1 . A British friend told me he couldn't understand why Chinese people love eating sunflower seeds (葵花子) as a snack so much. “I’ve met a lot of older Chinese and many have a crack in their front teeth; I believe that's from cracking the seeds,” he said.

I had never noticed the habit, but once he mentioned it, I suddenly became more aware. I realized that whenever I’m watching TV or typing a report, I always start mindlessly cracking sunflower seeds. My friend doesn't like sunflower seeds, and, to him, it seems unnecessary to work so hard just to get one small seed.

When we were young, the whole family would usually get together for Chinese New Year. Then, we all lived close to one another, usually in a small city, and sometimes even neighbors would go doortodoor on Chinese New Year’s Eve to check out what every household was making.

I remember my parents would be in the kitchen cooking. In the living room, a large table would already be laid out, complete with a fancy tablecloth, readymade dumpling fillings, and dishes full of candy, fruits and sunflower seeds.

Some of the dishes were to be offered to our ancestors later, while others were for neighbors and children to eat before the evening feast. I must have learned how to crack sunflower seeds back then.

I don’t think it’s right to criticize one’s choice in food or eating habits, no matter how strange they may seem.

It’s not only in China. When I went abroad, I found people had all sorts of strange habits when it came to food. In Denmark, they put salted red fish on bread and eat it for dinner, no matter how much it ruins their breath. They think it’s a delicacy, and it’s connected with their culture. I think it’s a wonderful tradition.

1. What lesson can we learn from the passage?

A．One kind of food doesn’t necessarily suit everyone.

B．Eating habits come from a certain culture.

C．It is good to form healthy eating habits.

D．Changing your eating habits will change your life.

2. What did the writer become aware of?

A．She had ever typed a report about seeds.

B．She ate various snacks while watching TV.

C．She has a habit of cracking sunflower seeds.

D．She damaged her teeth by eating sunflower seeds.

3. What does the writer prove by mentioning Chinese New Year?

A．The traditions of celebrating it disappear.

B．Children can eat delicious food on that day.

C．The families would get together for it.

D．Eating sunflower seeds is related to it.

4. The writer’s attitude to Denmark’s way of eating bread is ________．

A．acceptable	B．critical
C．neutral	D．doubtful

4 . 阅读下列材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。

In Asia, especially the so-called “rice bowl” cultures of China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam, food is usually eaten with    1    (chopstick).

Chopsticks are usually two long, thin pieces of wood or bamboo. They can also    2     (make) of plastic or mental. Sometimes chopsticks are quite artistic.    3    (true) elegant chopsticks might be with Chinese characters. Skilled workers also combine various hardwoods    4    metal to create special designs.

Five thousand years ago, Chinese people probably cooked their food in large pots,    5    (use) branches to remove it. Food in small pieces could be eaten easily with branches     6    gradually turned into chopsticks.

Some people think that the great Chinese scholar Confucius, who lived     7    551 to 479 BC, influenced the     8    (develop) of chopsticks. Confucius believed knives would remind people of killings and     9    (be) too violent for use at the table.

Chopsticks are not used everywhere in Asia. In India, most people traditionally eat     10    their hands.

5 . The British Sense of Humour

The British are known for their sense of humor. However, it is often difficult for foreigners to make sense of their jokes. The main thing to remember is that the British like to make fun of themselves as well as others.     1     Another key to understanding British humor is to know that the British often use understatement.

Understatement means saying less than you think or feel. For example, if someone is very impolite and shouts at another person, someone else might say, 'She isn’t exactly friendly.' Understatement is often used in unpleasant situations or to make another person look silly.     2    

The British like to make fun of many other things. They often laugh about the silly and terrible things that happen to us every day, like when someone accidentally falls over in the street. They also like to make jokes about people from different classes of society.     3    Finally, the British love to watch comedies about people who do not know how to behave in society. The comedy programme Mr. Bean is a good example of this kind of humor.

    4    In pictures, he almost never talks, and instead he uses his body movement and facial expressions to make people laugh. Perhaps what makes Mr. Bean so funny is that he does things that adults in the real world cannot do. For instance, once Mr. Bean bought a large chair. He needed to take it home, but it was too big to fit in his small car. His solution was to put the chair on top of his car.     5    Mr. Bean is popular in many countries around the world because you do not have to speak English to understand the humor. Because of this, many people can better understand the British sense of humor.

A．British humor brings people laughter and content.

B．Understatement plays an important part in British humor.

C．Then, he sat in the chair and used a broom to drive the car!

D．They also like to make jokes about situations that are quite serious.

E．Throughout the film, the audience were amused by his convincing acting.

F．Mr. Bean is the character created by British actor Rowan Atkinson in 1990.

G．Such jokes are normally about their accents, the way they dress and the way they behave.

6 . After shopping for deals in stores on “Black Friday”, or online on “Cyber Monday”, Americans and people worldwide are preparing for newly popular “Giving Tuesday”. Starting in 2012, now the global event that is celebrated annually on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving is the brainchild of 92^nd Street Y, a cultural center in New York City and the United Nations Foundation.

As the name indicates, “Giving Tuesday” is meant to restart the charitable season and therefore observed by raising funds for local nonprofits and schools, organizing food and clothing drives, and conducting random acts of kindness. In 2015, 700,000 people from 71 countries came together to donate $116.7 million in cash. An additional $1.08 million was spent on gifts.

While the easiest way to participate is by donating to your favorite charity, this day can be celebrated in many other ways too. You can give back by volunteering at your local shelter or food bank, or even by donating blood. If all else fails, a purchase from the growing number of organizations that give a portion of their sales to charity will do the trick.

But perhaps the best way to celebrate the day is by helping those nearest and dearest to you. Assist a family member with a simple chore like folding laundry, cooking dinner, or even reading to a younger sibling. No matter what you do, be sure to share your good deed on social media and inspire others to celebrate “Giving Tuesday” as well!

1. What’s the main purpose of “Giving Tuesday”?

A．To persuade more people to shop online.

B．To make Thanksgiving Day enjoyable.

C．To encourage more people to do charity.

D．To get voluntary work better known.

2. Why does the author advise sharing good deeds on social media?

A．To donate money to local schools.

B．To keep a record of one’s experience.

C．To help people make new friends.

D．To make “Giving Tuesday” more popular.

3. Which section of a website does the text probably come from?

A．Business.

B．Culture.

C．Education.

D．Lifestyle.

7 . 阅读下面短文，在标有序号的空白处填入一个适当的词，或填入括号中单词的正确形式。

There is a gigantic study that’s been done in 38 cultures.     1    turns out that in every culture, both males and females desire their potential mates to be bright. But we don’t have our IQs     2     (print) on our forehead. How do we know that someone’s     3    (intelligence)? In Western cultures, at least, it’s often by the person’s sense of humor. Because creating and appreciating jokes both require us to make     4     (connect) between many separate pieces of information,     5     (have) a sense of humor shows that we possess a wide knowledge and     6     we know how to think about things in novel and creative ways.

Take a cartoon     7     example: a mouse is standing outside his house, having just pulled a gun on a cat, who pretends to give in by raising one paw (爪). “Six rounds. Nine lives. You do the math,” the cat says. In order to appreciate this joke, you need to know that mice are     8     (usual) the victims of cats, many guns have six bullets (子弹), and cats     9     (say) to have nine lives because of their ability to always land on their feet. You also need to be able to do some math     10     (understand) that the cat has the advantage in this scene after all.

8 . It’s a typical cold English Sunday afternoon in March. The light is slowly fading, but all-over British people are working in their gardens. They’re digging, cutting leaves and planting new seeds. By summer, their gardens will be full of bright colours.

The British love their gardens. A British newspaper recently asked people for their opinions about them. Seventy percent of the people felt it was important to spend time in the garden, and over half of these described gardening as the most enjoyable thing they ever did.

Only one in ten houses in Britain do not have a garden. People who live in houses without gardens often rent land cheaply from the government to grow flowers or vegetables. You can, of course, just grow house plants inside or on your balcony.

In the nineteenth century, however, gardening became a hobby. About the same time, better transport meant people could buy different kinds of seeds and plants for their gardens. Although roses, sunflowers, onions and tomatoes are often grown in British gardens, they originally grew wild in other countries.

In many villages and towns there are competitions for the gardens that are best looked-after. This year the winner was a little village in Northern Ireland called Ahoghill. It’s already won four prizes for its beauty. People also take part in competitions to grow the largest vegetables, but don’t expect to win: Britain’s biggest carrot is almost six metres long.

1. We can learn from the first three paragraphs that ________.

A．most British families have their own gardens

B．British people only work in their gardens on warm days

C．British people spend quite a fortune on their gardening hobby

D．in the UK, old people love gardening more than young people do

2. What do we know about British gardening in the nineteenth century?

A．Gardens were mainly used to produce food to eat.

B．Gardening became a popular activity for poor people.

C．Transportation development added variety to garden plants.

D．Local garden plants were introduced to overseas countries.

3. What is the passage mainly about?

A．How to look after a garden.	B．What British gardens look like.
C．The history of gardening in the UK.	D．The British public’s love of gardens.

9 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。

I have taught in China for about two months now. The biggest challenge for me     1    (be) that sometimes plans in China change unexpectedly     2    (compare) to the British way of life.

In China it is common to be asked to attend an event last minute. For example, three days     3    (early) a fellow teacher invited me to deliver a spontaneous(即席的) speech to room of 250 students. As you can imagine, at first this cultural difference was difficult     4    (understand), especially since in the UK most arrangements     5    (make) a week ahead！

However, once you adapt(适应) to the Chinese lifestyle and accept that in China no plan is definite and     6     everything can change     7    (sudden), you begin to relax more. These differences are not bad, and in fact help me develop many different     8    (skill), including public speaking.

I am often reminded of the many wonderful aspects of China,     9     never fail to amaze me, such as the overcrowded buses, the lights of the city, the kindness of strangers and of course the “change of plan”！ These difference are what makes China such     10     interesting place and makes my experience so exciting！

10 . Culture shock isn’t a clinical term or medical conditions. It’s simply a common way to describe the confusing and nervous feelings a person may have after leaving a familiar culture to live in a different culture.     1     That can be exciting, but it can also be overwhelming(不可抗拒的).

Everyone feels the pressure to fit in at one time or another—whether they’ve lived in the area for days or years. But don’t feel like you need to change everything about yourself so you can stand out less.     2    

Here are a few tips for making sure your new culture doesn’t overpower the old:

Educate people about your culture. Just because you’re the one entering the new culture doesn’t mean you should be the one doing all the learning.     3     They may know little about it. It will also help them to learn more about you in the process.

Find a support group. Find kids in your class or neighborhood who recently moved, too. You can share experiences.

    4     You probably left behind good friends and family when you moved. If it’s going to be a long time until your next visit, keep in touch. You also left behind other things—like your favourite spot to hang out. Keep pictures around to remind you of home.

Remember, it’s important to be yourself.     5     You will have your own pace of adjusting. As long as you find a good combination between old and new, you’ll be fine.

A．Keep in touch with home.

B．Understand the new culture.

C．But the good news is that culture shock is temporary.

D．When you move to a new place, you’re bound to face a lot of changes.

E．Try not to force yourself to change too fast or too many things all at once.

F．All of your experiences before you came to your new home are part of you.

G．Take the opportunity to teach classmates and new friends about your culture.