1 . A music festival is a community event focusing on live performances of singing and instrument playing that is often presented with a theme. On the list are the music festivals for fans around the world. Find your favorite now!
Field Day
January 1, 2023, Sydney
Field Day means New Year’s Day for young people in Sydney. Seen as the city’s original multi-stage party, it’s a gathering of friends coming together for a great fun-filled first day of the year. There’s an air of hope and positive energy on a perfect summer’s day.
The Envision Festival
February 27—March 6, 2023, Uvita
The Envision Festival is an annual gathering in Costa Rica that aims to provide an opportunity for different cultures to work with one another to create a better community. The festival encourages people to practice art, music, dance performances, and education. Meanwhile, our connection with nature is expected to be strengthened.
The McDowell Mountain Music Festival
March 2—4, 2023, Phoenix
The McDowell Mountain Music Festival is Phoenix’s musical celebration of community culture. Since its foundation in 2004, it has been the only 100% non-profit music festival designed to support, entertain and educate the community. The festival attracts thousands of visitors each year from around the country, and it is an opportunity to experience true culture.
The Old Settler’s Music Festival
April 20—23, 2023, Dale
The Old Settler’s Music Festival is a nationally known music festival for American music. The festival is held in the country of Texas at the height of the wild flower season. The Old Settler’s Music Festival offers great music and activities for the whole family.
1. In which city can people enjoy a fun New Year’s Day?| A．Phoenix. | B．Uvita. | C．Sydney. | D．Dale. |
| A．It encourages people to receive education. | B．It is not aimed at making money. |
| C．It provides an opportunity for friend gathering. | D．It focuses on cultural exchanges. |
| A．Field Day and the Envision Festival. |
| B．The Envision Festival and the McDowell Mountain Music Festival. |
| C．The Old Settler’s Music Festival and the McDowell Mountain Music Festival. |
| D．The Envision Festival and the Old Settler’s Music Festival. |
2 . When you go to a foreign country, you often enter a new culture. The differences between cultures may make you feel stressed and you often find it difficult to adjust to the new surroundings, which is usually called “culture shock”.
The psychological and physical symptoms of culture shock may appear depending on the individuals. Some often feel anxious while adjusting to a new culture—even more so when the cultural distances are wide.
A local club provides the perfect environment to get to know people who have a similar focus, so join one so that you can meet some locals and develop new friendships.
| A．They may lose appetite and have sleep problems. |
| B．Still, the most important change is communication. |
| C．They make a lot of effort to get used to the new surroundings. |
| D．The more of it is understood, the more of the new culture can be understood. |
| E．Learning about your future destination is a great way to get over culture shock. |
| F．Plus, remember that you aren’t alone in your struggle to adjust in a new country. |
| G．Actually, staying in a foreign country helps you to know more of the new culture. |
3 . I was born and raised in England in a culture where privacy and “keeping yourself to yourself” were valued traditions. Speaking to strangers was not encouraged. People were most hospitable and friendly.
However, I have been lucky enough to spend some time in both Italy and the US, where I found traditions of hospitality and politeness to be very different.
I experienced Italian hospitality firsthand. On a crowded railway carriage travelling, one afternoon, from Genoa to Florence, sinking gratefully into an empty seat, I was scolded in rapid Italian by a gentleman who was returning to this seat ---- it had not been “spare” after all. I apologized in English, and got up to allow him back into the seat. The gentleman obviously had no understanding of the English language, but he, too, realized my genuine (真诚的) mistake. He smiled and gestured for me to remain in the seat, and he himself remained standing in the corridor for the remainder of the journey. The other occupants of the carriage smiled and nodded at me and made me feel quite welcome amongst them. I feel that if this had been in England, a foreigner who made a mistake would not always be so kindly treated.
Transport also featured in the differences I noticed between English and American culture. I flew to New York on a plane with mainly English passengers. We sat together in near silence. Nobody spoke to me nor, as I expected, to anyone else they did not know. They felt it was not polite to interrupt someone else’s privacy. However, when I travelled across the United States, whether by plane or bus, I was never short of conversation. Conversation was going on all around me and whoever sat next to me was happy to introduce themselves and ask me about myself. They obviously felt it would have been rude not to speak to another person, whether they were strangers or not.
1. What do we know about the occupants when the author was travelling in Italy?| A．They were all on the side of the gentleman. |
| B．They all laughed at the author for his mistake. |
| C．They would not bear a mistake like the author’s in public |
| D．They all showed their understanding of the author’s mistake. |
| A．Cold. | B．Rude | C．Helpful. | D．Hospitable. |
| A．They were too tired to speak to anyone. |
| B．They were all strangers to each other. |
| C．Privacy was a valued tradition in England. |
| D．Everybody was deeply lost in though. |
| A．Different Ways of Hospitality and Politeness |
| B．Co-understanding Each Other |
| C．My Unforgettable Travelling Experience Abroad |
| D．The Importance of Privacy |
4 . We travel the world to experience an unfamiliar culture. It’s an added bonus when the destination happens to be home to several cultures, thanks to its diverse population.
Toronto
Toronto happens to be one of the most diverse in the world. In fact, nearly half of Toronto’s residents were born in another country. This cultural mix is most apparent in the city’s community pockets, including Chinatown, Greektown, Little Italy etc. And although English is most widely spoken here, the streets are constantly filled with over 140 different languages.
Los Angeles
Los Angeles is known and loved for its varied landscape, which offers opportunities to swim at the beach, hike in the park and explore a lively city all on the same day. That diversity also extends to its population—people from approximately 140 countries, speaking 86 different languages call the City of Angeles home where visitors can get a taste of multicultural mix.
Sydney
English-speaking visitors to Sydney won’t have any trouble buying their tickets to the Opera House or ordering up some Aussie barbecue, as it’s the main language used here. That said, it’s not the only language you may overhear. Approximately 250 different dialects are spoken in this Australian city. This makes sense, given that 40 percent of the population were born overseas.
Singapore
Singapore might be small, but it packs in a lot of diversity. The Southeast Asian destination has four official languages—English, Malay, Mandarin and Tamil—and approximately 40 percent of its population were born abroad.
1. Where can people enjoy fascinating scenery?| A．In Singapore. | B．In Toronto. |
| C．In Sydney. | D．In Los Angeles. |
| A．People speak other languages besides English. |
| B．Travelers can kill time on the beach. |
| C．The majority of residents are Chinese. |
| D．More than half of the population were born overseas. |
| A．language teaching | B．reading and writing |
| C．touring and culture | D．cooking and swimming |
5 . Have you ever been to a music festival? Well if you live in the UK, the answer is probably yes. The number of festivals has grown greatly over the last few years and now there are around 200 every summer. So let’s look at the history of four famous festivals.
The Glastonbury Festival is a five-day festival of contemporary(当代的) performing arts held most years in Somerset, in the south-west of England. There are a rock and pop stage, a jazz stage, the Avalon stage, a theatre comedy stage, a cinema tent, a dance tent and a circus(马戏团). The festival started in1970and about 120,000 people go to it every summer.
The Reading Festival is truly world-class with rock and pop bands(乐队) appearing from all over the world, particularly(尤其) the USA. About 80,000 music fans go to Reading every August Bank Holiday. The festival first came to its present site on the banks of the River Thames in Reading in 1971, when it moved from Plumpton in Sussex. It is still on the same site over 47 years later!
WOMAD stands for World of Music, Arts and Dance and was the idea of rock musician Peter Gabriel to promote(宣传) world music. The WOMAD Festival started in 1982 and takes place in July at Charlton Park, near Malmesbury in Wiltshire, and you can see different bands and musicians from all over the world. The festival welcomes over 26, 000 visitors each year.
The one-day Monsters of Rock Festival at the National Bowl in Milton Keynes was first held in 1980 and gave visitors the chance to hear the very best of hard rock and heavy metal. There were no festivals between 1996 and 2003 as a result of changing musical fashions, but now it has returned and grown into a two-day festival with a campsite for the 30,000 people who go there in summer days.
1. Which festival draws the largest number of fans every year?| A．The Reading Festival. | B．The WOMAD Festival. |
| C．The Glastonbury Festival. | D．The Monsters of Rock Festival. |
| A．It mainly attracts rock music fans. |
| B．It is especially popular with local bands. |
| C．It is named after the place where it is held. |
| D．It has been held in the same site since it started. |
| A．All last five days. | B．All are held in the summer. |
| C．All take place every year. | D．All are held near the River Thames. |
6 . The Peony Culture Festival of Luoyang
Spring is time for people to go out and see blossoming flowers. Luoyang in Henan, China is famous for peonies, the city’s official flower. The city’s annual Peony Culture Festival begins in early April and lasts till early May. Peonies are in full bloom during the event, which was first held in 1983.
You can go to the Luoyang National Peony Garden. The peonies there are known for their rich colors and long florescence. Don’t miss the 1,600-year-old “Peony King”!
Chinese Language Day
Chinese is one of the six official working languages of the United Nations. The LIN has set different days for these languages to promote their uses. It holds exhibitions, shows and other activities. In 2010, the first Chinese Language Day was held on Nov. 12. But since 2011, it has been held on April 20. The date is close to Grain Rain, one of the 24 solar terms. It means “rain of millet”. People celebrate Grain Rain to remember Cangjie, a mythical character. Many people believe that Cangjie was the first person to write Chinese characters. When he did this, it rained millet and saved people from hunger.
China Astronautics Day
On April 24, 1970, China’s first man-made Earth satellite — Dongfanghong I — went into space. It was a big step for China’s space program. In 2016, the government set April 24 as China Astronautics Day. Many events are held across the country to celebrate this special day. For example, astronauts and scientists will give talks to students. Some cities will hold exhibitions about space development.
Last year, China had big plans for its space program. On December 8, it launched its second lunar rover（月球车）as part of the Chang’e 4 space mission, which landed on the far side of the moon.
1. When was the first Chinese Language Day held by the United Nations?| A．In 1970. | B．In 1983. |
| C．In 2010. | D．In 2011. |
| A．China sent the first man-made earth satellite. |
| B．China has progressed greatly in astronautics. |
| C．Chang’e 4 consists of two lunar rovers. |
| D．Chang’e 4 is another space station built by China. |
| A．They all take place in April at present. |
| B．They are celebrated nationwide. |
| C．All the participants are Chinese people. |
| D．Their dates were once changed for some reason. |
7 . The Sahara Festival is a celebration of the very recent past. The three-day event is not fixed to the same dates each year, but generally takes place in November or December. It is well attended by tourists, but even better attended by the locals.
During the opening ceremonies, after the official greetings from the government leaders, people who attend the festival begin to march smartly before the viewing stands, and white camels transport their riders across the sands. Horsemen from different nations display their beautiful clothes and their fine horsemanship. One following another, groups of musicians and dancers from all over the Sahara take their turn to show off their wonderful traditional culture. Groups of men in blue and yellow play horns and beat drums as they dance in different designs. On their knees in the sand, a group of women in long dark dresses dance with their hair: their long, dark, shiny hair is thrown back and forth in the wind to the rhythm of their dance.
The local and visiting Italian dogs are anxious to run after hares. The crowd is on its feet for the camel races. Camels and riders run far into the distance, and then return to the finish Line in front of the cheering people.
Towards the evening, there comes the grand finale of the opening day, an extremely exciting horserace. All the riders run very fast on horseback. Some riders hang off the side of their saddles（马鞍）. Some even ride upside down—their legs and feet straight up in the air—all at full speed. Others rush down the course together, men arm in arm, on different horses. On and on they went. So fast and so wonderful!
1. The Sahara Festival is a festival which _____.| A．has a very long history in North Africa |
| B．is held in the same place on the same day |
| C．is attended mainly by the people in the Sahara |
| D．is celebrated mostly by travelers from different countries |
| A．musicians, dancers, horses and hares |
| B．camel riders, musicians, dogs and hares |
| C．horsemen, dancers, camels and dogs |
| D．musicians, officials, camels and horses |
| A．first part | B．last part | C．middle | D．whole |
| A．how animals race on the first and the last days of the Sahara Festival |
| B．how people celebrate during the three-day Sahara Festival |
| C．what takes place at the closing ceremonies of the Sahara Festival |
| D．what happens on the opening day of the Sahara Festival |
I’m gladly to receive your novel. Thank you for such lovely a gift, for I had been expecting it for a long time. This novel offers to me more understanding of American society and daily life. I know you’re interesting in Chinese festivals, and therefore I have chosen an album of paper cutting for you. Paper cutting is unique form of Chinese cultural relics, that is often used as a decoration for a joyful atmosphere. I hope it will bring happiness and lucks to your family as it always did in China. I’m expecting you to come to China and experience the rich culture on person.
Most people consider it a special day ,the beginning of summer ,a day when the light lasts long into the evening ,and when we can look for warm weather .We don't always get it .We feel disappointed ,but not surprised if there are cold winds and frosts at night in May .Winter should be over .Most people know that in the past ,when farming occupied almost everyone ,the changing seasons were of great importance .In that older time there was every reason to celebrate May Day .Customs of those celebrations remain.
Of these customs ,the best known is the choosing of a May Queen and the dancing round Maypole .Even these customs are little more than memories now—but in the last century it was quite common in villages and small towns ,and even in schools and colleges ,for a pretty and popular girl to be chosen Queen of the May .It was a great honour to be chosen .For a day she wore a light and flowery dress, carried garlands（花环）,and was ceremonially crowned with flowers .She presided over a procession ,as a rule with a number of attendants ,and over the Maypole dancing and all kinds of entertainment .The Maypole was slender（苗条的） tree trunk ,cut off its branches, with beautiful ribbons fastened to the top .The dancing was designed in such a way that the dancer's movements move the ribbons into a pattern. This, as you can imagine ,required skill from the dancer ,and was not achieved without practice .
It's the Celtic（凯尔特的）people who celebrated the First of May as a spring festival .Their celebration seems to have had little to do with taking pleasure in early ,beautiful flowers and in warmer weather! They called it Beltane—the fire of the god Bel .They lit fires ,in the expectation that their blaze would help the sun in its struggle to regain its strength. They drove their cattle between banks of flame in the expectation that the terrified beasts would be purified（净化） and protected from disease .A tree ,which must have been blackened with smoke ,stood in the middle of the fires ,and is thought to have been the origin of the Maypole .Their priests（牧师） made sacrifices to the goods in the hope of good harvests and sufficient store of food for the winter. There was dancing certainly ,but it was noisy and cheerful ,since its purpose was not to weave a pattern of colored ribbons ,but to drive out evil spirits from the earth and to arouse those kind spirits.
1. The main purpose of the passage is to show ________.
| A．the reason why they celebrate May Day |
| B．the start and customs of May Day |
| C．the way they celebrate May Day |
| D．the choosing of a May Queen during May Day |
| A．In the old days they celebrated May Day for the changing of the seasons. |
| B．In England summer begins at the first of May. |
| C．The custom of the choosing of a May Queen still exists in the present May Day celebration. |
| D．The Celtic people celebrated the first of May as a spring festival. |
| A．管理 | B．越过 | C．指挥 | D．主持 |
| A．The First of May | B．The Beginning of Summer |
| C．May Queen | D．The Holiday of the Year |
