Black Friday
Thanksgiving is always on 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 USA 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. Some items(商品)like TVs and clothes 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 problems. 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 lutes 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 "E1Buen Fin", which means" the good weekend" in Spanish. I guess people everywhere like to buy things.
1.What is the biggest problem with Black Friday?
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2.Why do people like going shopping on Black Friday?
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3.Will you go shopping on Black Friday? Why or why not?
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1.他提供了如此有价值的建议以至于很少有人不同意。
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2.自从我进这所学校，三年已经过去了。
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3.你难以想象扬州有多美除非你亲眼看到。
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4.墙上的标志提醒不要随意乱扔垃圾。
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5.我不知道向谁寻求写作方面的帮助。
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American and British people both speak English of course．But sometimes it does not seem like the same language．In fact, there are some important differences between British English and American English．
1.Often, Americans don’t say each word separately．They say several words together．Americans may say “I dunno” instead of “I don’t know”．Or they may say “Whaddya say?” instead of “What did you say?” However, the British are more careful in their speech．They usually say all the words and keep them separate．
Sound is not only the difference between British English and American English．Words sometimes have different meanings too．2. Americans drive trucks, but in England people drive lorries．
3.In England, if you are going to telephone your friends, you “phone them up”．In America, you “give them a call”．
There are also some differences in grammar．For example, Americans usually use the helping verb “do” when they ask a question．They say “Do you have a storybook?” But the British often leave out the helping verb．4.
Most languages are like this．Languages change over time．When people live in separate places, the languages change in different ways．This is what has happened to English．5.Many people in Canada speak French but their French is very different from the French of France．
A. English is widely used in China．
B. It can also happen to other languages, such as French．
C. For example, the vocabulary for cars and driving is very different.
D. They say “Have you a storybook?”
E. English in these two counties is different only in sound.
F. First of all, they sound very different．
G. Many expressions are also different in the two countries．
Daniel Defoe, the writer of Robinson Crusoe, was born on 13 September, 1660, in London. His father was a wealthy businessman. In Defoe's early life, he experienced some of the most unusual events in English history: in 1665, 70,000 were killed by the Great Plague of London, and next year, the Great Fire of London which left only Defoe's and two other houses standing in his neighborhood. In 1667, when he was probably about seven, a Dutch fleet（舰队）sailed up the Medway by way of the River Thames and attacked the town of Chatham. His mother Annie had died by the time he was about ten.
Defoe is among the founders of the English novel, known to have used at least 198 pen names. He is most famous for his novel Robinson Crusoe, which is second only to the Bible in its number of translations. Defoe was a prolific writer, producing more than three hundred works—books, pamphlets, and journals—on diverse topics, including politics, crime, religion, marriage, psychology, and the supernatural. Defoe wrote many political tracts and often was in trouble with the government, including prison time. He was also a pioneer of business and economic journalism（新闻业）. Intellectuals and political leaders paid attention to his fresh ideas and sometimes consulted with him.
Defoe also entered the world of business as a general merchant, dealing at different times in hosiery, general woollen goods, and wine. His ambitions were great and he was able to buy a country estate and a ship, though he was rarely out of debt. He was forced to declare bankruptcy(宣布破产) in 1692. On 1 January 1684, Defoe married Mary Tuffley, the daughter of a London merchant, receiving a dowry（嫁妆）of £3,700—a huge amount by the standards of the day. With his debts and political difficulties, the marriage may have been troubled, but it lasted about 50 years and produced eight children.
Daniel Defoe died on 24 April 1731. He had probably experienced a stroke(中风). He was buried in Borough of Islington, London, where a monument was built in memory of him.
1.Daniel Defoe was_______ and the writer of_______.
A.an Englishman, “A Tale of Two Cities” B.an American, “A Million Pound Note”
C.a Frenchman, “The Lost Necklace” D.an Englishman, “Robinson Crusoe”
2.What is the writer’s main purpose in writing the article?
A.To introduce the life story of Daniel Defoe. B.To say bad words about Daniel Defoe.
C.To spread bad news about Daniel Defoe. D.To have pity on Daniel Defoe.
3.What is the meaning of the underlined word “prolific”?
A.public B.productive C.practical D.proud
4.Which of the following statement about Daniel Defoe’s life is true?
A.Daniel Defoe is praised highly by the British today.
B.Daniel Defoe lived a rich life all his life.
C.Daniel Defoe’s marriage broke up halfway.
D.Intellectuals and political leaders looked down upon Daniel Defoe.
Bath, 97 miles west of London, is the largest city in Somerset, England. It became a World Heritage Site in 1987.
The city got its name from the Roman Baths, which was a place for public bathing in Roman Britain. The water there is naturally heated under the ground. Today visitors are no longer allowed to enter the water. However, the exhibitions there will tell you the history of the Roman Baths. You can see many ancient Roman objects, including the coins that were thrown into the water to show respect to the goddess.
Looking over the city, you will see many old buildings in the color of honey. Among them, the Royal Crescent and the Circus are the most famous. The Royal Crescent is a row of 30 houses in the shape of crescent(新月). The Circus is about 200 meters to the east of the Royal Crescent. It is a huge circle formed with large townhouses. It is divided into three parts of the same length by three entrances with a lawn in the center. When visiting Bath, you can't miss these two sites.
The museums in the city are also popular. You can go and enjoy western paintings, If you are interested in the English writer Jane Austen, you can go to Jane Austen Center to know more about her life with her father in Bath. If you come in October, you can even take part in the Bath Film Festival.
With its own style and fantastic sights, Bath attracts millions of tourists from all over the world.
1.According to the passage, what can visitors do in the Roman Baths?
A.Take a bath. B.Play in the water.
C.Enjoy ancient coins. D.Buy ancient Roman objects.
2.Which of the following is correct about the Royal Crescent and the Circus?
A.
B.
C.
D.
3.Bath is a city________.
A.that has been a World Heritage Site for 21 years
B.that got its name from the heated water
C.where a film festival is held all year round
D.where Jane Austen once lived
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