Question

【题目】C

Ah, Thanksgiving--- truly my favorite holiday. A day off with family and friends and football and an exorbitant amount of food .It doesn’t get much more American than that. Let's look at some interesting Thanksgiving traditions to shed light on this delicious American tradition.

How it started

The story: In the early 1620s, as the first English settlers ( called Pilgrims) arrived in America searching for a life free of religious persecution , they experienced very difficult harvests- as the climate was quite different from that of England. They eventually established (temporarily) good relations with the local Native Americans, called the Wampanoag tribe. The Wampanoag leader Squanto, along with his tribe of friendly Native Americans, helped the English settlers learn how to farm and fish in the harsh and rocky climate of Massachusetts. In 1621, they celebrated the Harvest Festival together. And the Thanksgiving tradition was born! It became an official American holiday under Abraham Lincoln amidst the turmoil of the American Civil War in 1863.

What it means now

Now, after the American colonists destroyed native cultures and sequestered them onto reservations, the current American Thanksgiving has hardly anything to do with a celebration of cordial relations between peoples. Today, we try to forget America's guilty past and celebrate our family, friends, and good health on this day. Americans celebrate Thanksgiving much like Chinese people do the Spring Festival - with family members pouring in from all directions to get reunion and break bread. We play football, watch football, and eat a hell of a lot of turkey.

American Turkey

Founding Father Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national bird of America. In a letter to his daughter, he wrote that the turkey, in comparison to the eagle, was " a far more respectable bird" and a true native of America .

Additionally, he thought that bald eagles had a " bad moral character".

Presidential Pardon

The American president pardons one turkey every year. Every year since I947, the National Turkey Federation presents one live turkey to the President, and in 1987, President Ronald Reagan jokingly pardoned the live turkey. This became an official tradition in 1989. Pardoned turkeys are sent off to live the rest of their short lives. Lucky turkeys!

Black Friday

This is the most despicable of Thanksgiving traditions. A caveat(提醒)---many Americans don't take part in this activity of burning money. The Friday after Thanksgiving is called " Black Friday" , and all across America, people go out to their local stores to buy discounted everything, in packages of 36. Every year, a few people die from trampling as the doors to the store open. Thankfully, with the rise of e-commerce sites such as Amazon, people are moving more to online shopping to take advantage of Black Friday deals.

【1】Which of the following is the most extremely unpleasant tradition of Thanksgiving?

A. American Turkey

B. Black Friday

C. Presidential Pardon

D. Thanksgiving decoration

【2】 Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national bird of America because____.

A. turkey was much larger in comparison to the bald eagle

B. his daughter liked turkey more than the bald eagle

C. bald eagles were true natives of America

D. he thought highly of the bird

【3】The original meaning of Thanksgiving was____

A. to celebrate the friendly relations between the first English settlers and the local Native Americans

B. to praise the local Wampanoag tribe for their useful instructions

C. to encourage the new settlers to learn how to farm and fish in the new world

D. to apologize to the local Native Americans for the wrongs that the first English settlers had done

【4】 What's the author's purpose of writing this passage?

A. To warn people of the bad influence of Thanksgiving.

B. To make people aware of the potential danger of Black Friday.

C. To introduce some interesting Thanksgiving traditions to people.

D. To remind people not to forget the true meaning of Thanksgiving.

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】B

【2】D

【3】A

【4】C

【解析】

试题分析: 文章介绍了感恩节的几项传统的由来。

【长难句解读】The story: In the early 1620s, as the first English settlers ( called Pilgrims) arrived in America searching for a life free of religious persecution , they experienced very difficult harvests- as the climate was quite different from that of England.

分析：句中的searching for a life free of religious persecution作伴随状语译文：故事要从17世纪20年代初期开始讲起，第一批英国移民（称为清教徒）为了躲避宗教迫害来到美洲，而由于那里与英国截然不同的气候条件，他们经历了非常糟糕的收成。

(2) Now, after the American colonists destroyed native cultures and sequestered them onto reservations, the current American Thanksgiving has hardly anything to do with a celebration of cordial relations between peoples.

分析：句中的after引导的是时间状语从句．，

译文：如今，在美洲殖民者们破坏当地文化，并将土著驱逐到了保留地之后，当前的美国感恩节已经与庆祝移民者与土著间友好关系几乎没关系了。

【1】B考查推理判断。根据文章最后一段中的”A caveat（提醒）…a few people die from trampling as the doors to the store open"可知，黑色星期五是感恩节最不好的一个传统。

【2】D考查细节理解。根据文章第四段可知，本杰明·富兰克林曾想用火鸡作为美国的国鸟。在给他女儿的一封信中，他写道：相比于鹰，火鸡要”更值得尊敬”，也是真正美国本地的鸟类。他认为秃鹰（美国国鸟）”品德败坏”。

【3】A考查细节理解。根据文章第三段首句可知，感恩节最初就是为了庆祝移民者与土著居民间的友好关系。

【4】C考查作者意图。作者在文章中介绍了与感恩节相关的事情，故其写作目的是让人们了解这个节日的一些传统。