Thanksgiving Day is a special holiday in the United States and Canada.Families and friends gather to eat and give thanks for their blessing.
Thanksgiving Day is really a harvest festival.This is why it is celebrated in late fall，after the crops are in. But one of the first thanksgivings in America had nothing to do with a good harvest.On December 4,1619，the Pilgrims from England landed near what is now Charles City，Virginia.They knelt down and thanked God for their safe journey across the Atlantic.
The first New England Thanksgiving did celebrate a rich harvest.The Pilgrims landed at what is now Plymouth，Massachusetts，in 1620.They had a difficult time and the first winter was cruel.Many of the Pilgrims died. But the next year，they had a good harvest.So Governor Bradford declared a threeday feast (盛宴).The Pilgrims invited Indian friends to join them for their special feast. Everyone brought food.
In time，other colonies (殖民地) began to celebrate a day of thanksgiving. But it took years before there was a national Thanksgiving Day. During the Civil War，Sarah Josepha Hale persuaded Abraham Lincoln to do something about it. He proclaimed (宣布) the last Thursday of November 1863 as a day of thanksgiving. Today, Americans celebrate this happy harvest festival on the fourth Thursday in November.Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving Day in much the same way as their American neighbours.But the Canadian Thanksgiving Day falls on the second Monday in October.
1.Thanksgiving Day is celebrated .
A.in spring B.in summer
C.in autumn D.in winter
2.The first to celebrate thanksgiving were .
A.some people from England
B.the American Indians
C.Sarah Josepha Hale
D.Governor Bradford
3.We can infer from the passage that New England must be .
A.in the U.S.A.
B.in Great Britain
C.in Canada
D.on some island off the Atlantic
4.Which of the following is NOT true?
A.Thanksgiving Day used to be a holiday to celebrate a good harvest.
B.Abraham Lincoln was not the first to decide on thanksgiving celebrations.
C.Thanksgiving Day is celebrated to express the American and Indian people’s thanks to God.
D.There’s little difference between the American way and the Canadian way to celebrate Thanksgiving Day.
5.The passage mainly tells us .
A.how Thanksgiving Day is celebrated in the U.S.A.
B.how Thanksgiving Day came into being and the different ways it is celebrated
C.that Thanksgiving Day is in fact a harvest holiday
D.how the way to celebrate Thanksgiving Day changed with the time and places
Science has told us too much about the moon that it is fairly easy to imagine what it would be like to get there. It is certainly not a friendly place. Since there is no air or water, there can be no life of any kind. There is not much variety of scenery either. For mile after mile there are only flat plains of dust with mountains around them. Above, the sun and stars shine in the black sky. If you step out of the mountain shadow, it means moving from the severe cold into intense (强烈的) heat. These extreme temperatures continually break rocks away from the surface of the mountains. The moon is also a very silent world, for sound waves can only travel through air. But beyond the broken horizon, you see a friendly sight. Our earth is shining more brightly than the stars. From this distance, it looks like an immense (巨大的) blue, green and brown ball.
1.The moon is an unfriendly place because .
A. there is no air, no water, no life, no scenery B. the sun and stars shine in the sky
C. temperature breaks rock away D. all of the above
2.Without , the moon is a silent world.
A. man B. air C. sound D. water
3.According to the passage we know that .
A. the earth looks like a colored ball
B. we can enjoy the scenery on the moon
C. every inch of the moon is very hot
D. the extreme temperature breaks rocks away from the surface of mountains
4.We can conclude（断定） that “continually” means .
A. sometimes B. always C. without break D. frequently
5.The best title for the passage is .
A. An Unfriendly and Friendly Place B. The Geography of the Moon
C. Moon, a Silent World D. The Moon
“Mark Twain” was the name used by Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1835～1910) when he wrote books.His father was a lawyer，but a poor one，who lived in Florida，Missouri.The family was so poor that Samuel did not receive much teaching.He had to learn all that he could from the people whom he met.His father died when he was very young，and then there was even less money than before.
Many of the men in this part of America worked in the ships on the great Mississippi River，and he did this himself at one time (1857).
Where did he find the name “Mark Twain”？ It came from the great river itself.It was part of one of the cries used by men who worked in the ships.When a man called “By the mark twain！” he meant that the river was “two marks deep” there，that is to say，six feet deep ( “Twain” is an old form of the word “Two”.) Samuel Clemens often heard these words when he was young，and he used them as a pen name all his life.
During his work on the Mississippi he met travelers of all kinds，and this helped him a great deal when he started to write.But the number of travelers became smaller when war started in America in 1861.Many of the great ships on the river stopped work.Samuel left then and went to Nevada with his brother，who was at that time Governor of Nevada.There，near the town of Carson，Samuel became a gold miner，but he never made much money at the time.He soon saw that life in the gold mines was not for him.He also tried writing for the newspapers in Nevada，and this seemed more hopeful.He found that he could write.
He went to Europe in 1867 and visited France and Italy.In 1870 he married Olivia Langdon，and two years later he was spending nearly all his time writing.Among his books is his own story (1908).
He is now always known as Mark Twain，and many people do not even know that his family name was Clemens.He traveled in America and in England，and went to Oxford in 1907.He was one of the great American writers of the time，and could make his readers laugh—a thing which few writers can do.He died in 1910.
1.“Mark Twain” was .
A.a famous American writer
B.name of a book
C.a great river in America
D.a large ship
2.As a child，Samuel did not get much education because .
A.his father died too early
B.the family was very poor
C.he disliked school very much
D.he could learn what he liked from the people he met
3.What gave him a great deal when he started writing?
A.His poor childhood.
B.The Mississippi River.
C.All kinds of travelers he met.
D.His brother.
4.We can infer（推断）from the passage that .
A.Samuel loved writing from his early age
B.Samuel did not love writing at the beginning
C.his writings to the newspaper were successful
D.his brother encouraged him to write more
5.According to the writer of the passage，a good writer could .
A.write a lot for his readers
B.make a lot of money for his family
C.cause his readers to laugh
D.travel everywhere he wanted
Many years ago my student asked me the question, "Mrs. Kindred, why do you teach?" Without taking time to reflect, I answered, "Because someday I might say something that might make a difference in someone's life." Even though I was sincere, that wasn't a very good answer and my student didn't let it slide.
"Let me get this straight," he said, "You went to college for four years so you could come here every day because you have the hope that someday you might say something that will influence someone?" He shook his head as if I were cra zy and walked away looking confused . I'm one of those people who look back and wish they had said something smart or witty, or swift.
Even though that particular student might no longer wonder why I teach, there are days when I wonder. On those days, I remind myself of the real reasons I teach: It's in my blood. My mother was my most influential teacher, and she was a 6th grade reading teacher until her death in 1990. She instilled(逐渐灌输) in me a love of reading and the knowledge that education opens doors.
Teaching is a way to make a difference. If you throw a stone in a pond the ripples go on and on until they reach the shore. You can't have ripples without a "stone." Good teachers throw stones that make a positive difference, and that's what I strive to do. I genuinely love teenagers. I want to share with others what I know and what I have learned through the years. Life is full of ups and downs, and if I can help students avoid some potholes on the road of life, I want to do so. If they'll allow me to celebrate their victories with them, I want to do too.
Teaching isn't for everyone, but I know I made the right career choice.
1.. Why did the student continue to ask the question about the writer’s being a teacher?
A. Because he thought her answer was unbelievable.
B. Because the writer was insincere.
C. Because the student was naughty.
D. Because the answer was difficult to understand.
2.. What do you think of the writer?
A. Stupid. B. Honest. C. Insincere. D. Polite.
3.. According to the text, which of the following is NOT true?
A. The writer’s mother has the greatest influence on her.
B. The writer’s answer made the student confused.
C. In the writer’s opinion, some people in the world are unfit to teach.
D. The writer annoyed the student who asked the question.
4.. We can infer from the text that _________.
A. the writer was also a good teacher in school
B. the writer often plays with her students beside a pond
C. the writer devotes herself to teaching and her students.
D. the writer often accompanies the students on their way home
5.. What’s the main idea of the text?
A. A student’s silly question. B. A good teacher who likes students.
C. A confused student. D. The reason why I teach.
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Ella Fant was a middle-aged lady who lived with her only son John in a small house.She__36__John very much. In her__37__he couldn't do anything_38__.Every morning she would give him breakfast_39__bed and bring him the papers to__40__.It isn't really true that he was too__41__to work---in fact he had tried a few__42__.First of all he was a window-cleaner and in his first week he managed to_43__at least six windows. Then he_44__a bus conductor and on his second_45__a passenger stole his bag with all the fares（车费）collected.He_46__lost his job as a postman_47__he sent off all the letters when he should have taken them to people's houses. It seemed that there was_48__suitable work for him. So he_49__to join the army. Mrs. Fant was so__50__about this that she told the__51__to all her neighbours. "My John is good to be a soldier," she said. "He is going to be the best soldier there__52__was,I can tell you!"
Then the great day came_53__he was to march past the palace in the parade（接受检阅的队伍）.His_54__mother traveled to the city early in the morning to be sure of getting a good__55__in the crowd. The parade was full of sound and colour. But when John and his fellow soldiers came in sight some of the people watching couldn’t help laughing at the one who couldn't keep pace with the other as they marched along.
But Ella Fant, who was filled with happiness shouted at the top of her voice: "Look at them! They're all out of step except my John! Isn't he the best!"
1..A.depended on B. waited on C. trusted D. loved
2..A.hope B. eyes C .head D. beliefs
3..A.wrong B. great C. good D. strange
4..A.to B. at C. in D. by
5..A.check B. read C. keep D. sign
6..A.lazy B. young C. weak D. shy
7..A.ones B. years C. tasks D. jobs
8..A.erase B. drop C. break D. clean
9..A. followed B met C. became D. found
10..A. day B. try C. route D. chance
11..A. thus B. even C. once D. only
12..A.even if B. so that C. because D. though
13..A.some B. such C. less D. no
14..A.began B. promised C. managed D. decided
15..A.excited B. worried C. anxious D. curious
16..A.incident B. change C. news D. matter
17..A.yet B. ever C. never D. just
18..A.where B. since C. when D. till
19..A.proud B. kind C. strict D. lucky
20..A.time B. view C. experience D. impression
