1 . China has always been a nation of etiquette (礼仪之邦). Chinese people are among the most hospitable people in the world. If foreigners visit a Chinese family, they would be surprised at the warmth that they would receive as guests.
When you visit a Chinese family, the host usually makes tea for you. Then he will serve you snacks like biscuits or candies. Someone in the family will also chat (聊天) with you, never letting you feel lonely.
At the same time, other family members will prepare a meal for you. Chinese people treat their guests with a big meal. They always serve more food than the guest can eat. On the table, the guests must be the first to eat. Perhaps one of the things that surprise a western guest most is that the Chinese host likes to pick food for their guests. However, it won’t happen at western tables. The Chinese family try their best to make you feel at home. As you have finished eating, the host usually says, “It seems that you didn’t eat much. Please have more. ” Although you tell them you are full, they still put more food in your bowl.
Being warm and hospitable has long been an important part of Chinese culture and tradition. As Confucius (孔子) said long time ago, “To meet friends from afar (远方). How happy we are!”
1. As a guest in a Chinese family, you are usually offered _________ by the host.| A．coffee | B．juice | C．tea | D．milk |
| A．the guests | B．the hosts | C．the oldest | D．the youngest |
| A．lonely | B．at home | C．surprised | D．thankful |
| A．救死扶伤的 | B．艰苦朴素的 | C．热情好客的 | D．善良仁慈的 |
Friendship Day is a great day for celebrating friendship. It falls on the first Sunday of August every year. Celebrating the festival was firstly started by the US in 1935. But now this doesn’t only happen in the US. People in other countries are interested in it, too.
The idea of spending the day with friends was spread all over the world. With more and more countries joining in the celebrations, Friendship Day soon became an international festival.
Between 1935 and 1997, Friendship Day didn’t have a symbol, like Santa Claus for Christmas. However, in 1997, the United Nations named Winnie the Pooh as the world’s Ambassador (大使) of Friendship.
The traditional celebrations include activities such as meeting with friends and exchanging cards, flowers and gifts. Some people may have parties with their friends. Some may have lunch or dinner together. Others may hang out or go to the movies with friends on this special day. These are popular among all age groups from teenagers to old people.
Although Friendship Day and its celebrations may have changed over the years, the basic idea behind the festival remains the same. People enjoy the moment they spend together and express love and care for their friends.
1. Where was Friendship Day first celebrated?2. What does the fourth paragraph mainly tell us?
3. What is most likely the writer’s opinion about Friendship Day?
4. Do you have any friends? What do you think of friends? Write 30 words or more.
3 . Many Chinese students are trying their best to pass English tests like the TOEFL and IELTS. At the same time, many non-native Chinese speakers are struggling to learn Chinese and pass the HSK.
The HSK is the official test for non-native Chinese speakers. Passing it can give non-native speakers new work or education opportunities. It has been offered since 1992. Each of the exam’s six levels includes three parts: listening, grammar practice and reading. In 2018, the HSK was taken 6.8 million times, up 4.6 percent from 2017, according to the Ministry of Education.
Schools in countries around the world are starting to offer more Chinese language programs. That’s because trade and cultural exchanges between China and other countries are continuing to increase, China Daily reported.
For example, the Zambian government announced in May that it will roll out (推出) Mandarin classes in over 1,000 secondary schools in future. It will be the largest Chinese language program in Africa, the Financial Mail reported. Zambia will become the fourth country on the continent—after Kenya, Uganda and South Africa—to offer Chinese language programs in its schools.
Starting this year, Russian middle school students can take Chinese as an elective (选修的) foreign language on Russia’s national college entrance exam, Sputnik News reported.
“I am fascinated with China’s history, culture and language, as well as its economic development. I think studying in China could provide me with some great job opportunities,” Patcharamai Sawanaporn, 26, a Thai graduate student in Beijing, told China Daily.
1. What do we know about the HSK test?| A．It is harder to pass than TOEFL or IELTS. |
| B．All foreigners who come to China are required to take it. |
| C．Over 4.6 million foreigners took the test in 2017. |
| D．Each level of the test includes three parts. |
| A．the increasing number of Chinese overseas students |
| B．the fact that Chinese is one of the UN’s official languages |
| C．their increasing economic and cultural exchanges with China |
| D．the rapid development of Chinese language programs |
A． | B． | C． | D． |
| A．To explain what the HSK test is. |
| B．To offer advice for taking the HSK test. |
| C．To prove that Chinese is not difficult to learn. |
| D．To show that more people are learning Chinese. |
4 . If you spend some time in an English-speaking country, you might hear the term “etiquette”. It means normal and polite social behavior. This may seem like a difficult word at first, but it can be very useful to understand.
Etiquette is not the same in every culture or in every situation. (1)For example, standing very close to the person you are talking with is quite common in some Asian countries. However, if you do this in Europe, some people might feel uncomfortable. Even in China, we all know that etiquette is not the same in all situations. Perhaps we think that talking loudly in our own homes fine, but there are other places where talking loudly is not allowed. For example, most people would agree that talking loudly in a library, a museum or a movie theater is impolite. Even if you are with your friends, it is better to keep your voice down in public places.
If we see someone breaking the rules of etiquette, we may politely give them some suggestions. One of the most polite ways is to ask someone, “Would you mind doing this” or “Would you mind not doing that”. People don’t usually like to be criticized, so we have to be careful how we do this.
(2)Although rules etiquette can often be different, some rules are the same almost everywhere in the world
2. If your friend talks loudly in the library, what would you say to him /her?
3. 把(1)处画线句子翻译成汉语。
4. 把(2)处画线句子翻译成汉语。
5. 请给短文拟个标题。
The undersea world is very beautiful. Now more and more people want to dive in the water to find the secrets there. Scuba diving is a new sport today. It can take you into a wonderful undersea world.
You will find many strange animals in the sea. Some are as large as a school bus. Many sea animals give out light in the dark and some have sharp teeth.
During the day, there is enough light. Here, under the sea, everything is blue and green.
When fish swim nearby, you can catch them with your hands. When you have bottles of air on your back, you can stay in deep water for a long time. However, you can’t dive too deep. And you must be very careful when you dive in deep water.
The deep sea is not an easy place to live in. It’s cold, and it’s dark, too. The deeper it is, the less sunlight there is. At about 3,000 feet, there is no light at all. It is very dark in the sea. Many fishes have no eyes. Some have big eyes. A few have eyes on one side.
Besides the cold and the darkness, deep-sea animals face a third danger—other animals.
Animals eat! They must find food to eat. Many animals eat plants. However, some animals eat meat. This means these sea animals have two big jobs. They need to find animals as food, and they have to try not to become other animals’ meal.
1. Why do people want to dive in the sea?| A．They want to catch fish. |
| B．They want to find the secrets of the undersea world. |
| C．The sea is deep. |
| D．There are all kinds of plants in the sea. |
| A．Everything is cold. | B．Everything looks beautiful. |
| C．Everything is dark. | D．Everything is blue and green. |
| A．We can stay in deep water for a long time. |
| B．We can dive very, very deep. |
| C．We can live in deep water easily. |
| D．We can dive freely without any dangers. |
| A．Enough food. | B．Bottles of water. | C．A pair of glasses. | D．Bottles of air. |
| A．One animal finds something to eat, and it may be eaten by others. |
| B．At the depth of 3,000 feet under the sea, many animals can find their way by hearing and feeling. |
| C．The deeper the sea is, the darker and colder it is. |
| D．At the depth 3,000 feet under the sea, all animals can find their way by seeing. |
Exhibition of sculptures by Picasso opens in Spain
Picasso may be very famous for his paintings. But the artist was also a sculptor (雕塑家), producing around 700 works in his lifetime.
This exhibition, with its title “Picasso-Sculptor, Matter and Body”, brings together 61 sculptures he made between l909 and 1964—a period time of more than 50 years.
Among the works on display are the Reclining Bather, made in plaster (石膏), and Woman With Vase fashioned from bronze. Other sculptures are made from what are regarded as found objects, everyday items Picasso put together to create his works.
The exhibition is the first of its kind in Spain to be shown of only Picasso’s sculpture.
1. Where was the Exhibition of sculptures by Picasso held?2. What may Picasso be famous as before you know he was a sculptor?
3. How many sculptures did Picasso make in his lifetime?
4. What kind of exhibition will interest you? Explain why? Write 30 words or more.
7 . If you’re a kid who likes to have fun and chat with friends online, here’s advice on how you can stay safe and avoid problems.
★Visit safer websites. Your parents and teachers can guide you to the best websites. Some websites have age limits (限制). It’s safer to tell the truth and avoid those websites until you’re older.
★Guard your passwords. You can set your own passwords. Passwords are your secret. It’s dangerous to tell your passwords to others. So, don’t share your passwords with anyone except your parents.
★Limit what you share. Never tell a stranger where you live or your phone number. If you’re not sure whether you should share something, ask a parent. Remember that anything you put online is there forever, even if you try to delete it. If you don’t want your class to know or see something, you shouldn’t share it with anyone online, not even your best friends.
★Be choosy about your online friends. Some websites let kids make lots of friends with people they don’t know. But online friends are not the same as real in-person friends. Never agree to meet an online friend in person or give out personal information. It’s a dangerous because some people pretend to be kids online but actually are bad adults.
1. In paragraph 3, the writer advises kids to ______.| A．visit safer websites | B．guard their passwords |
| C．limit what they share | D．be choosy about their online friends |
| A．There are some websites which have age limits. |
| B．You should never tell your parents about your passwords. |
| C．You can tell strangers about your personal information. |
| D．Online friends are the same as real in-person friends. |
| A．encourage students to use the Internet more often |
| B．teach students how to make more friends |
| C．ask students to set safe passwords online |
| D．tell students how to stay safe online |
| A．Online Safety | B．Safe Websites | C．Password Secret | D．Online Friends |
8 . Do French Fries Really from France?
There has been a food fight between France and Belgium (比利时). The two countries have been arguing over who really invented French fries.
You may think that French fries come from France. However, this might not be true. Some historians believe potatoes were first being fried in the late 1600s in Belgium.
According to local stories, poor villagers living in Meuse Valley (默兹河流域) in Belgium often ate small fried fish. During the winter months, the river would freeze and fishing would be impossible. The villagers had to find other kinds of food. So they turned to the potato. They would fry potatoes in much the same way as they would fry fish. And that’s how the earliest French fries were born.
During World War Ⅰ, some American soldiers were stationed in Belgium. They were first introduced to French fries at that time. As the official language of the Belgian army was French, American soldiers nicknamed (绰号) the delicious fried potatoes “French fries”. The name stuck.
1. What does the underlined word “this” in paragraph 2 refer to?| A．The food fight between France and Belgium. |
| B．The debate on who really invented French fries. |
| C．The thought that French fries come from France. |
| D．The belief that potatoes were first being fried in Belgium. |
| A．they thought it was more delicious than fish |
| B．they found it hard to fish during winter |
| C．they were tired of eating small fried fish |
| D．they just tried to taste fried potatoes |
| A．in the late 1600s |
| B．at a restaurant in Belgium |
| C．during the First World War |
| D．when they were stationed in France |
| A．The American soldiers did not like the name “French fries”. |
| B．The Belgian army officially renamed the dish “French fries”. |
| C．The name “French fries” was only used by the American soldiers. |
| D．“French fries” became widely accepted as the name of fried potatoes. |
9 . In the universe (宇宙), as we know, there is the sun, the moon, the earth and many stars. Through our geography lessons, we know the earth goes round the sun, and the moon goes round the earth. We have day and night because the earth keeps turning all the time. When our part of the earth turns to the sun, it is day. When our part of the earth turns away from the sun, it is night.
Just because the moon is closer to the earth than the sun, it looks much bigger than the sun. Big things will look smaller when they are farther, and small things also look bigger when they are nearer,
The sun is bright enough to give out very strong light. The moon can’t give out any light at all, but it looks quite bright too. Why? In fact, the light from the moon comes from the sun. The moon looks much bigger and brighter than the stars. But actually (事实上) the stars are much bigger and brighter than the moon. They look smaller than the moon also because they are farther away from the earth.
There are still many other planets (行星) in the universe. All of them move round the sun. But of all these planets, only on the earth there are living things and people can only live on the earth too. At 9:00 a.m., on October 15th 2003, Chinese pilot (飞行员) Yang Liwei was sent up to space. He stayed there for 21 hours. It was the first time for Chinese to get into space.
1. We find the sun ______ than the moon because it is ______ to us.| A．bigger; farther | B．smaller; closer |
| C．bigger; closer | D．smaller; farther |
| A．night | B．day | C．evening | D．Sunday |
| A．On November 15th, 2002. | B．On October 16th, 2003. |
| C．On May 5th, 2004. | D．On October 15th, 2003. |
| A．The moon goes round the earth, and it can’t give out any light at all. |
| B．The moon goes round the sun, and its light is from the sun. |
| C．The sun goes round the earth. |
| D．Only the earth goes round the sun. |
10 . The Spring Festival is celebrated not only in China but also in other parts of the world. The traditional holiday is the most important to Chinese both home and abroad.
 The United Kingdom Celebrations of the Spring Festival in the UK started in 1980, with the first evening party held in 2002. Every new year, people get together and have a lot of activities. They sing songs, dance to music, share photos with friends or enjoy films in a cinema. |
 The United States The Spring Festival has become a key time for Chinese living or working in the US. They join in a large evening party to welcome the traditional new year. It is a good chance for people to build a circle of friends and feel that they are not alone because they share the same culture and values. |
 Australia The Spring Festival will be welcomed with three weeks of celebrations across Australia. Many people come to Sydney’s Chinatown or Little Bourke in Melbourne. They enjoy fireworks, lion dances, dragon boat races and many other traditional activities. The celebrations are also a bridge towards better understanding between Chinese and non-Chinese. |
 Singapore The family dinner on new year’s eve is an important tradition for Chinese whether they were born in Singapore or moved there from China. They place traditional food on a table as an act of remembering their past. Then the whole family enjoy their dinner together. They usually hold it at home because having it in a restaurant takes away the meaning of the tradition. |
| A．1890 | B．1980 | C．2000 | D．2002 |
| A．say hello to the new year | B．refuse a good chance |
| C．tell others they are alone | D．share different cultures |
| A．fireworks | B．lion dances | C．bridges | D．dragon boat races |
| A．they were born in Singapore |
| B．moved there from other places |
| C．restaurant is far away |
| D．holding it in a restaurant doesn’t have the meaning of the tradition |
