Thanksgiving is always on a Thursday. The day after it has been known as Black Friday. It is the start of the holiday shopping season, and it has been the busiest shopping day of the year in the US since 2005.
Most stores offer big sales on Black Friday. They open their doors quite early in the morning. They try to attract shoppers with big discounts (打折). Some items (商品)like TVs and cloths are much cheaper than usual. Stores may even lose money on these items. They hope that shoppers will buy gifts for other people while they are in the store.
Black Friday is a great time to go shopping. However, there are problem. The biggest one is that there are not enough low-priced items. Each store may only have a few. These items are in great need, so people stand in long lines to get them. They may wait three to four hours before a store opens. They may be hoping to get a low price on a TV or computer, but not everybody can get one. Some people leave, disappointed.
The situation makes people worried. Some Black Friday events have been crazy. There have been fights over toys among shoppers. Some workers have even been hurt by large crowds. But most Black Friday events are safe and fun. Still, if you plan to go, you will expect large crowds and a bit of pushing.
So where does the name “Black Friday” come from? It was first used in Philadelphia in the 1950s. The police called this day Black Friday because of the heavy traffic it caused. In the 1960s, stores tried to rename the day “Big Friday”. It did not stick. The name “Black Friday” continued to spread across the country. It seems that it is here to stay.
Now people all over the country take part in Black Friday events. It is even spreading to other parts of the world. Stores have held Black Friday events in the UK, Australia, and Brazil since 2012. In Mexico, stores offer a weekend of discounts every year. They call it “El Buen Fin”, which means “the good weekend” in Spanish. I guess people everywhere like to buy things on sale.
1. Is Black Friday the start of the holiday shopping season?
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2. What is the biggest problem with Black Friday?
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3. How long may people have to wait before a store opens?
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4. Where was the name “Black Friday” first used in the 1950s?
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5. Why do people like going shopping on Black Friday?
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2 . Heilongjiang Province(省) has a great number of tourists(游客)from China and other countries. The province is next to Russia and they have more than 3,000 kilometers of border(边界).
The province has a large forest. Its forest covers(覆盖)nearly 42% of the ground. The forest is the largest in China. In the province,there are also a lot of lakes and rivers,like the Heilong River and the Songhua River,the Xingkai Lake and the Jingpo Lake.
The province is covered by snow and ice for about 120 days a year. This makes it a very nice place to visit in winter. Skiing ,skating,winter swimming and ice fishing all make the Heilongjiang Province a good place during the coldest time of the year.
Fill in the blanks according to the passage. Only one word for each blank.
People at home and abroad (国内外)visit Heilongjiang Province. The province has
3 . When we play a game with our classmates or friends, we usually need to make some rules first. I think it’s very important to have rules.
There are lots of rules in my school. We have to get to school on time. We have to wear the school uniform on Mondays and Thursdays. We can’t run in the hallways. We can’t fight. I think it’s very good to have rules at school.
We have to follow traffic (交通) rules. We can go at green lights (灯) and have to stop at red lights. The traffic rules make us safe (安全的).
When we take a car or sit next to the driver, we have to wear the safety belts (安全带). Also, little children need to take the back seats. The car rules make us safe, too.
Complete the chart according to the passage with only one word for each blank.
Rules | |
Wear the school uniform on Mondays and Thursdays. | |
| Traffic rules | Go at green lights and |
| Wear the safety belts. Little children take the back seats. | |
4 . We make decisions every day. Everything we say and do is the result of a decision. Sometimes it’s not easy to make the right decision. If you have a big decision to make, you may feel afraid. But there are some simple things you can do to make yourself less worried. Keep reading to learn more about how to make decisions.
Write about your fears (畏惧). It may help you know about them and make a better decision. Start by writing about the decision you need to make. Describe or list everything that you are worried about.
Think about the worst situation. Once you write about the decision you need to make and why you have fears, take it a step further (深远). Try to think about the worst result for every possible choice.
Think about whether the decision you make will last for a long time. Once you think about anything that could go wrong think about whether you can change the decision later on. Most decisions can be changed, so don’t be afraid to make a wrong decision.
Judge the following statements true (T) or false (F) according to the passage.1. The writer thinks it’s always easy to make decisions.
2. The writer thinks writing about your fears can help you learn about those fears.
3. The writer advises readers not to think the worst result.
4. The writer thinks it’s important to make right decisions at first, because it’s hard to change them later.
5. This passage mainly gives us some advice on making decisions.
5 . You may think you cannot live through summer without air conditioners （空调）. But in ancient China, hand fans were almost the only ones to help people keep cool.
Chinese people started to use hand fans more than 2,000 years ago. The fans came in different shapes, such as round and square. They were also made from all kinds of materials. Palm （棕榈） leaf fans were cheap and easy to make. Feather fans （羽毛扇） showed the owner’s high status （地位）. Sandalwood （檀香） fans could send out sweet smell.
Later, hand fans became far more than just something that could cool you down. They developed into art works, in which Tuanshan （round fans） and Zheshan (folded fans) were the most common.
In the shape of a full moon, Tuanshan were usually made of silk.They had beautiful birds and flowers on them.Women especially those in the imperial palace （皇宫）, liked to use them. Meanwhile, men, especially the literati （文人）, used Zheshan.The literati liked them because Zheshan were usually made of paper and they could paint and write poems on them.It was a way for them to show off their ability in literature, painting and handwriting.Almost anything can be painted on Zheshan.
Today, Chinese people still use these fans.Next time when you are waving a fan, you may think of the stories behind it.
Complete the chart according to the passage with only one word for each blank.
Stories and Art of Chinese Fans | |
| History. | |
| The number of kinds | There are |
| Palm leaf, feather, sandalwood, silk and paper. | |
| Feathers （特征） | Palm leaf fans were cheap and made Feather fans showed the owner’s status. Sandalwood fans could send out a sweet smell. Tuanshan were enjoyed by women in the imperial palace. Zheshan were |
6 . The Internet is in our life every day. What can we do on the Internet? Here are some useful things that we can do on the Internet.
Education
Someone says having books is necessary when we want to study. It’s not true. We can find almost everything that we want by using the Internet. Many e-books are available, so you can read them online. There are different kinds of educational websites (网站) which make learning a fun activity. A teacher can teach students who live in different places at the same time on the Internet.
Travel all over the world
Internet is useful for travelers. People can read everything about different places in the world. What’s more, in fact, Google Earth makes you visit places that you can go to in difficult parts of world.
Entertainment (娱乐)
Do you like music? You can find and download (下载) any song from the Internet. Are you interested in movies? You can watch any movie online or download and watch it later.
Shopping
Now shopping online is becoming more and more popular and easier in our lives. From food to sports and from clothes to school things and so on, we can buy anything that we want.
Judge the following statements true (T)or false (F) according to the passage.1. We can do some useful things on the Internet.
2. We can find only some pictures that we want by using the Internet.
3. Internet is less useful for travelers from the passage (文章).
4. If you’re interested in movies, you can watch any movie online.
5. Shopping online is becoming more and more popular and easier in our lives.
7 . Do you know how to do goose step (正步走)? Can you make your quilt look like a piece of tofu? You can learn all these skills in military raining (军训). Schools in other countries also have military training programs for students. What do they usually do? Let’s take a look.
South Korea
In South Korea, men between the ages of 20 and 30 must serve in the army (服役). They usually serve for two years. Children also have military training in primary school. They have different kinds of activities, such as hiking and walking through mountains at night. Sometimes, the activities are very hard. For example, students need to exercise in the snow with no shirts on.
The US
US schools don’t ask students to do military training. If children take an interest in the military, they can join military camps. The government also holds activities for children to experience military life. Children learn how to work in a team and work out hard problems themselves. For example, a group has to climb over a high wall. If even one person falls down, the whole group needs to do it again. So everyone must help each other and finish the task together.
Russia
In Russia, boys between the ages of 15 and 16 have to take part in a five-day military training program. They learn skills like shooting (射击), parachute jumping (跳伞) and cooking outside. Students also learn military history. Recently, Russia has encouraged all schoolchildren from 14 to 18 to try military training.
Complete the chart according to the passage with not more than two words for each blank.
Military Training in Different Countries | |
South Korea | ★Elementary school students have different activities. Some of them are very hard. For example, students might exercise in the snow |
The US | ★Children can join military camps if they are ★Children can learn how to work in a team and |
Russia | ★Boys between 15 and 16 need to do military training for ★They learn shooting, parachute jumping, cooking and military |
8 . In Canada, when you see a group of students wearing funny hats or summer T-shirts in winter, don’t get a surprise. Maybe they are enjoying their School Spirit Week.
School Spirit Week is a time for students to show their personalities and class cultures. It is a school festival. Students from primary schools to high schools can hold it in any week of a year. And students’ family and friends can go to the special festival, too.
School Spirit Week usually has a central theme. According to the theme, students wear special clothes and decorate (装饰) their classrooms. Every year, there is a different theme. And the themes for young kids are usually very simple.
Each theme has games, competitions and parties. Students can choose different activities by themselves and they always have fun.
School Spirit Week asks students to use their creativity to make their own clothes. For example, in a fashion (时装) week, students can wear different clothes made of anything on each day. Monday may be funny, followed by Shirt Day on Tuesday and Jeans Day on Wednesday. Thursday can be Sports Shoes Day, followed by School Uniform Day on Friday.
Do you want to have a look at the wonderful photos of the festival? Click (点击) “READ” you will see them.
Judge the following statements true (T) or false (F) according to the passage.
1. School Spirit Week is a time for students to show their love for Canadian culture.
2. Paragraph 3 tells us the activities of School Spirit Week.
3. The themes of School Spirit Week are the same every year.
4. School Spirit Week can help make the students creative.
5. This passage is mainly about an interesting school festival.
9 . Different colors have different meanings.
Black is the color of power. It has the meaning of submission (服从). It is popular in fashion because it makes people look thinner.
White is the color for brides (新娘).White is considered as a summer color. White is popular in fashion because it is light and goes with everything.
Red is a hot and strong color. It can make the heart beat faster. It is also the color of love. Red clothes can make people look heavier. And red things can get noticed. Americans often use it to express heat. They may say they are red hot about something unfair. When they are red hot, they are very angry about something.
The color of the sky and the ocean, blue, is one of the most popular colors. It is often used in bedrooms. Blue can also be cold and make people feel sad.
Green means nature. It’s natural for trees and grass. It is the most comfortable color on the eyes and can improve vision (视觉). It is a calming color. Hospitals often use green because it relaxes patients there.
Yellow is the most difficult color for the eyes to take in. Yellow is sunshine. It is a warm color like red. On the one hand, it is the color of happiness and joy. On the other hand, it means fear and dishonest behavior.
Judge the following statements true (T) or false (F) according to the passage.1. Black is a fashion color because it can make people look thinner.
2. The best color to make an excited person calm down is blue.
3. People like red in fashion because it is light and goes with everything.
4. In the sentence “He is too yellow to stand up and fight”, “yellow” most probably means “afraid”.
5. Of all the six colors, three colors are mentioned as warm colors.
10 . The Ministry of Education (教育部) announced a notice in 2021 that restricts (限制) primary and middle school students from carrying mobile phones to school.
The government wants to improve students’ focus on study and fight addiction (沉迷) to the Internet and games.
According to a 2020 report by the China Internet Network Information Center, China had 175 million Internet users under the age of 18 in 2019. This is worrying, as long-time use of smartphones harms children’s eyesight, cervical vertebrae (颈椎) and even the brain, according to the World Health Organization.
Many schools in Beijing have taken action to restrict students’ phone use at school. According to Zhou Dandan, an English teacher at Beijing No. 20 High School, every classroom in her school has a box to store students’ phones during class.
Li Jisen, a student from Beijing No. 101 Middle School, agrees with the new policy. Li believes that restricting phone use at school is a good way to put the focus back on schoolwork.
However, Liu Yanping, headmaster of First Branch of Beijing National Day School, told South China Morning Post that it’s not wise to take a “one size fits all” (一刀切) method.
Kathy Chen, a parent from Shanghai, allowed her daughter to take her phone to school. Chen said it’s more important to develop kids’ ability to self-manage and develop good habits of phone usage.
Complete the chart according to the passage with not more than two words for each blank.
Notice on phone use on campus (校园) | |
| Target (目标) group | |
| The | To restrict students from carrying mobile phones to school. To improve students’ focus on study. To prevent students from getting addicted to the Internet and games. |
| People’s | Li Jisen: The rules will help put the focus back on schoolwork. Liu Yanping: We should take a method Kathy Chen: It’s more important to help kids develop good habits and the ability to self-manage. |
