Wurtzite CdS nanoribbons are prepared by using a simple thermal evaporation method. Electron microscopy shows that the ribbons are smooth in surface and uniform in size. Besides the intrinsic emission, the photoluminescence spectrum of a CdS nanoribbon shows a peak at about 580 nm, which may arise from the defect- and the trap- related transitions. The photoresponse of single CdS nanoribbons is researched. When these nanoribbons are exposed to a laser with a wavelength of 400 nm, their conductivity is enhanced greatly. The conductivity of CdS nanoribbons cannot be restored to a value without any illumination even at 5 minutes after the illumination. A model is proposed to explain this phenomenon, which may be due to a slow photoresponse induced by the trap.