1 . Thanksgiving is basically a harvest-related festival which celebrates communal harmony. Though this festival is said to have originated in America, a number of other countries also celebrate harvest-related festivals. The festival is observed with different names and in different seasons. In Australia we can see a number of harvest festivals.
Apple Festival & Grape Festival
The harvest for apples and grapes takes place in the month of March in Australia in the granite belt, a special area. The festival is celebrated for 3-4 days. During the festival, various cultural and fun events are organized. Activities like grape crushing competitions, apple picking competitions, street carnivals (狂欢), and grand parades are also part of the festival.
Renmark Orange Week Festival
In August or September, the large orange growing area along the Murray River in South Australia holds a festival in Renmark, which is called the Renmark Orange Week. All kinds of games, competitions and fun last for a week during the carnival. Fireworks are another feature of the festival. The two varieties that are being harvested in Australia are the Valencia, which is from October to May and the Navel, which is from May to October.
Cane Festival
The cane is harvested from June to December in Australia. Most of the cane crop is grow n in Queensland and some in Maclean, New South Wales. And June is time for cane festivals. Just before harvest, the cane is burnt to remove dead leaves and to drive out pests. Machines are being used to cut the cane to the ground.
Wheat Festival
Wheat is harvested in the month of December and is usually finished by the end of January. Harvesting is done by machines. A new harvester invented by Headlie Taylor makes it easier to harvest crops which get flattened or damaged by bad weather.
1. Which festival takes place in June?| A．Cane Festival. | B．Wheat Festival. |
| C．Renmark Orange Week Festival. | D．Apple Festival & Grape Festival. |
| A．Appreciate fireworks. | B．Taste delicious grape wine. |
| C．Join in apple eating competitions. | D．Take part in grand parades. |
| A．Wheat Festival begins in January. |
| B．Harvest-related festivals originated in America. |
| C．Oranges are being harvested in Australia all the year round. |
| D．Renmark Orange Week Festival takes place in the granite belt. |
1. What mainly made the man hesitate to visit the White House?
| A．Lack of interest. | B．The tight security. | C．The historical atmosphere. |
| A．From the website. | B．From the local paper. | C．From the travel guide. |
| A．In the White House. | B．In a dining hall. | C．At an airport. |
| A．Serious. | B．Humorous. | C．Careful. |
| A．He lives far away from the company. |
| B．His bicycle was broken. |
| C．Taking the bus is the most convenient. |
| A．Hot pot materials. | B．Chinese textbooks. | C．Delicious cakes. |
1. adj.焦虑的；不安的
2. on average
3. n. 志愿者
4. immediately
5. vi. & vt.申请；请求 vt. 应用；涂
6. donate ...to
7. n. 智慧;才智
8. worthwhile
9. vt. 欣赏；重视；vi.增值
10. positive
| A．Paris. | B．Rome. | C．Vienna. |
7 . Wildlife Volunteer Programs for Teens
Age: 14-17Duration: 2 weeks
Wildlife Orphanage Program, Zimbabwe
At one of the most successful wildlife care centers in Zimbabwe, volunteers work with wildlife ranging from monkeys to lions. These animals have been abandoned, injured, or rescued from illegal wildlife traders. Tasks include preparing food, cleaning out yards, and contributing enrichment ideas. Leisure time can be spent visiting Victoria Falls and Hwange National Park.
Age: 13-15Duration: 4 weeks
Sea Turtle (海龟) Conservation Program, Greece
With this program, teens can help the endangered sea turtle while working alongside experts. Volunteers can expect long walks along the beach watching over sea turtles nesting areas or building fences to protect them from natural enemies. Volunteers will also have the opportunity to explore ancient ruins and sample delicious Greek cuisine.
Age: 17-19Duration: 3 weeks
Yucatan Peninsula Program, Mexico
With this program, volunteers will learn about the issues facing the marine (海洋的) ecosystem, including pollution, overfishing, and climate change. Teens will gain valuable skills on how to conduct deep sea research and identify fish species. During free time, participants can explore Mayan ruins set in tropical (热带的) jungles.
Age: 16-18Duration: 2 weeks
Preserving Nature’s Wonders Program, Galapagos
Volunteers joining this program help restore the natural habitat of native wildlife, which is in danger of losing its habitat. This program gives teens an experience of a lifetime where they can swim with sea lions and spot rare wildlife in one of the last untouched places on earth.
1. Where should teens go if they want to look after wounded animals?| A．Zimbabwe. | B．Greece. | C．Mexico. | D．Galapagos. |
| A．Visit a national park. | B．Enjoy tasty local food. |
| C．Set foot in an untouched place. | D．Explore ancient ruins in tropical jungles. |
| A．The Wildlife Orphanage Program. | B．The Sea Turtle Conservation Program. |
| C．The Yucatan Peninsula Program. | D．The Preserving Nature’s Wonders Program. |
8 . More people than ever are interested in learning to speak Chinese. The challenge that many face is finding the best resources to learn this new language. Fortunately, there are 4 amazing tools that can make learning Chinese much easier.
HelloTalk
This is an app that connects anyone interested in learning a foreign language to a native speaker who is willing to engage in conversation with learners, and help them practice and master their new language. It includes a voice-to-text feature that is perfect if you cannot understand your conversation partner. The text- to-voice feature that is included helps you to learn the proper pronunciations.
iTalki
No tool is going to take the place of one-on-one interaction(互动) with a real person. This is why iTalki is one of the most popular online language learning systems. If you join the iTalki community, you will be connected with an instructor who is a native speaker. They will work with you one on one to improve your vocabulary and conversational language skills.
FluentU
FluentU has made a wide variety of videos for your viewing pleasure. Each one is in Chinese and is a real-world movie or video. With FluentU, you can interact with the videos, pause and get pronunciation and definition information. In addition to this, there are quizzes(小测验) added to the videos to help you evaluate your own progress.
Pleco
This mobile app was designed specifically to help users learn Chinese. It includes an OCR reader that can be used to scan(扫描) Chinese language characters for translation, the ability to translate Chinese words from other apps and web pages, a document reader and an audio translator. It also comes with several dictionaries and the ability to create flashcards.
1. What’s the advantage of iTalki over other tools?| A．Providing one-on-one instruction. | B．Providing various learning videos. |
| C．Providing the text-to-voice feature. | D．Providing interesting playing games. |
| A．They offer the most famous learning tools. | B．They record your learning process directly. |
| C．They help you improve your pronunciation. | D．They provide you with various funny videos. |
| A．HelloTalk. | B．iTalki. | C．FluentU. | D．Pleco. |
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10 . Brightly—Raise Kids Who Love to Read
We believe reading has the power to improve kids’ lives and link members of a family by creating a space in which children and the adults in their lives can spend quality time together. But we also know how hard it can be to find the right book. That’s where Brightly comes in.
Editorial Mission
Brightly provides passionate parents, educators, and caregivers with the tools they need—such as tips and advice, book recommendations, and Brightly Storytime—to keep kids connected to books. We take pride in working with a diverse group of contributors, authors, and partners who cover a wide range of topics for readers of all ages in order to develop a love of books and reading in children.
Brightly Shop
Over the years, countless readers have come to us searching for gifts for the young bookworms in their lives. While it’s always been our mission to provide content that offers great book recommendations, your feedback has helped us realize the value of a more browsable, store-like experience.
The Brightly Shop helps to find exceptional book gifts for kids by offering a diverse collection of age-appropriate titles for kids ages 0–8. Whether you’re looking for a baby shower gift, birthday present, or just want to treat the child in your life to a great book, each title in the Shop is hand-selected by our editorial team—with more added every week—to bring you a satisfactory book buying experience.
We hope you’ll take a moment to browse our Shop and let us know what you think! Send us an email at shop@readbrightly.com.
Contact
We’d love to hear from you! Reach out by emailing hello@readbrightly.com—we’re listening!
1. What does Brightly think of reading?| A．It demands proper guidance. | B．It requires quality family time. |
| C．It helps to keep families connected. | D．It promises to interest people of all ages. |
| A．Leave their feedback. | B．Update its weekly book list. |
| C．Share their reading experiences. | D．Get a free book on their birthdays. |
| A．The power of reading. | B．A pretty useful website. |
| C．How to choose books for kids. | D．How to make kids love reading. |
