题目内容
The celebration started at ten in the morning and____ about two hours.
- A.lasted
- B.kept
- C.continued
- D.finished
根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
During the first half of the nineteenth century in the United States, Christmas was a very different kind of holiday than it is today. There was no set of way of celebrating the day,which was not yet an official holiday. 71 Some observed Christmas as an important Christian religious day honoring the birth of Jesus.Others celebrated the day with parties,music,drinking and eating. 72 73 .Calvinist Christians banned the celebration of Christmas.But groups such as Episcopalians
and Moravians honored the day with religious services and seasonal decorations.
By mid-century,Christian groups began to ignore their religious diffrences over the meaning of Christmas and honored the day in special ways.
Christmas became an important time for families to celebrate at home. More and more Christians Americans also began to follow the European traditions of Christmas trees and giving gifts.Christians believed that the tree represented Jesus and was also a sign of new beginnings. German immigrants brought their tradion of putting lights,sweets and toys on the branches of evergreen trees placed in their homes.
This tradition of setting up a Christmas tree soon spread to many American homes. 74 As these traditions increased in popularity,the modern trade and business linked to Christmas also grew.
As Christmas became more popular,some states declared the day a state holiday.Louisiana was the first state to make the move in eighteen thirty-seven. 75 .It was not until eighteen seventy that President Ulysses Grant made Christmas a federal holiday.
| A．So did the practice of giving people presents. |
| B．By eighteen sixty,fourteen other states had followed. |
| C．And,some communities did not celebrate the day at all. |
| D．Americans seldom gave each other presents on Christmas Day. |
F. Religion played a big role in how an American might celebrate the holiday.
G. Communities around the country honored the day in different ways.
March, April and May are months full of festivals and events all over the world. Here are some wonderful festivals around the world that happen in spring.
SongKran--Thailand
Dates: 13th-15th, April
In Thailand, it’s time to celebrate the coming monsoon season, which will bring the rain many people have been looking forward to. They celebrate it with a festival called Songkran, when people head out to the streets with water guns to spray(喷，洒）everyone who walks past. If you walk on the streets where the festival is celebrated, prepare to get soaked!
Naghol--Vanuatu
Dates: Every Saturday from April to May
Every year, villagers come together to celebrate the harvest of yams, an important part in the peopls’s diet in Vanuatu. The festival is most famous for its “land diving ceremony”. During the ceremony men and boys dive to the ground from high wooden towers with only two thin vines attached(附于)to their ankles(脚踝）. The divers’ heads have to lightly touch the ground when they jump---something very dangerous if the vines are not measured（测量）properly.
Cherry Blossom Viewing ---Japan
Dates: The cherry blossom season is different from year to year depending on the weather forecast.
The cherry blossom season has huge importance to the people of Japan, who celebrate the days when the flowers finally blossom. Only a few days later, the petals(花瓣） fall to the ground, like pink snowflakes. This is one of the most beautiful things to see. In Japan, almost everyone has picnics in the parks to view the flowers.
Sinhalese New Year--Sri Lanka
Dates: 13th or 14th, April
Just like in many other countries in South an South East Asia, this is the time when the Sinhalese celebrate the traditional New Year, an ancient celebration which marks the end of the harvest season and is one of two times of the year when the sun is straight above Sri Lanka. There are a lot of delicious foods during the celebration.
【小题1】. What does the underlined word “ soaked” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?
| A．tired | B．wet | C．crazy | D．interested |
| A．the divers may fall onto the ground if the thin vines break |
| B．the divers may bump into （撞在…上）the wooden tower on the way down |
| C．the divers’ ankles may get injured if the vines are tied too tightly |
| D．the divers may injure（伤害）their heads if the vines aren’t measured properly |
| A．the Cherry Blossom Celebration usually lasts a long time in Japan |
| B．the Cherry Blossom Celebration is the most important festival in Japan |
| C．the time for the Cherry Blossom Celebration in Japan can be different yearly |
| D．people usually stay at home for celebration during the cherry blossom season. |
C
We all love festivals. But since culture develops differently in many places, some festivals are, to us, very strange. Let’s take a look at some unique(独特的)festivals around the world.
Cheese Rolling Festival (England)
The festival started in the 15th century in May. When a round cheese is rolled, competitors run down the hill and try to catch it before it reaches the bottom. As the cheese can reach speeds of up to 112 km/h, it’s rare that someone catches the cheese. First to the bottom wins the cheese. But running down a very steep(陡峭的) hill behind a cheese can be dangerous. Eight people were injured in 1992.
Roswell UFO festival (New Mexico, US)
The Roswell UFO festival celebrates the anniversary(纪念日) of the “Roswell Incident”, when a UFO was said to have crashed(坠毁) nearby. Every year in July, experts, authors, researches and lecturers come to discuss the incident. The celebration also includes an alien parade, an alien costume contest, and an alien hot air balloon ride.
Hemingway Days (Florida, US)
This festival has normal stuff (材料，东西) like short-story readings and exhibits about the author. But the highlight (亮点) of the festival is definitely (一定地) the Hemingway look alike contest.
Imagine walking into a bar and being greeted by 20 middle-aged men who all look alike: stocky with thick white beards. The festival takes place in mid-July every year.
【小题1】Which festival takes place in mid-July every year?
| A．Cheese Rolling Festival. | B．Roswell UFO festival. |
| C．Hemingway Days. | D．All of the above. |
| A．Cheese Rolling Festival. | B．Roswell UFO festival. |
| C．Hemingway Days. | D．None of the above. |
| A．All the three festivals are celebrated in America. |
| B．It’s common that someone catches the cheese in Cheese Rolling Festival. |
| C．It’s said that a UFO once crashed in New Mexico, US. |
| D．In Hemingway Days, you’ll see 20 old or young Hemingways |
Kataria is the founder of the worldwide laughter movement. The celebration of world Laughter Day is a positive activity for world peace and is intended to build up a global sense of brotherhood and friendship through laughter. The first “World Laughter Day” gathering took place in Mumbai, India, on 11th January 1998. 12,000 members from India and international Laughter Clubs attended it. Now there are over 5,000 Laughter Clubs worldwide on all 5 continents.
“HAPPY-DEMIC” was the first World Laughter Day gathering outside India. It took place on 9th January 2000. In Copenhagen, Denmark , more than 10,000 people gathered at Town Hall Square. The event went into Guinness Book of World records. “World Laughter Day” is now organized on the first Sunday of May every year. Hundreds of people gather worldwide on that day to laugh together.
Today, many people fear widespread international terrorism. The world has never faced so much unrest before. People are at war within themselves. Laughter is a universal language, which has the ability to unite humanity without religion. Laughter can build a common connection between various religions and create a new world order. The idea may sound over-ambitious (野心太大的), and maybe it is. But maybe it is not. It is our deep belief that laughter and only laughter can unite the world, building up a global sense of brotherhood and friendship.
Studies also say that laughter helps your body do the following: lower blood pressure; lighten depression; reduce stress; work out the heart, especially for those who are unable to perform physical exercise. So in life, when you can laugh, you should laugh loudly and with your entire body—because it’s good for you.
1.The purpose of celebrating World Laughter Day is .
|
A．to build up a global sense of brotherhood and friendship through laughter |
|
B．to build a common connection between various religions |
|
C．to reduce stress and lighten depression |
|
D．to lower blood pressure |
2.The first World Laughter Day gathering outside India took place _ _.
|
A．on llth January 1998 |
B．on the first Sunday of May |
|
C．on 9th January 1996 |
D．on 9th January 2000 |
3.The author's attitude towards laughter movement is .
|
A．positive |
B．negative |
C．uninterested |
D．objective |
4.The passage is mainly about _______.
|
A．World Laughter Day and its significance（重要意义） |
|
B．the worldwide laughter movement |
|
C．a universal language |
|
D．laughter |