People in the United States honour their parents with two special days: Mother’s Day, on the second Sunday in May, and Father’s Day, on the third Sunday in June.These days are set aside 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 make us think about the changing roles of mothers and fathers. More mothers are now working outside home. More fathers must help with the children care.

These two special days are celebrated in many different ways. On Mother’s Day, people wear carnations. A red one symbolizes a living mother, while a black one shows the mother is dead. Many people attend religious services to honour parents. It is also a day when people whose parents are dead visit cemetery ( 墓地). On these days, families get together at home, as well as in restaurants. They often have outdoor barbecues 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 valued more than the ones bought in stores. It is not the value of the gift that is important, but it is the thought that counts. Greeting card stores, florists, candy makers, bakeries, telephone companies and other stores do a lot of business during these holidays.

Which of the following is NOT a reason for parents show love and respect for parents?

A. Parents bring up children                

B. Parents give love and care to children

C. Parents educate children to be good persons 

D. Parents pass away before children grow up

Which do you think is true about “carnation” mentioned in paragraph 3?

A. It has only two kinds of colours     

B. It refers to the special clothes people wear on Mother’s Day or Father’Day

C. It’s a kind of flower showing love and best wishes.

D. People can wear carnations only on the second Sunday in May

What can we learn from the passage?

A. Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are both in May

B. Fewer women worked outside the home in the past

C. Not all the children respect their parents

D. Fathers are not as important as mothers

On Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, ____________.

A. people usually have family parties   B. everyone goes to visit the cemetery

C. children always go to parents’ home  D. hand-made cards are not valuable

Three high students become heroes after their act of saving a baby’s life.

Andrew Willis, 15, his brother Chris, 13, and friend Reece Galea, 14, were walking along Swallow Drive on their way to school on May 23, when Nicholle Price ran out of her house, shouting for help. Her six-month-old son Corey had swallowed (吞下) an earring (耳环) and the young mother couldn’t ring for help because something was wrong with her phone. The three teenagers rushed to the aid of Ms Price, called an ambulance (救护车), calmed her down and waited with her until the ambulance arrived before heading to school.

Ms Price, Corey and his grandmother Joyce Finnie visited the school last Thursday to thank the boys for their kind action. “It’s good to know that there are still some good people who will stop and help,” Ms Price said. “While I was shouting for help, a woman walking her dog went straight past, without stopping. I don’t know what would have happened if these boys had not stopped.”

The teenagers were shocked at the attention they received at school for their heroic act but admitted that the incident was nerve-racking(刺激神经的). “We heard her shouting so we knew something wasn’t right,” Andrew said. “We thought someone had died. It was scary (惊慌的) but we just did what we had to do.”

Just as proud as the boys’ parents is their principal, Tim McCallum.

After two days in hospital, Corey has now fully recovered. “He’s got two new teeth to show,” Ms Price said. “I have to keep a closer eye on him. He’s into everything now and grabs whatever he finds to put it straight into his mouth.”

1.The three high students were _____ when a woman ran out of her house shouting for help.

A.playing near the house

B.on their way to school

C.walking their dogs nearby

D.on their way back from school

2.Ms Price spoke of a woman walking her dog without stopping to show _____.

A.how dangerous the case was

B.how brave the three boys were

C.why the three teenagers’ action was heroic

D.how clever the three boys were

3.The underlined sentence in the 4th paragraph probably means “_____”.

A.they didn’t expect they would be given so much praise

B.they felt excited to have become so famous after the incident

C.they were supposed to receive so many prizes for their good deed

D.they were proud of the attention they received at school for their heroic deed

4.Which would be the best title for this passage?

A.How a baby was saved after swallowing an earring

B.Why the mother shouted for help

C.Baby life saved: teenage heroes earn high praise

D.A mother came to school to thank 3 teenagers

 

You may know your mother, but how well do you really know Mother’s Day? Cards, flowers, sales, TV specials, and a day off for someone who really deserves it —those are what probably come to mind for many people when they think of Mother’s Day. But there’s more about the story.

The earliest Mother’s Day celebrations were held during spring in Ancient Greece. The celebrations honored Rhea, the Mother of the gods. During the 1600s, England celebrated a day called Mothering Sunday. On this day even servants (仆人) were given the day off to spend with their families. A mothering cake was even served with the family meal.

In the U.S., Mother’s Day began in 1872 when Julia Ward Howe, who wrote the words of the famous song The Battle Hymn of the Republic, suggested it as a day devoted to peace. But it didn’t really become popular until 1907 when Anna Jarvis started a campaign (运动) to honor her own mother. She believed that mothers could help people get over the pain they experienced during the Civil War. The U.S. isn’t alone in devoting a day to its mothers. Many other countries including Denmark, Finland, Italy, Turkey, Australia, Japan, and Belgium also celebrate their Mother’s Day in May. Other countries honor their mothers at different times of the year.

Learning more about Mother’s Day and celebrating Mother’s Day is important, but probably not as important as understanding what your own mother, or grandmother, or aunt has really done for you. And that should certainly be appreciated more than one day in a year.

1.What is the passage mainly about?

A.The reason why people celebrate Mother’s Day.

B.How people honor mothers.

C.The history of Mother’s Day.

D.Mother’s Day in different countries.

2.Where was the earliest Mother’s Day celebrated?

A.In Ancient Greece.                      B.In the U.S.

C.In England.                            D.In Italy.

3.According to the third paragraph, we know that _____.

A.Julia Ward Howe composed a song about Mother’s Day

B.American people started to celebrate Mother’s Day in 1907

C.Anna Jarvis attached great importance to mothers

D.Mother’s Day celebrations are held in different times in the U.S. every year

4.The last paragraph tells us that ______.

A.all the people should celebrate Mother’s Day

B.only mothers are honored on Mother’s Day

C.understanding mothers’work is more important than just celebrating Mother’s Day

D.people should make every day a Mother’s Day

 

We tried so hard to make things better for our kids but we made them worse. For my naughty boys, I’d know better. I’d really like for them to know about hand-me-down clothes and home-made ice cream and leftover meatloaf. I really would.

My cherished boys, I hope you learn humility (谦逊) by surviving failure and that you learn to be honest even when no one is looking. I hope you get a black eye fighting for something you believe in. I hope you have to share a bedroom with your younger brother. And it is all right to draw a line down the middle of the room, but when he wants to crawl (爬) under the covers (被子) with you because he’s scared, I hope you’ll let him. And when you want to see a Disney movie and your kid brother wants to tag along, I hope you take him.

  I hope you have to walk uphill with your friends and that you live in a town where you can do it safely. I hope you learn to dig in the dirt and read books, and when you learn to use computers, you also learn how to add and subtract (减) in your head.

May you skin your knee climbing a mountain, burn your hand on the stove and stick your tongue on a frozen flagpole (旗杆). I hope you get sick when someone blows smoke in your face. I don’t care if you try beer once, but I hope you won’t like it.

I sure hope you make time to sit on a porch with your grandpa or go fishing with your uncle.

I hope your father punishes you when you throw a baseball through a neighbor’s window, and that your mother hugs you and kisses you when you give her a plaster of pared mold (一个石膏模型) of your hand.

  These things I wish for you—tough times and disappointment, hard work and happiness.

1.Who wrote the letter?

A.A grandmother.     B.A grandfather.      C.A father.          D.A mother.

2.What does the author hope for the boys?

A.they learn a lesson from a fight with others.

B.they know how to calculate with computers.

C.they get on well with family members.

D.they burn their hand on the stove and stick their tongue on a frozen flagpole.

3.It can be inferred from the text that the boys _________________.

A.often fight with others                   B.are to develop good qualities

C.always keep their grandpa company         D.score high in the exam

4.Why does the author write the letter?

A.To show the boys it’s not easy growing up.

B.To teach the boys dos and don’ts on the way growing up.

C.To help the boys to avoid making mistakes on the way growing up.

D.To encourage the boys to fully experience life on the way growing up.

 

A trip to the library can change your life.That is the idea of the Get It Loud in Libraries project,which challenges the habit of speaking in a low voice.The sweet tones of singer Diana Vickers rang out recently,surrounded by books as well as fans,at Lancaster Library.Plan B,Adele,Florence and the Machine,Speech Debelle,and the Thrills have also performed for the project.

This five­year project aims to increase access(进入) to libraries while developing youth talent and has attracted more than 8,500 visitors,5,000 of whom are first­time library users.

“I think it’s wonderful,”Vickers says.“I’ve been playing in front of big crowds and I’m excited about close environments where you can be close to your fans.”

As a child growing up in nearby Blackburn,she says that her school library was a “second home”to her.When she was young she loved PeterRabbit and Mr.Men books,and later her favorites included LittleWomen and TheLovelyBones.

Attracted by the stage,the young who would once never have been to a library have been returning to borrow books and CDs.The project’s founder,Stewart Parsons,has worked in libraries for 25 years.He feels that the concerts have made libraries something that the young want to be part of.A mother,Lauren Zawadzki,sent him a text message after a concert:“Your work is great!!!Both Izaak and Dom have been reading in the library for the last half hour...You should be proud.They would never have suggested that before the concerts.”

Parsons hopes that the activity is changing the way people view libraries.“My big worry is that libraries trail(拖拉)behind slightly;they shouldn’t.This is about bringing libraries up to date.The beautiful thing is that people are reconnecting with the library in a way they haven’t done before.”

1.The Get It Loud in Libraries project aims to ________.

A.collect money for libraries to buy books

B.attract more people to read in libraries

C.provide a performing place for music lovers

D.develop youth talent for singing

2.According to the passage,Vickers’s attitude towards Libraries project is that of ________.

A.praise         

B.unconcern

C.doubt

D.worry

3.What can we know about Diana Vickers from the passage?

A.She once worked at a library.

B.She doesn’t like being close to her fans.

C.She liked reading in her childhood.

D.She complains about the noisy environment.

4.According to the passage,Zawadzki ________.

A.advised libraries to keep quiet

B.praised Parsons for helping her reading

C.found her children’s talent for singing

D.praised the Get It Loud in Libraries project

 

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