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课时跟踪练(三) Lesson 2 & Lesson 3 — Pre-reading
Ⅰ.阅读理解
A
Several different stories are told about the origin of Saint Valentine’s Day. One legend dates as far back as the days of the Roman Empire. According to the story, Claudius, the Emperor of Rome, wanted to increase the size of his army. He knew that it would be easier to get young men who were not married to join. Therefore he made a rule that no young man could marry until he had served a certain number of years in the army.
A priest (牧师) named Valentine broke the rule and secretly married a great many young people. Finally, Claudius found out about Valentine and put the priest in prison, where he remained until his death on February 14.
After his death, Valentine was made a saint (圣人), and the day of his death was named Saint Valentine’s Day. It became the custom for lovers to send each other message on this day. Now Saint Valentine’s Day is a time for people to send one another greetings of many kinds.
February 14, Valentine’s Day, is sweethearts’ day, on which people in love with each other express their tender (温柔的) emotions.
People sometimes put their love message in a heartshaped box of chocolates, or a bunch of flowers tied with red ribbons (带子). Words of letters may be written on the flower covered card, or something else. Whatever the form may be, the message is almost the same: “Will you be my Valentine？”
语篇解读：本文是一篇说明文。介绍了一个关于圣瓦伦丁节(又称“情人节”)来历的传奇故事以及如今人们庆祝圣瓦伦丁节的方式。
1．Valentine was put in prison because ________.
A．he secretly got married
B．he didn’t serve in the army
C．he married many young people secretly
D．he broke the laws
解析：选C 细节理解题。根据第二段中的“A priest (牧师) named Valentine broke the rule ...”可得出答案。
2．According to the rule, ________.
A．no young men could get married unless they were old enough
B．young men could marry if they had served in the army for several years
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C．no one could get married without the emperor’s permission
D．young men could marry only in the army
解析：选B 细节理解题。根据第一段最后一句话“Therefore he made a rule ...in the army.”可知答案。
3．This passage mainly tells us about ________.
A．how Valentine died
B．the Emperor of Rome
C．how Valentine’s Day is celebrated
D．the origin of Valentine’s Day
解析：选D 主旨大意题。通读全文特别是文章第一句话“Several different stories are told about the origin of Saint Valentine’s Day.”可得出答案。
4．February 14 is chosen as Valentine’s Day because ________.
A．lovers express their tender emotions on this day
B．people want to remember Valentine
C．people send one another greetings of many kinds on this day
D．people want to fix a date for lovers to express their emotions
解析：选B 细节理解题。根据文章第三段可得出答案。A、C两项都是在Valentine’s Day时人们通常做的事情，而不是原因。D项是干扰项。
B
Thanksgiving Day is a special holiday in the United States and Canada. Families and friends gather to eat and give thanks for their blessings.
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 threeday feast (盛宴). 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
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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 Thanksgiving Day falls on the second Monday in October.
5．When do people in the US and Canada celebrate Thanksgiving Day?
A．In spring. B．In summer.
C．In winter. D．In autumn.
解析：选D 细节理解题。由第二段中的“Thanksgiving Day is really ... the crops are in.”可知，感恩节其实就是一个庆祝丰收的节日，这也是在秋末庆祝的原因。在美国，人们习惯用fall表示秋天。
6．The first to celebrate thanksgiving were ________.
A．the American Indians
B．some people from England
C．Sarah Josepha Hale
D．Governor Bradford
解析：选B 细节理解题。第二段最后两句话说了来自英国的清教徒移民为了感谢上帝使他们平安横渡大西洋来到美洲而举办感恩节。
7．Which of the following statements is NOT true?
A．Thanksgiving Day used to be a holiday to celebrate a good harvest.
B．Abraham Lincoln was not the first to decide on thanksgiving celebrations.
C．Thanksgiving Day is celebrated to express the American and Indian people’s thanks to God.
D．There’s little difference between the American way and the Canadian way to celebrate Thanksgiving Day.
解析：选C 细节理解题。A、B、D三项在文中都有信息。C项的叙述与文章不符。
8．The passage mainly tells us ________.
A．when Thanksgiving Day is celebrated in the US
B．how Thanksgiving Day came into being and how people celebrate Thanksgiving Day in different ways
C．that people in the US and Canada gain their crops on Thanksgiving Day
D．how the way to celebrate Thanksgiving Day changed with the time and places
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解析：选B 主旨大意题。综观全文可知，文章主要讲述了感恩节的来历以及人们庆祝此节日的不同方式。
C
It is common and usual to see people freak_out when they face challenges in their life. We all pass in different life problems and challenges. No one is free of life problems. Only a dead man faces no problem. As long as you are alive, challenges are everywhere.
How do you face problems and challenges in your life? Problems and challenges are the building blocks of your personality. They make you who you are. Besides, whether what happened in your life builds or destructs you depends on how you look at it. If you take your problems as troubles, they will be troubles and may cause destruction. If you take them as constructive tools, you are going to be built up on them.
Problems are everywhere. No one can avoid them. And they are good too. They open up a different look and opportunity if you are willing to see. When you face troubles, do not frustrate or freak out. Just cool yourself to think in a different direction. Think in a positive way. Every problem has its own good as well as bad sides. Focus on the good one. Look at the bright side.
Besides, there is always a good person, perhaps your mom or dad, or one of your friends, right beside you who can turn everything into your best if you are willing to turn to them. No matter what happens, they will be there to help you. Trust them and they will never let you down. All you need to know is that you are loved wherever you are.
语篇解读：本文是议论文。人生难免会遇到困难，没有人可以避免困难，但是困难能开阔视野，也能提供机会。
9．What’s the meaning of the underlined phrase “freak out” in Paragraph 1?
A．Feel shy. B．Feel upset.
C．Feel happy. D．Stay calm.
解析：选B 词义猜测题。由本句“when they face challenges in their life”可猜测freak out意为“心烦意乱的，不安的”。
10．In Paragraph 2, the writer implies that ________.
A．problems cause troubles
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B．challenges can be avoided
C．attitude is everything
D．personalities are built on failures
解析：选C 推理判断题。由文章第二段“If you take your problems as troubles ... If you take them as constructive tools”可知态度决定一切，故C为正确选项。
11．According to the last paragraph, when we’re in trouble, we ________.
A．can only depend on our parents
B．are not confident
C．should only believe ourselves
D．are not alone
解析：选D 细节理解题。由文章最后一段“Besides, there is always a good person ... right beside you”可知当处于困境时，我们并不孤独，故D为正确选项。
12．What’s the writer’s purpose to write the passage?
A．To explain. B．To compare.
C．To prove. D．To encourage.
解析：选D 推理判断题。本文论述了人生难免会遇到困难，但是困难也能开阔视野，也能提供机会。最后作者告诉人们无论在什么情况下，都有人在你身边。故本文是鼓励的语气。
Ⅱ.阅读七选五
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。
Raising a vegetable garden offers many health benefits. Here are some obvious reasons why a home vegetable garden beats even the farmers’ market when it comes to your health and wellbeing. __1__
Gardening is very physical. As anyone knows, the work in a garden is a lot like the newest trend in strength training offered by the toughest gym. What makes gardening better than a gym workout is that it happens outdoors with fresh air and sunshine. __2__
Your garden provides a raw diet like no other.
__3__ That may explain why homegrown vegetables are so full of natural sweetness. The experience of eating them raw right after picking them from the garden may surprise you. Most homegrown crops taste better than storebought.
Your garden make your life colourful.
The average consumer remains at the mercy of the local market, but once the home gardener discovers the diversity of colors and flavors that can be homegrown, an
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entire new palette (调色板) opens up. Tomatoes range in color from deep purple and nearly black to golden yellow and pale white. There are golden yellow sugar peas, deep purple string beans, and carrots available in every color. __4__ The only way to have them all is to grow them yourself.
Your garden allows you to give back.
We know that it feels good to give, but nothing feels as great as when you share food. __5__ You can bring some to the office — a basket of cherry tomatoes can disappear faster than a box of donuts fried in deep fat.
A．Your vegetables should be eaten raw.
B．Your garden is better than any gym membership.
C．Food gifts are becoming popular, especially for children.
D．Nutritionists agree colorful vegetables are rich in nutrition.
E．Whatever you do in a garden, it delivers the full gym experience.
F．The sugar and vitamin in vegetables begin to decline after they are picked.
G．And imagine how it feels for others to receive fresh and healthy homegrown vegetables.
答案：1～5 BEFDG
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