| A．Rings made of tubes. | B．Coins with a hole. |
| C．Rings made of coins. | D．Coins with an ancient sign. |
| A．When to give it. | B．When to buy it. |
| C．The occasion on which people wear it. | D．The hand on which people wear it. |
| A．Transformation of wedding rings. | B．Ways to make wedding rings. |
| C．Customs related to wedding rings. | D．Commitment in wedding rings. |
Interesting Traditions Around the World
Traditions are passed down from generation to generation to inform us of our history. Some are widespread and taken on by one and all, like celebrating New Year and birthdays, and then there are some that are quite strange or interesting and practiced only by a small group of people.
Famadihana, also called the turning of the bones, is a festival in Madagascar that honors the dead and celebrates family ties. Every seven years or so, families who can afford rich dinners for guests and new clothes for the living families and the dead, celebrate the festival. They give out gifts for the dead and crying is discouraged during the celebration.
Bali’s Day of Silence, or Nyepi, as they call it, is a holiday celebrated with eating little or no food as well as meditation, the practice of thinking deeply in silence. The whole island shuts off all sounds, lights, and all other activities, so there is peace all around. Days before the actual celebration, Balinese people make the ogoh-ogoh (dangerous animals) statues (雕像) that will be used and paraded through the streets the day before Nyepi. The statues are then usually burnt after supposedly attracting dangerous animals.
Having started in Middle Ages, flag throwing has long been popular in Tuscany. As the Italians love a good celebration, army parades were held with marching bands and flag bearers. Since flags are considered sacred, the flag bearers have to make sure that they do not fall to the ground. Today, flag throwing is not just popular in Tuscany but also in the whole of Italy.
Some traditions may sound strange, yet people hold them close to their hearts and still practice the age-old rituals to this day. These rituals are part of their culture and history and are able to shape and describe people.
Outline:
I. Introduction
As a form of historic culture, some traditions are shared altogether and others are
II. Body part
People in Madagascar celebrate Famadihana to honor the dead and
During Nyepi in Bali, people eat little or no food and
Flag throwing features army parades and gains popularity in Italy.
III. Conclusion
People still hold fast to some age-old rituals, because these traditions can
18th Birthday in China
In China many people celebrate their 18th birthday as an important one because that suggests coming of age, which is
In ancient China, the coming-of-age ceremony was an important ritual for a child that was going to set foot
After the ceremony, they were considered adults and
Section B
| A．Rings made of tubes. | B．Coins with a hole. |
| C．Rings made of coins. | D．Coins with an ancient sign. |
| A．When to give it. | B．When to buy it. |
| C．The occasion on which people wear it. | D．The hand on which people wear it. |
| A．Transformation of wedding rings. | B．Ways to make wedding rings. |
| C．Customs related to wedding rings. | D．Commitment in wedding rings. |
5 . Archaeologists are scientists who search for clues that help form a clearer picture of the lives people led in the past. Archaeology is a modern science, but it has been
In the 1700s, scientists and adventurers from a variety of countries traveled
Today，archaeologists uncover the past in many different
| A．advancing | B．changing | C．digging | D．evolving |
| A．books | B．history | C．ruins | D．science |
| A．lost | B．later | C．older | D．several |
| A．inventors | B．scholars | C．visitors | D．writers |
| A．extensively | B．nationwide | C．regularly | D．together |
| A．in progress | B．in good condition | C．on display | D．out of control |
| A．Besides | B．However | C．Instead | D．Meanwhile |
| A．coined | B．considered | C．recognized | D．used |
| A．created | B．developed | C．established | D．investigated |
| A．countries | B．fields | C．locations | D．ways |
| A．certain | B．likely | C．ready | D．necessary |
| A．honorable | B．peaceful | C．rural | D．recent |
| A．gave away | B．gave off | C．left behind | D．left out |
| A．choosing | B．examining | C．studying | D．protecting |
| A．aware of | B．fed up with | C．ignorant of | D．familiar with |
6 . Ivrea is a town in the Piedmont province of northern Italy. It is known for its local carnival（狂欢节）organized in February.
The main part of the carnival is the famous Battle of the Oranges (La battaglia delle arance). The Battle includes nine teams who throw oranges at each other during three carnival days – Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.
Oranges were not always used in the battle. In the middle ages people used beans. Twice a year the local feudal lord gave a pot of beans to the poor families who, as sign of rebellion, threw them out of their homes. Later beans became part of carnival as sort of “ammunition” for throwing at people passing by.
It is still not known why exactly people started using oranges. It is believed that the origin for this tradition is in the mid 19th century. The legend says that local girls, standing on balconies, started to throw some oranges, together with confetti, lupins(白羽扇豆)and flowers, onto the parade carriages. The girls actually wanted to draw attention of boys in the carriages. Boys “answered” by throwing some objects back at girls. Little battle started that way.
Battle of the Oranges got strict rules after the World War II. The battles are organized on town's squares. The battles are fought between teams in carriages (symbolizing local the guards of local tyrant(恶霸)) and the teams walking beside those carriages (symbolizing rebellious people of Ivrea).
Oranges for the event are brought from the island of Sicily. The oranges used are of low quality, not suitable for humans. About 270,000 kilograms of oranges are used each year.
The carnival ends with a silent march on the night of “Fat Tuesday”. The Carnival "general" says goodbye to everyone with the phrase "See you next Fat Thursday at 1 p.m."
Special prizes are awarded to three best foot teams, three carriages drawn by two horses and three carriages drawn by four horses. Different elements are judged like for example throwing ability, fair play or decoration of carriages.
1. The word "ammunition" (paragraph 3) is closest in meaning to________.| A．decoration | B．bullets | C．advertisement | D．presents |
| A．the Carnival general | B．the local feudal lord |
| C．the rebellious people of Ivrea | D．the guards of local tyrant(暴君) |
| A．In the middle ages, people threw beans out of homes as a sign of rebellion. |
| B．Girls throw oranges towards carriages in the parade to attract the attention of boys inside. |
| C．Tons of oranges are used every year to hold the festival. |
| D．People started to throw oranges because they are of low quality and not suitable to eat. |
| A．A traditional activity in an Italian carnival |
| B．The origin of Battle of the Orange |
| C．How people enjoy themselves in the Orange Carnival |
| D．The rules of activities in carnivals in Italy |
7 . For Western designers, China and its rich culture have long been an inspiration for Western creative.
“It’s no secret that China has always been a source(来源) of inspiration for designers,” says Amanda Hill, chief creative officer at A+E Networks, a global media company and home to some of the biggest fashion(时尚) shows.
Earlier this year, the China Through A Looking Glass exhibition in New York exhibited 140 pieces of China-inspired fashionable clothing alongside Chinese works of art, with the aim of exploring the influence of Chinese aesthetics(美学) on Western fashion and how China has fueled the fashionable imagination for centuries. The exhibition had record attendance, showing that there is huge interest in Chinese influences.
“China is impossible to overlook,” says Hill. “Chinese models are the faces of beauty and fashion campaigns that sell dreams to women all over the world, which means Chinese women are not just consumers of fashion — they are central to its movement.” Of course, not only are today’s top Western designers being influenced by China—some of the best designers of contemporary fashion are themselves Chinese. “Vera Wang, Alexander Wang, Jason Wu are taking on Galliano, Albaz, Marc Jacobs—and beating them hands down in design and sales,” adds Hill.
For Hill, it is impossible not to talk about China as the leading player when discussing fashion. “The most famous designers are Chinese, so are the models, and so are the consumers,” she says. “China is no longer just another market; in many senses it has become the market. If you talk about fashion today, you are talking about China—its influences, its direction, its breathtaking clothes, and how young designers and models are finally acknowledging that in many ways.”
1. What can we learn about the exhibition in New York?| A．It promoted the sales of artworks. | B．It attracted a large number of visitors. |
| C．It showed ancient Chinese clothes. | D．It aimed to introduce Chinese models. |
| A．They are setting the fashion. | B．They start many fashion campaigns. |
| C．They admire super models. | D．They do business all over the world. |
| A．learning from | B．looking down on | C．working with | D．competing against |
| A．Young Models Selling Dreams to the World |
| B．A Chinese Art Exhibition Held in New York |
| C．Differences Between Eastern and Western Aesthetics |
| D．Chinese Culture Fueling International Fashion Trends |
