1 . Imagine two applicants are in a job interview: one expresses a great passion for the work, while the other points to family encouragement to pursue that field. Which applicant has a better chance of succeeding? Conventional wisdom suggests it would be the one who has a strong personal passion.
Passion is not a universally powerful basis of achievement, but the culture a person grew up in matters a lot. That means universities and companies that frequently rely on passion in candidates are pretermitting talented students and employees.
It seems that passion is a much stronger predictor of achievement in certain societies than others. “This leads to a blind spot among interviewers and is unfair to people from diverse backgrounds,” said Xingyu Li, the lead author of a new study. As a person coming from a collectivist (集体主义的) society, he knows exactly how people feel when they are rejected just because they are seemingly not as passionate as others. This research is novel for its using big data to compare a wider range of culturally diverse societies.
The researchers collected the data including scores from 1.2 million high school students across 59 countries. They found those who felt passionate about science, reading, or other subjects were more likely to be given better scores. This is quite true in individualist societies such as the United States and Australia, compared with collectivist countries such as China, Thailand, and Colombia, where the students felt that having family support for their interest was important.
Individualist countries regard the self as the source of motivation. For example, in the United States, doing well because of what others expect might seem to be evidence of a lack of potential. In collectivist societies, the self is inter-dependent, part of a web of relations, roles, and responsibilities. For instance, in the movie The Grandmaster, the legendary martial arts teacher Ip Man never said that he had a personal passion for kung fu. Rather, his drive to attain mastery came from the desire to live up to what his belt symbolized to his teacher and society.
The findings open up the possibility of designing educational interventions that don’t rely only on the western idea of cultivating (培育) passion. That helps better unlock the potential of our students and workforce.
1. Who is more likely to succeed in a job interview according to most employers?| A．Those who have a web of relations. | B．Those who are familiar with the company. |
| C．Those who gain much family encouragement. | D．Those who have great enthusiasm for the position. |
| A．Neglecting. | B．Harvesting. | C．Exploring. | D．Defending. |
| A．To clarify the link between students’ passion and academic performance. |
| B．To encourage people to learn the cultures of different countries. |
| C．To win people from different cultural contexts more chances of admission |
| D．To show the importance of big data in culture-related studies at particular. |
| A．An American. | B．A Colombian. | C．An Australian. | D．A Canadian. |
| A．The model of motivation varies from culture to culture. |
| B．The negative effects of societal expectations on individuals. |
| C．The role of self-realization matters in a person’s success and well-being. |
| D．The typical personality types in individualist countries and collectivist ones. |
Peking opera, known as China’s national opera, is a combination of music, dance and art and is widely regarded as a full expression of Chinese culture. Today, this art form is facing the danger of extinction as the younger generation is mostly interested in pop culture.
A Peking opera project for primary and secondary schools was launched by China’s Ministry of Education. But it has met with a cold reaction from the public. More than half of the 1, 000 respondents from ten big cities expressed doubts about the practical meaning of the project in the survey conducted by the Social Survey Institute of China.
The project plans to add 15 Peking opera pieces into music courses in 200 schools in ten provinces. The pilot programs will last from March to July next year. At present, teaching materials and video tapes are still in production, China News Service reported. The Ministry of Education hopes that the promotional course can help students better appreciate Chinese culture and cultivate a love for the mother country.
The surveyed people do recognize Peking opera as a comprehensive (综合性的) art form and a representative of the traditional culture. They also understand the purpose of the educational project. However, they wonder whether it is necessary for every student to learn to sing Peking opera, when they are already stressed from endless exams. In fact, most music teachers themselves know little about this ancient art form, and thus are not confident in arousing (激起) students’ Interest in its slow pace and abstruse (深奥的) lyrics.
1. What’s Peking opera widely regarded as? (No more than 10 words)2. What does the underlined word “extinction” in Paragraph I mean? (No more than 3 words)
3. Why did China’s Ministry of Education launch a Peking opera project for primary and secondary schools? (No more than 20 words)
4. Why are most music teachers not confident in teaching Peking opera pieces? (No more than 10 words)
5. What do you think of the Peking opera project for schools? (No more than 20 words)
3 . Nowadays, it is common to see people wearing Hanfu, the traditional clothing of the Han ethnic group, at parks and attractions. More and more people are falling in love with Hanfu culture. The development of Hanfu culture has witnessed (见证) numerous changes in recent years and is taking on various forms.
Zhang Xiaomin has been a fan of Hanfu for five years now. Thanks to the popularity of social media, she can easily learn the latest trends and knowledge about Hanfu online now. “People used to only collect or appreciate Hanfu privately,” Zhang said. “But now it has moved to the mass market.” In the past, many people had the misunderstanding that “Han” refers to the Han Dynasty. Now more people are knowledgeable about Hanfu, and even expert in distinguishing (区分) the differences in Hanfu from different dynasties.
Miss Tang has also noticed a similar change. “Fans have become particular about the design and style of Hanfu,” Miss Tang said. “For advanced hobbyists, those seemingly fairy-like Hanfu dresses are not enough, since this style has been adapted to meet the tastes of the masses. They care more about how original Hanfu style are, like Quju (曲裾) and Mamianqun or ‘horse-face skirts’, which look more serious and complicated.”
The development of Hanfu has also triggered (引发) different events. You Gancheng has been in Hanfu circles for 13 years. “The Hanfu festival that a museum held in April offered many interesting activities like lectures, ceremonies, concerts and fairs,” she said. “Hanfu culture weeks, festivals and academic forums all provide platforms for fans to communicate.”
The rise of Hanfu culture also means the birth of an emerging business. Miss Cang has been running a Hanfu store for four years. The store provides Hanfu rental and photography services. “Many international schools now come to us for Hanfu events on traditional holidays,” Miss Cang said. Her store also actively participates in Hanfu festivals. “We often run a stand in Hanfu fairs, selling and displaying Hanfu we’ve designed. Sometimes we even provide Hanfu as prizes for competitions,” she said.
1. In recent years, the people who are interested in Hanfu ________.| A．are now focusing on the Han Dynasty style |
| B．have gained a deeper understanding of Hanfu |
| C．tend to collect or admire Hanfu privately |
| D．are exploring the regional diversity of Hanfu |
| A．Its fairy-like design. | B．Its historical accuracy. |
| C．Its modern adaptations. | D．Its practicality for everyday wear. |
| A．To give an example of a successful Hanfu store. |
| B．To show the increasing popularity of Hanfu culture. |
| C．To illustrate the impact of Hanfu culture on business. |
| D．To stress the role of Hanfu stores in promoting Hanfu. |
| A．The development of Hanfu culture. |
| B．The significance of Hanfu in Chinese society. |
| C．The growing interest in Hanfu around China. |
| D．The different types of Hanfu events and festivals. |
4 . Culture is a way to bring harmony to society via exchange of knowledge and thoughts, and also the respect of others’ belief and cultural heritage. Before I came to China to study business, my only information about the country was what I had read in our school books, TV shows on Pakistan national TV, and Chinese movies.
But once I arrived in China, my view changed. China has made great leaps in development, keeping a strong link to their ancestors’ heritage, hard work and courage. The announcement of the Belt and Road Initiative (倡议) (BRI) by President Xi Jinping in 2013 has provided trade opportunities for participating countries, and can also be a meeting place for the exchange of ideas, thoughts, knowledge and culture.
Being a combination of diverse cultural and traditional systems, the BRI promotes harmony, and through the heritage of the Silk Road, these diversified cultures can treat one another with respect and exist together peacefully. China can play a leading role to maximize identity, cohesion (凝聚力) and creativity of the diverse cultures, nations and people to combine resources along the belt and road and ensure all the countries involved receive mutual (相互的) benefit.
International students coming to China and Chinese students going abroad for studies are cultural ambassadors. They learn the language, local customs, arts and exchange thoughts. The BRI is a chance for the Chinese dream to become reality. China has a lot to share with the BRI countries. China has a rising number of Chinese language learners around the world. Confucius Institutes are non-profit public institutions affiliated with the Chinese Ministry of Education whose stated aim is to promote Chinese language and culture, support local Chinese teaching internationally and facilitate cultural exchanges. As of 2014, there were over 480 Confucius Institutes in dozens of countries on six continents. The Ministry of Education estimates 100 million people overseas are learning Chinese, and the program is expanding rapidly and aims to establish 1, 000 Confucius Institutes by 2020. These institutes are playing an important role for local students to learn Chinese, meaning more job opportunities for BRI projects.
Since ancient times, the Silk Road culture has supported diversity. Accordingly, China needs to maintain relationships with the countries of the ancient Silk Road civilization.
A discussion meeting on how to better carry out the BRI Cultural Development Action Plan was held in Beijing by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Through cooperation and exchanges between countries, the BRI can revitalize (振兴) traditional Silk Road culture by opening up overseas markets, introducing advanced ideas to every participating country.
1. The change in the author’s understanding of China corresponds with the saying, “__________”.| A．Seeing is believing. |
| B．Actions speak louder than words. |
| C．One is never too old to learn. |
| D．There is no royal road to learning. |
| A．will remove cultural barriers |
| B．may achieve a win-win result |
| C．will join hands in resource protection |
| D．may keep peace with other countries |
| A．To acquire more knowledge about China today. |
| B．To communicate with Chinese-speaking people. |
| C．To gain benefit from the Belt and Road Initiative. |
| D．To serve as cultural ambassadors in BRI countries. |
| A．need to restore their ancient civilization via the BRI |
| B．have a long tradition of respecting different countries |
| C．will spread their traditional culture to other countries |
| D．are eager to exchange advanced ideas with each other |
| A．it’s a non-profit public institution affiliated by the Chinese Ministry of Education |
| B．it can promote Chinese language and culture |
| C．it supports local Chinese teaching internationally and facilitate cultural exchanges |
| D．it supplies more job opportunities for BRI projects |
5 . Lawrence Ganti from the US has lived in Switzerland, Japan, and India. When his work with Merck, a company that develops treatments for many of the world’s most challenging diseases, first took him to Japan, he was struck by how comfortable his Japanese co-workers were with silence. During meetings in the US, people are usually uneasy with quiet and fill a quiet period with talk. Not so in Japan. “You don’t break the silence unless you have something important to say,” says Ganti. Surprisingly, when he next lived in India, he found conversations were typically lively, loud and full of interruptions (打岔). “Silence is never expected,” he says.
The Japanese value the building of trust and relationships, Ganti adds. In Japan, nothing might be accomplished (完成) in the first meeting, and no real progress may be made until the parties sit down for a lunch or dinner. Ganti remembers greeting foreigners who flew to Japan with the intention of holding their meeting and flying out that same day. “It’s just a half-hour discussion,” they told him. He replied, “That half-hour discussion won’t go anywhere.”
Cyrus Sabouri from New Jersey, the US, had similar experiences in the Middle East. He lives in Bahrain, where he works for American Express Middle East. “Meetings can require personal introductions, which often consume more of the meeting than the things to be discussed,” he says. He was frustrated by this custom when he first moved to the island nation. “You eventually learn that it is hard to draw the line between business and personal life,” he says. “Warm and friendly relationships can be the difference between a deal or no deal with the Bahraini.”
Ganti’s current job with Merck takes him throughout Latin America. While each country presents its own cultural puzzle to figure out, Ganti has found that cultures have a lot in common. In many parts of Latin America, for instance, giving straight advice or criticism in conversation isn’t typical. To make a point, he did just that in meetings, and attendees were often shocked. “I’m usually sent to places where change is needed,” Ganti says. “You have to make changes.”
1. How do Indians differ from the Japanese according to Ganti?| A．They easily accept silence. | B．They usually talk excitedly. |
| C．They dislike being interrupted. | D．They seem nervous in business meetings. |
| A．They would be invited to dinner. | B．They could leave Japan the next day. |
| C．They could get their tasks done soon. | D．They would have a very interesting meeting. |
| A．Work is more important than life there. | B．Personal introductions are often ignored. |
| C．There are a lot of long business meetings. | D．Bahrainis value relationships very highly. |
| A．They are generally willing to accept new ideas. |
| B．They like to solve puzzles in their spare time. |
| C．They seldom express their views directly. |
| D．They hardly ever make comments on others. |
| A．talk about some cultural differences |
| B．introduce his working experience in Latin America |
| C．give some facts about Japanese etiquette |
| D．discuss American’s impression on Middle East |
6 . When people get old and have difficulty working full time, they retire and begin a new, more relaxing lifestyle. But what about old industrial buildings? Can they start anew?
China seems to find a good solution for them. In recent years, many abandoned factories, railway yards, warehouses and mills have been transformed into cultural and tourist sites. According to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, there are now 194 items on the country’s national industrial heritage list.
The 798 Art Zone in Beijing is an iconic example. Built in the 1950s as No 798 Joint Factory, it was gradually abandoned in the 1990s as production slowed down. In 2006, Beijing’s municipal government invested over 120 million yuan and improved its infrastructure condition, turning the factory complex into a cultural and creative industrial base. Now the art zone holds about 200 galleries, art centers as well as fashionable boutiques, cafes and restaurants, which also earns it a place on the bucket list (心愿单) of many tourists, noted The Paper.
Jack Liu is a frequenter of the art zone who visits it every weekend. “In the art zone, you can refresh memories of the development of Chinese manufacturing through its old buildings,” said the 28-year-old to Teens. “However, in art galleries here you will feel pulled into a fashionable, modern world. It’s amazing.”
Industrial heritage sites, which used to be filled with the rumbling of machines, are now “precious pages of the book on the industrial culture of China,” noted People’s Daily.
Since these heritage sites are rich and diverse in content, cities in China also spare no effort to explore new ways and models to protect and utilize them.
For example, a beer museum has been set up inside a century-old plant of the Tsingtao Brewery in Qingdao, Shandong province, bringing people closer to the long history of the brewery. Some abandoned plants in Beijing have also been renovated for city explorers to take adventures in.
Just as the elderly need our care and love, these industrial heritages are also expected to be injected with vitality through protection and development. “It is not only an inevitable trend of the innovation-driven development of cities, but a necessity for fostering (促进) new drivers of development,” noted People’s Daily.
1. What is China’s solution for old industrial buildings?| A．Expanding their space and uses. |
| B．Upgrading them to become attractions. |
| C．Integrating them with new buildings. |
| D．Returning them to their original condition. |
| A．It was established in the 1990s. |
| B．It mainly provides venues for fashion shows. |
| C．It’s China’s first cultural and creative industrial base. |
| D．It’s a successful example of transforming old industrial sites. |
| A．The buildings which are out of date should be torn down. |
| B．They are the refreshments of Chinese manufacturing. |
| C．The once deserted buildings are full of vitality now. |
| D．He is amazed with the mixture of old and new galleries. |
| A．To show the popularity of industrial heritage sites. |
| B．To explain the importance of renovating old plants. |
| C．To introduce the features of industrial heritage sites. |
| D．To illustrate how industrial heritage sites can be used effectively. |
| A．They deserve to be brought back to life. |
| B．They can be drivers for city development. |
| C．They should give way to modern buildings. |
| D．They are reminders of a city’s development. |
“Mom, look at this LEGO Star Wars set,” my eight-year-old son Nathan said. “Can I get it for my birthday?” I looked at the LEGO set in question.
“Nathan, this isn’t just a regular LEGO set. It’s an Advent calendar(降临历).” Seeing his questioning look, I explained, “An Advent calendar counts down the days until Christmas. Starting on December 1st, you open one box each day, and each box contains one small LEGO toy.”
“I want this really badly, Mom. Can I get it for my birthday?”
“Yes, but here’s the problem with that. It’s August right now, and your birthday is in September. If we bought this for your birthday, you couldn’t start opening the toys until December 1st. That would be a long time for you before playing with a new toy. Are you sure you want it?” He thought for a minute and said, “Yes, Mom, I really want that Advent calendar.” So we bought the calendar.
On Nathan’s birthday in mid-September, he received many presents, including the Advent calendar. He seemed as surprised and pleased with it as he did with other gifts that were actually a surprise. And then he started to open it.
“Remember that’s an Advent calendar. So we can’t open it yet.” His shoulders slumped(垂下来). “Oh, yeah, that’s right,” he said unwillingly.
We put the box in his closet. I hoped he’d forget about it, but that was wishful thinking.
“How many more days should I wait until I can start opening the toys in the calendar?” he asked the day after his birthday. I gave him a pocket calendar, and we counted how many days there were until December 1st.
After waiting for so long, it was December 1st finally. Nathan’s hands were practically shaking as he opened that first box. “I’m so glad I waited, Mom,” he told me.
People say that Christmas starts earlier and earlier every year. I know these complaints are about the over-commercialization of the holiday, and I see their point. But this year, Christmas came to our house very early, and it was so much fun.
1. What is an Advent calendar used to do? (no more than 10 words)2. Why was the author unwilling to buy the Advent calendar for Nathan at first? (no more than 12 words)
3. How can we understand the underlined sentence in Paragraph 7? (no more than 8 words)
4. Why do people say Christmas starts earlier and earlier? (no more than 10 words)
5. What do you think of Nathan’s birthday present? Why? (no more than 20 words)
8 . The Memorial Art Gallery (MAG) opened its doors again this weekend for the University of Rochester’s Clothesline Arts Festival. This event has been an annual tradition at the Centennial Sculpture Park right outside the MAG for the last 62 years. Initially organized with less than 100 artists showing their work on clothes lines and fences, this festival has attracted over 500 artists from across the nation.
The park was decorated with colorful tents where artists proudly displayed their works. Each tent was a story within itself — a display of skill, creativity, and years of experience.
Piche Design, a unique custom creation art store owned by Chuck Peashy, had one of the most interesting tents: an eye-catching, old setting with lamps shaped like musical instruments. “People come to me with objects that belonged to their long-gone loved ones, and I make beautiful items out of those for them. It is, indeed, rewarding,” said Peashy.
Jill Schiller started doodling (涂鸦) when she was very young. Her hobby gave way to a series of super cool modern designs. She now draws with Swedish weaving techniques on scarves, carpets, bags, and T-shirts in her tent. Schiller believes that it is evidently a great method of expressing creativity and emotion.
George Banagis’ tent, which presented watercolor and pen and ink pieces, had a variety of options. His complicated pen and ink illustrations were available in the original full-size versions, which were made after weeks of effort, and also small, affordable postcards, notepads, and other souvenirs. Visitors loved this inexpensive form of art and flooded inside to buy.
Visitors also experienced all seven continents in one tent, Tatarzyn Photography. From penguins lined up on an Antarctic coastline to swans and wandering African elephants, Ted Tatarzyn has traveled all around the world to catch these moments of amazing creatures with a camera. “This is actually my second career,” said Tatarzyn, who interestingly worked at Kodak for many years before its shutdown. He then started touring around the world for the pictures.
Strolling across the little artistic showcases is a learning experience that every student should take advantage of. And Clothesline had many other stories to tell.
1. What was the Clothesline Arts Festival most probably named after at first?| A．The hosting place of the festival. | B．The diverse artists joining the event. |
| C．The unique way of displaying works. | D．The cloths and various materials used. |
| A．It focuses on the musical instrument design. | B．It helps people recall their loved ones. |
| C．It repairs valuable things for people. | D．It mainly sells classical furniture. |
| A．They are both about art drawings with strong personal styles. |
| B．They are both popular among university students. |
| C．They both display products with local cultures. |
| D．They are both about inexpensive paintings. |
| A．Travel experience sharing. | B．Artistic creativity training. |
| C．Professional camera skill teaching. | D．Animal photos displaying. |
| A．To remember a 62-year-old tradition. | B．To recommend some excellent artists. |
| C．To advertise a secondhand market. | D．To introduce a special artistic festival. |
9 . According to the National Audubon Society, about 60 percent of all North American bird species have experienced northward shift during migration over the past four decades. This is symbolic of habitat loses from human development, as well as climate change. Without taking action to protect migratory bird’s habitats, many of these species will eventually die out, which in turn can destroy the ecosystems that depend on the bird species. While these numbers are based in North American, bird extinction is a worldwide problem.
World Migratory Bird Day was established in 2006 as a holiday to help educate the public and raise awareness about the growing problems that are affecting the habitats of bird species around the world. It has since become a holiday recognized by the United Nations, and it helps to organize events in numerous countries. World Migratory Bird Day was established at the height of the age in which humans were starting to understand the influence of climate change.
Since World Migratory Bird Day is held over the second weekend of May, the dates can differ. In 2014, the holiday started on Saturday, May 10th. In 2015, the starting date was May 9th. Celebrating the holiday over an entire weekend gives families and bird enthusiasts alike a chance to get outdoors and learn more about migratory birds.
Education is at the center of World Migratory Bird Day celebration. The number of programs and festivals continue to grow each year, the content differing by area. World Migratory Bird Day provides people with the opportunity to learn about their favourite birds, and there are often bird watching tours planned for that weekend.
While World Migratory Bird Day can be a fun way to learn about birds and their habitats, the weekend holiday is also focused on some serious notes surrounding conservation. At events and festivals, the public can learn exactly how their native birds’ habitats are being destroyed, and more importantly, people can learn how to stop the destruction.
1. What does the first paragraph mainly talk about?| A．The destruction of ecosystems. |
| B．The seriousness of bird extinction. |
| C．The reason to protect migratory birds. |
| D．Causes of migratory birds’ habitat losses. |
| A．Climate change is the main cause of bird extinction. |
| B．Migratory birds’ habitat losses may endanger our ecosystem. |
| C．Bird extinction is a matter of course of historical development. |
| D．There is no doubt that bird migration can speed up global warming. |
| A．Worthy but impractical. |
| B．Timely and educational. |
| C．Simple but beneficial. |
| D．Meaningless and wasteful. |
| A．It is suitable for people of certain ages. |
| B．The dates of celebrations are changeable. |
| C．It is held by bird enthusiasts and experts. |
| D．It aims to provide chances for families to unite. |
| A．People can watch the whole process of bird migration. |
| B．People have the chance to have a direct connection with birds. |
| C．Learning to recognize birds is the key purpose of celebration. |
| D．The holiday lets people appreciate and encourage protection of birds. |
Confucius Institute is a non-profit public institute which aims at promoting Chinese language and culture and supporting local Chinese teaching internationally through affiliated Confucius Institutes. Its headquarters is in Beijing and is under the Office of Chinese Language Council International or Hanban in Chinese.
Over the past three decades, Chinese economy is booming. The world is watching China and many foreigners have realized the importance of seeking cooperation, so they want to do business with Chinese people and learning our language works better, Confucius institute provides the place to learn mandarin.
As the world is crazy about Chinese, more and more foreigners have interest in our language and culture. With the purpose of promoting our language and culture, Confucius institute program was set up in Korea in 2004, now the Confucius institute is all around the world. The foreigners practise Chinese so hard. They learn how to pronounce and write, even use the chopsticks.
The Confucius institute program works well. There is a biggest competition for the foreigner to show their Chinese. When we watch the show, we will realize they can speak Chinese so well and admire them so much, because it is so hard to learn. Some foreigners not only speak mandarin well, but also know much about Chinese culture.
The Confucius institute program works to promote Chinese language and culture and the achievement is great. Today, the world is learning Chinese.
1. What is the aim of Confucius Institute? (no more than 15 words)2. Why are many foreigners watching China and want to seek cooperation? (no more than 1o words)
3. What do more and more foreigners have interest in? (no more than 5 words)
4. What does the underlined word “admire” in Paragraph 4 mean? (1 word)
5. What do you think the future of Confucius Institute? (no more than 20 words)
