2 . One thing that sets humans apart from other members of the animal kingdom is our tendency to develop customs and traditions. Here are some astonishing customs from around the world.

An odd custom associated with the United States is its complicated tipping culture. Unlike many other countries that don’t tip at all or that only tip in small amounts when the food is particularly good, tipping is actually mandatory at most restaurants in the US. To put it another way, customers have a duty to leave between 10-20 percent of the bill in tips. Wait staff rely on these tips for a living because legal wages for waiters are low. Furthermore, there are rules for tipping bartenders, delivery people and other service personnel. While some criticize this practice as irrational, there’s no doubt that tipping culture in the US gives an incentive for waiters and waitresses to provide better service.

Some countries find the act of pointing with the index finger to be rude. While members of most cultures would probably agree that pointing fingers, both literally and figuratively, isn’t exactly the nicest thing in the world, in countries like Malaysia and Indonesia, this gesture can be seen as incredibly offensive. Instead, it is customary to gesture towards things with the thumb as this is seen as a more polite option. In many countries in Africa, pointing is reserved for inanimate objects only, not people.

Most societies around the world have rules about table manners. For western cultures, noisily consuming food is considered rude. In Japan, however, making slurping(啧啧响的)sounds while eating has an entirely different meaning. This might have something to do with the fact that in western countries, noodles are properly consumed by twirling(缠绕)them on a spoon before putting them in the mouth. Meanwhile, the Japanese simply slurp up their noodles without contorting them first, an act that is naturally noisier than the former. Making slurping sounds when eating noodles in Japan is a way of indicating that you’re rely enjoying them. Some scientists even argue slurping invites air into the mouth and actually enhances the noodles’ flavor.

1. What does the underlined word “mandatory” in paragraph2 probably mean?

A．Required by tradition.	B．Highly spoken of.
C．Changeable over time.	D．Popular among people.

2. What does the author think of tipping?

A．It is totally unreasonable.	B．It must follow a fixed standard.
C．It can improve the quality of service.	D．It should only target waiters and waitresses.

3. Which practice is acceptable according to the text?

A．Skipping tipping in the USA.	B．Twirling noodles on a spoon in Africa.
C．Pointing with the index finger in Indonesia.	D．Making sounds while eating noodles in Japan.

4. Where is this text probably taken from?

A．A research paper.	B．A travel brochure.
C．An online advertisement.	D．A popular magazine.

3 . 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。

Xueqiang, a local ethnic (民族的) dance in Derong County of Sichuan Province, has won national fame among cultural workers and researchers. It was listed     1     a national intangible cultural heritage in 2008.

Over time, Xueqiang became standard entertainment at gatherings and     2    (party). Especially at night during the harvest festival, people would dance the Xueqiang around a bonfire while drinking and singing. Some would risk     3     (jump) the bonfire, making the night even more     4     (excite). Xueqiang has no accompaniment or tools. Its main features are the stomping (跺脚) and stepping rhythms that are sometimes strong and powerful, sometimes soft and free.

Xueqiang singing is complicated in its tune structure, which is     5     (usual) divided into four parts — intro, bridge, verse, and outro. The intervals are full of ups and downs, while the melody (旋律) is bright and     6     (nature). At the end of the melody, dancers stomp their feet to fill the pause, creating a remarkable ending.

As for the origins of Xueqiang, it can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty    7     Princess Wencheng was sent to marry the King of Tubo,     8     ancient kingdom in Tibet. The local artists got together to compose songs and dances     9     (greet) the princess as she passed through. Eventually, Xueqiang     10     (create), combining the artistic spirits of different ethnic groups co-existing at the time.

4 . 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。

Bing Dwen Dwen, a panda in an ice shell    1    (choose) as the official mascot for the Beijing2022 Winter Games back in 2019.

According to Cao Xue, the chief designer of Bing Dwen Dwen, the idea first came from a traditional Chinese snack bingtanghulu — fruit    2    (coat) in syrup (糖浆), which turned into the ice shell in his design. Later, Cao’s team decided to incorporate (结合) an animal or plant, finally    3    (settle) on a panda. “What else can    4    (well) represent China than our national treasure? ” said Cao. “We don’t need to explain anything to have it understood across different cultures.”    5    , there were already too many cartoon    6    (image) of pandas out there so the mascot needed to be    7    (total) unique and innovative. They visited Wolong Sichuan, to look for    8    (inspire). Cao then decided that it should be a baby panda    9    determined the body proportions (比例) of Bing Dwen Dwen — its body is of the same length    10    its head.

6 . Directions: After reading the passages below, fill in the blanks to make the passages coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank

A birthday is a time when someone celebrates the anniversary of his/her birth. It is the expression of thanking God for your birth and still keeping alive. Birthdays     1     (celebrate)often with parties and gifts and in most parts of the world, it is celebrated in the same ways. But in China, it is completely     2     different and interesting thing.

In Chinese culture, newborn babies are considered to be one year old. A Chinese child’s first birthday party takes place    3     he or she turns two. Parents may surround a child with symbolic items in an attempt     4     (predict) the future.     5     a baby reaches for money, he is believed to be rich as an adult. And a child who grabs a toy airplane may often travel when he/she grows up.

More and more Western-style birthday cakes     6     (make) their way into Chinese birthday celebrations, but the birthday girl or boy traditionally slurps(出声地吃) longevity noodles, which symbolize a long life. An unbroken longevity noodle should fill an entire bowl and    7     (eat) in one continuous line. Family members and close friends    8     cannot attend the party often eat long noodles in honor of the birthday     9     (bring) longevity to the person celebrating. A birthday banquet     10     also include hard-boiled eggs dyed(染色)red to symbolize happiness and dumplings for good fortune.

7 . 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。

Gestures can     1     (use) to express people’s thoughts and opinions in their interactions     2     other people, but in different countries the same gesture may have different meanings. For example, in some countries, looking into the eyes of the person you are talking to     3     (be) a way to display interest, but in many Middle Eastern countries men and women should avoid     4     (make) eye contact. In most countries,     5     (shake) one’s head means “no”, and nodding means “yes”. By     6     (compare), in Bulgaria and southern Albania, the gestures have the opposite meaning. In countries     7     France and Russia, people may kiss their friends on     8     cheek when they meet. Elsewhere, people favour shaking hands, bowing from the waist, or nodding the head when they meet someone else.

All in all, body language     9     (vary) from culture to culture, but it is safe     10     (follow) the golden rule— When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

10 . 结合课文主题, 使用本单元学过的词汇与短语写一篇80词左右的短文
1. 农历(lunar)新年对中国人来说是一个伟大的时刻(occasion)。
2. 作为传统(tradition)的一部分, 房屋被清扫(sweep away), 用植物、水果和鲜花装饰(decorate)。
3. 门上贴着(attach)对联, 大门上挂着红灯笼(lantern)。
4. 在新年前夕, 所有的家庭成员聚在一起(gather together)吃团圆饭。
5. 在那之后, 长串的鞭炮(firecracker)和其他焰火被点爆(let off)迎接新年。
6. 到处都是欢乐(joy)的景象。
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