1 . Almost all cultures celebrate the end of one year and the beginning of another in some way. Different cultures celebrate the beginning of a new year in different ways, and at different times on the calendar.

In Western countries, people usually celebrate New Year at midnight on December 31st—January 1st. People may go to parties, sometimes dressed in formal (正式的) clothes, and they may drink champagne (香槟) at midnight. During the first minutes of the new year, people cheer and wish each other happiness for the year ahead. But some cultures prefer to celebrate the new year by waking up early to watch the sunrise. They welcome the new year with the first light of the sunrise.

Many cultures also do special things to get rid of (消除) bad luck at the beginning of a new year. For example, in Ecuador, families make a big doll from old clothes. The doll is filled with old newspapers and firecrackers. At midnight, these dolls are burned to show the bad things from the past year are gone and the new year can start afresh (重新). Other common traditions to keep away bad luck in a new year include throwing things into rivers or the ocean, or saying special things on the first day of the new year.

Other New Year traditions are followed to bring good luck in the new year. One widespread Spanish tradition for good luck is to eat grapes on New Year’s Day. The more grapes a person eats, the more good luck the person will have in the year. In France, people eat pancakes for good luck at New Year. In the United States, some people eat black-eyed peas for good luck, but to get good luck for a whole year you have to eat 365 of them!

1. The reading is mainly about______.

A．the meaning of “Happy New Year!”

B．several different New Year traditions

C．what to eat on New Year’s Day

D．why people dress up nicely on New Year's Day

2. It’s clear that______.

A．some cultures celebrate New Year in the morning

B．the Western people celebrate New Year only on New Year’s Day

C．people in Ecuador go to parties on December 31st—January 1st

D．no cultures do special things to celebrate New Year

3. In some cultures, people throw things into rivers or the ocean to ______.

A．bring good luck

B．keep away bad luck

C．forget everything

D．plan for the next year

4. To have a happy new year, ______.

A．friends talk to each other in special ways

B．families make big dolls filled with old clothes

C．some people get up early to watch the sunrise

D．Europeans eat 365 grapes on New Year's Day

5. When eating black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day, people think ______.

A．one pea brings one day of luck

B．black-eyed peas are the best medicine

C．the peas are too black and taste bad

D．the peas are helpful to count numbers

3 . 语法填空

With the rapid spread of western culture, a     1    (grow) number of Chinese people prefer western holidays to Chinese traditional ones. When Christmas or Valentine’s Day     2    (come), youngsters will flood into bars, restaurants, or department stores to celebrate these festivals, but actually they don't know much about Chinese traditional festivals.

The reason behind this social phenomenon is obvious: in a society controlled by mass media and consumerism, festivals and holidays from abroad    3    (identify) as fashionable and new, while traditional ones are usually something out of date and old. Young people all over the world have regarded western life style,     4    (especial) the life in Hollywood films,     5    their goal of life. As a consequence, it is no wonder    6    Chinese young people have much more affection for Christmas.

We should think about the influence of such     7    social phenomenon carefully. It is obvious that the wide spread and recognition of western holidays is     8    (harm) to our traditional value. If we don’t take some    9     (measure) right now, some day in the future, Chinese cultural heritage may be strange to our grandchildren. It is high time for the government and all people     10    (take) action to protect our traditional culture.

4 . Our culture is the system we use to build our identity. All living things are part of a culture. Even animals have a culture! So what is culture? It's the way we behave in a group. It begins with each individual (单个的) family. Within our families we do things to build relationships with each other. This can include routines like daily housework and weekly shopping. It also includes traditions. Traditions are activities that are repeated on a regular basis.

Culture is not limited to individual family groups. The real strength of culture is in larger community groups. These larger groups are called societies. Every society makes rules for itself. It decides how people should act in different situations. Some of these rules are written down. Some are just things that are naturally expected of all members of that society.

Often, cultures can be recognized by what the people believe. Cultures are also known by what they choose to include in their art. Sometimes cultures may be formed by people who speak the same language. Cultures may also be known for their customs, including the foods they make and the things they do.

Our cultures help us understand who we are and what we believe. There are very strong feelings connecting us to our own society. Two different cultures may disagree on something, especially if they both feel strongly about it. When that happens, war is a common result.

People are learning better ways to communicate with each other. The more we communicate, the more we appreciate the differences in cultures.

1. The underlined word routines in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to _______.

A．hobbies	B．behaviors
C．formal activities	D．daily activities

2. Where does the real strength of culture?

A．In arts.	B．In societies.
C．In families.	D．In languages.

3. Which of the following may the author disagree with according to the passage?

A．Culture doesn't exist in animals.

B．Culture is the way we behave.

C．Cultures may not agree with each other.

D．Cultures help us understand ourselves.

4. How can people appreciate cultural differences?

A．By building a wall.	B．By preparing to fight.
C．By communicating.	D．By making friends.

5. What is the best title for the passage?

A．What Is Culture?	B．What Is Society?
C．What Is Tradition?	D．What Is System?

5 . 你是李华,就读于、国同学校。你写信给《英文早报》的编辑Bob,希望结识一位来自英语国家的笔友（pen pal）,以便相互学习对方的语言和文化:你容易相处，熟悉中国历史，喜欢中国传统音乐。
内容要点：
(1)写信目的；
(2)自我介绍；
(3)表示感谢。
注意 : 1. 词数80左右;

2. 开头和结尾已经给出,不算词数

3. 可以适当增加细节,并将开头型结尾抄写在答题卡上,以使行文连贯。

Dear bob,
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Looking forward to your reply.

Yours,

Li Hua

6 . 假定你是李华，你要完成一项关于中英学生寒假生活的调查。请给你的英国笔友Bill写一封信，交流相关信息。要点如下：

1．写信的原因；

2．介绍中国学生的寒假生活；

(1)时长：约20天

(2)活动

3．询问英国学生的寒假生活。

注意：1. 词数100左右；

2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

3. 信的开头和结尾已给出,不计入总词数。

Dear Bill,
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________

Yours sincerely,

Li Hua

7 . A fellow speaker from California named Geri flew to Japan, in her favorite jeans and a casual jacket, to give her first speech. Fourteen hours later, four perfectly dressed Japanese gentlemen greeted her at Narita Airport. Smiling and bowing low, they handed her their business cards. With her bag in one hand, Geri took their cards with the other. She thanked them, glanced briefly at the cards, and put them into her jeans pocket quickly.
When the five of them arrived at the hotel, they invited Geri to tea in the lobby (大厅). While sipping tea, the gentlemen presented her with a small gift which she eagerly opened. She was thrilled with the gift and shouted excitedly, “Oh, it’s beautiful!”
At this point, the four Japanese gentlemen stood up and, bowing only very slightly, said “Sayonara” and left immediately. Poor Geri was left astonished. What did she do wrong?
Everything! Her jeans were the first gaffe. Even if you’re coming off a bicycle in Japan, you do not meet c1ients (客人) casually dressed. The second mistake was Geri’s handling of their business cards rudely. In Japan, the business card is one of the most important communicative tools. It is always presented and accepted respectfully with both hands. However, Geri put their cards away much too quickly. In Japan, people use business cards as a conversation starter. You chat about each other’s cards and work and do not put theirs away until they gently and respectfully place yours in safekeeping. Putting it carelessly into her jeans pocket was the ultimate disrespect.
Then, the fourth horror of horrors was that Geri should not have opened the gift in front of her clients. In a land where saving face is critical, it would be embarrassing to discover the gift they gave was not as nice as the one they received. What is worse, Geri hadn’t even given them a gift!
1. In the four Japanese gentlemen’s eyes, Geri took their cards _____________.

A．excitedly

B．embarrassingly

C．politely

D．disrespectfully

2. Why did the four Japanese gentlemen leave Geri suddenly?

A．Because they couldn’t bear Geri’s behavior any longer.

B．Because they had finished the task.

C．Because Geri had something more important to do.

D．Because Geri felt embarrassed.

3. What does the underlined word “gaffe” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．ignorance

B．sadness

C．mistake

D．carelessness

4. The third mistake Geri made was that she _____________.

A．used her own card as a conversation starter

B．took her clients’ cards with one hand

C．kept her clients’ cards in a wrong place

D．met her clients in jeans

5. What lesson can we draw from this story?

A．Honesty is the best policy.

B．Think twice before you take any action.

C．When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

D．Don't claim to know what you don't know.