1 . Chinatown, lying in Downtown L. A．near the city’s cultural center, is one of L. A.’s most popular tourist destinations. What are you waiting for? Go to explore this amazing place right now!

A MECCA FOR FOOD

In Chinatown, a mix of new and old restaurants meets everyone’s needs. Early birds should stop by Philippe The Original, a local restaurant that’s beloved for French Dip sandwiches, but also serves a good classic American breakfast. Night owls will want to head to Full House Seafood on Hill Street, which is open late into the night.

CHINESE AMERICAN MUSEUM

Food is far from the only reason to visit Chinatown. People interested in history will want to start their trip at the Chinese American Museum (CAM), lying just outside of Chinatown at El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument. The museum is housed in the Garnier Building, the oldest surviving Chinese building in a major area of California.

CENTRAL PLAZA

A big statue of Bruce Lee has become a must-photograph site in Chinatown’s Central Plaza. The late martial arts star once had a studio in Chinatown at 628 W. College St.

Nearby is Dragon Chasing Pearl, which was originally painted on the wall in 1941 by Tyrus Wong. The artist, who passed away in December 2016 at age 106, was famous for his work in films, particularly as the lead artist on Disney’s Bambi.

FESTIVALS

Chinatown hosts many party-style events throughout the year, like the music and food truck Chinatown Summer Nights, the yearly Moon Festival and the biggest one, Chinese New Year! It’s really a good place to experience L. A.’s cultural diversity.

1. Of the following places, which one may be popular for its breakfast?

A．Garnier Building.	B．Philippe The Original.
C．Full House Seafood.	D．Chinese American Museum.

2. Who might be attracted to the CAM most?

A．A chef.

B．A journalist.

C．A poet.

D．A historian.

3. What can you do in Chinatown?

A．Visit Bruce Lee in person.	B．Taste different food for free.
C．Celebrate the Spring Festival.	D．Protect the oldest Chinese building.

2 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. ________________
2. ________________
3. ________________
4. ________________

3 . Coming into the town of Santa Catarina Palopó, in the highlands of Lake Atitlan in Guatemala, the first thing you notice is the bright colors. Most of the buildings along the main street are eye-catching, deep blues and greens, dotted with red and yellow to form diverse patterns and designs.

Santa Catarina Palopó was once a sleepy town of 5, 000 people, most of them dependent on agricultural work. But as agriculture began to dry up here, poverty came. To deal with poverty and promote econ on growth through tourism, a small but creative group of laborers, artisans, domestic workers and stay-at-home moms created the Pintando Santa Catarina Palopó project.

The project aimed to paint all 850 homes and buildings in bright colors to change the hillside town into a work of art. “We wanted to paint the houses with colors and figures that represent the community” says the project’s executive director Stephany Blanco. “Families can choose designs for their house that are representative of the family.”

One of the most representative characteristics of the region is the blue huipil, a traditional blouse which has been worn commonly by local women since the 16th century. That deep sky blue was chosen the primary color-for the Pintando project, with secondary colors found in the sunsets and the nearby lake to make the design more attractive. Inspiration was also found in local culture, symbols such as volcanoes, flowers, and the national bird of Guatemala.

Each week, local artists, community members and tourists pick up paintbrushes to make buildings colorful. “At first, the idea of the project was uncertain, but now you can see a considerable difference in the town,” Melissa Whitbeck said. “The color of the buildings is believed to improve the quality-of life of the people. It uplifts the people’s mood and encourages them to be proud of their hometown.”

1. Why was the Pintando Santa Catarina project started?

A．Because of a workforce shortage.	B．Due to the poor economic conditions.
C．Thanks to the increase in population.	D．For the old-fashioned farming ways.

2. What is the project about?

A．Building family art galleries in Guatemala.	B．Creating job opportunities for local artists.
C．Developing local tourism by selling artworks.	D．Changing the town into a cultural destination.

3. What is the inspiration of the primary color for the project?

A．The surrounding volcanoes.	B．Mayan-styled butterflies.
C．A type of traditional clothing.	D．The national bird of Guatemala.

4. What is Melissa’s attitude towards the project?

A．Positive.

B．Reserved.

C．Concerned.

D．Negative.

5 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Autumn Equinox (秋分) lies at the midpoint of autumn,     1     (divide) autumn into two equal parts. After that day, the location of direct sun light moves to the south, making days shorter and nights     2     (long) in the northern hemisphere (半球). Autumn Equinox begins this year on Sept 23 and ends on Oct 7.

By Autumn Equinox, most of the areas in China     3     (enter) the cool autumn. The cold air heading south meets the warm and wet air. The temperature also drops     4     (frequent).

In South China, there is a custom     5     (know) as “having Qiucai on the Autumn Equinox day”. Qiucai is a kind of wild amaranth. Every Autumn Equinox day, all the     6     (villager) go to pick Qiucai in the wild,     7     grows in the field, thin and about 20 cm in length. Qiucai is taken back and made into soup called “Qiutang”.

On that day, people try to make eggs stand     8     end. According to experts, on the Autumn Equinox, the day and night     9     (be) of equal time. The earth’s axis (轴线) is in a relative balance of power with the earth’s orbit around the sun. Thus it is a very conducive time to do that. But some also say that standing the egg has nothing to do with the time. The most important thing is to shift the egg’s center of gravity to     10     lowest part of the egg. The trick is holding the egg until the yolk sinks as much as possible.

8 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

During China’s dynastic period, emperors planned the city of Beijing     1     arranged the residential areas according to social classes. The term “hutong”,     2     (original) meaning “water well" in Mongolian, appeared first during the Yuan Dynasty.

In the Ming Dynasty, the center was the Forbidden City,     3     (surround) in concentric (同心的) circles by the Inner City and Outer City. Citizens of higher social classes     4     (permit) to live closer to the center of the circles. The large siheyuan of these high-ranking officials and wealthy businessmen often     5     (feature) beautifully carved and painted roof beams and pillars (柱子). The hutongs they formed were     6     (order), lined by spacious homes and walled gardens. Farther from the center lived the commoners and laborers. Their siheyuan were far smaller in scale and       7     (simple) in design and decoration, and the hutongs were narrower.

Hutongs represent an important cultural element of the city of Beijing. Thanks to Beijing’s long history     8     the capital of China, almost every hutong has its stories, and some are even associated with historic     9     (event). In contrast to the court life and upper-class culture represented by the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, and the Temple of Heaven, the hutongs reflect     10     culture of grassroots Beijingers.

9 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入 1 个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

The Old Town of Lijiang, lying in the northwest of Yunnan Province, is one of the most     1    (fame) ancient towns in China. The architecture (建筑) of the Old Town of Lijiang is attractive for the    2     (combine) of several cultures, and its ancient water-supply system still works    3     (effective) today.

The Yulong Snow Mountain    4     (serve) as the source of the rivers and springs. This town is made up    5    three parts: Dayan Old Town, Baisha housing cluster, and Shuhe housing clusters. These settlements (定居点)     6     (surround) by water present the mixture of local cultures, folk customs and traditions over several centuries.

It    7     (design) as a town around the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty. From 1253 on, the Naxi people of Lijiang developed    8    unique social system, customs and culture of their own. In the 18th century, the Qing Dynasty rulers carried out a policy of    9     (culture) interaction, and the Naxi people adopted the customs of the Tibetan peoples    10    Han peoples. Despite several earthquakes, most of the old town keeps its original structure.

10 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Yingge Dance, a traditional folk art     1     (combine) dancing, Chinese martial arts, and Chinese opera, is popular in the Chaoshan area of Guangdong province in South China. Yingge,     2     is written with the characters for “hero” and “song”, means heroic song in Chinese and Yingge dancers, as     3     (they) name implies, are the avatars of heroes. The dancers each hold a pair of short sticks and strike the sticks with force to create strong beats —     4     artistic display of masculinity. In 2006, the Puning Yingge Dance     5     (list) among the first batch of national intangible cultural heritages in China.

    6    , as young people move out of the villages, so are local folk arts gradually disappearing all around China. In Puning, Yingge is still danced during holidays such as the Lunar New Year and its performers are generally amateurs — farmers who have put down their tools and put on costumes. Some of the parts are passed     7     in the family, from father to son, and so far some villages     8     (start) giving performers a basic salary.

    9     (dress) in colorful clothes and wearing heavy makeup, ordinary villagers have created a song of cultural confidence. The     10     perform), a must-watch for the local people, graces the village square one more time.