专题 09 英美文化阅读理解专项：美国周末 美国婚礼 英国婚礼习俗-2024年高考英语常考英美文化阅读专练 素材积累.docx

1、21. Weekend in America美国人的周末In the United States Monday is the beginning of the workweek; it is the day most Americans like least. It is not surprising then that the day they like most is Saturday. Saturday is the end of the workweek and the beginning of the weekend.Life is different on the weekend;

2、 most Americans take care of their house, car or garden. They sleep till late in the morning. They enjoy the feeling that the time seems to move more slowly. The week is for things you have to do; the weekend is for things you want to do. Some people may get in a car and go for a drive in the countr

3、y. They like to take part in a sports activity outdoors. And on Saturday night they might go to a public eating place or a movie.The idea of the weekend is a recent invention. In the 1870s wealthy people began to speak of spending weekends in the country visiting friends. For most people back then,

4、however, the workday was six days long. It ended at about noon or later on Saturday.Automobile maker Henry Ford was the first major employer in the United States to establish (设立) a workweek of 5 days. He did that in 1926. Henry Ford thought that if the working people had more free time they would s

5、pend more money, which is good for the economy. By 1940 it had become common for most Americans to work 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. Today the lives of most Americans are organized that way: 5 days of work or school followed by 2 days of rest. For many people Saturday night is the highpoint of the

6、weekend and the week. It is the night for going out and having fun.Many people spend the Saturday night at home with friends. They have dinner together. Perhaps they watch a movie on a video cassette recorder. Other people go on a date. A date usually involves (牵涉) two people. People on a date might

7、 go to a public concert, yet they talk only to each other.Is there anything people do not like about the weekend? A study of 1,000 Americans found that half would gladly trade a paid workday for an extra day of free time. The only thing wrong with the weekend, they think, is that it does not last lo

8、nger. (405 words)Helper:automobile :tmbi:l, :tmubil 汽车 establish istbli 设立 go on a date去约会 involve invlv牵涉Brief Introduction:一周七天中，大多数的美国人最不喜欢的是星期一，最喜欢的是星期六这一点当然不足为奇，所有人都知道星期一是一周工作日的开始，而星期六则意味着一周工作的结束和周末休闲娱乐的开始。周末人们的生活跟平时大不一样，时间似乎过得更慢了，人们尽情享受着这种悠闲自在的感觉。在工作日,你得做非做不可的工作；在周末,你则可以做自己想做的事。周末这一观念产生的历史不算很早

9、。19世纪70年代，一些富人们开始讨论起到乡下拜访朋友度周末的方式。然而，当时多数人一周要工作6天，直到星期六的中午乃至于更晚的时候才能休息。1926年，著名的汽车制造商亨利福特第一个在美国设立了5天工作制。他之所以这样做的理由是如果让上班的人们拥有更多的空闲时间，他们就会花更多的钱，从而更有益于经济的提升。到了1940年，大多美国人都是一周上5天的班，一天工作8小时，这一方式也延续至今。对于很多的美国人来说，星期六的夜晚是周末的黄金时段。许多人选择在家里和朋友一起度过这段时间，也有人会出去约会（常常是在一对男女之间）。若是有人问周末有什么不好的地方，唯一的答案可能是它持续的时间有些短了。 E

10、xercises:从所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出最佳答案。1. The reason why most people in the U.S. dislike Monday is that _. A. its the first day of a week B. it means the beginning of their workweek C. they dont like any day but Saturday D. they have to do things they dont want to do2. On weekends, Americans usually take p

11、art in the following activities except _. A. taking care of their house, car or garden B. traveling abroad C. going for a driving in the country D. going to a movie3. It can be inferred from the reading passage that _. A. the working people couldnt actually enjoy the two-day weekend in the 1870s B.

12、the idea of the weekend first appeared no more than 100 years ago C. Henry Ford established a workday of 5 days so as to reduce the costs D. most Americans have been enjoying two days of a rest every week since 19264. The underlined word “highpoint” in the fourth paragraph refers to _. A. the highes

13、t place of something B. the most important point of something C. the largest part of something D. the best part of something5. The whole passage is mainly about _. A. how a workweek of 5 days was established B. why a workweek of 5 days is so important for Americans life C. how Americans spend their

14、weekends D. why most Americans like the weekendKeys and Explanations: 1-5 BBADC1. 选B。细节理解题。根据第一段第一句话即可知答案。2. 选B。具体信息题。第二段介绍了美国人度周末的方式，没有提到去国外旅游这一方式，所以选B。3. 选A。推理判断题。第三段谈到19世纪70年代大多数每周的工作日是六天，因而无法享有两天的周末，由此应选A项。B、C、D三项与第三、四两段所谈的情况不一致。4. 选D。词义理解题。依照整句话的意思，“highpoint”指的应该是“最精彩的部分”，因此选择D项。5. 选C。主旨大意题。整篇

15、文章主要介绍美国人是如何度周末的，所以答案应是C。22. Weddings in the U.S. 美国的婚礼Weddings in the United States vary as much as the people do. There are church weddings with a great deal of fanfare (铜管乐声); there are weddings on mountaintops with guests barefooted; and there have been weddings on the ocean floor with oxygen ta

16、nks for the guests. But many weddings, no matter where or how they are performed, include certain traditional customs.Before a couple is married, they become engaged. And then invitations are sent to those who live nearby, their close friends and their relatives who live far away. When everything is

17、 ready, then comes the most exciting moment.The wedding itself usually lasts between 20 and 40 minutes. The wedding party enters the church while the wedding march is played. The bride carrying a bouquet enters last with her father who will “give her away”.The groom enters the church from a side doo

18、r. When the wedding party is gathered by the altar (圣坛), the bride and groom exchange vows. It is traditional to use the words “To have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part”.Followin

19、g the vows, the couple exchange rings. Wearing the wedding ring on the fourth finger of the left hand is an old custom. After the ceremony there is often a party, called a “reception” which gives the wedding guests a chance to congratulate the newlyweds.The car in which the couple leaves the church

20、is decorated with balloons, streamers and shaving cream. The words “Just Married” are painted on the trunk or back window. The bride and groom run to the car under a shower of rice thrown by the wedding guests. When the couple drives away from the church, friends often chase them in cars, honking an

21、d drawing attention to them. And then the couple go on their honeymoon. (340words)Helper:fanfare fnf铜管乐声 barefooted光着脚的 engageingeid订婚relative亲戚 wedding march婚礼进行曲 bouquetbu:kei花束 altar :lt圣坛 groomgrum新郎 vow va宣誓，誓言 cherishteri珍爱 newlyweds新婚夫妇 decorate装饰 honkhk按汽车喇叭 honeymoon蜜月Brief Introduction:美国人

22、来源于世界各地，婚礼形式也就迥然各异。有热闹非凡的教堂婚礼；有根本没有宗教仪式的世俗婚礼；还有宾客在山顶上光着脚举行的婚礼；甚至还有一种骇人听闻的在海底给宾客用氧气罐的婚礼。但是，这许多婚扎中，不管它的形式多么怪异，仍然包含着一些传统的习俗。结婚前要先订婚，然后就可以给亲戚朋友发请贴，当一切准备完毕，让人激动的时候就到来了。婚礼通常20-40分钟，参加婚礼的人员随着婚礼进行曲进入教堂，新娘手拿花束跟父亲一起最后一个进入教堂，新郎从侧门进入。当参加婚礼的人员围在圣坛的时候，新郎和新娘互发誓约，通常用下面的话“从今以后，不论境遇好坏，家境贫富，无论疾病还是健康，或任何其他理由，誓言相亲相爱，至死不

23、分离。”，之后交换戒指。把戒指戴在左手的第四个手指上是古老的传统。婚礼后会有一个聚会，叫做“婚宴”，给客人一个祝福新婚夫妇的机会。 Exercises:从所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出最佳答案。1. The first paragraph is mainly to tell us _. A. there are different peoples in the US. B. there are a variety of weddings in the US. C. Americans like to have special weddings. D. more and more Ameri

24、cans wouldnt like to hold traditional weddings2. The writer wants to show us _ weddings in America. A. modern B. various C. popular D. traditional3. Which of the following is correct order of the wedding ceremony according to passage 3? holding a “reception” the bride entering with her father playin

25、g wedding march exchanging rings exchanging vows A. B. C. D. 4. The underlined word “vow” in the 3rd paragraph probably means _. A. a kind of precious stone B. Something desired or longed for C. something bought for each other D. a serious promise made to someone else 5. From the text we can infer t

26、hat the wedding guests throw a shower of rice to the newlyweds to _. A. show they like this kind of wedding ceremony B. express their dissatisfaction C. show their best wished to the newlyweds D. show they have too much riceKeys and Explanations:1-5 BDCDC1. 选B。段落大意题。第一段的首句“美国的婚礼就跟美国人一样多样”，因为美国是一个移民国

27、家，所以不同的民族会有不同的婚礼形式。然后举例里说明不同形式的婚礼，所以首句就是主题句，就是作者想告诉读者的东西。故选B。2. 选D。写作意图题。根据第一段的最后一句的转折词but知道下面的内容就是围绕本句展开，介绍传统的婚礼。3. 选C。细节理解题。根据本段的最后一句知道reception在最后，排除B；根据第二、三句知道在最前，排除D；根据Following the vows, the couple exchange rings知道选C。4. 选D。词义理解题。根据后面的use the words知道选D。意思是“誓言”。5. 选C。推理判断题。文章介绍的是美国的婚礼的传统形式，前面介绍婚

28、礼，到最后一段介绍婚礼后的活动，客人向婚车撒米看出是一种古老的婚礼风俗， 应该是表示向新人祝福。故选C。23. Wedding Custom in Britain 英国婚礼习俗The wedding tradition of something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue has been around for hundreds of years. Many brides have been asked on their respective wedding days if they have gathered

29、something old, new, borrowed and blue to carry with them as they walk down the aisle. The tradition of carrying or wearing one of each item is said to bring luck and fortune to the newly married couple. Have you ever stopped to think what the saying really means What is its origin and what does each

30、 item representThe original saying dates back to the Victoria times and states, Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue and a silver sixpence in your shoe.Something oldA bride may wear or carry something old to represent her continued ties to her family and her old life. Man

31、y brides wear a piece of family jewelry as their old item. Some brides wear the wedding dress worn by their mother or grandmother. In many cases, something old may also be something borrowed.Something newWearing something new is supposed to represent success and hope in the brides new life and in he

32、r marriage. If the bride purchase her wedding dress new, it may represent her new item, but any item that is new may be used. Something new is usually the easiest category to fill.Something borrowedThe borrowed item should be something borrowed from a friend that is happily married. It is suggested

33、that their happiness will rub off on you and bring lasting happiness to your marriage. Some brides borrow an item of clothing, a piece of jewelry, a handkerchief or perhaps a beaded purse.Something blueWearing something blue dates back to biblical times when a blue wedding dress was worn to represen

34、t purity, fidelity and love. Over time this has changed from wearing a blue dress to wearing just a blue band around the bottom of the brides wedding dress to modern times where it is commonplace for the bride to wear a blue garter.Silver sixpencePlacing a silver sixpence in the brides left shoe is

35、said to be a symbol of wealth. This not only refers to financial wealth, but also a wealth of happiness and joy throughout her married life. Since most brides probably dont even know what a sixpence is, this part of the tradition is not used very often in modern times. However, if a bride would like

36、 to include it in her wedding, she can purchase a silver sixpence from many companies that sell bridal supplies such as garters and invitations.Some brides are more traditional than others and may take a great deal of care in selecting one item for each category. It may be traditional for the women

37、in their families to wear the same piece of jewelry.Other brides arent bound by tradition but still may choose to carry out the custom at someone elses request. If they dont want to carry numerous items, they may simply carry two handkerchiefs in a small beaded baghey may choose to buy a new, white

38、handkerchief and borrow a blue one from a family member. That would provide them with something newthe white handkerchief, as well as something that is old, borrowed and bluethe blue handkerchief. The handkerchief just may come in handy during the wedding for drying their joyful tears.（578 words）Hel

39、per:respective各自的 aisle ail (教堂的)走廊 down the aisle走向神坛去举行婚礼item项目 tie联系 purchase购买category种类 lasting持久的 biblicalbiblikl圣经的fidelityfidelti忠诚 commonplace平凡的事情 garterg:t吊袜带扩展词汇：wedding gown gaun结婚礼服 best man男傧相 maid of honour女傧相church wedding教堂婚礼 civil wedding指不举行宗教仪式的世俗婚礼，公证婚礼。 Exercises:根据短文内容完成下列表格，

40、每空一词。Wedding Custom in BritainSayingSomething Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something BlueOrigin 1 back to the Victoria times and states 2 Something oldRepresenting the brides continued ties to her family and her old lifeSomething newRepresenting being 3 and hope in the brides new life and

41、 in her marriageSomething borrowedSuggesting that the happiness of your 4 will rub off on you and bring lasting happiness to your marriageSomething blueRepresenting 5 , fidelity and loveSilver sixpenceA symbol of wealthItemsSomething old a piece of family jewelry the wedding dress which the brides m

42、other or grandma 6 Something new a new wedding dress 7 that is newSomething borrowed an item of clothing, a piece of jewelry, a handkerchief or perhaps a beaded purseSomething blue a blue wedding dress a blue garter a blue band around the bottom of the brides wedding dress 8 towardsthe customMoretra

43、ditional girlsTaking a great deal of care in selecting one item for each category 9 traditional girlsSimply carrying two handkerchiefsa new, white one and a blue one 10 from a family memberBrief Introduction:有旧有新有借有蓝百年婚礼习俗“有旧、有新、有借、有蓝”的婚礼习俗已经有好几百年的历史了。许多新娘在她们举行婚礼的当天都曾被问到是否已经备好了那些“有旧、有新、有借、有蓝”的服饰，以穿戴

44、它们缓缓走过教堂内的通道。穿戴这每一件服饰的传统据说各有其独特的涵义，但都能够给新婚夫妇带来吉祥和财富。你曾想过这种说法到底是什么意思吗？是如何起源的？每件服饰各有何涵义？最初的说法源自维多利亚时代，原文是：“有旧，有新，有借，有蓝；在一只鞋里放一枚六便士的银币。”有旧新娘可以穿着或佩戴一样旧衣物来象征她和她娘家及过去生活之间的历史纽带。许多新娘佩戴一件家传的珠宝饰品作为“有旧”的选择。有些新娘穿着她们母亲或祖母穿过的结婚礼服。实际上，旧的东西同时也可以是借来的东西。有新穿戴一样新衣物是要象征新娘在新生活和婚姻中拥有成功和希望。如果新娘置办的是新的结婚礼服，那它就可以是她的“有新”，但是任何别

45、的新服饰也是可以的。“有新”常常是最容易做到的。有借借来的服饰应该是从一位已幸福地结了婚的朋友那里借来的。据说他们的幸福会惠及于你，给你的婚姻带来长久的美满。有些新娘会去借来一种衣着用品、一件首饰、一块手帕或者一个饰以珠子的手袋。有蓝穿戴一件蓝色服饰源自圣经时代，当时蓝色结婚礼服代表着纯洁、忠诚和爱情。随着时间的推移，这一传统已从穿蓝色结婚礼服，演变成后来的在新娘的结婚礼服下摆处缝上一圈蓝色的镶边，再演变到现代的普遍做法新娘用蓝色的吊袜带。六便士银币在新娘的左脚鞋子里放一枚六便士银币据说是财富的象征。它不仅代表财产上的富有，还代表婚姻生活的幸福与快乐。由于今天许多新娘恐怕连一枚六便士是什么样子

46、都不知道，传统习俗的这一部分在现代婚礼中已经不常被遵守。但是，如果新娘想要在她的婚礼中包括这一项目，她可以从许多出售如吊袜带和请柬等婚礼用品的公司里买到六便士银币。有些较为传统的新娘或许会花很多心思选择每一件服饰。传统的做法是：同一家族的女性佩戴同一件首饰。而有些新娘不太为传统所束缚，但在别人的请求下也会遵循这一传统。如果她们不想面面俱到，她们可以仅携带一个小小的珠子手袋，里面装有两块手帕她们可以买一块新的白色手帕，然后从家人那里借一块蓝色手帕，这样她们就“有新”白色手帕，还“有旧、有借、有蓝”蓝色手帕。手帕在婚礼中正好可以派上用场擦拭喜悦的泪水！Keys and Explanations:1. Dating 2. Meanings 3. successful 4. friends 5. purity6. wore 7. anything 8. attitudes 9. Less 10. borrowed