1 . How Culture Affects Cuisine
It probably happened to you: You ate this incredible dessert in Turkey, you tried this fantastic dish in Spain, and you brought the recipe back home — just to feel the disappointment that what you cooked at home didn’t pass the taste test.
It’s likely that groceries have different qualities in different countries. In the case of the United States and Europe this has very little to do with soil or climate.
Europeans often value quality more than quantity. Of course you will find out-of-season produce on the shelves of grocery stores as well.
Take, for example, Italians produce dry-cured ham (干腌火腿) only during the waning moon that follows the full moon and it is practiced to this day. According to old farmer’s lore, the meat could go bad, if it isn’t cured by the moon.
However, Americans believe in progress and the benefits of technology. It becomes clear why following tradition doesn’t have to be a strong value. Food for U.S. consumers is produced and shipped across the country.
All these consumer choices, based on cultural behaviors, have had a lasting impact on how our food is grown and what it tastes like.
| A．Geography plays another role here. |
| B．Refrigeration makes it possible to store foods longer. |
| C．However, demand for better quality is greater in their countries. |
| D．This great interest in culinary (烹饪的) tradition is a cultural feature. |
| E．The main reason why produce tastes different here and there is choice. |
| F．Food provides the world with one of the only ways to universally communicate. |
| G．Often our culinary preferences have an effect on the vacation destinations we choose. |
2 . Maaseik, a city in Belgium, has opened an exhibition of about 200 relics and treasures of the Tang Dynasty(618 AD - 907 AD), showing China’s golden age of ancient civilisation (文明) .
The exhibition, which opened on May 11 and will continue until Oct. 20, is part of the city’s effort to create a centre of Chinese culture. Belgian Princess Mathilde formally announced the beginning of the exhibition, titled: China’s Golden Age: Treasures from the Tang Dynasty”.
The items, including gold plates and silver wares for royal families, Tang Dynasty tri-colour glazed figurines (小雕像) of women and paintings, have recently been on exhibit in the Dutch city of Assen.
All of the exhibited items are from Shaanxi Province, China. Its provincial capital Xi’an was the most populous (人口众多的) city in the world and once the capital of the Tang Dynasty.
The Tang period is generally regarded as a high point in Chinese civilisation-requal to, or better than that of the earlier Han Dynasty(202 BC-220 AD), a golden age of Chinese culture.
Several years ago, said Dirk Verlaak, vice-mayor of Maaseik, his city and Assen teamed up to host history and culture exhibitions of China’s first two imperial dynasties, the Qin (221 BC-207 BC) and the Han. The Chinese relics and treasures attracted 350, 000 visitors in Assen and 190, 000 in Maaseik.
“Westerners don’t know much about China’s ancient civilisation and history, and we hope the new exhibition in Maaseik can attract more visitors,” said Verlaak.
1. Maaseik held the exhibition in order to ________.| A．make money | B．educate people |
| C．attract foreign visitors | D．spread Chinese culture |
| A．Dirk Verlaak is interested in Chinese history |
| B．All the items in the exhibition are from China |
| C．Assen attracted more visitors than Maaseik several years ago |
| D．This is the first time that Maaseik has held such an exhibition |
| A．Doubtful | B．Content | C．Worried | D．Disappointed |
| A．Tang Dynasty Treasures Exhibited in Belgium |
| B．Tang Dynasty Treasures Discovered in Belgium |
| C．Chinese Culture Goes around the World |
| D．Chinese Civilisation Attracts Foreigners |
3 . It took two years to complete the design work for the Chinese Olympic athletes’ entry uniform. After several rounds of selections and evaluations, final uniform designs with the theme of “making a good start” were officially confirmed in March last year for the Chinese Olympic athletes participating in the Tokyo Olympics.
After designing uniforms for the 2008 Beijing Olympics and Paralympics, the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology has since taken on the task of costume design for a number of major international sporting events, creating uniforms for athletes that confidently express the national identity and image (形象) of China.
Since the appearance of the athletes is a focus of the opening ceremony, an eye-catching color like red is a top choice, especially since it is the primary shade in China’s national flag and also symbolizes energy, enthusiasm and joy in traditional Chinese culture. White — which represents brightness, purity and holiness — plays a softening role in the costume design. The combination of red and white at the opening Ceremony of the Olympics reflects the theme of the design: “making a good start”.
Color along with patterns can convey the visual characteristics of a country and express a more accurate national image. The bottom edge of the white dress for female athletes has China’s national flower, the peony. The source for the pattern was drawn from a Ming Dynasty (1368—1644) peony bowl, which is representative of traditional Chinese aesthetics (美学). The design of the men’s shirts is inspired by the five-star pattern of China’s national flag. It reflects the spirit of the Chinese Olympic team to fight together for national honor.
Professor He Yang, one of the designers behind the uniform, said that one of their considerations during the design process was that the uniform should reflect the traditional Chinese cultural character in an understandable and identifiable way. “We need to strike a balance between cultural representation, etiquette (礼仪) and the spirit of modern Chinese sportsmen,” said He.
1. What is known about the colors of the entry uniform?| A．White is used as the major color of the entry uniform. |
| B．Red is chosen in line with the color of the national flag. |
| C．Red is used as the only color to symbolize Chinese identity. |
| D．The mixture of red and white softens the theme of the uniform. |
| A．The Chinese abundant history. |
| B．The Chinese athletes’ art taste. |
| C．The representative Chinese elements. |
| D．The Chinese athletes’ sports achievements. |
| A．They manage to develop Chinese sports. |
| B．They are devoted to promoting Chinese culture. |
| C．They are qualified to win the world competitions. |
| D．They make efforts to strengthen international cooperation. |
| A．A good start at Tokyo Olympics |
| B．An eye-catching appearance at Tokyo Olympics |
| C．The entry uniform of Chinese athletes for Tokyo Olympics |
| D．The spirit of the Chinese Olympic team to fight for national honor |
1.中国书法的意义：2.鼓励她不要放弃：3.提出你的建议。
注意：
1.词数为100词左右：
2.可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Lucy.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
5 . For more than a century, it was a simple way of making a child’s dreams come true during Christmas. Volunteers could go to the post office, sift through piles of letters that children had sent to Santa Claus and pick one—or more—that tugged (拉、拽) at their heartstrings. Gifts were then acquired, wrapped and shipped to families whose space beneath the tree might otherwise be bare.
With the coronavirus pandemic still raging, however, the US Postal Service announced Monday that it was taking its annual “Operation Santa” campaign nationwide, and that letters to Santa could be read merely online by people across the country.
Some things aren’t changing: Much as it had over the past 108 years, the Postal Service said that it was inviting American children to write letters and to mail them to the North Pole, using a special address and ZIP code and affixing the proper postage.
This year, however, the letters will be uploaded to the Operation Santa website, so long as they are legible and make specific requests for items like toys, clothes or games. Starting December 4, postal customers can then read them and choose to send gifts with their responses, with a signature saying it’s from Santa.
“Covid-19 has caused undue hardships, both financial and emotional, to so many Americans this year,” Kimberly Frum, a spokeswoman for the Postal Service, said in an email. “The program provides kids and families with an opportunity to receive gifts during the holidays from anonymous, generous postal customers.”
Those customers used to review the letters in person, but Operation Santa has moved largely online in recent years after a pilot program in 2017. By 2019, the online operation had expanded to 15 cities, including New York, Chicago, Denver and Grand Rapids, Michigan, to, “enhance the ability for generous people across the nation to help those in need no matter where they live,” Frum said.
So-called legacy programs still operated in New York and Chicago, where customers could go to a post office to read letters in person, but those programs will not be offered this year because of the pandemic, Frum said.
The Postal Service said the Operation Santa program had received hundreds of thousands of letters each year. “It seems like a small thing,” Frum said. “But for anyone who is struggling, it’s a huge deal to be able to give or receive a gift and share in a bit of the joy that is the holiday season.”
1. Among all the families sending letters to Santa, which one is most likely to get the gifts?| A．One who can contact Santa Claus on the Internet easily. |
| B．One who spares sufficient space beneath the Christmas tree. |
| C．One who has financial difficulty preparing gifts for children. |
| D．One who expresses a desire to accomplish a child’s dream. |
| A．All the letters will be uploaded to the Operation website. |
| B．Children are asked to mail their letters to the North Pole. |
| C．People nationwide can only read all the letters on the Internet. |
| D．Santa will make responses to the letters with his signature. |
| A．avoid the potential risk of being infected by Covid-19 |
| B．ease the burden from numerous letters |
| C．encourage more cities to accept this program |
| D．provide more chances to help people in need |
| A．A postal campaign online amid the pandemic. |
| B．Heartfelt support from generous customers. |
| C．Gratitude from the people receiving gifts. |
| D．Opportunities provided by US Postal Service. |
1. 活动时间和地点；
2. 活动内容及意义。
注意：1. 词数80左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节, 以使行文连贯。
7 . An 85-year-old primary school constructed in 1935 in Shanghai has been lifted off the ground in its entirety and relocated using new technology called the “walking machine.” The project marks the first time this “walking machine” method has been used in Shanghai to relocate a historical building.
Urbanization（都市化）has continued to significantly threaten architectural heritage. In the capital Beijing, for instance, more than 1,000 acres of its historic hutongs and traditional courtyard homes were destroyed between 1990 and 2010.
In the early 2000s, cities including Nanjing and Bejjing-due to the critics’ protest about the loss of old neighborhoods-drew up long-term plans to preserve what was left of their historic sites, with protections introduced to safeguard buildings and restrict developers.
These conservation efforts have taken different forms. In Beijing, a near-ruined temple was transformed into a restaurant and gallery, while in Nanjing, a cinema from the 1930s was restored to its original form, with some additions providing it for modern use. In 2019, Shanghai welcomed Tank Shanghai, an arts center built in renovated（重修的）oil tanks.
“Relocation is not the first choice, but better than destroying,” said Lan, the Shanghai primary school’s project supervisor. “I’d rather not touch the historical buildings at all.” Building relocations he said however, are “a workable option.” “The central government is putting more emphasis on the protection of historical buildings. I’m happy to see that progress in recent years.”
Shanghai has arguably been China’s most progressive city when it comes to heritage preservation. The survival of a number of 1930s buildings and 19th-century “shikumen” （or “stone gate”） house have offered examples of how to give old buildings new life.
“We have to preserve the historical building no matter what, ” Lan said. “The relocation has challenges, but in general, it is cheaper than destroying and then rebuilding something in a new location.”
1. How did cities respond to the loss of historical sites?| A．They criticized the developers. | B．They rebuilt the historic hutongs. |
| C．They ended the significant threat. | D．They proposed the protection project. |
| A．All original form. | B．A new addition. | C．A cinema. | D．A temple. |
| A．Provide strong evidence. | B．Introduce different opinions. |
| C．Summarize previous paragraphs. | D．Add some background information. |
| A．Walking Machine: a New Technology | B．Rebuilding: a New Option for Relics |
| C．Old Building Torn down for Modern Use | D．Historical Site “Walks” to New Life |
Why was the ox chosen to be one of the 12 Chinese zodiac signs (生肖)?
Centuries ago, most people earned their living
The ox has long had a significant place in Chinese culture. Ancient Chinese poets and writers frequently
The ox is considered a symbol of diligence and earnestness in Chinese culture. To this day, the phrase “the spirit of ox” still refers to conquering anything
Oxen seldom bully the weak or fear the strong. They work hard and make sacrifices. This is reflected in the poem Self-mockery
So naturally, those who were born in the Year of the Ox are often expected to be hardworking,
9 . For hundreds of years, Africans have preserved their history through storytelling. But some Africans worry that oral traditions will be lost to the Internet connections and social media.
This has led a Nigerian woman named Elizabeth Kperrun to create a mobile phone application as a way to preserve African folk stories. She calls her mobile app AfroTalez, which tells children’s stories that teach moral lessons.
“We can’t teach kids something by telling them, ‘Don’t do this’. I think kids need context to understand. In a story somebody stole something and then something bad happened to them. Alternatively, somebody else did something good and they ended up happy or rich.”
“Hello children. My name is Liz and I’d like to tell you a story about tortoises, elephants, and ...” The voice of “Aunt Liz” narrates the story, while a full-screen animation appears. An arrow signals when it’s time to move on. There are also quizzes on object recognition and counting throughout.
Kperrun asks her older relatives to help her collect stories for the application. The stories come from an ethnic group living in southeast Nigeria and northwest Cameroon. “I want to keep it centered on folk stories, not the ones that Walt Disney has made really popular... It’s fair and respectful to keep certain cultures alive because folk stories are part of the tapestry that keeps cultures together.” Kperrun once said.
Kperrun writes and reads the stories. Her business partner and husband Idamiebi Ilamina-Eremie does the animation (动画).
AfroTalez is available for Android users and can be downloaded for free. So far, AfroTalez has more than 50,000 users. Funding for the app has been a major challenge. Kperrun hopes to use a crowdfunding campaign to help fund the next version of AfroTalez to be released soon.
Kperrun believes technology doesn’t have to destroy or replace traditions. Her goal is to combine them to keep African culture alive. She says “Africa is our home, but we are so eager to become Western that we are forgetting things that are really important and should be passed on of who we are, and I don’t think that’s right.”
1. What caused Elizabeth Kperrun to create the mobile app AfroTalez?| A．Desiring to make money through the Internet. |
| B．Planning to keep technology replacing traditions. |
| C．Dreaming of launching a crowdfunding campaign. |
| D．Worrying about the disappearance of African oral traditions. |
| A．are narrated by Kperrun’s husband |
| B．are familiar to today’s African children |
| C．are as popular as those of Walt Disney’s |
| D．are means to teach children moral lessons |
| A．will destroy African traditions |
| B．is free for Android users |
| C．has released two versions |
| D．faces no financial problems |
| A．Mobile App seeks to preserve African folktales |
| B．African people pass on traditions by storytelling |
| C．It is unwise for a nation to learn from western countries blindly |
| D．Social media lead to the disappearance of African Oral traditions |
10 . It may seem as if Mother's Day was invented by a company named Hallmark, but people have been taking time on the calendar to give a shout-out to Mom for a long time. The Greeks and Romans had mother goddess festivals — although their celebrations didn't involve the menfolk taking their underappreciated mothers out to dinner. A more recent tradition was Mothering Sunday, which developed in the British Isles during the 16th century. On the fourth Sunday in April, young men and women who were living and working apart from their families were advised to return to their mothers’ houses.
Mother's Day as it is observed in the United States started in the 1850s with Ann Jarvis, a West Virginia woman who held “Mothers' Work Days” to promote health and hygiene(卫生 ) at home and in the workplace. During the Civil War, Jarvis organized women to improve sanitary conditions for soldiers on both sides, and after the war she became a peacemaker, furthering the cause by bringing together mothers of Union and Confederate soldiers and promoting a Mother's Day holiday.
Jarvis's work inspired another 19th-century woman, Julia Ward Howe. In 1870 Howe published her “Mother's Day Proclamation”, which envisioned(设想) the day not as appreciation of mothers by their children but as an opportunity for women to exercise their collective power for peace. Howe started holding annual Mother's Day celebrations in Boston, her hometown, but after about a decade she stopped footing the bill and the tradition faded away.
It was Jarvis's daughter Anna who succeeded in getting Mother’s Day recognized as a national holiday. After her mother died, in May 1905, Anna started holding yearly ceremony on the anniversary and conducting a tireless PR campaign to have the day made a holiday. In 1908 she succeeded in enlisting the support of John Wanamaker, the Philadelphia department store magnate and advertising pioneer, and by 1912 West Virginia and a few other states had adopted Mother's Day. Two years later, President Woodrow Wilson signed a resolution declaring the second Sunday in May a national holiday.
It wasn't long, though, before whatever ideals the day was supposed to celebrate were buried under an amount of greeting cards and candy. By the 1920s Anna Jarvis was campaigning against the holiday she had been instrumental in creating. “I wanted it to be a day of emotionalism, not profit,” she said.
1. It can be inferred from the first paragraph that .| A．mothers didn't get enough appreciation in the past |
| B．Mother's Day was invented by Hallmark |
| C．young people all returned to their mothers' houses |
| D．Greeks and Romans were the first to celebrate Mother's Day |
| A．Ann Jarvis. | B．Julia Ward Howe. |
| C．Woodrow Wilson. | D．Anna Jarvis. |
| A．Because it was extremely emotional. |
| B．Because the festival was not profitable. |
| C．Because the celebrations went against the original spirit. |
| D．Because the day was celebrated in the form of exchanging greeting cards and candy. |
| A．The Definition of Mother’s Day |
| B．The Argument on Celebrating Mother's Day |
| C．The Story Behind the Creation of Mother's Day |
| D．Different Forms of Celebration on Mother's Day |
