| A. prepare B. responsibilities C. celebrate D. common E. make up |
Coming-of-age ceremonies are rituals (仪式) held all over the world to
2 . People’s life in astrology, the zodiac is divided into twelve star signs. Each star sign has its own characteristics. People gave each star sign one of the four elements（元素）of fire, air, earth and water. It has been popular for a long time. There are three star signs under each element, just as the following form shows.
| Elements | Star Signs |
| Fire | Aries, Leo, Sagittarius |
| Earth | Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn |
| Air | Gemini, Libra, Aquarius |
| Water | Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces |
In both China and Greece, people began to study stars and planets thousands of years ago. They used astrology to help them make decisions. They watched stars and planets to decide when to hunt, fish, plant or make wars.
Today astrology is very popular among people all over the world, especially teenagers. But one thing you have to remember is that you should not expect astrology to tell you everything about your future. Remember your life is in your own hands.
1. How many star signs are there under each element?| A．Three. | B．Four. | C．Five. | D．Twelve. |
| A．To study the four elements | B．To help them make decisions. |
| C．To get information about the sky. | D．To know more about the future. |
| A．Astrology believes that the light of stars influences people’s life. |
| B．People began to study stars and planets hundreds of years ago. |
| C．Today astrology is very popular among the old. |
| D．Our life depends on ourselves but not astrology |
3 . In many western countries, people think that the number 13 is an unlucky number.
They think Friday the 13th will especially bring bad luck. On Friday the 23rd, people prefer staying at home and keep away from doing anything important, as they are afraid of accidents and other bad things on this unlucky day.
Another interesting fact about the number 13 is having dinner at the Savoy Hotel in London, England. The story goes like this: if you book a table for thirteen people, the table would be set for fourteen and the 14th place is seated by a sculpture (雕塑) of a black cat, called Kasper.
In the western culture, thirteen people having dinner together is considered a bad omen. It has also been thought that if 13 people sit for dinner together, one will die within a year, just like what happened in the case of Jesus Christ.
Many tall buildings, hotels and hospitals do not have a 13th floor, either.
1. Which day do western people think will especially bring bad luck?| A．13th May. | B．13th June. | C．Friday the 13th. | D．Tuesday the 13th. |
| A．The hotel will ask you to bring a cat. |
| B．The hotel will refuse you to eat there. |
| C．The hotel will set you a table for 12 people. |
| D．The hotel will set you a table for 14 people. |
| A．A warning of bad things. | B．Awful food. |
| C．Terrible service. | D．A bad idea. |
中庸之为德也，其至矣乎! —《论语》 The virtue of the golden mean is a perfect state of equilibrium! —The Analects of Confucius （Translated by Zhao Yanchun） |
Confucius (孔子) is a master of thinking. He came up with many great ideas. But what’s the most well-known and influential (有影响力的) one? That may be the idea of the golden mean (中庸). Have you heard of it? Do you know its real meaning?
Zhongyong, the golden mean or the doctrine of the mean, is an interesting topic. In Confucianism (儒家思想), it is seen as a primary virtue (最重要的品德). Confucius speaks highly of it. However, it is easily misunderstood. People often think it means not working hard or pursuing perfection (追求完美).
But the key point of the golden mean is to stay moderate (适中的), neither too little nor too much. The character “zhong” means to be moderate in one’s words and behaviors. “Yong” has two meanings—being common and unchanging.
This way of thinking is useful in our daily life. When we write a story, we shouldn’t use too many fancy (华丽的) words. But it doesn’t mean we can’t use any beautiful language in the story. While exercising, we can’t do too much every time or we might get hurt. But it doesn’t mean we should never exercise. The key is to walk a fine line.
The golden mean is always being embraced (推崇) by our nation. President Xi Jinping said we should respect cultural diversity (多样性). We should be confident but not too arrogant (自负的) in cultural exchanges.
1. Which school of thought (思想流派) does the golden mean belong to?2. The key point of the golden mean is
3. What example does the writer give to explain the golden mean in daily life? (1 example is OK.)
4. Translate the underlined sentence into Chinese.
5. How can we follow the golden mean in cultural exchanges?
Happy Holi! Every February or March. India is one of the most colorful places on the planet. On the day, people throw colored powders(粉末) at each other. The colors have different meanings. Red is the color of life and festivals. Green means nature and happiness. Blue is the color of a brave god with blue skin. Traditionally | An artist puts up a Falla sculpture(雕像) during the Fallas Fiesta in Spain, on March 10. Las Fallas means “the fires”. The festival celebrates St Joseph. He is the city’s saint(圣人) out of paper, wood and wax(蜡), the street lights are turned off, and all the paper figures are set on fire. |
Do you know Cold Food Day in China? This year, it falls on April 4. In the past, the use of fire wasn’t allowed on that day. People ate cold food(忠诚的) for a noble(高贵的) man, Jie Zitui. But he was burned to death. To remember him people didn’t set fires on the day of his death. | Manghao Festival is a special festival to the Miao people in China. It is in the first lunar(阴历的) month very year. In the Miao people’s eyes, Manghao is a good luck god. In old times, to celebrate the festival, young men dress up just like Manghao. They wear masks and cloaks(披风). They touch others to send good wishes. |
| A．Colorful flowers all come out. |
| B．People play with colorful powders. |
| C．People cover themselves with colorful powders. |
| A．Wear masks and cloaks made of flowers. |
| B．Build figures out of paper，wood and wax. |
| C．Dress up like Manghao and touch others to send good wishes. |
| A．Date of the festival. |
| B．Changes of the festival. |
| C．Celebrations of the festival. |
| A．I think it’s a pity that Jie Zitui was burned to death. |
| B．I admire Falla a lot because he fought with bad guys. |
| C．Manghao is really brave because he can protect Spanish people. |
| A．Colors of Life. |
| B．Celebrating Saints and Gods. |
| C．Tradition and Culture of Festivals. |
6 . Religion（宗教）was very important to the a
The Greeks believed in many gods and goddesses. These gods and goddesses created everything in their lives. It was important to make them happy—happy gods and goddesses would help you, but unhappy ones would p
7 . Tihar is one of the most important festivals for Hindus in Nepal. The festival of Tihar takes place in late autumn and lasts for five days.
It is a time when people light oil lamps (油灯). This festival is about worshiping (敬仰) different animals such as the crow (乌鸦) on the first day, the dog on the second day, and the cow on the third day. During Tihar, people also worship their brothers and sisters and the goddess of wealth, Lakshmi.
On the first day, people give the crow much rice to eat. They put flowers around the dogs’ necks on the following day. The third day is the most important day of the festival. Early in the morning, people start to worship the cow. The cow is the symbol of wealth. They put tika (提卡) on the cows’ foreheads and some flowers around their necks. They give the cows nice things to eat. People place the cows’manure (粪肥) in different parts of their houses. Later, in the evening, they worship the goddess Lakshmi. If people please the goddess, she will give them wealth. People clean and decorate (装饰) their houses. They put oil lamps in every door and window. A woman of the family performs a special ceremony. She then puts a red mud footprint on the floor entering the home and makes a trail to the room where the family worships the goddess. In this room, there are pictures of the goddess. There is also a money box where each year the family puts money away for the goddess. In the evening, girls go from door to door and sing songs of the goddess. They receive gifts in return.
1. What can we know about Tihar from the first paragraph?①When it is.②Who celebrates it. ③How long it is. ④Which country it is celebrated.
| A．①②③ | B．②③④ | C．①③④ | D．①②③④ |
①The crow.②The dog. ③The cow.
a. Hindus put flowers around their necks.
b. Hindus place their manure in different parts of their houses.
c. Hindus give much rice to them.
| A．①-c②-b③-a | B．①-a②-b③-c | C．①-c②-a③-b | D．①-b②-c③-a |
| A．To show the importance of Tihar. | B．To introduce the festival of Tihar. |
| C．To describe animals in Nepal. | D．To explain meanings of different animals. |
8 . Death is a scary thing and even a taboo (禁忌) topic in many cultures.
There’s a story that after death, souls (灵魂) can only communicate with their still-living families in the first days of November.
To honor the dead, people throughout the country build altars (祭台) at home during this holiday. They decorate them with candles, flowers, skulls (骷髅头) and gifts.
Sometimes, in some public areas, there are parties, where people wear their own elaborate skeleton (精致的骷髅) costurnes.
In Mexico, The Day of the Dead is truly a celebration of life. People learn to respect that life is short.
根据材料内容，从下面五个选项中选出能填入文中空缺处的最佳选项，使短文意思通顺，内容完整。
| A．But in Mexico, it’s a cause for celebration. |
| B．Around the altar, people tell stories about the dead. |
| C．They learn there is a circle to life and not to fear death. |
| D．The Day of the Dead often falls on Nov 1 and 2 each year. |
| E．One can see how these days would be quite important for the Mexican people. |
9 . My own experiment with culture shock came to a fruitless end when I returned with homesick from a year’s study in Italy. I had never heard of culture shock. All I knew was that I was unhappy and wanted to go home.
That was twenty years ago, and since then culture shock has become a real field of study. It is now understood that any normal person, finding himself or herself for an extended time in a new culture, is in trouble.
The process of “culture shock” is now considered so predictable that its four stages have been noticeable (显而易见的). The first is the honeymoon stage. In this stage, the new country and its people seem delightful. Everything is better than home. Everything is so different and charming. For people who never stay in one place long enough to find out what follows, culture shock is nothing at all.
Then the bloom comes off the rose. Now the people start to look shallow, selfish and stupid. The different ways of doing things don’t seem interesting any more. You start to feel tired all the time. Culture shock has set in. You feel at spa. The emotional response (反应) to culture shock in stage two can be extreme (极端的). Confusion, depression, worry and anger can all enter to varying degrees. You may become physically ill. Little things seem terribly annoying.
The happier resolution is to move on to stage three. Adjusting. Rather than listing what’s “wrong” with Americans, you remind yourself that “right” and “wrong” are not meaningful terms in cultural matters. Instead, you try to understand what motivates Americans, perhaps realizing that many of the things you don’t like are related to the things you do like.
As time goes on, you should be moving into stage four. Acceptance. At this point, you simply don’t think any more about the specialties of Americans. You accept them as individuals. You have started to feel at home; you know how to do things. You have not rejected your old culture; but the American ways have settled upon you. You feel optimistic about your future here. You have truly arrived.
1. Why don’t people suffer from culture shock when they first arrive in a foreign country?| A．They love to travel. |
| B．They don’t stay in one place long enough. |
| C．The new county and its people are delightful. |
| D．Everything is so different and charming. |
| A．Something good goes away |
| B．The rose blooms |
| C．Something good comes about |
| D．The rose comes up |
| A．Any normal person facing a new culture will be in trouble. |
| B．Culture shock is now considered unpredictable. |
| C．There is no “sight” and “wrong” in terms of cultural matters. |
| D．When you reject your old culture, you can accept the new one. |
| A．the study of culture shock |
| B．how to get rid of culture shock |
| C．the writer’s own experiment with culture shock |
| D．the four stages of culture shock and their features |
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