1. How long did Michael stay in China?
A.Five days. | B.One week. | C.Two weeks. |
A.Russia. | B.Norway. | C.India. |
There are all kinds of festivals and
energetic and important festivals are the ones that look forward to the end of winter and to the
Some
3 . The first day of the month of May is known as May Day. It is the time of year when warmer weather begins. People celebrate the coming of summer with customs that are expressions of joy and hope after a long winter. Today, May Day activities have been moved to the May Day holiday on the first Monday of the month. It is a public holiday when families take advantage of the time off to visit some of the UK’s many attractions, including parks, zoos, historic buildings, ancient towns and villages and beautiful countryside.
May Day celebrations have their origins in the Roman festival of Flora, the goddess of fruit and flowers, which marked the beginning of summer. People would decorate their houses and villages with leaves and flowers they picked at daybreak in the belief that the vegetation spirits would bring good luck. In the very early morning, young girls went into the fields and washed their faces with dew (露水). They believed this made them very beautiful for the following year.
May Day was an important day in the Middle Ages and was a favorite holiday of many English villages. People of the time used to cut down young trees and stick them in the ground in the village to mark the arrival of summer. This is the origin of the maypole (五月柱). People danced around them in celebration of the end of winter. Maypoles were once common all over England and were kept from one year to the next. The tallest maypole is said to have been put up in London on the Strand in 1661. It stood more than 143 feet high and was cut down in 1717, when it was used by Newton to support a new reflecting telescope (反射式望远镜) invented by Dutch scientist Huygens.
1. How do British people celebrate May Day?A.They visit friends and family members. |
B.They celebrate it on the first Monday of May. |
C.They spend a lot of time shopping around. |
D.They show great love for the long winter. |
A.washing the face with dew |
B.going into the fields |
C.picking flowers at daybreak |
D.getting up early in the morning |
A.People climb it on May Day. |
B.It was usually found in the cities. |
C.It dates from the Middle Ages. |
D.People used old, tall trees to make it. |
A.describe Roman customs |
B.suggest spring family activities |
C.explain the origins of maypoles |
D.introduce a British festival |
4 . America is a mobile society.Friendships between Americans can be close and real,yet disappear soon if situations change.Neither side feels hurt by this.Both may exchange Christmas greetings for a year or two,perhaps a few letters for a while-then no more.If the same two people meet again by chance,even years later,they pick up the friendship.This can be quite difficult for us Chinese to understand,because friendships between us flower more slowly but then may become lifelong feelings,extending(延伸)sometimes deeply into both families.
Americans are ready to receive us foreigners at their homes,share their holidays,and their home life.They will enjoy welcoming us and be pleased if we accept their hospitality(好客)easily.
Another difficult point for us Chinese to understand Americans is that although they include us warmly in their personal everyday lives,they don't show their politeness to us if it requires a great deal of time.This is usually the opposite of the practice in our country where we may be generous with our time.Sometimes,we,as hosts,will appear at airports even in the middle of the night to meet a friend.We may take days off to act as guides to our foreign friends.The Americans,however,express their welcome usually at homes,but truly can not manage the time to do a great deal with a visitor outside their daily routine.They will probably expect us to get ourselves from the airport to our own hotel by bus.And they expect that we will phone them from there.Once we arrive at their homes,the welcome will be full,warm and real.We will find ourselves treated hospitably.
For the Americans,it is often considered more friendly to invite a friend to their homes thanto go to restaurants,except for purely business matters.So accept their hospitality at,home!.
1. The writer of this passage must be______.A.an American | B.a Chinese |
C.a professor | D.a student |
A.Friendships between Americans usually extend deeply into their families. |
B.Friendships between Americans usually last for all their lives. |
C.Americans always show their warmth even if they are very busy. |
D.Americans will continue their friendships again even after a long break. |
A.warmly welcomed at the airport | B.offered a ride to his home |
C.treated hospitably at his home | D.treated to dinner in a restaurant |
A.strict with time | B.serious with time |
C.careful with time | D.willing to spend time |
A.Friendships between Chinese |
B.Friendships between Americans |
C.Americans' hospitality |
D.Americans' and Chinese's views of friendships |