Issue 476
How much do you know about Thanksgiving P (4)

Pre-reading
1. When is Thanksgiving Day?
2. Do you know the history of Thanksgiving?
3. Fun facts about Thanksgiving:
1. The United States celebrates Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November. In Canada, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday of October.
2. The First Thanksgiving lasted three days.
3. President Abraham Lincoln made Thanksgiving a national holiday. That was right after the Civil War. He hoped if all of the US gave thanks it would help bring the North and South together.
4. Every year, the president pardons (璧﹀厤) a turkey. A turkey was officially pardoned for the first time by President George H.W. Bush in 1989.
5. The day after Thanksgiving is known as Black Friday; marking the start of the holiday shopping season, this is the bargain shopper's busiest time, with major stores offering the biggest deals of the year.

While reading
Skimming (answer the questions):
1. What does the story mainly talk about?
2. Does the story talk about Thanksgiving in the US?

Scanning (Fill in the blanks):
   The major event of Thanksgiving is _______. The first Thanksgiving feast was in _____. In 1863, Thanksgiving was made an ________. The first settlers invited Native Americans to thank them for teaching them ____________. There is a Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in ___________ every Thanksgiving. People like to watch ____________ with their family members on that day.

More about Thanksgiving:
1. Turkey: The Guinness Book of Records states that the greatest weight recorded for a turkey is 39.09kg.

Post reading
1. Do you know about other Thanksgiving activities?
2. Whom do you want to say thanks to?

The future of driving is on the way P (5)
Pre-reading
1. What technology is used in our daily lives?
2. Have you heard about self-driven cars?  If you have a chance to use a self-driven car, would you dare to take it?

While reading
Choose the answer:
1. Cars already have the following features EXCEPT _____.
A. parking itself
B. avoiding car accidents one hundred percent
C. slowing itself down when it’s near an object
D. controlling its speed in dangerous situations

2. Scientists and engineers think that _____.
A. it’s possible to make safe self-driven cars
B. it’s a long way for self-driven cars
C. there will be no drivers in the future
D. self-driven cars may cause more accidents

3. What does the article mainly talk about?
A. Google’s new technology - self-driven cars.
B. Advantages of self-driven cars.
C. Different opinions on self-driven cars.
D. Possibilities of self-driven cars.

Post-reading
1. Discuss what other advantages and disadvantages a driverless car has.
2. Have you heard about self-driven cars?  If you have a chance to use a self-driven car, would you dare to take it?

Small acts of kindness P (6)
Pre-reading
1. How do you feel after helping others?
2. How do you practice small acts of kindness in your daily life?

While reading
Choose the answer:
1. From Alex’s words, we learn that her grandmother was a _____ person.
A. rich
B. strict
C. warm-hearted
D. hard-working
 
2. What does the underlined phrase “make other people’s days” in the second to last paragraph mean?
A. Make other people happy.
B. Spend time with other people.
C. Share things with other people.
D. Celebrate festivals with other people.
 
3. What does the story mainly talk about?
A. How to help others.
B. Passing on the love.
C. Remembering the dead.
D. A special birthday.

Post-reading
飪楬ow do you understand the following sentences?

1. Even small acts of kindness can make a big difference to somebody.
2. Three things in human life are important: the first is to be kind; the second is to be kind; and the third is to be kind.
3. The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in serving others.
4. Kindness is a language which the dumb can speak, and the deaf can understand.

飪楳ake a list of different acts of kindness. Do a few things every day.