Thanksgiving Day is a very special day for people in the United States. In that country they celebrate Thanksgiving Day on the fourth Thursday in November. Canadians also celebrate Thanksgiving Day, but they do it on the second Monday of October. In Britain, where the festival is called “ Harvest Festival”, people celebrate earlier in the year, in September.
A harvest is the fruit you take from the trees and the crops you take from the ground. In North America, Europe, and England, harvest time for most fruit and crops is in the special day of the year. They thank God for the good things that have happened during the year and for the good harvest they have had. People usually take small boxes of fruit, flowers, and vegetables to their churches to show their thanks.
The first thanksgiving service in North America took place on 4 December 1610 when 38 English people arrived in America to make their home in the new country. They held this service not to thank God for the harvest, but to thank God for their safe journey. The next year, many more English people arrived. They had a bad winter, but fortunately the harvest was good. They decided to celebrate with a big meal. They shot and killed small animals to eat and cooked everything outside on large fires. About 90 Indians also came to the meal. Everyone ate at tables outside their houses and played games together. The festival lasted three days.
A Thanksgiving Day celebration was held every year for a long time, but not always on the same day of the year. Then, in 1789, President George Washington named 26 November as the Day of Thanksgiving. Almost a hundred years later, President Abraham Lincoln changed the date, and said that the last Thursday in November should be Thanksgiving Day.
Nowadays, North Americans around the world get together with their families on this day to eat good food and have a happy time.
39. The story is about ____.
A. festivals B. an American festival
C. English people in America D. giving thanks for everything
40. The last Thursday in November in November is ____.
A. a festival in every country in the world
B. Thanksgiving Day in the United States
C. the day farmers pick fruit from the trees
D. the day the first English People came to America
41. On thanksgiving Day people ____.
A. plant their crops. B. celebrate a safe journey
C. thank God for a good harvest
D. harvest their fruit and crops.
42. At the first thanksgiving service in North America, the people ____.
A. shot a lot of small animals
B. thanked God for a safe journey
C. thanked God for a good harvest
D. had a big dinner outside their houses.
TOKYO, Japan (AP) – Japan is very serious about robotics (机器人技术). If the androids are going to fit in, they probably need to learn the Japanese custom of serving tea. Fortunately, researchers at the University of Tokyo are exploring just that. In a show this week, an android（有人特点的）with camera eyes made by Kawada Industries Inc. poured tea from a bottle into a cup. Then another robot on wheels delivered the cup of tea in an experimental room that has sensors(感应器)embedded in the floor and sofa as well as cameras on the ceiling, to simulate（模仿）life with robot technology.
“A human being may be faster, but you’d have to say ‘Thank you,’” said University of Tokyo professor Tomomasa Sato. “That’s the best part about a robot. You don’t have to feel bad about asking it to do things.”
Sato believes Japan, a rapidly aging society where more than a fifth of the population is 65 or older, will lead the world in designing robots to care for the elderly, sick and bedridden（卧床不起的）. Already, monitoring technologies, such as sensors that automatically turn on lights when people enter a room, are becoming widespread in Japan.
The walking, child–size Asimo from Honda Motor Co. greets people at showrooms. NEC Corp. has developed a smaller companion robot on wheels called Papero. A robot available since 2004 can entertain the elderly and others in need of companionship.
Sato says his experimental room is raising awareness about privacy questions that may arise when electronic devices（设备）monitor a person’s movements down to the smallest detail.
On the bright side, the tea – pouring humanoid has been programmed to do the dishes.What is the best title of this passage?
| A．“Thank You” Will Never Be Needed in Japan |
| B．Monitoring Technologies Are Widespread in Japan |
| C．Robot Is Designed to Care for the Elderly. |
| D．Robot technologies are widespread in Japanese daily life. |
The underlined word “embedded” in the first paragraph probably means .
| A．fixed | B．established | C．settled | D．rooted |
According to Professor Sato, .
| A．the robot serves tea much faster than a human being |
| B．the robot does anything like human beings |
| C．tea – serving robot helps to form laziness of the aging society |
| D．tea – serving robot doesn’t need any reward for the service |
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．A robot can imitate people to complete complicated tasks. |
| B．A robot has been programmed to clean the dishes. |
| C．All the problems in the aging society can be solved by robots. |
| D．The number of aging people is increasing rapidly in Japan. |
We can infer from the passage that .
| A．people are afraid of being monitored by robots. |
| B．the technology of robots has been highlighted（强调） in Japan. |
| C．robots can completely take the place of human beings. |
| D．people’s privacy should be strictly protected |
"Beating is a sign of affection, cursing (骂）is a sign of love."
Many may not expect to hear the words of the old Chinese saying in these modern times—with parents wealthier and better educated than they have ever been—but experts say they still ring true.
Today, it seems, Chinese parents are more likely to send their children to pre-college military academies in the United States in the hope that some tough love will pave the way tosuccess.
"Good education doesn't mean letting your child enjoy privileges, especially our boys," said Song Wenming, an entrepreneur(企业家）in Jinhua, East China's Zhejiang province." They should be raised in tough conditions to know what to fight for in the future."
In August, Song sent his 17-year-old son to Valley Forge Military Academy (VFMA) in Pennsylvania. And he is far from alone, even though it takes a lot of money - around $48,000 per year —to send a child to a strict military school.
Statistics shows that an increasing number of Chinese students have been registering with such academies.
A few years ago, there were no Chinese students at Valley Forge. Today, there are 28."All of the Chinese students at Valley Forge came from wealthy families, some of them were spoiled," said Jennifer Myers, director of marketing and communications at the school.
Song's only son, Song Siyu, had a rocky start during his first six weeks at the school. The teenager said he went to the school voluntarily but did not expect it to be as difficult.
Now, three months later, he has perfected the art of taking a bath in 35 seconds, finishing a meal without looking at his food, and making his bed with precision. He can even take criticism, no matter how unreasonable.
"The training is hard but I know it is good for self-development of individuals," said Song Siyu.'The endless training and scolding are just ways to build up our character, they are not personal."
But his enthusiasm is not universal. Ten of the 13 Chinese students who joined the academy this year have transferred to other schools.
But for those who stick with it, there is a reward for all the hard work.From the second paragraph, we can know the old Chinese saying _____.
| A．is out of date in modern times. |
| B．is disagreed by rich parents. |
| C．is still worth trusting. |
| D．is deeply believed by better educated parent. |
The underlined sentence means that _____
| A．Song sent his only son to military school, so he feels lonely. |
| B．Song is the only one who sends his child t to military school. |
| C．There are other people sending their children to military school besides Song. |
| D．The fee of the military school is so high that only Song can afford it. |
Song Siyu got some achievements in the military school except _____.
| A．taking a bath in a short time | B．having his meal with his eyes closed |
| C．taking unreasonable criticism | D．improving his character |
How many Chinese students are there at Valley Forge before this year?
| A．10 | B．13 | C．15 | D．25 |
Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?
A. It's likely that more and more Chinese students will attend VFMA.
B. Most Chinese parents approve of educating their children by beating and cursing nowadays.
C. Song Siyu had no difficulty in adjusting to the life at VFMA.
D. Most Chinese students support the way of education at VFMA.
Philip was a nine-year-old boy in a Sunday school class of 8-year-old girls and boys. Sometimes the third graders didn’t welcome Philip into their group and usually tricked him. This was not because he was older, but because he was “different”. You see, Philip suffered from a condition called Downs’s Syndrome. This made him “different”, with his facial characteristics, slow responses and mental problems.
One Sunday after Easter, the Sunday school teacher gathered some plastic eggs that pulled apart in the middle. The teacher gave one to each child. On that beautiful spring day, the children were to go out and discover for themselves some symbol of “new life” and place it inside the plastic eggs.
After the children returned to the classroom, the teacher opened their eggs one by one, asking each child to explain that symbol of “new life”. The first opened egg contained a flower. Everyone cheered. In another was a butterfly…. When the teacher opened the last egg, it was empty. “That’s stupid,” said someone. The teacher felt a pull at his shirt. It was Philip. Looking up, Philip said, “It’s mine. I did it. It’s empty. I have new life, because the tomb is empty.” Not a sound was heard in class at all. From that day on, Philip became a real part of the group. They welcomed him, and whatever made him different was never mentioned again.The underlined word “condition” in the first paragraph probably means ________.
| A．grade | B．status | C．health | D．disease |
It can be inferred from the first paragraph that ________.
| A．The 8-year-olds were sometimes cruel |
| B．The 8-year-olds were friendly to Philip |
| C．Philip was really different in school |
| D．Philip was older and more sensitive |
The teacher gave each child one plastic egg to let them ________.
| A．play around on that beautiful spring day |
| B．put some symbol of “new life” into it |
| C．try to pull it apart in the middle |
| D．go out and discover themselves |
After Philip explained his new life, ________.
| A．The class thought he was clever. | B．The class fell silent. |
| C．He began to study in the class. | D．He felt dying. |
We learn from the passage that ________.
| A．The teacher used to have classes outdoors |
| B．The Philip’s new life wish was empty |
| C．Philip was healthy as a whole |
| D．Philip was accepted by his classmates in the end |
Roman Pantheon （万神殿） is one of the greatest achievements of the ancient Romans. The ancient Romans were good architects and they built many wonderful buildings. Another good example of a Roman architectural style is the Roman Coliseum, which is a large building used for public sports events or entertainment. The Roman architectural style has been borrowed by many of the western countries.
The architecture of Pantheon is unique to Rome. In Latin and Greek, pantheon means "Temple of all the Gods". Marcus Agrippa built the original Pantheon in 27 BC. But the Pantheon built by Agrippa was completely destroyed in 80 AD when a fire broke out. The Roman Pantheon that is visited by many tourists today was rebuilt in 125 AD by the Roman emperor Hadrian. Hadrian's architects followed the exact design of Marcus Agrippa. Historians believe that the Pantheon was a place of worship(崇拜) because it housed all the gods and goddesses of the ancient Romans.
The Pantheon of Rome is an amazing example of ancient Roman architecture. This building has been in use for over 2000 years. The Roman Pantheon is famous for its design, size. The most unbelievable feature of this building is its huge concrete dome(圆顶). The Pantheon’s dome was thought to be the largest, until recent times.
Phocas, the Byzantine Emperor presented the Roman Pantheon to Pope Boniface IV to save it from the destruction. In 609 AD, it was turned into a church. During Papal rule, it was used as a burial ground (坟场) for kings and other famous people. There are tombs of Raphael (a painter), King Victor Emmanuel II, King Umberto I and many more in the Pantheon.
Some of the buildings that were constructed on the model of the Roman Pantheon are The Rotunda - University of Virginia, Low Memorial Library - Columbia University, Grand Auditorium - Tsinghua University, Jefferson Memorial - Washington D.C. and Duomo - Florence.From the first paragraph, we can learn that _______.
| A．the Coliseum was often used for big parties |
| B．there were different architectural styles in Rome |
| C．the Roman architectural style was borrowed from many western countries |
| D．the Pantheon and the Coliseum are examples of Roman architecture |
According to historians, the Pantheon was built to _______.
| A．exhibit the terrific design of Marcus Agrippa |
| B．suggest the power of Emperor Hadrian |
| C．provide a place for Roman gods and goddess |
| D．show ancient Rome’s unique architectural style |
The Pantheon which tourists visit at present was built in _______.
| A．27BC | B．80AD | C．about 125AD | D．609 AD |
The Pantheon was thought highly of especially because of its _______.
| A．strange shape | B．huge dome | C．perfect quality | D．beautiful |
The text mainly tells us _______.
| A．some facts about the Roman Pantheon |
| B．the influence of ancient Roman architecture |
| C．Roman’s lifestyle in ancient times |
| D．ancient Romans and their architecture |
A 33-year-old financial analyst in California recently quit his job to devote himself to an unpaid job teaching math on the Internet, and his lessons are reaching almost 100,000 people a month. Salman Khan’s voice is heard every day on the net — by tens of thousands of students around the world who are hungry for help learning math. He has posted 1,200 lessons on You Tube —lessons that appear on an electronic blackboard, which range from basic addition to advanced mathematics for science and finance. And they are free.
Khan lives in Silicon Valley, with his wife, a doctor, and their new baby. He got the idea for his “Khan Academy” four years ago, when he taught a young cousin how to convert kilograms to grams. With Khan’s help, the cousin got good at math, and Khan began a new career.
Now, Khan records his lessons himself, but he never goes on camera. “It feels like my voice in their head. You’re looking at it and it feels like someone’s over your shoulder talking in your ear, as opposed to someone at the blackboard, which is distant from you,” he said.
When Springfield High School in Palo Alto, California invited Khan to speak in person—he immediately connected to the students there.
The idea of short lessons that can be played over and over again attracted high school senior Bridget Meaney. She says she had trouble with math in the seventh grade. “I think the teachers are good, but they can’t teach at a speed that’s perfect for everyone,” she said. “I like the idea of learning something in class but then going back and pressing pause or rewind and actually getting a deeper understanding of it.”
Originally, Khan kept his lessons short because of YouTube restrictions. Now, he thinks short is better. “Education researchers now tell me that 10 minutes is how long someone can have a high level of concentration. And anything beyond that and your brain switches off,” he said.
For Khan, teaching math, science, and finance is just the beginning. He says he’s ready to expand his YouTube site to include other subjects as well.What gave Khan the idea of teaching math online?
| A．His success in helping his cousin learn math. |
| B．His discovery that many students found learning math difficult. |
| C．A suggestion made to him at a local high school. |
| D．His interest in Internet teaching. |
Why does Khan never go on camera?
| A．He’s too shy to show his face on camera. |
| B．It’s restricted by YouTube for education videos. |
| C．He wants to keep distance from the viewers. |
| D．He wants to create a more relaxed learning atmosphere. |
From the passage, we know that ________.
| A．Khan travels to many schools to promote his lessons |
| B．Khan plans to include more subjects in the future |
| C．Khan gives live math lessons every day for free |
| D．Khan set up the Khan Academy with his wife |
Why does Bridget Meaney like Khan’s lessons?
| A．Khan teaches seventh grade math better than her teacher. |
| B．The lessons can be watched repeatedly until fully understood. |
| C．She can perfectly follow the pace of Khan’s teaching. |
| D．She cannot concentrate when learning in class. |
What does Khan mean by “short is better” in the 6th paragraph?
| A．Keeping the lessons short can ensure better concentration. |
| B．YouTube recommends short lessons for its site. |
| C．Short lessons encourage students to return to the website. |
| D．Students enjoy short mathematics lessons more. |
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