1 . Almost all calligraphy(书法) lovers agree that writing characters with a brush and ink on straw paper offers a way to communicate with not only history and culture, but also oneself. But now Chinese character handwriting is under threat from computers and mobile phones.

A college graduate looking for a job was reportedly turned down by a company because he wrote 24 characters incorrectly in a 400­character handwritten resume. A survey by HorizonKey, covering people from 12 major cities in China, found that nearly one third of those interviewed often experience “character amnesia(遗忘)”， with 94 percent saying this is a problem for them.

The main reason is that most Chinese rely too much on the pinyin­based Chinese language input method, which is replacing the tradition of writing characters stroke(笔画) by stroke. The software will conveniently choose the right characters according to the context or word frequency, as there are dozens of characters with the same pronunciation in Chinese.

Education is another problem. In college, most homework and papers are printed out, instead of handwritten. And few teachers use chalk and blackboards, with Microsoft's PowerPoint the most­often used software to teach knowledge to students.

The number of electronic devices in the classroom is thought to be another reason why students are easily satisfied with just a poor knowledge of the Chinese language and characters. It is quicker to look up a character in an electronic dictionary, but traditional printed dictionaries offer more detailed information on the usage and meaning of the characters. Students pay more attention to remembering a character's pronunciation, but not the other knowledge related to it, which e­dictionaries rarely provide.

Another worry is the “pollution” of Chinese characters by Internet language. Young people regard using Internet language as cool and fashionable. After they learn to use these expressions, they automatically include them in their writing.

1. With the example of a college graduate, the author shows ________.

A．that practicing can improve writing

B．why certain people are poor writers

C．that there are differences in students' writing

D．why Chinese character handwriting is in great danger

2. By saying “...those interviewed often experience ‘character amnesia(遗忘)’”， the writer means those interviewed ________.

A．are not good at handwriting

B．can't write characters accurately

C．show no interest in handwriting

D．find jobs much more difficultly

3. What phenomenon is described in Paragraph 5?

A．Dependence on electronic devices.

B．Advantages of electronic dictionaries.

C．Mastery of knowledge of the characters.

D．Disadvantages of published dictionaries.

4. What's the writer's attitude towards the Internet language?

A．Favorable.	B．Uncaring.
C．Disapproving.	D．Friendly.

2 . 阅读下面短文，根据所给情节进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。

A mother is a person who, seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie.

—Tenneva Jordan

I knew I was not supposed to be quite so excited. I was too old for that. At age eleven, the oldest and my mom's "grown up" girl, I had to keep my cool. I was in middle school after all. But every chance I got, when I was alone, I checked each present under the tree. I read every tag and felt every package, guessing at the contents within. I had examined each gift so often that I could tell which present went to which person without even looking at the tags.

It had been a tough year for my family. Whenever my mom looked over at the tree and scattered（撒）presents, she would sigh and warn us, "There won't be as much for Christmas this year. Try not to be disappointed." Christmas had traditionally been a time for my parents to spoil us. In years past, the presents would pile up and spill out from under the tree, taking over the living room. I had heard the phrase "giving is better than receiving," but thought that whoever had said that must have been out of their mind. Getting presents was the whole point! It was the reason I couldn't get to sleep on Christmas Eve.

On Christmas morning, we eagerly waited in the hallway until Dad told us everything was ready. We rushed into the living room and let the wrapping paper fly. We made weak attempts to wait and watch while other family members opened their presents, but as the time passed we lost our self-control.

"Here's another one for you,” said Mom as she handed me a package. I looked at it, confused. Having spent so much time examining the presents before Christmas, I recognized this one. But it had not been mine. It was my mom's. A new label had been put on it, with my name written in my mother's handwriting.

"Mom, I can't...”

注意：1.所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2.续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；
Paragraph 1:

I was stopped by my mother's eager, joyful look.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:

I have always remembered that Christmas fondly.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3 . The world is a colorful landscape of different languages, skin colors, and different cultures. It's important to have a good understanding of different cultures in order to become a well-rounded person    1    

One way is to read books written by authors from a particular culture. Reading works by authors who have a close relationship with a particular culture allows people to gain an authentic glimpse into the food, music, language, religion, and way of a life of a particular group of people.

    2    

Another way to learn about different cultures is to try to learn a foreign language.    3    A person can choose a language she has always wanted to learn and locate learning programs to help her master the language. Besides, one can enroll in a foreign language class in order to learn in a more formal setting. One can also try to visit areas of the city to establish social connection with native speakers of the language.

    4    Seek out restaurants that feature authentic food from a variety of countries. Food is an important part of different cultures and allows people to gain deep understanding into a particular cultural group's way of life.

Communicating with people from other countries through email or snail mail is another useful way to become familiar with different cultures.    5    Various websites offer pen pal services, offering to connect individuals with pen friends around the world.

A．Trying authentic food from a specific cultural group is also a great idea.

B．The Internet has made it possible to communicate with others from different countries.

C．Making contact with native speakers of the language allows one to gain firsthand knowledge.

D．There are several ways to become knowledgeable about different cultures.

E．Stories based on a local culture expose one to a different culture.

F．One way to develop this appreciation is to try to team about other cultures around the world.

G．A variety of language-learning books, software, and audio programs is available.

4 . 阅读下面短文，在标有序号的空白处填入一个适当的词，或填入括号中单词的正确形式

The Water Splashing Festival (泼水节) of the Dai ethnic minority falls in April. It is the most important festival     1     (observe) by the Dai people in the Dehong area of Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province.

During the festival     2    lasts three or four days, people are dressed in their best clothes and participate in a variety of rich and colorful     3    (activity). Dragon boat racing, fireworks displays and other performances such as Peacock Dance     4    (hold) on the first day. And the most popular event     5    (be) water-splashing on the second day. People splash water on each other, hoping to take away sicknesses and disasters. The wetter you get, the     6    (lucky) you will be. The last day is usually for the young people to play games as a way     7    (express) their love for each other.

The Water Splashing Festival     8    (vivid) exhibits the Dai’s respect for water and the culture of music and dance, food, and costumes. It is also a cultural bridge     9    Xishuangbanna and Southeast Asian countries that share     10    same festival culture of water-splashing.

5 . 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。

Are you interested in the popular shopping culture- Singles Day? I’d like to inform you     1     some information about it.

There are    2    (vary) theories about the origin of Singles Day in China. One of the popular theories is     3     Singles Day originated from campus culture. In 1993. four senior students at Nanjing University came up with the idea of organizing activities on Nov 11 as a day for single people. Gradually     4     (accept) by society, this festival attracts more and more people. With the spread of media and online culture. Singles Day 5s now hugely popular.

At present. Nov 11 is a shopping carnival. "Double 11" with the purpose of the online promotion     5     (hold) by Taobao (Tmall) on Nov 11. 2009. Willi the popularity of online shopping, the turnover （营业额）of "Double 11" Shopping Festival reached 213. 5 billion in 2018,     6     （rise） steadily （稳定地）. which is a delight to sellers.

When shopping day meets Singles Day. what will people do? Perhaps, this special day makes less     7     （different） to those who are in their     8     （forty） or older ages, but young people are loyal consumers who will take risks of     9    （run） out of their money to purchase. It is the young consumers     10    have strong desire to buy that day. They like the discounts of the goods.

6 . The Liangzhu ruins in Hangzhou, pointing to an established Chinese civilisation 5,000 years ago,   have been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. Every Chinese child is taught at school that the country's civilisation is 5,000 years old, but proving this beyond doubt has been a problem.

Now, a jade artifact(玉器)named “King of Cong”, found in the Liangzhu city ruins near Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, has provided an answer. Accordingto radiocarbon dating(放射性碳定年法),the 6.5kg object is 5,300 years old. It is one ofthe largest objects among all Cong from Liangzhu. The piece has now won greater global recognition.

However, the site has far more than just things made of jade.The main area, spread over14.3 square kilometers in the Yuhang area of Hangzhou, includes not only a city’s ruins but 11 dams and several cemeteries(墓地), all about 5,000 years old. Archaeological facts show that people lived in Liangzhu for about a thousand years.

“The archaeological ruins of Liangzhu (3300-2300 BCE) show an early state with a unified belief system based on growing rice in Late Neolithic China(中国新石器时代晚期). ”the UNESCO World Heritage Committee said.“These ruins are an extremely good example of early city civilisation expressed in town planning, a water conservation system and a social order which can be seen in where and how people were buried in cemeteries within the ruins.”

According to studies led by Liu Bin, director of the Zhejiang Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, the inner part of theancient city ruins covers 2.8 square kilometers, about five times the area of the Forbidden City in Beijing, and the outer city spreads across 6.3 square kilometers. Liu said it was the biggest city ruins site of its time to be found in China, and was also one of the largest cities of its day in the world.

1. ________ can prove that China has a civilisation of 5,000 years old?

A．The king named Cong.	B．The archaeological ruins of Liangzhu.
C．The UNESCO World Heritage Committee.	D．The historical site at Hangzhou dam.

2. What do we know about the ancient Liangzhu city?

A．A different system of value in the region.	B．The end of Chinese civilisation.
C．The biggest city ruins all over the world.	D．The whole area—9.1 square kilometers.

3. Why is the Forbidden City mentioned in the last paragraph?

A．To focus on the great achievements.

B．To inform us of the importance about architecture.

C．To stress the large scale of ancient Liangzhu city.

D．To present advanced technology and outstanding civilisation.

7 . Taking a vacation is a perfect way to help family members connected with one another, which is especially important when you consider the effects it has on children.

The following will help you   know how to choose the right vacation for bringing your family together.

Making the time

With summer filled with school work there are fewer times available for families to take vacations together.     1     You can get kids excited by packing them up for a fun—filled weekend trip in winter or spring

Choosing the location

The first step you'll want to take is picking a place. There are plenty of choices, but one of the best choices is a place connected to the outdoors.     2     These kinds of activities give your family a sense of accomplishment(成就).

Setting some goals

    3     You should also think about how you want the connection with your family to develop. Vacations are a chance to open up to one another. Spending a few days in the mountains with only your family members can help bring meaningful conversations in a beautiful setting.

    4    

One thing you don't want is your children not getting along well with each other. Often the best solution is to keep your schedule full and include different activities. Perhaps include your children's opinions on what they want to do.

Family vacations can lead to a real turning point for family members providing a memorable experience that also makes everyone happier.     5    

A．Keeping the kids happy

B．Planning some great activities

C．So, next time you plan your trip, plan accordingly.

D．But winter and spring provide their own opportunities

E．There are plenty of activities that are fun for the whole family.

F．You can take a hike, watch wildlife, or camp outside with your kids

G．Vacation shouldn’t just be about getting away from work or seeing sights.

8 . We know that St. Patrick’s Day festivities may include a little bit of drinking. But there are plenty of kid-safe St. Patrick’s Day events around metro Phoenix, too. Here are the lucky St. Patrick’s Day celebrations for kids.

3/17: Lucky St. Patrick’s Day Cupcakes

Kids can make their own treats at the Children’s Museum of Phoenix this St. Patrick’s Day. Children can make and decorate their cupcakes with rainbow candies and chocolate. To-go containers will also be provided.

Details: 1-3 p.m. Friday, March 1. Children’s Museum of Phoenix, 215 N.7^th Street, Phoenix. $ 3 for members. $ 4 for non-members. 602-253-0501.

3/17-19: Fountain O’ Green Artisan Market

This community festival will include sculptures, paintings, handcrafted jewelry and clothes from selected local and regional artists, live music and dance performances throughout the weekend. There will also be a food court.

On Friday, emerald-colored water will shoot from the town’s fountain at noon. Take the kids to see the annual tradition and picnic in the park.

Details: 10 a.m.-5 p.m, Friday-Sunday, March 17-19.Avenue of the Fountains and Saguaro Boulevard, Fountain Hills. Free. 480-488-2014.

3-17: St. Patrick’s Day Party at AZ Air Time

Kids above 12 years old can collect their free, green glow necklaces and jump for three hours, scale the rock climbing wall or dive into the giant pit of foam（泡沫橡胶）. Jump socks required.

Details: 8-11p.m. Friday, March 17. AZ Air Time, 13802 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 145, Scottsdale. $15, which is a $14 savings. 480-427-2000.

1. Which telephone number can people call if they want to make and decorate cupcakes?

A．602-253-0501.	B．602-427-2014.
C．480-488-2014.	D．480-427-2000.

2. In which program can kids enjoy their weekends?

A．St. Patrick’s Day Party at AZ Air Time.

B．Fountain O’ Green Artisan Market.

C．St. Patrick’s Day at the Irish Cultural Center.

D．Lucky St. Patrick’s Day Cupcakes.

3. For whom is the text intended for?

A．Parents of younger children.	B．People addicted to alcohol.
C．Organisers of festivals.	D．Educators and businessmen.

9 . 假设你是李华，你校将举办“中华传统文化周”活动。请给你班的交换生Jim写封电子邮件，希望他一起参加。邮件的内容包括：
1. 介绍活动的安排（如时间、地点、内容等）；
2. 说明活动的目的；
3. 询问对方的意向。
注意：1. 词数100左右；2. 邮件的开头和结尾已经给出，不计入总词数。
Dear Jim,
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yours,

Li Hua

10 . Square dancing is a form of entertainment and physical exercise, which is a good thing. However, a group of senior Chinese ladies dancing in New York’s Sunset Park were recently faced with noise complaints from nearby residents. The local court even served a summons (传票) related to a certain Ms. Wang.
The news soon caused heated discussion across China, with many believing the incident to involve a cultural conflict between the East and West,while others view it as a form of discrimination against Chinese in the United States.
The United States is a diverse society, and in many cases, Chinese dancers are tolerated and even appreciated. Meanwhile, the United States is a society based on the rule of law, and due to cultural differences, local regulations seem to be very different from those in China. As a result, some old Chinese ladies dancing in New York’s Sunset Park found themselves caught in an embarrassing situation. Locals and immigrants from other nations view such noise as a violation of their right to enjoy tranquility. Calling the police is regarded as the most efficient way to solve such a problem.
Before, these ladies probably did not understand local customs and rules. However, since the incident took place, they should perhaps know a little better next time and keep the noise to a minimum. People from different nations are often supposed to reach compromises, respecting and tolerating each other.
Whatever your choice of entertainment, it is important not to affect other people’s lives. Square dancing is only one of many activities during which people should mind their behavior.
As for U.S. police practice, there might still be some room for improvement. Some were said to be rather rude, leading to the so-called “racial discrimination,” which is a sensitive topic in U.S. society.
If the involved parties could be more tolerant, and solve such problems without involving the court, perhaps immigrants would mix more.
1. The writer mentions the incident in Paragraph 1 to __________.

A．show his opinion	B．make complaints
C．bring up the topic	D．criticize the local police

2. The underlined word “tranquility” in Paragraph 3 can be replaced by ________.

A．entertainment	B．quietness
C．freedom	D．quality

3. What will the senior Chinese ladies most probably do after the incident?

A．Go back to China.

B．Fight for their right.

C．Ask America to change its law.

D．Keep the noise lower.

4. What’s the writer’s attitude towards senior Chinese ladies dancing in New York’s Sunset Park?

A．He thinks all parties involved should be more tolerant.

B．He strongly supports the action of the local police.

C．He considers it a shame for senior Chinese ladies to do so.

D．He suggests such kind of problem should be solved in the court.