1 . If Confucius(孔子)were still alive today and could celebrate his September 28 birthday with a big cake, there would be a lot of candles. He'd need a fan or a strong wind to help him put them out.
While many people in China will remember Confucius on his special day, few people in the United States will give him a passing thought. It's nothing personal. Most Americans don't even remember the birthdays of their own national heroes.
But this doesn't mean that Americans don't care about Confucius. In many ways he has become a bridge that foreigners must cross if they want to reach a deeper understanding of China.
In the past two decades, the Chinese studies programs have gained huge popularity in Western universities. More recently, the Chinese government has set up Confucius Institutes in more than 80 countries. These schools teach both Chinese language and culture. The main courses of Chinese culture usually include Chinese art, history and
philosophy(哲学). Some social scientists suggest that Westerners should take advantage of the ancient Chinese wisdom to make up for the drawbacks(缺陷)of Western philosophy. Students in the United States, at the same time, are racing to learn Chinese. So they will be ready for life in a world where China is an equal power with the United States. Businessmen who hope to make money in China are reading books about Confucius to understand their Chinese customers.
So the old thinker's ideas are still alive and well.
Today China attracts the West more than ever, and it will need more teachers to introduce Confucius and Chinese culture to the West.
As for the old thinker, he will not soon be forgotten by people in the West, even if his birthday is.
1. The opening paragraph is mainly intended to______________.| A．provide some key facts about Confucius |
| B．attract the readers' interest in the subject |
| C．show great respect for the ancient thinker |
| D．prove the popularity of modern birthday celebrations |
| A．have a great interest in studying Chinese |
| B．take an active part in Chinese competitions |
| C．try to get high scores in Chinese exams |
| D．fight for a chance to learn Chinese |
| A．Forgotten Wisdom in America |
| B．Huge Fans of the Chinese Language |
| C．Chinese Culture for Westerners |
| D．Old Thinker with a Big Future |
| A．a personal biography | B．a history paper |
| C．a cultural newspaper | D．a philosophy textbook |
2 . The first time I went to France, I was shocked by the cultural differences in daily routines and manners. Born and brought up in Britain, I used to believe that we share the same cultural manners with our European neighbour. But how wrong I was!
The most challenging difference for me was the food and eating time. After one month of living here, I still got strange looks as I ate my homemade sandwiches behind a computer screen while the other colleagues enjoyed a three-course meal in the canteen. They also had a two-hour "pause" which seemed to involve every employee in France. What's more, having evening meals at 6 pm was a common habit for people from the north of England, like me. Therefore, an evening meal at 9 pm was quite challenging for my stomach. After realising the fact that the local snacks were worth the wait, however, I quickly accustomed to this more relaxing way of life, which was hard to imagine before I came here.
Another aspect of French food and drink culture that I found hard to adapt to at first is the cafe culture. I am getting used to a quick espresso(浓咖啡 ), but deep down I have to admit that when catching up with an old friend, nothing suits more than a tall latte(1#)and a slice of homemade cake, preferably in a comfortable English tea room
Finally, there go greetings. At home I feel comfortable shaking someone's hand on the first meeting. So when I greeted a stranger with two kisses on the cheeks, I felt slightly out of my comfort zone. I do,though, appreciate this part of the French culture.
Being exposed to cultural differences is a unique experience which makes you appreciate your roots more and open your eyes to the diversity of the world.
1. What do we know about the food and eating time in France?| A．French people eat a quick lunch at work. |
| B．French people have a three-course meal in the evening. |
| C．French people usually eat evening meals at 6 pm. |
| D．An evening meal at 9 pm is quite common in France. |
| A．used | B．adapted | C．abandoned | D．refused |
| A．Comfortable . | B．Challenging but enriching . | C．Hard to adapt to. | D．Unworthy. |
3 . A film festival is an event at which multiple (多种多样的) films are screened for participants. Typically, film festivals are accompanied by panels (陪审团) which may consist of directors, cast members, and other film personnel, and awards may be offered at the close of the festival to films of particularly high quality. Numerous regions of the world hold film festivals every year.
The first official film festival appears to have taken place in Venice in 1932, when the medium of film was starting to explode in popularity.
In many cases, a film festival includes multiple venues, allowing participants to pick from several films at once.
| A．So take advantage of this chance |
| B．Getting a film into a film festival is challenging |
| C．It is also a unique opportunity to meet famous people |
| D．After the Venice Festival, numerous other cities took up the trend |
| E．Depending on the festival, just getting a screening can be an honor |
| F．They range from the famous Berlin Film Festival to smaller regional events |
| G．Typically, the films to be shown are included in a catalogue having information about them |
4 . The Notre Dame (巴黎圣母院) fire has been put out, but its spire (尖顶) and a large portion of its wooden roof have been damaged. The terrible destruction causes a sudden sharp pain to people around the world. “What a pity that we cannot see the damaged parts of the wonder anymore.”
But the good news is that there is at least one way of seeing them, namely through a video game called Assassin’s Creed: Unity. In this game, the player can travel to one city after another and enter the buildings exactly like what they are in reality, and see Notre Dame as it was before the fire. Further, with virtual reality technology, which is already quite mature, one can even look around the undamaged Notre Dame as if it is still there. Maybe digital technology could help to better protect architectural cultural heritage.
The idea of making digital models of ancient buildings to save their data dates back to the 1990s and the necessary technology has continued to advance since then. By scanning the ancient buildings with lasers, building 3D models with multiple images, as well as measuring everything precisely, engineers can make a copy as accurate as the real one.
As computers and smartphones are hugely popular, the digital model has great useful value. First, it allows tourists to feel the cultural relics without touching them. The virtual tour of Dunhuang Grottoes in Gansu Province is a good example of this as tourists can view the paintings without standing near them. Furthermore, it can make the digitized cultural relics more famous by spreading awareness about them via the Internet. In 2000, a virtual tour of the Great Wall became very popular at the Hannover World Expo, which increased the number of foreign tourists visiting the site in the following years. Above all, it preserves all the information of the cultural relics.
Of course, however precise a model is, it is not the original. Maybe we will have better technologies in the future, but the digital technology offers a practical way to preserve architectural cultural heritage at the moment.
1. What can we see about Notre Dame in the game?| A．The damaged Notre Dame. | B．Its wooden shape. |
| C．The big fire. | D．Its original look. |
| A．Build 3D models of full size. | B．Scan the photos of the buildings |
| C．Measure all the parts exactly. | D．Improve the technology needed. |
| A．By giving examples. | B．By classification. |
| C．By comparison. | D．By listing data. |
| A．Delighted | B．Supportive |
| C．Doubtful | D．Conservative |
5 . The Torch Festival (火把节) is a traditional festival which is celebrated among some ethnic groups in southwestern China, such as the Yi, Bai, Hani, Lisu, and Lahu, etc. It usually falls on the 24th or 25th of June, with three days of celebrations. The festival came from worship (崇拜) of fire by ancestors (祖先). For some ethnic groups, it’s a tradition in the festival for elders to share farming experience with young people and educate them about taking care of crops.
During the festival, big torches are made to stand in all villages, with small torches placed in front of the door of each house. When night falls, the torches are lit and the villages are bright. At the same time, people walk around the fields and houses, holding small torches and placing the torches in the field corners. Inside the villages, young people are singing and dancing around the big torches that keep burning throughout the night. Other activities like horse races are also held during the festival.
In a horse race of the Yi people in Yunnan, torches are used to form hurdles for riders to get through. The Hani people in Yunnan traditionally tie fruits to torches with strings. When the strings are broken after the torches are lit, people struggle for the fruits for good luck.
For the Lisu people in Sichuan, the festival is an occasion for holding torch parades. Big torches are carried by teams of people, which is like a fire dragon. If different teams meet, it’s a tradition to exchange the big torches with one another.
1. What can we know about the Torch Festival from the first paragraph?| A．It has nothing to do with farming. |
| B．Its celebrations usually last two days. |
| C．It is a traditional festival of all China. |
| D．It is a festival to show worship of fire. |
| A．ancestors. | B．young people. |
| C．elders. | D．ethnic groups. |
| A．Why the festival is enjoyed. | B．Where the festival is celebrated. |
| C．How the festival is celebrated. | D．What torches are used for the festival. |
| A．Holding torch parades. | B．Tying fruits to torches with strings. |
| C．Struggling for fruits for good luck. | D．Using torches as hurdles for a horse race. |
6 . According to the notice from the government, our school will close and your child can stay at home if it snows in order to avoid the traffic inconvenience and possible danger. But Snow Day is not a homework-free holiday. We will call it Snow Learning Day.
Snow Learning Day is a time for students to continue learning at home when they miss a day of regular school study. Students will have the opportunity for skill improvement through computer or paper worksheets.
We will send home a packet with each student that contains work for Snow Learning. Please sign your name in the following activity boxes when you make sure your child completes for each Snow Learning Day we have. Your child needs to return this sheet and all completed work to Mr. Turner within 5 days after they return to school.
ACTIVITY BOX ON SNOW LEARNING DAY
| ● Create a 15-song play list from the 1970s, 1980s or 1990s that you think your parents would have listened to growing up. Include the song title and the artist. | ● Write a biography of your favorite writer. Explore important details about their life, their works and writing style. |
| ● Think of a fictional book you have read recently. Write a new ending to that book. Minimum one page. | ● Write a step-by-step guide that explains in detail how to prepare and cook a meal that you made on your snow day. |
1. What is Snow Learning Day according to paragraph I?
| A．It is a school festival. |
| B．It is a computer program. |
| C．It is a school-free day with homework。. |
| D．It is a wintertime safety training activity. |
| A．Learning 15 old songs. | B．Writing a cooking guide. |
| C．Exploring a fictional book. | D．Interviewing a writer. |
| A．Government. | B．Teachers. |
| C．Parents. | D．Students. |
On a bluestone road, performers in ancient Chinese costumes charge on horses, stretching their arms and shouting all the way through.
The audience stands shoulder to shoulder by the road and on rooftops alongside the ancient alley（小巷）, cheering together with loud drum beats in Xiadongzhai village, in the city of Yangquan in northern China's Shanxi province.
"It is a custom that has lasted for over 1,000 years, and represents the martial（尚武）spirit," said Yuan Yuxiang, Party secretary of the village.
In the Tang Dynasty (公元618年——公元907年), Xiadongzhai was a military relay station, where army messengers found food, shelter and spare horses before moving on to their next destination.
The process of transferring horses and leaving the station was later adapted into a folk performance held once a year, on the day after Lantern Festival.
Many are attracted by the boldness and skills of the riders, who do not use saddles（马鞍）or stirrups during the high-speed charge.
Over the years, the performance has become the most celebrated event in the village.
"No matter how far people are from home, or how busy they are, they try their best to return home for the fair on that day," Yuan said.
This year, nearly 10,000 people gathered on the road, which is 100 meters long and 4 meters wide, to watch the performance.
1. What do the performers wear when they charge on the horses?2. Where does the horse-riding custom happen?
3. What was the main function of Xiadongzhai village in the Tang Dynasty?
4. Why do the people return home for the folk performance on the day after Lantern Festival ?
5. After you finish reading this text, please write at least 30 words to describe another interesting event in Yangquan?
8 . Traveling without a map in different countries, I find out about different “styles” of directions every time I ask “How can I get to the post office?”
Foreign tourists are often confused in Japan because most streets there don’t have name signs; in Japan, people use landmarks in their directions instead of street names. For example, the Japanese will say to travelers, “Go straight down to the corner. Turn left at the big hotel and go past a fruit market. The post office is across from the bus stop.”
People in Los Angeles, the US, have no idea of distance on the map: they measure distance by time, not miles. “How far away is the post office?” you ask. “Oh,” they answer, “it’s about five minutes from here.” You don’t understand completely, “Yes, but how many miles away is it, please?” To this question you won’t get an answer, because most probably they don’t know it themselves.
People in Greece sometimes do not even try to give directions because tourists seldom understand the Greek language. Instead, a Greek will often say, “Follow me.” Then he’ll lead you through the streets of the city to the post office.
Sometimes a person doesn’t know the answer to your question. What happens in the situation? A New Yorker might say, “Sorry, I have no idea.” But in Yucatan, Mexico, no one answers “I don’t know.” People there believe that “I don’t” is impolite. They usually give an answer, but often a wrong one. So a tourist can get lost very easily in Yucatan!
However, one thing will help you everywhere in the world. It’s body language.
1. Which one of the following is probably an example of Japanese directions?| A．“Go south two miles. Turn west and then go another mile.” |
| B．“Turn right at the hospital and go past a school. The library is right in front of you.” |
| C．“The post office is about five minutes from here.” |
| D．“The post office is at Street Kamira.” |
| A．they use landmarks in their directions instead of distance |
| B．they prefer to lead you the way |
| C．they often have no idea of distance measured by miles |
| D．they prefer to use body language |
| A．using street names | B．using landmarks |
| C．leading people the way | D．giving people a wrong direction |
| A．People in Yucatan always give right directions. |
| B．There are different ways to give directions in different parts of the world. |
| C．People in some places give directions in miles, but people in other places give directions in time. |
| D．A person’s body language can help you understand directions. |
9 . My guide Farah, a tall, slim woman in her late 30s，wears jeans and a simple manteaux -- the required robe women must wear in public, covering neck to knee. Her long, straight black hair is hidden beneath her headscarf, but visible as it curls at her neck.
We’re heading to Tajrish Bazaar, in north Tehran (capital of Iran)，to explore 10 different kinds of dried plums, and other goodies. We choose the Metro—Farah for its convenience, and I，for a chance to go underground in Tehran, because it provides a picture of the city most tourists never see.
It's mid-morning. Women and men sit separately, but the rule relaxes during busy times, like now. We, along with a few other women, clasp our hands around a pole, standing next to men, young and old in the air-conditioned, modern carriage. Two stops later, and about 20 commuters fewer, segregation happens naturally -- women at one end, men at the other, still within view, but separate.
A handful of fashionable girls admire their own reflections in the window. They wear tight leggings under their brightly coloured robes, pushing back headscarves and boundaries. We find seats next to a group of conservative women dressed in black cloaks called chador. They’re nothing like the other women I have met, a sisterhood of outspoken opinions, most of them liberal. “We are a nation with one language,” Farah says, “divided in two—-traditional and modern. ” Farah tells me it all began, not with imports from the West, but with the 1979 revolution. A combination of access, education and a bad economy created a society where women now have independence, careers and husbands happy to help around the house with chores and children*
1. We are setting out for Tajrish Bazaar most probably at __________.| A．3 a. m. | B．1 p. m. | C．10 a. m. | D．5 p. m. |
| A．Because it’s cheap. |
| B．Because it’s convenient. |
| C．Because she can see more beautiful women on the subway. |
| D．Because it offers her an opportunity to see a different city from what most tourists see |
| A．isolation | B．disaster |
| C．departure | D．combination |
| A．Women in Iran must wear manteau in public. |
| B．Fashionable girls can dress as freely as they like. |
| C．Iran is divided in two parts by the western forces. |
| D．Men in Iran won't help with the housework. |
10 . Examples of effective conservation of places matter to the world. They range from the 1960s Nubian campaign to safeguard Ancient Egyptian monuments from the waters of the Aswan Dam to the removal in 2018 of the Belize Barrier Reef from the List of World Heritage in Danger. Conservation is the core purpose of the World Heritage Convention and it may also be its biggest challenge.
The following example shows how successes at specific sites now serve as models for conservation and sustainable (可持续性) development. A year after Vienna was included on the World Heritage List in 2001, the World Heritage Committee (WHC) expressed concerns about the architectural solutions and height of four planned towers of the Wien-Mitte project. This development project, close to the Historic Centre of Vienna in the site’s buffer zone, the one that lies between two or more other areas, affected the urban scale (规模) and visual effects in and around the property (地产). As a result of the Committee’s concerns, Vienna changed its building codes and launched a new design competition for the Wien-Mitte project to work out architectural plans with reduced size in keeping with World Heritage protection.
The successful practice inspired the government of the city to invite over 600 experts and professionals from 55 countries to an international conference on World Heritage and contemporary architecture, held in Vienna in May 2005. The global discussion that followed, detailing an approach to managing conservation and development, was recorded in the UNESCO Recommendation in 2011.
The Recommendation put forwards an all-rounded and combined approach to balancing urban heritage (遗产) conservation and economic development, arguing that active protection and management of urban heritage supports the goal of sustainable development.
The Recommendation supports the harmonious combination of contemporary involvement into the historic urban framework while holding on to values linked to history, memory and the environment.
1. Why does the author mention the Belize Barrier Reef in Paragraph 1?| A．To explain the goal of the organization. |
| B．To encourage the public to protect the world. |
| C．To show the positive effect of conservation. |
| D．To remind people of the environmental problems. |
| A．It took up too much public land of the city. |
| B．It had a bad effect on the Historic Centre of Vienna. |
| C．Its original designs were not environmentally friendly. |
| D．Its architectural solutions couldn’t meet safety standards. |
| A．The ways to combine conservation and development. |
| B．The creation of the new UNESCO Recommendation. |
| C．The international urban management and development. |
| D．The styles of the contemporary architecture of Vienna. |
| A．To examine the challenges faced by global urban planners. |
| B．To introduce alternative ways of protecting the environment. |
| C．To stress the importance of the value of history and memory. |
| D．To promote active conservation and sustainable development. |
