Xi’an, or Chang’an as it was called for many centuries, has been a built-up urban (城市的) area for over 3,000 years, and once     1     (serve) as the capital of 13 dynasties. It is home     2     many immovable cultural heritages, three of     3     are on the UNESCO’s The World Heritage List.

These days, the city has made     4     (effect) exploration in building modernity while preserving historical legacy (遗产). A recent piece of news announced by Shaanxi’s cultural relic authority caused nationwide attention, that a ruin of an ancient capital     5       (date) back to Qin Dynasty was unearthed during the construction of the Xi’an Metro Line 5. In order to protect the ruin, the metro line may have to change     6     (it) route.

    7     (face) with the heavy and important task of protecting cultural relics while promoting urban construction, Xi’an made active     8     (attempt). Rails of the metro system are built 15 to 20 meters underground in order to protect the ancient tombs which are     9     (usual) buried in the layer within 5 meters from the surface level. Besides, the metro constructors have also painted the walls inside the stations with historical stories, presenting     10     visual feast for citizens.

2 . “It’s raining cats and dogs!” Although this phrase isn’t very common in England any more, it clearly shows we don’t always say what we mean. One thing that is often frustrating for language learners is that they understand every word in a sentence and yet the meaning remains unclear - like this sentence that actually means “It’s raining heavily!” However, it’s not just idioms that cause difficulties for people learning English.

The British are often considered to be polite but this can be very confusing for non-native speakers. We often don’t say what we are thinking—in fact we often say the opposite! Here’s an example that will hopefully explain what I mean: “You should come around for tea!”

British people are less open than people from other cultures, so we aren’t as quick to invite people into our homes. This phrase is one of those that we say but often don’t really mean, so when no further details are given, you can probably assume (认为) it was made in the name of politeness! But how does this compare to other countries?

When I lived in India, lots of people would invite me into their homes but I always assumed that they were just being polite. Of course, I was wrong. The invitations were almost always genuine, and people expected me to visit them. In fact, I think I spent more time at other people’s houses than my own!

In England, we often think it’s polite to offer or suggest something even if we don’t actually want to do it, while in other cultures people are more direct. Perhaps if English people just say what they were thinking, things would be a lot easier—especially for non-native speakers!

5 . Durga and Amiko became best friends shortly after Durga's family moved to Texas from India. Amiko, who was Japanese American, enjoyed hearing Durga describe her life in India. Amiko also loved being invited for dinner at Durga's house. The spicy Indian dishes that Durga's mother cooked were delicious. Durga wanted to know about life in Japan. Amiko explained that her grandparents had come to the United States from Japan but that she had never been there herself. One Saturday at the public library, Durga and Amiko saw a flyer(广告传单) about the Festival of Cultures. After reading the flyer, the two girls decided that the festival would be a great way to learn about each other's cultures as well as various cultures in other countries.       

The Festival of Cultures is an annual event to celebrate the wide range of cultures found in our great state. People representing 40 cultural groups will share their traditions and customs. Here are just a few of the festival's many activities.

Crafts: See the fine art of basket weaving from Vietnam and Zimbabwe. Watch the delicate art of making paper umbrellas from Thailand and the decorative craft of papel picado, or paper cutting, from Mexico. All craft demonstrations provide a firsthand view of how things are made. You will appreciate the process involved in making these products.

Music and Dance: Experience musical instruments that you have never heard before. Listen to the music of a shô from Japan, a bull-roarer from Australia, a sitar from India, and a chakay from Thailand. You will also be entertained by folk dances from around the world, such as the troika from Russia and the mayim mayim from Israel. From 1:00 p.m. to3:00p.m. On14August, specialfolk-dancingclassesforchildrenwillbeoffered. Children ages 6–8 can learn the kinderpolka from Germany. Children ages 9–12 can learn the raspa from Mexico.

Storytelling:Listen for hours as professional storytellers charm you with captivating tales. Fables, folktales, and ballads from various countries will be told. Back by popular demand is Gwendolyn Washington, a famous African American storyteller.

Food: Enjoy irresistible foods from other countries, such as gyros from Greece, seafood paella from Spain, crêpes from France, and tandoori chicken from India. These tasty dishes will be difficult to pass up.

The Festival of Cultures is sponsored by the World Marketplace. For more information about the festival, call (800) 555-0199.

Yours,

Li Hua

7 . Today, when we read books, road signs and posters, it’s probably hard to imagine that only half a century ago, about 40 percent of the world’s adults were still illiterate (文盲的), according to data from UNESCO. In response to this situation, UNESCO decided to name Sept. 8 as International Literacy Day, starting from 1967.

Every year, the day is celebrated to stress the importance of literacy and the progress that has been made, which itself is huge—in 2019, the global adult literacy rate rose to 86 percent, while the youth literacy rate was as high as 91 percent, according to UNESCO.

This raises a question: If the mission to promote literacy has basically been accomplished, why do we still celebrate this day? The truth is that the definition of “literacy” keeps changing. For example, the theme for 2007 and 2008 International Literacy Day was “Literacy and health”, which targeted people’s ignorance of diseases like HIV and malaria (疟疾). For 2017, the focus was on “Literacy in a digital world”, because not knowing anything about the Internet in today’s world is just like lacking basic reading abilities in the 1960s—it’s the “new illiteracy”.

The focus for this year’s International Literacy Day is “Literacy and skills development”. But the skills in question are not job-specific skills, such as those required to be an electrician or a chef. Instead, the focus will be on “transferable (可转移的) skills”—communication, critical thinking, teamwork, and creativity, to name a few. These are the things that allow us to do our job well—any job.

Festivals and celebrations have many origins, some     1     (religion), some seasonal and some     2     memory of special people or events. Some festivals are held     3     (honor) or satisfy our ancestors. People light lamps and play music     4     they think this will lead the ancestors back to earth. India honors Mohandas Gandhi who helped gain India’s     5     (independent) from Britain. And the Chinese Lunar New Year is     6     most energetic and important festival. Children look forward to     7     (dress) up and people may give them lucky money in red paper. Harvest and thanksgiving festivals    8     be happy events. People are grateful because their food     9     (gather) for the winter and the agricultural work is over. Japan,     10     (cover) with cherry tree flower, has Cherry Blossom Festivals. No matter what the reason is, festivals are always times for great feasts with lots to eat, and generally lots of fun.

10 . The Chinese word “Shanzhai” means a small mountain village, but now it becomes an accepted name for fakes, after “Shanzhai Cell-phones” produced by small workshops in southern China became popular in the mainland market over the past two years. Besides “Shanzhai” electronic products, there are “Shanzhai” movies, “Shanzhai” stars and even a “Shanzhai” Spring Festival Gala, a copy of the 25-year-old traditional show presented by CCTV on Chinese Lunar New Year’s Eve.

“Shanzhai” has become a culture of its own, meaning anything that imitates something famous. In Chongging, “Shanzhai” version “Bird’s Nest” and “Water Cube” woven by farmers with bamboo attracts wide attention from tourists. Both are copies of the famous Olympic buildings in Beijing.

A literature critic said that taking the “Shanzhai” Gala as an example, when the traditional CCTV program becomes less and less attractive to the audience, the “Shanzhai” version appears timely to attract people. “Although it is often connected with poor techniques and operation, ‘Shanzhai’ culture meets the psychological needs of common people and could be a comfort to their minds,” he said.

To the mainstream culture, the rise of “Shanzhai” culture is a challenge and a motivation. People believe different kinds of cultures developing together is a perfect way and it is for the public to choose.