1 . Five of the Most Interesting Customs in the World

Switzerland- -Honesty shopping

There are little shops in the middle of the Swiss Alps that allow you to buy your fresh cheese, milk, bread, honey,and butter without anyone to watch you. In fact, no one watches these shops because they are owned by farmers who are out taking care of the animals.

South Korea—NOT tipping

Tipping is in the blood for someone who is raised in the United States along with many other European countries. But in South Korea, employees in the food service industry are given fair wages and take pride in their work,and it is disrespectful to attempt to tip them.

Iceland—Christmas Eve books giving

People puzzle over the question of Christmas gifts. Iceland has solved this problem with the Christmas Eve tradition of giving a book. After everyone unwraps the books, they spend the evening reading together.

Japan—Pushers on the subway

Japan’s subway is crowded during rush hours. But instead of settling for the inefficiency that personal space demands,Japan has“pushers" . They are exactly what they sound like- -employees whose only job during rush hour is to push more people onto the train.

Russia—Offering vodka

It is the custom to welcome new friends with shots of vodka. What better way to break the ice than with some stomach-warming shots of this Russian tradition? That’s something we can all toast to, or, as they say in Russia, “Na zdorovye!”

1. In which of the countries is it a tradition to give books as a Christmas gift?

A．Japan.

B．South Korea.

C．Iceland.

D．Russia.

2. What can we learn from the text?

A．Tipping is in the blood for people in South Korea.

B．“Pushers” in Japan help you get off the train faster.

C．It is common to welcome guests with vodka in Japan.

D．No one watches you shop in some Swiss little shops.

3. Who might be the target readers?

A．Those who want to learn Russian.

B．Those who are fond of natural scenery.

C．Those who are interested in global customs.

D．Those who intend to travel in their home country.

2 . What does the man think about the concept of “national character”?

A．It's reliable.

B．It's inaccurate.

C．It's offensive.

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。

When foreigners come to China, they may be     1     (surprise) at Chinese's special fondness and preference for seals (印章). To Chinese, seals are an art of deep cultural roots,     2     combines the essence of both calligraphy(书法) and sculpture and inspires generations to study, to appreciate and to collect.

It is believed that seals came out as early as 8,000 years ago     3     our ancestors could make pottery wares(陶瓷)and had private property. They tried to make marks on their own possessions     4     (prevent) them from being stolen.

When the first dynasty     5     (found).the king began to use seals to empower(投权)and to show lordly credits. Only the king's special seal was then called “Xi”     6     (represent) the highest authority. The first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, had his “Xi” made out of     7     is called “Heshi Bi”.

Then the local governments also needed seals for,     8     same function. Meanwhile, private seals were carved in     9     (variety) of lucky characters and vivid animal patterns.     10     (gradual), the sphragistics (印章学) came into being.

6 . 听下面一段对话，回答以下小题。
1. How long will it take the speakers to get to Adventure Park by car?

A．About 1.5 hours.

B．About 2 hours.

C．About 2.5 hours.

2. What might the woman dislike to do?

A．Pay a visit to the zoo.

B．Go for a picnic.

C．Swim in a small pool.

3. Where do the speakers decide to go?

A．Art museum.

B．Water World.

C．Adventure Park.

7 . Culture can affect not just language and customs, but also how people experience the world on surprisingly basic levels.

Researchers, with the help of brain scans, have uncovered shocking differences in perception(感知) between Westerners and Asians, what they see when they look at a city street, for example, or even how they perceive a simple line in a square, according to findings published in a leading science journal

In western countries, culture makes people think of themselves as highly independent entities(实体) .When looking at scenes, Westerners tend to focus more on central objects than on their surroundings. East Asian cultures, however emphasize inter-dependence. When Easterners look at a scene, they tend to focus on surroundings as well as the object.

Using an experiment involving two tasks, Dr Hedden asked subjects to look at a line simply to estimate its length, a task that is played to American strengths. In another, they estimated the line's length relative to the size of a square, an easier task for the Asians.

The level of brain activity, by tracking blood flow, was then measured by Brain Scanners. The experiment found that although there was no difference in performance, and the tasks were very easy, the levels of activity in the subjects’ brains were different. For the Americans, areas linked to attention lit up more, when they worked on the task they tended to find more difficult--estimating the line's size relative to the square. For the Asians, the attention areas lit up more during the harder task also--estimating the line's length without comparing it to the square. The findings are a reflection of more than ten years of previous experimental research into east-west differences

In one study, for instance, researchers offered people a choice among five pens, four red and one green. Easterners were more likely to choose a red pen while Westerners were more likely to choose the green one.

Culture is not affecting how you see the world, but how you choose to understand and internalize(使内化) it. But such habits can be changed. Some psychological studies suggest that when an Easterner goes to the West or vice versa, habits of thought and perception also begin to change. Such research gives us clues on how our brain works and is hopeful for us to develop programs to improve our memory, memory techniques and enhance and accelerate our learning skills.

1. According to the passage, Chinese people are most likely to_________.

A．emphasize independent thinking more

B．always focus more on their surroundings

C．focus on the context as well as object

D．think of Westerners as highly independent entities

2. We know from the passage that people's brains will be more active when_________.

A．the task is much easier

B．the blood flow is tracked

C．people begin to choose colors

D．the task is more difficult

3. What do the findings of the experiments mentioned in the passage indicate?

A．They indicate that culture has a great impact on the way people talk and behave.

B．They show that Easterners and Westerners have great differences in perceiving the world

C．They suggest that people's habits of thought and perception can be changed in different cultures.

D．They make it clear that Easterners and Westerners lay emphasis on different things

4. It can be inferred from the passage that_________.

A．Easterners prefer collectivism to individualism

B．East Asian cultures lay more emphasis on independence

C．It took over ten years to find out how to improve our brainpower

D．Americans will change their habits of perception when they're in Britain

8 . I’d never been to a Day of the Dead festival before. As my dad and I looked around for seats, I _______ Marco, my best friend, hurrying toward us. “Hi, Mr. O’kane,” he _______ my dad. Then he turned to me. “Nate! Will you help me?"

“Whatever you need,” I said.

Marco threw me parts of a _______ : Mexican sandals（凉鞋）, a straw hat, a cane(手杖), a gray wig, and an“ old man” mask（面具）. “My cousin couldn’t_______ !” Marco’s voice rang with worry.

“It’s part of a traditional dance” he said.

“You expect me to dance? ” I _______ . “I don’t dance!”

Marco smiled. “It’ll be fun. And hurry! We’re _______ late.”

“ We’re going to do a lot of stomping(跺脚). Slow at first. Keep one hand _______ on your back, like an old man with an ache.” added Marco.

The speakers _______ : “Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for The Dance of the Little Old Men!”

“Be quick,” Marco _______ to me to follow his lead.

We all began stomping slowly to music. I could only see ________ the small holes of the mask. I continued to stomp, trying to ________ what to do. I leaned on my cane and kept a hand low on my back. After a few minutes of dancing like that, my back ________ started to ache.

The music ________ . And we stomped quickly. Performing with Mexican sandals was ________ . People laughed as we hopped and kicked, but after a moment the laughter turned into cheers.

Marco gave me a thumbs-up. As the audience clapped for our group, I said to him happily, “You were right. That was ________ .”

1.

A．watched

B．spotted

C．monitored

D．observed

2.

A．satisfied

B．ignored

C．contacted

D．greeted

3.

A．suit

B．chain

C．decoration

D．costume

4.

A．make it

B．get it

C．focus on

D．go through

5.

A．chatted

B．despaired

C．hesitated

D．replied

6.

A．staying

B．running

C．working

D．changing

7.

A．up

B．high

C．low

D．down

8.

A．shouted

B．announced

C．defined

D．issued

9.

A．signaled

B．pointed

C．moved

D．complained

10.

A．through

B．in

C．over

D．under

11.

A．bring about

B．carry on

C．figure out

D．put out

12.

A．extremely

B．possibly

C．truly

D．finally

13.

A．disappeared

B．sped up

C．started

D．faded away

14.

A．typical

B．brief

C．tough

D．flexible

15.

A．significant

B．creative

C．beneficial

D．fun

9 . Color is considered one of the most useful and powerful design tools you have. People respond to different colors in different ways. Colors tell someone if you are friendly. In the same way they affect whether someone will continue clicking through your website. Colors determine if someone will start reading your article in a magazine or post on your website.

Colors also help to keep people involved on your website and determine how long they stay. Of course that’s not just about the content. Colors also influence how people will respond and behave.

The next time you go into a fast-food restaurant, look closely at the colors. Do they decorate with vivid reds and oranges because they encourage diners to eat and leave quickly like many of the fast-food establishments(企业)？That is exactly the response they want.

Different cultures have different attitudes and preferences; thus, they will have another color reaction. In China, “white” stands for death and in Brazil, it is the color purple while in America it is black. People from warm countries respond favorably to warm colors; people from colder climates prefer cooler colors. In America, green is associated with jealousy or money. Blue (the most popular) is associated with trust, responsibility, belonging and coolness.

This also means that color affects shopping habits. Different colors attract different kinds of customers. Red, orange, black and royal blue attract impulse(冲动的)buyers. Pink, light blue and navy attract smart budget shoppers. There is really a lot into it. To experience this, why not click on the following large companies’ websites that have spent the funds on this type of research now?

1. This passage mainly tells us ______

A．what colors mean to people in different countries.

B．colors affect people in many different countries.

C．which kind of color does good to people’s health.

D．a good website should have as many kinds of colors as possible.

2. According to this passage, which of the following is TRUE?

A．Reds and oranges in a restaurant will make you stay there longer.

B．In Brazil, the color purple is associated with death.

C．People from warm countries will like cooler colors better.

D．People’s shopping habits will not be affected by colors

3. What would the author probably talk about in the next paragraph?

A．To offer some large companies’ websites.

B．To introduce what colors mean in different countries.

C．To tell us how to use colors in our daily life.

D．To give more examples about successful restaurants.

10 . Language teachers, learners and other professionals across the USA are celebrating National Grammar Day on March 4. The holiday, created by Martha Brockenbrough in 2008, celebrates the rules and best practices for the English language. Brockenbrough is the founder of the Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar, or SPOGG, which operates a website where Brockenbrough writes about different language issues.

Mignon Fogarty, who is organizing National Grammar Day celebrations this year, wrote the book “Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing.” Fogarty appeared on the NBC television program “Today” on Wednesday. She discussed new additions to the English language. “People think that dictionaries choose new words because they are proper, she said.” But mostly they choose words because people use them.”

The American Dialect Society chooses a word every year that is new or used in a new way .The choice for 2015 Word of the Year was “they,” used to refer to “he” or “she”. The Oxford English Dictionary adds new words after finding evidence people are using the words often. Researchers for the dictionary also look for evidence the words will be used well into the future.

Grammarly is a software application, or app, which can study writing and find grammar mistakes. In preparation for National Grammar Day, Grammarly studied the writing on the Twitter accounts of the 50 people with the most followers in the world and counted the average number of mistakes in their writing. Then the top 10 accounts with the fewest mistakes were listed.

Comedian Conan O’Brien had the best grammar. He averaged 0.21 mistakes for every 100 words he wrote. Businessman Bill Gates had the second best grammar, with an average of 0.22 mistakes. President Barack Obama came third with an average of 0.26 mistakes.

The National Grammar Day website has many resources for language learners. You can celebrate the day by reading our weekly series “Everyday Grammar.”

1. National Grammar Day is created to ________.

A．celebrate the birth of English grammar

B．improve the standard use of English

C．found the Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar

D．publish different language issues

2. From the passage, we know new words are added in dictionaries mainly because they are ________.

A．properly used	B．frequently used
C．newly used	D．hardly used

3. Using Grammarly, we can ________.

A．read articles online	B．correct errors in spelling
C．find grammar mistakes in writings	D．check accounts of famous people

4. What’s the main idea of the passage?

A．Grammar is important to language learners.

B．Grammarly is a useful software application.

C．Famous people make fewer grammar mistakes.

D．National Grammar Day is celebrated in some way.