Thanksgiving Day is special holiday in the United States and Canada. Families and friends gather to eat and give thanks for their blessing.

Thanksgiving Day is really a harvest festival. This is why it is celebrated in late fall, after the crops are in. But one of the first thanksgivings in America had nothing to do with a good harvest. On December 4, 1619, the Pilgrims from England landed near what is now Charles City, Virginia. They knelt down and thanked God for their safe journey across the Atlantic.

The first New England Thanksgiving did celebrate a rich harvest. The Pilgrims landed at what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1620. They had a difficult time and the first winter was cruel. Many of the Pilgrims died. But the next year, they had a good harvest. So Governor Bradford declared a three-day feast. The Pilgrims invited Indian friends to join them for their special feast. Everyone brought food.

In time, other colonies（殖民地）began to celebrate a day of thanksgiving. But it took years before there was a national Thanksgiving Day. During the Civil War, Sarah Josepha Hale persuaded Abraham Lincoln to do something about it. He proclaimed（宣布）the last Thursday of November 1863 as a day of thanksgiving. Today, Americans celebrate this happy harvest festival on the fourth Thursday in November. Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving Day in much the same way as their American neighbours. But the Canadian thanks-giving Day falls on the second Monday in October.

1.Thanksgiving Day is celebrated ???? .

A. in spring????????????? B.in summer????? C. in autumn??????????? D. in winter

2.The first to celebrate thanksgiving were ???? .

A. some people from England?? B. the American Indians

C. Sarah Josepha Hale???????? D. Governor Bradford

3.We can infer from the passage that New England must be ???? .

A. in the U. S. A.? B. in Great Britain?? C. in Canada?? D. on some island off the Atlantic

4.The passage mainly tells us ???? .

A. how Thanksgiving Day is celebrated in the U. S. A.

B. how Thanksgiving Day came into being and the different ways it is celebrated

C. that Thanksgiving Day is in fact a harvest holiday

D. how the way to celebrate Thanksgiving Day changed with the time and places

Christmas bird – watching is popular in the U.S.A. When the holiday season comes, some Americans are likely to watch and count birds in the sky with great interest every day. This activity began in the early part of the last century. It has a one-hundred-year history. At that time, there was a so-called “holiday hunting” custom. In order to celebrate the holiday, the hunters went out to kill birds and beasts. By 1900, there were 27 bird lovers who decided to count birds instead of killing birds. Since then, Christmas bird-watching was held every year. It has been continued to the present.

There were 42000 people who took part in the bird-watching last Christmas, from December 16 the year before to January 3 next year. They were in the United States and Canada, central America, south America and the Caribbean, watching and counting birds in the sky. The whole viewing area was divided into 1600 points. Each birdwatcher was responsible for 25 meters, and was required to write down the types and quantities of birds within 24 hours.

A birdwatcher described what he had watched vividly in his diary—“ When I looked up, I saw a beautiful ‘landscape’ in the sky: Red-crowned cranes(丹顶鹤) were driving up in cunning wedges that split the air. They were so neatly arranged, coordinating their movements. I was excited and breathtaking. Interestingly, the “human” shape(人字行) always maintains 110° ” .

“Why do red-crowned cranes choose to use ‘human’ shape when flying in formation?” He continued, “In my opinion, there are four reasons: first, the ‘human’ shape can make red-crowned cranes use increasing air which is produced by each other’s wings when they are swinging in the sky. It can increase the glide time and save physical ability. Second, the ‘human’ shape will enhance communication among the birds. The orders and the relevant information issued by the lead bird can be conveyed to each member in this migratory group unimpeded, accurately, rapidly and conveniently. Third, such a formation will help to find the birds left behind because of feeling run down as fast as possible, so that the young, the weak, the sick birds can get everyone’s help and encouragement. Finally, the ‘human’ shape shows not only beauty but also unity. It can give enemies a deterrent.They will be terrified and did not dare to attack the birds.The migration security of the birds will be ensured.”  

Environmental experts admired and evaluated Christmas bird-watching highly. They pointed out that it made perfect sense. On the one hand it could enhance the human awareness of environmental protection. On the other hand it could provide first-hand information on birds.

49．When did Christmas bird – watching begin?

         A．Sometime during Christmas holiday.         B．At the beginning of 20th century.

         C．In the early 19 th century.          D．Since there was Christmas Day

50．What do bird – watchers do when they are bird – watching?

         A．They kill birds and beasts.          B．They watch birds and beasts.

         C．They watch and count birds.     D．They look at the sky and write diaries.

51．The following are all reasons for red – crowned cranes flying in “human” shape except      .

         A．they can help each other and ensure their safety

         B．they can communicate with each other in order to reduce tiredness.

         C．they can make use of the air produced by each other’s wings.

         D．they can look stronger in case they come across enemies

52．This passage consists of five paragraphs. Please arrange the five main ideas of the paragraphs in order of their appearance in the passage.

    a. How the bird – watchers divided their watching task and what was done.

         b. How Christmas bird – watching came into being.

         c. Christmas bird – watching is of great importance environmentally and scientifically.

         d. A Christmas bird – watcher watched and was amazed by red – crowned cranes.

         e. Red – crowned cranes fly in “human” formation for quite good reasons.

         A．a – b – c – d – e         B．b – c – e – d – a         C．b- a – d – e – c D．b – d – e – a – c

完形填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）
阅读下面短文，从短文后所给各题的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
I grew up in a tiny Baltimore row house in a faraway mountain area. My parents    36    the necessities of life    37    they couldn’t give much more. If I asked my father    38    a pair of jeans, he would say, “If you want them, make the money and buy them    39   .” He wasn’t being mean; he just couldn’t    40    them. From age 12 on, I did part-time jobs after school.
When I    41    from high school, I joined the navy. Soon I was in a boot camp(新兵训练营) at Parris Island, S. C., where I learned that life in the navy centered around completing daily  42   . These could be anything from cleaning the camp to conducting mock(模拟的) battles.  Completing these tasks successfully   43    discipline, team-work and responsibility. It didn’t    44    whether you were black, white or Asian; everyone worked together for the    45   of the company.
I went    46    to graduate from the U.S. Naval Academy and later became an officer in the navy. The part of my job I    47    most was the counseling(咨询) meetings I    48     with the family members of the men and women in my    49   , trying to help them deal with the long periods of    50   . These proved popular and word of them spread.   51    I was being asked to give encouraging    52    to business groups, educators and kids across the country.
But I consider the boot camp my first real    53   , and my life is still guided by the    54    lessons I learned there. It taught me discipline, friendship and the pride related to setting a task every day and working hard to    55    it.
36. A. got                                   B. provided                C. made                               D. bought
37. A. while                                  B. so                            C. but                                   D. or
38. A. for                                B. with                        C. about                               D. of
39. A. themselves                      B. ourselves              C. myself                       D. yourself
40. A. afford                                 B. find                         C. produce                          D. pay
41. A. came                                  B. returned              C. graduated                      D. escaped
42. A. drills                                   B. tasks                      C. exercises                        D. reports
43. A. included                            B. asked                     C. met                            D. required
44. A. matter                               B. mean                      C. exist                                 D. work
45. A. boss                                   B. good                       C. rest                                  D. right
46. A. out                                               B. off                           C. away                                D. on
47. A. took                                    B. hated                     C. enjoyed                           D. did
48. A. ended                                B. held                        C. continued                       D. began
49. A. charge                               B. situation                C. position                           D. choice
50. A. lessons                              B. separation            C. training                           D. meetings
51. A. Before long                      B. Long before C. As usual                          D. Once again
52. A. performances                  B. descriptions                   C. speeches                        D. gifts
53. A. vacation                            B. job                           C. place                                D. travel
54. A. important                         B. bitter                      C. normal                                      D. difficult
55. A. gain                                    B. show                C. achieve                           D. match

T-shirts out; uniforms in
School uniforms（制服） are becoming more and more popular across the U.S.A. That’s no surprise, because they offer many benefits. They immediately end the powerful social sorting and labeling (标记) that come from clothing. If all students are dressed in the same way, they will not pay too much attention to their clothing, and some of them will not be laughed at for wearing the “wrong” clothes.
Some people are against the strict rule of school uniforms, but they do not realize that students already accept a kind of rule — wanting to look just like their friends. The difference is that the clothing students choose for themselves creates social barriers(障碍); school uniforms tear those barriers down.
As in other places, uniforms remind the wearers of their purposes and duties. For example, when a man or woman puts on a police uniform, he or she becomes, for a time, the symbol (象征) of law and order. The uniform means to the wearer his or her special duties and sends the same message to everyone the wearer meets. People with different jobs wear uniforms of one kind or another. For students, the school uniform reminds them that their task for the six or seven hours they are in school is to get an education.
Some parents are unhappy about uniforms, saying that school uniforms will affect their children’s “creativity.” First, the clothes students choose to wear do not necessarily express their individuality (个性). They just copy their classmates. Second, students have the rest of the day to be as creative as they like. While they’re in school, their job is to master reading, writing, and maths; this should take up all the creativity they have. Mastery of those skills will be good for the students to build up their creativity in every way.
【小题1】From the passage we learn that uniforms in general       .