1 . Africa is a large and varied continent containing some of the oldest civilizations on earth. It is home to a wide diversity of religions and cultures, and this colorful diversity is reflected in its diverse and colorful weddings traditions.
An African wedding is, more than anything, the bringing together of two people as a single family, or the combining of two families or even the mixture of two tribes into one family unit. The concept of family is one of the unifying ideas of the African continent. There are more than 1,000 cultural units in Africa and each culture, each tribe has its own wedding and marriage traditions, many of which can trace their origins back hundreds or even thousands of years. There are also many different religions represented in Africa. Many northern Africans, especially, have been influenced by Muslim traditions, while further south there are more Christian, Hindu, and even Jewish traditions with more ancient traditions.
In many places in Africa young girls are trained to be good wives from an early age. They may even learn secret codes and secret languages that allow them to talk with other married women without their husbands understanding what is being said.
Depending on which part of Africa you are in, wedding ceremonies can be extremely elaborate, some lasting many days. Often huge ceremonies are held during which many couples are united at the same time.
In Sudan and in other areas along the Nile a man must pay his wife’s family in sheep or cattle for the loss of their daughter’s labor in support of the family. A wife may cost a man as many as 30 to 40 head of cattle. In Somalia a man is allowed to have as many as four wives if he can support them all, and it is not uncommon for a girl to be engaged before she is even born.
Bright festive colors, song, dance, and music are vital elements of many African wedding ceremonies. Common to all wedding ceremonies is the concept of changing between childhood and adulthood. In many African cultures children are encouraged to marry as young as 13 to 15 years of age, as soon as they have reached physical adulthood.
1. When two young get married in Africa it means ________.| A．they will explore a wide diversity of religions |
| B．they will live together for the rest of their life |
| C．they will contribute to the union of African tribes |
| D．they will have a chance to enjoy their romance |
| A．All the tribes in Africa have the same belief. |
| B．Africa witnesses varieties of marriage traditions. |
| C．Most of Africans are believers in Islam. |
| D．People in South Africa are all Christians. |
| A．to have a good communication with their husbands |
| B．to give their children a good education in the future |
| C．to gain the ability to talk with other married women |
| D．to master the skills about having communication |
| A．Similar. | B．Familiar. | C．Difficult. | D．Different. |
| A．wedding ceremonies are full of happiness |
| B．there are more men than women in Somalia |
| C．the cattle are well worth a lot of money |
| D．Africans prefer dancing to anything else |
2 . Maybe you have heard the expression—when in Rome, do as the Romans do. So when you want to do business in France, you have to get to know French culture, to make marketing plans, and to run your business by local laws.
The first thing you should do when meeting someone new is to shake his hand firmly and always look the person in the eye. In social meeting with friends, kissing is common.
Use first names only after being invited to.
Dress well.
The French are passionate about food, so lunches are common in doing business in France, which usually consist of an appetizer (开胃菜), a main meal with wine, cheese, dessert and coffee, and normally take up to two hours.
Do not begin eating until the host says “bon appetite”. Pass dishes to the left, keep wrists above the table and try to eat everything on the plate.
| A．The French draw information about people based on their appearance. |
| B．This is a time for relationship building. |
| C．Remember to be as polite as possible. |
| D．Language should be the focus of anyone planning to do business in France. |
| E．Be careful with adding salt, pepper or sauces to your food. |
| F．Use Monsieur or Madame before the surname. |
| G．Make an appointment with your business partner in advance. |
3 . A British friend told me he couldn’t understand why Chinese people love eating sunflower seeds(嗑瓜子) 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 much 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 door-to-door on Chinese New Year’s Eve to check out what every household was making.
I remember my parents would be in the kitchen cooking. Out in the living room, a large table would already be laid out, complete with fancy tablecloth, ready-made 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 your breath. They think it’s a delicacy(美味佳肴), and it’s connected to their certain culture. I think it’s a wonderful tradition.
1. What did the writer become aware of?| A．She had ever typed a report about seeds. |
| B．She had various snacks while watching TV. |
| C．She had a habit of cracking sunflower seeds. |
| D．She damaged her teeth by eating sunflower seeds. |
| A．The families get together for it. | B．Eating sunflower seeds is related to it. |
| C．The traditions of celebrating it disappear. | D．Children can eat delicious food on that day. |
| A．Indifferent. | B．Critical. | C．Understandable. | D．Doubtful. |
| A．It is good to form healthy eating habits. |
| B．Eating habits come from a certain culture. |
| C．Changing your eating habits will change your life. |
| D．One kind of food doesn’t necessarily suit everyone. |
1）这项古代发明的名称；2）概述这项古代发明；3）这项古代发明的影响。
注意：1）词数不少于100；
2）开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
Dear John,
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Sincerely,
Li Hua
1. 大赛的目的和意义；
2. 时间和地点（校礼堂）；
3. 欢迎国外交换生报名参加。
注意：
1. 词数100左右。
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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6 . Ancient Dunhuang manuscripts housed abroad have been edited and published by the Institute for Overseas National Literature of Northwest Minzu University since 2006. Up till now, 9 manuscripts kept in the British Library and 22 in the National Library of France have been finished, the institute said on April 24, 2018.
Tens of thousands of valuable ancient documents and cultural relics, discovered in the Mogao Grottos in Dunhuang, Gansu province, were scattered overseas in the early 20th century. Dunhuang manuscripts currently in the British Library and the National Library of France are the most important ancient national documents housed abroad.
Co-edited by Institute for Overseas National Literature of Northwest Minzu University, Shanghai Classics Publishing House, the British Library and the National Library of France, these Dunhuang manuscripts return home in publication form for the first time. The institute is also preparing an online database of the manuscripts.
According to Cai Rang, associate director of the institute, Dunhuang manuscripts scattered overseas in Russia, Britain, France and Japan have rich contents, including Buddhism law, social contract, history, linguistics and art. The institute has edited and published 31 manuscripts over the past 13 years, but the work has not been finished. It plans to publish 15 from the British Library and over 30 from the National Library of France all together. In addition, it will also publish manuscripts collected by other countries.
“Some manuscripts are hard to read because of the indecipherable words. So we read carefully and understand them by comparing with Buddhism documents handed down from ancient times,” Cai said. “Next, document classification and compilation will be our key work for further research.”
The work done by the institute is helpful to study the history and culture of Tubo(present-day Tibet) during the period of 8th to 11th century and the history of national cultural exchanges at that time.
1. When did so many valuable ancient documents, discovered in the Mogao Grottos, were scattered overseas?| A．In the late 19th century. | B．In the middle of the 19th century. |
| C．At the beginning of the 19th century. | D．At the beginning of the 20th century. |
| A．By using modern technology. | B．By asking other famous experts. |
| C．By comparing them with Buddhism documents. | D．By studying the history and culture of Tubo. |
| A．the scientific study of language |
| B．the opinion that people have about someone or something |
| C．something that people may have as part of their character |
| D．a system or method for carrying passengers or goods from one place to another |
| A．Dunhuang manuscripts scattered overseas have rich contents. |
| B．China publishes Dunhuang manuscripts housed overseas. |
| C．High value of ancient documents and cultural relics in Mogao Grottos. |
| D．Prepare an online database of Dunhuang manuscripts housed overseas. |
要点：
1.文化遗产地的重要性(见证历史和文化，帮助人们了解过去)；
2.呼吁人们保护文化遗产地。
注意：
1.要涵盖所给要点，词数80左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3.开头和结尾已为你写好，不计入总词数。
Dear Editor,
I am Li Hua, a senior student from Hongxing High School.
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Yours,
Li Hua
Traditional Chinese culture is beginning to capture the attention of the world. Kung fu,
9 . The Qingming Festival is celebrated with a three-day national holiday, whose name originates from the saying “Plants start to revive and prosper at Qingming in a clean and bright way. Thus, the festival is called Qingming,” which means clean and bright.
Tomb sweeping.
Spring outing. The time around the Qingming Festival is one of the most suitable seasons fora spring outing, as plants are thriving and flowers are blooming. People can have a great time outdoors with their friends and family.
Qingtuan, a green rice ball tiny enough to fit into your hand, is also called Qingmingguo or Aiguo.
| A．With each different look comes a good blessing. |
| B．The tradition of tomb sweeping originates from the Qin Dynasty. |
| C．The two main activities over the festival include tomb sweeping and going on a spring outing. |
| D．Family members gather together to celebrate and taste the food. |
| E．Playing football and flying kites are popular activities. |
| F．Many traditional customs are practiced to show respect for our ancestors. |
| G．It is popular in the southern regions of the Yangtze River. |
1.举办目的及举办地点；
2.参赛作品要求；
3.参赛奖励。
注意:1.词数100左右；
2.可适当增加细节,以使行文连贯。
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