The history of Mother’s Day is pretty interesting. An early form of the idea may have originated in the 17th century England as “Mothering Sunday”, on which the servants, who generally lived with their employers, were encouraged to return home and honor their mothers. A special cake, called the mothering cake, was often brought along to provide a festive touch.

Mother’s Day, first suggested in 1872, is linked to the anti-war efforts of Julia Ward Howe. She hoped a day set aside to honour mothers would be a way to promote peace. In 1907 a woman by the name of Anna Jarvis took Howe’s idea a step further and began a campaign for a nationally recognized Mother’s Day.

After considerable effort, Anna Jarvis finally saw her dream realized. On May 9, 1914, President Woodrow Wilson made the official proclamation(宣布) that Mother’s Day would be an annual holiday on the second Sunday in May. And so it is to this day.

For those of us whose lives have been shaped and nurtured by loving moms, the day is a wonderful opportunity to say thank you. Unfortunately not everyone’s experience of family life evokes (唤起)gratitude. In the complicated maze of human existence, not all mother/child relationships are positive. Evoking the image of Mom for some can be an invitation down a painful memory lane.

There is also the reality that not all mothering figures are actually mothers. Hundreds of thousands of children have been raised by foster moms (养母)who never had children of their own, but who gave maternal (母亲般的)love to children that needed them. Aunts and older sisters have filled this role as well.

All I am saying is that it is complicated. We might wish that every family had an ideal balance of motherly and fatherly love, but that is simply not the case. There are many different ways that mothering happens. We may as well celebrate the ups and downs of our common life. For those whose childhood evokes praise and thanksgiving, let us give thanks. But for those whose childhood was marked by fear and loss, then let us offer healing.

In our world, there’s no reason why all experiences of family life, good and bad, can’t be included.

Title: ._____________

 

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is one of the most famous American novels. Published in 1884, it was one of the first novels in the USA written in common, everyday language. For example, using non-standard English, Twain wrote, ‘I haven’t got any money,’ to mean ‘I do not have any money’. In this way, Twain made his characters very true to life.

The story is told by Huckleberry Finn, called Huck for short, who runs away to escape his abusive father. At first, Huck goes to a small island in the middle of the Mississippi River. There, he finds Jim, a black slave who has run away to escape slavery. The two of them stay on the island for a few weeks and become friends, but they must leave because Huck learns that people are looking for Jim. They decide to travel on a raft on the Mississippi River to reach the Ohio River, which will take them north to a state that does not allow slavery.

During their journey, Huck and Jim visit many places along the river and meet many different people. Unfortunately, most of the people they meet are not good. For instance, Huck and Jim meet a family, the Grangerfords, who have been fighting with another family, the Shepherdsons, for so many years that nobody remembers how the fight began. While Huck stays with the Grangerfords, the fighting starts again, and several members of both families are killed. Later, Huck and Jim meet the King and the Duke, two men who take control of their raft and make money by tricking people. During the confusion following one of these tricks, Huck and Jim escape with their raft.

Although the people Huck and Jim meet are bad, they are also funny. Mark Twain used humor to show readers the problems of American society in the 1800s. More importantly, despite all of the bad things that happen to Huck and Jim, the novel has a happy ending for both of them. Jim gets his freedom because his owner has died and set him free in her will, and Huck learns that his father has died, so he is also safe.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is an adventurous and humorous story, and it teaches modern readers a lot about American society in the 1800s.

1. How was The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn different from earlier novels? (No more than 9 words) (2 marks)

2.What kind of people do Huck and Jim meet? (No more than 16 words)

(3 marks)

3.What happens to Huck and Jim in the end?

(No more than 8 words) (2 marks)

4.What's the main idea of the passage?

(No more than 11words) (3 marks)

 

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