1 . 阅读下面短文, 在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内的单词的正确形式。

The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides a year into 24 solar terms. The Spring Equinox (春分),     1     the fourth term of the year, starts on March 20 and ends on April this year.

The Spring Equinox signals the equal     2     (long) of the day and night time. The day of the Spring Equinox is     3     the sun is directly above the equator. After the equinox, the sun moves northwards, resulting in     4     (gradual) longer day time in the Northern Hemisphere and longer night in the Southern Hemisphere.

Standing an egg upright is a popular game across the country during the Spring Equinox. It is an old custom that     5     (date) back to 4,000 years ago. People     6     (practice) this tradition to celebrate the coming of spring since ancient times. It is believed that if someone can make the egg stand, he will have good luck in the future.

The Spring Equinox is     7     good time to fly kites. In ancient times, people did not have good medical resources. So     8     (pray) for good health, they wrote their medical issues on a paper kite. When the kite     9     (fly) in the air, people would cut off the string to let the paper kite float away,     10     (symbolize) the flying away of diseases.

3 . 阅读下面材料，在空格处填入适当的内容(1个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式。

The use of chopsticks has been     1     big part of Chinese food culture for centuries. When cooking food or picking it up, a pair of chopsticks always comes for use.

So how did chopsticks come into being? It’s said that Dayu, a legendary ruler of ancient China    2     helped his people fight floods, invented them. In those days, people    3     (eat) only with their hands. But Dayu was busy preparing for flood control work and often had his meals in the wild. Mostly, he hurried to deal    4     unexpected accidents and didn’t want to wait to eat. The meat    5     (cook) in the pot was too hot to pick up with his hands. So one day Dayu picked up some twigs(细枝)     6     (help) him hold the meat. Later, the twigs    7     (gradual) became the chopsticks we know today.

But of course, this is just a story. The    8     (early) chopsticks archaeologists(考古学家) have found so far are more than 3,000 years,     9     (date) back to the Shang Dynasty. The six bronze chopsticks were found in Yinxu, one of China’s oldest archaeological    10     (site) in Anyang, Henan Province.

4 . China is a country with many colorful days and festivals. The Dragon Head Raising Day (Longtaitou) is one of them. This special day is on the second day of the second month in the Chinese lunar calendar (阴历). It stands for the start of spring and farming. This year, the day falls on March 4th.

The dragon is important in Chinese culture. We Chinese people call ourselves the “descendants (传人) of the dragon”. Therefore, people celebrate the Dragon Head Raising Day with many customs about dragons.

On the day in ancient times, people put ashes (灰) in the kitchen. This was to “lead the dragon into the house”. People believed that with the help of the dragon, they could have a good harvest in autumn.

Also, people eat special foods on that day. The foods are usually named after dragons. For example, people eat “dragon whisker (细须)” noodles and dumplings called “dragon teeth”.

Today, many customs have faded away. But one that has remained is the cutting of hair. It was said that a haircut during the first lunar month may bring bad luck to the mother’s brothers. So many people have their hair cut on the Dragon Head Raising Day.

1. Why is the dragon deeply rooted (扎根) in Chinese culture?

A．Chinese people think the dragon is a symbol of power.

B．Chinese people see the dragon as a symbol of good luck.

C．Chinese people think the dragon stands for the start of spring and farming..

D．Chinese people consider themselves the descendants of the dragon.

2. The underlined word in the last paragraph means ________.

A．disappear gradually	B．become stronger
C．run away	D．die off

3. On the day in ancient times, why did people put ashes in the kitchen?

A．Because the dragon liked the ashes.

B．Because the ashes led the dragon into the house.

C．Because the ashes brought a good harvest.

D．Because the ashes could bring good luck.

4. Which custom has been kept according to the passage?

A．Putting ashes in the kitchen.	B．Eating dragon whisker noodles and dumplings.
C．Cutting hair.	D．Eating special foods.

5 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容(1个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式。

It is clear that April Fools' Day is one of the most widely recognized    1    (holiday) in the Western world. Children play tricks    2    parents and many people are fooled. But why? How did April Fools' Day begin, and how did it become an    3    (globe)phenomenon? Nobody    4    (real)knows. April Fools' Day is apparently an ancient enough tradition    5    the earliest recorded mentions.

One likely explanation is the Roman tradition of Hilaria, a spring festival    6    (hold) around March 25 in honor of the first day of the year    7    (long) than the night. It's hard    8    (say) whether this ancient revel's(狂欢)similarity to modern April Fools' Day are by accident or not, as the first recorded mentions of the holiday didn't appear until several hundred years later. The first mention of April Fools' Day in Britain    9    (come) in 1686, when John Aubrey described April first as a "Fools' holy day".

    10    is clear that the habit of sending springtime rubes(乡巴佬)on a "fool's day" was popular in Europe by the late 1600s. On April Fools' Day, 1698, so many people were tricked into coming to the Tower of London to watch the "washing of the lions" that a local newspaper had to explain it.

6 . The holiday season is upon us and though they may feel a bit different this year — without large get-togethers, the holidays themselves are certainly not canceled. December is filled with celebrations. Here are some of the most unusual ways people bring the festivities home — all around the world.

Kentucky Fried Christmas

Japan

Kentucky Fried chicken might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Christmas, but over the years, it has become quite the holiday tradition in Japan. In order to ensure you get your hands in a holiday bucket, it is suggested that you order in advance, as nearly 4 million people choose KFC as their Christmas dinner.

Throwing of the Shoe

Czech Republic

This Christians tradition has nothing to do with trimming trees or singing carols. Rather, young women step outside their homes on Christmas Eve and instead of waiting for Santa, they throw a shoe over their shoulders. How it land is said to predict if the woman will marry next year.

Burning Effigies

Ecuador

New year's Eve comes with a whole set of traditions and customers to symbolically leave the previous year behind. Here, “monigotes” — figures that represent what went wrong in the last year, sometimes politicians are then burned into the night.

Sauna Visit

Estonia

This is a holiday tradition most people would happily get behind. On Christmas Eve, after spending the day setting up for the following day's festivities, it is traditional to sweat it out in sauna with your family.

1. Which holiday tradition do you need to book in advance?

A．Sauna Visit.	B．Burning Effigies.
C．Throwing of the Shoe.	D．Kentucky Fried Christmas.

2. If a young woman throws a shoe over her shoulder on Christmas Eve, she wants to know_____

A．whether she will get promoted.	B．how much money she will make.
C．whether she will get married or not.	D．how many new friends she will make.

3. Where is the text probably from?

A．A science fiction.	B．A news magazine.
C．A travel brochure.	D．A government report.

7 . Many Americans buy an evergreen tree for Christmas. They put the tree in their home and hang small lights and colorful objects on it. The evergreen is usually a pine or a fir tree. It remains green during the cold, dark months of winter in the northern part of the world. So it is a sign of everlasting life.

Early long ago Romans probably planted evergreen trees during a celebration in honor of their god of agriculture. The Christmas tree may have developed from a popular play performed hundreds of years ago in what is now Germany. Traditionally, the play was on December twenty -fourth, the day before Christmas. The play was about the first people that God created—Adam and Eve. People put apples on an evergreen tree to represent the tree of knowledge in the Garden of Eden.

By the year 1600, some Germans began bringing evergreen trees into their homes. They put fruit, nuts and sweets on the trees. They shared the food among family members and friends after the holiday season. Some people say the German religious reformer Martin Luther was the first person to add lighted candles to a tree. They say he did this to show how wonderful the stars had appeared as he traveled one night.

In the early 1800's, German settlers in the state of Pennsylvania were the first to celebrate the holiday with Christmas trees in the United States. The Christmas tree tradition spread to many parts of the world. Today, some form of the Christmas tree is part of most Christmas celebrations.

1. Why do people choose the evergreen tree for the Christmas tree?

A．It can be put in the home easily.

B．It can be found everywhere in winter.

C．It's convenient for people to put things on it.

D．It's evergreen and considered to represent long life.

2. What can we learn from the second paragraph?

A．The Christmas tree dates back to ancient times.

B．It was in a film that the Christmas tree was first used.

C．Early Romans honored the god of agriculture with trees.

D．The Christmas tree was regarded as the tree of knowledge.

3. We can learn from the passage that_____________.

A．German settlers celebrate the holiday with fir trees

B．Germans would share the food on the trees at Christmas

C．many people in the world follow the Christmas tree tradition

D．Martin Luther was the first person to decorate the Christmas tree

4. What's the best title of this passage?

A．The long history of Christmas

B．The traditions behind the Christmas tree

C．The use of evergreen trees during Christmas

D．Evergreen trees，the sign of everlasting life

8 . Chinese Paper Cutting or Jianzhi is the first type of paper-cutting design, since paper was invented in the Eastern Han Dynasty in China.

It’s a very distinguishing visual art of Chinese handicrafts. The art form later spread to other parts of the world with different areas adopting their own cultural styles. After hundreds of year’s development, now they’ve become a very popular means of decoration among country folk, especially women. The paper-cuts are also used to decorate doors and windows, and therefore they’re sometimes referred to “chuang hua”, meaning Window Flower. Paper-cuts are chiefly used as decorations. However, today, Chinese paper-cuts are also used for religious and ceremonial purpose, and they’re buried with the dead and burned at funerals.

Chinese people believe the red paper-cuts on the door can bring good fortune and happiness to the whole family. The paper-cuts are more often seen during traditional Chinese festivals, particularly in Chinese New Year, the Spring Festival. They’re also given as gifts to friends or other family members.

Paper-cuttings aren’t produced by machine, but by hand. There’re two methods of manufacture: one uses scissors, the other uses knives. Knife cuttings are fashioned by putting several layers of paper or a relatively soft foundation. Following a pattern, the artist cuts the motif into the paper with a sharp knife he usually holds vertically. The advantage of knife-cuttings is that considerably more paper cuttings can be made in one operation than with scissor cuttings.

It’s easy to learn about cutting a piece of paper but difficult to master it with perfection. One must grasp the knife in an upright fashion and press evenly (均匀地) on the paper with some strength. Flexibility is required but any hesitation will damage the whole image.

People find hope and comfort in expressing wishes with paper-cutting. For instance: for a wedding ceremony, red paper-cuttings are a traditional decoration on the tea set, the dressing table glass, and on other furniture. A big red paper character “Xi” (happiness) is a traditional must on the newlywed’s door.

1. It can be learned from the second paragraph that ___________.

A．paper-cuts are mainly used as presents

B．females are better at paper-cutting than males

C．paper-cutting varies from area to area

D．paper-cuts are used in various ceremonies but funerals

2. What is the fourth paragraph mainly about?

A．Forms of paper-cutting.

B．Means of paper-cutting.

C．Advantages of knife cuttings.

D．Characteristics of paper-cutting.

3. The author develops the last paragraph by ____________.

A．using examples

B．making comparisons

C．analyzing causes

D．describing processes

9 . I have learnt a lot about Chinese life and culture while teaching in

First, family life quite ____ in China from that in the USA. In the USA, many young people ____ home after they finish their education and start working. However, in China, it is ____ for people to live with their parents until they get married. ____, many of my Chinese friends told me that their ____ lived with them and helped take care of them when they were children. It seems that Americans think independence is more important ____ the Chinese think family relationships are more important.

Bargaining is another ____ that I have tried to learn. In the USA, prices are ____ and you can’t ask for a lower price. However in some small Chinese stores and tourist places, you are ____ to bargain. My Chinese friends taught me to ask for 40 percent or 50 percent ____ the original price. If the salesperson doesn’t agree to my price, I should ____ to leave and he might let me come back and sell me the item. It is a skill that you have to ____ if you live in China.

Tipping hasn’t been easier to ____. In the USA, many people in the service ____ want to get ____ money for serving customers. Tipping is not a part of Chinese culture. ____ I tried to tip a taxi driver. He looked a little ____ and refused to take the money. In dinners, perhaps what surprises an American visitor most is that some of the Chinese hosts like to put food into the plates of their ____. Actually, this is a ____ of true friendship and politeness. My Chinese friend told me if I didn’t want to eat it, I should just ____ the food in the plate.

1.

A．unique

B．different

C．private

D．harmonious

2.

A．come

B．build

C．leave

D．abandon

3.

A．regular

B．true

C．common

D．usual

4.

A．Also

B．However

C．Therefore

D．Although

5.

A．parents

B．relatives

C．babysitters

D．grandparents

6.

A．while

B．since

C．when

D．as

7.

A．way

B．custom

C．lesson

D．habit

8.

A．made

B．agreed

C．charged

D．set

9.

A．expected

B．taught

C．suggested

D．required

10.

A．up

B．away

C．off

D．on

11.

A．promise

B．pretend

C．decide

D．hope

12.

A．tolerate

B．understand

C．practise

D．consider

13.

A．adjust to

B．turn to

C．refer to

D．stick to

14.

A．area

B．department

C．branch

D．industry

15.

A．easy

B．extra

C．pocket

D．prize

16.

A．Often

B．Once

C．Sometimes

D．Before

17.

A．excited

B．satisfied

C．frightened

D．confused

18.

A．own

B．children

C．neighbors

D．guests

19.

A．signal

B．mark

C．sign

D．feature

20.

A．leave

B．remain

C．put

D．taste

10 . 假定你是学生会主席。近来，随着网络的普及，学生的汉字书写能力降低。为了保护中华传统文化——汉字，校学生会提出倡议。请你根据提示，写一份倡议书。内容包括：
1. 少上网，多读书、勤记笔记；
2. 养成练书法和写日记的习惯。
要求：1. 词数100左右；

2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

参考词汇：汉字Chinese characters
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