Feast on Turkey and Good Wishes at Thanksgiving
Four weeks ago US children dressed as monsters and asked for sweets. That was Halloween2.In a few weeks American houses will, be red and green and filled with presents ,for Christmas3.
As if all this isnt enough, on Thursday this week, America will enjoy another festival一Thanksgiving.
Children will have two days off school, shops will close and houses will be filled with families enjoying mountains of food.
Every year, in Gainesville, Florida, an entire class celebrate Thanksgiving together. The class dresses up and puts on plays for their families. After the plays the families share a feast of traditional Thanksgiving foods like turkey and pumpkin pie.
Dean Foster, an 11-year-old boy will take part in this celebration. He said:I love Thanksgiving because it means time off school, lots of nice food and a happy family.
His brother Ben, nine, said:The best thing about Thanksgiving ,is that when it is finished ,it is time to start Christmas.
But behind the food and the large amount of money spent there is another message. On Thursday evening, Dean and Bens family will make a basket and put it on the table as they eat their evening meal.
Each of them will write a list of things that they are thankful for and place the paper in the basket. The family will read the pieces of paper and take time to thank God and each other for providing them with comfortable and happy lives.
Thanksgiving is a traditional festival that started in 1621, when the first pilgrims arrived in America to start a new life. After a hard year, they had a big autumn harvest. They held a feast and invited the native American Indians along to thank God for giving them enough food.
Many countries celebrate Thanksgiving. They often fall after the fields have been harvested and the crops collected for winter.
词汇：
turkey /t?:ki/ n.火鸡
pumpkin /p?mpkin/n.南瓜
pilgrim /pilgrim/n.朝圣者
注释：
1.Thanksgiving /??ks,givi?/：感恩节
2.Halloween /,h?l?ui:n/：万圣节10月31日之夜
3.Christmas /krism?s/：圣诞节
练习：
1.On Halloween, children in the United States often dress up as________.
A) ghosts
B) players
C) pilgrims
D) visitors
2.When are turkey and pumpkin pie eaten? ________.
A) On Halloween.
B) On Thursday.
C) On Thanksgiving.
D) On Christmas Day.
3.Thanksgiving is the time for the American people to thank God for________.
A) looking after them
B) providing them with comfortable and happy lives
C) clothing them
D) protecting them
4.Many children in the United States like Thanksgiving because________.
A) they can stay with their parents at home and eat a lot of nice food
B) they can dress up like monsters
C) they can put on plays
D) they can visit American Indians
5.The first pilgrims settled in America in________.
A) 1621
B) 1620
C) 1622
D) 1619
答案与题解：
1.A 本题问的是：在10月31日之夜，美国儿童常常打扮成什么样子?文章的第一段第一个句子是这么说的：四周前，美国儿童打扮成怪物，四处要糖吃。鬼跟怪物比较接近，因而选项A是正确的答案。
2.C 本题问的是：火鸡和南瓜饼是什么时候吃的?火鸡和南瓜饼是感恩节的传统食品。这一信息可以从第四段的最后一个句子中找到。
3.B 本题问的是：感恩节是美国人的什么样的日子?选项B说的是：是感谢上帝为他们提供了舒适、幸福生活的日子。该答案可以从文章的倒数第三段中找到。
4.A 本题问的是：许多美国儿童喜欢感恩节的原因是什么?选项A说的是：他们可以待在家里，跟父母在一起，并且会吃到很多好吃的东西。答案可以从第三段和第五段中找到。
5.B 本题问的是：第一批朝圣者是什么时候到美洲来定居的?答案可以在倒数第二段的第一个句子中找到。
译文：火鸡盛宴和感恩节的祝福
四周前美国的孩子打扮成魔鬼，四处要糖吃。这就是万圣节。
几周之后就是圣诞节，美国的房子都会染成红色和绿色，里面充满了礼物。
似乎这一切还不够，这周的星期二，美国人还会庆祝另外一个节日感恩节。
孩子们有两天不上课，商店歇业，房子里面家人喜欢的食物堆成了山。每年在Gainesville, 佛罗里达，整个一个班会一起庆祝感恩节。整个班会打扮起来，为家人表演剧目。剧目过后一家人分享一顿传统的感恩节美食，比如火鸡和南瓜饼。
Dean Foster, 一个11岁的男孩愿意加入这次庆祝。他说：我喜欢感恩节，因为不用上学，有很多好吃的，还有快乐的家庭聚会。
他9 岁的弟弟Ben 说，感恩节最好的地方，就是它结束时就是圣诞节开始的时候。
但是在食物和花掉的大笔的钱背后有另一层寓意。周二晚上，Dean 和Ben的家人会做一个篮子，吃晚饭的时候把它放在桌子上。
每个人会把他们要感谢的东西列在一张单子上，放在篮子里。一家人会读出每一张单子上写的内容，花时间感谢上帝，感谢彼此给予这样舒适幸福的生活。
感恩节是一具传统节日，起源于第一批朝圣者来到美洲开始新生活的时候。艰苦的第一年后，在秋天取得了大丰收。他们举行了盛宴，并邀请了当地的土著印第安人一起感谢上帝给予他们充足的食物。
很多国家庆祝感恩节，时间经常是在庄稼成熟，收割完毕准备过冬之后。
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