1 . Many are fortunate enough to travel and see different cultures. For those who have not yet seen other cultures, here are five things you can learn from other cultures.
New language
Although learning a new language has become simpler through apps or programs, nothing compares to learning a language in the place where it is spoken.
Knowledge
You can read books and even eat food from other countries. But those experience will never compare to the knowledge gained by being in another country.
Unique (独特的) traditions
It can be hard to imagine what life would be like if we didn’t have the things we take for granted (认为理所当然) every day, such as reliable transportation, clean water, education and a home to live. Therefore, we should value what we have and that we are able to work to provide for ourselves.
We’re not so different after all.
If you have traveled to another country, the experience is probably completely new. But no matter how much our lifestyles may differ, we are all working toward similar goals in life.
A.Value what you have. |
B.Imagine what your life will be. |
C.Those goals include trying to get the most out of life. |
D.Each culture has its own traditions that make it unique. |
E.People from different backgrounds can offer something new. |
F.Always remember to put yourself in a new and unusual tradition. |
G.The only true way is putting yourself in the culture of the language. |
2 . In the long history of about 5,000 years, numerous Chinese traditional festivals were celebrated in memory of gods or some significant days, some of which are passed down from generation to generation and people always practice special traditional activities in each festival.
Qingming Festival
Qingming Festival is on the 15th day after Spring Equinox, round April 4 or April 5 every year.
Double Ninth Festival
Winter Solstice(冬至)
Winter Solstice is on around December 22 or 23 of solar calendar each year. From Winter Solstice on, the daytime will be longer and longer.
In China, this festival is in late January or early February, the last day of the Lunar year. People celebrate it by having a family reunion dinner, setting off fireworks and staying up late. Breaking the dishes and bowls is a thing all the people scare, but if you did it, you have to say: “sui sui ping an”.
A.New Year’s Eve |
B.Spring Festival |
C.People will go to worship their ancestors. |
D.People always visit their friends and relatives. |
E.That day people in different regions eat different food. |
F.It is a pun(双关语), meaning you will be healthy every year. |
G.It is celebrated on Sept. 9th of the Lunar Calendar, around October. |
3 . Maybe you have heard the expression—when in Rome, do as the Romans do. So when you want to do business in France, you have to get to know French culture, to make marketing plans, and to run your business by local laws.
The first thing you should do when meeting someone new is to shake his hand firmly and always look the person in the eye. In social meeting with friends, kissing is common.
Use first names only after being invited to.
Dress well.
The French are passionate about food, so lunches are common in doing business in France, which usually consist of an appetizer (开胃菜), a main meal with wine, cheese, dessert and coffee, and normally take up to two hours.
Do not begin eating until the host says “bon appetite”. Pass dishes to the left, keep wrists above the table and try to eat everything on the plate.
A.The French draw information about people based on their appearance. |
B.This is a time for relationship building. |
C.Remember to be as polite as possible. |
D.Language should be the focus of anyone planning to do business in France. |
E.Be careful with adding salt, pepper or sauces to your food. |
F.Use Monsieur or Madame before the surname. |
G.Make an appointment with your business partner in advance. |
4 . Every life in Britain
The weather is the most common topic in Britain.
Men always shake hands when they meet.
British people are very superstitious(迷信). They believe in all sorts of signs they see. For them black cats are luck
A.Shopping is another common topic in Britain |
B.Another common thing in Britain is queue |
C.Hundreds of years ago, soldiers began this custom. |
D.In autumn if you catch falling leaves you are lucky |
E.Why do the Britain talk about the weather so often |
F.They also pay attention to tiny details like your birthday |
G.Never walk under a ladder, and don't walk pass somebody on the stairs |
5 . You might think that simple things like saying hello and goodbye are the same in every culture. Think again!
Shaking hands to say hello or goodbye was a Western custom at first.
Traditionally, the Chinese custom for greeting was to hold one’s hands together and nod their head a little.
Japanese people greet each other by bowing.When greeting an older or more important person, it is usual to bow lower and for longer.
People in European countries such as Italy often greet each other with a kiss on both cheeks (脸颊). Even men greet each other like this.
Eskimos, a group of people living in the very cold northern areas of North America, greet each other by lightly rubbing their noses together.
When you’re not sure what the customs are in a new country, there’s one greeting that is the same all over the world: a smile.
A.Kissing is only for close family or women friends. |
B.However, Eskimos never greet each other with a bow. |
C.Everyone understands a smile so don’t be afraid to use it! |
D.In some cultures, it is usual to kiss on the cheek three times! |
E.This custom probably started because of the freezing weather |
F.Bowing was also traditional in many European countries in the past. |
G.But it is now becoming international, especially in business situations. |
6 . It is always said that China is the homeland of tea, which has a very long history of tea.
➢Color
➢Flavor(味道)
New tea is extremely clear and transparent with strong aroma(芳香), while old tea is characterized by brown color and weak fragrance. Take green tea and black tea for example, new green tea tastes a little bitter first, and then the fresh sweet taste begins to surface gradually, leaving a long and memorable after taste in mouth.
➢Place of origin
There is great gap of quality among various places of origin.
A.Every tea leaf has its own shape. |
B.Some varieties are identified by tightness of the leaves. |
C.It is always advised to select tea from its main producing areas. |
D.While you’re selecting tea, you should pay attention to following aspects. |
E.For foreigners in China, drinking tea may seem like simple refreshment(提神). |
F.Generally, new tea leaves look fresh and pleasing, with light green or dark green. |
G.On the contrary, if bitter taste takes the lead and fresh sweet taste subsides(减弱), it is black tea. |
7 . The Qingming Festival is celebrated with a three-day national holiday, whose name originates from the saying “Plants start to revive and prosper at Qingming in a clean and bright way. Thus, the festival is called Qingming,” which means clean and bright.
Tomb sweeping.
Spring outing. The time around the Qingming Festival is one of the most suitable seasons fora spring outing, as plants are thriving and flowers are blooming. People can have a great time outdoors with their friends and family.
Qingtuan, a green rice ball tiny enough to fit into your hand, is also called Qingmingguo or Aiguo.
A.With each different look comes a good blessing. |
B.The tradition of tomb sweeping originates from the Qin Dynasty. |
C.The two main activities over the festival include tomb sweeping and going on a spring outing. |
D.Family members gather together to celebrate and taste the food. |
E.Playing football and flying kites are popular activities. |
F.Many traditional customs are practiced to show respect for our ancestors. |
G.It is popular in the southern regions of the Yangtze River. |
8 . Children’s Games in Ancient China
Unlike the children nowadays, the children during ancient times didn’t have smartphones or computers to entertain themselves.
Kicking stone balls
During the Qing Dynasty, kicking a stone ball around was a popular sport in the northern part of China, and it was often played in the winter to keep warm. Stones were carved into small balls and kicked along with feet.
Flying kites
Kites have quite a long history. The earliest kites were made of wood, instead of paper. Nowadays, the three most famous kites are the Beijing kite, Tianjin kite and Weifang kite.
Playing hide-and-seek
Hide-and-seek is a traditional game for children, popular around the nation. Even nowadays, many children like playing it. There are two ways to play. One way is covering a child’s eyes while other kids run around to tease him.
The closest thing to watching a film or television for entertainment during ancient times was going to see a shadow play. Folk artists manipulate puppets behind the screen, narrating stories and accompanied by music.
Setting off firecrackers
Firecrackers have a history of more than 2, 000 years. It is said that there was a beast named “Nian” in ancient China.
A.Watching shadow plays |
B.Making a film |
C.Each of them has distinctive features |
D.Different materials are used to make the kite |
E.And to scare off the beast, people burnt bamboo joints to make them blast |
F.More commonly, participants hide and one child must try to find them |
G.Instead, they came up with interesting games to play in their childhood |
9 . After spending a term in Spain, I have been trying to work out which common impressions on Spain have some truth in them and which don't.
Spain is always warm and sunny. This is not true. The city I stayed in, which is in central Spain, often becomes colder than London in winter. However, the city receives little rain all year round and gets very hot in summer.
The Spanish love to have fun.
Spain is a fascinating country, in which you are sure to have lots of fun. I find that a lot of the common impressions on Spain hold some truth.
A.Spain is famous for its Flamenco. |
B.Here’s what I have discovered so far. |
C.But the country is not limited to them. |
D.I have seen a lot of evidence that this is true. |
E.The following are correct impressions on Spain. |
F.Southern Spain tends to be warmer than northern Spain. |
G.Northern Spain is colder in summer and also colder in winter. |
10 . Tell a Joke Day
On August 16, make everyone around you laugh by telling them a joke because it is Tell a Joke Day.
Jokes have been an integral (不可分割的)part of human history and a great many minds have spent time and energy trying to understand what makes jokes funny.
The day is known in the US as National Tell a Joke Day.
A.A joke can be of different types. |
B.Everyone enjoys being with pleasant people. |
C.The origins of this very funny day are unknown. |
D.But don’t be confused with International Joke Day on July 1. |
E.Pick up a joke book and spend your lunch hour reading it. |
F.Either way, the main purpose of a joke is to provide humor. |
G.You may want to know how to become a person with humor. |