山西省太原市第五中学2015-2016学年高一下学期阶段性（4月）考试 英语试卷
第一部分 阅读理解（共两节，满分30分）
第一节 （共15题；每小题2分，满分20分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。
A
What Is a Harvest Festival?
Harvest Festival is a celebration of the food grown on the land. In England, we have given thanks for successful harvests since pagan times(异教徒时代). We celebrate this day by singing, praying and decorating our churches with baskets of fruit and food in a festival known as “Harvest Festival”, usually during the month of September.
Harvest Festival reminds Christians of all the good things God gives them. This makes them want to share with others who are not so fortunate. In schools and in churches, people bring food from home to a Harvest Festival Service. After the service, the food that has been put on display is usually made into parcels and given to people in need.
When Is Harvest Festival?
Harvest festivals are traditionally held on or near the Sunday of the Harvest Moon. This is the full moon which falls in September, about Sept. 23. unlike the USA and Canada, the UK does not have a national holiday for Harvest Festival.
History of Harvest Festival—Traditions and Customs
Harvest Festival used to be celebrated at the beginning of the Harvest season on 1 August and was called Lammas, meaning “loaf Mass”. Farmers made loaves of bread form the new wheat crop and gave them to their local church. They were then used as the Communion bread during a special mass thanking God for the harvest. The custom ended when Henry VII broke away from the Catholic Church, and nowadays we have harvest festivals at the end of the season.
Farmers celebrated the end of the harvest with a big meal called harvest supper. This was rather like a Christmas dinner, but as turkeys were unknown at that time, a goose stuffed(填充) with apples was eaten. Goose Fairs are still held in some English towns, but geese are no longer sold.
The tradition of celebrating Harvest Festival in church as we know it today began in 1843.
1. We can infer from the text that _____.
A. Harvest Festival is celebrated on August 1 today in Britain.
B. Harvest Festival is the most important festival in Britain.
C. traditional festivals are sometimes affected by politics
D. Harvest Festival will be celebrated only when the harvest is good
2. During Harvest Festival people used to _____.
A. sing, pray and decorate churches B. enjoy eating geese
C. eat turkeys stuffed with apples D. have harvest supper for days
