Getting married can be one of the happiest moments in a person’s life. Throughout the world, weddings are very important events. Let’s look at some interesting wedding customs from different countries.
For African Americans, it is tradition for the married couple to jump over a broom covered with flowers. This represents the beginning of family life. It is interesting to note that African slaves who were brought to the USA started this tradition. African American couples were not allowed to have a legal marriage, so instead they had a ceremony where the bride and groom jumped over a broom “into marriage”.
Making jokes about the bride and groom is a wedding tradition in both France and Germany. In France, this includes making loud noises with pots; in Germany, wedding guests break dishes. Weddings in Germany often last for three days. On Thursday, there is a simple ceremony at a government office noting the official marriage of the couple. Then the couple will have a dinner with family and close friends. On Friday, there is a party. This is when guests break dishes to represent the start of a new life. Then on Sunday, there is a ceremony in a church.
In Greece and Italy, people eat special kinds of sweets at the wedding. Both Greece and Italy also have their own special wedding dances, which all of the guests enjoy.
In Russia, couples tie a doll to their wedding car if they want to have a daughter, or a toy bear if they want to have a son.
In England, it is tradition for the little girls to throw flowers on the ground on the way to the wedding ceremony. The bride and groom walk on these flowers. This represents the hope that the couples will follow the path that leads to a happy life.
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Topic |
·Getting married can be 1. __________ than any other moment in a person’s life. ·Interesting wedding customs differ 2. _________ country to country. |
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Countries/ People |
Wedding Customs |
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African Americans |
·Married couple jump over a broom covered with flowers, which 3. _________ the beginning of family life. ·In the past, African American couples were 4. __________ to get married legally. |
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France and Germany |
·Make jokes about the bride and groom. ·In Germany, wedding guests get dishes 5. __________. ·A German wedding often 6. _________ three days. |
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The Greek and the 7. __________ |
·Either Greece 8. _________ Italy has its own special wedding dances, which all of the guests enjoy. |
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Russia |
·If couples want to have a daughter, they will have a doll 9. _________ to their wedding car. |
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The English |
·The bride and groom walk on the flowers thrown by little girls. It represents the hope of 10. __________ the path leading to a happy life. |
Each time I see a balloon, my mind flies back to a memory of when I was a six-year-old girl. It was a rainy Sunday and my father had recently died. I asked my mom if Dad had gone to heaven. “Yes, honey. Of course.” she said.
“Can we write him a letter?”
She paused, the longest pause of my short life, and answered, “Yes.”
My heart jumped. “How? Does the mailman go there?” I asked.
“No, but I have an idea.” Mom drove to a party store and returned with a red balloon. I asked her what it was for.
“Just wait, honey. You’ll see.” Mom told me to write my letter. Eagerly, I got my favorite pen, and poured out my six-year-old heart in the form of blue ink. I wrote about my day, what I learned at school, how Mom was doing, and even about what happened in a story I had read. For a few minutes it was as if Dad were still alive. I gave the letter to Mom. She read it over, and a smile crossed her face.
She made a hole in the corner of the letter where she looped (缠绕) the balloon string. We went outside and she gave me the balloon. It was still raining.
“Okay, on the count of three, let go. One, two, three.”
The balloon, carrying my letter, darted upward against the rain. We watched until it was swallowed by the mass of clouds.
Later I realized, like the balloon, that Dad had never let his sickness get him down. He was strong. No matter what he suffered, he’d persevere, dart up, and finally transcend this cold world and his sick body. He rose into sky and became something beautiful. I watched until the balloon disappeared into the gray and white and I prayed that his strength was hereditary. I prayed to be a balloon.
1.What does the underlined sentence imply?
A. When the girl asked if they could write to her father, her mother felt it hard to answer.
B. When the girl asked if they could write to her father, her mother thought her a creative girl.
C. When the girl asked if they could write to her father, her mother believed it easy to do so.
D. When the girl asked if they could write to her father, her mother found it easy to lie.
2.When the girl was told that she could send a letter to her father, she _________.
A. jumped with surprise B. became excited
C. didn’t know how to write D. was worried that it couldn’t be delivered
3.In the eyes of the author, what was the rain like?
A. An incurable disease. B. An unforgettable memory.
C. The hard time her father had. D. The failures her father experienced.
4.What would be the best title for the passage?
A. An unforgettable experience. B. The strong red balloon.
C. Fly to paradise. D. A great father.
Reading is the key to success in all school subjects. With a bit of creativity, you can help your child enjoy reading more, and encourage him to do more!
Buy or borrow a lot of “fun” books. Choose books that are slightly below his level of reading ability. Don’t forget what your child likes to do when choosing books for him. Don’t comment about the books. Simply leave the books lying on the table where your child is sure to see them. Computer games are not as harmful as most parents usually think them to be. Instead, you should take advantage of your child’s love of computer games to purchase those that require a lot of reading and avoid those that are simply computerized video games.
Buy your child a bedside reading lamp, or a tiny book light. Tell him that from now on, he must be in bed by a specific time (say 8:30) and that he can either sleep or read. Most kids will do anything else rather than go to sleep, so there’s a chance you’ll create a new bedtime reading habit.
Many children will read when they are sitting alone having a snack, or when they have a few minutes of unplanned free time. Put a box of books and magazines near the kitchen table so that reading material is accessible.
Often, once children learn to read independently, parents stop reading to them. This change of routine causes great sadness to a child who has come to love falling asleep as you read. Even a teenager will enjoy being read to if you pick books that interest him. Select books together, and make sure they’re ones you enjoy as well, so your enjoyment will come through as you read to them.
1.In order to make children become interested in reading, what should parents do?
A. Tell them what they can learn from these books.
B. Choose books based on their interest.
C. Choose the easiest books for them to read.
D. Always read books together with them.
2.Which of the following is NOT what parents are advised to do?
A. Reduce children’s sleeping time.
B. Read to children when possible.
C. Have reading material available.
D. Pick the right computer games.
3.What attitude do most parents hold towards children playing computer games?
A. Supportive. B. Negative. C. Neutral. D. Doubtful.
4.What’s the main purpose of the passage?
A. To help children succeed in school subjects.
B. To give parents advice on how to educate children.
C. To remind parents of the importance of reading.
D. To teach parents how to encourage children to read.
We are looking for energetic volunteers who might be willing to volunteer their time. It’s a great way to build your volunteer experience, get involved in your community, meet new people and show your pride.
Computer Teacher
The computer teacher will be responsible for teaching older adults computer skills, including basic skills such as turning on computer or more media skills such as setting up email. This position requires patience, dedication and long hours on your feet. Computer skills needed. Ask Mandy, 01313377227.
Meals on Wheels
Do you have time in your schedule to make a difference in the lives of seniors in your community? Meals on Wheels drivers deliver nutritious lunchtime meals to homebound seniors on weekdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Our aim is to help seniors who are unable to go out themselves due to age or disability. A valid driver’s license and personal vehicle is required. Call Lucy,（781）2727177.
Tree Nursery Volunteer
Tasks are different according to season, but may include: collecting tree seeds from ancient woodland, preparing seeds for sowing, planting trees and tree aftercare. Some of the work is physical and outdoors, others such as seed preparation can be done indoors. No experience is necessary, but a knowledge or interest in botany would certainly be helpful. Ask Amrita, 07748623073.
Photography Volunteer
If you have a talent for photography, this may be the role for you. We need someone who can take great photos for posters and websites. We especially need photos of our events and volunteers. This is a great opportunity to gain valuable work experience. You’ll also gain the satisfaction of seeing your work being displayed on the National Trust website and in literature. Ask Sarah, 01248600954.
1.If you are interested in teaching, who can you get in touch with?
A. Mandy. B. Lucy. C. Amrita. D. Sarah.
2.What do Meals on Wheels volunteers deliver for the seniors?
A. Breakfast. B. Lunch. C. Supper. D. Snack.
3.Which kind of voluntary work doesn’t require special experience or skills?
A. Computer Teacher. B. Meals on Wheels.
C. Tree Nursery Volunteer. D. Photography Volunteer.
Tears came into this mother’s eyes when she talked about waking up her son. Every morning, her ten-year-old boy puts up one finger with his eyes still closed, begging for one more minute to sleep.
Why is he so sleepy? Because, like thousands of student “early birds” in China, he has to get up before 6 a.m. every morning.
School students usually need eight to ten hours’ sleep a night. But in Shanghai, it’s reported that 90% of the students do not get enough sleep. And studies show that without a good night’s sleep, students seem to be weaker than they should be. Many become near-sighted as a result.
Li Ming, a student at Qinghua High School, said that he usually goes to bed after 11 p.m. But when he has exams coming up, he can stay up as late as midnight. This “night bird” lifestyle has made many students nod off in class. Li Ming said that it is during afternoon classes that he feel most sleepy. “My parents are usually happy to see me studying so late,” he said. “They think I work very hard and they make me cups of coffee.”
However, not all parents are happy about this. “My daughter gets up so early. She looks tired and it really hurts me.” said one of the parents. Why don’t so many students get enough sleep? Now many members of society began to think about it.
1.Why did the ten-year-old boy’s mother talk about waking up her son with tears in her eyes?
A. Because her son’s lack of sleep hurt her but she had to wake him up.
B. Because her son wasn’t good at lessons.
C. Because she thought her son was too lazy.
D. Because her son was badly ill.
2.Which is NOT the result of lack of sleep?
A. The body’s weakness. B. Nodding off in class.
C. Near-sighted eyes. D. Poor academic developments.
3.How does Li Ming’s mother feel to see him studying late?
A. Sorry. B. Worried. C. Not unhappy. D. Angry.
4.Which one is True according to the passage?
A. All the parents hope their children stay up.
B. No students complain about their lack of sleep.
C. Most students watch TV or play computer games deep into night.
D. Some parents are worried about the fact that most of the students don’t have enough sleep.
Half a year before graduation from college, my son began to seek a job. the financial crisis, fewer companies would like to new staff. My son targeted a company that was to employ only one person there were more than 20 people filing their resumes﹙简历﹚.
After the interview, there would only be 3 who could enter the final round, which would later one person to be employed. Everything seemed to go quite and my son passed the first round and entered the final round in a week.
On the day of the final interview, my son and the two candidates（候选人）arrived at the interview place on time, the test. The interview was unbelievably . The interviewer only said to them, “All of you are very super. Please go home and wait for our . We will tell you the in 3 days. Good luck to all of you” On the morning of the third day, my son received a text from the company shortly after breakfast that he was not employed. We all felt very .
In nightfall that day, my son suddenly told me on phone, “Dad, I have been employed!” Greatly surprised, I could not wait to ask him, “What’s the whole ?” My son told me that he received another text saying that he was employed. Actually the first text sent to my son was also of the test in the interview. Three men received the same text this morning and only my son’s was “Thank you” while the others said “Goodbye”.
Only then did I know that my son’s hope in that way. That is, when you feel disappointed, do not to say “Thank you” to the one who disappoints you. Saying “Thank you” shows respect for others’ work and shows your great . Therefore, while under the same condition, you will get the upper hand in terms of compared with others!
1.A. Due to B. As to C. By way of D. Thanks to
2.A. promote B. train C. discover D. employ
3.A. encouraged B. allowed C. intended D. supposed
4.A. since B. while C. because D. if
5.A. decide B. attract C. meet D. represent
6.A. slowly B. secretly C. smoothly D. silently
7.A. other B. another C. others D. either
8.A. watching over B. waiting for C. thinking about D. looking into
9.A. formal B. funny C. simple D. strange
10.A. advertisement B. order C. notice D. suggestion
11.A. choice B. result C. mark D. idea
12.A. annoyed B. puzzled C. shocked D. disappointed
13.A. doubtfully B. calmly C. excitedly D. worriedly
14.A. opinion B. matter C. attitude D. tip
15.A. middle B. ending C. course D. part
16.A. reply B. way C. problem D. question
17.A. came B. grew C. changed D. advised
18.A. expect B. regret C. dislike D. forget
19.A. curiosity B. unselfishness C. honor D. humor
20.A. abilities B. opportunities C. faults D. shortcomings
