Almost all cultures celebrate the end of one year and the beginning of another in some way. Different cultures celebrate the beginning of a new year in different ways, and at different times on the calendar.
In Western countries, people usually celebrate New Year at midnight on December 31st—January 1st. People may go to parties, sometimes dressed in formal (正式的) clothes, and they may drink champagne (香槟) at midnight. During the first minutes of the new year, people cheer and wish each other happiness for the year ahead. But some cultures prefer to celebrate the new year by waking up early to watch the sunrise. They welcome the new year with the first light of the sunrise.
Many cultures also do special things to get rid of (消除) bad luck at the beginning of a new year. For example, in Ecuador, families make a big doll from old clothes. The doll is filled with old newspapers and firecrackers. At midnight, these dolls are burned to show the bad things from the past year are gone and the new year can start afresh (重新). Other common traditions to keep away bad luck in a new year include throwing things into rivers or the ocean, or saying special things on the first day of the new year.
Other New Year traditions are followed to bring good luck in the new year. One widespread Spanish tradition for good luck is to eat grapes on New Year’s Day. The more grapes a person eats, the more good luck the person will have in the year. In France, people eat pancakes for good luck at New Year. In the United States, some people eat black-eyed peas for good luck, but to get good luck for a whole year you have to eat 365 of them!
1. The reading is mainly about______.| A．the meaning of “Happy New Year!” |
| B．several different New Year traditions |
| C．what to eat on New Year’s Day |
| D．why people dress up nicely on New Year's Day |
| A．some cultures celebrate New Year in the morning |
| B．the Western people celebrate New Year only on New Year’s Day |
| C．people in Ecuador go to parties on December 31st—January 1st |
| D．no cultures do special things to celebrate New Year |
| A．bring good luck |
| B．keep away bad luck |
| C．forget everything |
| D．plan for the next year |
| A．friends talk to each other in special ways |
| B．families make big dolls filled with old clothes |
| C．some people get up early to watch the sunrise |
| D．Europeans eat 365 grapes on New Year's Day |
| A．one pea brings one day of luck |
| B．black-eyed peas are the best medicine |
| C．the peas are too black and taste bad |
| D．the peas are helpful to count numbers |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Traditional festivals have made a comeback. Spring Festival celebrations have just ended, Qingming (Tomb Sweeping) Festival is on the way (April 5), followed by Duanwu (Dragon Boat) Festival (June 14) Later, there will be the Mid-Autumn (Moon) Festival (Sept.22) and Chongyang Festival (Senior's Festival) (Oct, 16).China currently has about 10,000 traditional festivals among is 56 ethnic groups.
Nobody really questioned whether we needed more holidays until 2004 when a pubic debate took place about the popularity of some Western festivals and the waning influence of traditional festivals. The key message was: Traditional festivals are "important and therefore they need protection".
But many people, especially the young, say they are not interested in these festivals. Instead, they are embracing Western Festivals and holidays such 25 Christmas Day, Valentine's Day Halloween, Thanksgiving Day, and even April Fool's Day.
A commonly heard reason for this thinking is: "Traditional festivals are boring, old stuff" while Western festivals are "much more interesting and exciting". Meanwhile, concerned scholars want to preserve traditional festivals that "are vital elements of our unique historical legacy, and cultural identity".
If we really want to save our traditions, we should worry about the lack of content. Take Spring Festival for example, in the past, people did a lot of interesting activities, as shown in popular costume dramas such as Dream of the Red Mansion. But today, most people just eat, let off fireworks, play mahjong or watch gala shows.
To revitalize traditional festivals, we should not blame young people for blindly following Western festivals and Western culture but should change the way we celebrate traditional festivals. For instance, for Qingmng Festival, young netizens are establishing online cemeteries to mourn their deceased family members or deceased pets.
With new forms and novel ideas, I believe traditional festivals can stay forever young and always be appealing, here and abroad.
1. What is the main idea of this passage?| A．People are not interested in our traditional festivals. |
| B．We should think of new ways to keep our traditional festivals alive. |
| C．Western festivals and holidays are becoming more and more popular in China. |
| D．Traditional festivals have been boring for us. |
| A．to cerebrate | B．to know more about |
| C．to be familiar with | D．to give new life to |
| A．China currently has about 10,000 traditional festivals among its 56 ethnic groups |
| B．both Chongyang Festival and Valentine's Day are Chinese traditional festivals |
| C．people celebrate traditional festivals in the same way as people did in the past |
| D．Chinese traditional festivals are less attractive to the young |
| A．We should change the way we celebrate traditional festivals. |
| B．Western festivals are as important as traditional festivals. |
| C．It’s not necessary to protect traditional festivals. |
| D．People can establish online cemeteries to mourn their deceased family members or deceased pets. |
【推荐2】On the last day of each year, it has become a ceremony for large crowds to gather in the brightly lit chaos of New York’s Times Square to ring in new beginnings.
Over the past century, the shining ball has evolved from an iron and wood cage decorated with light bulbs to a colorful crystal object.
Though Manhattan had been partially lit by electricity since the early 1880s, half of the American homes were still lit by gas lights and candles until the 1920s.
| A．It seems you have time to change your life. |
| B．City officials banned fireworks after just a few years. |
| C．Last year, however, the Times Square ball dropped to empty streets. |
| D．Many people might wonder how this New Year’s Eve celebration started. |
| E．At 11:59 p.m. a shining ball drops down a pole, while attendees count down from 60. |
| F．Ochs was inspired by the Western Union Building, which dropped a time ball each day at noon. |
| G．The sight of a shining ball lowering down from the dark skies would have seemed fascinating. |
【推荐3】Here are the most popular festivals & fairs events in New York this year.
Fanfaire NYC--High School of Art and Design
From: Today, Feb 8, 10:00 am To: Tomorrow, Feb 9, 6:00 pm $5.00 - $20.00
The Fanfaire NYC is a fun way to spend the day indulging in ones love of comic book art and meeting many of the people who help make them a reality. Super affordable to attend, and a nice way to spend the day with your fellow geeks. Don't miss out.
New Jersey Convention & Exposition Center
From: Friday, Mar 6, 10:00 am To: Sunday, Mar 8, 6:00 pm $8.00 - $10.00
Celebrate all that is handcrafted and see what's NEW at Sugarloaf Crafts Festival!
Find special things never available online! Shop the latest in fashion, jewelry, art, accessories, furniture, decor, special foods and much more! Discover unique and memorable gifts you can't find anywhere else to make your spring gift giving celebrations extra-special. Mother's Day, Father's Day, birthdays, graduations, weddings and more - you'll find perfectly handcrafted joy at Sugarloaf!
American Fine Craft Show at Brooklyn Museum
Thursday, Nov 19, 6:00 pm $8.00 - $16.00
American Fine Craft Show Brooklyn at Brooklyn Museum will crown the holiday season with 90 exhibits of art and handmade fine crafts for sale from artists and artisans from Brooklyn and around the country in the museum's landmark Beaux-Arts Court. In addition to fine art, exhibitors will sell ceramics, art glass, decorative fiber, fashion and fashion accessories, furniture, jewelry and mixed media.
On Air Fest 2020
From: Friday, Dec 6, 9:00 am To: Sunday, Mar 8, 4:00 pm $149.00 - $375.00
On Air Fest is a rally point for leading voices, new movements and curious listeners inspired by the art of sound. Coming into it’s fourth year in 2020, the flagship Brooklyn event at Wythe Hotel will feature over 100 artists who bring forward innovative ideas and present new work.
1. Which event commands the highest prices?| A．Fanfaire NYC--High School of Art and Design. |
| B．New Jersey Convention & Exposition Center. |
| C．American Fine Craft Show at Brooklyn Museum. |
| D．On Air Fest 2020. |
| A．It is held latest among the events. | B．It only sells goods made by hands. |
| C．It gives the visitors free festival gifts. | D．Its goods can be booked online. |
| A．performing arts. | B．food and drink. |
| C．festivals and fairs. | D．sports and active life |
But just what does it mean to say someone is “cool”? Most would answer that it is something to do with being independent-minded and not following the crowd.
Yale University art professor Robert Farris Thompson says that the term “cool” goes back to 15th century West African philosophy. “Cool” relates to ideas of grace under pressure.
“In Africa,” he writes, “coolness is a positive quality which combines calmness, silence, and life.”
The modern idea of “cool” developed largely in the US in the period after World War II. “Post-war ‘cool’ was in part an expression of war-weariness (厌战情绪), . . . it went against the strict social rules of the time,” write sociologists Dick Pountain and David Robins in Cool Rules: Anatomy of an Attitude.
But it was the American actor James Dean who became the symbol for “cool” in the hugely successful 1955 movie Rebel without a Cause. Dean plays a tough guy who disobeys his parents and the authorities. He always gets the girl, smokes cigarettes, wears a leather jacket and beats up bullies. In the movie, Dean showed what “cool” would mean to American young people for the next 60 years.
Today the focus of “cool” has changed to athletics (体育运动) stars. Often in movies about schools, students gain popularity on the athletics field more than in the classroom. This can be seen quite clearly in movies like Varsity Blues and John Tucker Must Die.
But many teenagers also think being smart is cool. Chess and other thinking games have been becoming more popular in schools.
“Call it the Harry Potterization of America—a time when being smart is the new cool,” writes journalist Joe Sunnen.
1. If you were considered “cool” in Africa in the 15th century, you_____.
| A．thought and acted differently from the majority |
| B．had a calm and quiet attitude towards life |
| C．didn’t observe rules and authorities |
| D．had all kinds of “bad” manners |
| A．do very well in their studies |
| B．are very skilled at sports |
| C．are good at chess and other thinking games. |
| D．have supernatural powers like Harry Potter |
| A．It is generally considered “cool” to be independent-minded and not to follow the crowd. |
| B．“Cool” was used as early as the 15th century. |
| C．Disobeying one’s parents and the authorities is considered “cool” among American young people nowadays. |
| D．Getting the first place in an exam can also be considered “cool”. |
| A．The origin of the word “cool”. |
| B．The kinds of people who are “cool”. |
| C．The changing meaning of the word “cool”. |
| D．How to be a “ cool” person. |
【推荐2】It’s safe to say that OLED displays are the gold standard on smartphones these days. Some OLED panels are better than others, and the Galaxy S21 Ultra features what may well be the best one to date — the device’s display is definitely the most power efficient. In fact, Samsung developed a new ultra-low-power OLED display for the new phone, and it reduces energy consumption by up to 16%.
The way Samsung did this is a little technical. OLED displays in general don’t require a backlight like LCD displays. Instead, each individual pixel(像素) is made from an organic carbon-based material that lights up when electricity is applied. OLED displays are made up of a range of layers, which serve different purposes. The core of the new OLED display tech is that Samsung found a way for electrons to flow faster between these layers, while at the same time creating a brighter light.
The power-consumption savings will be put to good use, as 5G phones can take up a little more energy than non-5G phones.
It’s important to note that the new display tech is only available on the Galaxy S21 Ultra — not the standard Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21+. All three of the devices offer up to a 120Hz refresh rate. However, the Galaxy S21 Ultra has a 1,440p resolution(分辨率). And while the standard Galaxy S21 and S21+ have refresh rates that vary between 48Hz and 120Hz, the Galaxy S21 Ultra can go as low as 10Hz, which also helps save on energy consumption.
Samsung has been a leader in display tech for a long time, and it looks like that will continue well into the future. The company says that it holds 5,000 patents that involve the use of organic materials for displays. Hopefully, this new tech will be brought to lower-end phones over the next few years, or at least to the entire Galaxy S22 series next year.
1. What is the advantage of Samsung’s new tech?| A．It makes electrons flow faster and light brighter. |
| B．It requires an organic carbon-based material. |
| C．It makes the OLED display more functional. |
| D．It has a new ultra-low-power OLED display. |
| A．Changes that differ from other devices. | B．High resolution and low refresh rate. |
| C．Standard modern equipment. | D．Low energy consumption. |
| A．Its display of patents relates to organic materials. |
| B．It has just become the leader in display technology. |
| C．It will be used on low-end phones over the next few years. |
| D．It will definitely be used in the entire Galaxy S21 series next year. |
| A．Samsung has developed the most popular new phone. |
| B．The Galaxy S21 Ultra may have the best features up to now. |
| C．The difference among the Galaxy S21 Ultra, Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21+. |
| D．Samsung’s new display tech makes the Galaxy S21 Ultra even more power efficient. |
【推荐3】For Schultz, a 77-year-old man, this is a chance of a lifetime. Schultz is part of a group of around 50 Germans who are on a bus journey along the ancient Silk (丝绸) Road.
Speaking of his journey, he says: “I have been deeply interested in the Silk Road since I was a child, but now I finally have a chance to experience (体验) it.”
The two-month bus journey will take the group through Germany, Russia, and other 4 European countries. They will then enter China from the country’s western part. It will be an unforgettable memory for them.
Nearly half of the 13,000-kilometer trip will be inside China. From Xinjiang in the west to Shanghai in the east, the German visitors will see more than 20 Chinese cities. “We have managed the trip of the Silk Road for around 10 years. An increasing number of people, not only from German-speaking countries, have been joining us," says Liu Guoqiang from China Tours.
Almost 26 million foreigners traveled to China in 2015, and about 5 million of them were from Europe. Beijing, Xi’an, Shanghai and the Changjiang River are traditional Chinese travel destinations for European tourists. Speaking of where he wants to go, Schultz says, “Compared with modern cities, the culture in western China attracts me more.
As Shi Xiang, head of the China Tours, says, “Being a new brand (品牌) to attract foreign visitors, the Silk Road is good for people to know more about China, especially the northwestern part of the country.”
1. How will the group of around 50 Germans have the tour?| A．By car. | B．By train. | C．By subway. | D．By bus. |
| A．From Beijing. | B．From the western part of China. |
| C．From the eastern part of China. | D．From Shanghai. |
| A．For around 10 years. | B．For 26 months. |
| C．For 2 months. | D．For about 20 years. |
| A．标志 | B．道路 | C．目的地 | D．品牌 |
Culture Shock
Culture shock is the emotional and mental reaction to being in a completely new cultural environment. This is often a very difficult experience for many people and it consist of several stages of feelings until someone successfully adapts to being in the new culture.
The “honeymoon” stage of culture shock is usually the first stage that people go through when surrounded by different cultural values and lifestyles. During this stage, people often have very positive images of their new cultural surroundings. They tend to view these in an idealistic way and ignore or minimize problems. This stage quickly gives way to the second stage, called “the frustration phase”.
During the “frustration stage”, the newcomer begins to experience a more negative view of their cultural surroundings. There is a definite frustration that things that should be easy are still difficult. For example, people who may have been enjoyed learning the basics of a language during the honeymoon phase would now find it a chore to try and communicate with locals in the frustration phase.
After the frustration stage ends, the adjustment phase begins. This marks the time when newcomers begin to adjust themselves to the new culture. They begin to accept the differences around them and the challenges of everyday life. This opens the door to two possible outcomes— mastery and rejection.
Those newcomers who enter the “mastery stage” have completely accepted the values and beliefs of the new culture. Those who choose the “rejection phase” have decided not to accept it. They usually choose to permanently withdraw from the culture through isolation or returning home.
Culture shock is a very emotional experience for most people and there are many symptoms. It is important to recognize these symptoms in newcomers and understand the reasons for these feelings.
1. Culture shock refers to how people2. People usually take a(n)
3. In which of the four stages do people feel worst, according to the passage?
4. The following paragraph is a short summary of the passage. Fill in each blank with no more than 8 words.
People experience
【推荐2】Getting married can be one of the happiest moments in a person's life. Across the globe, weddings are very important events. Let's look at some interesting wedding customs from different countries.
For African Americans, it is a tradition for the married couple to jump over a broom covered with flowers. This represents the beginning of family life. It is interesting to note that African slaves who were brought to the USA started this tradition. African-American couples were not allowed to have a legal marriage, so instead they had a ceremony (仪式) where the bride (新娘) and groom (新郎) jumped over a broom 'into marriage'. Today, some African-American weddings still include the old tradition of 'jumping the broom'.
Making jokes about the bride and groom is a wedding tradition in both France and Germany. In France, this includes making loud noises with pots; in Germany, wedding guests break dishes. Weddings in Germany often last three days. On Thursday, there is a simple ceremony at a government office noting the official marriage of the couple. Then the couple will have a dinner with family and close friends. On Friday there is a party. This is when guests break dishes to represent the start of a new life. Then on Saturday, there is a ceremony in a church, followed by another party when the bride and groom celebrate the wedding with friends and relatives again.
In Greece, couples tie a doll to their wedding car if they want to have a daughter, or a toy bear if they want to have a son.
The USA also has some interesting wedding customs. The bride usually carries flowers during the wedding ceremony. After the ceremony, the single women get together and the bride throws the flowers. The woman who catches the flowers is supposed to be the next person to get married.
In England, it is a tradition for little girls to throw flowers on the ground on the way to the wedding ceremony. The bride and groom walk on the flowers. This represents the hope that the couple will follow the path that leads to a happy life.
1. What is the article mainly about?| A．Weddings and their origins. | B．Funny stories to do with weddings. |
| C．Different wedding customs. | D．Special weddings across the globe. |
| A．wealth | B．history | C．location | D．religion |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Reserved. | C．Serious. | D．Negative. |
| A．Greek weddings | B．German weddings |
| C．British weddings | D．American weddings |
| A．Loud noises. | B．Good wishes. |
| C．New brooms. | D．Teddy bears. |
【推荐3】The world has been witnessing a growing number of countries where people from around the globe live together and communicate with each other, with various customs and beliefs coexisting. America and Singapore are typical examples. Distinct cultures merge into a common cultural context for mankind.
Culture shapes our identity and influences our behaviors, and cultural diversity makes us accept, or to some extent, even integrate and assimilate (同化) into other cultures. To adapt to a diverse cultural community, the fundamental thing is to be aware that there are different cultures apart from our own.
For those who want to learn but do not know where to start, a great point is to pick up a book about the culture they are interested in, or do some online research on reputable websites.
In today’s world, if we are able to know about other cultures, and respect other values, life will be easier for us.
| A．Understanding diversity is important for adults. |
| B．Here are some ways to fight against cultural prejudices. |
| C．The best way to learn, though, is through face-to-face interaction. |
| D．That’s why more of us feel as if we are living in a multicultural age. |
| E．Take a positive view of different cultures, and we can broaden our horizons. |
| F．Help them be more open-minded toward people of different races, cultures, and countries. |
| G．In many multicultural communities, the best representation of diversity can be found in schools. |
