高一英语阅读训练(1)

2014学年高一下学期英语阅读训练（1）

班别：高一（）班姓名：__________ 学号：______

A

In 1620, the settlers, or Pilgrims, sailed to America on the Mayflower, seeking a place where they could have freedom of worship. After a tempestuous two-month voyage they landed at in icy November, what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts. During their first winter, over half of the settlers died of starvation or diseases. The following spring the Iroquois Indians taught them how to grow corn, a new food for the colonists. They showed them other crops to grow in the unfamiliar soil and how to hunt and fish.

In the autumn of 1621, bountiful crops of corn, barley (大麦), beans and pumpkins were harvested. The colonists had much to be thankful for, so a feast was planned. They invited the local Indian chief and 90 Indians. The Indians brought deer to roast with the turkeys and other wild game offered by the colonists. The colonists had learned how to cook cranberries and different kinds of corn and squash dishes from the Indians. To this first Thanksgiving, the Indians had even brought popcorn.

In the following years, many of the original colonists celebrated the autumn harvest with a feast of thanks.

After the independence of the United States, George Washington suggested the date November 26 as Thanksgiving Day. Then in 1863, at the end of a long and bloody civil war, Abraham Lincoln asked all Americans to set aside the last Thursday in November as a day of thanksgiving.

Until recently most school children believe that the Pilgrims cooked the entire Thanksgiving feast, and offered it to the Indians. In fact, the feast was planned to thank the Indians for teaching them how to cook those foods. With the Indians, the first settlers would not have survived.

1. The settlers arrived in American ___________.

A. by sea

B. by air

C. by train

D. on foot

2. The next year the Pilgrims were able to survive because __________.

A. the spring came

B. the Indians gave them much to eat

C. they were taught how to live by themselves there

D. the diseases had all gone away

3. Which of the following statement is NOT true according to the passage?

A. The settlers were not familiar with the soil there first.

B. The Pilgrims also hunted animals for the feast.

C. George Washington set the last Thursday in November as Thanksgiving

Day.

D. Thanksgiving in the US has a history of more than 380 years.

4. The first Thanksgiving Day was to __________.

A. God

B. the family

C. the Indians

D. the settlers

5. This article is mainly about _________.

A. the traditions of Thanksgiving Day in the US.

B. the origins of Thanksgiving Day in the US.

C. the meanings of Thanksgiving Day in the US.

D. the activities of Thanksgiving Day in the US.

B

To many Americans, Labor Day marks the end of the summer, a day off from work and school, and one more chance to relax. But Labor Day is much more than just a day off. It represents a very important victory for laborers everywhere. The holiday is a celebration of the social and economic achievements of American workers.

More than a century ago, workers were forced to deal with hard conditions. They were paid very little, and they often worked 10-to l2-hour days. Men, women and even small children were forced to work even when they were sick. Tired of long hours and dangerous conditions, workers began organizing themselves into labor unions. On top of fighting for higher pay and shorter workdays, they also fought for the rights of children. The workers wanted employers to place limits on the age of their workers so that small children were not overworked or hurt in factories.

A New York City carpenter named Peter McGuire is believed for coming up with the idea for Labor Day. In 1872, after working many long hours under poor conditions, McGuire rallied 100,000 workers to go on strike. The workers marched through the streets of New York City, demanding a better work environment. McGuire spent a decade fighting for workers’ rights. In 1882, he proposed（提议）the idea to create a special holiday for workers. On Tuesday, September 5, 1882, more than 10,000 workers hit the streets of New York City for the first ever Labor Day parade. Two years later the celebration was moved to the first Monday in September. And in 1894, Congress passed a law making Labor Day a national holiday.