Here are four fun Thanksgiving tradition facts.
Turkey and cranberry sauce (小红莓果酱)
While the Native Americans and Pilgrims are believed to have feasted on geese, lobster, cod and deer, present-day Thanksgiving dinners mainly feature turkey. Some experts believe the birds were selected because they were cheper, and easier to rise. The bird was suggested by Sarah Josepha Hale to make Thanksgiving a national holiday. Since President Abraham Lincoln loved roasted turkey, he happily included the bird on his Thanksgiving menu. The idea of pairing the bird with cranberry sauce is believed to be the brainchild of Civil War Union General Ulysses S. Grant in 1864.
Turkey Trots
Many Americans build up their appetites (食欲) for the holiday feast by participating in their town or city's morning runs, or "Turkey Trots". The fun tradition was started in 1896 by six people of Buffalo, New York. It is the world's oldest footrace, attracting over 14,000 runners of all ages and abilities every year.
Thanksgiving parades
American retailer Macy's has been holding a Thanksgiving parade along Manhattan's 77th Street and Central Pack West since 1924. Though the popular event, which attracts over 3.5 million people in person and about 50 million television viewers, now contains giant floats (花车), the first parade featured animals from New York's Central Park Zoo.
The Presidential turkey pardon
Every year, two lucky turkeys escape the Thanksgiving table due to a special pardoning supported by the US president. People credit the fun tradition to President Harry Truman (April 12, 1945 to January 20, 1953). Though at first, just one bird could be freed, a "spare" was added in 1981, after a turkey named Liberty escaped by accident before President Ronald Reagan was able to grant (授予) his pardon at the ceremony.
1.Which of the following traditions has the longest history?
A.Turkey Trots. B.Thanksgiving parades.
C.Turkey and cranberry sauce. D.The Presidential turkey pardon.
2.Which is a benefit of many Americans observing the tradition "Turkey Trots"?
A.Building good relationships with others. B.Winning awards given by the government.
C.Adding a new tradition to the festival. D.Physically preparing for the coming holiday feast.
3.The presidential turkey pardon was changed in 1981 probably to ___________.
A.make it easy to name the turkeys B.attract more people to participate
C.give the pardoned turkey a partner D.make sure the pardon could be carried out
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Twenty-year old Brian, our eldest son, was riding his motorcycle home from work when a drunken driver ran him down. The driver, Ruben Gonzalez, was accused of man-slaughter (过失杀人). For three years we had waited. Now we were to be in court (法庭) in three weeks' time, when the judge would sentence (判决) Gonzalez at last.
"Jeri," our lawyer said,"there is a chance that the judge might delay (延期) Gonzalez's sentence because his boy has a bad heart and may only live six months. Please be prepared." "Prepared for what?" I shouted. "The possibility of Brian's killer going unpunished?"
In the car, I sat in silent agony as my husband Charles drove us home. I believed that the man who had killed my beautiful son should be punished. It might teach others a lesson about drinking and driving. All I wanted was a twenty-month prison term.
On the day of the sentencing, the courtroom was filled with our relatives and friends. When it was time for me to read my statement, I glanced at Mr. Gonzalez and said, "I pray that God will let your boy live. But if you lose him, you will know the feeling we have known losing our son." Then judge Gilroy called Gonzalez forward and pronounced the sentence. Twenty months in prison, to be served immediately.
I just sat there, feeling no relief. The lawyer said we could go if we wished, but I couldn't move. My mind spun all the next day. I said to Charles, "I know this sounds strange after all we've been through, but I feel very strongly that we should ask the court to let Mr. Conzalez be with his son." Relief flooded my husband's face and I knew he felt the same. He picked up the phone and dialed the judge's office. "I hope it's not too late, " Charles said.
The next day we were back in the courtroom. Ruben Gonzalez was called forward by judge Gilroy and told that he would be allowed to spend his son's final days with him, after which he would complete a six-month prison term.
1.What had the author and her husband probably waited for?
A.Apology from Gonzalez. B.The police arresting Gonzalez.
C.The court putting Gonzalez into prison. D.The judge delaying Gonzalez's sentence.
2.What does the underlined word "agony"in paragraph 3 probably mean?
A.Doubt. B.Pain.
C.Shame. D.Peace.
3.What can we know from the original sentence for Gonzalez?
A.It brought much relief to the author.
B.It completely met what the author had wanted.
C.Gonzalez was slightly punished because of his son.
D.The author's statement had a large influence on it.
4.Which of the following can best describe the author and her husband?
A.Heartless. B.Undetermined.
C.Merciful. D.Honest.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
At least 200 elephants have died in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe in the past two months due to a serious drought (干旱) in the country. National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority spokesman Tinashe Farawo told The Associated Press. Other animals, including giraffes, zebras , hippos and buffaloes are also dying due to the drought."The situation cannot improve until it rains, "Farawo said.
"Almost every animal is being affected," Farawo said. "Of course, elephants are easily noticed, but some bird species are seriously affected because they can only breed (繁殖) in certain tree heights and those trees are being knocked down by elephants."
"In a desperate attempt to locate food and water, animals have come in the park and nearby communities, threatening human populations as well. Thirty-three people have died because of these animals this year," the park said.
"Six hundred elephants and two lion prides will be moved to less crowded parks. A pack of wild dogs, 50 buffaloes, 40 giraffes and 2,000 impalas will also be relocated, " Farawo said.
"The animals have exceeded their ecological carrying capacity (生态承载力)," he added."If the populations go unchecked, the animals will threaten the very ecosystem they depend on for survival."
Typically, park leaders follow a policy of not intervening (干预) to help the animals , but the hard conditions have persuaded them otherwise. Fearing more deaths before the rainy season, they have started bringing in food to help the animals, which usually rely on natural vegetation.
"We used to say nature should take its course,"said wildlife officer Munyaradzi Dzoro."We are now forced to intervene. We are not sure when and how we will receive the rain. To avoid losing animals, we have to intervene to maintain population sizes.
In addition to a lack of food and water, muddy ponds have turned into death traps for the animals. Many have gotten stuck in the clay (泥土) while attempting to reach Long Pool, the park's largest watering hole, which has shrunk to 5% of its normal size, the Associated Press reports.
The drought has affected an estimated 11 million people, according to the World Food Program, which is planning large-scale food distribution.
1.Why are some bird species being affected?
A.They can't find enough food and water.
B.They lose many proper breeding places.
C.They are often killed by big land animals.
D.They become ill easily because of other animals' death.
2.What measure will be taken to improve the serious situation?
A.Building fences between the park and nearby communities.
B.Killing the animals which went into human communities.
C.Providing enough water for the animals in the park.
D.Moving some animals to less crowded places.
3.What did Farawo think is the basis for the survival of animals?
A.A healthy ecosystem. B.A policy of not intervening.
C.Large populations of animals. D.Limited ecological carrying capacity.
4.Muddy ponds have become deadly to the animals because_________.
A.their clay is very attractive B.much of their water is gone
C.they have become much deeper D.there is much food in their water
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
It's 3 a.m. and you're wide awake for the second night in a row. You get up and come to the kitchen for some warm milk that mom says will put you to sleep. So why are you eating a bowl of ice cream with a side of cookies?
You may have heard about two hormones (荷尔蒙) that control our urge to eat: leptin and ghrelin. "The 'l' in leptin stands for lose: It controls appetite and therefore contributes to weight loss," said sleep specialist Dr. Raj Dasgupta, the associate program director of the Sleep Medicine Fellowship at Keck Medicine of USC. "The 'g' in ghrelin stands for gain: This fast-acting hormone increases hunger and leads to weight gain." When you don't have enough sleep, research shows, ghrelin levels increase while leptin lakes a nose dive. The result is an increase in hunger.
But food is food, so that doesn't explain why we want candy instead of carrots. To answer that, you have to look at another system of the body: The endocannabinoid (内源性大麻素) system. It manages everything from sleep to appetite to pain and more.
In a study published in 2016, Hanlon compared the circulating levels of 2-AG, one of the most abundant endocannabinoids,in people who got four nights of normal sleep (more than eight hours) with those in people who only got 4.5 hours. People who were sleep-deprived (缺乏睡眠) reported greater increases in hunger and appetite and had higher afternoon concentrations of 2-AG than those who slept well. They also had a rough time controlling their urges for high-calorie snacks.
All of this research is so new that science doesn’t yet know how it all fits together or what can be done about it. And that brings us to the bottom line: There's not going to be a pill any time soon for the sleep-deprived junk-food people. Instead, you'll have to do what the doctor says to reduce your improper cravings (渴望) in the middle of the night: get more sleep.
1.How does the author develop paragraph 2?
A.By giving examples. B.By making comparisons.
C.By following time order. D.By making explanations.
2.What did the study published in 2016 find?
A.Most 2-AG is produced during sleep.
B.Normal sleep makes levels of 2-AG go up.
C.High levels of 2-AG can result in strong appetite.
D.Lack of sleep decreases appetite for high-calorie food.
3.What may be a solution to the problem of eating junk-food at midnight?
A.Buying a pill from the hospital. B.Visiting the doctor at midnight.
C.Getting normal amount of sleep. D.Checking the levels of 2-AG often.
4.What can be the best title for the text?
A.Lack of sleep makes you crave junk food.
B.2-AG controls your hunger and appetite.
C.Enough sleep is important in losing weight.
D.Leptin and ghrelin together make you sleepy.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Natural disasters come without warning, and this underlines the need for disaster management. Natural disasters may cause death or damage crops and properties without warning. Emergency management can reduce the damage and save more lives than if there are no systems set up for disaster security (安全).
There are steps to take when you plan for a natural disaster. Here's a list of some of them:
1. Ask your local Red Cross chapter or emergency management office for reminders of disasters and emergency management steps.1.You may also request a list of emergency steps that should be done in each type of disaster.
2. Each community has its own set of emergency signals.2.Knowing what to do at once gives you a head start in any emergency.
3.3.Include discussions on what is likely to happen and what should be done in such cases. Plan how each one of you will react and what are the responsibilities of each one, in order to be able to work as a team.
4. Set a meeting place in case of a natural disaster. It should be one within the vicinity (附近) of your workplace or home, and one outside your immediate vicinity.4.Agree on an emergency telephone that everyone should try to call.
5. Prepare a disaster supply toolbox. Stock it with first aid supplies.5.Prepare emergency lights like flashlights with batteries. Include a battery-powered radio in the kit so you can listen to updates.
A. Find out what they sound like and what they mean.
B. Discuss the dangers of different types of natural disasters.
C. Try to understand why these signals sound unfamiliar to you.
D. Everyone should try to reach it when a natural disaster happens.
E. Prepare some water and food that should be enough for three days.
F. Find out any disaster management plan that your community has.
G. This is also the best time to ask what kind of disasters may likely take place.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Washington is home to lots of trees and lots of fireplaces and wood-burning_________too. But what if you lived there and couldn't cut wood or wasn't able to pay someone to do it?_________, Shane McDaniel and his twin sons, Harrison and Henry McDaniel, 21, are happy to _______ an axe (斧头). The three men cut truckloads of wood, and then_________it to those in need. "I want to help people who are _______ cardboard because they've got nothing else," Shane explained to heraldnet.com.
"The idea _______ as a father-son bonding (建立关系) project," he told msn.com. "I had to cut wood with my dad. He just loved doing it," says Shane. He wanted to pass down that feeling, so he and the twins spent the summer of 2018 cutting wood. The _______ was a great wall of wood _______ around their house. To buy that much would cost about $10,000.
It was too much for the McDaniels themselves to use, and when the weather turned _______ that November, Shane started thinking of others. He ________ on Facebook, "If you are in need of firewood and can't ________ it, please tell me! Please ________ me and my boys to make sure no one goes cold in our neighbourhood. "
The ________ was immediate. One man ________ to donate a wood-burning furnace (火炉). Others raced over to Shane's house, ________ more wood to the pile.
Single mom Katelyn Ticer and her four-year old daughter ________ burning wood as their only ________ of heat, so it was a relief to ________ a truckload of firewood from the McDaniels. "To get that much wood brought me to tears," she told msn.com. "So much ________ is off my shoulders. I couldn't be more ________. "
1.A.factories B.stoves C.stores D.lights
2.A.Finally B.Fairly C.Generally D.Luckily
3.A.repair B.make C.lend D.send
4.A.contributed B.displayed C.sold D.rented
5.A.burning B.collecting C.giving D.throwing
6.A.died B.increased C.started D.sank
7.A.duty B.will C.encouragement D.result
8.A.piled up B.caught up C.broken down D.shown off
9.A.dry B.cold C.warm D.foggy
10.A.apologized B.defended C.posted D.acted
11.A.record B.afford C.discover D.secure
12.A.persuade B.advise C.remind D.help
13.A.reaction B.comprehension C.appointment D.guidance
14.A.failed B.refused C.hesitated D.offered
15.A.tying B.attaching C.adding D.sticking
16.A.referred to B.dreamed of C.relied on D.insisted on
17.A.explanation B.state C.way D.progress
18.A.harvest B.receive C.transport D.select
19.A.injury B.wisdom C.joy D.stress
20.A.interested B.thankful C.convinced D.helpful
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
阅读下面短文,在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式,并将答案填写在答题卡上.
In the past few years, demand 1. fake meat products has surged (蜂拥而来) in the Western world, as people look for other healthier choices to replace red meat.
But long before they appeared in the West, China had been making 2. (tradition) meat-based dishes out of nuts and vegetables. Some records of monks (僧侣) 3. (eat) tofu-based "vegetarian meat" date back to as early as the Song Dynasty in 4. 10th century. It was known as "fang hun cai" or literally" imitation meat dish."
China's early 5. (adopt) of fake meat products is closely linked to its long history of Buddhism(佛教). Buddhism 6. (introduce) to China as early as the Han Dynasty, around 2,000 years ago. Today, it's practiced by around 20% of China's population — some 250 million people. A central rule of Buddhism is respect for all living 7. (creature) , and vegetarianism is common among its followers.
8. China's monasteries (寺院) provided a strict vegetarian diet, they would often have to consider the dietary choices of people 9. came for a visit. The visitors would expect 10. (have) meat-based meals and this was where the tradition came. They would get all the dishes they expected at a banquet (宴请), but made from vegetarian ingredients.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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作文。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：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），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：在错的词下划一横线，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。
I try my best put myself in the local culture. The following two ways always make this easier to do this: either you stay there longer or you visit it more frequent. Once you don't regard yourself to a tourist, you will start seeing things in the different way and start experiencing things like a local person. One of my longest trip was recently in Xi'an, when I stayed for a month. As days went by, life moves forward from take long walks to tasting delicious local foods. I'd never been enjoyed these before that trip, so I have decided to go for a much longer stay next time I travel.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
假定你是李华，现在在英国做交换生。你班同学Mary想邀请你加入她所在的一个公益组织“Community Environmental Protection Organization”。请你用英语给她写一封邮件，内容包括：
1. 感谢邀请；
2. 你的决定及原因。
注意：1. 词数100左右；
2. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Mary,
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours sincerely,
Li Hua
难度: 中等查看答案及解析