1 . The Bedford School has held activities to celebrate the Chinese New Year before the winter vacation—this time with a unique change compared to other years. The celebration is a blend (融合) of traditional food, calligraphy, and a performance using Chinese instruments.
The school’s Chinese Society introduced an art form that attracted the students: Chinese calligraphy. The students were surprised at the combination (结合) of visual art and the interpretation (解读) of literary meaning as they wrote Chinese characters with grace. And they tried their best to make what they wrote correct and beautiful. The students also enjoyed delightful Chinese New Year foods, including spring rolls, rice cake, dumplings. They ate fish-shaped sweets with great enjoyment, symbolizing abundance (富足) for the coming year as the Chinese character for “fish” can also mean “surplus”. The idea behind this is that if we manage to have something left over at the year’s end, then more can be made in the new year. Keeping with tradition, the students exchanged red envelopes filled with sweets, symbolizing good luck and prosperity (繁荣). In Chinese culture, the color red symbolizes good luck and good fortune for the year ahead. This is why red decorations are used during many important cultural festivals and significant events.
Due to(由于)China’s rocketing economy and reputation (声誉), Chinese New Year has become a worldwide event. The Bedford School provided a great opportunity for the students to gain (获得) a deeper understanding of Chinese tradition and culture.
1. What can we know about the celebration of this year?| A．It celebrated the winter vacation. | B．It focused more on Chinese traditional cultures. |
| C．It was aimed at raising school’s reputation. | D．It was celebrated the same way as before. |
| A．The writing time. | B．Teachers’ attitude. |
| C．The beauty of the characters. | D．The school’s Chinese Society. |
| A．To get pocket money. | B．To enjoy delicious fish. |
| C．To keep with tradition. | D．To expect a rich new year. |
| A．China’s role in the art world. | B．Chinese calligraphy. |
| C．Chinese instruments. | D．China’s fast development. |
Economic development is necessary if we want to improve society. So, there comes a time
Foshan, a city rich in cultural heritage, celebrates the arrival of autumn with a grand event known as the Foshan Autumn Parade (佛山秋色巡游). This traditional cultural festival
The Foshan Autumn Parade is more than just a cultural festival. It is a remarkable event
4 . Celebrate!
Birthdays in Mexico
In Mexico, children often get pinatas (皮纳塔) on their birthdays. Their parents put chocolates and other sweets inside the pinata and hang it on a tree. Then the children hit the pinata with a stick. It breaks and the sweets fall out onto the ground.
Business birthdays
A business birthday shows that a company is successful. Many businesses in the USA celebrate important birthdays, like 10, 50 or 150 years. Companies hold parties and send cards. Sometimes they make TV advertisements. It is a good chance to advertisements. It is a good chance to advertise the business.
Name days
As well as a birthday, many people in Southern and Eastern Europe also celebrate their name days. In Greece, name days are more important than birthdays. People have big parties and open their houses to anybody who wants to come. People bring small gifts, often flowers or a box of sweets.
Islamic New Year
In Muslim countries across the world, people celebrate Eid. Eid means festival or celebration. During Eid, people visit family and friends, as well as people who are sick or in hospital. They give presents, such as sweets and food. Children receive toys, too. Children often wear special traditional clothes during the Eid celebrations.
Birthdays in China
In China, people often celebrate birthdays by eating with family or friends, and the last dish of the meal is always noodles. The noodles are long and thin. You have to eat them in one piece. You can’t cut them. In Chinese culture, long noodles mean you will have a long life.
1. Where do people celebrate business birthdays according to the text?| A．In China. | B．In Mexico. |
| C．In America. | D．In Greece. |
| A．Holding parties. |
| B．Visiting parents. |
| C．Sharing sweets and food. |
| D．Making TV advertisements. |
| A．Noodles in China are delicious. |
| B．Noodles represent the reunion of family. |
| C．Noodles are a traditional and popular food. |
| D．Noodles symbolize longevity in Chinese culture. |
A New Shaoxing Opera Show Has a Modern Twist
In a
Six actresses, playing roles from a spirited landlady to skilled swordsmen, spies, and soldiers, deliver a fascinating show
The performers
1. 餐桌礼仪(table manners)的特点；
2. 正确使用筷子(chopsticks)；
3. 切忌大声喧哗。
注意：
1. 词数100左右(文章的开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数)；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Jim,
I’m so delighted to hear that you will come to China.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
7 . Culture shock is a broad term for a series of personal difficulties that people go through in new places ant is usually most extreme for those who can not speak the language of the place they have moved to or for those who aren’t familiar with the social rules. Both of these things applied to me in China when I moved there in 2011. So, naturally I went through the full well-known stages of culture shock: the honeymoon, frustration, adjustment and acceptance.
When I arrived I was excited and optimistic but I quickly became annoyed by cultural differences, missing how things worked back home.
By the end of my first year I had totally lost my self confidence and I became a bit clumsy and sensitive person and I thought it was China that made me that way.
Then in my second year I started to pick up some language skills and I found fun activities to do in my spare time. I made great foreign and Chinese friends and later I developed an interest in Chinese history and culture. Based on the above I learned to consider myself a confident and happy foreigner.
Today I’m back in the US where I’m pursuing a PhD at university in my hometown. It’s been a little tough to readjust to the life in my home country. I suffered at first from reverse culture shock, experiencing the four stages in the opposite order.
I’d complain loudly about the little things like I could no longer shout “ fu wu yuan” to get a waiter’s attention in a restaurant. But eventually I came to realize that my home had become an entirely new place when I was away. That, by itself , was exciting.
1. Which stage of culture shock does paragraph 3 mainly describe?| A．The honeymoon. | B．Frustration . |
| C．Adjustment. | D．Acceptance. |
| A．Making local friends. |
| B．Joining in fun activities. |
| C．Attending history courses. |
| D．Learning the Chinese language. |
| A．exchanging the position completely. |
| B．changing the previous decision. |
| C．stopping having a particular position. |
| D．changing the order of something around. |
| A．He began to feel that life in the US was boring. |
| B．He wished to call “fu wu yuan” in a restaurant. |
| C．He was unable to accept American life. |
| D．He needed to adjust himself to his native life. |
1. 欢迎其到中国留学；
2. 来中国留学的益处。
Dear Bella,
I am thrilled to learn that you are interested in studying in China.
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Yours sincerely
Li Hua
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