1 . China is a country with many colorful days and festivals. The Dragon Head Raising Day (Longtaitou) is one of them. This special day is on the second day of the second month in the Chinese lunar calendar (阴历). It stands for the start of spring and farming. This year, the day falls on March 4th.

The dragon is important in Chinese culture. We Chinese people call ourselves the “descendants (传人) of the dragon”. Therefore, people celebrate the Dragon Head Raising Day with many customs about dragons.

On the day in ancient times, people put ashes (灰) in the kitchen. This was to “lead the dragon into the house”. People believed that with the help of the dragon, they could have a good harvest in autumn.

Also, people eat special foods on that day. The foods are usually named after dragons. For example, people eat “dragon whisker (细须)” noodles and dumplings called “dragon teeth”.

Today, many customs have faded away. But one that has remained is the cutting of hair. It was said that a haircut during the first lunar month may bring bad luck to the mother’s brothers. So many people have their hair cut on the Dragon Head Raising Day.

1. Why is the dragon deeply rooted (扎根) in Chinese culture?

A．Chinese people think the dragon is a symbol of power.

B．Chinese people see the dragon as a symbol of good luck.

C．Chinese people think the dragon stands for the start of spring and farming..

D．Chinese people consider themselves the descendants of the dragon.

2. The underlined word in the last paragraph means ________.

A．disappear gradually	B．become stronger
C．run away	D．die off

3. On the day in ancient times, why did people put ashes in the kitchen?

A．Because the dragon liked the ashes.

B．Because the ashes led the dragon into the house.

C．Because the ashes brought a good harvest.

D．Because the ashes could bring good luck.

4. Which custom has been kept according to the passage?

A．Putting ashes in the kitchen.	B．Eating dragon whisker noodles and dumplings.
C．Cutting hair.	D．Eating special foods.

2 . The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms. Minor Snow (小雪) refers to the time when it starts to snow, mostly in China's northern areas, and the temperature continues to drop.

Here are four things you should know about Minor Snow.

Wearing hats and scarves

In China, starting in Minor Snow, the wind blows from the northeast a lot. Because it's still not bitterly cold, many people do not wear hats or scarves yet. In fact, according to an old Chinese saying, "The head is the place where all passages of the body gather". It's sensible to keep one's head warm.

Drinking soup

During Minor Snow, indoor heating begins to work, which means the air indoors is dry and most people might find their nose and mouth feels a bit dry. According to practices in traditional Chinese medicine, this accumulation of "inner heat" in one's body can cause problems, including oral ulcers and breakouts (口腔溃疡和破损). The solution is to drink more hot soup, such as cabbage and bean curd soup, spinach and bean curd soup, and mutton and radish soup.

Making preserved pork

After Minor Snow, the temperature declines sharply and the air becomes dry. It is the best time to start making preserved pork, which by the Chinese Spring Festival would be ready to enjoy. In the past, when storage conditions were poor, people developed many ways to store food and preserved pork is one such example. So even in the bitter winter, the whole family could enjoy meat. Some even say preserved pork tastes more delicious than fresh meat.

Avoiding spicy food

On cold days, people may crave some hot and spicy food to keep warm. Experts say it's wise not to eat overly spicy food, since that will increase your inner heat.

1. Which of the following can best describe Minor Snow?

A．Snowy and cold.	B．Warm and cozy.
C．Golden and windy.	D．Comfortable and cool.

2. Why do people drink soup during Minor Snow?

A．To save food.

B．To keep warm.

C．To solve problems caused by "inner heat".

D．To chase after fashion and follow the tradition.

3. How to keep warm during Minor Snow?

A．Eat overly spicy food.

B．Do not go outside and stay in bed.

C．Make preserved pork with your family.

D．Wear hats and scarves and eat proper hot and spicy food.

3 . Exposure to different cultures is one of the main reasons I enjoy visiting other countries. There are other types of food, interesting people, new experiences.     1    

A country usually has its own money, such as RMB in China, rupee in India, and rufiyaa in Maldives.     2     This can make travel among such countries much easier and more convenient. In my opinion, however, I like having different kinds of money to use and get used to that while I travel.     3     When I visited Thailand and Vietnam last month, getting used to the fact that ₤1 is equal to over 42 Thai baht and 27,000 Vietnamese dong was also quite a good test for my maths skills!

If you’ve ever been to the U.K., you will know the Queen’s head is on every banknote and every coin. I was living in the Quebec province of Canada last year and money there surprised me greatly.     4     This is because she’s also Canada’s Head of State. Images on the Canadian money are various, including former prime ministers, as well as Canadian wildlife like the beaver, caribou and polar bear.

    5     Wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill appears on ₤5 banknotes and writer Jane Austen ₤10 banknotes. The banknotes are also made of a material called polymer rather than paper. In Canada, they are already using polymer banknotes and some people even think that the money smells of maple syrup (枫糖浆)，probably the country’s most well-known food!

A．There are new historical figures on the pound notes.

B．They have the British Queen on their $20 banknotes.

C．Money represents preference and development of a county.

D．Of course, there’re many countries using euros or US dollars.

E．You will also be amazed by the images on the money.

F．One more thing to mention in a new country is a different currency.

G．It’s part of the cultural experience to hold money with a foreign figure.

4 . New movies set holiday eve record

Chinese moviegoers set a box office （票房） record for the eve of the week—long National Day holiday. By 9:30 p.m. September 30, new movies had brought in 630 million yuan.

The major movies contributing to the box office record were My People, My Country, The Captain and The Climbers.

My People, My Country ranked first by bringing in around 270 million yuan. It was made up of seven short stories which were set in historic moments to look back at New China’s 70 years of existence. The movie was co-directed by Chen Kaige, Zhang Yibai, Guan Hu, Xue Xiaolu, Xu Zheng, Ning Hao and Wen Muye.

Another well-received film, The Captain, earned 194 million yuan to occupy second place. Starring actor Zhang Hanyu, the film is based on heroic Sichuan Airlines pilot Liu Chuanjian, who completed one of the most miraculous （奇迹的） emergency landings in China’s civil aviation （民航） history.

Also adapted from real events, The Climbers earned 157 million yuan. With an excellent cast including Zhang Ziyi and Wu Jing, the film is about Chinese mountaineers’ climbing to the top of Mount Qomolangma.

Wu Jing said the film filled a gap in the market, with sports-themed titles quite rare in the world’s second-largest movie market.

Besides the three movies, eight other films will be on during the holiday ending on Oct 7.

1. My people, My country was directed by the following directors except ________.

A．Zhang Yibai	B．Zhang Yimou
C．Chen Kaige	D．Xu Zheng

2. The film The Captain has earned ________ yuan according to the passage.

A．194 million	B．157 million
C．270 million	D．630 million

3. Why did Wu Jing say The Climbers filled a gap in the movie market?

A．Because it is about climbing Mount Qomolangma.

B．Because it is a very successful movie.

C．Because its theme is about sports.

D．Because it is adapted from a real event.

5 . 阅读下列短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Our grandparents seems to have magic powers sometimes. Give them a Chinese lunar calendar    1    they will know what the weather will be like days or even months later.

What's the secret? They are following the 24 Solar Terms (节气),     2    were added on Nov. 30 to the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (人类非物资文化遗产) by the United Nations (UN). It is a knowledge system and social practice    3    (form) through people's observations of the sun's annual movements and its influence on the climate.

The 24 Solar Terms    4    (come) into being during the Qin and Han    5     (dynasty). At that time, most Chinese people made their living on farms, so weather changes were    6    (extreme) important for them. But of course, they had no satellite, internet or weather broadcast    7    (help) them.    8    these difficulties, they managed to work out 24 Solar Terms by studying the sun's movement and also    9    (pay) attention to other natural changes such as air temperature, water and crop growth.

It is honored as China's    10    (five) great invention, after papermaking, printing, the compass and gunpowder. Now, it is still widely used in daily life even in the age of technology-based modern farming.