As a child growing up in a suburban town in the Northeast of the United States, the arrival of spring had little meaning for me. Sure, we had a weeklong spring vocation from school, but the key word there was vacation, not spring.
For the kids in my neighborhood, the arrival of spring was a non-event. There were two important seasons: winter, when we could go skating and sledding or build snow forts, and summer, when we could finally make proper use of the beach about 100 meter east of my family home. Spring and autumn were just technical details, weeks and weeks of waiting for the good times’ return.
Admittedly, spring later developed its own attractions for me- “In the spring a young man’s fancy turns to thoughts of love”, as the poet Alfred Lord Tennyson noted-however, it was not spring itself, but the other stuff bat got my attention.
In short, I never thought much at all about spring.... and then I arrived in China. I had been in Beijing for about three months when my first Spring Festival rolled around, and it could hardly be ignored. Aside from the random bursts of fireworks at any time day or night, what stood out most for me was that the capital seemed to be empty.
It was as though the crowds and streams of cars and trucks commonly seen in the capital had all gone into hiding. My puzzlement cleared up when I returned to work. My colleagues explained that Chinese traditionally travel, if necessary, to visit their families during Spring Festival, and that many Beijingers were not natives of the capital.
I also got my first knowledge of something about Spring Festival that never ceases to amaze me. Regardless of when the holiday is set to begin, there is an almost immediate and sudden change for the better in the weather. Spring really does arrive.
I can’t begin to figure out how the ancient Chinese could create a system that would almost always accurately predict when the season would shift year after year after year. But they did.
1. What did the author think of spring as a child?A.It was a season full of promise. | B.It was always beyond his imagination. |
C.It was a tiring and long holiday. | D.It hardly left a good impression on him. |
A.The busy traffic. | B.The unexpected quietness. |
C.Beijingers’ love for travel. | D.Occasional bursts of fireworks. |
A.Adorable. | B.Confused. | C.Wonderful. | D.Convenient. |
A.Spring Festival in Beijing will make one feel quite lonely. |
B.The author spent his first Spring Festival at a colleague’s home. |
C.In China Spring Festival always indicates the coming of Spring. |
D.The author still worked during the Spring Festival while in Beijing. |
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【推荐1】A book on etiquette (礼节) explained the proper behavior Americans should follow in many different social situations. But in modern society, it is not enough to simply know the proper rules for behavior in your own country. International travel for work and pleasure is becoming increasingly popular, which makes it necessary for people to understand the rules of etiquette in other cultures as well.
Take, for example, the etiquette required in giving and receiving gifts. Cultural differences may appear even in such simple processes. In Western cultures, a gift can be handed over to the receiver with relatively little ceremony. When a gift is offered,the receiver typically takes the gift while expressing his or her thanks. However, in some Asian cultures,the act of giving is an important aspect of gift-giving,and this process may appear confusing or frustrating to Westerners. In Chinese culture, a receiver will typically refuse to accept the gift at first, with the understanding between the giver and receiver that after being turned down several times, the gift will finally be accepted. In addition, to show respect for the receiver, it is customary in several Asian cultures to use two hands when offering a gift to another person.
After receiving a gift, tradition may demand that the person open the gift right away or, alternatively, wait before opening the gift. In many Western cultures, etiquette requires the receiver to open the gift immediately and show appreciation for the thoughtfulness of the giver. In Asian cultures, on the other hand, the gift may be accepted with appreciation and then set aside to be opened later. The gift will then be opened in private in order not to show their greed or impatience.
Another tip for cross-cultural gift-giving relates to wrapping presents, especially in choosing the color of paper used to wrap a gift. In Japan, for example, white or very bright colors are traditionally not good choices for wrapping a gift. In Japanese culture, white is the color associated with mourning and bright colors may be considered by some people to be vulgar (庸俗的).Plain white and black are also to be avoided when wrapping presents in China, because of the relation of these colors to funerals (葬礼). Joyful colors such as red, yellow, and pink are preferred in Chinese culture. In contrast, Europeans seem to prefer softer colors for wrapping presents. A good rule of thumb for wrapping gifts, especially for business travelers, is to travel with unwrapped gifts, and then wrap the gift with paper bought in the country where the gift will be given.
Finally, when choosing the appropriate gift to give, a good rule to bear in minds is the following: "Never give vodka to Russians, chocolate to Belgians, or beer to Germans." It is better to travel with quality gifts from one's own region or culture. These increase the chances of being appreciated in other cultures because of their unique nature.
Culturally Appropriate Gift-Giving
Brief Introduction | We need to have a good command of proper | |
Western cultures | Asian cultures | |
How to receive a gift | •Receivers take the gift, saying "thanks" to givers. | • Great importance are giving. • Gift, which is common in China. •Giving gifts with two hands is a way to show respect for the receiver. |
When to open a gift | •Traditionally, receivers open the gift without •Givers are appreciated for their consideration. | •Receivers tend to set aside the gifts and |
How to wrap a gift | •Softer colours are accepted by people in European countries. | •Because of negative cultural meaning, white and bright colors are not good choices of the Japanese. •Chinese people |
A good rule of | Quality gifts from one's own region or culture are more |
【推荐2】Rabbits are a courageous little species able to live on every continent, except Antarctica. Alongside the beginning of 2023, the new Year of the Rabbit has started!
Cultural image of rabbits in China
Rabbits are instinctively quiet but agile (敏捷),which suits traditional Chinese aesthetic values of being gentle and cultivated. There is a view of rabbits in Chinese culture as being smart and gentle.
Legend has it that there is a Jade Rabbit living on the moon which is the pet of Chang’e, a goddess widely known in China. This can explain why rabbits are regarded as an auspicious sign.
Also, in ancient China, it was common sense that the more children you had, the luckier and happier you would be. This belief made the rabbit a popular sign of good fortune.
Cultural image of rabbits in the West
Similarly in the West, rabbits are full of vitality and fertile in nature, with populations growing to enormous sizes in short amounts of time. Rabbits are also considered to be incredibly lucky in the West, with several traditions illustrating how to gain the animal’s good luck for yourself.
A hunter being able to catch a rabbit in the first place is also a sign of good luck. Another tradition for good luck found in North America and the UKKis to say the word “rabbit” on the first morning of every month.
So, now it is the lucky animal’s turn on the Chinese zodiac.
A.This is shown by the phrase “dong ru tuo tu” |
B.We are all familiar with the phrase “shou zhu dai tu” |
C.Maybe now is the best time to talk about this adorable animal in the eyes of different cultures |
D.May the Year of the Rabbit bring you some good fortune, too! |
E.Rabbits also pop up in other areas of Western culture |
F.A stuffed rabbit’s foot is supposed to bring good fortune |
G.They are well-known to be able to reproduce and thrive in sometimes difficult and surprising conditions |
【推荐3】Yangzhou paper cutting, with a history of 2,000 years, can be dated back to the Sui Dynasty, making Yangzhou one of the places where paper cutting first became popular.
In the Sui Dynasty, the people of Yangzhou would cut colourful paper or silk and satin (缎子) to celebrate festivals. It is said that Emperor Yang came to Yangzhou three times. In winter, the flowers and trees in the garden became dry and weak. The emperor ordered the gril servants to cut fine silk and satin into flowers and leaves and use them to decorate the trees and lakes. Since then, “colorful cutting” has become a popular art in Yangzhou.
In the Tang Dynasty, the paper cutting industry was highly developed and a large amount of high-quality paper was made as presents to the Court (宫廷).
In the Qing Dynasty, because of the economic development, the people of Yangzhou became interested in wearing fine clothing, especially embroidered (刺绣的) clothing. The embroidered designs were based on paper-cuts, the most well-know of them was from Bao Jun, a paper cutting master. He won a high reputation (名声) as Magic Scissors for his wonderful cutting skills.
After the People’s Republic of China was started, the Chinese government accepted the importance of paper cutting like many other arts and skills. In 2007, China Paper-cuts Museum opened to the public in the back garden of the Wang’s Residence (住所), Yangzhou, greatly helping the development of Yangzhou paper cutting.
1. When did “colourful cutting” become a popular art in Yangzhou?A.In the Sui Dynasty. | B.In the Tang Dynasty. |
C.In the Ming Dynasty. | D.In the Qing Dynasty. |
A.种植 | B.装饰 | C.浇水 | D.砍伐 |
A.In 2007. | B.In 2008. | C.In 2009. | D.In 2010. |
A.How to make paper cutting. |
B.The way to cut paper. |
C.The importance of Yangzhou paper cutting. |
D.The history and development of Yangzhou paper cutting. |
【推荐1】Thirteen, for me, was a challenging year. My parents divorced and I moved to a new town with my father, far from my old family and friends. I was terribly lonely and would cry myself to sleep each night. To ease my sadness, my father purchased an old horse for me at a local auction. I named him Cowboy.
Cowboy was without a doubt the ugliest horse in the world. But I didn’t care. I loved him beyond all reason. I joined a riding club and suffered rude comments and mean snickers about Cowboy’s looks. I never let on about how I felt, but deep inside, my heart was breaking. The other members rode beautiful, registered horses.
When Cowboy and I entered the events where the horse is judged on appearance, we were quickly shown the gate. No amount of preparation and love would turn Cowboy into a beauty. My only chance to compete would be in the speed events. I chose the jumping race.
One girl named Becky rode a big brown horse in the race events. She always won the blue ribbons. Needless to say, she didn’t feel threatened when I competed against her at the next show. She didn’t need to. I came in next to last.
The stinging memory of Becky’s smirks made me determined to beat her. For the whole next month I woke up early every day and rode Cowboy five miles to the arena (赛马场). We practiced running and jumping for hours in the hot sun and then I would walk Cowboy home totally exhausted. All of our hard work didn’t make me feel confident by the time the show came. I sat at the gate and sweated it out while I watched Becky and her horse charge through the course and finish in first place.
My turn finally came. I put on my hat, rubbed Cowboy’s neck and entered the arena. At the signal, we dashed toward the first fence, jumped it without trouble and raced on to the next one. Cowboy then flew over the second, third and fourth fences like a bird and I turned him toward the finish line. As we crossed the line the crowd was shocked into silence. Cowboy and I had beaten Becky and her fancy horse by two seconds!
I gained much more than a blue ribbon that day. At thirteen, I realized that no matter what the odds, I’d always come out a winner if I wanted something badly enough to work for it.
1. The underlined expression “shown the gate” (paragraph 3) most probably means ______.A.told how to enter the arena |
B.shown how to make the horse beautiful |
C.removed from the competition early |
D.told to enter the timed-speed events |
A.the audience didn’t like Cowboy |
B.people envied the writer |
C.the win was unexpected |
D.the writer had run out of time |
A.He was an inexperienced rider. |
B.He had not practiced enough. |
C.He believed he was unpopular with the crowd. |
D.He thought his horse wasn’t as good as the others. |
A.Life can sometimes be unfair. |
B.Anything is possible if one tries hard enough. |
C.A positive attitude will bring success. |
D.One should not make judgments based on appearance. |
【推荐2】It was a comfortable sunny Sunday. I was going to meet an old university friend I hadn’t seen for years, and was really excited.
My train was running a little late, but that was no big problem—I could text him to say I would be delayed. He would understand. But … where was my mobile phone? I had that familiar sinking feeling. Yes, I’d left it at home.
No mobile phone. I’m sure I’m not alone in feeling anxious, on edge and worried when I don’t have my phone with me. In fact, I know I’m not alone: two-thirds of us experience “nomophobia (无手机恐惧症)”, the fear of being out of mobile phone contact.
That’s according to a study from 2012 which surveyed 1,000 people in the UK about their relationship with mobile phones.
It says we check our mobile phones 34 times a day, and that 18—24-year-olds, especially girls, are the most likely to suffer fear of being without their mobiles: 77% of them say they are unable to be apart from their phones for more than a few minutes.
Do you have nomophobia?
● You never turn your phone off.
● You frequently check for texts, missed calls and emails.
● You always take your phone to the bathroom with you.
● You never let the battery run out.
It’s funny to think that around 20 years ago the only people with mobile phones would be businessmen carrying their large, plastic “bricks”. Of course, these days, mobile phones are everywhere. A UN study from this year said there would be more mobile phones than people across the world by the end of 2020.
And when there are more phones than people in the world, maybe it’s time to ask who really is in charge? Are you in control of your phone, or does your phone control you?
So, what happened with my university friend? When I arrived a few minutes late he just laughed and said: “You haven’t changed at all—still always late!” And we had a great afternoon catching up, full of jokes and stories, with no desire to check my phone.
Not having it with me felt strangely free. Maybe I’ll leave it at home on purpose next time.
1. The underlined phrase “on edge” in Paragraph 3 probably means “________”.A.energetic | B.nervous | C.brilliant | D.amazed |
A.Worried. | B.Positive. | C.Neutral (中立的). | D.Negative. |
A.A successful manager. | B.A 21-year-old girl. |
C.A 21-year-old boy. | D.A lonely middle-aged person. |
A.The history of mobile phones. |
B.The story of meeting an old university friend. |
C.The attraction of playing mobile phone. |
D.The terrible feeling of being without their mobiles. |
【推荐3】First Days
First Days are milestones in our lives. They mark the beginning of a new experience or journey. They are also filed with mixed emotions. They can be a little frightening as we step into the unknown, but they can also inspire us as they give us fresh hope for the future. First days are powerful as we can leave our mistakes and failures in the past and make a new start.
I want to share a story that perfectly illustrates this point. It is a story about a little girl named Trisha. Trisha was born into a family of teachers who had taught her that reading was the key to knowledge. She watched her older brother as he read his schoolbooks and could hardly wait for the day when she would learn to read.
But when Trisha finally started school, she found that she was not able to understand the words like the other boys and girls. No matter how hard she tried, the letters mixed up together, and she saw only confusion. Trisha fell further behind, the other children laughed and made fun of her, and she began to believe that she was not smart. By the time Trisha entered fifth grade, she had lost all confidence in herself. That was the year she met Mr. Falker. He was different. He praised Trisha’s talents, and he wouldn’t tolerate the other children teasing her. Mr. Falker realized that Trisha didn’t know how to read, but he knew she could with some help.
He recruited(招聘)a reading specialist, and together they worked with Trisha after school. They helped her to write letters and hear the sounds until one day Mr. Falker handed her a book and she read it all by herself. She didn't even notice the tears in his eyes.
This is a true story. The little girl is Patricia Polacco, the famous children’s author, and thank you Mr. Falker is the twenty-sixth book that she has written.
Mr. Falker gave her a fresh new start when she walked into his fifth grade class on that first day of school. And he made a difference in her life.
We can all make a difference in the world—one student at a time by using "first days" with wisdom and grace, and giving each individual the chance to start over and become the best that they can be.
1. Trisha fell far behind in school because she ________.A.was not confident | B.was looked down upon by others |
C.did not know how to read | D.did not try her best |
A.teachers | B.students |
C.children’s authors | D.reading specialists |
A.By giving an example. | B.By making suggesting. |
C.By arguing. | D.By persuading. |
A.frightening as we step into the unknown |
B.inspiring as they give us fresh hope for the future |
C.turning points from where we can make a new start |
D.chances when we can forget our mistakes and failures |
Letter A Dear sir/madam, I’m writing to tell you about my recent holiday in Paris, which was a disaster. The young man at your travel agency told us that the price includes four things in a five-star hotel with a view. Well, that was a joke, and it was clearly not five-star hotel. There were only two small beds in our family room, so our son had to sleep on the floor. There weren’t any clean towels in the bathroom and there were lots of insects all over the place. Hundreds of them, in fact. Yes, there was a view from the bedroom window––but it was a view of a motorway and the airport. There was noise all night and we couldn’t sleep. There were no drinks included in the breakfast and we had to pay extra for milk! We strongly ask for a refund. Yours faithfully Mr. &Mrs. Masterson | Letter B Dear Ms Masterson, Three weeks ago, I booked a flight to New York with your airline. When I bought the ticket, I asked for vegetarian food. However, when I was on the plane, the flight attendant told me that there weren’t any vegetarian options available. She also said that there wasn’t anything she could do about it as we were already in the air. To make matters worse, there was a snowstorm in New York, so the plane was diverted to Washington. The total flight time was more than 15 hours, and there was nothing for me to eat! There weren’t even any peanuts! Thankfully, my holiday in New York was great, and there was vegetarian food available on my flight back to London. But please make sure that there’s vegetarian food available on all future flights. Yours sincerely Brian Smethurst |
A.relaxing | B.boring | C.terrible | D.satisfying |
A.bedrooms | B.towels | C.insects | D.hotels |
A.no vegetarian food | B.the taste of the food |
C.the long flying hours | D.the attitude (态度) of flight attendants |
A.thanks | B.complaints | C.apology | D.introductions |
【推荐2】I was sitting in my grandpa’s oak chair having coffee when a text message from a former colleague woke me from my daydreams.
“Do you want to pick up your rocking chair?”
For 17 years, I taught grade one and two, and my dreams as a teacher were tied to that rocking chair. It was a magical idea to have it in my class. Every day after breaks, the class would gather around and listen to the story I was reading. When the kids are close, they find the courage to share their stories, dreams and fears. The chair was part of my job, part of me.
Unfortunately, I became unwell and couldn’t keep teaching. I experienced severe depression and anxiety and was forced to leave the job. With my life as a teacher over, I needed a new path. And I didn’t have to look far.
My husband and I adopted one of my former students in 2017. The complexity of parenting a child who came to us at 9 years old changed our lives in unexpected ways. It called on the part of me that learns to be a good mother. We spent countless hours snuggling up (依偎) with books – healing, bonding and solidifying our family. This gave me a new purpose.
I joined a support group of local moms. For about a year, I met with them weekly for walks or coffee. We came together to share. Then I started giving and receiving help. I gave driving practice to a single mom with her learner’s license and received emotional support in return. I also took her son on hikes around the city. Another woman encouraged me to buy a stand-up board and gave me lessons on surfing.
My family, my books, finding a new purpose and belonging in a community – these are fulfilling the sense of self I used to prize as a teacher. I learned my identity doesn’t need to change. I’m still honoring those core values whether or not I’m working as a teacher.
And what about that rocking chair? I looked back at the text message. My answer was no, I do not need the chair. I’ll let it go to a new teacher.
1. What can we know about the author’s rocking chair?A.It was her students’ favorite spot in class. |
B.It symbolized her dreams in teaching. |
C.She didn’t take it seriously at first. |
D.She let her students sit on it and tell stories. |
A.Why the author decided to adopt a child. |
B.How the author found a new purpose. |
C.How parenting a kid bothered the author. |
D.What the author’s family got from reading. |
A.She gave lessons to children. |
B.She helped people with depression. |
C.She learned about driving and sports. |
D.She offered and received support. |
A.More confident. | B.Excited about her new life. |
C.As satisfied as before. | D.Eager to go back to teaching. |
【推荐3】I am not a typical graduate student. As an engineer, I have designed electronic control systems for more than 30 years, and I had expected to do so until I retired.
My wife is a scientist at the Australian National University (ANU). One year, I accompanied her to a scientific conference. Jochen Zeil, a professor at the ANU who studies animal behavior, captured my interest.
At lunchtime, Zeil and I had a long and very enjoyable discussion about his idea on the fundamentals of insect vision. When we parted, I joked that if he wanted another PhD student, he could count me in. About a month later he emailed me, “Haven’t heard from you Have you enrolled yet?” And that’s how, at the age of 53, I became a part-time doctoral student in biology at the ANU.
My background in biology was decades ago, so I needed to learn the basics fast. Diving into textbooks, I went through an intense “undergraduate course” in my spare time. After a while, I managed to follow the papers I read. But the more I learnt, the more I realized how little I knew. Every paper aroused my interest to read more. It was tiring, and at times frustrating, but fun. I read, and read, and thought, and suddenly things fell into place. Still, being a part-time graduate student wasn’t easy. I forgot the meaning of “spare time” for a while. Now, at the age of 61, my PhD is nearly at an end in itself.
New knowledge enriches you, regardless of how old you are. If you have the opportunity to dive into a new field, just take it.
1. What motivated the author to study biology at the ANU?A.His passion for engineering. | B.His curiosity about Zeil’s idea. |
C.His wife’s suggestion. | D.His job’s requirement. |
A.He laughed at him. | B.He ignored his words. |
C.He felt satisfied. | D.He took it seriously. |
A.Exhausting but enjoyable. | B.Frustrating and worthless. |
C.Tiring but promising. | D.Happy and relaxing. |
A.Never too old to learn. | B.Every minute counts. |
C.Practice makes perfect. | D.Experience must be bought. |