III. READING
On the fourth Thursday in November, in houses around the United States, families get together.
for a feast, or a large meal. Almost all families eat turkey and cranberry sauce for
have pumpkin pie for dessert. This feast is part of a very special day, the holiday
this meal, and
of
Thanksgiving.
In 1620 the Pilgrims made a difficult trip across the ocean from England. They landed in what is
now Massachusetts. In England the Pilgrims had not been allowed to freely practice their religion.
So they went to the New World in search of religious freedom.
The Pilgrims' first winter was very hard. Almost half the group died of cold, hunger and disease.
But the Indians of Massachusetts taught the Pilgrims to plant corn, to hunt and to fish. When the
next fall came, the Pilgrims had plenty of food. They were thankful to God and the Indians and
had a feast to give thanks. They invited the Indians to join them. This was the first Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving became a national holiday many years later because of the effort of a woman named
Sarah Hale. For forty years Sarah Hale wrote to each president and asked for a holiday of
Thanksgiving. At last she was successful. In 1863 President Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a
holiday.
How much is Thanksgiving today like the Pilgrims' Thanksgiving? In many ways they are
different. For example, historians think that the Pilgrims ate deer, not turkey. The idea of
Thanksgiving, though, is very much the same: Thanksgiving is a day on which we celebrate and
give thanks.
1. When did the Pilgrims make a difficult trip to across the ocean from England?
A. in 1863
B. in 1621
C. in 1830
D. in 1620
2. The Pilgrims immigrated to the New World because_
A. They wanted to search for religious freedom. B. They wanted to be taught how to plant corn.
C. They wanted to have more land to cultivate.
D. They wanted to make a difficult trip.
3. According to the passage, today's Thanksgiving.
A. is only celebrated in Massachusetts.
B. is a day on which the Pilgrims eat deer.
C. is different from the Pilgrims' Thanksgiving in many ways.
D. is just like the Pilgrims' Thanksgiving.
4. Which of the following is NOT true about Thanksgiving?
A. It is celebrated on the fourth Thursday on November.
B. It is a day on which Americans celebrate and give thanks.
C. Americans usually have turkey, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie for this occasion.
D. It became a national holiday thanks to President Lincoln's 40-year efforts.
5. The word "they" in paragraph 3 refer to.
A. families
B. the Pilgrims
TEST 1
C. thanks
D. the Native American