1 . Traditional Chinese Culture

Chinese culture is over 5000 years old.     1    

The spirit of the tea ceremony

Xi Hu Long Jing （West Lake Dragon Well） and Yunnan Pu'er have long been, world famous.     2     .The spirit of the Chinese tea ceremony captures the Chinese attitude towards life and spirituality. These are the things that people all over the world can benefit from.

A handful of good tea leaves with some boiling water and a set of lovely tea ware are the perfect way to spend a sunny afternoon and gain some insight into the wisdom of this ancient civilization.

    3    

During the 5,000 years of Chinese civilization, many different flavors, styles, and cuisines （烹饪）have developed based on traditional philosophy and culture. This ancient food culture has had a direct impact on the countries, such as Japan, Mongolia, South Korea, Thailand, and Singapore. It has benefited billions of people around the world through such innovations as Chinese vegetarian culture, tea culture, vinegar, pasta medicated diets, ceramic tableware, and the use of soybeans in the diet.

Chinese Confucianism

Confucianism has flourished during the last 2,500 of China's 5,000-year history.     4     . This school of thought has had the most profound and long lasting influence in China's history. Seventy-four Nobel Prize winners and many other highly respected scholars have stated that for the benefit of mankind's livelihood and development into the next century, these teachings should be promoted and adopted worldwide.     5     .

A．Chinese cuisine

B．Traditional Chinese culture

C．It has been the mainstay （支柱〉of this ancient civilization

D．They are pretty popular due to their superior color and flavor

E．The following three items of traditional Chinese culture have had a worldwide impact

F．This wonderfully rich food culture has also had an impact on Europe, America and Oceania

G．This would provide long lasting benefits for man, helping to ensure a peaceful and happy life

2 . Whether you seek culture, community, or comfort food in America, these amazing festivals prove that small towns from coast to coast know how to throw big celebration.

Tulip Time

Go: May in Holland, Michigan

There’s no better place to celebrate Michigan’s Dutch Heritage than a town called Holland, where six million tulips are planted in private fields, city parks, and other gardens around town. First introduced in 1929, Tulip Time draws a half million visitors and features eight days of events, including three parades, an arts-and-crafts show, carnival rides, fireworks, and plenty of Dutch food tastings.

Texas SandFest

Go: April in Port Aransas, Texas

Since 1997, this artistic sand festival attracts talented amateurs and master sculptors alike to beautiful beaches of Port Aransas. A three-day event typically held over a weekend in late April, SandFest features parades, live music, entertainment, food, and sand sculpting lessons.

Burlington Steamboat Days

Go: June in Burlington, Iowa

Going strong for over 55 years, the four-day Burlington Steamboat Days draws an impressive lineup of musical headliners and new artists to this small town. Over the years, attendees have been treated to performances by Louie Armstrong, Lady Antebellum, Blake Shelton, and more. In addition to music, there are carnival games and parades, as well as a golf tournament.

National Balloon Classic

Go: July-August in Indianola, Iowa

Every summer since 1976, the small town has put on one of the largest festivals in the Midwest. The weeklong National Balloon Classic features twice-daily flights of more than 100 colorful hot-air balloons, skydiving demonstrations, and balloon rides. There’s also live music, food vendors, and a kid’s play area.

1. Which of the following has the longest history?

A．Tulip Time.	B．Texas SandFest.
C．Burlington Steamboat Day.	D．National Balloon Classic.

2. What can people do in Burligton Steamboat Days?

A．Take a balloon ride.	B．Attend sculpting lessons.
C．Learn steamboat’s history.	D．Enjoy great performances.

3. What do these festivals have in common?

A．They kick off with parades.	B．They all last for a week long.
C．They take place in small towns.	D．They are held in the same state.

3 . A white elephant gift exchange is a popular holiday party game in, the United States. Generally, the party needs at least six participants, and the larger the group is, the more entertaining the game will be.     1    But it can result in heated competitions between players trying to get the gifts.

    2    Sometimes, the rule is that the item must be previously owned, which means that you can exchange an unwanted item or trinket (小装饰品) with your friends. But sometimes you can buy a new but inexpensive item just for the party.

Every participant is expected to bring one wrapped (包装好的) gift. A white elephant gift is usually something useless or inconvenient.    3    Guests are asked to wrap them nicely and leave no identifying markings on the presents.

To start the game, a participant must act as the first player to choose a gift; this can be decided randomly or by picking numbers out of a hat.     4    As for the next player? This person can either “steal” the first person’s gift or choose an unwrapped item from the pile. Each gift can be stolen only three times before it is considered “dead”.

    5     Any person that has to give up a gift can also pick a new gift or steal one from another person. Each turn is only allowed three swaps between the current player and the previous players. The game won’t finish until all the presents are opened.

A．It all depends on how the game is organized.

B．This process is repeated until the game is over.

C．Don’t forget that the game’s purpose is to have fun.

D．The first player then opens the gift in front of everyone.

E．White elephant gift exchange can be run in different ways.

F．The goal of the party is usually entertainment rather than gain.

G．Trinkets, unidentifiable kitchen items and toys are typical “white elephants” .

4 . Think of carnival,    1    you think of crowds,costumes and    2    (confuse).The most famous carnival in Europe was in Venice.At the beginning,it lasted for just one day.People ate,drank and wore masks.As time passed,    3    ,the carnival period    4    (extend)so that it began just after Christmas.For weeks    5    end people walked around the streets wearing masks,doing what they wanted without    6    (recognize).Ordinary people could pretend    7    (be) rich and important,    8    famous people could have romantic adventures    9    (secret).Many crimes went    10    (punish).

5 . As we all know,drinking beers while running can upset the stomach.However,that's all part of the attraction of the Beer Mile,a unique race that has participants competing in running and drinking.The Beer Mile Race started off as a tradition in 1990,when a group of Canadians thought it would be fun to race each other while drinking a few beers.But it has come a long way since then.The Beer Mile Race is now a major sporting event with around 100,000 official competitors,brand name sponsors and so on.In 2015,the first Beer Mile World Classic was held in San Francisco,where all of the record holders from Canada and the United States came together for the competition.But this year,the event was organized in London,in an effort to take in more competitors about the sport outside North America.

The rules of the race are pretty simple: runners have to consume four beers before each of the four 400-meter laps making up the famous Beer Mile.The beers can come in bottles or cans but should not be less than 355ml and must be at least 5% alcohol.The drink like apple juice will not do.Runners must drink the beers within a 10 meter zone before the start/finish line and then they are required to tip the bottle/can over their heads to confirm it is empty.

In the case of vomiting（呕吐）during the race,and yes,there’s quite a bit of that during the Beer.Mile,offenders must complete one more lap at the end of the race.Organizers mention that even in the case of vomiting several times, only one more lap must be completed.

This year,the Elite Men's race was won by Canadian Corey Bellemore,who also set a new world record with a time of 4 minutes and 34 seconds.“I just drink the beers as quickly as I could,hold them down and get the burps（饱嗝）out,”Corey said.“If you can drink a beer in 8 seconds and also run very fast with a feeling of vomiting,then you’ll be fine like me.”

1. What can we know about the Beer Mile Race from Paragraph 1?

A．It was highly admired by drinkers.

B．It was developed very well.

C．It was criticized by many people.

D．It was only held in English speaking countries.

2. The purpose the 2016 Beer Mile held in London was______.

A．to collect more fund for the sport

B．to raise wide awareness about the sport

C．to encourage competitors to put more efforts into it

D．to attract more people worldwide to participate in it

3. What is Paragraph 2 mainly about?

A．The rules of drinking beers.

B．The rules of the Beer Mile Race.

C．The standard of drinking beers.

D．The zones of drinking beers.

4. What is implied in Corey's words in the last paragraph?

A．Everybody can run in the race if they are interested.

B．The speed of drinking beers makes him win.

C．A lot of preparations are needed to win the race.

D．It is not easy for him to win the race.