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.     1     They remove the weeds growing on the ancestors’ tombs to make them clean, so this festival is also called Tomb-sweeping Festival. In some areas, people are forbidden to use fire to cook food, so they only eat cool food.

Double Ninth Festival

    2    The Chinese character of September is the same as 9, so we get this special name. Chinese people, especially the north Chinese, climb the mountains to the peak to enjoy the wonderful scenery, and admire the beauty of chrysanthemum.

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.     3     In the northern region, people eat dumplings and wonton(馄饨), while in the southern region rice balls.

    4    

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”.     5    

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 . China is a country with many colorful days and festivals. The Dragon Head Raising Day (Longtaitou) is one of them. This special day is on the second day of the second month in the Chinese lunar calendar (阴历). It stands for the start of spring and farming. This year, the day falls on March 4th.

The dragon is important in Chinese culture. We Chinese people call ourselves the “descendants (传人) of the dragon”. Therefore, people celebrate the Dragon Head Raising Day with many customs about dragons.

On the day in ancient times, people put ashes (灰) in the kitchen. This was to “lead the dragon into the house”. People believed that with the help of the dragon, they could have a good harvest in autumn.

Also, people eat special foods on that day. The foods are usually named after dragons. For example, people eat “dragon whisker (细须)” noodles and dumplings called “dragon teeth”.

Today, many customs have faded away. But one that has remained is the cutting of hair. It was said that a haircut during the first lunar month may bring bad luck to the mother’s brothers. So many people have their hair cut on the Dragon Head Raising Day.

1. Why is the dragon deeply rooted (扎根) in Chinese culture?

A．Chinese people think the dragon is a symbol of power.

B．Chinese people see the dragon as a symbol of good luck.

C．Chinese people think the dragon stands for the start of spring and farming..

D．Chinese people consider themselves the descendants of the dragon.

2. The underlined word in the last paragraph means ________.

A．disappear gradually	B．become stronger
C．run away	D．die off

3. On the day in ancient times, why did people put ashes in the kitchen?

A．Because the dragon liked the ashes.

B．Because the ashes led the dragon into the house.

C．Because the ashes brought a good harvest.

D．Because the ashes could bring good luck.

4. Which custom has been kept according to the passage?

A．Putting ashes in the kitchen.	B．Eating dragon whisker noodles and dumplings.
C．Cutting hair.	D．Eating special foods.

4 .

Wedding Customs from Around the World Each traditional wedding custom is very special, because it marks the importance of the wedding.

Brazil Important Details of the Wedding Ceremony A wedding ceremony in Brazil has many important details. For example, the bridegroom can't see the bride wearing her wedding dress before the ceremony. The bride has to use something old, something new, and something that is borrowed. One more detail is the bride's ring should be engraved the name of the bridegroom —María Celina Brandao

Eastern Europe Asking the Girl's Father for Permission In my country, the engagement is an event previous to the wedding. One month before the wedding, the bridegroom asks the girl's father for permission to take the girl out of her family house. He goes to her house early in the morning with a band, if he can afford the expense. All the neighbours come to see the new bride and to tell her something nice —Stoyan Grigorou

Japan A Wine Ceremony Symbolizes Dedication A Shinto wedding has a typical ceremony. A couple drinks Japanese rice wine in front of a priest. First, the bride drinks the wine from a small cup. Next, the bride passes the cup to the bridegroom and he also drinks the wine from the cup. They try to drink wine three times. This ceremony means that they promise to be dedicated to each other. —Maki Kubo

Venezuela Promises to Love and Take Care of Each Other The most important and unforgettable event of someone's life is marriage. In Venezuela, the bridegroom has to promise his bride to love her all his life and to take care of her forever. The bride also has to repeat the same commandments. It is popular for the couple to read the promises to each other. This moment is really beautiful. In addition, the couple receives a list of commandments. —Sonia Dale

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1. What is a bridegroom in Brazil not expected to do?

A．Use something not new.

B．Use something someone else lends him.

C．Have his bride wear the ring engraved with his name.

D．See his bride in a wedding dress before the ceremony.

2. When does the engagement in Eastern Europe usually happen?

A．Before the wedding is celebrated.	B．After the girl is taken out
C．After a band is paid by the bridegroom.	D．When the neighbours arrive.

3. Why does the couple in Japan drink wine three times?

A．It is the priest's order in the ceremony.

B．The cup is not big enough to hold much wine.

C．It means they promise not to be against each other.

D．It is typical for all young Japanese to drink wine.

5 . I travel a lot, and I find out 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 names; in Japan, people use landmarks（地标）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.”

In the countryside of the American Midwest, there are not usually many landmarks. There are no mountains, so the land is very flat; in many places there are no towns or buildings within miles. Instead of landmarks, people will tell you directions and distances. In Kansas or Iowa, for example, people will say, “Go north two miles. Turn east, and then go another mile.”

People in Los Angeles, California, have no idea of distance on the map; they measure distance in time, not miles. “How far away is the post office？” you ask. “Oh,” they answer “it’s about five minutes from here.” You say, “Yes, but how many miles away is it？” They don’t know.

It’s true that a person doesn’t know the answer to your question sometimes. What happens in such a situation? A New Yorker might say, “Sorry, I have no idea.” But in Yucatan, Mexico, no one answers “I don’t know.” People in Yucatan believe that “I don’t know” is impolite. They usually give an answer, often a wrong one. A tourist can get very, very lost in Yucatan！

1. When a tourist asks the Japanese the way to a certain place, they usually ______.

A．describe the place carefully.	B．show him a map of the place.
C．tell him the names of the streets.	D．refer to recognizable buildings and places.

2. What is the place where people measure distance in time？

A．New York.

B．Los Angeles.

C．Kansas.

D．Iowa.

3. What is the purpose of the author in writing this passage？

A．To show cultural differences in showing directions.

B．To show how to ask the way properly in different countries.

C．To explain why people have similar understanding of direction.

D．To share the experience of traveling around the world.