高中英语限时阅读训练（1）专题辅导
当幸福来敲门经典台词高中英语限时阅读训练 (1)
词数：about 290 难度★★建议用时：3.5minutes
Unlike most of the other non-foolish holidays, the history of April Fool’s Day, sometimes called All Fools’ Day, is not totally clear. There really wasn’t a “first April Fool’s Day” that can be pinpoi nted on the calendar. Some believe it came from celebrations involving the first day of spring. The clost point in time that can be identified as the beginning of this tradition was in 1582, in France. Before that year, the new year was celebrated for eight days, beginning on March 25. The celebration culminated （达到高潮） on April 1. With the reform of the calendar under Charles IX, the Gregorian Calendar was introduced, and New Year’s Day was moved to January 1.
However, in tho days news traveled by foot, so many people did not receive the news until veral years later. Others, the more obstinate （顽固的） crowd refud to accept the
new calendar and continued to celebrate the new year on April 1. The backward folk were labeled as “fools” by the general p opulace （民众）. They were subject to some ridicule （嘲笑）. The tradition eventually spread to England and Scotland in the eighteenth century. It was later introduced to the American colonies of both the English and French. April Fool’s Day thus developed into an international fun fest (联欢会),
so to speak, with different nationalities specializing in their own brand of humor at the expen of their friends and families.
comboboxPranks performed on April Fool’s Day range from the simple, (such as saying, “Your shoe’s untied!”), to the elaborate(精心制作的). Setting a roommate’s alarm clock back an hour is a common trick. Whatever the prank, the trickster usually ends it by yelling （大叫）to his victim, “April Fool!”
April Fool’s Day is a “for-fun-only” obrvance （风俗习惯）. Nobody is expected to buy gifts or to take their “significant other” out to eat in a fancy restaurant. Nobody gets off work or school. It’s simply a fun little holiday, but a holiday on which one must remain fore
ver vigilant （警觉的）, for he may be the next April Fool!
1. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
生气的意思A. New Year’s Day was celebrated on March 25 after 1582.
B．April Fool’s Day was the first day to celebrate new year before 1582.
C. Many people didn’t know the New Year’s Day fell on Janu ary 1 until veral years later.
D. Only the obstinate people got involved in celebrating April Fool’s Day.sheet
2. The underlined word “pranks”(in Paragraph 3) most probably means “______”.
A. fools
B. tricks
C. projects
D. plans
brasil3. “April fools” first referred to ______.
A. tho who continued to celebrate the new year on April 1
B. tho who accepted the new calendar
C. tho who were fooled on April 1
D. tho who always did foolish things on April 1
Key: 1-3 CBA
辣妈辣妹插曲（二）
词数 about 310 难度★★建议用时 3.5 minutes
BEIJING, Aug. 25 (Xinhuanet) —Apple Computer Inc. on Thursday announced a recall of 1.8 million lithium-ion (锂) notebook batteries that could cau a fire risk, a move that follo
qs大学学科排名wed Dell’s similar recall just ten days ago.
英语签名档
a third dimensionThe defective （有缺陷的） batteries were sold with Apple 12-inch iBook G4, 12-inch PowerBook G4 and 15-inch PowerBook G4 computers from October 2003 through this month. In its recall announcement, Apple said it has received nine reports of lithium-ion battery packs overheating, including two cas in which urs suffered minor burns and some involving minor property damage.
The company urged urs to stop using the batteries and contact Apple Customer Service. The computer maker will replace the batteries free of charge.
About 1.1 million of the battery packs are in u in the US, the remaining 700,000 were sold internationally. The recall is the cond-biggest in US history involving electronics or computers. Just last week, No. 1 PC maker Dell Inc. recalled 4.1 million lithium-ion batteries.
Both recalls involve lithium-ion batteries made by a Sony subsidiary（子公司) in Japan.
Sony said in a press relea （新闻公布） that both the Dell and Apple problems were caud by tiny pieces of metal floating inside the battery. When the batteries are
being ud or recharged, they will heat up and the particals (质点) can start moving around, potentially causing the unit to short circuit （短路）. This can cau the battery to explode or catch fire.
According to Sony, the recalls will cost it between 172 and 278 million dollars. Both Apple and Dell said the recalls would not affect their earnings.
1. What is the news story mainly about?职称英语考试真题
A. Apple Computer Inc. recalling 1.8 million Sony batteries.
B. The biggest recall in US history.
C. The potential risk of lithium-ion batteries.
D. The cau of laptop batteries being recalled.
2. What happened to Dell Inc. ten days ago?
A. Dell’s notebook batteries caud a fire.
