1 . Directions: Read the following passage. Fill in the blanks to make the passage coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word. For the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.

Sharing the sweetness

On the 25th of December, my mother expects her children to be present, exchanging gifts and eating turkey. When she pulls on that holiday sweater, everybody better gets festive. Of course, I would be the first Jones sibling     1     (go) rogue (叛逆). As the middle, artist child, I was going to do my own thing, making some new traditions. From a biography of Flannery O’Connor, I drew inspiration— I would spend the holiday at an artist colony!

No one took my new idea seriously. From the way my mother carried on, you would think I was divorcing the family. Still I held my ground and made plans for my winter adventure in New Hampshire. The MacoDowell Colony was       2     I could have wished for. About 25 to 30 artists were in attendance, and it was as artsy (艺术的) as I     3     (imagine). It felt like my life had become a strange independent film.

By Christmas Eve, I had been at the colony for more than a week. The novelty of snowy New England was wearing off, but I would never admit     4    . Everyone around me was having too much fun. Skiing! Deep conversation by the fireplace! What was wrong with me? This was the holiday       5     I’d always dreamed of. No artificial decoration. Not a Christmas sweater anywhere in sight. People here didn’t even say “Christmas,” they said “holiday.” Then why was I so sad?

Finally, I called home on the pay phone. My dad answered, but I     6     barely hear him for all the good-time noise in the background. He turned down the volume on the holiday album and told me that my mother was out shopping with my brothers. Now it was my turn to sulk (生闷气). They were having a fine Christmas       7     me.

Despite a heavy snowstorm, a large package showed up near my door at the artist colony on Christmas morning. Tayari Jones was written in my mother’s beautiful handwriting. I rushed to that parcel     8     I were five years old. Inside was a gorgeous red-velvet cake, my favorite,     9     (wrap) tightly in about 50 yards of bubble packaging. “Merry Christmas,” read the simple card inside. “We love you very much.”

As I sliced the cake, everyone gathered around. Mother had sent a genuine homemade gift. It was a minor Christmas miracle that one cake managed to feed so many. We ate it from paper towels with our bare hands,     10    (satisfy) a hunger we didn’t know we had.

2 . Culture can affect not just language and customs, but also how people experience the world on surprisingly basic levels.

Researchers, with the help of brain scans, have uncovered shocking differences in perception(感知) between Westerners and Asians, what they see when they look at a city street, for example, or even how they perceive a simple line in a square, according to findings published in a leading science journal

In western countries, culture makes people think of themselves as highly independent entities(实体) .When looking at scenes, Westerners tend to focus more on central objects than on their surroundings. East Asian cultures, however emphasize inter-dependence. When Easterners look at a scene, they tend to focus on surroundings as well as the object.

Using an experiment involving two tasks, Dr Hedden asked subjects to look at a line simply to estimate its length, a task that is played to American strengths. In another, they estimated the line's length relative to the size of a square, an easier task for the Asians.

The level of brain activity, by tracking blood flow, was then measured by Brain Scanners. The experiment found that although there was no difference in performance, and the tasks were very easy, the levels of activity in the subjects’ brains were different. For the Americans, areas linked to attention lit up more, when they worked on the task they tended to find more difficult--estimating the line's size relative to the square. For the Asians, the attention areas lit up more during the harder task also--estimating the line's length without comparing it to the square. The findings are a reflection of more than ten years of previous experimental research into east-west differences

In one study, for instance, researchers offered people a choice among five pens, four red and one green. Easterners were more likely to choose a red pen while Westerners were more likely to choose the green one.

Culture is not affecting how you see the world, but how you choose to understand and internalize(使内化) it. But such habits can be changed. Some psychological studies suggest that when an Easterner goes to the West or vice versa, habits of thought and perception also begin to change. Such research gives us clues on how our brain works and is hopeful for us to develop programs to improve our memory, memory techniques and enhance and accelerate our learning skills.

1. According to the passage, Chinese people are most likely to_________.

A．emphasize independent thinking more

B．always focus more on their surroundings

C．focus on the context as well as object

D．think of Westerners as highly independent entities

2. We know from the passage that people's brains will be more active when_________.

A．the task is much easier

B．the blood flow is tracked

C．people begin to choose colors

D．the task is more difficult

3. What do the findings of the experiments mentioned in the passage indicate?

A．They indicate that culture has a great impact on the way people talk and behave.

B．They show that Easterners and Westerners have great differences in perceiving the world

C．They suggest that people's habits of thought and perception can be changed in different cultures.

D．They make it clear that Easterners and Westerners lay emphasis on different things

4. It can be inferred from the passage that_________.

A．Easterners prefer collectivism to individualism

B．East Asian cultures lay more emphasis on independence

C．It took over ten years to find out how to improve our brainpower

D．Americans will change their habits of perception when they're in Britain

3 . Many of China's ancient architectural treasures crumbled to dust before Lin Huiyin and Liang Sicheng began documenting them in the 1930s. The husband and wife team were by far the best-known __ to operate in China.Their __ have since inspired generations of people to speak out for architecture threatened by the rush toward development.

Becoming China's first architectural historians was no easy____.The buildings they wanted to___ were centuries old, often in shambles and located in distant parts of the country. In many cases, they had to journey through ___conditions in the Chinese countryside to reach them.     

___China's outlying areas during the 1930s meant traveling muddy, poorly maintained roads by mule, or on foot.This was a(n)____undertaking both for Liang,who walked with a bad limp(跛）after a motorcycle accident as a young man, and Lin,who had a lung disease for years. Inns were often unimaginably dirty,food could be tainted(污染的），and there was always __ of violence from rebels,soldiers and bandits.

Their greatest discovery came on an expedition in 1937 when they dated and extremely____catalogued Foguang Si, or the Temple of Buddha's Light, in Wutai County,Shanxi Province. The breathtaking wooden temple was____in 857 A.D.,making it the oldest building known in China at the time. (It is now the fourth-oldest known).

Liang and Lin crawled into the temple's most____areas to determine its age, including one aerie inhabited by thousands of bats and millions of bedbugs, covered in dust and littered with dead bats. Liang wrote of the____in an account included in "Liang and Lin:Partners in Exploring China's Architectural Past," the English-language story of their lives written by Wilma Fairbank,their close friend and correspondent.

＂In complete darkness and amid the___smell, hardly breathing, with thick masks covering our noses and mouths,we measured,drew,and photographed with flashlights for several hours,"Liang wrote."When ___we came out to take a breath of fresh air, we found hundreds of bedbugs in our backpack.We ourselves had been badly bitten.Yet the____and unexpectedness of our find made those the happiest hours of my years hunting for ancient architecture."

1.

A．architects

B．historians

C．preservationists

D．travelers

2.

A．documents

B．efforts

C．operations

D．encouragements

3.

A．achievement

B．dream

C．determination

D．breakthrough

4.

A．construct

B．develop

C．announce

D．save

5.

A．opposing

B．unexpected

C．unfamiliar

D．dangerous

6.

A．Exploring

B．Touring

C．Developing

D．Overlooking

7.

A．unadvisable

B．priceless

C．demanding

D．worthless

8.

A．tolerance

B．accusation

C．suspicion

D．risk

9.

A．efficiently

B．carefully

C．merrily

D．creatively

10.

A．built

B．ruined

C．discovered

D．recorded

11.

A．untidy

B．ancient

C．forgotten

D．important

12.

A．crawl

B．experience

C．prospect ion

D．exploitation

13.

A．unknown

B．disgusting

C．hard

D．thick

14.

A．at last

B．in contrast

C．in result

D．with effort

15.

A．misery

B．result

C．reflection

D．importance

4 . In spring, chickens start laying again, bringing a welcome source of protein at winter's end. So it's no surprise that cultures around the world celebrate spring by honoring the egg.

Some traditions are simple, like the red eggs that get baked into Greek Easter breads. Others elevate the egg into a fancy art, like the heavily jewel-covered "eggs" that were favored by the Russians starting in the 19th century.

One ancient form of egg art comes to us from Ukraine. For centuries, Ukrainians have been drawing complicated patterns on eggs. Contemporary artists have followed this tradition to create eggs that speak to the anxieties of our age: Life is precious, and delicate. Eggs are, too.

"There's something about their delicate nature that appeals to me," says New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast. Several years ago, she became interested in eggs and learned the traditional Ukrainian technique to draw her very modern characters. "I've broken eggs at every stage of the process—from the very beginning to the very, very end. "

But there's an appeal in that vulnerability. "There's part of this sickening horror of knowing you're walking on the edge with this, that I kind of like, knowing that it could all fall apart at any second" Chast's designs, such as a worried man alone in a tiny rowboat, reflect that delicateness.

Traditional Ukrainian decorated eggs also spoke to those fears. The elaborate patterns were believed to offer protection against evil.

"There's an ancient legend that as long as these eggs are made, evil will not prevail in the world," says Joan Brander, a Canadian egg-painter who has been painting eggs for over 60 years, having learned the art from her Ukrainian relatives.

The tradition, dating back to 300 B. C., was later incorporated into the Christian church. The old symbols, however, still endure. A decorated egg with a bird on it, given to a young married couple, is a wish for children. A decorated egg thrown into the field would be a wish for a good harvest.

1. Why do people in many cultures prize the egg?

A．It is a welcome sign of the coming of spring.

B．It is their major source of protein in winter.

C．It can easily be made into a work of art.

D．It can bring wealth and honor to them.

2. What do we learn about the decorated "eggs" in Russia?

A．They are shaped like jewel cases.

B．They are cherished by the rich.

C．They are heavily painted in red.

D．They are favored as a form of art.

3. Why have contemporary artists continued the egg art tradition?

A．Eggs serve as an enduring symbol of new life.

B．Eggs have an oval shape appealing to artists.

C．Eggs reflect the anxieties of people today.

D．Eggs provide a unique surface to paint on.

4. Why does Chast enjoy the process of decorating eggs?

A．She never knows if the egg will break before the design is completed.

B．She can add multiple details to the design to communicate her idea.

C．She always derives great pleasure from designing something new.

D．She is never sure what the final design will look like until the end.

5 . Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passages coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.

Amid the outbreak of the novel coronavirus pneumonia, almost everyone in China wears a face mask to protect themselves and other people     1     the virus. However, many people in the West feel reluctant to wear masks     2     there is an increasing number of their compatriots(同胞）being infected.

According to the Global Times, different attitudes toward     3     (wear) masks largely lie in the cultures. In the West,     4     people generally believe is that unless one is already ill, wearing a mask is simply unnecessary.

Siva Kumar from the US is one of them. “Masks can only protect you from particulate matter in the air you breathe, but they can't filter (过滤) out microbes (微生物), "Kumar told China Daily. “wearing a mask when you're healthy     5    (cause) tension for others."

US infection prevention specialist Eli Perencevich told Forbes, "The average healthy person     6     not wear masks." She added, “If they wear them incorrectly it can increase the risk of infection because they're touching their faces more often."

However, for people in Asian countries like China, wearing a mask is engrained (根深蒂固的) in their culture.     7     (Value) collectivism (集体主义), people in Asia always want to make contributions to the groups     8    they belong to. In such uncertain and potentially dangerous time, many people have taken the responsibility     9    (wear) face masks to ensure the safety of their communities.

Chen Xinjie, a media worker in Beijing said: "Wearing the mask for a long time is stuffy(闷热的) and uncomfortable…But as a member of the group, it's our duty to do so."

    10    (Influence) by social cultures, the attitudes toward wearing a mask can be different in the East and West. But as US essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “We must each respect others even as we respect ourselves."

6 . Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passage coherent and grammatically correct. Use one word that best fits each blank.

The word taboo comes from the Tongan language and is used in modern English to describe verbal and nonverbal behavior that is forbidden or to be avoided.     1     what some may think, taboos are not universal. They tend to be specific to a culture or country, and usually form around a group’s values and beliefs.     2     is considered acceptable behavior in one country may be a serious taboo in another. Therefore,     3     you travel to another country, on business or vacation, it is helpful to learn some of that country’s customs     4     you don’t insult the local people.

Verbal taboos usually involve topics     5     people believe are too private to talk about publicly, or release to one’s manner of speaking. In many cultures, for example, it is considered bad manners to discuss subjects     6     sex or religion in public. In some countries, the volume of one’s voice may annoy people.

Nonverbal taboos usually relate to body languages. One of the biggest difference among many Western Asian, and African cultures is the use of eye contact. In the USA, people make eye contact when talking to others. If a person avoids eye contact, others might think they are being honest or     7     they lack confidence. In many Asian and African cultures, however, children are taught to lower their eyes when talking to their elders, or     8     of higher rank, as a way to show respect.

Certain gestures made with the hands can have very different meanings depending on     9     you are. For example, Crossing your middles finger over your forefinger is the sign for good luck in many western countries, in Vietnam and Argentina, however, it is an unsuitable gesture.

Behavior that is acceptable and non-offensive in one culture can be highly offensive in another. When visiting a foreign country, be aware of some of the basic differences,     10     will help to ensure a more enjoyable trip.

7 . Direction: After reading   the passage below. Fill in the blanks to make the passage coherent and grammatically correct

Increasingly, various phrases have been taking over a good old-fashioned "thank you" or "you’re welcome" in daily conversations in the United States. While     1     (dine)at a restaurant, when a waiter comes by to ask Americans     2     .they would like more water or bread, do you notice that they often say " I'm good,” rather than "no, thank you?” When someone thanks them for holding the door open, "no problem "is almost the same response as "you're welcome”.

Are Americans becoming ruder,     3     (abandon) traditional polite phrases, or are the words they use now just updated versions of the same emotion?

According to Lisa Gache, co-founder of Beverly Hills Manners, the decline of these magic words in our everyday conversation has to do with the preference     4     all things casual in our society today. Casual conversation, casual dress and casual behavior are present in all areas of life.

And apparently Americans agree with her. A survey     5     (conduct)by Rasmussen Reports revealed that 76 percent of those surveyed thought that Americans were becoming "ruder and     6     (civil).”

But is using phrases like "no problem"or “you bet"or " enjoy” really rude? Does more casual

phrasing erase the original emotion of gratitude? Doesn’t "no, thank you" sometimes sound a little too formal, perhaps even a little too harsh(刺耳的),     7     it begins with a “no”?

Emily Post Senning,     8     great-grandmother set the standard on manners with the book Etiquette, thought that while the principles of respect and consideration are "universal and timeless, " actual manners change over time and between cultures,     9     do the words used to express gratitude and appreciation.

It's probably not a bad idea     10     (remember)to say "please" and "thank you,” but don’t beat yourself up thinking you're a horrible person if you say "have a good one" instead of "have a nice day.”

8 . Freedoms challenge in the Digital Age is a serious topic. We are facing today a strange new world and we are all wondering what we are going to do with it.

Some 2,500 years ago Greece discovered freedom. Before that there was no freedom. There were great civilizations, splendid empires, but no freedom anywhere. Egypt and Babylon were tyrannies, one very powerful man ruling over helpless masses In Greece, in Athens(雅典) a little city in a little country, there were no helpless masses.

And Athenians willingly obeyed the written laws which they themselves passed, and the unwritten, which must be obeyed if free men live together. They must show each other kindness and pity and the many qualities without which life would be very painful unless one chose to live alone in the desert. The Athenians never thought that a man was free if he could do what he wanted A man was free if he was self-controlled. To make yourself obey what you approved was freedom. They were saved from looking at their lives as their own private affair. Each one felt responsible for the welfare of Athens, not because it was forced on him from the outside, but because the city was his pride and his safety. The essential belief of the first free government in the world was liberty for all men who could control themselves and would take responsibility for the state.

But discovering freedom is not like discovering computers. It cannot be discovered once for all. If people do not prize it, and work for it, it will go. Constant watch is its price. Athens changed. It was a change that took place without being noticed though it was of the extreme importance a spiritual change which affected the whole state. It had been the Athenians pride and joy to give to their city That they could get material benefits from her never entered their minds. there had to be a complete change of attitude before they could took at the city as an employer who paid her citizens for doing her work. Now instead of men giving to the state, the state was to give to them. What the people wanted was a government which would provide a comfortable life for them; and with this as the primary object, ideas of freedom and self-reliance and responsibility were neglected to the point of disappearing: Athens was more and more looked on as a cooperative business possessed of great wealth in which all citizens had a right to share

Athens reached the point when the freedom she really wanted was freedom from responsibility

There could be only one result. If men insisted on being free from the burden of self-dependence and responsibility for the common good, they would cease to be free. Responsibility is the price every man must pay for freedom. It is to be had on no other terms. Athens, the Athens of Ancient Greece, refused responsibility; she reached the end of freedom and was never to have it again.

But "the excellent becomes the permanent, Aristotle said. Athens lost freedom forever, but freedom was not lost forever for the world. a great American, James Madison, referred to the capacity of mankind for self-government. No doubt he had not an idea that he was speaking Greek. Athens was not in the farthest background of his mind, but once man has a great and good idea, it is never completely lost. The Digital Age cannot destroy it. Somehow in this or that man s thought such an idea lives though unconsidered by the world of action. One can never be sure that it is not on the point of breaking out into action, only sure that it will do so sometimes

1. What does the underlined word "tyrannies" in Para2 refer to?

A．Countries where their people need help

B．Powerful states with higher civilization

C．Splendid empires where people enjoy freedom.

D．Government ruled with absolute power

2. What fundamental change in attitude took place in Athens?

A．The Athenians refused to take their responsibility.

B．The Athenians no longer took their pride in the city

C．The Athenians benefited spiritually from the government.

D．The Athenians viewed the government as a business to work for.

3. What does the underlined sentence "There could be only one result” in Para 5 mean?

A．Athens would continue to be

B．Athens would cease to have freedom.

C．Freedom would come from responsibility.

D．Freedom would stop Athens from self-dependence

4. Why does the author refer to Aristotle and Madison?

A．He is hopeful about freedom

B．He is cautious about self-government

C．He is doubtful about Greek civilization

D．He is critical of Greece’s loss of freedom

5. What is the authors understanding of freedom?

A．Freedom can be more popular in the digital age

B．Freedom may come to an end in the digital age

C．Freedom should have priority over responsibility

D．Freedom should be guaranteed by responsibility.

9 . Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passage coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.

This weekend many families in America will celebrate Mother’s Day. The event dates back to   May 9, 1914,     1     America’s President Wilson   established the official     holiday. Some people had begun campaigning for the holiday a few years     2     (early).   Finally in 1914, the president made it official. He declared that each second Sunday in May     3     (dedicate) to thanking the nation’s mothers. He also ordered all government     buildings     4     (display) the national flag on that day. According to President Wilson, this was done “as a public expression of …love …for the mothers of our country.”

Before long, people in other   countries     5     (begin) asking for a similar   holiday to celebrate their mothers. Mexico celebrated its first official Mother’s Day on May 10, 1922. May 10th became their annual holiday because the country preferred a fixed date to     6     that changed.

Other countries are happy to share the day with the United States. Some on the list include Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Japan and Turkey.

Oddly enough, the U.S. Congress rejected a Mother’s Day resolution at first. Today, though, Mother’s Day is a highly popular holiday. It’s also very successful commercially. Along with giving cards,   candy   and flowers,     7     (take) moms out for brunch is a very popular gesture. America’s National Restaurant Association says Mother’s Day is the year’s most popular day for eating out.

But why do we honor our mothers? Many moms lovingly dedicate their lives to their children. Moms sacrifice time, sleep and often their own dreams. Moms try to provide a strong foundation     8     children   can   build   their   lives. With     9     (love)   care,   mothers guide their children toward adulthood.

When we consider everything our mothers have done for us, how can we not honor them? There’s no need to wait for a national holiday, though. Every day is a great opportunity to tell our mothers     10     they mean to us.

10 . Many of China’s ancient architectural treasures smashed to dust before Lin Huiyin and Liang Sicheng began documenting them in the 1930s. The husband and wife team were among the first preservationists to operate in China, and by far the bestknown. Their efforts have since inspired generations of people to speak out for architecture threatened by the rush toward development.

Becoming China’s best architectural historians was no easy accomplishment. The buildings they wanted to save were centuries old located in distant parts of the country.In many cases, they had to journey through dangerous conditions in the Chinese countryside to reach them. Exploring China’s remote areas during the 1930s meant traveling muddy, poorly maintained roads by mule（骡子）or on foot. Inns were often dirty food could be polluted, and there was always risk or violence from rebels, soldiers and robbers.

Their greatest discovery was the Temple of Buddha’s Light, in Wutai County, Shanxi Province. The breathtaking wooden temple was built in 857 A. D., making it the oldest building known in China at the time.

Liang and Lin crawled into the temple’s most forbidding, forgotten areas to determine itsage, including one hideaway inhibited by thousands or bats and millions of bedbugs, covered in dust and littered with dead bats. “In complete darkness andamong the awful smell, hardly breathing, with thick masks covering our nosesand mouths, we measured, drew, and photographed with flashlights for several hours. When at last we came out to take a breath of fresh air, we foundhundreds of bedbugs in our bag. We ourselves had been badly bitten. Yet the importance and unexpectedness of our find made those the happiest hours of myyears hunting for ancient architecture.” Liand wrote of the experience in anaccount included in “Liang and Lin; Partners in Exploring China’s ArchitectualPast.”

1. On their way to the ancient buildings in 1930s,Liang and Lin faced following risks EXCEPT ________.

A．accommodations	B．personal security
C．road conditions	D．vehicles

2. Liang and Lin raised public awareness of ________.

A．documenting smashed historical buildings

B．rebuilding historically valuablebuildings

C．saving the oldest temples in China

D．Protecting historical buildings.

3. While exploring the Temple of Buddha’s Light,________

A．Liang and Lin caught insects with awful smell.

B．Liang and Lin were forbidden to breathe inside

C．Liang and Lin were pleased at something unhoped for

D．Liang and Lin determined its age by studyingbedbug’s hideaway

4. Which of the following is the best title for thepassage?

A．Creativeness results in discovery	B．Difficulty produces achievement
C．Efforts contribute to happiness	D．Responsibilities make development