orleans is a cultural event. Though the celebration
is held every year on the day before Ash Wednesday, the festivities last for months, banning in November throughout January and early February. And if you love music, check out the annual Galactic concert at the world-famous Tipitina’s on Lundi Gras (the day before Mardi Gras).
La Tomatina （Valencia, Spain）
Launched way back in 1945, La Tomatina is one of the oldest festivals on our list. It's also easily the happiest but the messiest, coming off like the world's biggest food fight.
Legend has it that the whole thing started when some local boys joined a parade alongside musicians. The boys made the performers so angry that they tried hit the boys, and a vendor's (小摊贩)vegetable stand fell victim to the incident.
If you go, please follow some simple rules: Don't throw hard objects, squash the tomato before throwing it, stay a safe distance away from tomato trucks, and stop in time.
Montreux Jazz Festival （Switzerland）
Founded back in 1967, Montreux is one of the oldest music festivals in the world. It's also the second largest jazz festival, after the Montreal International Jazz Festival. That Canadian concert may attract more visitors-around 2 million annually. But Montreux benefits from its pretty location on the attractive shores of Lake Geneva. The area is particularly beautiful in late June/early July, when the festival is held.
1. When is Galactic concert held?| A．On Mardi Gras. | B．On Lundi Gras. |
| C．On Montreux Jazz Festival. | D．On La Tomatina. |
| A．Punish naughty boys. | B．Enjoy musicians' performance. |
| C．Throw tomatoes without hurting. | D．Catch people who destroy tomatoes. |
| A．News report. | B．Academic journal. |
| C．Conceit brochure. | D．Travel magazine. |
【推荐3】''I'd like to play a game. That is so much fun. It's not so very hard to do.''
As soon as I hear ''Simple Simon says put your hands on your head'', I am back in my grandfather's living room on New Year's Day in the early 1970s. It was our family's favorite song to get the party started.
Grandfather's house was the gathering place for my mum, dad, aunties, uncles and cousins to meet up. My mum comes from a big family, so there was always lots of chatter and laughter. Whenever someone told a story they would get up and do all the actions to illustrate it, which was great fun.
Grandfather had a coal fire, so it was always warm, even if it was freezing outside. He sat in his armchair and happily watched everyone dancing while he smoked a pipe.
Once Simon Says had got the party going, other records would follow, such as Sugar, Sugar by the Archies.
Later there would be a sing-along, with everyone taking turns to sing old folk songs such as A Warship Had Landed. I would put my hands over my ears at this one as it was so sad.
Grandfather drove us home as he didn't drink. The road we travelled on was dark. There was one big bump(隆起物) that made us feel as if we were on a roller coaster(过山车). As we approached it, we would shout, ''Go faster, Grandfather! ''
I've been to many New Year parties, but none can match those family get-togethers at Grandfather's. You can keep your Gangnam Style moves—it's much more fun to dance along to Simon Says!
1. According to the text, the song Simon Says _______.| A．was written by the author's grandfather |
| B．was the only song the author could sing |
| C．was the first song the author learnt |
| D．was often played at the author's family's New Year parties |
| A．Explain. | B．Retell |
| C．Represent | D．Comment. |
| A．They never sang sad songs at their parties. |
| B．They were kept warm by a coal fire. |
| C．The author's grandfather liked drinking alcohol. |
| D．Smoking was forbidden at the author's grandfather's house. |
| A．A Beautiful Song |
| B．My Kind Grandfather |
| C．Unforgettable Family Parties |
| D．My Happy Childhood |
A lot of us lose life’s tough battles by starting a frontal attack—when a touch of humor might well enable us to win．Consider the case of a young friend of mine，who hit a traffic jam on his way to work shortly after receiving an ultimatum about being late on the job．Although there was a good reason for Sam’s a being late—serious illness at home—he decided that this by-now-familiar excuse wouldn’t work any longer．His supervisor was probably already pacing up and down preparing a dismissal speech．
Yes，the boss was．Sam entered the office at 9：35．The place was as quiet as a locker room；everyone was hard at work．Sam’s supervisor came up to him．Suddenly，Sam forced a grin and stretched out his hand．“How do you do！” he said．“I’m Sam Maynard．I’m applying for a job，which，I understand，became available just 35 minutes ago．Does the early bird get the worm？”
The room exploded in laughter．The supervisor“clamped off”a smile and walked back to his office．Sam Maynard had saved his job—with the only tool that could win，a laugh．
Humor is a most effective，yet frequently neglected，means of handling the difficult situations in our lives．It can be used for patching up differences，apologizing，saying “no”，criticizing，getting the other fellow to do what you want without his losing face．For some jobs，it’s the only tool that can succeed．It is a way to discuss subjects so sensitive that serious dialog may start a quarrel．For example，many believe that comedians on television are doing more today for racial and religious tolerance than people in any other forum．
1. Why was Sam late for his job？
| A．Because he was ill． |
| B．Because he got up late． |
| C．Because he was caught in a traffic jam． |
| D．He was busy applying for a new job． |
| A．Sam Maynard saved his job with humor |
| B．humor is important in our lives |
| C．early bird gets the worm |
| D．humor can solve racial discriminations |
| A．tried to hold back | B．tried to set |
| C．charged | D．gave out |
| A．Many lose life’s battles for they are lacking in a sense of humor． |
| B．It wasn’t the first time that Sam came late for his work． |
| C．Sam was supposed to come to his office at 8：30． |
| D．Humor is the most effective way of solving problems． |
【推荐2】I cannot stop thinking about the video of a 10-year-old girl facing her fears at the top of a ski jump. Her fear, her courage, her joy, her pride — the whole thing has really touched me. Of course, the video makes me reflect on the times when I experienced the similar feeling. I remember how in those moments every cell in my body vibrated (颤动) with life. But it also reminded me of the times I didn’t choose the more risky options.
I’ve always been a little bit of a chicken when it comes to my physical safety but I definitely pushed myself more when I was younger. Now that I’m a mom, I feel like I have to stay safe. I worry about what my kids would do without me and that leads me to make safe choices.
But as I watch this fourth grade overcome her fears, I think about how much this experience will mean to her in the future; she’ll always have this as a reference point when she comes up against something scary or difficult. She’ll be able to look back on this and say, “Well, I did that and the worst part was the bad feeling at the beginning.”
I know I want that view for my 8-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son. I know I want them to take risks. Maybe not every day, maybe not ski-jumping, definitely not extreme sports, but I deeply hope that they will push themselves to their limits, facing down fear with whatever tools they can use and enjoying the great rush that comes from attempting scary things and getting to the other side of them.
So if I want that for my kids, I have to honestly look at my own relationship with risk and say that yes... I play it safe. And I have to ask myself another question: Am I doing enough? Or do I need to make some changes in my life so that my daughter and son can be inspired to make their own brave decisions?
1. How did the author react when watching that video?| A．She felt ashamed of herself. |
| B．She realized that sport was dangerous. |
| C．She thought of her own past experiences. |
| D．She regretted taking part in some risky activities. |
| A．be careful of her safety |
| B．push herself to her limits |
| C．be overprotective of her kids |
| D．pick up the risky activities again |
| A．having safe choices is important |
| B．taking a risk isn’t as scary as it seems |
| C．overcoming fears requires a long time |
| D．making preparations for future is necessary |
| A．let her kids play with the girl in the video |
| B．certainly allow her kids to try ski-jumping |
| C．use some tools to practice her kids’ courage |
| D．participate in more risk activities to set an example |
| A．Pushing Ourselves to Our Limits |
| B．Paying Attention to Kids’ Activities |
| C．Learning a Kind of Risky Activities |
| D．Encouraging Kids to Choose What They Like |
【推荐3】Adventures expand our world by allowing us to connect with ourselves and others in a new way. Research shows that new situations, especially ones that seem dangerous, force us to face our fear and have positive outlook.
Start small
The risks you’re up for now might look different from the ones you took before. That’s OK.
Start with “I know you’re nervous. This is normal because you’re leaving your comfort zone.”Then write about your skills that will help you succeed and the past experiences where you took a risk and everything went just well.
Change how you view anxiety
Research from Harvard University shows people who take their nervousness about activities such as karaoke singing and public speaking as excitement enjoy the experiences more.
Use your imagination
| A．Talk to yourself. |
| B．Write yourself a letter. |
| C．You may always think about the worst case. |
| D．Pick a manageable activity you can do soon this weekend. |
| E．This may give you a chance to look more confident than before. |
| F．And they perform better than those who try to hold down their worry. |
| G．They may also make us more creative and better able to adjust to stress. |
