Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks for family, health, and life in general. However, Black Friday has turned it into a business.
Traditionally, the true value of Thanksgiving lies at home not the shopping centers. However, Black Friday has nowadays allowed society to ignore this as individuals(个人) long for something that they do not need or even truly want. Shopping on Black Friday becomes a sign of a shift into a culture that values material wealth（财富） over spending time with loved ones. People are willing to force their way through the crowds in their desperate search for marked-down sweaters and necklaces.
In recent years, Thanksgiving has become a pre-Black Friday holiday for many families. They are devoted to mapping out shopping routes and making organized schedules for which stores to hit first. By drawing individuals out to shopping centers with "matchless savings", businesses encourage this behavior of ignoring Thanksgiving. Many families take their home-cooked meals while camping out at the door of shopping centers. With each new year, Thanksgiving is becoming victim to over-commercialized（过度商业化）society—changing from a meaningful time for family to a day devoted to products and shopping.
Black Friday has shown that with current common standards(标准), people cannot even set aside a single day to appreciate what they already have without immediately buying more. Families have lost sight of what is truly important in life, and have found reasons in debating between a low cost HD television and an appreciation for what they already have. Remember, Thanksgiving should be a day in which people are grateful for all that they have.
1.What does the underlined word "this" in paragraph 2 probably refers to?
A. The sign of a shift. B. The true value of Thanksgiving.
C. The shopping crowd. D. The material wealth.
2.In recent years, what will many families do when thanksgiving comes?
A. They’ll visit some newly-opened shopping centers in advance.
B. They’ll choose a big store for their first visit.
C. They’ll make full preparations for the Black Friday shopping.
D. They’ll go camping at the gate of shopping center for a good deal.
3.In the last paragraph, the author mainly intends to tell us that we should ______.
A. appreciate what we've possessed with our families
B. stay with our families as long as we can
C. try to spend less to get low cost products
D. set aside a single day to buy more
4.What's the author’s attitude towards the present ways people celebrate Thanksgiving?
A. puzzled B. unconcerned
C. happy D. worried
The fact that ants are fascinating insects has been known for some time. Now, scientists have discovered a large number of wood ants living in an abandoned underground storehouse in Templewo, Poland, despite having no obvious source of food.
Polish zoologist Wojciech Czechowski and his team began studying the underground colony in 2013. They found the ants built a 60-cm high nest in the soil directly over the storehouse vertical air pipe. As years passed, the metal covering on the pipe eroded, leaving behind a hole that thousands of worker ants accidentally slip into each day as they go about their daily chores. The scientists say that there are no sources of food in the storehouse. This means that the insects live in a state of near starvation.
In July 2015, the researchers disturbed part of the ant nest in search of larvae (幼虫), cocoons(茧), and queens. They found nothing, leading them to suspect that the lack of food and cold temperatures made reproduction impossible and that the group tending the nest is entirely made up of non-reproductive female workers. Their population is refilled every year, by a new rain of unfortunate ants that slide down the hole. The researchers say that when they returned in January 2016, the nest had been repaired. It appears that despite the terrible conditions, the worker ants do not stop constructing their nest.
Wood ants are known for their ability to adapt to bad living conditions. In this case, the millions of worker ants trapped in the storehouse have no choice. But instead of losing hope, they are making the best of the situation—a classic example of “when life gives you lesions make lemonade.”
1.How did the wood ants arrive in the storehouse?
A. They fell down there by accident.
B. The research team brought them there.
C. The storehouse builders left them there.
D. They were attracted by the environment.
2.What does the underlined word “eroded” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?
A. Expanded. B. Rotted.
C. Exploded. D. Melted.
3.What did the researchers find in the nest?
A. Larvae. B. Cocoons.
C. A queen. D. Worker ants.
4.Why did the population of wood ants remain steady?
A. They had enough food.
B. They were able to reproduce.
C. They adapted to the conditions.
D. They had new comers to join them.
Four books that will inspire you to travel the world
There’s truly nothing like travel when it comes to gaining perspective(远景) and exposing yourself to other cultures. To get you in the adventuring mood, we asked Amazon Senior Editor Chris Schlep to help us come up with a list of books that transport readers to another time and place. Below, see his list of four books that will inspire you to travel around the world. For more information, please click Amazon.com.
SEATTLE: Where You d Go, Bernadette
Price: $16.73
Maria Sample’s first novel is not exactly a love story to Seattle, but if you read it, you just might want to come here to see if people are really as self-involved as the characters in her book. What really shines through is the strange storytelling and the laughs. Buy it on Amazon.
ITALY: Beautiful Ruins
Price: $16.29
This book by the popular author Jess Walters is a love story that begins on the Italian Coast in the early 60s and eventually appears on the screen in Hollywood. With the settings of the background from Italy to Edinburgh to Los Angeles, you will find yourself longing to go as well. Buy it on Amazon.
ENGLAND: Wolf Hall
Price: $15.57
You can’t travel to Thomas Cromwell’s England without a time machine，but reading Hilary Mantel’s prize-winning novel is the next best thing. It will make you long to see the ancient buildings and green grass of the English countryside, much of which is still there. Buy it on Amazon.
NANTUCKET: Here’s to Us
Price: $ 17.16
Eli Hildebrand has built a writing career out of writing about her hometown island of Nantucket. Her latest is Here’s to Us, which, perhaps not surprisingly, is a great beach read.
1.Whose book has been made into a film according to the text?
A. Hilary Mantel’s.
B. Jess Walter’s.
C. Maria Semple’s.
D. Elin Hilderbrand’s.
2.What can you buy if you have only $32?
A. Beautiful Ruins and Where You’d Go, Bernadette.
B. Where You’d Go, Bernadette and Wolf Hall.
C. Beautiful Ruins and Wolf Hall.
D. Wolf Hall and Here’s to Us.
3.What do the four books have in common?
A. They have the same price.
B. They have the similar content.
C. They have the similar background.
D. They have the same place of sales.
4.Where does the text probably come from?
A. A website.
B. A magazine.
C. A newspaper.
D. A textbook.
Melbourne, Australia
Melbourne is a hot-spot travel destination, and it’s easy to see its beautiful beaches and busy city life.
Why it’s a great choice: Australia as a whole is considered a safe destination for international travel, and because of that, many solo travelers go there as an English-speaking country, you won’t be faced with any language barriers. Melbourne is easy to get around because you can walk or bike practically anywhere!
Thailand
Thailand is great for solo travelers—perhaps because it is one of the Buddhist mindsets, which promote equality among the sexes.
Why it’s a great choice: Thailand is known for its friendly atmosphere, and as a travel hot-spot, there are plenty of chances to meet other like-minded travelers. It is well known for being very cheap, especially in the north. It is a good choice if you want to get away on a budget. Thailand has a lot to offer, from the party-central Bangkok to beautiful beaches and tropical（热带）jungle.
Hong Kong, China
Hong Kong is a great place to relax for solo travelers as it is full of “Zen moments,” such as beautiful gardens and Tai Chi classes.
Why it’s a great choice: Hong Kong is regarded as one of the safest cities in the world. If you’re not well-traveled, or perhaps a bit tired of things like language barriers, Hong Kong is a great place to start, as it mixes both Eastern and Western at the same time.
Bali, Indonesia
Bali is a spiritual place with yoga, spas, healthy food and beaches. The combination of friendly people and splendidly visual culture has made Bali Indonesia number one tourist attraction.
Why it’s so great: You won’t be the only solo traveler in Bali. Everyone is known for being extremely friendly and you’re sure to meet some amazing characters along the way. As a Hindu island, Bali is the perfect place for a relaxing and spiritual retreat（静修）. The Sacred Monkey Forest in Ubud is fantastic—if you like monkeys, anyway.
1.What do the four places have in common according to the text?
A. They offer good spas and yoga.
B. There’re no language barriers.
C. They’re great for solo travelers.
D. They’re cheap to travel around.
2.Where can you enjoy both convenient transport and beautiful beaches?
A. Melbourne, Australia. B. Thailand.
C. Hong Kong, China. D. Bali, Indonesia.
3.What has made Bali Indonesia No.1 tourist attraction?
A. Yoga, spas, healthy food and beaches.
B. Meeting some amazing characters along the way.
C. Fantastic monkeys in the Sacred Monkey Forest.
D. Friendly people and splendidly visual culture.
澳大利亚风景优美，空气清新, 野生动物多样。假如你是李华，计划在寒假期间与父母前往澳大利亚旅游。请给你的笔友Tom写封e-mail, 询问以下旅游事宜：
1.著名景点；
2. 特色食品；
3. 特别注意事项；
4. 推荐一些旅馆和餐馆。
注意：1. 要涵盖所给要点，词数100左右
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯
3. 开头和结尾已为你写好，不计入总词数。
Dear Tom,
How is everything going recently?_________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Best regards
Li Hua
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下短文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏词符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（＼）划掉。
修改：在错的词下画一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
With the improvement of people’s living standards, more and more people possess their own car. Some thought it is good to own a car. First, it’s an convenient, fast and comfortable means of transportation, that saves people much time on the trip. It also makes businesses and industries to develop faster.
However, others have different opinions, thinking that cars give waste gases and pollute the environment around. Have too many cars will have some bad effects, such as more accidents and crowdedness. Besides, lacking parking lots are another big problem.
As far as I’m concerned, we ought to think careful before buying cars. Even if we have cars, we should use it less.
