2 . In the long history of about 5,000 years, numerous Chinese traditional festivals were celebrated in memory of gods or some significant days, some of which are passed down from generation to generation and people always practice special traditional activities in each festival.

Qingming Festival

Qingming Festival is on the 15th day after Spring Equinox, round April 4 or April 5 every year.     1     They remove the weeds growing on the ancestors’ tombs to make them clean, so this festival is also called Tomb-sweeping Festival. In some areas, people are forbidden to use fire to cook food, so they only eat cool food.

Double Ninth Festival

    2    The Chinese character of September is the same as 9, so we get this special name. Chinese people, especially the north Chinese, climb the mountains to the peak to enjoy the wonderful scenery, and admire the beauty of chrysanthemum.

Winter Solstice(冬至)

Winter Solstice is on around December 22 or 23 of solar calendar each year. From Winter Solstice on, the daytime will be longer and longer.     3     In the northern region, people eat dumplings and wonton(馄饨), while in the southern region rice balls.

    4    

In China, this festival is in late January or early February, the last day of the Lunar year. People celebrate it by having a family reunion dinner, setting off fireworks and staying up late. Breaking the dishes and bowls is a thing all the people scare, but if you did it, you have to say: “sui sui ping an”.     5    

A．New Year’s Eve

B．Spring Festival

C．People will go to worship their ancestors.

D．People always visit their friends and relatives.

E．That day people in different regions eat different food.

F．It is a pun(双关语), meaning you will be healthy every year.

G．It is celebrated on Sept. 9th of the Lunar Calendar, around October.

3 . Reading Oktoberfest

Palmer Park is the perfect place to host the first Reading Oktoberfest, which takes place 15-18 September 2016.

You can experience everything that makes Oktoberfest, held in a huge Beer tent. We’ll have live music and DJs and thousands of people going crazy.

Opening hours:
Thursday 15 September 17:00-23:30
Friday 16 September 17:00-23:30
Saturday 17 September 12:30-23:30
Sunday 18 September 12:30-19:00
Ramsbottom Festival

With its riverside location (位置), Ramsbottom Festival is one festival which can truly be called beautiful. Here you can enjoy a mix of music, great arts and family shows, as well as a variety of Great British and international food.

Ramsbottom Festival takes place 16-18 September 2016 at Ramsbottom Cricket Club, Bury, easily reachable by public transport from Manchester city centre.

The Willow Festival Dorset

The Willow Festival — the world’s largest festival showing new and undiscovered live music bands and artists is coming to Dorset. Fun for all the family, the event also has a shopping area, a world food village, and plenty of activities for kids.

Tickets are just £10.00, which covers a come-and-go attendance (出席) for all three days.

River Cottage Festival

It’s our first ever family-friendly music festival, right here at River Cottage HQ in Devon.

On 17-18 September 2016, the farm will be filled with live music from popular bands in the UK. In between all that dancing you’ll be able to watch shows from local craftspeople (匠人) and make your own piece of jewelry.

Tickets will cost you just £35, or £10 for children under 12 (babies under 2 go free).

1. What can visitors enjoy at Ramsbottom Festival?

A．Family shows.

B．Dancing on the farm.

C．Making beautiful things by hand.

D．International bands’ performances.

2. Both The Willow Festival Dorset and River Cottage Festival _____.

A．are held in 2016 for the first time

B．ask visitors to pay the same price

C．take place near a river

D．are family-friendly

3. Which festival lasts the most days?

A．River Cottage Festival.

B．Ramsbottom Festival.

C．Reading Oktoberfest.

D．The Willow Festival Dorset.

4 . 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.

5 . There are some Christmas traditions between the United Kingdom and the United States.

Letters to Santa Claus

In the United States, kids usually write letters to Santa and put them in the mailbox. However, in England we throw them directly into the fire. We don't plan to make kids cry because burning the letters can send them to the North Pole where Santa can read your Christmas wishes in the smoke. It may seem strange but it does save on postage.

Hanging stocking

Traditionally, American kids hang stockings around the fireplace for Santa to fill with presents. But in the UK. we hang stockings around the bed; being surrounded by presents is a fantastic way to wake up on Christmas morning.

Christmas pudding

Americans prefer to have pumpkin and pecan pies for the Christmas dessert; while we British are fond of Christmas pudding. which is a cake flavored with dried fruits and spices.

Dealing with Christmas tree

We British chose to take down the Christmas trees and the decorations within 12 days of Christmas, because we hold the belief that keeping then beyond that time can bring bad luck. This is probably a tradition that Americans should consider adopting. I have seen people keep their old, brown, dry and withered Christmas trees until almost July 4.

1. How do the British people deal with "Letters to Father Christmas"?

A．Emailing them to Santa.	B．Hiding them in the mailbox.
C．Putting them in the stockings.	D．Throwing them straight into the fire.

2. Why do the British take down the Christmas tree as early as possible?

A．To stop it from drying	B．To expect good luck.
C．To save money.	D．To reuse it for the next year.

3. What do Christmas traditions between Britain and America have in common?

A．Writing letters to Santa.	B．Making pumpkin pudding.
C．Hanging stockings around the bed.	D．Keeping Christmas trees for months.

6 . The Four Famous Embroideries (刺绣) of China refer to the Xiang embroidery in Hunan Province, Shu embroidery in Sichuan Province, Yue embroidery in Guangdong Province and Su embroidery in Jiangsu Province.

Xiang embroidery

The earliest piece of Xiang embroidery was unearthed at the No. 1 Tomb of Mawangdui, Changsha City of the Han Dynasty (206 B.C. —A.D. 220). The weaving technique was almost the same as the one used in modern times, which shows that embroidery had already existed in the Han Dynasty. In its later development, it absorbs the characteristics of traditional Chinese paintings and reaches a high artistic level. Xiang embroidery crafts include valuable works of art, as well as products for daily use.

Shu embroidery

Shu embroidery has formed its own unique characteristics: smooth, bright, neat, etc. The works choose flowers, animals, mountains, rivers and human figures as their themes. The craftsmanship of Shu embroidery involves a combination of fine art and practical uses, such as the facings of quilts, pillowcases, coats and screen covers.

Yue embroidery

Influenced by national folk art, Yue embroidered pictures are mainly of dragons and phoenixes (凤凰), and flowers and birds, with neat designs and strong, contrasting colors.

Gold-and-silk thread embroidery is widely used, even for crafts of daily use.

Su embroidery

The weaving techniques of Su embroidery are characterized by the flat surface, dense lines, even pictures and harmonious colors. Su embroidery products fall into 3 major categories: costumes, decorations for halls and crafts for daily use. Double-sided embroidery is an excellent representative of Su embroidery.

1. The unearthed embroidery at Mawangdui shows Xiang embroidery’s _______.

A．time-honoured history	B．excellent designs
C．artistic value	D．advanced techniques

2. If you receive a double-sided embroidery as a gift, it must be ________.

A．Xiang embroidery	B．Shu embroidery
C．Yue embroidery	D．Su embroidery

3. What do we know about the four famous embroideries?

A．All are rooted in folk art.	B．All are valuable artworks.
C．All share the same themes.	D．All have practical use.

7 . The International Day of Disabled Persons, an international observance declared by the United Nations since 1992, is observed on December 3, aiming to promote an understanding of disability issues and get support for the rights of people with disabilities. The day takes place annually and focuses on a different issue each year. In South Africa, December 3 also marks the beginning of the Disability Awareness Month.

Since the first celebration, people with disabilities have gained recognition of their rights by states across the globe and of their rightful place in society. But there is still much work ahead of us to turn those legal rights into a true revolution, in which diversity is fully accepted and lived.

The estimated one billion people living with disabilities worldwide face many obstructions of inclusion in many key aspects of society. As a result, people with disabilities can't enjoy the equal rights as normal people, which include employment, education as well as social and political participation. The right to participate in public life is essential to create stable democracies , active citizenship and reduce inequalities in society.

In many cases, people with disabilities must be able to fulfill their role in society. It is important to focus on the ability and not on the disability of an individual. It is important to note that disability is part of the human condition, and that all of us either are or will become disabled to one degree or another during the course of our lives.

By promoting empowerment , real opportunities for disabled people are created. This supports them in setting their own priorities. Empowerment involves investing in them — in jobs, health, nutrition, education, and social protection. When disabled people are empowered, they are better prepared to take advantage of opportunities, and they can more readily accept their civic responsibilities.

1. What is the International Day of Disabled Persons meant for?

A．To raise money for the disabled.

B．To stress the value of the disabled.

C．To make an international celebration.

D．To make able­bodied people care about the disabled.

2. What does the underlined word “obstructions” in Paragraph 3 mean?

A．Chances.	B．Types.
C．Barriers	D．Regrets.

3. What is the main problem for disabled people?

A．The number of them is too large.

B．They can't be fully accepted by society.

C．Few of them seek legal rights.

D．They think poorly of their role in society.

8 . What are the speakers mainly talking about?

A．A festival.

B．Foods.

C．TV programs.

9 . 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.

10 . The Lantern Festival, a traditional Chinese festival, is celebrated on the 15th day of the first lunar month. And it falls on Tuesday this year.    1    The day leads to the first full moon night of the year, and is also the night when the earth returns to spring.

It was also a romantic festival in ancient China, providing an opportunity for unmarried men and women to meet.    2    But during the Lantern Festival, it is a tradition that all people? including those young women，come out for lantern shows. People hang lanterns everywhere, in their house or in the streets, which depict various characters, like flying birds, leaping fishes, and shining fireworks, showing an atmosphere of joy.    3    .

Another activity，guessing the answers to lantern riddles，gave young people a chance to interact with each other and know more about each other. For thousands of years, there have been numerous love stories originating during the Lantern Festival.

Besides watching lanterns and guessing the answers to lantern riddles，there are many other traditions for the festival.

1. Dragon lantern dance

    4    At the festival, people perform dragon lantern dances and look forward to this year’s good weather and peace.

2. Lion Dances

It is similar to the dragon lantern dance，delivering good wishes and good luck.

3. Eating yuanxiao

Eating yuanxiao on Lantern Festival is another tradition.    5    The stuffing includes bean paste, sugar，hawthorn various kinds of fruit and so on. It can be boiled, fried or steamed   to eat.

A．Chinese people regard the dragon as a symbol of good luck.

B．Here is a guide for you to spend a happy I intern Festival.

C．Yuanxiao is made of glutinous rice, either solid or stuffed.

D．Almost all people will come out and appreciate the beautiful scene.

E．As a traditional food, YuanXiao appeals to a lot of people.

F．In ancient times, young women, especially daughters of respected families, hardly stepped out their houses.

G．It is a continuation of celebrating the Spring Festival.