1 . Britain is divided into different areas. Britain is one of the most diverse nations in Europe with over 250 different languages being spoken in London alone. With such a various culture, adapting to it can be a challenge for anyone.     1    .

Forget the stereotypes (陈旧观念). Many of the long-formed stereotypes simply have nothing to do with Britain today. Don’t think that everyone enjoys drinking tea or beer. Abandoning some old ideas of people and culture will allow you to be more open-minded and easily get into the culture.

    2    . Britain is made up of different regions that have their different traditions and languages. Understanding different cultures will help you avoid making mistakes.

Get used to small spaces. Like all European nations, Britain does not have the luxury of space. Houses, apartments and cars are all smaller.     3    .

    4    . Always apologize for knocking into someone, even if it is his fault. Respect people’s personal space and always wait in line. Bill Bryson’s book Notes from a Small Island is filled with useful tips.

Accept the jokes.     5    . Kidding, teasing, and “taking the mick” are all ways to describe making fun of someone but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Playing tricks on someone is a common way to show affection. As Britons usually put it, “You never make fun of someone you don’t like.”

A．Be polite

B．Make friends with them

C．Don’t play jokes on others

D．Understand the differences

E．Following these steps should be of great help to you

F．Therefore, trying to become familiar with smaller areas is very necessary

G．One of the most confusing aspects of British culture is humour

2 . 假定你是李华，你校下周五将举办主题为Wildlife Protection的海报设计大赛。请给交换生Jim写一封邮件，告诉他这一活动并请他参与你班的海报设计。
注意：写作词数应为80左右。
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3 . A shaking head, new heart colours and a familiar goose are among a new group of emojis (表情符号) set to be released (发布) this year.

Unicode Consortiumlist contains only 31 new emojis, much smaller than last year’s 112 emojis, which included pregnant people and a low battery sign. The goose emoji has drawn comparisons to the hit game Untitled Goose Game, where players take control of a horrible goose. The release has gained a mostly positive response online.

The chosen emojis are selected by Unicode Consortium, a non-profit organization in California. Keith Broni, editor in chief of Emojipedia, said “The Unicode emoji subcommittee want to take more time to consider what symbols we can add to represent what we know or experiences we have had — things like a shaking face or the pink hearts.”

He mentioned people were excited to see the pink heart emoji finally included, but he was particularly interested in the use of the shaking head. “It is most likely to be used when we are mentally or physically shook,” he said, “But there is a lot behind this - how can we communicate what happens to a person when they’re undergoing an earthquake?

He added that their designer probably took a healthy inspiration“ from the goose video game for the relevant emoji - but it has meaning beyond that. “In the case of the goose, the concept (概念) goes back to how we use language in an expressive way.” He said, “What other things can we say with these emojis? How can we forget the English idiom’ silly goose5?” Through the emoji, that English language idiom becomes a piece of knowledge that can be represented across cultures.

1. What emoji was inspired by a hit game?

A．Shaking head.

B．Pregnant people.

C．A low battery.

D．Goose.

2. What’s people’s attitude to the newly released emojis?

A．Doubtful.

B．Disappointed.

C．Welcome.

D．Indifferent.

3. What do we know about the selection of new emojis?

A．People vote for the selection of new emojis.	B．Not all the emojis created will be admitted officially.
C．Designers decide the entry of the emojis.	D．Only those widely used emojis can be chosen.

4. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A．Emojis are more than a way of daily expression.

B．English idioms found their way through emojis.

C．Different cultures may contain the same expression.

D．The Goose emoji originated from the phrase “silly goose”.

4 . “Dad, I need your help. Come here!” My 5­-year­-old girl pulled me towards the computer. “Dad, please buy everything I have in the Amazon shopping cart (购物车). Here, take this cash from my savings!” The shopping cart showed ten items for a total of about 130 dollars. “Wait!” I replied.“That’s too much money! Why do you need all these things?”“Please, Dad! These items will get here before Christmas. I have a surprise for everyone. No peeking(偷看)!” she explained, and I bought everything.

A couple of days later, she got everything. I saw her then wrapping (包装) all her gifts. “Can I help you?” I asked.“No, Dad. I told you these are special surprises. No peeking!” she replied. Her excitement was obvious.

The day came. She was all around her gifts, planning, protecting, arranging. Everything had to be perfect. As soon as dinner was over, she jumped from her chair and took her gifts. She went around giving each one of us her piece of love. These were small items, but it was the meaning of giving her heart that we were really feeling. As she gave the gift to each person, she watched the expression on our faces. Our smiles were her greatest reward. Her last gift was for my 2-­year-­old boy—a toy car. It was hard to describe my little boy’s delight at getting this gift! For several minutes, everyone’s attention was focused on watching him go all around the house happily.

Seeing these acts of my 5­-year­-old helped me understand the power of giving—giving from the heart. Later that day, my girl received some gifts, but she didn’t need them. She focused on others, not on herself. It was clear that she was the one feeling true joy.

1. Why did the girl ask her father for help?

A．She didn’t have enough money.

B．She needed him to keep the secret.

C．She wanted to get his opinions on gifts.

D．She couldn’t make the online payment.

2. How did the girl feel when wrapping the gifts?

A．She felt proud.

B．She felt delighted.

C．She felt cautious.

D．She felt satisfied.

3. What did other family members think of the girl’s acts?

A．Pleasant.	B．Creative.
C．Reasonable.	D．Surprising.

4. What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?

A．To praise his daughter for her generosity.

B．To share his experience of raising his kids.

C．To discuss how to find happiness in daily life.

D．To share the lesson learned from his daughter.

5 . On the 25th of December, my mother expected her children to be present, exchanging gifts and eating turkey. But as an artist and daughter, my heart seemed to be more in my work as an artist. As for my mother and my family, I thought we would have more time to spend Christmas together. I was going to do my own thing.

I made plans for my winter adventure in New Hampshire. The MacDowell Colony (麦道尔艺术村) was everything I could have wished for. About 20 to 30 artists were present, and it was as captivating as I had imagined. Snowy New England, sledding (滑雪橇) and whisky! It felt like my life had become an unexpected independent film.

By Christmas Eve, I had been at the colony more than a week. The fresh feelings were wearing off, but I would never admit it. Everyone around me was having too much fun—drinks and deep conversations by the fireplace. It seemed so amazing! What was wrong with me? This was the holiday I’d always dreamed of. No plastic reindeer. Not a Christmas sweater anywhere in sight. People here didn’t even say “Christmas”, but they said “holiday”. Then why was I so down?

Finally, I called home. My dad answered. He told me that my mother was out shopping with my brothers. I found there was a fire in my heart. They were having a fine Christmas without me? Didn’t they miss me? How could they?

Despite a serious snowstorm, a large package with my mother’s beautiful handwriting showed up near my door at the artist colony on Christmas morning. I seized it as if I had been five years old. Inside was my favorite cake.

As I sliced (切) the cake, everyone gathered around —young and old. My mother had sent a real homemade gift. It was a minor Christmas miracle that one cake managed to feed so many. We ate it from paper towels with our hands, satisfying a hunger we didn’t know we had and reminding us of our dear families, who must be missing us too.

1. Why was the author unwilling to spend Christmas at home?

A．She met some trouble at work.

B．She wanted to focus on her career.

C．She had disagreements with her mother.

D．She was tired of staying at a familiar place.

2. What does the underlined word “captivating” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．Attractive.

B．Tough.

C．Strange.

D．Simple.

3. What can we learn about the artist colony from Paragraph 3?

A．It attracted many sports lovers.

B．It was suitable for holiday parties.

C．It lacked the Christmas atmosphere.

D．It gave the author some artistic ideas.

4. What did the author mainly intend to express in the last two paragraphs?

A．She learned to be open to others.

B．She enjoyed bringing kindness to strangers.

C．Her mother was good at taking care of her family.

D．Her mother’s cake cured the artists of their homesickness.

6 . As I stood in line waiting to cash out at a supermarket, I studied the customer in front of me, who kept looking at the magazine to our left. She________ an old torn coat. The items in her cart(购物车)included the________daily necessities.

“Next,” the cashier called and she moved forward. When the cashier________everything up and told her the cost, the woman’s face________. It was obvious she didn’t have enough money. She scanned her groceries to see what she could________.

One by one, she removed things, but she still came up________. The man right behind me complained loudly. The young woman’s cheeks reddened with________. I wanted desperately to pay for her groceries outright, which, however, would mortify(使难堪)her even more. ________ ,I turned around angrily and glared at the man.

“I would be________if you’ve never had to do that! ” I said to him in a low voice. He looked   ________and changed the checkout line.

The woman finally decided on her groceries, paid and________them. By then, I had rearranged my own purchases and put several items the woman had taken out, including the magazine she had been________ ,into my cart. I moved forward and whispered to the cashier, “ ________bags, the same bill, please.”

I________the extra things into her shopping cart without being noticed, as she was busy________the accidentally scattered(散落的)apples she’d bought. I left that store and realized I was by no means rich, but I had enough to get by.

1.

A．carried

B．wore

C．sewed

D．labelled

2.

A．cheapest

B．cleanest

C．best

D．strangest

3.

A．used

B．piled

C．added

D．mixed

4.

A．lit up

B．calmed down

C．softened

D．paled

5.

A．do without

B．put away

C．kick off

D．guard against

6.

A．late

B．short

C．low

D．direct

7.

A．anxiety

B．despair

C．fright

D．embarrassment

8.

A．Besides

B．Otherwise

C．Instead

D．Nevertheless

9.

A．careful

B．grateful

C．helpful

D．wonderful

10.

A．amazed

B．astonished

C．ashamed

D．scared

11.

A．counted

B．tasted

C．admired

D．bagged

12.

A．eyeing

B．touching

C．checking

D．valuing

13.

A．Separate

B．Similar

C．Familiar

D．Formal

14.

A．eased

B．slipped

C．entered

D．changed

15.

A．enjoying

B．delivering

C．showing off

D．picking up

7 . Ask most people which day of the week they fear the most and the answer is likely to be Monday. The first day of the working week can make us depressed.     1    

The most depressing day of the year is the third Monday in January, when it’s cold and dark outside. This day was named “Blue Monday” by psychologist Cliff Arnall. Even if there was little science behind Blue Monday, it’s probably true that the sound of our alarm clock on any Monday morning means the coming of a new working week and possibly the end of our weekend of fun.     2     It’s what psychologists call an emotional shift, and no other part of the week has a transition(过渡) like it.

Apparently, Monday means the end of weekend lie-ins.     3     According to a website, “If you can’t stand your job, then the Monday blues can be very real.” And it can be especially difficult to start another seemingly endless workweek. Your case of the Mondays can have a negative impact on your performance, productivity and the people around you.

    4     Feeling a bit low shouldn’t be confused with more serious depression, caused by other factors. Claudia Hammond, an author and presenter, argues that this low feeling might be untrue.     5     She mentions an Australian study of how people reflected on their mood and found the day that scored the lowest was in fact Wednesdays. So, when Monday comes, maybe we should give it a second chance!

A．But is Monday as bad as we like to think it is?

B．What exactly makes us feel down remains unknown.

C．Weekends are definitely happy days in all countries.

D．That’s why the feeling is described as the Monday blues.

E．There is a strong cultural idea that we don’t like Mondays.

F．Our Monday mood can be based on a direct comparison to the day before.

G．It’s back to the routine and the realization that there are five days of working ahead.

8 . Everyone wants to be happy.     1     You must find it in your journey on your own and decide what it is that makes you happy. Therefore, you are the one to light it up and spark it. To give you more happiness, I have provided several habits that you can work on to live an inspiring life that will change you and those around you forever.

See the light in all situations. There’s a bright side to everything.     2     But when it hides from the clouds, remember that you are the one that lights up the sky even brighter than the stars.

Stop comparing yourself with others. Comparing yourself to others is a waste of who you are.     3     There is no one in this world that is exactly like you. You have many special qualities that can’t be compared to others. Be yourself and keep at it.

    4    Who are the people in your life that is important to you? Does the person bring the best out of you? Spend time with these people. It’s worth it.

Be confident. Your confidence can uplift your mood. Whether it’s your posture, smile, eye contact, or voice, work on it and you will not only feel better but be better. Write yourself five things that you love about yourself and put it on your wall or read it every morning you wake up.     5    

You really are the one who can make this world better. As you work on all these steps to become happier, you will see the world a lot better than it used to be.

A．Just be yourself.

B．It can really count.

C．On the darkest of days, the moon still shines.

D．Spend time with people that make you better.

E．What makes you feel like you’re flying in the sky?

F．However, happiness doesn’t come to you naturally.

G．You can create your own happiness and spread it to others.

9 . People will tell you the only way to really learn a language is to completely immerse(浸入)yourself in a country where that language is spoken. Not all language learners, of course, will have the opportunity to spend some time in an immersion environment. But if you can't actually fly across the world to learn a new language, you can always create an immersion environment where you can talk to native speakers.

That's where Babbel comes in. Babbel is one of the most popular language learning apps on the market for studying new languages at your own pace. The app emphasises real-life conversational skills, so you won't be stopped by grammatical structures and verb patterns.

And right now, you can get 15%off a lifetime subscription (订阅)to Babbel Language Learning（$150; stacksocial. com）.A lifetime subscription is huge when it comes to getting the most out of the app, since you'll be able to return to lessons time and time again and brush up on whichever section or topic you might need.

So how does it all work? First, you'll choose one of the 14 languages. While Babbel offers familiar languages like Spanish and Italian, it also offers less commonly studied ones like Polish, Indonesian and more. Once you pick your language, you'll choose a wide range of real-life topics. Each course takes about 10 to 15 minutes, so you can pick one up on the way to work, during your lunch break, or really at any point you have some time to kill.

Beyond this, Babbel includes a ton of additional features tailored to making sure you learn the language in a real, practical and accurate way. The app uses speech recognition technology to make sure your pronunciation is accurate compared with how native speakers would say certain words.

1. What does Paragraph 1 mainly tell us?

A．The terrifying experiences of travelling.	B．The importance of language learning environment.
C．Different ways to learn a new language.	D．Opportunities to communicate with native speakers.

2. What can we know about Babbel?

A．It's a tool for learning languages.	B．It is designed in various types.
C．It focuses more on grammar structures.	D．It's the most popular app in the market.

3. What should the users do first to learn with the app?

A．Choose the place to learn a course.	B．Pick the language they want to learn.
C．Calculate the reading time.	D．Choose a proper topic.

4. Why does Babbel use speech recognition technology?

A．To represent its additional features.	B．To meet the needs of native speakers.
C．To compare differences between words.	D．To make the pronunciation correct.

10 . Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the most important festivals in Chinese calendar. The festival typically involves family getting together to share mooncakes while watching the moon. Typical Chinese mooncakes are round in shape, and measure around 10 cm in diameter and 4-5 cm in thickness. Most mooncakes consist of a thin tender skin enveloping a sweet, dense filling.

    1    . It is a custom for housewives to prepare mooncakes at home when the festival is approaching. Now let's learn to make traditional Chinese mooncakes.

Above all, full preparations should be made, including materials such as dough (生面团), flour, water, sugar and vegetable oil, and fillings—lotus seed paste (莲子蓉) and eggs.

Mix together all the materials to get a dough.     2    

Next, separate the egg yolks from the whites and salt the steamed yolks. While the oven is preheating to 180 degrees Celsius, roll the lotus paste and the dough into small balls.     3    .

Then, shape up with each consisting of a dough wrapper, one ball of lotus paste, and one half of a salted egg yolk. Make a hole in a ball of lotus and put the yolk inside. Similarly, cover the lotus ball (with the yolk inside) with a wrapper.     4    . Then shape it with the mold (模具).

    5    . Take them out after 5 minutes and brush them with the egg wash. Put the mooncakes back until they become golden brown.

Remember to wait to eat the mooncakes for two days when they will be soft and also look shiny.

A．A mooncake ball is made.

B．Prepare the salted egg yolks.

C．Finally, put all mooncakes into the oven.

D．Flatten each piece of dough into a thin wrapper.

E．There're many stories about mooncakes and Chang'e.

F．Mooncakes are the must-eat food for the Mid-Autumn Festival.

G．Covered with plastic wrap, it should be set aside for at least 3 hours.