Spring is just around the corner and it’s a time to get outside and enjoy the great outdoors．Here is a selection of festivals around the country that are a great excuse to travel and get back in the spring sunshine．
Dana Point Festival of the Whales
Dana Point, California
March 7 to 8 and 14 to 15, 2010
Each year, over two sunny weekends in March the town of Dana Point, California celebrates the return of migratory California gray whales to this part of the Pacific Ocean．Festivities include whale-watching, an arts festival and educational hands-on activities for the entire family．Prices start at $29 per adult and $19 for children．For more information, visit: www．dpfestivalofwhales．com
Chandler Ostrich Festival
Chandler, Arizona
March 13 to 15, 2010
Chandler is the center of ostrich（鸵鸟） ranching （农牧场工作） in the USA．You can see jockeys ride these feathered beasts around the ostrich track at Tumbleweed Park．General admission is $9 for adults, $8 for seniors, $7 for children aged 5 to 12 and kids 4 and under are free．For more information visit:
www．ostrichfestival．com
Festival of Houses and Gardens
Charleston, South Carolina
March 19 to April 18, 2010
The Historic Charleston Foundation gives curious travelers the opportunity to explore gardens of some of the finest private residences in America．Each 3-hour tour （afternoons from 2 to 5 pm and evenings from 6 to 9 pm） lets you visit 8 to 10 properties dating from the American colonial period．Prices range from $25 to $45．For more information, visit:
www．historiccharleston．org
Tulip Time Festival
Holland, Michigan
May 1 to 9, 2010
You don’t need to travel to the Netherlands this spring to see and smell some of the world’s finest tulips （郁金香）．The town of Holland is home to millions of colorful bulbs. The 81st annual Tulip Time Festival, one of the largest flower festivals in America will kick off with fireworks on May 1．Admission fee ranges from $6 for the children’s area to $38 for theatre tickets．Tickets and more information are available at www．tuliptime．com.
1.A couple with their 4-year-old son will go whale-watching, they have to pay _____．
A．$77 B．$58 C．$38 D．$48
2.The underlined word “jockeys” in the passage is closest in meaning to _____．
A．judges B．riders C．children D．travelers
3.If you want to learn about the history of American colonial period, you can visit .
A．Tulip Time B．Houses and Gardens
C．Dana Point of the whales D．Chandler Ostrich
4.It can be concluded that .
A．all the festivals are held in March B．all the Festivals are concerned with animals
C．all the Festivals surely interest children D．all the Festivals are held in the U.S.A
Steve Jobs-A surprising success.
Nothing in the early years of Steve Job’s life suggested that he would be so successful. Born in San Francisco, the child of two students, he was adopted and grew up close to Silicon Valley. While at company-and he and his best friend Steve Wozniak got summer jobs there.
After finishing high school in 1972, Jobs studied at an expensive liberal arts college in Portland, Oregon but he dropped pout after one after one term. He grew his hair and a beard, slept on friends’ floors, and sometimes went to a Hare Krishna temple for free meals. Like many drop-outs at that Beatles-inspired time, his ambition was to visit a guru（古鲁[印度教的宗师或领袖]）in India, which he eventually did with a friend. When they got there, the guru had died.
At this point, Jobs has a limited education, and no obvious talents, apart from a notorious（臭名远扬）ability to talk. However, he did have a devoted friend who was an electronics genius. They were a great team. Without Jobs’ s ambition, high design standards, the ability to make deals and great maketing skills-Wozniak might well have spent a quiet life designing hardware at HP.
1.The article tells us that .
A．Steve Jobs’s parents lived in San Francisco
B．Steve Jobs’s parents were rich
C．Steve Jobs’s parents worked at Hewlett-Packard
D．Steve Jobs didn’t know his real parents
2.STEVE Jobs went to a temple because .
A．He was a Buddhist
B．His family were Indian
C．He had very little money
D．He was inspired by the Beatles
3.Which of the following is NOT true?
A．Steve Jobs was uneducated.
B．Steve Jobs went to India.
C．Steve Jobs was A GREAT SALESMAN.
D．Steve Wozniak was loyal.
4.Form the article, Apple was successful because .
A．Steve Jobs was a computer Genius
B．Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak were lucky
C．Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak worked well together
D．Steve Wozniak liked a quiet life
When I was young, I really doubted whether there was love between my parents．Every day they were busy earning money so that they could 36 the high tuition my brother and I needed．They didn’t 37 in the romantic ways that I read in books or saw on TV．
One day, Mom was sewing a quilt（被子）．I 38 sat down beside her．“Mom, I have a 39 here,” I said after a while．“Is there love between you and Dad?” I asked her in a very 40 voice．
Mom stopped her work and raised her head with 41 in her eyes．She didn’t answer immediately．She bent her head and continued to sew the quilt．I was 42 if I had hurt her．I was in great embarrassment and I was at a loss what to do．But at last she said, very 43 , “Susan, look at this 44 ．Sometimes it appears, but most of it disappears in the quilt．The thread really makes the quilt strong and lasting．If 45 is a quilt, then love should be a thread．It can hardly be seen, but it’s really there． 46 is inside．”
I listened carefully but I couldn’t understand her until years later．
One day, Dad accidentally got 47 while on duty．Ever since then he could no longer 48
properly．Every morning and dusk Mom would help Dad walk slowly on the country road．Along the country road, there were beautiful flowers, green grass and trees．The leaves were gently glistening 49 the sun shining upon them．All of these made up the most beautiful 50 in the world．
“Dad, how are you feeling now?”” I asked him one day． “Susan, don’t worry shout me,” he said gently． “I just like walking with your mom．I like this kind of life．” Looking into his eyes, I 51 what they meant．
The doctor had said Dad would 52 in two months．But that day never came．He 53 away in peace．
54 I thought love meant flowers, gifts and sweet kisses．But from this 55 , I understand that love is just a thread in the quilt of our life, which makes life strong and warm…
1.A．afford B．cost C．spend D．offer
2.A．go B．live C．act D．walk
3.A．happily B．silently C．secretly D．nervously
4.A．request B．problem C．message D．question
5.A．loud B．light C．low D．clear
6.A．surprise B．anger C．stress D．horror
7.A．amazed B．confused C．shocked D．ashamed
8.A．quickly B．excitedly C．bitterly D．gently
9.A．quilt B．needle C．thread D．sewing
10.A．belief B．work C．experience D．life
11.A．Warmth B．Thread C．Cotton D．Love
12.A．tired B．drunk C．ill D．injured
13.A．talk B．walk C．work D．think
14.A．with B．as C．for D．by
15.A．signs B．symbols C．pictures D．reflections
16.A．read B．doubted C．translated D．recognized
17.A．retire B．recover C．regain D．remove
18.A．passed B．escaped C．faded D．turned
19.A．Again B．Once C．Then D．Later
20.A．lesson B．account C．experience D．accident
—You seem to get lost. Need help?
—
A．Yes, could you please help me with the bag?
B．Yes, give me a hand, please
C．I am looking for the way to the station.
D．Help me find my key, please.
red is a symbol of warmth, it can sometimes make people feel uneasy or even frightened.
A．As B．While C．If D．Since
—I haven’t seen Tom for years. Any news about him?
—He in a toy factory for two years. Now he’s working on a farm.
A．works B．worked C．has worked D．had worked
