Interesting Festivals in the World
Throwing Tomatoes — Spain
Spain takes “tomatoes fights” to a whole new level. But the tomatoes are being thrown, not eaten. The festival is celebrated during the last Wednesday in August. Trucks carry tomatoes into the square. People rush to the tomatoes and throw them into the crowd.
Rolling Cheese — England
This festival is celebrated on the last Monday in May. It is held on Cooper’s Hill. A large wheel of cheese is rolled (滚动)down Cooper’s Hill. The festival is actually a race where people run down the hill after the rolling cheese. The first person to cross the finish line at the bottom of the hill wins the cheese.
Burning Man —The United States
The Burning Man Festival lasts a week. It is from the Monday before Labor Day to Labor Day (which falls on the first Monday in September in America). The festival is celebrated in Black Rock Desert. The best part of the festival is the burning of a large sculpture(雕塑) of a man.
Pouring Water —Thailand
The Songkran Festival is the celebration of the New Year in Thailand. Thailand celebrates the New Year from April 13th to April 15th. Thai people run after each other, pouring water. Songkran is one of the most important reasons why foreigners travel to the beautiful land.
1.How many festivals are mentioned in the passage?
A.One. B.Two. C.Three. D.Four.
2.Where will you probably go to enjoy one of the festivals above in May?
A.Spain. B.England. C.Thailand. D.The United States.
3.Which festival is held in Black Rock Desert?
A.Throwing tomatoes. B.Rolling cheese. C.Burning man. D.Pouring water.
The Reason for Living
I’m only twelve years old, but I know sadness and the fear of death very well. My grandfather has been smoking since he was a young teenager, and now he has a terrible_________which makes it hard for him to breathe. Two weeks ago, he had an operation. The doctors thought that his days were numbered, but_________he got better. He was taken off the machine that helped him breathe, but still he couldn’t talk.
While my grandfather was in hospital, my mother and I flew to Pittsburgh to be with him. We were very_________that we wouldn’t see him again.
When we reached my grandfather’s hospital room, I was surprised by his_________. He looked so weak. He was hardly able to even speak. Somehow though, he managed to say, “I … you.”
“You what, Grandpa?” I asked. He didn’t have the_________to answer me. He had used up all strength with those two words, “I … you.”
The next morning my mother and I had to leave. I kept wondering just what he had tried so hard to tell _________. It wasn’t until I was back home in Georgia that I learned what he had tried to say.
A week after we returned home, my family received a phone call from one of the nurses in the hospital. She told us that my grandfather had said, “Call my granddaughter and tell her ‘love .’” At first I didn’t understand why he would just say, “love.” Why not “I love you?” Then it _________me. The day we were in the hospital he had been trying to say, “I love you.” I was really touched.
After many weeks, my grandfather was finally able to___________. I began to call him every night. Normally he had to stop after about five minutes because he was too weak. No matter what, though, every time we___________he would say, “I love you” and “I’d do anything for you.” These, along with his moving words, “You’re the only reason I live,” are the best compliments (赞美) I have ever received.
My grandfather is still very ill and I know we don’t have much time. I feel very honored that he has____________his feelings with me. I have learnt a lot from this experience. But the most important thing I’ve learned is that a simple “I love you” is really not simple. It’s a reason for living.
1.A.temper B.disease C.dream D.feeling
2.A.unexpectedly B.unluckily C.hurriedly D.interestingly
3.A.sad B.hopeless C.crazy D.fearful
4.A.words B.clothes C.condition D.behaviour
5.A.energy B.courage C.chance D.time
6.A.her B.me C.him D.them
7.A.hit B.beat C.knocked D.touched
8.A.walk B.think C.breathe D.talk
9.A.dropped in B.hung on C.hung up D.got up
10.A.left B.shared C.experienced D.checked
Running for a Dream
I will never forget that November day. It was hotter than normal. This was the day my father and I had waited so long for, because we had been working towards this race for three years. Dozens of familiar faces from church and school flashed across my view. They had come___________ me. I saw worry and excitement on my father’s face. Then the race began!
For the first two and a half miles, I felt___________ . I had never before been so ready for something. The weeks leading up to the race were filled with controlled ___________ and a strict diet. My friends hadn’t seen me in weeks, but they understood the sacrifice required to make my dream a reality. As in all of my races, I didn’t ___________ out in the front. I loved the pleasure of passing people as my strength overtook (赶上) their premature (提早的) speed.
Then without warning, my strength began to decrease. Neck and neck with one of my greatest competitors, I could see the finish line. I had begun the final dash(最后冲刺) into glory when my knees became weak and my legs gave way. Nothing I could do would make them _________ my weight.
I watched as runners rushed by me. Although I knew my dreams of victory were destroyed, I had to finish the race. However, my legs hurt badly. With all of the___________ left in me, I got on my hands and knees and crawled(爬), inch by inch, across the finish line. Voices, both___________ and familiar, cheered me on. They gave me the courage to keep going until the very end.
The doctors were there in seconds, but my eyes searched the crowd for him. There was only one person I wanted to talk to. I whispered, “I’m so sorry, Dad. I’m so sorry I___________ you.” He looked at me, saying, “You could never disappoint me. Sometimes these things just happen. All that matters is that you did your best.”
“But we worked so___________. What about our dream?” He reached over for my hand and said, “Don’t you know that you are my dream and it has come true?”
It wasn’t long before my running shoes were back on, marking a ______________ path for my journey. I learned that all of the miles, the tears, the sweat, and the pain my dad and I experienced together were not for a race. What I realized, though, was that to him, I was the greatest prize he had ever won.
1.A.for B.to C.across D.over
2.A.proud B.great C.nervous D.afraid
3.A.programs B.studies C.instructions D.practices
4.A.look B.move C.start D.come
5.A.give B.feel C.hold D.add
6.A.trust B.emotion C.strength D.confidence
7.A.loud B.foreign C.rough D.firm
8.A.frightened B.disturbed C.disappointed D.bored
9.A.late B.hard C.closely D.quickly
10.A.new B.near C.rough D.narrow
Geoff, you're a wonder ! I would never have thought of doing that.
A.想知道 B.感到诧异 C.能人，奇才 D.奇迹
Modern plastics can stand very high and very low temperatures.
A.小店，售货摊 B.容忍，忍受 C.承受得住 D.直立
How can we best serve the needs of future generations?
A.接待，服务 B.满足……的需要 C.提供 D.可用作
