1 . Lily
Studying abroad is an area that is becoming increasingly interesting for researchers, as more students are choosing to do a semester, a year or even a degree in another country. In my research, I set out to establish whether young people attending a course abroad acquire more global awareness than students enrolled on similar courses in their home country, Using a comparative study of 50 Canadian undergraduates, half of whom studied abroad for varying lengths of time, there were shown to be considering gains in global awareness and these were not only noted by the students themselves but also their tutors.
Thomas
My research project asked ten students starting a year of study abroad to keep a daily record of their experiences. Having begun the diary a month before leaving home they continued it for a month after they returned. The primary reason for studying abroad in all cases was to polish their language skill. The students were allowed to write as freely as they wished by were asked to include comments on their language learning experience as well as on the strategies they used to cope with living in a new culture. Analysing the diaries, we found remarkably similar patterns. All the participants demonstrate a gradual recognition and acceptance of difference in other cultures and a new objectivity about their own culture as a result of their experience.
Jasmine
This paper reports on some research carried out last year into why students choose a period of study abroad, their reasons for selecting a specific destination, their behaviour when abroad and the extent to which the experience matches their expectations. Having administered a questionnaire to 1,000 international students studying at a number of universities in Australia, we got 696 responses. An initial analysis of the responses has revealed some interesting data suggesting that the key factor affecting all the areas we were investigating was the individual's personality and study interests. Country of origin and 'gender proved less significant than expected.
Jimmy
This research looked at the career paths of 35 young business people who had spent part of their university course at a foreign educational institution in order to ascertain whether those people had acquired greater cross-cultural perspectives through their experience of study abroad. Concerned about the lack of cultural awareness of their staff, a group of US business corporations proposed the research. The results are less conclusive than expected, but they do suggest that a period of study in a foreign country may help students to develop the cross-cultural awareness that US employers currently seek.
1. The passage is mainly about four researchers' findings on ________.| A．the reasons for young students to study abroad |
| B．the impact and effects of studying in another country |
| C．the trend of more students furthering their study abroad |
| D．the interest of students who once studied in another country |
| A．Lily | B．Thomas | C．Jasmine | D．Jimmy |
| A．Most of the researchers found the students global awareness increased. |
| B．All of the researchers took a reserved attitude towards studying abroad. |
| C．None of the researchers thought gender played a role in students' choice. |
| D．Only one of the researchers did research on the subjects' career development. |
2 . Culture can affect not just language and customs, but also how people experience the world on surprisingly basic levels.
Researchers, with the help of brain scans, have uncovered shocking differences in perception(感知) between Westerners and Asians, what they see when they look at a city street, for example, or even how they perceive a simple line in a square, according to findings published in a leading science journal
In western countries, culture makes people think of themselves as highly independent entities(实体) .When looking at scenes, Westerners tend to focus more on central objects than on their surroundings. East Asian cultures, however emphasize inter-dependence. When Easterners look at a scene, they tend to focus on surroundings as well as the object.
Using an experiment involving two tasks, Dr Hedden asked subjects to look at a line simply to estimate its length, a task that is played to American strengths. In another, they estimated the line's length relative to the size of a square, an easier task for the Asians.
The level of brain activity, by tracking blood flow, was then measured by Brain Scanners. The experiment found that although there was no difference in performance, and the tasks were very easy, the levels of activity in the subjects’ brains were different. For the Americans, areas linked to attention lit up more, when they worked on the task they tended to find more difficult--estimating the line's size relative to the square. For the Asians, the attention areas lit up more during the harder task also--estimating the line's length without comparing it to the square. The findings are a reflection of more than ten years of previous experimental research into east-west differences
In one study, for instance, researchers offered people a choice among five pens, four red and one green. Easterners were more likely to choose a red pen while Westerners were more likely to choose the green one.
Culture is not affecting how you see the world, but how you choose to understand and internalize(使内化) it. But such habits can be changed. Some psychological studies suggest that when an Easterner goes to the West or vice versa, habits of thought and perception also begin to change. Such research gives us clues on how our brain works and is hopeful for us to develop programs to improve our memory, memory techniques and enhance and accelerate our learning skills.
1. According to the passage, Chinese people are most likely to_________.| A．emphasize independent thinking more |
| B．always focus more on their surroundings |
| C．focus on the context as well as object |
| D．think of Westerners as highly independent entities |
_________.| A．the task is much easier |
| B．the blood flow is tracked |
| C．people begin to choose colors |
| D．the task is more difficult |
| A．They indicate that culture has a great impact on the way people talk and behave. |
| B．They show that Easterners and Westerners have great differences in perceiving the world |
| C．They suggest that people's habits of thought and perception can be changed in different cultures. |
| D．They make it clear that Easterners and Westerners lay emphasis on different things |
| A．Easterners prefer collectivism to individualism |
| B．East Asian cultures lay more emphasis on independence |
| C．It took over ten years to find out how to improve our brainpower |
| D．Americans will change their habits of perception when they're in Britain |
| April 12 Rainy Today, I arrived at my friend Worawut’s house outside of Bangkok for the holidays. His family was doing a spring-cleaning of their pretty wooden house in preparation for Songkran Festival. They put their hands together to greet me with a traditional gesture called the wai. April 13 Cloudy That smells wonderful! The women were cooking Thai foods for the next day’s ceremonies. We men went to the river and brought lots of sand to the village wat. The wat was a beautiful Buddhist temple where the monks lived. We left the sand in piles near the wat. April 14 Sunny We all dressed up and went to the village wat. The monks waited with their bowls at a long table. Monks are used to a life of sacrifice and discipline, but not today. We filled their bowls with rice and all kinds of palatable foods. Everyone smiled and music played as the monks ate. After that, we attended the bathing ceremony. We poured water over little stone Buddhas. Young people poured some sweet water into the hands of older people to show respect for them. Outside, everyone used sand we had brought to make sand pagodas. April 15 Sunny Today was the last day of the festival, and Worawut told me to get ready for some water throwing. We put lots of buckets of water on the truck and drove into the village. Everyone was throwing buckets of water. Nobody escaped dry! On such a hot day, the water felt really good. I can’t wait to come back next year! |
1. The passage is most probably taken from _______.
| A．a festival poster |
| B．a traveler’s festival journal |
| C．a festival brochure |
| D．a traveler’s festival poem |
| A．in middle April |
| B．when the weather turns cold |
| C．in the beginning of April |
| D．at the end of April |
| A．cook various kinds of foods for older people |
| B．take sand from the river, and then use the sand to make pagodas for older people |
| C．pour smelly water all over older people |
| D．pour the water that smells good into the hands of older people |
| A．the throwing of water made him feel joyful |
| B．the delicious Thai foods left him with a deep impression |
| C．his friend Worawut treated him very well |
| D．dancing with the monks brought him a lot of fun |
4 . It is 9:05 a.m. and a group of Chinese businessmen are outside a hotel conference room in Sao Paulo, waiting for their Brazilian (巴西的) hosts. The meeting was scheduled to start five minutes ago, but, like many meetings in Brazil, it did not start on time. The Brazilians arrive, complaining loudly about the morning’s traffic and go immediately to breakfast. Cultural differences between the two countries become clear.
In 2009, China replaced the US as Brazil’s biggest trading partner. As a result，Brazilian companies are keen to understand the Chinese better and find the best way to do business together.
For companies already working with China, getting to know the culture is a priority. At Chinbra, São Paulo’s biggest Chinese language school, students, who mainly work in the import business, take evening classes to learn Chinese. About half the lesson is about culture issues. They ask questions such as “Should I give my business card with two hands?” and “What presents should I give-something Brazilian?”
Some business deals fail because of small things like a misunderstood e-mail. “In addition to language problems, there is also a lack of cultural understanding between the two countries.” says Charles Tang, president of the Brazil-China Chamber of Commerce.
One big issue is timing. For successful deals with the Chinese, it is important to be on time for meetings and to meet deadlines. In Brazil, because of high inflation (通货膨胀) during the 1980s and early 1990s and many failed plans, long-term planning was not a priority. Today, many companies still prefer to plan as they go along and fix problems when they happen. The Chinese are totally different. They like to plan everything in advance and in detail.
1. According to paragraph 1, Brazilians are most likely to ________ when they host international conferences.| A．have breakfast | B．make it a priority to arrive on time |
| C．warn of the bad local traffic conditions | D．be late and keep their guests waiting |
| A．Practical tips jellyfish on doing import business. |
| B．Proper manners in multinational companies. |
| C．The Chinese language and cultural knowledge. |
| D．The survival skills needed in Chinese companies. |
| A．Another issue is planning. | B．It’s a matter of principle. |
| C．Otherwise conflict will arise. | D．Things may differ elsewhere. |
5 . Most of time black and white appears as opposites. White means light and purity(纯洁),while black is darkness and evil. But it is not always true. Sometimes the words are used differently.
White hats and black hats represent the traditional meaning of the words. The hats are used to tell the “good guys” and the “bad guys” in American western movies. Now the tradition of white hats and black hats is no longer a part of movie making,but you still hear the expression when people talk about good guys and bad guys. “A black sheep” is a person who does things that are not accepted,who breaks tradition. “A black sheep” is rejected(被排斥)because he brings shame to his group. A family may have a member who is thought of as “a black sheep”,a person who is not welcome at family gatherings.
Black is also used in some expressions that describe good things. Being “in the black” for example,is a good thing for anyone. It is a business expression that means a company is making money. When someone says his business is “in the red”,he means it is losing money.
White usually means something good. A “white collar” job,for example,is the kind of job many people want. It is a job where you work at a desk,using your brain instead of your muscles. Sometimes white is used in an expression that is not good. “Whitewash” is such an expression. At first “whitewash” meant to paint over something with a white paint to make it look better. But now “whitewash” has a different meaning: to hide or cover up mistakes or failures.
1. When a person is called “a black sheep”,it shows that______.| A．he is as black as a sheep |
| B．he always feels on top of the world |
| C．he will create wonders |
| D．he is not welcomed by people around him |
| A．People usually think of black and white as opposites. |
| B．White hats and black hats are only used in movies. |
| C．White hats and black hats represent the “good guys” and the bad guys. |
| D．Black usually means something bad while white often means something good. |
| A．a black sheep | B．black hats | C．in the black | D．whitewash |
6 . Many of China’s ancient architectural treasures smashed to dust before Lin Huiyin and Liang Sicheng began documenting them in the 1930s. The husband and wife team were among the first preservationists to operate in China, and by far the bestknown. Their efforts have since inspired generations of people to speak out for architecture threatened by the rush toward development.
Becoming China’s best architectural historians was no easy accomplishment. The buildings they wanted to save were centuries old located in distant parts of the country.In many cases, they had to journey through dangerous conditions in the Chinese countryside to reach them. Exploring China’s remote areas during the 1930s meant traveling muddy, poorly maintained roads by mule（骡子）or on foot. Inns were often dirty food could be polluted, and there was always risk or violence from rebels, soldiers and robbers.
Their greatest discovery was the Temple of Buddha’s Light, in Wutai County, Shanxi Province. The breathtaking wooden temple was built in 857 A. D., making it the oldest building known in China at the time.
Liang and Lin crawled into the temple’s most forbidding, forgotten areas to determine itsage, including one hideaway inhibited by thousands or bats and millions of bedbugs, covered in dust and littered with dead bats. “In complete darkness andamong the awful smell, hardly breathing, with thick masks covering our nosesand mouths, we measured, drew, and photographed with flashlights for several hours. When at last we came out to take a breath of fresh air, we foundhundreds of bedbugs in our bag. We ourselves had been badly bitten. Yet the importance and unexpectedness of our find made those the happiest hours of myyears hunting for ancient architecture.” Liand wrote of the experience in anaccount included in “Liang and Lin; Partners in Exploring China’s ArchitectualPast.”
1. On their way to the ancient buildings in 1930s,Liang and Lin faced following risks EXCEPT ________.| A．accommodations | B．personal security |
| C．road conditions | D．vehicles |
| A．documenting smashed historical buildings |
| B．rebuilding historically valuablebuildings |
| C．saving the oldest temples in China |
| D．Protecting historical buildings. |
| A．Liang and Lin caught insects with awful smell. |
| B．Liang and Lin were forbidden to breathe inside |
| C．Liang and Lin were pleased at something unhoped for |
| D．Liang and Lin determined its age by studyingbedbug’s hideaway |
| A．Creativeness results in discovery | B．Difficulty produces achievement |
| C．Efforts contribute to happiness | D．Responsibilities make development |
Make traditional treasures come alive
The Palace Museum Director Shan Jixiang delivered a cultural heritage speech on Feb 27 in Beijing, which was co-organized by the Beijing Diplomatic Service Bureau and Beijing Housing Service Corporation for Diplomatic Missions.
On the theme The World of the Palace Museum and the Palace Museum of the World, the 64-year-old director shared his ideas about how to make traditional treasures come alive again. During the speech, which lasted two and a half hours, Shan touched on topics including upgrading museum infrastructure(基础设施), restoring cultural sites, digitalizing online museums, setting up restoration hospitals, providing better visitor experiences and promoting the Palace Museum’s cultural items.
“The abundant collection of cultural objects at the Palace Museum is the inspiration for the creative souvenirs and cultural items available,” Shan said. “
John Aquilina, Malta’s ambassador to China said that Shan’s speech showed a totally different Palace Museum to foreign people. “China enjoys a long and profound culture and many of the national treasures have been preserved at the Palace Museum. It is no easy task to preserve them well.
| A．I truly express my respect for Shan and his team for their contributions. |
| B．With regard to cultural heritage restoration, Shan said the museum opened a restoration hospital at the end of 2016. |
| C．A total of 600 people from all walks of life, including over 100 foreign guests, participated in the activity. |
| D．I will learn more about Chinese culture from the magnificent ancient objects. |
| E．Our design teams often study consumer demands and create cultural items that are nice to look at and practical to use. |
| F．Traditional craftsmanship is combined with modern methods, and the lives of ancient cultural objects will be lengthened by the so-called doctors. |
8 . The concept of peace is a very important one in cultures all over the world. Think about how we greet people. In some languages, the phrases for greetings contain the word for peace. In some cultures we greet people by shaking hands or with another gesture to show that we are not carrying weapons – that we come in peace. And there are certain symbols which people in very different cultures recognize as representing peace. Let’s look at a few of them.
The dove
The dove has been a symbol of peace and innocence for thousands of years in many different cultures. In ancient Greek mythology it was a symbol of love and the renewal of life. In ancient Japan a dove carrying a sword symbolized the end of war. There was a tradition in Europe that if a dove flew around a house where someone was dying then their soul would be at peace. And there are legends which say that the devil can turn himself into any bird except for a dove. In Christian art, the dove was used to symbolize the Holy Ghost and was often painted above Christ's head. But it was Pablo Picasso who made the dove a modern symbol of peace when he used it on a poster for the World Peace Congress in 1949.
The rainbow
The rainbow is another ancient and universal symbol, often representing the connection between human beings and their gods. In Greek mythology it was associated with Iris, the goddess who brought messages from the gods on Mount Olympus. In Scandinavian mythology the rainbow was a bridge between the gods and the earth. In the Bible a rainbow showed Noah that the Biblical flood was finally over, and that God had forgiven his people. In the Chinese tradition, the rainbow is a common symbol for marriage because the colours represent the union of yin and yang. Nowadays the rainbow is used by many popular movements for peace and the environment, representing the possibility of a better world in the future and promising sunshine after the rain.
The olive branch
The olive tree has always been a valuable source of food and oil. In Greek mythology, the goddess Athena gave the olive tree to the people of Athens, who showed their gratitude by naming the city after her. But no one knows for sure when or why it began to symbolize peace. There is probably a connection with ancient Greece. Wars between states were suspended during the Olympic Games, and the winners were given crowns of olive branches. The symbolism may come from the fact that the olive tree takes a long time to produce fruit, so olives could only be cultivated successfully in long periods of peace. Whatever the history, the olive branch is a part of many modern flags symbolizing peace and unity. One well-known example is the United Nations symbol.
1. Who played the major role in making the dove a modern symbol of peace?| A．Pablo Picasso. | B．A god in Greek mythology. |
| C．Jesus Christ. | D．Ancient Japanese. |
| A．Two. | B．Three. |
| C．Four. | D．Five. |
| A．Different Concepts of Peace. | B．The popularity of Peace Symbols. |
| C．The Origins of Peace Symbols. | D．Cultural Differences in Peace. |
9 . The Harlem Renaissance
The word “renaissance” means “rebirth”. The Harlem Renaissance took place during the 1920s. It was a time when the African American artistic community grew and flourished, producing a ton of work in a short period of time. The work celebrated African American culture and spoke to their experiences as minorities---both the good parts and the bad parts.
After the Civil War, many African Americans left the South to escape unfair treatment and laws that discriminated against them. Between 1910 and 1920, massive numbers of black Southerners moved from the rural south into the urban North and West in the Great Migration. The African American population of Chicago more than doubled during that time! And in New York, African Americans flocked to uptown Manhattan, setting in a neighborhood called Harem. Forming a community within the big city let African Americans keep their cultural identity in a white-dominated society. It was a good thing, and a lot of important cultural issues were brought to light during the Harlem Renaissance. One of the most important figures of the time was the African American writer, W. E.B Du Bois. In his book, The Souls of Back Folk, in 1903, Du Bois wrote that African Americans suffered from something called “double consciousness”. They had their own self-image while they saw themselves through the eyes of white Americans. And performers like Josephine Baker and Paul Robeson brought African American culture to all New Yorkers. The Renaissance was so influential that “Harlem” grew into something of a brand name
African Americans were pushing boundaries across all aspects of society. Black businesses began to flourish, creating a growing middle class, like Madame C.J. Walker, who tuned her cosmetics line into a million dollar empire. All together, the artists, and thinkers of this period helped mobilize the larger black population. Young African-Americans took advantage of improved access to higher education. This opened up new career paths and opportunities to attain advanced degrees. Perhaps most importantly, people---black and white---began the push for racial integration, planting the seeds of what would eventually become the civil rights movement of the 1960s.
1. Why did many African Americans leave the South after the Civil War?| A．To escape slavery | B．To find jobs in agriculture |
| C．To avoid racial discrimination | D．To gain citizenship |
| A．He led to movement to return to Africa |
| B．He composed folk music based on African American theme |
| C．He wrote plays about the African-American experience |
| D．He wrote about the struggle for African-American identity |
| A．Nearly all were unemployed at that time |
| B．The vast majority were considered lower class |
| C．Most were regarded as middle class |
| D．A large percentage were recognized as wealthy |
| A．Spread of black businesses | B．Access to higher education |
| C．Shift from agriculture to industry | D．Push for unity among all Africans |
All of us should keep a kitchen diary, showing how much food are left uneaten as garbage.
Each year, the amount of food thrown away in rich countries is almost the same as that produced in sub-Saharan Africa. This raises some important questions.
In developing countries, food is lost because farmers do not have appropriate cooling, storage or market access for their crops. Their grains, fruits and vegetables dry up and rot away.
Everyone deserves to have enough food to eat. Despite China’s impressive success in reducing hunger over the past three decades, the job is not completed yet.
| A．In developed countries, the picture is different, and food is wasted in supermarkets, restaurants and at home. |
| B．Besides, Chinese consumers tend to be generous. |
| C．However, Chinese consumers like to eat in restaurants. |
| D．Chinese consumers are as particular about their food as those in other countries. |
| E．Every year, we need to consume a lot of food. |
| F．We all waste food, you and me, every day millions of tons of it. |
