2 . A British friend told me he couldn't understand why Chinese people love eating sunflower seeds (葵花子) as a snack so much. “I’ve met a lot of older Chinese and many have a crack in their front teeth; I believe that's from cracking the seeds,” he said.

I had never noticed the habit, but once he mentioned it, I suddenly became more aware. I realized that whenever I’m watching TV or typing a report, I always start mindlessly cracking sunflower seeds. My friend doesn't like sunflower seeds, and, to him, it seems unnecessary to work so hard just to get one small seed.

When we were young, the whole family would usually get together for Chinese New Year. Then, we all lived close to one another, usually in a small city, and sometimes even neighbors would go doortodoor on Chinese New Year’s Eve to check out what every household was making.

I remember my parents would be in the kitchen cooking. In the living room, a large table would already be laid out, complete with a fancy tablecloth, readymade dumpling fillings, and dishes full of candy, fruits and sunflower seeds.

Some of the dishes were to be offered to our ancestors later, while others were for neighbors and children to eat before the evening feast. I must have learned how to crack sunflower seeds back then.

I don’t think it’s right to criticize one’s choice in food or eating habits, no matter how strange they may seem.

It’s not only in China. When I went abroad, I found people had all sorts of strange habits when it came to food. In Denmark, they put salted red fish on bread and eat it for dinner, no matter how much it ruins their breath. They think it’s a delicacy, and it’s connected with their culture. I think it’s a wonderful tradition.

1. What lesson can we learn from the passage?

A．One kind of food doesn’t necessarily suit everyone.

B．Eating habits come from a certain culture.

C．It is good to form healthy eating habits.

D．Changing your eating habits will change your life.

2. What did the writer become aware of?

A．She had ever typed a report about seeds.

B．She ate various snacks while watching TV.

C．She has a habit of cracking sunflower seeds.

D．She damaged her teeth by eating sunflower seeds.

3. What does the writer prove by mentioning Chinese New Year?

A．The traditions of celebrating it disappear.

B．Children can eat delicious food on that day.

C．The families would get together for it.

D．Eating sunflower seeds is related to it.

4. The writer’s attitude to Denmark’s way of eating bread is ________．

A．acceptable	B．critical
C．neutral	D．doubtful

4 . 假定你是李华，你的美国朋友Michael知道中国人很重视家风传承，他在给你的电子邮件中提到想了解你家的家风。请你给他回一封电子邮件，要点如下：
1.简单介绍你家的家风；
2.家风给你带来的影响。
注意：
1.词数80左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
参考词汇：家风family spirit
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5 .

Different countries have different wedding traditions and marriage customs. The one thing that all wedding ceremonies commonly seem to have is the commitment (承诺) of love for all time during a public ceremony.

Everyone at a wedding hopes for great happiness between the wedding couple. Wedding traditions are usually a way of showing signs of the hope for great happiness. Some of these traditions are very interesting.

In Sweden, the traditional bride will wear three rings by the end of the wedding ceremony. The first is the engagement (订婚) ring that she enters the ceremony with. The second, the wedding ring, is added to the first. A final ring, however, is added as well. This ring is known as the “motherhood” ring. This is said to show that marriage is about more than just love. It is about building a family.

Wedding traditions in the Philippines include the Pandango, a dance which can last for hours. During the Pandango, guest spin (用大头针别住) money to the bride’s dress to pay for their honeymoon.

A traditional Irish bride may wear a blue wedding dress—believing blue to be a lucky color. English Lavender (薰衣草) is often mixed with her wedding flowers. It is traditional for the bride to braid (编发) her hair-as it is considered a good way to bring luck to the new couple.

There are many wedding traditions around the world. If you are about to plan a wedding, you may find it interesting to include some of these traditions in your own wedding

1. What do all wedding ceremonies seem to have in common?

A．The commitment of love for all time.

B．Happiness between the wedding couple.

C．Three wedding rings.

D．A dance lasting for hours.

2. In Sweden, the traditional bride’s third ring shows ________.

A．the duties of the new couple

B．the great love between the new couple

C．the bride will be not only a wife but also a mother

D．the bride will take care of not only her husband but also his mother

3. In the Philippines, the new couple paid for their honeymoon with the money from ________.

A．the bride	B．the bridegroom
C．their parents	D．visiting guests

4. What’s the passage mainly about?

A．The reason for different wedding traditions.

B．Interesting wedding traditions from different countries.

C．The way to prepare for a wedding ceremony.

D．Interesting engagement traditions around the world.

7 . It may seem as if Mother's Day was invented by a company named Hallmark,   but   people have been taking time on the calendar to give a shout-out to Mom for a long time. The Greeks and Romans had mother goddess festivals — although their celebrations didn't involve the menfolk taking their underappreciated mothers out to dinner. A more recent tradition was   Mothering Sunday, which developed in the British Isles during the 16th century. On the fourth Sunday in April, young men and women who were living and working apart from their families were advised to return to their mothers’ houses.

Mother's Day as it is observed in the United States started in the 1850s with Ann Jarvis, a West Virginia woman who held “Mothers' Work Days” to promote health and hygiene(卫生 ) at home and in the workplace. During the Civil War, Jarvis organized women to improve sanitary conditions for soldiers on both sides, and after the war she became a peacemaker, furthering the cause by bringing together mothers of Union and Confederate                    soldiers and promoting a Mother's Day holiday.

Jarvis's work inspired another 19th-century woman, Julia Ward Howe. In 1870 Howe published her “Mother's Day Proclamation”, which envisioned(设想) the day not as appreciation of mothers by their children but as an opportunity for women to exercise their collective power for peace. Howe started holding annual Mother's Day celebrations in Boston, her hometown, but after about a decade she stopped footing the bill and the tradition faded away.

It was Jarvis's daughter Anna who succeeded in getting Mother’s Day recognized as a national holiday. After her mother died, in May 1905, Anna started holding yearly ceremony on   the anniversary and conducting a tireless PR campaign to have the day made a holiday. In 1908   she succeeded in enlisting the support of John Wanamaker, the Philadelphia department store magnate and advertising pioneer, and by 1912 West Virginia and a few other states had adopted Mother's Day. Two years later, President Woodrow Wilson signed a resolution   declaring   the second Sunday in May a national holiday.

It wasn't long, though, before whatever ideals the day was supposed to celebrate were buried under an amount of greeting cards and candy. By the 1920s Anna Jarvis was campaigning against the holiday she had been instrumental in creating. “I wanted it to be a day of emotionalism, not profit,” she said.

1. It can be inferred from the first paragraph that              .

A．mothers didn't get enough appreciation in the past

B．Mother's Day was invented by Hallmark

C．young people all returned to their mothers' houses

D．Greeks and Romans were the first to celebrate Mother's Day

2. Who plays the most significant role in creating Mother's Day?

A．Ann Jarvis.	B．Julia Ward Howe.
C．Woodrow Wilson.	D．Anna Jarvis.

3. Why did Anna Jarvis go against celebrating Mother's Day in the 1920s?

A．Because it was extremely emotional.

B．Because the festival was not profitable.

C．Because the celebrations went against the original spirit.

D．Because the day was celebrated in the form of exchanging greeting cards and candy.

4. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A．The Definition of Mother’s Day

B．The Argument on Celebrating Mother's Day

C．The Story Behind the Creation of Mother's Day

D．Different Forms of Celebration on Mother's Day

8 . After spending a term in Spain, I have been trying to work out which common impressions on Spain have some truth in them and which don't.    1    

Spain is always warm and sunny. This is not true. The city I stayed in, which is in central Spain, often becomes colder than London in winter. However, the city receives little rain all year round and gets very hot in summer.    2    In Andalusia of southern Spain, for example, temperature can be cool but pleasant in winter, but becomes very high in summer.

The Spanish love to have fun.    3    The Spanish people I meet tend to be very warm and open. Spaniards love to celebrate life through different festivals throughout the year. As well as religious festivals, they celebrate others such as La Tomatina, a festival in Valencia where people throw tomatoes at each other.

    4    This is true. Both locals and tourists enjoy watching Flamenco shows just as much, especially in Andalusia. It is also possible to see them in Madrid and Barcelona, but they tend to be more for tourists. I recommend seeing a Flamenco show in Cadiz or Jerez de la Frontera. The flamenco in Cadiz takes on a more cheerful style. Maybe this is because the people of Cadiz live by the sea and have access to beautiful sandy beaches.

Spain is a fascinating country, in which you are sure to have lots of fun. I find that a lot of the common impressions on Spain hold some truth.    5    Spanish culture is very complex and the traditions and culture, as well as food and weather, can vary between regions.

A．Spain is famous for its Flamenco.

B．Here’s what I have discovered so far.

C．But the country is not limited to them.

D．I have seen a lot of evidence that this is true.

E．The following are correct impressions on Spain.

F．Southern Spain tends to be warmer than northern Spain.

G．Northern Spain is colder in summer and also colder in winter.

9 . 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。

As we all know, it is often     1     big challenge to keep the right balance between progress and the protection of cultural sites. In the 1950s, the Egyptian government wanted to build a new dam across the Nile     2     (control) floods, produce electricity, and supply water to more farmers in the area. But the proposal     3     (lead) to protests. Water from the dam would likely damage a number of temples and destroy cultural relics     4     were an important part of Egypt’s cultural heritage. After     5     (listen) to the scientists who had studied the problem and the nearby citizens, the government turned to the United Nations for help in 1959.

A committee     6     (establish) to limit damage to the Egyptian buildings and prevent the loss of cultural relics. The group asked for     7     (contribution) from different departments and raised funds within the     8     (globe) community. They completed the project     9     (successful) by taking down temples and other cultural relics piece     10     piece and putting them together again in a place where they were safe from the water.

10 . Whether it is for a special festival, to express thanks or to just let someone know that you care about them, giving gifts is a common custom. The purpose of giving gifts may be similar, but the tradition varies from country to country. A gift of respect in one place may be considered rude in another. Take a look at three unique gift-giving traditions.

India

If you’re invited to someone’s home in India, you should bring a small gift, whether it’s a box of chocolates or some flowers. Gifts shouldn’t be wrapped (包裹) in black or white colors. because they are considered unlucky. Instead, use bright colors such as green, red or yellow. When giving money for any occasion, it should have an odd number (奇数) value. That’s believed to bring good luck. Instead of receiving a gift with both hands, Indians generally only use their right hand because left hands are considered unclean.

Japan

For most Japanese, the ritual (礼节) of giving presents is more important than the gifts themselves. The correct way is to present or receive gifts with both hands. Every gift should be wrapped. That’s because uncovered gifts are considered disrespectful. To show politeness and thanks, those who are receiving the gift may turn it down once or twice before finally accepting it. Gifts should be given in pairs, but four should be avoided just like in China. Lucky numbers also include eight. Eight is said to bring prosperity.

Native America

While it may be common for guests to prepare gifts for hosts, this is different in Native American communities. From weddings to birthday celebrations, guests are the ones who receive gifts. Gifts are usually homemade arts and crafts that are made by hand to show love, respect and appreciation.

1. What kind of gift would you bring to an Indian home?

A．Some chocolates in a green box.	B．Flowers wrapped in black paper.
C．Sixty dollars in a yellow envelope.	D．Seventy-five rupees wrapped in white paper.

2. Why don’t Japanese accept a gift at once?

A．To get another better gift.	B．To be more polite and thankful.
C．To refuse one’s kindness.	D．To be more outgoing and active.

3. What is the purpose of the text?

A．To list some attractive festivals.	B．To compare some countries.
C．To recommend some formal gifts.	D．To introduce some gift-giving traditions.