People in the United States honor their parents with 2 special days: Mother’s Day on the second Sunday in May and Father’s Day on the 3^rd Sunday in June. These days are to show love and respect for parents. They raise their children and educate them to be responsible citizens. They give love and care. These two days offer an opportunity to think about the changing roles of mothers and fathers. More mothers now work outside the home and more fathers must help with childcare.

     These two special days are celebrated in many different ways. On mother’s Day, people wear carnations. A red one symbolizes a living mother. A white one shows that the mother is dead. Many people attend religious services to honor parents. It’s also a day when people whose parents are dead visit the cemetery(grave). On these days families get together at home as well as in restaurants. They often have outdoor barbecue for Father’s Day. These are days of fun and good feelings and memories.

     Another tradition is to give cards and gifts. Children make them in school. Many people make their own presents. These are more valued than those bought in stores. It’s not the value of the gift that is important, but “the thought that counts”. Greeting card stores, florists, candy makers, bakers, phone companies and other stores do lots of business during these holidays.

16.Which is NOT a reason for children to show love and respect for parents?

A. Parents bring up children.                  

B. Parents give love and care to children.

C. Parents educate children to be good persons.  

D. Parents pass away before children grow up.

17.What do you know from the passage?

A. Both festivals are in May.           

B. Fewer women worked outside the home in the past.

C. Not all the children respect their parents. 

D. Fathers are not as important as mothers at home.

18.Which do you know about “carnation”?

A. It only has two kinds of color.  

 B. It refers to the special clothes people wear on Mother’s Day.

C. It’s a kind of flower showing love and best wishes.

D. People can wear them only on the second Sunday in May.

19.On Mother’s Day and Father’s Day ___________.

A. people sometimes have family parties     B. everyone goes to the cemetery

C. children always go to parents’ home    D. hand-made cards are the most valuable gifts.

20.What do you think “florists” do ?

A. They sell flowers.      

B. They make bread or pastry.

C. They offer enough room for having family parties.

D. They sell special clothes for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.

As we all know, the Dragon Boat Festival is our country’s traditional festival, but do you know there is also a Dragon Boat Festival in South Korea, which also falls on May 5 of the lunar calendar(陰歷)? It has been reported that South Korea will apply to United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO 聯(lián)合國(guó)教科文組織) to make the celebration of the Dragon Boat Festival its own intangible cultural heritage (非物質(zhì)的文化遺產(chǎn)). If successful, people from other countries may see the Dragon Festival as a Korean creation.

As the birthplace of the yearly event more than 2,000 years ago, China is not happy with the situation. "It would be a shame if another country successfully made a traditional Chinese festival part of its own cultural heritage ahead of China," said Zhou Heping, deputy(副) culture minister. The Ministry of Culture is even thinking of making its own application to UNESCO, covering all traditional Chinese festivals, including the Dragon Boat event.

It is thought that the festival is held in memory of the great poet Qu Yuan (340-278 BC), who lived in the State of Chu during the Warring States Period. Qu was known to be a patriot (愛(ài)國(guó)者) and admired by ordinary people.

He is said to have jumped into Miluo River, because he had lost hope in his country's future. When people heard about Qu's death, they sailed up and down the river searching for his body. They also beat the drums to frighten away the fish and threw Zongzi into the water to stop the fish touching Qu. Dragon boat racing is said to come from this search for the poet's body.

         Over the years, the Dragon Boat Festival has spread throughout the world. In Japan and Viet Nam, as well as South Korea, the festival has mixed with and become part of the local culture.

11. The Dragon Boat Festival _______.

A. is also kept by South Korea                    B. comes from South Korea

C. was created by South Korea                   D. is South Korea’s cultural heritage

12. What is the reaction of the Ministry of Culture to South Korea’s intending to make the Dragon Boat Festival its own culture heritage?

A. Fighting against South Korea                 B. Telling South Korea it’s not right to do so

C. Considering to do the similar thing         D. Asking South Korea not to do so.

13. What is the purpose of the Dragon Boat Festival’s being held?

A. In memory of Qu Yuan                   B. In memory of all the patriots of China

C. To frighten away the fish                D. In honor of QuYuan’s birthday

14. After Qu Yuan’s death, Zongzi was thrown into the water to _______.

A. feed him.                                      B. protect his body from going bad.

C. prevent the fish biting his body        D. attract his soul

15. Now, the Dragon Boat Festival has become ______ activity.

A. a nationwide             B. a worldwide             C. an Asian            D. a foreign

     The Mid-Autumn Festival is held on the fifteenth day of the Eight Moon and its popularity and participation for the young is only second to the Spring Festival.

   During the Tang Dynasty, Chinese leaders took up the practice of  21  the moon. This day is set  22  just for this purpose. People traveled to high places to make sure they have a good  23  of the moon.  24  , children carried lanterns of animals shapes lit by candles.

   As darkness approaches, the  25  is covered with the beautiful glow of lantern lights. This night is a(an)  26  no one should  27  . It is an evening  28  for children of all ages.

   Mooncakes are  29  an important part of the festivities. They are given to friends and  30  during the festival.

I do not need a calendar to tell me when it is winter. All I need is my   1  . When I wake up in the morning and smell the tasty treats my mom is   2   downstairs, I know winter has arrived

The   3   one is the smell of chocolate. During the holiday season (from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day) my mother makes her   4   hot chocolate. She always adds a peppermint candy cane (薄荷味拐棍糖) to the   5   and tops it with cream.

The hot chocolate gets me out of bed, but it is my mother’s chocolate fudge (軟糕) that makes me run   6  . It is a thick chunk (塊) of chocolate that tastes like heaven. My mother adds nuts. That gives it   7   texture (質(zhì)感).

But my mother isn’t done yet. She also makes a treat she   8   “window panes (窗玻璃)”. She takes a few different colored marshmallows (棉花糖) and melts   them together with chocolate. The final product looks like a colorful church window, so we call it “window panes”.

These tasty holiday treats are usually eaten   9   a meal as a dessert. But don’t tell Santa Claus because I   10   eat them all day long.

Why are they _________________________(有消失的危險(xiǎn))？

There_________________________(在挽救瀕臨滅絕的野生動(dòng)物方面已經(jīng)取得了一些進(jìn)步) endangered wildlife in China.

This is ____________________(野生動(dòng)物保護(hù)所包括的).

_________(因此) these endangered animals _____________(甚至有可能滅絕)