On December 18, 1620, passengers on the British ship Mayflower came on shore at modern – day Plymouth, Massachusetts, to begin their new settlement, Plymouth Colony.

The famous Mayflower story began in 1606, when a group of reform-minded people in England built their own church, which was separate from the state – supported Church of England. Because of this, they were forced to leave the country and settle in Netherlands. After 12 years of struggling to adapt and make a hard living, the group sought financial backing from some London merchants to set up a colony in America.

On Septmeber 6,1620, one hundred and two passengers – called Pilgrims (朝圣者) by William Bradford, a passenger who would become the first governor of Plymouth Colony – crowded on the Mayflower to begin the long, hard journey to a new life in the New World. On November 11,1620, the Mayflower landed at Provincetown Harbor. Before going on shore, 41 male passengers – heads of families, single men and three male servants – signed the famous Mayflower contract, agreeing to form a government chosen by common election and to obey all laws made for the good of the colony.

Over the next month, several small leading teams were sent on shore to collect firewood and hunt for a good place to build a settlement. Around December 10, one of these groups found a harbor they liked on the western side of Cape Cod Bay. They returned to the Mayflower to tell the other passengers, but bad weather prevented then reaching the harbor until December 16. Two days later, the first group of Pilgrims went on shore. After exploring the region, the settlers chose a cleared area once controlled by members of a local Native American tribe (部落). The tribe had abandoned the village several years earlier, after an outbreak of European disease.

That winter of 1620 – 1621 was really hard, as the Pilgrims struggled to build their settlement, find food and take care of the sick. By spring, 50 of the original 102 Mayflower passengers were dead. The remaining settlers made contact with returning members of the Native American tribe and in March they signed a peace treaty (条约) with the tribe chief. In the spring time, helped by the locals, the Pilgrims were able to plant crops – especially corn and beans – that were necessary to their survival.

On April 5,1621, the Mayflower and its crew left Plymouth to return to England. Over the next several decades, more and more settlers made the voyage across the Atlantic to Plymouth, which gradually grew into a successful shipbuilding and fishing center.

1.A group of English were forced to leave their country in 1606 because          .

       A.their belief was different from the official Church

       B.they built their own churches in a foreign country

       C.they lacked financial support from the government

       D.they were ambitious to build the colony in America

2.How many days did the sea journey to Provincetown Harbor last?          .

       A.103   B.96     C.66     D.35

3.Several leading teams were sent in order to        .

       A.hunt for food for the passengers     B.control local Native Americans

       C.build a settlement for the passengers      D.explore the region for their settlement

4.From the passage we know that         between 1620 – 1621.

       A.52 Mayflower passengers died of some illnesses   

       B.Pilgrims had a good relationship with the locals

       C.Plymouth turned a main center for shipbuilding   

       D.Pilgrims tried to plant corns and beans in winter

(十五)

Buckminster Fuller once said, “The minute you choose to do what you really want to do, it’s a different kind of life.” If you want to live abundantly, decide what you really want and figure out a way to do it. Be clear and live with intent (意向).

You may have heard of Fred Lebow. He complained to his doctor that he lacked energy. His doctor advised him to take up running. He fell in love with it! He was 39 years old when he entered his first race.

Fred joined the New York Road Runners Club and organized New York City’s first marathon race. But what Fred truly wanted to do was to bring people together. He believes that anybody should be able to run — people of all ages and of any country.

Not everyone in New York was excited about people running through their neighborhood. A youth gang warned him that nobody had better run through their turf. “That’s great,” Fred said. “I need someone to protect the runners in your area, and you look like just the fellows to do it.” He

gave them each a hat, shirt and jacket and that year, when the marathon went through their neighborhood, these young men proudly guarded the runners along their way.

Fred decided what was truly important to him and he found a way to do it. He lived with intent. That single decision made his life remarkably different.

As one sports writer said, “Fate handed him a short race. With his goal, with his love of life, Fred turned it into a marathon.”

Fred would say that it’s not about how long you live, but how you run the race of life.

6. The purpose that Fred Lebow organized New York City’s first marathon race was _____.

A. to be popular with people

B. to display his true love for sports development

C. to drive away his loneliness in the running

D. to get more people together

7. Which word in the passage is the closest in meaning to the underlined word “turf”?

A. Neighborhood. B. Way. C. Decision. D. Race.

8. What’s the best title for this passage?

A. Determination guarantees you a success.

B. The race of life with intent.

C. Nothing is impossible in one’s life race.

D. The benefits of taking up running.

违法和不良信息举报电话:027-86699610 举报邮箱:58377363@163.com

精英家教网