112 年 - 3160S-R 四技二專統測_共同科目：英文(第一回)#113076　

       Many of us have put our pocket money into a piggy bank to save money. __22__ you might have guessed, a piggy bank gets its name from its widely recognized “pig” shape. Some cultural__23__ have tried to find out the origin of piggy banks； however, no one can give us a perfect answer. 

It is said that during the Middle Ages an orange-colored clay, __24__ pygg, was used for making pots or jars in England. Because this orange-colored clay was cheap and easy to break, more and more people started to __25__ these jars and pots as a place to keep their coins. With the passing of time, the term “pig jar” evolved into the term “pig bank”__26__ the appearance of other materials, such as glass and plastic. This may be the origin of “piggy banks.”

       There are more than 20 species of land crabs living in Kenting’s Banana Bay (香蕉灣), so this area has become the world’s best-known land crab habitat. In general, autumn is the season__27__land crabs mate and get ready to lay eggs. At this time, many female land crabs will scrawl out of their comfort zones and get out on the roads__28__ lay their eggs in the sea. 

       In fact, this is a dangerous trip for them. A lot of speeding cars and trucks use these roads, so many female land crabs are crushed and killed before __29__the sea. Therefore, in 2000 the Kenting National Park Administration started to control the traffic along Highway No. 26. This year it started to try a new policy. It shut down a __30__ section of the highway between the 39.5 kilometer mark and the 41.5 kilometer mark. From August 6 to 8 and September 5 to 7, 2017, no vehicles were allowed on this part of the road between 6:30 and 8:30 p.m., __31__emergency vehicles and local people’s scooters. The administration hoped that this new policy could better protect these creatures, greatly reducing their death rate out on the highway.

         Quebec is a province of Canada located near the Atlantic coast. About the size of Mongolia, it is 43 times as big as Taiwan. It has vast golden corn fields, endless forested rolling hills, soaring ancient buildings, a seacoast where seals and whales can easily be seen, and 8.4 million Quebecois—its French-speaking people.

        While Quebec has many towns and villages, it has only two major cities: Quebec City and Montreal. Quebec City, the province’s capital, is situated near the mouth of the great Saint Lawrence River. Founded in 1608, it is one of the oldest cities in North America. The defensive stone walls surrounding Old Quebec, which are still there today, are the only fortified city walls remaining in the Americas north of Mexico. Therefore, the Historical District of Old Quebec was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.

       Montreal, while not the capital city, is by far the largest city in Quebec. In fact, with 1.7 million people, it is the second-largest French-speaking city in the world, just after Paris! Montreal was named after Mont Royal, a big hill in the heart of the city. It is a traditional yet cosmopolitan city, whose buildings known for their architecture range from the Notre-Dame Basilica and the Olympic Stadium to the Montreal Casino, and whose nicknames include the City of Saints and the City of Festivals! If you visit, you’ll find the province of Quebec to be a place full of history and style. You will certainly love it—even if you don’t speak any French at all.

       Autumn, also known as fall, is a wonderful season for all. It is a season of harvests, a season of celebration, and a season for giving thanks. It is a time when the summer heat subsides, when cool winds blow under clear blue skies, and when leaves change their color to take on blazing hues of red, orange, and yellow. In short, autumn is awesome! 

      For North Americans, Thanksgiving is a major autumn holiday. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the second Monday of every October, while in America Thanksgiving is the fourth Thursday of each November. Thanksgiving started as a feast during which the first English settlers in New England thanked God for giving them a harvest, about a year after their arrival from England, that would enable them to live through the coming harsh winter. In fact, some of the nearby Native Americans helped these newcomers to survive by teaching them to grow corn. Today, North Americans eat turkey dinners for Thanksgiving.

     A turkey dinner typically centers around a whole turkey, baked in the oven and filled with “stuffing.” Stuffing is a mixture of things that people stuff inside the turkey before baking it in the oven. Typically including bread, vegetables, and spices, it absorbs the oil from the turkey as it is baking, vastly enhancing its taste. When the turkey is ready, people take it out of the oven and eat the stuffing together with the turkey meat. There will also be potatoes, various vegetables, cranberry sauce, and other side dishes. Families come together for Thanksgiving—and in North America some family members may likely be coming from far away—and what better way to enjoy the season than by feasting on a delicious turkey dinner?