Halloween was first celebrated over two thousand years ago in Great Britain and Ireland. They celebrated the end of the harvest and beginning of winter with a festival called Samhain（萨温节）. People wore masks and costumes during their celebrations to honor or mimic(模仿) ghosts. After that, holidays were added and changed. November 2nd became All Saints' Day, to honor saints. November 1st became All Souls' Day, or All Hallows' Day, to remember those who had died. Some children may know that is a holiday celebrated in many parts of Mexico. This holiday falls on All Souls' Day. October 31st became All Hallow's Eve, or the evening before All Hallows' Day. The name became shortened to Halloween.
Since Halloween falls near the end of the harvest, many traditional foods are associated with （与……相关联）the fall season, including pumpkins, apples, popcorn, and nuts. Candy "corn" is a nod to the fall harvest as well. There are many symbols on Halloween, such as skeletons （骷髅）, ghosts, black cats, witches, and a full moon.
Today, people still dress up for Halloween. They also give out food to trick-or-treaters, who come to their doors. While many trick-or-treaters receive treats or snacks, some also collect money for charities. Charity is a group that does good things for some people. And Halloween might be a good opportunity to help a charity.
1. Which one is not common Halloween tradition?
A.Wearing costumes and going trick-or-treating,
B. Bobbing for apples and carving jack-o-lanterns.
C. Eating Moon cakes.
2. Where did people celebrate the first Halloween?
A.In Great Britain and Ireland.
B. In America.
C. In England.
3. When is Halloween’s Eve?
A. November 1st.
B. October 31st.
C.December 1st.
4. Which one is NOT traditional food on Halloween?
A.Popcorn and nutsB.ChickenC.Apples
5. What DON’T people do on Halloween?
A.Trick-or-treat.
B. Dressing up the tree.
C.Eating pumpkin pie.
One day a poor farmer was taking a bag of rice to town. Suddenly the bag fell off his horse on the road. He didn’t know what to do about it because it was too heavy for him to lift by himself. He only hoped that somebody would soon pass by and help him.
Just at this moment a man riding a horse came up to him. But the farmer was very disappointed when he saw who he was. It was the great man living nearby. The farmer had hoped to ask another farmer or a poor man like him.
But to his surprise, the great man got off his horse as soon as he came near. He said to the farmer, “I see you need help, friend. How good it is that I’m here just at the right time.” Then he took one end of the bag, the farmer took the other. They together lifted and put it on the horse.
“Sir,” asked the farmer, “how can I pay you?”
“It’s quite easy,” the great man answered with a smile, “wherever you see anyone else in trouble, do the same for him.”
1.What happened when the farmer went to town?
A. His horse’s leg was hurt
B. The bag fell from his horse.
C. The farmer lost his bag.
2.The farmer couldn’t lift the bag onto the horse by himself because ________.
A. the bag was broken
B. the farmer was too old
C. the bag was too heavy for him to lift
3.Why was the farmer very disappointed when he saw the great man?
A. Because he thought the great man couldn’t help him.
B. Because he thought the great man could take away his bag.
C. Because he thought the great man couldn’t see him.
4.Who helped the farmer?
A. The great man.
B. Another farmer.
C. A poor man like him.
5.If you see someone in trouble, what will you do?
A. I’ll give some help if I know him or her.
B. I won’t give any help unless he or she pays me money.
C. I’ll volunteer to help him or her.
Survey: What were you scared of when you were a kid?
I was scared of spiders but I didn’t let my friends know because all of them liked catching these spiders. I was terrified but I just acted cool. — Buding, still afraid of spiders |
I was scared of the dark because I didn’t know if there was something scary inside the room. As a result, I always liked sleeping with my back facing the wall because it made me a little comfortable. — Gerard, not so afraid of the dark anymore, but still sleeps with his back facing the wall |
Strange as it probably sounds, I was scared of shadows (影子). Not the shadows themselves, but what they formed (形成). Because I was near-sighted, the shadows I saw formed into the scariest things I saw in my mind. — Jean, no longer afraid of shadows |
I was afraid of the old woman who lived alone right in front of us. Very large trees covered the front part of her small house. The few times I saw the old woman, it scared me because she looked like a witch (女巫). Once I was playing volleyball with my friends and the ball flew into her house. We all ran home quickly and decided that it was okay to lose the ball instead of seeing her come out of the house. — Mac, who has already moved to a different house |
1. Buding used to be afraid of .
A. the dark B. spiders C. shadows
2. Gerard sleeps .
A. with the light on
B. with his parents
C. with his back facing the wall
3. There is something wrong with Jean’s .
A. legs B. back C. eyes
4.The old woman lived in a small house .
A. by herself
B. with her daughter
C. with her husband
5. After the volleyball flew into the woman’s house, Mac and his friends .
A. ran home quickly
B. asked her for it
C. broke into her house
Yan won the Nobel Prize for literature(文学) in 2012. He was also the first Chinese writer who got this prize in history. When he was interviewed, he said he was only a normal person who could tell stories. He especially thanked his mother. He thought his mother had a strong influence on him.
Mo Yan was born in a poor family in China’s rural area. When he was young, he was a little bit shy because he thought he wasn’t good-looking. His classmates often played jokes on his look. That made him very upset. His mother encouraged him to face the fact bravely. She told him not to look down on himself. She said it didn’t matter if a person didn’t have a good look. She hoped that his son would be a useful person in society.
Mo Yan didn’t let her mother down. He worked hard at writing. He wrote many famous novels, such as Hong Gao Liang and Wa. His success tells us a truth,“Nobody can beat you unless you beat yourself.”Hold on to your dream and your dream will come true in the end.
1.No Chinese writer won the Nobel Prize for literature before Mo Yan.
2.Mo Yan thought of himself as the best writer in China.
3.Mo Yan's mother taught him how to write when he was young.
4.Mo Yan wrote two novels all his life.
5.We should learn never to give up from Mo Yan.
When I was 14 years old, a boy gave me an important gift. It was a . It was the early autumn of my first year at a junior high school and my old school was far away. , no one knew who I was. I was very lonely and afraid to make friends with .
Every time I heard the other students talking and laughing. I my heart break. I couldn't talk to anyone about my problems, and I didn't want my parents to me. Then one day, my classmates talked happily with their friends, but I sat at my desk as usual. At that moment, a boy entered the classroom. I didn't know who he was. He passed me and then turned back. He me and without a word, smiled. Suddenly I felt the touch of something bright and friendly. It me feel happy, lively and warm. That smile changed my life. I started to talk with the other students and made friends. Day by day, I became closer to everyone in my class. The boy with the lucky smile my best friend now.
I believe that the world is what you think it is. If you think you are lonely, you might always be alone. So smile at the world and it will .
1.A. smile B. magazineC. box
2.A. As usual B. As a result C. The same as
3.A. someone B. everyoneC. anyone
4.A. felt B. smelledC. feared
5.A. hear about B. worry aboutC. care for
6.A. slowly B. politelyC. unhappily
7.A. listened to B. looked atC. took pride in
8.A. made B. ledC. offered
9.A. has become B. becameC. become
10.A. look back B. come backC. smile back
There are many problems between parents and their children. Some parents don’t understand their , and many of them even argue with each other. If I am a parent, how will I my child? Well, I think there are many ways. , I’ll encourage my child to do things he or she likes. The things should be good him or her. If it is not good for my child, I’ll talk to him or her about the disadvantage of the thing in a way.
Second, I will always take pride in everything good that my child . For example, if he or she gets good grades, I’ll say something like , “Well done! I’m very proud of you.” These words will both make my child and me very .
Third, I will spend time staying with my child than my parents did with me. I’ll chat and go shopping with my child. I am these things will make parents and their kids get on well.
1.A. classmates B. kids C. friends
2.A. give lessons to B. get along with C. talk to
3.A. First B. Next C. Later
4.A. for B. about C. before
5.A. silent B. lazy C. patient
6.A. will do B. is doing C. has done
7.A. it B. this C. them
8.A. happy B. strange C. sad
9.A. little B. less C. more
10.A. afraid B. sure C. surprised
