Our grandparents seems to have magic powers sometimes. Give them a Chinese lunar calendar
What's the secret? They are following the 24 Solar Terms (节气),
The 24 Solar Terms
It is honored as China's
2 . Ramadan
Ramadan is one of the most important festivals for Muslims. The name of the festival comes from the Arabic month in which it is celebrated. Ramadan is celebrated in countries all over the world, especially in Africa and the Middle East. The time for celebrating Ramadan varies each year. People celebrate it in the ninth month of the Arabic lunar calendar. During Ramadan, people must not eat during the day: from when the sun comes up to when the sun goes down, people celebrating Ramadan will not eat or smoke. When the sun has gone down, however, the celebration begins. People often stay up all night eating, singing and dancing.
Easter
In late spring, many people around the world celebrate Easter. The festival is a celebration of spring and it is also a religious holiday. It is the time for Easter bunnies and egg hunts, and of course for eating lots of delicious foods. Easter is celebrated in late March or early April but the exact dates are different from year to year. People celebrate Easter in different ways: in some countries, the Easter Bunny-a big rabbit-will visit people and children will go on egg hunts, looking for eggs and candy that have been hidden by their parents. In other countries, Easter is a time for children to dress up like witches and go from door to door asking for candy---much like Halloween in the US. The Easter Bunny and the Easter Egg are popular symbols of the festival.
1. The word Ramadan is the name of____________.| A．a person | B．a town | C．a holy book | D．a month |
| A．festivals celebrated in Asia and Africa |
| B．the only festivals that people like to celebrate |
| C．festivals celebrated by people all over the world |
| D．two names of the year |
| A．sleep | B．sing | C．talk | D．eat |
| A．Easter Bunny, Easter egg | B．Easter Bunny, Easter tree |
| C．Easter Man, Easter tree | D．Easter Man, Easter egg |
| A．Tennis shoes. | B．Music records. |
| C．Nothing yet. | |
4 . Then comes the July, and with it are examinations; but these are soon finished and with them ends the school year. Boys and girls have nearly two months holiday before them as they leave school by train and car to return home to their fathers and mothers.
The summer holidays are the best part of the year for most children. The weather is usually good, so that one can spend most of one’s time playing in the garden or, if one lives in the country, out in the woods and fields. Even if one lives in a big town, one can usually go to the park to play.
The best place for a summer holiday, however, is the seaside. Some children are lucky enough to live near the sea, but for others who do not, a week or two at one of the big seaside towns is something which they will talk about for the whole of the following year.
In England, it is not only the rich who can take their children to the seaside; if a factory worker or a bus driver, a street cleaner or a waiter wants to take his wife and children to Southend or Margate, Blackpool or Clacton, he is usually quite able to do so.
Now, why do children like so much about the seaside? I think it is the sand, sea and sun more than any other things. Of course, there are lots of new things to see, nice things to eat, and exciting things to do, but it is the feeling of sand under one’s feet, of salt water on one’s skin, and of the warm sun on one’s skin, and of the warm sun on one’s back that make the seaside what it is.
1. Summer holidays start _______.| A．with July | B．as soon as the examinations are over |
| C．in mid----June | D．in August |
| A．by train only | B．by car |
| C．by bike | D．by either train or car |
| A．nearly three months | B．more than three months |
| C．one and a half months | D．about two months |
| A．swim in the sea | B．play with the sand |
| C．take a sunbath | D．do all of the above |
5 . Here are some recommendations for tourists to choose from.
Banff, Canada
Banff, located in the Rockies, has a view of tall mountains, deep valleys and lakes, making it the first town to become part of the country’s national parks. Tourists can enjoy its beauty by hiking, horse riding and boat trips. Banff was founded in 1883 while a railroad was in construction. It was the water springs that drew the engineers’ attention to the place as a settlement. With such a fantastic view, it’s no surprise that Banff hosts a number of cultural festivals.
Lisbon, Portugal
Lisbon is the capital of Portugal, with the warmest winters of any major European city.
Belem Tower and Jeronimos Monastery are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The former was built in the 16th century as a symbol of Portugal’s Extraordinary Age and the latter is one of the greatest examples of the Portuguese late-Gothic style of architecture. The Lisbon Oceanaium is among Europe’s finest aquariums. The Museu Calouste Gulbenkian is among the best museums in Europe containing priceless artworks covering 4000 years from ancient Egyptian times to the late 20th century.
Portland, US
Portland is frequently recognized as one of the world’s most environmentally-friendly cities because of its well-built pavements, large community of cyclists and convenient public transportation. Its climate is ideal for growing roses and it’s called the “City of Roses”. Besides, the seaport is also known as a city of beer: it has the largest number of beer breweries（啤酒厂）of any city in the world. Today’s Portland is better known for its music. It’s called “the capital of karaoke” and “one of the most exciting music scenes” in the US.
Bordeaux, France
Bordeaux attracts tourists with its rich cultural heritage, especially its wealth of architectural treasures. Besides the Cathedral of Saint Andrew dating back to 12th century, the Basilica of Saint Michael is another one of the city’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It took 200 years to build from 14th to 16th centuries. Other significant buildings include the Grand Theater built in 1780 in the new Classical style and the Stone Bridge built in 1821.
| A．It’s the first town in the country’s national parks. |
| B．It provides impressive view with its natural beauty. |
| C．It provides horse riding, winter sports and boat trips. |
| D．Its water springs drew engineers to build a railway here. |
| A．Lisbon enjoys the warmest winters of all European cities. |
| B．The Lisbon Oceanaium is recognized as the world’s finest aquarium. |
| C．The Museu Calouste Gulbenkian is one of the largest museums in the world. |
| D．Jeronimos Monastary is typical architecture of the Portuguese late-Gothic style. |
| A．Karaoke bars and music. | B．Ideal climate for roses. |
| C．Well-built walkways. | D．Convenient public transportation |
| A．Banff. | B．Lisbon. |
| C．Portland. | D．Bordeaux. |
| A．Banff and Portland. | B．Lisbon and Bordeaux. |
| C．Portland and Bordeaux. | D．Lisbon and Banff. |
| A．Excited. | B．Pleased. | C．Disappointed. |
| A．She went on a trip. | B．She stayed at home. | C．She visited her parents. |
8 . Although English is not as old as Chinese, it is spoken by many people around the world every day. English speakers are always creating new words, and we are often able to know where most words come from.
Sometimes, however, no one may really know where a word comes from. Did you ever think about why hamburgers are called hamburgers, especially when they are not made with ham? About a hundred years ago, some men went to America from Europe. They came from a big city in Germany called Hamburger. They did not speak good English, but they ate good food. When some Americans saw them eating round pieces of beef, they asked the Germans what it was. The Germans did not understand the question and answered. “We came from Hamburger.” One of these Americans owned a restaurant, and had an idea. He cooked some round pieces of beef like those which the men from Hamburger ate. Then he put each between two pieces of bread and started selling them. Such bread came to be called “ hamburgers”. Today “hamburgers” are sold in many countries around the world.
Whether this story is true or not, it is certainly is interesting. Knowing why any word has a certain meaning is interesting, too. The reason, for most English words, can be found in any large English dictionary.
1. According to the writer, English is .| A．as old as Chinese | B．older than German |
| C．not so old as Chinese | D．very difficult to learn |
| A．a kind of food | B．a round piece of beef |
| C．the name of a village | D．a city in Germany |
| A．few Americans like hamburgers |
| B．hamburgers were made by Germans |
| C．hamburgers are made with ham |
| D．hamburgers were sold all over the world about a century ago |
| A．Where all the words come from |
| B．Where those Germans came from |
| C．The reason why a word has a certain meaning. |
| D．The reason why English is spoken around the world |
| A．China because it has a long history |
| B．England because Germans don’t speak good English |
| C．the round pieces of beef which those people from Hamburger were eating |
| D．the city of Hamburger in Germany |
Americans think a great deal of about time. From childhood they learn to value time. As children, they were taught to be on time to go to school, to do work and to do everything. When they are having good time, they say that time flies. When a person is dying, they say he is living on borrowing time.
Time is money, is knowledge, and is everything in America. A working American must work hard for 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week, that is the working time. On his spare time he also works for less money. Even Saturdays and Sundays are filled of activities. In the street you can hardly see a man who walk slowly. They walk very fast. In fact, they are running.
Ramadan is one of the most important festivals for Muslims. The name of the festival comes from the Arabic month in which it is celebrated. Ramadan is celebrated in countries all over the world, especially in Africa and the Middle East. The time for celebrating Ramadan varies each year. People celebrate it in the ninth month of the Arabic lunar calendar. During Ramadan, people must not eat during the day: from when the sun comes up to when the sun goes down, people celebrating Ramadan will not eat or smoke. When the sun has gone down, however, the celebration begins. People often stay up all night eating, singing and dancing.
Easter
In late spring, many people around the world celebrate Easter. The festival is a celebration of spring and it is also a religious holiday. It is the time for Easter bunnies and egg hunts, and of course for eating lots of delicious foods. Easter is celebrated in late March or early April but the exact dates are different from year to year. People celebrate Easter in different ways: in some countries, the Easter Bunny-a big rabbit-will visit people and children will go on egg hunts, looking for eggs and candy that have been hidden by their parents. In other countries, Easter is a time for children to dress up like witches and go from door to door asking for candy-much like Halloween in the US. The Easter Bunny and the Easter Egg are popular symbols of the festival.
1. The word Ramadan is the name of____________.
| A．a person | B．a town | C．a month | D．a holy book |
| A．festivals celebrated in Asia and Africa |
| B．festivals celebrated by people all over the world |
| C．two names of the year |
| D．the only festivals that people like to celebrate |
| A．eat | B．sing | C．talk | D．sleep |
| A．picnics | B．egg hunts | C．trips | D．fighting |
| A．Easter Man, Easter egg | B．Easter Bunny, Easter tree |
| C．Easter Man, Easter tree | D．Easter Bunny, Easter egg |
