Every American family has its own traditions on Thanksgiving Day, and mine is no

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Every American family has its own traditions on Thanksgiving Day, and mine is no different. Once the national holiday arrives, my mom rises early to make the meal. She puts a turkey in the oven, chops carrots and bakes pies. I’m sorry to say that the men in the family – my dad, my younger brother and myself – rarely pitch in to help. Our job is to wash the mountain of dirty dishes after the meal is over.
Around 2 pm every Thanksgiving Day, family members seat themselves around the kitchen table. Plates of turkey, vegetables, salad, rolls and pies cover it. At this point, we can hardly keep ourselves from drooling (流口水) all over our fancy clothes, but it’s not yet time to eat.
First, we must bow our heads, close our eyes and say a prayer of thanks aloud to God for giving us everything we have. Under normal circumstances, I would have no problem making a list of things I am thankful for. I grew up in a loving family. My parents, who aren’t wealthy, took out loans to help me pay for university.
But, the funny thing is, every time I sit down for Thanksgiving dinner and try to say a prayer of thanks, my mind usually goes blank. I think it has something to do with my growling (咕咕叫) stomach and all of that food sitting right there under my nose.
Eventually, though, we all finish our short prayers and dig in. To be sure, the day includes other highlights – visiting with family and watching football. But usually around 6 pm we are all ourselves stuffed like turkeys and thankful to have a nice warm bed to sleep in.
小题1:The purpose of the text is to ________.

A．tell what the family do for Thanksgiving Day

B．tell how the family spends Thanksgiving Day

C．introduce foods served on Thanksgiving Day

D．introduce the American Thanksgiving Day

小题2:On Thanksgiving Day the author’s family do the following except ________.

A．watching a movie	B．making visits
C．having a big meal	D．watching football

小题3:Why does the author’s mind usually “go blank” when saying a prayer of thanks?

A．He is too thankful to say a word.

B．His mind is on the food before him.

C．He feels too excited to speak.

D．He is shy to speak in public.

小题4:The underlined phrase “dig in” in the last paragraph is closest in meaning to “________”.

A．chat with others	B．make a hole
C．mix things up	D．start eating

小题5:What can we conclude from the text?

A．On Thanksgiving Day, men do nothing but eat.

B．The author is a middle school student.

C．The author’s family is not rich, but it’s a loving one.

D．Thanksgiving Day falls on Thursday of December.

答案

小题1:B
小题1:A
小题1:B
小题1:D
小题1:C

解析

略

举一反三

In many cultures white is often associated with something positive. A white-collar job, for instance, is the kind of job many people look for, working with your brain and not your hands.

White has a clean and pure image. That is why doctors, dentists, and nurses usually wear white uniforms. Babies are dressed in white at baptisms（洗礼）and brides wear white wedding gowns at weddings. White in these cases is the symbol of innocence or purity.
Sometimes white is used in expressions that are not good. “Whitewash” is one such expression. At first, “whitewash” meant to paint over something with white paint to make it look better. However, it means something different today: to hide or to cover up mistakes or failures.
A “white elephant” is another example of white used in a negative way. In ancient Thailand, a white elephant was regarded as a sacred animal, but it was very expensive to keep. The kings of those days presented a white elephant to the people they wanted to ruin. Once they received this holy, royal animal as a gift, they were not allowed to sell or kill it. Today, a “white elephant” means something that is big, useless, and unwanted. In America, when people want to get rid of their furniture or clothes, they often have a “white elephant sale”.
小题1:The text is mainly about________.

A．the meanings of white in English culture

B．the history of some English idioms

C．some interesting customs in English culture

D．some useful English words and expressions

小题2:Which expression has an historical background ?

A．White-wash.	B．White-collar.
C．White elephant.	D．White elephant sale.

小题3:In which statement does “white” have a negative meaning?

A．A boy is dressed in white at baptisms.

B．A bride wears a white wedding gown.

C．A man whitewashes his crime.

D．A girl finds a white collar job.

小题4:From the text we can learn that _______.

A．a white-elephant sale is useful to the poor

B．the white color is important in our daily life

C．a white-collar job used to be easy to get

D．expressions with white have different meanings

小题5:The author develops the text mainly by ______.

A．analyzing its cause and effect

B．providing typical examples

C．comparing different ideas

D．following the time order

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On June 17, 1774, the officials from Maryland and Virginia held a talk with the Indians of the Six Nations. The Indians were invited to send boys to William and Mary College. In a letter the next day they refused the offer as follows:
We know that you have a high opinion of the kind of learning taught in your colleges, and that the costs of living of our young men, while with you, would be very expensive to you. We are sure that you mean to do us good by your proposal（提议）; and we thank you heartily. But you must know that different nations have different ways of looking at things, and you will therefore not be offended（冒犯） if our ideas of this kind of education happen not to be the same as yours. We have had some experience of it. Several of our young people were formerly brought up at the colleges of the northern provinces: they were taught all your sciences; but when they came back to us, they were bad manners, ignorant（无知的）of every means of living in the woods–they were totally good for nothing.
　We are, however, not the less thankful by your kind offer, though we refuse to accept it; and, to show our grateful sense of it, if the gentlemen of Virginia will send us a dozen of their sons, we will take care of their education, teach them in all we know, and make men of them.
小题1:The tone(语气) of the letter as a whole is best described as________.

A．angry

B．pleasant

C．polite

D．ambitious

小题2:The Indian chief’s purpose of writing the letter seems to be to ____.

A．politely refuse a friendly offer	B．express their opinions on equal treatment
C．show their pride	D．describe Indian customs

小题3:According to the letter, the Indians believed that ____.

A．it would be better for their boys to receive some schooling

B．they were being insulted by the offer

C．they knew more about science than the officials

D．they had better way of educating young men

小题4:Different from the officials’ view of education, the Indians thought ____.

A．young women should also be educated

B．they had different goals of education

C．they taught different branches of science

D．they should teach the sons of the officials first

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San Francisco has long been a favorite place for travelers who are ready to learn languages．The mild （温和的） year-round climate, shops and restaurants, bars and night-life, and some of the most beautiful scene in the US attract many visitors to this relaxing and welcoming city．Students are sure to find the San Francisco Bay Area an interesting, safe and friendly place in which they can live and study．This is the most important．
English School in San Francisco is located in the heart of the city．It is one of the best San Francisco English language schools．You can see views of the city from your classroom! Many buses stop less than a five-minute walk from the school, which is also just a two-minute walk from the famous Union Square, San Francisco Shopping Centre, the Financial District, Yerba Buena gardens and the Museum of Modern Art．The school is minutes away from the cable cars （缆车） to Chinatown and Fisherman’s Wharf and a boat ride on the bay．
San Francisco is a great place to study English and learn about American culture, offering excellent opportunities in sports, entertainment and arts．The city borders （接近） excellent beaches, and you can sail or surf all year round．
San Francisco has more restaurants than any other city in the US, and is the home of many theaters, music and dance companies, as well as museums．Just walking through the many areas of San Francisco, you are certain to find something wonderful．
小题1:That San Francisco attracts students most might be ______．

A．the mild year-round climate

B．its beautiful scenery

C．shops and restaurants, bars and night-life

D．a good place to live and study in

小题2:It is only a two-minute walk from English School to ______．

A．a bus stop	B．the beaches
C．the Financial District	D．Fisherman’s Wharf

小题3:Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．English School has the most beautiful scenery in the US．

B．Most of the restaurants in the US are located in San Francisco．

C．In San Francisco, one can experience one part of American culture．

D．English School in San Francisco is one of the best in the US．

小题4:The author mainly wants to tell us ______．

A．about English schools in the US

B．the places around English School

C．about the beautiful scenery in San Francisco

D．San Francisco is a good place to learn language

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Salem, the “City of Peace”, is a small city with a big history. It is the second established city in Massachusetts and the second oldest settlement in New England. While Salem has been long known as the “Witch City” due to the notable witch trials of 1692, Salem also played an important part in Revolutionary times and was an active leader of several Massachusetts’ industries, which is why you will find mansions (宅邸) of the country’s first millionaires there.
Salem is located approximately 16 miles (30 minutes) north of Boston and is bordered by Beverly, Danvers, Lynn, Marblehead, Peabody, Swampscott and the Atlantic Ocean. Boston & Maine Railroad serves Salem with transport service, and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority maintains a rail stop and bus service. Air service is available from Beverly Airport (5 miles away) and Logan International Airport (16 miles away). Access is also available on a ferry from Boston.
Salem has various restaurants including outdoor cafes, various restaurants and fine dining establishments. For shoppers there are malls and department stores, an open market, a waterfront village, as well as a downtown shopping district.
There are many local artists and musicians who have shops along the city streets. On a nightly basis, one can stop in a local res

taurant or nightspot and listen to some of the most creative music. World famous artwork is displayed at the Peabody Essex Museum and the work of local artists can be found displayed in many downtown shops including Artist Row.
The City of Salem has long had a commitment to the promotion of art and culture. The Salem Cultural Council is a local agency of Salem residents that supports public programs and educational activities in the arts, sciences and humanities. Local artists and theaters, such as CinemaSalem, the Salem Theatre Company, the Salem State College Center for the Arts, the Griffen Theater and the Rebel Shakespeare Company provide entertainment and learning opportunities to residents and visitors alike. The Salem Arts Association, Inc. is an entirely volunteer-run nonprofit arts organization. The SAA seeks to bring art, in all its forms, to the community and bring the community, in all its diversity, to the arts in Salem, Massachusetts.
小题1:What would be the best title of this passage?

A．Salem, the Industry City

B．Salem, the Witch City

C．Salem, the City with a Big History

D．Salem, the City of Peace

小题2:Which of the following statements is NOT true about Salem?

A．It is the second established city in Massachusetts with Boston to the north.

B．It was developed in several of Massachusetts’ industries.

C．Every night local restaurants there entertain visitors with some music.

D．Salem is accessible by train, bus, plane and ferry.

小题3:Visitors to Salem have a secure chance to appreciate first-class works of art in ____________.

A．Artist Row	B．Peabody Essex Museum
C．the MBTA	D．the Salem Cultural Council

小题4:After reading the passage, we may decide that ____________.

A．Salem is a preferred city for millionaires now

B．the promotion of art and culture in Salem is totally government action

C．once an important industrial city, now Salem has a strong cultural atmosphere

D．visitors to Salem will find few choices in dining and shopping

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China is casting such a huge shadow on the United States that many Americans are struggling to learn Chinese in order to maintain their competitive edge, "Interest in learning Chinese among American youth and their parents has grown dramatically in the past five years," said Vivien Stewart at the Asia Society, a US group trying to bridge the gap between Americans and people of Asia and the Pacific．
China, the world"s most popular nation, is critical to the United States because it is a leading trader, consumer and investor- Its political influence is also rising across the globe．It has replaced the United States as the world"s largest consumer and become the second largest economy in the world after the superpower status and its telling effects politically, economically and culturally are driving the interest to learn the language, experts say．
From kindergartens to high schools, studies by the Asia Society show, there is a "rapid rise" in interest among pupils to study the Chinese language．
Even though the US State Department has stressed the Chinese language "critical " to national prosperity and security, the "current infrastructure （基础设施）to support recruitment （招生） of students and teachers as well as the growth of high quality programs is -badly inadequate," an Asia Society study says．The Society has set a target of having at least 5% of American high school students learning Chinese by 2015．"Millions of Chinese are learning English, but only 24,000 Americans are learning Chinese," said Andrew Corcoran of the San Francisco - based Chinese American International School．
The most popular languages after English in the United States at present are Spanish and French.
小题1:The passage mainly tells the readers that _____,

A．China is getting under a shadow from USA

B．American competitive edge is shaking

C．Americans object to learning Chinese

D．Chinese appeals to more Americans

小题2:Based on the context, what does the underlined word "inadequate" （in Paragraph 5） mean?

A．leading	B．interesting
C．disappointing	D．promising

小题3:According to the text which of the following is TRUE?

A．Culture can have an effect on exciting persons"

B．USA has got the high quality current

C．Chinese ranks 4th on the American Language

D．Politics decides language studying

小题4:What might be the most suitable title for this passage?
A, US Government Requires its People to Learn Chinese
B．Chinese Gains its Popularity with Most Americans
C．China"s Economy Helps to Spread its Language
D．Americans Show Interest Learning Chinese

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