People in the United States honor their parents with 2 special days: Mother’s Day on the second Sunday in May and Father’s Day on the 3rd Sunday in June. These days are to show love and respect for parents. They raise their children and educate them to be responsible citizens. They give love and care. These two days offer an opportunity to think about the changing roles of mothers and fathers. More mothers now work outside the home and more fathers must help with childcare.
These two special days are celebrated in many different ways. On mother’s Day, people wear carnations. A red one symbolizes a living mother. A white one shows that the mother is dead. Many people attend religious services to honor parents. It’s also a day when people whose parents are dead visit the cemetery(grave). On these days families get together at home as well as in restaurants. They often have outdoor barbecue for Father’s Day. These are days of fun and good feelings and memories.
Another tradition is to give cards and gifts. Children make them in school. Many people make their own presents. These are more valued than those bought in stores. It’s not the value of the gift that is important, but “the thought that counts”. Greeting card stores, florists, candy makers, bakers, phone companies and other stores do lots of business during these holidays.
1.Which is NOT a reason for children to show love and respect for parents?
A. Parents bring up children.
B. Parents give love and care to children.
C. Parents educate children to be good persons.
D. Parents pass away before children grow up.
2.What do you know from the passage?
A. Both festivals are in May.
B. Fewer women worked outside the home in the past.
C. Not all the children respect their parents.
D. Fathers are not as important as mothers at home.
3.Which do you know about “carnation”?
A. It only has two kinds of color.
B. It refers to the special clothes people wear on Mother’s Day.
C. It’s a kind of flower showing love and best wishes.
D. People can wear them only on the second Sunday in May.
4.On Mother’s Day and Father’s Day ___________.
A. people sometimes have family parties
B. everyone goes to the cemetery
C. children always go to parents’ home
D. hand-made cards are the most valuable gifts.
5.What do you think “florists” do ?
A. They sell flowers.
B. They make bread or pastry.
C. They offer enough room for having family parties.
D. They sell special clothes for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.
On Thanksgiving Day, most of us will sit down to enjoy a turkey dinner. The bird also shows up on the table at Christmas. How did we start with the tradition of savoring turkeys during the holidays?
They were fresh, cheap, and big enough to feed a group of people. Americans like having large poultry(家禽) for celebrations because they don’t need to pay a lot for the birds. Cows were more useful alive than dead, and beef wasn’t widely offered until the late 19th century. Chicken was more highly regarded than it is today. Venison(鹿肉) would have been another choice, especially during the 17th and 18th centuries. Eating turkey was also a British holiday custom people brought to the New World.
Among the big birds, turkey is the most suitable for Thanksgiving. Turkeys were born in the spring. They spend about seven months eating insects on the farm. By Thanksgiving, they have grown to about 10 pounds. Turkeys are cheaper than geese, which are more difficult to raise, and cheaper by the pound than chickens. Cost is an important factor for holiday shoppers, because people will not prepare just one meal. Thanksgiving Day is the time to bake meal and other types of pies. The foods can last through the winter.
1.The underlined word “savour” in Paragraph 1 probably means “________” in Chinese.
A. 欣赏 B. 享用 C. 饲养 D. 清洁
2.Why do Americans enjoy eating turkey on Thanksgiving Day?
A. Turkeys were fresh. B. Turkeys were big.
C. Turkeys were cheap. D. All of the above.
3.How long do turkeys grow to about 10 pounds?
A. About three months. B. About eight months.
C. About one year. D. About eleven months.
4.What were more useful alive than dead?
A. Cows. B. Chicken. C. Turkeys. D. Geese.
5.The underlined word “factor” can be replaced by “________”.
A. opinion B. thing C. thought D. reason
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.What was Martha Stewart’s first business?
A. She prepared food for local parties and events.
B. She organized birthday parties.
C. She sold cookbooks.
2.When did Martha Stewart start making television appearances?
A. After she was released from prison.
B. When she started cooking at local events.
C. When her cookbook became popular.
3.How long did Martha Stewart stay in prison?
A. Five months. B. Three months. C. Six months.
4.What happened to Martha Stewart’s career after she was set free?
A. She retired from business.
B. She has taken on many new projects.
C. She has been unsuccessful.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.When will the man go to the woman’s house?
A. On Thursday. B. On Tuesday. C. On Saturday.
2.Why won’t the man go with his parents?
A. He has planned to spend the holiday with the woman.
B. He doesn’t like the weather in Finland.
C. He is too busy with his work.
3.Who will be at the dinner party?
A. The woman’s niece. B. The woman’s grandma. C. The woman’s sister-in-law.
4.What will the man bring to the dinner?
A. Green beans. B. Dessert. C. Wine.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.What does the man say about the woman’s car?
A. It needs a new engine.
B. Something is wrong with the brakes.
C. The wheels need to be replaced
2.Why can’t the man get the car back to the woman this afternoon?
A. He wants to see a show.
B. He doesn’t have the parts he needs.
C. He has to work on other cars first.
3.What does the man suggest the woman do?
A. Drive her car carefully. B. Take the bus. C. Bring her car back in the morning.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.Why does the woman want to learn Spanish?
A. To get more money to help pay for school.
B. To get accepted into a nursing school.
C. To travel in South America.
2.What does the man want to get?
A. A beer. B. Some coffee. C. Some fish.
