1 . Math Holidays

Mole Day

Mole Day is celebrated annually on Oct. 23 from 6:02 am to 6:02 pm. It celebrates Avogadro’s Number (approximately 6.02 × 10²³), which is a basic measuring unit in chemistry. The first Mole Day took place in 1991 and has been honored every year since. The concept of a celebratory day was created by Maurice Oehler, a retired high school chemistry teacher. It aims to develop interest in chemistry, encouraging schools around the globe to celebrate Mole Day with various activities related to chemistry.

Fibonacci Day

Nov. 23 marks Fibonacci Day, a special day that celebrates tile man known as Leonardo Fibonacci who developed a mathematical concept called the Fibonacci Sequence (斐波那契数列), in which every number is the sum of the previous two numbers. So, for example, 11/23 marks the day because 1+1 equals 2, and then 1+2 equals 3 (the date being the 23rd). It may be somewhat difficult to grasp, but the concept is not entirely theoretical.

Square Root Day

Square Root Day is a holiday that occurs when the month and day are square roots of the last two digits of the year: e.g. 2/2/2004 and 3/3/2009. The last Square Root Day was 4/4/2016 and the next one will be 5/5/2025. The holiday was created by a high school teacher Ron Gordon in Redwood City, California, who noticed that an upcoming date (9/9/1981) represented a square root.

Pi Day

The granddaddy of mathematical and scientific holidays, however, falls every year on Mar. 14. The date, 3/14, represents the first three numerals in the calculation of pi; so the date is known annually as Pi Day. Pi Day was founded in 1988 by physicist Larry Shaw working at the Exploratorium in San Francisco. The event featured the eating of various pies, tossing pizza pie dough and parades and speeches.

1. Which holiday is linked to Avogadro’s Number?

A．Pi Day.	B．Mole Day.
C．Fibonacci Day.	D．Square Root Day.

2. Which of the following dates is a Square Root Day?

A．Oct.23, 2020.	B．Nov. 23, 2021.
C．Mar. 14, 2030.	D．Jun 6, 2036.

3. Who was the first man to celebrate Pi Day?

A．Larry Shaw.	B．Ron Gordon.
C．Maurice Oehler.	D．Leonardo Fibonacci.

2 . When you take a closer look at the photos of the 36 contestants for CCTV 3’s talent show Bravo Youngsters , you may find something different.

Ling, one contestant on the show, is seemingly perfect. The 25-year-old Beijing woman is a social media influencer, whose realistic appearance is computer generated (生成).

Yet Ling behaves like an actual human social media star. She attends fashion events, promotes designer clothes and brands, and shares her life on Sina Weibo.

“I love traditional Chinese culture, especially Peking Opera, calligraphy and tai chi. I hope that I can interpret (阐释) these art forms in my own way on the stage,” Ling posted on her weibo account on Nov 22.

Actually, Ling herself is the best illustration of her love for Chinese traditional culture.

Her name, Ling, comes from the feathered headdress (头饰) worn in Peking Opera. Her voice in the talent show follows the school (流派) of the late Peking Opera master Mei Lanfang. And her face is even designed to look good while wearing Peking Opera makeup.

According to Chen Yan, founder of Beijing Next Generation Culture Media, the company behind Ling, they aimed to build the virtual idol (虚拟偶像) into a web influencer interested in guofeng (Chinese national style).

Chen Zhe from the company Frees Fund, believes that the rise of virtual influencers will bring opportunities.

“They have great advantages. Unlike human influencers who will get old, or may become involved in some sort of scandal (丑闻), digital influencers are young, flexible, manageable and controllable,” he said.

Chen Yan also pointed out that although influencers like Ling are virtual, their influence is real. Like it or not, they will bring big changes to the entertainment and fashion industries in the near future.

1. What sets Ling apart from the other contestants?

A．Her popularity on social media.	B．Her computer-generated existence.
C．Her seemingly perfect appearance.	D．Her love for designing clothes.

2. Why is Ling considered the best illustration of her love for Chinese traditional culture?

A．Ling performs Peking Opera on the show.

B．Ling dresses up like a Peking Opera singer.

C．She displays various Chinese cultural elements.

D．Ling likes promoting Chinese culture in the virtual world.

3. What advantage do virtual idols have over human influencers?

A．They are more attractive and talented.

B．They act flexibly in different situations.

C．They can be controlled and managed easily.

D．They can impact the entertainment and fashion industries.

3 . Black Friday

The day after Thanksgiving is the start of the holiday shopping season. Thanksgiving is always on a Thursday, so the day after is a Friday. This day has come to be known as Black Friday. It has been the busiest shopping day of the year since 2005.

Most stores offer great deals on Black Friday. They open their doors in the small hours of the morning. They try to attract shoppers with big discounts. Some items like TVs are much cheaper than usual. Stores may even lose money on these items. They hope that shoppers will buy gifts for other people while they are in the store.

Black Friday is a great time to get good deals. The problem is that there are not enough low-priced items to go around. Each store may only have a few. These items are in high demand. People stand in long lines to get such great deals. They may line up hours before a store opens. They may be hoping to get a low price on a TV or laptop, but not everyone who wants one will get one. Some people leave disappointed.

The situation can be tense. Some Black Friday events have been violent. Large, eager crowds have trampled workers. Fights have broken out over toys or people cutting in line. People have shot one another over parking spots. But most Black Friday events are safe and fun. Still, if you plan on going, expect large crowds and a bit of pushing and shoving.

So where does the name “Black Friday” come from? It was first used in Philadelphia in the 1950s. The police called this day Black Friday because of the heavy traffic it drew. In the 1960s, spread across the country. It seems that it is here to stay.

Now people all over the country take part in the event known as Black Friday. It is even spreading to other parts of the world. Stores have held Black Friday events in the U.K., Australia, and Brazil since 2012. In Costa Rica Black Friday is known as “Viernes Negro.” And in Mexico, stores offer an annual weekend of discounts. They call it “EI Buen Fin,” which means “the good weekend” in Spanish. I guess the language of savings is universal.

1. Why do stores set prices so low on some items that they lose money?

A．They want people to enjoy the holidays.

B．They are generous at the beginning of the holiday season.

C．They hope people will buy other gifts while they are in the store.

D．They are trying to get rid of old items.

2. Which best concludes the main idea of the third paragraph?

A．People stand in long lines on Black Friday.

B．Black Friday is a really disappointing time of the year.

C．Black Friday is the best time of the year to get good deals.

D．Black Friday deals are limited and not everyone will get one.

3. Which best describes the overall structure of the fifth paragraph?

A．Order of time.	B．Problem and solution.
C．Order of importance.	D．Compare and contrast.

4. Which title best expresses the author’s purpose in writing this text?

A．Black Friday: Stories from the Parking Lot

B．Black Friday: Why You Should Go This Year

C．Black Friday: The Stuff That You Should Know

D．Black Friday: How to Save Money on the Big Day

4 . A book on etiquette （礼节） explained the proper behavior Americans should follow in many different social situations． But in modern society， it is not enough to simply know the proper rules for behavior in your own country． International travel for work and pleasure is becoming increasingly popular， which makes it necessary for people to understand the rules of etiquette in other cultures as well．

Take， for example， the etiquette required in giving and receiving gifts． Cultural differences may appear even in such simple processes． In Western cultures， a gift can be handed over to the receiver with relatively little ceremony． When a gift is offered，the receiver typically takes the gift while expressing his or her thanks． However， in some Asian cultures，the act of giving is an important aspect of gift-giving，and this process may appear confusing or frustrating to Westerners． In Chinese culture， a receiver will typically refuse to accept the gift at first， with the understanding between the giver and receiver that after being turned down several times， the gift will finally be accepted． In addition， to show respect for the receiver， it is customary in several Asian cultures to use two hands when offering a gift to another person．

After receiving a gift， tradition may demand that the person open the gift right away or， alternatively， wait before opening the gift． In many Western cultures， etiquette requires the receiver to open the gift immediately and show appreciation for the thoughtfulness of the giver． In Asian cultures， on the other hand， the gift may be accepted with appreciation and then set aside to be opened later． The gift will then be opened in private in order not to show their greed or impatience．

Another tip for cross-cultural gift-giving relates to wrapping presents， especially in choosing the color of paper used to wrap a gift． In Japan， for example， white or very bright colors are traditionally not good choices for wrapping a gift． In Japanese culture， white is the color associated with mourning and bright colors may be considered by some people to be vulgar （庸俗的）．Plain white and black are also to be avoided when wrapping presents in China， because of the relation of these colors to funerals （葬礼）． Joyful colors such as red， yellow， and pink are preferred in Chinese culture． In contrast， Europeans seem to prefer softer colors for wrapping presents． A good rule of thumb for wrapping gifts， especially for business travelers， is to travel with unwrapped gifts， and then wrap the gift with paper bought in the country where the gift will be given．

Finally， when choosing the appropriate gift to give， a good rule to bear in minds is the following： "Never give vodka to Russians， chocolate to Belgians， or beer to Germans．" It is better to travel with quality gifts from one's own region or culture． These increase the chances of being appreciated in other cultures because of their unique nature．

Culturally Appropriate Gift-Giving

Brief Introduction	We need to have a good command of proper     1    and domestic gift-giving rules because of the increasing     2    of international travel．
Western cultures		Asian cultures
How to receive a gift	•Receivers take the gift， saying "thanks" to givers．	• Great importance are     3    to the act of gift- giving． •    4    the refusals， receivers finally accept the Gift， which is common in China． •Giving gifts with two hands is a way to show respect for the receiver．
When to open a gift	•Traditionally， receivers open the gift without     5    ． •Givers are appreciated for their consideration．	•Receivers tend to set aside the gifts and     6    them privately later to avoid appearing       7    or impatient．
How to wrap a gift	•Softer colours are accepted by people in European countries．	•Because of negative cultural meaning， white and bright colors are not good choices of the Japanese． •Chinese people     8    joyful colours to white and black．
A good rule of     9    a gift to give	Quality gifts from one's own region or culture are more     10    to be appreciated in other cultures because of their unique nature．

5 . Transportation and communication networks bring people together. Yet sometimes people themselves create barriers(障碍) to transportation and communication. In some countries, laws stop people from moving freely from place to place. Over the centuries, many groups of people have been denied the freedom to travel because of their race, religion, or nationality. In the Middle Ages, for example, Jews were often forbidden to move about freely within certain cities. South Africa's government used to require black Africans to carry passes when they travel within the country. Some governments require all citizens to carry identification papers and to report to government officials whenever they move.
Countries set up customs posts at their borders. Foreign travellers must go through a customs inspection before they are allowed to travel in the country. Usually travellers have to carry special papers such as passports and visas(签证). Some countries even limit the number of visitors to their country each year.   Others allow tourists to visit only certain areas of the country, or they may require that travellers be with an official guide at all times during their stay.
Many of those barriers to travel also act as barriers to communication.
When two governments disagree with each other on important matters, they usually do not want their citizens to exchange news or ideas freely. Countries often try to keep military or industrial information secret.
Today, people have the ability to travel, to communicate, and to transport goods more quickly and easily than ever before. Natural barriers that were difficult or dangerous to cross a hundred years ago can now be crossed easily. The barriers that people themselves make are not so easy to overcome. But in spite of all the different kinds of barriers, people continue to enjoy travel and the exchange of goods and ideas.
1. The examples in paragraph 1 are used to tell the readers that _______

A．people have been allowed to travel freely within the country

B．people have not been permitted to travel freely for various reasons

C．travellers have to carry special papers such as passports and visas

D．customs posts are necessary at the borders of the countries

2. Some governments limit the freedom of communication because___

A．they intend to keep their national secrets unknown to others

B．they think such freedom will lead to wars

C．they often disagree with each other on important matters

D．they want to show their authority over communication

3. We may learn from the passage that _______

A．people do not care about the removal of barriers between countries

B．people can not remove the obstacles made by themselves

C．man-made barriers are sometimes harder to overcome than natural ones

D．barriers should be taken for granted as they always exist

4. Which of the following can serve as the best title of the passage?

A．Barriers Made by People

B．Functions of Communication

C．Restrictions on Transportation

D．Progress of Human Society