1 . While some customs like setting off fireworks and counting down the last few seconds seem universal, many countries have their own unique New Year’s Eve traditions.

Denmark: Break plates

A Danish tradition is to throw plates and dishes against friend’s and neighbor’s front doors. It’s a bit of a popularity contest as the bigger the pile of broken china is the next morning, the more friends and good luck you’ll have in the coming year.

Germany: Pouring lead

In Germany, people melt small pieces of lead in a spoon over a candle, then pour the liquid into cold water. The shapes from the lead pouring are supposed to reveal what the year ahead will bring. If the lead forms a ball, luck will roll one’s way, while the shape of a crown means wealth; a cross means death and a star will bring happiness.

Spain: Twelve grapes of luck

In Spain, one New Year’s tradition is to eat 12 grapes, one for each month of the coming year, to secure prosperity (繁荣). You need to eat one grape with each bell strike at midnight. The tradition dates from 1909 when farmers in Alicante came up with this idea to sell more grapes after an exceptional harvest.

Philippines: Round food, round clothes, round everything

In the Philippines, the start of the new year is all about the money. The locals believe that surrounding themselves with round things (to represent coins) will bring money or fortune. As a result, clothes with dots are worn and round food is eaten.

1. What is believed to bring good luck for the coming new year in Denmark?

A．A red candle.

B．Round food.

C．Broken china.

D．A lead cross.

2. What inspired the New Year’s tradition of eating grapes?

A．A way to make coins.	B．An act to keep power.
C．A desire to be popular.	D．An idea to gain profit.

3. Which section of a magazine is the text probably taken from?

A．Fashion.

B．Travel.

C．Culture.

D．Entertainment.

2 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

It was raining pretty hard on Halloween, but that wasn’t going to stop my little sister Kate and me from trick-or-treating. We decided to start at Miss Parson's house. Miss Parson was loved by us kids who lived nearby because she often shared her self-made cookies with us. We usually finished them in a second, especially when we were hungry after class. Sometimes, when we visited her or did something for her, she always gave us surprise.

Kate and I wondered what kinds of treats she'd offer. As we walked down the street, I held an umbrella, a bag for candy, and my sister's hand. Jack-o-Lantems gave soft light along the street. Spider webs hung in all the windows. Parents who were dressed up like monsters (怪物) stood in doorways. After we had walked a few blocks, we were wet from head to toes, and I felt Kate was trembling with cold.

There was a light on at Miss Parson's house, but there were no ghosts,小妖精), or Jack-o-Lantems. We climbed up the steps and saw Miss Parson through a window. She was drinking a cup of hot tea.

"Maybe she doesn't celebrate Halloween," Kate said with a sigh, disappointedly.

"Well, even if she doesn't, she usually likes it when we visit her," I said and knocked on the door.

Miss Parson seemed surprised when she opened it and saw our dressing. " Is today Halloween?" she asked. "I completely forgot. I am so sorry!"

注意:
1. 所续写短文的词数应为150左右;
2. 至少使用5个短文中标有下划线的关键词语;
3. 续写部分分为两段,每段的开头语已为你写好;
4. 续写完成后,请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。
Paragraph 1

Miss Parson rushed us into her house.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2

The next morning, a hot and sweet discussion about Miss Parson and Halloween spread among us kids.

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3 . As an old saying in China goes, “The days of the Sanjiu period are the coldest days.” “Sanjiu period”, which is in Minor Cold (小寒), refers to the third nine-day period (the 19th to the 27th day) after the day of the Winter Solstice (冬至). There are many different customs related to Minor Cold in China.

Eating hotpot

During Minor Cold people should eat some hot food to benefit the body and defend against the cold weather. Winter is the best time to have hotpot and braised mutton with soy sauce. But it is important to notice that too much spicy food may cause health problems.

Eating huangyacai

In Tianjin, there is a custom to have huangyacai, a kind of Chinese cabbage, during Minor Cold. There are large amounts of vitamins A and B in huangyacai. As huangyacai is fresh and tender, it is fit for frying, roasting and braising.

Eating glutinous rice (糯米饭)

According to tradition, the Cantonese eat glutinous rice in the morning during Minor Cold. Cantonese people add some fried preserved pork, sausages and peanuts and mix them into the rice.

Eating vegetable rice

In ancient times, people in Nanjing took Minor Cold quite seriously, but as time went by, the celebration of Minor Cold gradually disappeared. However, the custom of eating vegetable rice is still followed today. The rice is steamed and is incredibly delicious. Among the ingredients (原料), aijiaohuang (a kind of green vegetable), sausages and salted duck are the specialties in Nanjing.

1. What do we know about Minor Cold?

A．It lasts twenty-seven days.

B．The Sanjiu period is in this period.

C．It refers to the Winter Solstice.

D．It marks the first day of winter.

2. How do the Cantonese eat glutinous rice?

A．They fry and toast it.

B．They eat it for dinner.

C．They steam it with soy sauce.

D．They mix it with many other things.

3. This text may be taken from the _________ column of a newspaper.

A．travel	B．culture
C．fashion	D．science

4 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。

Beijing Opera,    1    (know) as China's national opera, also called Peking Opera, which originated in the late 18th century, is a combination of music, dance, art and acrobatics (杂技). It is the most influential and representative of all operas in China. It is called Beijing Opera because it is formed in Beijing. Beijing Opera has    2    history of 200 years and its origin can date back to old local operas, especially Anhui Opera,     3    was very popular in northern China in the 18th century. In 1790, the first Anhui Opera performance    4     (hold) in Beijing to celebrate the Emperor's birthday.

Later, some other Anhui Opera troupes (班子)     5     (continue) performing in Beijing. Anhui Opera was easy    6     (move) and good at absorbing the acting styles of other types of operas. Beijing accumulated many local operas,     7     (make) Anhui Opera improve quickly.

    8    the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, after the marriage for 10 years, Beijing Opera finally formed, and became the    9     (big) of all Operas in China. We can    10     (honest) say that Beijing Opera is the most important opera in China.

5 . “How much money am I getting this year? That’s the question I ask my mom every February. And every year she replies，”You will see” in her Chinese accent.

February usually marks the month of the New Year according to the Chinese calendar. But for me, Chinese New Year is a payday. Usually I receive red envelopes (“hongbao”) which are the equivalent ( 同等物) of Christmas presents. Instead of wondering what the present will be, it is the amount of money inside that is the mystery. I always have to wait weeks to find out how much money my parents have in store for me.

I never knew how the traditions of Chinese New Year derived,_and I never gave it much thought, until my mom forced me to attend a special Chinese school where I learned about the origins of the traditions behind the famous celebration and had a knowledge of how the hanging of red lanterns or fireworks developed. But before that, the only part of the holiday that had ever concerned me was the “hongbao” and as selfish as it may sound.

But now Chinese New Year is a wonderful holiday for me not because of the “hongbao”， but the profound Chinese culture I have learned from the special school.

The excitement that comes with expecting Chinese New Year is one I will never get tired of. While the real celebrations are taking place in China, my family holds its own traditions. I can always count on my mom to make delicious Chinese food every year, and there is consolation (安慰) in knowing that as my sisters and I open our “hongbaos”， our cousins so many miles away are doing the same.

1. What did the author care about most on Chinese New Year at first?

A．The amount of money she received.

B．The traditions behind the celebration.

C．Various activities during Chinese New Year.

D．The presents that her parents would give her.

2. What does the underlined word “derived” in Para. 3 probably mean?

A．Worked.	B．Continued.
C．Began.	D．Changed.

3. What can we infer about the author’s mom?

A．She has a strong feeling towards China.

B．She knows little about Chinese traditions.

C．She always gives her children a lot of money.

D．She tends to surprise her children on western festivals.

4. What’s the best title of the passage?

A．New Year Hongbao

B．My Mom and China

C．Closer Attachment to China

D．Unforgettable Moments

6 . The UK's music festivals are world famous but there are plenty more to celebrate in the country.

Burns Night, Scotland

On 25 January, Scots celebrate the life and works of Scotland's national poet Robert Burns by holding a special Burns Supper. This can be a chance for friends to get together with a huge formal dinner. Guests take it in turn to recite Burns' poems or sing one of his songs.

Hay Festival, Hay-on-Wye, Wales

For 10 days each May, the small town of Hay on-Wye on the edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park in Wales is filled with writers, filmmakers, musicians, and people who come to hear them talk and exchange ideas. The festival celebrates great writing of all genres (体裁) and it all takes place in a village in the town.

Camp Festival, Dorset

As a branch of a festival held in Dorset, it's one of the best family festivals in the UK Held every year in the grounds of the historic Lulworth Castle in Dorset, the festival includes top live music acts, but as the organizer say, “kids are king” at Camp Festival, with a wide variety of entertainment, workshops and fun for kids. The 2020 Camp Festival takes place from 25 to 28 July.

Guy Fawkes Day or “Bonfire Night”

All over the UK on 5 November, the British light bonfires and set off fireworks in their back gardens or, more commonly these days, at organized events in public parks. They celebrate the Catholic Guy Fawkes' failed attempt to blow up the Houses of Parliament (议会院) on 5 November, 1605.

1. Which festivals are related to literature (文学)?

A．Hay Festival and Camp Festival.	B．Bums Night and Hay Festival.
C．Burs Night and Guy Fawkes Day.	D．Camp Festival and Guy Fawkes Day.

2. When does the festival most attractive to children take place?

A．In July.

B．In May.

C．In January.

D．In November.

3. What does Guy Fawkes Day celebrate?

A．An impressive building.	B．A successful adventure.
C．An organized game.	D．A historical event.

7 . 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。

Paper-cutting was recognized as a national cultural heritage(遗产)in 2006.According to   experts，paper-cutting conveys the culture shared between China     1     the West to wish for family reunions and maintain links with loved ones，alive or dead.

In the movie Coco，for instance，the 12-year-old Miguel and his family dance and sing to   celebrate the Day of the Dead，a       2     (tradition)festival in Mexico，when colorful paper-cuts are hung on the street.Chinese people also cut images of small figures     3     (call) back the spirits of the dead.The difference is that most Chinese paper-cuts are red，while those in other countries       4     (be)often made in many other colors.

Fairy tale writer Hans Christian Andersen liked to cut     5     (character)，such as princesses and angels，out of paper while     6     (tell)stories to children.In China，female friends and family members used to chat and make paper-cuts together.

“     7    the patterns and colors may be different，paper-cuts share the same function of   maintaining emotional ties among people，”says Yang Huizi，     8     art teacher at Beijing Union.

Yang     9     (study)and performed the art for over a decade.Besides routine university   courses，she also organizes nonprofit paper-cutting activities     10    are open to the public in   Beijing to promote basic knowledge of paper-cutting.

8 . 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。

The Day After Thanksgiving (Friday) is known as Black Friday. This used to be unofficially or officially the start of holiday shopping season. Almost all stores come out with special early bird offers     1     (attract) consumers to their shop. People stand in line hours before the stores are opened, to grab the bargains of the year. In the last few years, we     2     (witness) a trend towards bringing those Black Friday Sales online before Friday.

In the last few years (starting from 2013 to be precise), Black Friday Sales have started before Friday—with some stores     3     (start) their Black Friday sales on Thanksgiving day or even on Wednesday and Monday. It would not be surprising to see Black Friday sale starting on Monday on the Black Friday week.

The closest reason for     4     it is known as Black Friday     5     (give) in Wikipedia. Many retailers report some of     6     (they) highest profits on Black Friday. The black portion of the name, “Black Friday” relates to businesses recording their     7     (lose) in red ink and gains in black. This tradition lives on in modern accounting software.

Deals websites like Dealsofamerica.com started to highlight “Black Friday sales” from 2003     8     then the retailers picked it up.     9     (essential), Black Friday is an Internet term. But before it, people used to regard the sales     10     “Day after Thanksgiving Sale”.

9 . The colors that you select create a distinct atmosphere in the room.     1    

Pick the color for your room and you can create whatever you feel like. The color will also help you to enlarge the space or making it more inviting, which will also make differently all about it.

However, the trick is to select the right version of that particular color. There are different hues (色调) for blues, for instance.     2     Here we have presented a guide that will let you gain a deep insight about the colors.

Blue

    3    . For kitchen, bathrooms and bedrooms it is an ideal choice. Of course it is also associated with sadness that means it may not strike note for each and everyone. It is a popular choice among people. Blue comes from the cold side of the color wheel, so it can make the room feel cold, unless and until it is south filling space. If you are attracted to blue color, think of going for purple, or mix red and purple.

Dark blues are best for a living room. Probably it is best reserved for high ceiling space.     4    

Green

Like blue, green is also a calm shade.     5     It is the shade that reflects nature and renewal. Green produces a positive energy without the feeling of overstimulation.

A．Colors can light up the mood of the room.

B．You can use it for a living room or a bedroom.

C．It will make you feel the wall appear near to you.

D．Traditionally, blue is related to calmness and comfort.

E．It is better that you select colors that are warm like blue.

F．They won’t create similar effect and atmosphere generally.

G．But before driving into any decision here’s what you need to know.

10 . To an outsider，any culture can seem confusing.And the UK's got a thing or two that raises a few eyebrows.However，understand the why and things might be less puzzling.    1    .

In a world where 61％of nations drive on the right，Brits drive on the left.Why? Most people think it goes back to Medieval，maybe even Roman times.    2     when you remember that right-handed people wear a sword on their left hip.Travelling on the left allowed you to   keep your weapon arm toward your opponent，who would be on your right.This practice continued until the 18th century when a law was passed requiring all traffic crossing London Bridge to keep to the left.

Visitors to the UK that have just washed their hands in an old-fashioned sink might be wondering why one tap is only for hot water，the other cold.    3    .So，why this oddity? It relates to a time when hot and cold water were kept separate to prevent pollution.Drinkable cold water came from a mains supply，but hot water came from attic tanks and was not considered suitable for consumption.So they were kept apart.

Millions of people drink tea worldwide，but the odd Brits put milk in theirs.Why? This mysterious practice relates to the quality of china cup used in the 18th century when tea was first imposed.For the majority of Brits，the cups available couldn’t stand the heat of the boiling water and would break，so milk was added first.    4    .And this practical tweak soon became a national habit.

    5    .As you can see，these odd Brits have perfectly clear reasons for left-hand driving，two-tap sinks and tea with milk.Even if they still seem strange，at least now you’re in the know.

A．This makes it difficult to improve

B．There is a method to the madness

C．This unusual behavior makes sense

D．You can know the origins of the practices

E．Either can make washing very uncomfortable

F．This cooled the cup enough to resist the boiling water

G．Here are the reasons for three of Britain’s more puzzling practices