Thanksgiving is an important festival in North America. We interviewed several students from the US and Canada. Here is what they have told us about their Thanksgiving experiences. Josie from New York, USA "In America, Thanksgiving is celebrated every year at the end of November. It is to remember the first group of people from Europe to live in America. When they first arrived, they found the environment strange. But they learned to survive after some native American friends showed them how to grow and find food. Thanksgiving is meant to be a traditional celebration." Todd from California,   USA "Thanksgiving is the first day of Christmas shopping. That means we have four weeks to buy Christmas presents for our families and friends. For me and my friends, the most important part of the festival is the big football game on TV. The match is watched by millions of people all over America. Thanksgiving is seen as an exciting day for football!" Ian from Saskatoon, Canada In Canada, Thanksgiving is held on the 2nd Monday in October. On the Sunday before Thanksgiving Day, many people go to church. Thanks is given for all the good things that happened to them during the year. I always give thanks for the nice big turkey I'm going to have at the family dinner! Like all festivals, Thanksgiving is about food! Katie from Maritimes, Canada On Thanksgiving Day, we have dinner with all our cousins, aunts and uncles. It is always very busy. Sometimes we have two Thanksgiving dinners because we go to both our grandparents' houses. The dinner is usually attended by more than twenty people at each house! My mother and my aunts do all the cooking but the washing-up is done by me and my cousins. And that's not an easy job! But I don't mind because Thanksgiving is meant to be a time to give thanks. Which of the people interviewed feels that Thanksgiving is all about football? A) Ian B) Josie C) Todd D) Katie
C

Winter is a great time to experiment with new sports. The key is to find one that matches your interests and natural abilities. If you like to walk, keep walking -- on snowshoes. If you want to try an endurance sport, go for cross-country skiing. Besides, snowboarding is just great fun.  Not satisfied with these? Try downhill skiing, then. Downhill skiing is not as hard as it used to be -- shorter, lightweight, curved skis make any beginner feel like an Olympic winner. These newer skis -- along with another type of equipment called skiboards, which are even shorter than skis -- help you control your speed and body movements.  Consider testing the latest high-tech skis or snowboards?Check with your local sports shops or the rental places at the ski mountains about sample programs.  You could also try sledding. Use a wood-framed sled with steel runners or a plastic sled to head down a snowy hill. If you prefer ice to snow, think hockey or figure skating.  Runners can also train during the winter in spite of wet or slippery roads. One of the easiest sports around, snowshoeing can be excellent cold-weather cross-training for runners and cyclists -- or anyone wanting to take a wintry walk in the woods. Snowshoes are smaller, lighter, and better than ever. If you want to try them out, you may be able to rent a pair for a day at many of the larger outdoor or sporting goods stores.  Whatever sport you choose, don't rely on a friend for instruction. You wouldn't let an inexperienced doctor perform a brain operation on you, but why let one teach you to ski or skate? That's what instructors are for -- to help newcomers start out right. Instructors can give you advice about equipment, techniques, safety, and dealing with injuries if they do happen to you.  Above all, if you want to progress, invest your time in learning the basic skills thoroughly. Everything else you do as a skier, boarder, or skater will be built on these first skills. What can we learn from the passage? A) Runners and cyclists cannot train because of the wet or slippery roads in winter. B) Downhill skiing used to be more difficult to learn because of the old-fashioned skis. C) People can rent snowshoes for a day at their local sports shops or the rental places. D) In general, first skills are more important in skiing than in snowboarding or skating.
B

Although there are no state controlled survival courses in Britain or the United States, there are various independent organizations offering similar activities. Students can participate ( take part ) in outdoor training courses through university clubs and societies . Anyone can register (  ) with such groups , which then organize courses ,training and trips for all members . One of the most popular outdoor training programmes in both the US and Britain , is Outward Bound (  ) . It was founded in 1941 in Wales and attracts hundreds of thousands of adventurous types every year . The courses are to broaden minds through experiences that build confidence , self-esteem (  ) and character . As well as specialist courses such as canoeing , leadership skills and sailing , participants can take part in week long adventure training camps which include a host of sports and survival training education skills . Michael Williams , an American student , took part in an Outward Bound course last year . He said : "We learned lots of first aid skills , lots of natural history , lots of environmental facts , and participated in a wildlife preservation ( protecting ) programme . Beyond that , my favorite skills learned were sailing and rock climbing ." Courses can last up to 40 days and are open to anyone over the age of 14 . Students must be in general good health , but do not need to be experienced in outdoor-sports . There is no selection process ; everyone is welcome , although new participants are advised to pick a course matching their physical power . Most of the British courses take place in the Beacons in Wales . Another similar organization is the UK Survival School , which includes courses on learning to live with the environment , sailing and winter survival . On a basic survival weekend students will learn how to get water and food , how to make fire and cook with it , to find and build a shelter , control survival life support , how to cross rivers , send off an SOS signal , and to use compasses by day and night... The advantage of the training courses is that   _   . A) participants can make friends with others B) participants can visit some places of interest C) participants can experience different adventures D) participants can learn how wonderful nature is
C

Every country has its traditional festivals. The Chinese New Year is now known as the Spring Festival because it starts from the beginning of spring. Though there are some sayings about its origin, all agree that the word Nian, which in modern Chinese means "year", was originally the name of a beast that started to eat people the night before the beginning of a new year. One story goes that the beast Nian had a very big mouth that would take in a great many people at one time. People were very afraid. One day, an old man came to their help and said he would stop all this. He said to Nian, "I hear that you are very strong, but can you eat up all the beasts on earth instead of people who are too weak to be your enemies?" "Yes," Nian agreed with him and went to kill many of the beasts on earth. People were very happy because those beasts also did bad things to people and killed their farm animals from time to time. After that, the old man, who was a god, rode on the beast Nian and left. Nian was gone, and other beasts also went into forests; people began to enjoy their happy life. Before the old man left, he had told people to put up red paper-cuts on their windows and doors at each year's end to drive Nian away, because red is the color the beast felt most afraid of. From then on, every year at the beginning of spring, people prepare to "Guo Nian". The word "Guo Nian" means "go through the Nian safely". Putting up red paper-cuts to drive Nian away and making dumplings for a better new year are still an every-year doing by the Chinese people. However, people today have long forgotten why they are doing all this, they just feel the color and the food make the New Year very enjoyable. The best title of this passage is "  _  ". A) The Origin of the Chinese New Year B) The Old Man and the Beast Nian C) How to Go Through the Nian safely D) What Nian Was Like

A