【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     1    and domestic gift-giving rules because of the increasing     2    of international travel．
Western cultures		Asian cultures
How to receive a gift	•Receivers take the gift， saying "thanks" to givers．	• Great importance are     3    to the act of gift- giving． •    4    the refusals， receivers finally accept the 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     5    ． •Givers are appreciated for their consideration．	•Receivers tend to set aside the gifts and     6    them privately later to avoid appearing       7    or impatient．
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     8    joyful colours to white and black．
A good rule of     9    a gift to give	Quality gifts from one's own region or culture are more     10    to be appreciated in other cultures because of their unique nature．

【推荐2】How do you celebrate New Year’s Day? If I had to take a guess, you probably celebrate New Year’s Day surrounded by family and friends, enjoying drinks of your choice (probably wine and champagne) and watching the ball drop. If you’re particularly lucky, perhaps you share a kiss with that special someone when the clock hits 00:00am. Have you ever imagined how New Year’s Day would look in another country? Listed below are five of the top ten “Unique New Year Traditions from Around the World.”
1. Breaking Dishes on Neighbor’s Door——Denmark
A strange and weird Danish New Year tradition, depending on how you look at it, is throwing dishes at neighbor’s door. Strangely, this makes them happy instead of annoying them. The family with the tallest tower of broken plates, glasses, cups and other crockery is considered to be the luckiest person because it symbolizes their large amount of loyal friends.
2. Talking to Spirits——Mexico
Talking to spirits is a part of Mexican belief. Mexicans strongly believe that they can communicate with the souls of their dead loved ones. New Year’s Eve is considered the best time to communicate with dead spirits to convey a message or ask for guidance. And this is not done at home on an individual basis but is a legal Mexican practice. Taos Inn, in New Mexico for example, offers 15 minutes session of spiritualism and meditation(默念) for $15. Not a bad price for some helpful guidance!
3. Wearing Polka Dots ——Philippines
Imagine streets full of people wearing polka dots and dining room tables full of round shaped food and fruits on one single day of the year. This all actually happens in the Philippines on New Year’s Eve every year. Philippines believe that this will bring them prosperity by associating the round dots to coins and wealth.
4. Burning Scarecrow(稻草人) Dummy——Ecuador
Ecuador has a unique custom of crafting scarecrows and then burning them at midnight. They adorn them and fill the scarecrows with newspapers and pieces of wood. As midnight approaches, everyone gathers outside their home and each family burns their own scarecrow. The tradition says that this destroys all the bad things that took place in the past 12 months. The scarecrow also scares away bad luck, which in turn, fills their new year with luck and happiness.
5. Mistletoe(槲寄生) Leaves Are Placed Under Pillow to Find Husband——Ireland
The single women of Ireland wait desperately for New Year’s Eve because it is the night that can bring them the love of their lives. They place mistletoe leaves under their pillow hoping to catch their future husband. It is also believed in the Irish culture that this act will help them get rid of bad luck.
The world is a large and very different place. Yes, people of all nations may celebrate New Year’s much differently around the world, with different traditions, but there are a lot of general themes to be seen. We all want to start a new, fresh year with renewed enthusiasm and hope no matter what happened during the past year. We all want to be happier, find love, renew friendships increase our wealth and also hope for a little extra luck in the coming New Year.
1. When New Year’s Day is coming, people always celebrate it in many ways EXCEPT __________.

A．sharing the time with their lovers

B．getting together with their families

C．enjoying drinks with their friends

D．setting the ball drop

2. What can you learn when you are paying a visiting to Mexico during New Year’s Day?

A．You’d better talk to your ancestors just at home secretly, or you’ll break the law.

B．It’s New Year’s Day that Mexicans consider the best time to talk to spirits.

C．It’s commonly believed that the dead have spirits and souls living around.

D．You can ask for help free when you want to talk to the dead

3. The single women of Ireland always ________ hoping to catch their future husband on New Year’s Eve.

A．wear polka dots

B．burn scarecrow dummy

C．break dishes on neighbor’s door

D．place mistletoe leaves under their pillow

【推荐3】If you look around your city, you might spot girls wearing hanfu in subways or people wearing T-shirts with Chinese characters on the streets, A new trend has taken hold in China-guochao, or “China-chic”

According to a report, searches related to guochao on Dianping, a lifestyle information platform, have risen by 170 percent from the same period in 2021,and reviews have risen by nearly 40 percent. China-chic has happened, but what is it?

The term characterizes the rise of China’s native fashion trends, It has expanded the concept of “Made in China”, which has been recognized as the representation of Chinese culture and aesthetics offered by homegrown Chinese brands, according to CGTN.

China-chic came into the spotlight in 2018. Before that, big name foreign companies dominated the world market. To win market share, many Chinese brands followed in the footsteps of these Western brands. But that year, Chinese sportswear brand Li-Ning changed things up. During the 2018 New York Fashion Week, Li-Ning introduced its Taoism-inspired Wu Dao collection. The collection not only had a trendy look, but also included elements of traditional Chinese culture. It immediately grabbed attention at home and abroad.

The trend to embrace domestic brands has since spread rapidly to various sectors and products, from food and drinks to clothing, mobile phones and electric vehicles. For example, White Rabbit, whose sweet candy brings back childhood memories for many, launched its perfume and lip balm. “We want White Rabbit to be a brand that young people want to share,” Shen Qinfeng, the company’s marketing manager, told People’s Daily.

Now, the guochao trend is “moving to the next stage, where its success will rely, first and foremost, on gaining cultural confidence rather than Western validation”, according to Kerra Zhou, founder of brand strategy consultancy Kerrisma.

No matter how the guochao trend evolves, there’s one thing that won’t change: Behind the craze is people’s positive attitude toward the country’s development and their recognition of and growing confidence in national culture, said Yao Linqing, a professor in the School of Economics and Management at Communication University of China.

1. What makes Li-Ning so fashionable?

A．Its successful market strategy similar to Western brands.

B．Its trendy look similar to Western brands.

C．Its elements of traditional Chinese culture.

D．Chic and unique clothes styles.

2. Why did the author mention “White Rabbit” in paragraph 5?

A．Because White Rabbit reminded the author of his or her childhood.

B．Because the author helped White Rabbit promote new products.

C．Because White Rabbit was a good example for showing the guochao trend.

D．Because this traditional brand was on the decline.

3. What does the secret to the success of the guochao?

A．Increasing confidence in Chinese culture.	B．Excellent design skills.
C．Clothes of great quality.	D．Styles catering to people abroad.

4. What is the author’s attitude to the future of the guochao trend?

A．Doubtful.

B．Positive.

C．Disapproving.

D．Cautious.