Thanksgiving Day is special holiday in the Un...

Thanksgiving Day is special holiday in the United States and Canada. Families and friends gather to eat and give thanks for their blessing.

Thanksgiving Day is really a harvest festival. This is why it is celebrated in late fall, after the crops are in. But one of the first thanksgivings in America had nothing to do with a good harvest. On December 4, 1619, the Pilgrims from England landed near what is now Charles City, Virginia. They knelt down and thanked God for their safe journey across the Atlantic.

The first New England Thanksgiving did celebrate a rich harvest. The Pilgrims landed at what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1620. They had a difficult time and the first winter was cruel. Many of the Pilgrims died. But the next year, they had a good harvest. So Governor Bradford declared a three-day feast. The Pilgrims invited Indian friends to join them for their special feast. Everyone brought food.

In time, other colonies（殖民地）began to celebrate a day of thanksgiving. But it took years before there was a national Thanksgiving Day. During the Civil War, Sarah Josepha Hale persuaded Abraham Lincoln to do something about it. He proclaimed（宣布）the last Thursday of November 1863 as a day of thanksgiving. Today, Americans celebrate this happy harvest festival on the fourth Thursday in November. Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving Day in much the same way as their American neighbours. But the Canadian thanks-giving Day falls on the second Monday in October.

1.Thanksgiving Day is celebrated 　　　 .

A. in spring　　　　　　　　　 B.in summer　　　　 C. in autumn　　　　　　　　 D. in winter

2.The first to celebrate thanksgiving were 　　　 .

A. some people from England　　 B. the American Indians

C. Sarah Josepha Hale　　　　　　 D. Governor Bradford

3.We can infer from the passage that New England must be 　　　 .

A. in the U. S. A.　 B. in Great Britain　　 C. in Canada　　 D. on some island off the Atlantic

4.The passage mainly tells us 　　　 .

A. how Thanksgiving Day is celebrated in the U. S. A.

B. how Thanksgiving Day came into being and the different ways it is celebrated

C. that Thanksgiving Day is in fact a harvest holiday

D. how the way to celebrate Thanksgiving Day changed with the time and places

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Thanksgiving Day is special holiday in the United States and Canada. Families and friends gather to eat and give thanks for their blessing.

Thanksgiving Day is really a harvest festival. This is why it is celebrated in late fall, after the crops are in. But one of the first thanksgivings in America had nothing to do with a good harvest. On December 4, 1619, the Pilgrims from England landed near what is now Charles City, Virginia. They knelt down and thanked God for their safe journey across the Atlantic.

The first New England Thanksgiving did celebrate a rich harvest. The Pilgrims landed at what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1620. They had a difficult time and the first winter was cruel. Many of the Pilgrims died. But the next year, they had a good harvest. So Governor Bradford declared a three-day feast（盛宴）. The Pilgrims invited Indian friends to join them for their special feast. Everyone brought food.

In time, other colonies（殖民地）began to celebrate a day of thanksgiving. But it took years before there was a national Thanksgiving Day. During the Civil War, Sarah Josepha Hale persuaded Abraham Lincoln to do something about it. He proclaimed（宣布）the last Thursday of November 1863 as a day of thanksgiving. Today, Americans celebrate this happy harvest festival on the fourth Thursday in November. Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving Day in much the same way as their American neighbours. But the Canadian thanks-giving Day falls on the second Monday in October.

1.Thanksgiving Day is celebrated ________.

A．in spring          B．summer           C．in autumn         D．in winter

2.The first to celebrate thanksgiving were ________.

A．some people from England                B．the American Indians

C．Sarah Josepha Hale                      D．Governor Bradford

3.We can infer from the passage that New England must be ________.

A. in the U. S. A.   B. in Great Britain   C. in Canada   D. on some island off the Atlantic

4.Which of the following is NOT true?

A．Thanksgiving Day used to be a holiday to celebrate a good harvest.

B．Abraham Lincoln was not the first to decide on thanksgiving celebrations.

C．Thanksgiving Day is celebrated to express the American and Indian people’s thanks to God.

D．There’s little difference between the American way and the Canadian way to celebrate Thanksgiving Day.

5.The passage mainly tells us ________.

A. how Thanksgiving Day is celebrated in the U. S. A.

B. how Thanksgiving Day came into being and the different ways it is celebrated

C. that Thanksgiving Day is in fact a harvest holiday

D. how the way to celebrate Thanksgiving Day changed with the time and places

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving Day, is a busy shopping day in the United States. Many people have a day off work on that day. Some use this to make trips; others use it to start 　 　 　 for the Christmas season.

Many stores have special offers and 　　 their prices on some goods. Some 　　 their opening hours. There can also be traffic jams on roads to 　　 shopping destinations.

There are 　　 common theories as to why it is called Black Friday. One is that the wheels of vehicles in heavy traffic on the day left many black markings on the road surface, 　　 the term Black Friday. The other is from an old way of recording business accounts. 　　 were recorded in red ink and profits in black. Many businesses, 　　 small businesses, started making profits before Christmas, so they started to mark in black ink on the day after Thanksgiving.

1.A. traveling B. shopping C. visiting　 D. cooking

2.A. prepare　 B. check　 C. lower　　　 D. raise

3.A. shorten B. enlarge　 C. reduce　　　　 D. extend

4.A. popular　 B. outstanding　 C. splendid　　　 D. ordinary

5.A. many　 B. two　 C. few　　　　 D. no

6.A. leaving for B. leading to C. coming out　 D. sticking to

7.A. Prices　　　　 B. Interests C. Losses　　　 D. Benefits

8.A. particularly B. specially C. obviously D. Eventually

高三英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

Black Friday is the Friday following Thanksgiving Day in the United States. It has been regarded as the beginning of the holiday shopping season. Although it’s not an official holiday, millions of employers give their employees the day off, and many people use that day to get a jump-start on their holiday shopping. A similar day in Canada and Great Britain is called “Boxing Day”.

Black Friday has become somewhat of a marketing sensation in recent years. Since 2005, it has been the busiest shopping day of the year. To lure shoppers, retailers (零售商) routinely open their doors as early as 4 a. m. and offer special sales and promotions to the shoppers that arrive early. Some of the special deals offered by stores are only available in limited quantities. That is why some shoppers intent on getting the best deals often camp out in front of stores overnight so that they’ll be the first in line when the doors open.

But why Black Friday? Historians believe the name started in Philadelphia in the mid-1960s. Bus drivers and police used “Black Friday” to describe the heavy traffic that would block city streets the day after Thanksgiving as shoppers headed to the stores.

Businesses, however, didn’t like the negative tone associated with the “Black Friday” name. In the early 1980s, a more positive explanation of the name began to circulate. According to this alternative explanation, Black Friday is the day when retailers finally begin to turn a profit for the year. In accounting terms (会计行业), operating at a loss is called being “in the red” because accountants traditionally used red ink to show negative amounts. Positive amounts were usually shown in black ink. Thus, being “in the black” is a good thing because it means stores are operating at a profit.

Recently, for those who are too busy to shop on Black Friday or who just don’t want to fight the crowds, the Monday following Black Friday has become known as Cyber Monday (网络星期一) for the many online deals.

1.On Black Friday，the Americans 　　　　 .

A. don’t have to go to work as usual

B. look exactly like the Canadians

C. are usually busy doing shopping

D. stay at home and relax themselves

2.The underlined word “lure” (in Paragraph 2) probably means 　　　　 .

A. protect　　 B. attract

C. persuade　　 D. remind

3.How do the retailers understand Black Friday?

A. It is totally different from Boxing Day.

B. They usually lose some money on the day.

C. It never keeps them very busy.

D. It probably brings them more money.

4.The author writes this passage in order to 　　　　 .

A. state the development of Cyber Monday

B. tell the difference between red and black

C. introduce Black Friday to the readers

D. explain the meaning of Boxing Day

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Black Friday is the Friday following Thanksgiving Day in the United States. It has been regarded as the beginning of the holiday shopping season. Although it’s not an official holiday, millions of employers give their employees the day off, and many people use that day to get a jump-start on their holiday shopping. A similar day in Canada and Great Britain is called “Boxing Day”.

Black Friday has become somewhat of a marketing sensation in recent years. Since 2005, it has been the busiest shopping day of the year. To lure shoppers, retailers (零售商) routinely open their doors as early as 4 a.m. and offer special sales and promotions to the shoppers that arrive early. Some of the special deals offered by stores are only available in limited quantities. That is why some shoppers intent on getting the best deals often camp out in front of stores overnight so that they’ll be the first in line when the doors open.

But why Black Friday? Historians believe the name started in Philadelphia in the mid-1960s. Bus drivers and police used “Black Friday” to describe the heavy traffic that would block city streets the day after Thanksgiving as shoppers headed to the stores.

Businesses, however, didn’t like the negative tone associated with the “Black Friday” name. In the early 1980s, a more positive explanation of the name began to circulate. According to this alternative explanation, Black Friday is the day when retailers finally begin to turn a profit for the year. In accounting terms (会计行业), operating at a loss is called being “in the red” because accountants traditionally used red ink to show negative amounts. Positive amounts were usually shown in black ink. Thus, being “in the black” is a good thing because it means stores are operating at a profit.

Recently, for those who are too busy to shop on Black Friday or who just don’t want to fight the crowds, the Monday following Black Friday has become known as Cyber Monday (网络星期一) for the many online deals.

1.On Black Friday, the Americans ________.

A. don’t have to go to work as usual

B. look exactly like the Canadians

C. are usually busy doing shopping

D. stay at home and relax themselves

2.The underlined word “lure” (in Paragraph 2) probably means ________.

A. protect            B. attract            C. persuade            D. remind

3.How do the retailers understand Black Friday?

A. It is totally different from Boxing Day.

B. They usually lose some money on the day.

C. It never keeps them very busy.

D. It probably brings them more money.

4.The author writes this passage in order to ________.

A. state the development of Cyber Monday

B. tell the difference between red and black

C. introduce Black Friday to the readers

D. explain the meaning of Boxing Day

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

April 27 is Take Our Daughters to Work Day in Britain. Started at first in the United States and brought to Britain in 1994, Take Our Daughters to Work Day has become a special day for girls between 11 and 15. On that day thousands of girls take a day off school and go together with one of their parents to their work places. The purpose of this day is to broaden girls’ horizons and raise their self-confidence.

For many years people have thought that boys can do better than girls in society. But actually, “girls can be whatever they want to be just like boys, whether it is a pilot, a nurse or a chief executive,” says the chairman of Our Sons and Daughters Charitable Trust, an organization which supported the activity of the Day. “Now the girls have a close look at what their parents are doing and this may help them to be more self-confident when they are faced with a choice of work.”

Schools and many companies support the activity too. Palmers Green High School for Girls, in north London, has made the Day a necessary part of career education.

Zarina Bart, 15, from Palmers Green, went with her mother to her lawyer’s office on this year’s Take Our Daughters to Work Day. She found it interesting to see her mother at work. “It’s really strange seeing Mum at work — running around, getting serious and telling people what to do.” She has always liked this idea of going into law and thinks it likely that she will follow in her mother’s footsteps. Having a chance to see how her mother works has given her more self-confidence.

Experts believe that girls with higher self-confidence aim higher and are more likely to be successful in life. Parents have the most important effect on the confidence of teenage girls. If parents believe in their daughters and show examples both at work as well as at home for them, this will give a lot of help to girls. Take Our Daughters to Work Day is surely a step in the right direction.

1.What is the topic of this passage?

A. Raising daughters’ self-confidence.

B. Take Our Daughters to Work Day.

C. Equally between boys and girls.

D. Following mothers’ footsteps.

2.It can be inferred from Paragraph 2 that ________.

A. women pilots are popular in Britain

B. girls are sure about their future jobs

C. people have wrongly believed that girls can do as well as boys

D. for many years boys have had a relatively wider choice of work

3.According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?

A. Take Our Daughters to Work Day is British in origin.

B. Palmers Green favors Take Our Daughters to Work Day.

C. On the Day children are taken to their parent’s work places.

D. Parents in Britain show good examples both at work and at home.

4.After her experience on Take Our Daughters to Work Day, Zarina felt ________.

A. confident about finding a job in the future

B. strange to watch her mother working in the office

C. sure about what to choose as her future career

D. interested in doing the same job as her mother

5.The author’s attitude towards the Day is ________.

A. favorable　　　　 B. unclear　　　 C. critical　　　 D. neutral

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

April 27 is Take Our Daughters to Work Day in Britain. Started at first in the United States and brought to Britain in 1994, Take Our Daughters to Work Day has become a special day for girls between 11 and 15. On that day thousands of girls take a day off school and go together with one of their parents to their work places. The purpose of this day is to broaden girls’ horizons and raise their self-confidence.

For many years people have thought that boys can do better than girls in society. But actually, “girls can be whatever they want to be just like boys, whether it is a pilot, a nurse or a chief executive,” says the chairman of Our Sons and Daughters Charitable Trust, an organization which supported the activity of the Day. “Now the girls have a close look at what their parents are doing and this may help them to be more self-confident when they are faced with a choice of work.”

Schools and many companies support the activity too. Palmers Green High School for Girls, in north London, has made the Day a necessary part of career education.

Zarina Bart, 15, from Palmers Green, went with her mother to her lawyer’s office on this year’s Take Our Daughters to Work Day. She found it interesting to see her mother at work. “It’s really strange seeing Mum at work — running around, getting serious and telling people what to do.” She has always liked this idea of going into law and thinks it likely that she will follow in her mother’s footsteps. Having a chance to see how her mother works has given her more self-confidence.

Experts believe that girls with higher self-confidence aim higher and are more likely to be successful in life. Parents have the most important effect on the confidence of teenage girls. If parents believe in their daughters and show examples both at work as well as at home for them, this will give a lot of help to girls. Take Our Daughters to Work Day is surely a step in the right direction.

1.What is the topic of this passage?

A. Raising daughters’ self-confidence.

B. Take Our Daughters to Work Day.

C. Equally between boys and girls.

D. Following mothers’ footsteps.

2.It can be inferred from Paragraph 2 that ________.

A. women pilots are popular in Britain

B. girls are sure about their future jobs

C. people have wrongly believed that girls can do as well as boys

D. for many years boys have had a relatively wider choice of work

3.According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?

A. Take Our Daughters to Work Day is British in origin.

B. Palmers Green favors Take Our Daughters to Work Day.

C. On the Day children are taken to their parent’s work places.

D. Parents in Britain show good examples both at work and at home.

4.After her experience on Take Our Daughters to Work Day, Zarina felt ________.

A. confident about finding a job in the future

B. strange to watch her mother working in the office

C. sure about what to choose as her future career

D. interested in doing the same job as her mother

5.The author’s attitude towards the Day is ________.

A. favorable　　　　 B. unclear

C. critical　　　 D. neutral

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

April 27 is Take Our Daughters to Work Day in Britain. Started at first in the United States and brought to Britain in 1994, Take Our Daughters to Work Day has become a special day for girls between 11 and 15. On that day thousands of girls take a day off school and go together with one of their parents to their work places. The purpose of this day is to broaden girls’ horizons and raise their self-confidence.

For many years people have thought that boys can do better than girls in society. But actually, “girls can be whatever they want to be just like boys, whether it is a pilot, a nurse or a chief executive,” says the chairman of Our Sons and Daughters Charitable Trust, an organization which supported the activity of the Day. “Now the girls have a close look at what their parents are doing and this may help them to be more self-confident when they are faced with a choice of work.”

Schools and many companies support the activity too. Palmers Green High School for Girls, in north London, has made the Day a necessary part of career education.

Zarina Bart, 15, from Palmers Green, went with her mother to her lawyer’s office on this year’s Take Our Daughters to Work Day. She found it interesting to see her mother at work. “It’s really strange seeing Mum at work — running around, getting serious and telling people what to do.” She has always liked this idea of going into law and thinks it likely that she will follow in her mother’s footsteps. Having a chance to see how her mother works has given her more self-confidence.

Experts believe that girls with higher self-confidence aim higher and are more likely to be successful in life. Parents have the most important effect on the confidence of teenage girls. If parents believe in their daughters and show examples both at work as well as at home for them, this will give a lot of help to girls. Take Our Daughters to Work Day is surely a step in the right direction.

1.What is the topic of this passage?

A. Raising daughters’ self-confidence.

B. Take Our Daughters to Work Day.

C. Equally between boys and girls.

D. Following mothers’ footsteps.

2.It can be inferred from Paragraph 2 that ________.

A. women pilots are popular in Britain

B. girls are sure about their future jobs

C. people have wrongly believed that girls can do as well as boys

D. for many years boys have had a relatively wider choice of work

3.According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?

A. Take Our Daughters to Work Day is British in origin.

B. Palmers Green favors Take Our Daughters to Work Day.

C. On the Day children are taken to their parent’s work places.

D. Parents in Britain show good examples both at work and at home.

4.After her experience on Take Our Daughters to Work Day, Zarina felt ________.

A. confident about finding a job in the future

B. strange to watch her mother working in the office

C. sure about what to choose as her future career

D. interested in doing the same job as her mother

5.The author’s attitude towards the Day is ________.

A. favorable　　　　 B. unclear　　　 C. critical　　　 D. neutral

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

People in the United States honor their parents with 2 special days: Mother’s Day on the second Sunday in May and Father’s Day on the 3rd Sunday in June. These days are to show love and respect for parents. They raise their children and educate them to be responsible citizens. They give love and care. These two days offer an opportunity to think about the changing roles of mothers and fathers. More mothers now work outside the home and more fathers must help with childcare.

These two special days are celebrated in many different ways. On mother’s Day, people wear carnations. A red one symbolizes a living mother. A white one shows that the mother is dead. Many people attend religious services to honor parents. It’s also a day when people whose parents are dead visit the cemetery(grave). On these days families get together at home as well as in restaurants. They often have outdoor barbecue for Father’s Day. These are days of fun and good feelings and memories.

Another tradition is to give cards and gifts. Children make them in school. Many people make their own presents. These are more valued than those bought in stores. It’s not the value of the gift that is important, but “the thought that counts”. Greeting card stores, florists, candy makers, bakers, phone companies and other stores do lots of business during these holidays.

1.Which is NOT a reason for children to show love and respect for parents?

2.What do you know from the passage?

3.Which do you know about “carnation”?

4.On Mother’s Day and Father’s Day ___________.

5.What do you think “florists” do ?

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

On the last Monday in May, people in the United States celebrate Memorial Day. This federal holiday honors members of the American military who died at war. Schools and government offices close. Most people in the US have this day off from work. People celebrate Memorial Day with outdoor parades.

Most Americans consider it the start of summer though the season really begins in June. With so many people off work, Memorial Day has also become a popular shopping day. However, on most occasions Memorial Day is a serious and even sorrowful holiday. Those who have lost family members at war visit burial sites to decorate the graves. They place flowers, wreaths and US flags on the graves.

Memorial Day comes from a tradition that began after the US Civil War called Decoration Day. The Civil War was a very dark time in the US history. Historians have long thought that about 620,000 soldiers died in the fighting. However, new research suggests that the dead numbered about 750,000.

In 1868, about 5,000 people gathered at Arlington National Cemetery on the edge of Washington, D. C. They decorated more than 10,000 graves of Union and Confederate soldiers. They called it Decoration Day. bone

The tradition spread to other areas of the country. In 1873, New York State called it Memorial Day and was the first to make it a legal-holiday. Other States allowed, but not all. Some southern states had (and-still have) separate celebrations that honor only dead Confederate soldiers.

After World War I ended in 1918, Memorial Day became a day to honor all American soldiers killed at war. In 1971, Congress passed a law making it an official federal holiday all over America.

1.What's the purpose of Memorial Day in America?

A.To mark the start of summer. B.To let people enjoy themselves.

C.To show respect to dead soldiers. D.To set a holiday to encourage soldiers.

2.What's the atmosphere of American Memorial Day like on most occasions?

A.Sad. B.Casual.

C.Pleasant. D.Relaxing.

3.When did Memorial Casual, become a legal holiday throughout the US?

A.In 1971. B.In 1873.

C.In 1918. D.In 1868.

4.What is the best title for the text?

A.Celebration Activities of Memorial Day in the US

B.The Prospect of American Memorial Day

C.Members Honored on American Memorial Day

D.The Evolution on Memorial Day in the US

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析