修改时间：2021-05-20 浏览次数：195 类型：同步测试
For 80 years, Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade has kicked off the holiday season with glorious bands, balloons and floats (花车)，and for one day, it has transformed New York City into a living comic book.
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual parade presented by Macy's Department Store. It was first held in 1924. It was organized by Macy's employees, most of whom were first generation immigrants(移民)，who wanted to celebrate holidays like they did in Europe. The employees dressed in costumes(盛装)and marched on the streets with floats, bands and live animals borrowed from a zoo.
With an audience of over a quarter of a million people, the parade was such a success that Macy's declared it would become an annual event.
In 1927 Felix, the Cat became the first parade balloon to float over the city. Large animal shaped balloons replaced the live animals from then on. These giant signature(特有的)balloons are by far the biggest attraction of the parade. Each year sees parade balloons adding new characters from comic strip characters to timeless toys.
One tradition long gone is the releasing of the balloons after the parade. They would float for days and the lucky finder or finders could claim a cash reward if he or she returned the balloon or its remains to Macy's.
The parade has gone on every year except during World War Ⅱ when, aside from not having much to cheer about, the helium(氦气)air and rubber used for the balloons were needed for the war effort.
When the parade returned in 1945，it was televised in New York for the first time and also traveled its current route for the first time.
Nowadays, more than 10,000 people participate in the parade and the National Broadcasting Company(NBC) will nationwide broadcast it live from 9 a.m. to noon. The NBC has even earned several Emmy Awards for this program.
As always, the parade will end with a visit from Santa Claus. The joyful old man will get settled in Macy's Department Store after the parade to start amonthlong search for who's been naughty and who's been nice.
Mother Teresa was born on August 26th,1910 in Skopje, Macedonia. She always wrote her birthday as 27th of August because it was the day of her baptism(洗礼), which was always more important to her than her birthday. For her work with the poor around the world, she received the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize.
In 1928, she accepted a religious order and took the name Teresa. The order immediately sent her to India. A few years later, she began teaching in Calcutta. In 1948 the Catholic(天主教的) Church agreed her request and let her enter the convent( 女修道院) and she began to work for the poor people. She became an Indian citizen in the following year. In 1950, she set up a religious organization in Calcutta. The organization provided food for the poor people and then she set up hospitals, schools, youth centers, and homes for the sick and the dying poor. It now has branches in 50 Indian cities and 30 other countries.
Besides the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize, Mother Teresa has received other awards for her work with the poor people. On September 5th,1997, Mother Teresa passed away, but she will continue to inspire people all over the world through her lasting present of love and faith.
a. She became an Indian citizen.
b. She began to work for the poor.
c. She began teaching in Calcutta.
d. She became a nun.
e. She set up a religious organization.
My Forever Valentine
Valentine's Day was the time my father chose to show his love for the special people in his life. Over the years I fondly (天真地) thought1him as my “Valentine Man”.
My first recollection of the2he could bring to Valentine's Day came when I was six. That morning at the breakfast table I found a card and a giftwrapped package at my chair.
The card was3“Love, Dad ”and the gift was a ring with a small piece of red glass to4my birthstone, a ruby (红宝石). There is5difference between red glass and rubies to a child of six, and I remember6that ring with pride that all the cards in the world7not surpass (超越).8I grew older, the gifts gave9to heart shaped boxes filled with my10chocolates and always included a 11card signed “Love，Dad”. In those years my “thanks” became12of a perfunctory(敷衍的)response. The cards seemed less13and I took it for granted that the Valentine would14be there. I had15my hopes and dreams in receiving cards and gifts from “significant others” and “Love, Dad” just didn't seem quite16
His final card remains on my desk today. It's a17of how special father can be and how important it had been to me over the years to know that I had a father who continued a 18of love with simple acts of understanding and an ability to express happiness over the people in his life.
Those things never19nor does the memory of a man who never20being my Valentine.
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